South Coast Toyota
Customer Reviews of South Coast Toyota
Unethical Dealership
byon 09/13/2022
I have been in contact with a sales person for 1 month before we finally came to an agreement on a car and a price. I qualified for the Tier 1 rate of 1.9% for 48 months. I placed $1,000 deposit and waited for the allocation to arrive 2 weeks after I signed the paperwork. There was a delay in the shipment and I did not take delivery of the car until the week after the initial 2 week estimated delivery. When I walked into the finance office, they informed me that the 1.9% rate is no longer valid because that offer was for the previous month despite my signing the agreement with that rate in that month. The current rate is now 2.49% for 48 months. This is a complete bait and switch. Nowhere did the terms say the offer is valid only if the vehicle is taken delivery within the same month. Why am I, the customer being penalized for the time delay of the vehicle arriving to the dealership? They have every discretion to honor the deal but they did not. The dealership markup and forced accessory upgrade was already a bitter pill to swallow and now switching up the rate just so the dealership can make more money?! Dealerships are making more money now with less inventory than ever before. This dealership is very short-sighted in that they prefer to make a short term profit over maintaining a life time customer of buying and servicing my vehicle with them and word of mouth within my network of family and friends. This is why people hate dealerships; all the underhanded tricks they try to pull over customers. The President of South Coast is also the VP/GM of Toyota of Orange. If this is how they conduct business, I caution everyone to reconsider doing business with them. You'll end up frustrated and wasting time.
- Recommend this dealer? No
- Purchased a vehicle from this dealer? No
Best truck buying experience ever!
byon 10/03/2019
Dianne Whitmire made buying a truck an easy and pleasurable experience. She is very knowledgeable and prompt about answering any and all questions. I have already recommended her to friends and family!
- Recommend this dealer? Yes
- Purchased a vehicle from this dealer? Yes
- Did the dealer honor all commitments made? Yes
Awesome Experience
byon 01/31/2018
I had my first scheduled maintenance appointment with the Toyota Care program. I was greeted by Mark Anderson in Service and off the bat, I was laughing! I was impressed by his professionalism and thoroughness. I have never owned a Toyota and with the service I got, it felt like I had a Mercedes! In one word, I was "impressed". Then, when it rains, it pours. I had a minor accident on the freeway where a piece of metal went through my grill and into my compressor! I took my car back a week later and was greeted by Jason LaVasseur. Again, impressive! My insurance company disappointed in that it dragged the process and timing out, but Jason took care of communicating with them and even gave me his cell number so I can follow up on the progress of my vehicle. Overall, I am a very happy Toyota owner and will recommend Toyota to my friends and family.
- Recommend this dealer? Yes
- Were you satisfied with the quality of work performed on your vehicle? Yes
- Did the dealership complete the work within the timeframe promised? Yes
- Did the dealership provide you with an accurate quote of the work to be performed? Yes
- Do you feel the price paid for service(s) was fair and appropriate? Yes
- Did the dealer honor all commitments made? Yes
Frustration and disappointment
byon 05/30/2017
On May 2016, I bought a brand new black Toyota RAV4 LE. The sale's person Don Jose was very helpful and patient. I loved the car, drove it for over nine months, no problems. After the tenth month I started hearing a clicking noise associated with a headlight flickering. That happens one time only when the car change to first gear. I took it back to the dealer. I explained to them the problem. First, they said the noise was not there, but when I insisted and asked them to take another look, they found the noise but not the headlight flickering light. They kept the car for two days. When I went back to get the car, they told me that the noise is normal and started giving me all kind of excuses explanations trying to convince me that the noise and the headlight flickering are normal. Common sense dictate that if the problem was not there at first and started happening later on it means that it's definitely not normal. After I had enough of their bogus explanation. I decided to get in my car I drive back home. While I was getting into the car, I've noticed some deep scratches on the driver side roof that were not there before I left the car with them. That enticed me to check thoroughly the exterior of my car. I was surprised to find more scratches and dents on the hood, the bumper and the driver door. I pointed them to Thomas, the gentleman who was helping me with the paperwork. He agreed that those scratches and dents were not there when I dropped the car two day before. I was really disappointed when I noticed that they were not going to tell me about it if I did not discovered it myself right there and then. That showed lack of integrity, lack of quality service, and lack of honesty of their part. They kept the car for over a week in their body shop. I picked it up Wednesday May 24th. The next day I had to take it back to them because they messed up the dashboard light. It was turning on and off by itself. When I showed it to Thomas he noticed the light asked me to wait and called Fred A. Potter the Service Director the same guy who tried before to convince me that the clicking and the headlight flickering are normal in a Toyota RAV4 2016. When Thomas and I told him about the dashboard problem he gave Thomas a dirty look, meaning take a hike. Then he pretend again not to see the problem and accused me of being unreasonable and paranoid and told me to go to another dealer and he was not going to help me anymore. Remember, my car is still under warranty and by him refusing me service he is breaching the contract. He was rude and unhelpful since the first day I had to deal with him.
