Toyota Dealership Sold Vehicle with Window Tint Darker Than Legal

creeps_bay on 02/01/2019 - 09:57
Last edited 14/01/2019 - 09:44 by 1 other user

Looking for help from my fellow OzBargainers:

I bought a brand new car from Brighton Toyota with window tint 2 years back.

I'm selling the car now and it has failed RWC as the tints are darker and readings are between 20-25 for the driver window. I took the car to the local Toyota dealer, they checked and claimed it's too dark and I need to take the car to the store that I bought it for inspection and rectification.

I contacted the dealer and they kept claiming it is not possible and a rep will contact me shortly and also to bring the car over inspection. Brighton Toyota is around 40 mins (provided there is no traffic) far from me.I hate to travel just for the purpose of their assurance. Furthermore, I would still have pay the vehicle re-inspection fee for RWC once this is sorted.

What should I do? What are my rights?

Update:

Thank you all for your inputs.
After getting no where and with the run around, I gave up.
Got the tint removed and sold the car.
The loop hole of +/- 5% Tint calibration/machine issue is allowed, which is where these guys will pay around.
I am not buying Toyota anymore hence I see the attitude of HO or the reps not caring about the service.

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Comments

  • whooah1979 on 02/01/2019 - 10:09
    +11

    What are my rights?

    Take the item back to the store for a repair or a replacement.

  • chumlee on 02/01/2019 - 10:09
    +15

    Go back to the original dealer in Brighton and demand they replace the tint to legal standard and cover the cost incurred as well as compensation.

    Raise it with Toyota HO if need be, otherwise VCAT is an option.

    They sold you a car that does not comply with road worthy standards so they are responsible

    • creeps_bay on 02/01/2019 - 13:25

      thats Assertive!! Thank you @chumlee

  • Ocker on 02/01/2019 - 10:14
    +8

    Reckon after 2 years of taking delivery you are on shaky ground. Dealer may well argue the tint on the car now is not the original tint they supplied/fitted.
    Onus would be on you to prove otherwise - pretty difficult.
    Forget Toyota HO, I have had dealings with them before and frankly, they don't give a damn about customer complaints.

    • Cheeper on 02/01/2019 - 13:45
      +1

      Very true about Toyota HO. Completely disintrested in cutomers with problems with their shonky dealerships.
      Great cars leave the factory but after that dealerships and HO are uselss.

      • creeps_bay on 02/01/2019 - 14:45

        Did call them after some of the comments, they were not interested and directed to speak with the dealership and raise a complaint with them. They HO will register any complaints for Toyota Finance. Huh!

    • qwerks on 14/01/2019 - 06:20

      +1 on Toyota HO not caring. We got told that they have nothing to do with their "francises". I find it weird for a Japanese multinational to not care about their reputation.

  • oscargamer on 02/01/2019 - 10:25
    -6

    New rules in VIC allow for tint down to 20% VLT. Your RWC tester should get with the times.

  • reno on 02/01/2019 - 11:36
    +1

    to save you time and hassle, why not just get the front tints removed so you can sell it off and be done
    you could just get some cheap tints for the front if you want it to help the sale. plenty of places doing 150 for all windows, and i'm sure it'll be similar to get removed and get the front windows done

    whilst it may not be your fault, the time and effort required is the trade off

    • creeps_bay on 02/01/2019 - 13:31
      +1

      Even though I get it removed, I would still be paying a re-inspection fee. Plus I paid the premium dollars at the time of purchase to the dealer have it company fitted.

      • Davo1111 on 02/01/2019 - 14:23
        +1

        Plus I paid the premium dollars at the time of purchase to the dealer have it company fitted.

        Would have been nice if you'd mentioned this at the start

        You've got the original receipt, go back and let them inspect the tints, take it from there

      • andyhui01 on 03/01/2019 - 11:26

        2nd Inspection is generally free at most RWC testers

  • RockyRaccoon on 02/01/2019 - 11:48
    +4

    they checked and claimed it's too dark and I need to take the car to the store that I bought it for inspection and rectification.

    So the real issue is

    I hate to travel just for the purpose of their assurance. Furthermore, I would still have pay the vehicle re-inspection fee for RWC once this is sorted.

    Simple

    Demand they come over with a can of petrol, a driver and a DVD to entertain you while they drive the car back and check.

    IF that doesnt work, then you are SOL and you have to drive over yourself just like most others would do. Life isnt always 100% fair.

    What else do you think we can tell you?

    Contact your local member, call the police?

    • creeps_bay on 02/01/2019 - 13:34
      +1

      May be it's not that simple as you would have thought.
      Some of the previous comments has really helped me showing a direction. And it feels good to see there are people who does spend 5 minutes of their quality time helping someone in need. I really appreciate this forum.

