BEWARE: This post contains SARCASM. Even worse, it also contains PERSONAL OPINION.
Let’s sum all this up.
So people have rolled their Toyota Fortuners. Not a big deal, according to Toyota. They decide to show us poor customers some love, and order their dealers to replace our tires on a one-to-one basis. This is not an admission of guilt, but rather Toyota looking after us. We bought their products, after all.
I had some close calls, but I know, it’s silly of me to expect a R400000 4×4 to behave well on a gravel road at 30km’s per hour. I hope other car manufacturers don’t have to deal with stupid clients, as Toyota is forced to do.
I take my Fortuner in to Toyota Tygervalley, and thankfully they agree I need new tires. They will replace all 5, as long as I pay for one. Two weeks later a real tire is written of on a perfectly normal gravel road, where we pass a Toyota Tazz, Mercedes C class amongst other cars. I know, stupid me. Taking a R400000 4×4 onto a gravel road…
I phone Toyota, insist on getting new tires right now, as my family is at risk. I am informed no can do, the tires are imported; I will have to wait 5-6 more weeks. I offer to pay in extra money, and to go for proper 4×4 tires. I am told not to be stupid; the offer is for new Continental General Grabbers, the same make as the original tires that put me and other people in this predicament in the first place. I make a stupid decision, and decide to rather buy safe tires, than wait for another 5-6 weeks while Toyota import these tires. I stupidly understood “import” to mean “from outside the country”. It turns out the tires are imported from Port Elizabeth. Stupid me.
I spend R11000 on 5 new Bridgestone AT tires. This annoyed me a bit, so I write to Ferdi de Vos, head of the Stupid clients handling Department over there. The tires make a DRAMATIC difference in the road holding of the car.
Ferdi likes the letter so much, he phones me personally and we spoke for 50 minutes about how great Toyota has been in making us, the people who spend their own money buying Toyota producs, happy. He informs me that I was unFORTUNER unfortunately stupid enough to take my family’s safety into consideration and without waiting 6 week, went ahead, against Toyota’s best wishes, and bought new tires. So, I did not give Toyota a chance to fix my non-existing problem, so I am just being stupid.
I agree to help sort out this issue, and managed to find 8 people stupid enough to post a letter to Toyota, expecting Toyota to respond to the problem. At least I am not the only stupid person, I managed to find some more friends. Toyota think we are so stupid, they don’t even bother replying to the letters.
Wednesday the 26th day of November is a big day. Toyota finally decides that I have learned my lesson, and it’s time to replace the tires. I get a phone call, and I am informed I can pick up the replacement tires. 54 days after Toyota realised my car was unsafe, they decided to deliver the new tires.
54 days.
Too dramatic? Sorry, let’s get back to me being stupid.
Let’s sum up this summing up letter.
- I was stupid enough to expect a R400000 permanent 4×4 to be capable of staying on the road at low speeds.
- I was stupid enough to think Toyota would sort this out, by paying to have the car made safe.
- I was stupid enough to think that I should be able to put any suitable size tire on my 4×4, but according to Toyota ONLY Bridgestone General Grabbers are allowed on the car.
- I was stupid enough to think that replacement tires (for unsafe ones) would be available straight away, and not 6 weeks later.
- I was stupid enough to think Toyota would care.
January 31st, 2009 at 10:56 pm
I have a 4 x 2 FT with the so called new Grabber Tyres (bought the vehicle in Nov 08). I was or rather wanted to tow a car tRailer with a car on it (YES, it doesn’t just happen with carravans guys)and my fortuner fish tailed badly at 70 km/h. Let me tell you, you shouldend have to be a profesional driver with six driver training course behind you to handle your vehicle at 70 km/h. It was scary let me inform you and I wonder if the tyres actually have something to do with that. I think it bull shitt !!!, fish tailing comes from unstable point of gravity and not from tyres. I think and are sure that when turning a damn bakkie into a SUV one should at least weigh up the pros and cons should’nt one. None the less its mine now and I need some suggestions can some one help.
January 21st, 2009 at 10:27 am
ME, I agree.
As said in another reply to one of your comments, just replacing tires do not sort out this problem. I also had to replace shocks with Camil.
January 21st, 2009 at 10:22 am
DURING NOVEMBER 2008 OUR TYRES WERE REPLACED BY TOYOTA - BIG DEAL. THE TOYOTA FORTUNER IS STILL LEAVING THE ROAD AND MY HUSBAND HAD A CLOSE CALL THE DAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS. THE PROBLEM IS NOT SOLVED WITH NEW TYRES.
January 20th, 2009 at 5:35 am
Piet, thanks for the post.
I find it extremely funny (and not in a HAHA way) how as soon as anyone says they managed to roll their Toyota Fortuner (or Hilux) everyone want to know what kind of car you drove before. I have never heard anyone ask a Prado or 3 series or Corsa or C Class driver what car they drove before they rolled their current car?
So, why do people suggest that Toyota Fortuner drivers are complete morons? If I was Toyota, I would do a moron test, and not sell their products to Fortuner type drivers. This would get rid of their problem ones and for all.
January 20th, 2009 at 5:29 am
Shane, I wish I had an answer for you. If I did, I would be a happy Toyota customer. But, I am not…
January 19th, 2009 at 4:44 pm
Guys what vehicles have u driven before the Fortuner ??
I have had no problems with mine at all??
Before the Fortuner I had 3 double cab 4×4’s.
And yes I have seen people loose control of their 4×4’s at 30km/h on a bad road before…
December 29th, 2008 at 9:24 pm
Hi I have had a really shit experience with exactly the same problem. Have 4×2 and even at 1.6 bar lost control of the vehicle doing 35kmh on a dirt road. Who do we attack on this. I’ll park the fucking thing on the MD’s desk if you give me an address.
Smaller issue the wonderful leather interior we paid for. All the seat surrounds and door panels are vinyl. I’ve been waiting two months for a response from the bastards