After taking car to the dealer for the HVAC blower not working, many issues have turned up costing a great deal of money?

Tiny
REBECCA CRAMPTON
  • MEMBER
  • 2010 TOYOTA COROLLA
  • 4 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 200,000 MILES
My blower stopped working. Heat worked before the blower went out. All the knobs except the blower speed select worked properly. Toyota fixed the blower and then the knobs to the mode and A/C and heat would not turn properly so the heat wouldn't come on. Not sure about A/C because you couldn't get the knob to select cold air. These worked properly before Toyota went in to change the "heater relay in the kick panel and installed a new blower switch" so the blower worked now for $640.00 but the heat and knobs/dials that worked before it went in, didn't anymore. They were also supposed to check the alternator beyond the multipoint inspection (which they charged me $60.00 for) because it was towed there because the car wouldn't hold a charge. The blower switch and relay was a 3 hour labor charge for my heat to stop working and my knobs to be messed up, the alternator passed whatever test they did and not even a week later and only 127 miles, the car loses power again and needs a tow to Toyota. They say they couldn't have known that was a problem because everything was fine before and that I need a new alternator, battery and driver belt. That was fixed for $900.00. When I asked them to look at the knobs and the fact that the heat worked before they got it in the first place, they said, now it's the entire "blower assembly box and all of what goes with it for the entire part at just under $2,400.00 not including up to 12 hours of labor which they were going to be so kind as to knock down from $1,914.00 to $1,140.00.
My problem is this: the heat and the dials for the mode (defrost/feet/dash/face) and the Heat-A/C were only messed up after they went in (for 3 hours to change the blower switch (a 20 minute tops job if you include the relay behind the kick plate). I'm assuming something they did while they were in there caused that problem. They had the car for 6 days, fixed the blower, messed up my A/C-heat and mode dials, checked the alternator that was good and 6 days later that and the battery and the belt are bad which costs $900.00. $1,500.00 in when I take it back to say the knobs are messed up and the heat doesn't work, they tell me its going to be another $4,000.00 (at least to give me heat and A/C in my car) which I had before I took it there in the first place. This is actually my brothers car who has a disability. I manage things like this for him from another state 9 hours away. I feel like they are taking advantage of the situation as well not thoroughly checking the vehicle and not taking responsibility for what ended up broke after they fixed the blower. I'm a woman trying to handle my disabled brothers business and I just feel like there is something messed up here.
Monday, November 30th, 2020 AT 7:33 PM

1 Reply

Tiny
KASEKENNY
  • MECHANIC
  • 18,907 POSTS
This sounds like a couple possible issues. The heat not working could just be a blend door issue but that would not be related to blower motor repair so I am not sure how that would have happened. Here is a guide that talks about this:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/replace-blend-door-motor

Also, here is another guide that talks about the heater not working:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/car-heater-not-working

However, the fact that you are 9 hours away I don't think you are asking for help on how you can fix this vehicle. It sounds more like you are looking for advice on what to do now.

The fact that you are 9 hours away, I think is the issue. Which means, you are getting second hand stories on all this. Not suggesting that people are lying to you but you just don't get the full story when you are not there.

So what I would do in your position is two things. First, reach out the dealership management and talk to them about everything that has happened. Meaning don't talk to the advisor but the manager or even the owner. Then put another call into Toyota directly. They will intervene on your behalf and talk with the dealer and if needed you will need to take it for a second opinion.

It just sounds like there are a lot of moving parts and you just need to get above the level of person you are talking with now because getting an estimate of $4,000.00 to fix a heating system just sounds crazy. You could replace most of the vehicle for that cost so even if you are putting the entire system in it, it would not cost that much. So again, call the manager/owner of the dealership and call Toyota and I think things will start to work out.

Let us know what questions or concerns you run into during this and we can work them out. Thanks
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Wednesday, December 2nd, 2020 AT 12:22 PM

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