      • RockyRaccoon on 02/01/2019 - 14:03
        +2

        Yes it is that simple. You need to go back to them PERIOD. Thats all, then see what they say. Then if thats not to your satisfaction then go from there.

        I am just responding to your question "what should I do" the need for your rights havent been established until you take it back to them.

        You had indicated you were reluctant to do this, hence my point.

        Sorry when a lemon is a lemon you need to understand its taste is going to be sour, sorry I couldnt sugar coat it for you. 😂

      • jacross on 03/01/2019 - 08:13
        -2

        You aren't in need. You have a very minor problem and desire some advice.

        Literally never use the word need ever again.

  • JimmyF on 02/01/2019 - 12:07

    and I need to take the car to the store that I bought it for inspection and rectification.

    And what did they do when you took the car back?

    Brighton Toyota is around 40 mins (provided there is no traffic) far from me.I hate to travel just for the purpose

    Too bad, they can't just take your word, they need to verify the claim, and then arrange a repair.

    I would still have pay the vehicle re-inspection fee for RWC once this is sorted.

    Correct

    What should I do? What are my rights?

    Take it back and have Brighton Toyota fix the tint.

    As for the RWC, thats on you, not them.

    • creeps_bay on 02/01/2019 - 13:28

      I don't mind paying for the RWC, but since this is fitted by Toyota, it's ethically wrong to be driving a vehicle without roadworthiness for this whole time.
      I can take it back to them, but not just for the sake of their assurance. All I have asked is if they find that there is issue, to be rectified so that I dont have to travel back just to get it fixed.

      • JimmyF on 02/01/2019 - 13:40

        I don't mind paying for the RWC

        Good

        it's ethically wrong to be driving a vehicle without roadworthiness for this whole time.

        ethically wrong??? Gee thats a bit much

        Anyhow, you might find your car is roadworthy, just because once tester 'failed' it, doesn't mean they did the testing right.

        Does your front tint look overly dark to others on the road? Can you post some pictures? 20-25% tint is pretty dark, you'll be able to tell straight away by comparing to others.

        All I have asked is if they find that there is issue, to be rectified so that I dont have to travel back just to get it fixed.

        Won't happen on the spot, Tint is done by 3rd party companies. They will need to verify there is a issue, then arrange an appointment to fix it.

        Yes the dealer needs to fix it, but that is all.

      • TheOtherLeft on 03/01/2019 - 10:40
        +2

        That's more then ethically wrong. It's actually illegal and can theoretically void your insurance if the too-dark tint caused an accident, i.e. impeding your vision especially at night.

  • godofpizza on 02/01/2019 - 13:13
    +1

    maybe you should ask that dealer to organise a RWC at their cost for you.

  • [Deactivated] on 02/01/2019 - 13:23
    +1

    What would spackbace suggest? That is my answer.

  • Cheeper on 02/01/2019 - 13:58
    -1

    AFAIK stealerships do not fit window tint. Can they tell you who did it, maybe speak to them?
    Then again being 2yrs the stealership may not deal with the same installer now or they might not still be in business?

    As for having to take it 40km to allow the selling dealer to inspect it after it was confirmed too dark by both a RWC inspector and another dealership .. that just stinks and shows clearly that they want to screw you around.
    What would it cost to have a tint installer near you to replace it with legal tint? Not much.. problem fixed and a happy customer.

    A couple of years ago we purchased a new car from a Toyota stealership about an hours drive away and they butchered it fitting a tow bar.
    To their credit they approved repair at a local panel beater rather than further inflict the pain of having to drive all that way to get it sorted.

    For now, you have to take the car to them for inspection. If they claim it is ok and refuse to help then inform them in writing that you will have the tint replaced with tint that is legal and you will bill them for both the new tint and the rejected RWC check failure.

    If they refuse to pay then pass it to VCAT.

    Edit: I wonder how the motor registry authority there would view this as most stealerships are now authorised to register new vehicles. Removing their right to do this should be warranted if they are registering vehicles which do not conform to regulations ??

    • JimmyF on 02/01/2019 - 14:42
      +1

      As for having to take it 40km to allow the selling dealer

      Its 40 mins away, NOT 40 kms away. 40 mins in the city is nothing these days.

      that just stinks and shows clearly that they want to screw you around.

      No they just don't blindly trust other 3rd parties. If you did work and the customer rings you up to say, hey this is done wrong. Would you blindly trust them? No.

      Asking for the product to be returned to the point of sale AFTER 2 years, isn't out of the question.

      For now, you have to take the car to them for inspection. If they claim it is ok

      Then ask them to write you out a RWC, as most dealers can do this for their own 2nd hand lots ;)

    • jimbobaus on 03/01/2019 - 09:24

      When I worked at a Toyota dealer selling after market we did our own tint. We did not our source it at all. Some dealers do, not many though.

  • justhooked on 02/01/2019 - 14:13
    +2

    Same happened to my friend the Toyota windows are already slightly tinted and when the put on the darkest legal tint it went over . They didn’t know until 3years later when they had to go over the pits as they let the rego run out ( different story !)
    They went back to dealer and the dealer had to replace tint with slightly lest tint.
    So go back to original dealer to get it sorted

    • JimmyF on 02/01/2019 - 14:39

      Toyota windows are already slightly tinted and when the put on the darkest legal tint it went over

      I'm guessing this is what happened here as well.

      • Employeespackbace @ Toyota Australia on 03/01/2019 - 14:05

        Privacy glass is in the rear, front windows have no tint

    • creeps_bay on 02/01/2019 - 14:46

      It very well could be, will update you once the dealer organise an appointment to look into this.

    • godofpizza on 02/01/2019 - 14:57

      i noticed alot of car have really dark tint, has the laws changed?

  • Employeespackbace @ Toyota Australia on 02/01/2019 - 23:12

    Oh hai, Toyota salesperson here

    1. Window tint is an aftermarket item, Toyota HO won't give 2 shits about it.
    2. It's a he said she said situation. How does anyone know that the tint is still original dealership tint?
    3. How much is your time worth to go to the dealer, dispute it and to arrange another day/time for it to be replaced?

    As has been said, get it stripped and it's up to you if you wanna pay for it to be replaced. Most places charge $50-$100 to strip a full car of tint. I reckon your local Facebook beer economy page would strip the tint for a carton or less.

    Is your time and effort worth the $50 or so to dispute the issue, then to go back to the dealership to get it rectified, all over a he said she said situation? I know my time is worth more than that.

    • creeps_bay on 03/01/2019 - 15:36

      I took it them, they checked and advised the readings are 31.5% for driver window.
      When I asked for the evidence, it came a 35%, so I walked straight to the RWC guys, they stated they would be happy to be proved wrong and happy for me to have it tested elsewhere. I got it checked at other licensed tester and readings are still within 20-25%.
      Contacted Brighton Toyota, they dont want to talk nw claiming they have the most upto date machine and their reading is right, and the staffs were really rude.

      you're right, can't spend too much time. I give up, will pay RWC guys to remove the tint.

      • Employeespackbace @ Toyota Australia on 03/01/2019 - 15:46

        Sorry to hear, and for the sake of customer relations I'm sure they could've just asked if you wanted them to strip the tint (maybe not reapply new stuff).

        • creeps_bay on 03/01/2019 - 16:16
          +1

          No, they stated they did me favor by testing the Tint "free of Charge".
          Moreover, what I hate the most was the staff rudeness, one in particular.

  • ozboygsl on 03/01/2019 - 08:34
    -2

    "someone" had a problem with a car bought from a dealership once. The dealership were arrogant scum in response to the legitimate concerns raised. Aforementioned dealership then had problems with things like cars being taken for test drives and coming back with dog excrement left under seats, tires somehow going flat and "someone" squirting paint stripper on the cars . The arrogant scum were then given the chance to rectify their filth behavior. They did and, lo and behold, all the little things that were slowly propelling them to bankruptcy suddenly ceased. Of course, I would never either do or suggest anything illegal; just relaying a interesting story.

    • Employeespackbace @ Toyota Australia on 03/01/2019 - 14:04

      Except that dealers don't generally let cars out without an employee in the passenger seat…

  • Candour on 03/01/2019 - 09:18

    read john cadogan and his posts on the ACCC and the consumer law which overrides anything dealers may say.

    • Employeespackbace @ Toyota Australia on 03/01/2019 - 14:03

      There's still zero proof that the tint hasn't been replaced since purchase, except for the owner's word. It's not like window tint has a brand stamp

  • backpaqer on 03/01/2019 - 11:58

    Take the car back to Toyota for a 100% refund of your original purchase price as they sold you goods of unmerchantable quality and not what you paid for ;)

    • Employeespackbace @ Toyota Australia on 03/01/2019 - 14:03

      Full refund plus interest 😉

      • creeps_bay on 03/01/2019 - 15:28

        I wish this was possible.. 😉

  • HeWhoKnows on 03/01/2019 - 17:12

    All new cars must be sold in roadworthly condition.
    The same applies to used cars sold by a dealer.
    If you have the invoice which shows the car was sold with that window tint then you have cause to make a claim for rectification.

  • creeps_bay on 14/01/2019 - 09:44
    +2

    Thank you all for your inputs.
    After getting no where and with the run around, I gave up.
    Got the tint removed and sold the car.
    The loop hole of +/- 5% Tint calibration/machine issue is allowed, which is where these guys will pay around.
    I am not buying Toyota anymore hence I see the attitude of HO or the reps not caring about the service.

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