- Recommend this dealer? No
- Were you satisfied with the quality of work performed on your vehicle? No
- Did the dealership complete the work within the timeframe promised? No
- Did the dealership provide you with an accurate quote of the work to be performed? No
- Do you feel the price paid for service(s) was fair and appropriate? No
- Did the dealer honor all commitments made? No
The best service from Don Jose
byon 05/17/2017
So back in January I purchased my first car Don Jose did a great job completed my service and was fun and easy going and he did his job. So I went back for my second car/trade in once again he did what he does best and speed up my whole process with a very fun and easy going attitude. Don Jose is a great man and such a good worker I definitely recommended anyone to work with him. By far the best and he's good at communicating and keeping a good conversation.
- Recommend this dealer? Yes
- Purchased a vehicle from this dealer? Yes
Rude Assistant Services Manager
byon 05/16/2017
I came in to drop off my car for services, the first person who greeted me was very welcoming and nice, then the Assistance Services Manager Thomas Trafford came in and didn't even say hi, I was on the phone getting things done as I was late for work, but the first guy said hi. I was waiting forever for them to have me sign the papers and let me go about my day. When i asked Thomas Trafford if I was good to leave he was very rude and said I was on the phone the whole time, so he helped other people and let me waiting, being late for work. That's very annoying for a Monday 8 am, specially when I didn't walk in, I had an appointment. I mad esure to ask for someolse to assist me nect time because i don't have time for rude people. If he doesn't want to be there neither do I.
- Recommend this dealer? No
- Were you satisfied with the quality of work performed on your vehicle? Yes
- Did the dealership complete the work within the timeframe promised? Yes
- Did the dealership provide you with an accurate quote of the work to be performed? Yes
- Do you feel the price paid for service(s) was fair and appropriate? Yes
- Did the dealer honor all commitments made? Yes
Amazing service from Dennis Fritchman
byon 12/30/2016
Yesterday I bought a new car from Dennis. I'm a first time car owner, and I was nervous to do this by myself. I came in with a budget and he diligently walked me through the whole process with patience and kindness. I really felt like he was looking after me and had my best interests in mind. I am already referring my friends/family to go to him. Truly amazing service !
- Recommend this dealer? Yes
- Purchased a vehicle from this dealer? Yes
Experience at Dealership
byon 11/10/2016
Customer service was great when I called and told them what truck I wanted they had it for me the next day truck was clean and had a full tank of gas, the salesman was not pushy listened to what I wanted and came thru, I highly recommend this dealership
- Recommend this dealer? Yes
- Purchased a vehicle from this dealer? Yes
Fast and easy
byon 02/12/2015
Very fast , Scotty was the man and followed through untill the end . Id recommend to anyone looking to purchase
- Recommend this dealer? Yes
- Purchased a vehicle from this dealer? Yes
Easiest car buying process yet
byon 05/31/2014
I used the TrueCar buying service, so I had my price negotiated ahead of time. Compared it to my consumer reports pricing report, and the deal seemed great. Scott M. was my designated sales contact, and when we met up I told him I only had two concerns: paying off my trade in and getting out of there quickly. He managed to make both happen, so I drove off a happy camper. Liked the experience so much, I went and bought a Prius for my wife 2 weeks after.
- Recommend this dealer? Yes
- Purchased a vehicle from this dealer? Yes
- Did the dealer honor all commitments made? Yes
Excellent Experience
byon 09/02/2013
The entire staff was great t deal with and I would recommend to all my friends and family
- Recommend this dealer? Yes
- Purchased a vehicle from this dealer? Yes
- Did the dealer honor all commitments made? Not Applicable
Bought a 2013 Venza LE AWD with little drama
byon 05/11/2013
Visited the dealer to check out the Venza, the salesman was Dennis F. and he came right out and made us feel at ease. We told him what we were looking for and went and found a Venza XLE to examine. After examining the car we went on a test drive. We came back and got a brochure and told him we'll call back if we're interested. After coming home we did some homework so we knew exactly what we wanted. We called Dennis after lunch to let him know we were interested. We had the #1 choice color, trim, and engine option we wanted. The transaction went smoothly and we're out the door with new car by 3:30pm. Wow
- Recommend this dealer? Yes
- Purchased a vehicle from this dealer? Yes
- Did the dealer honor all commitments made? Yes
John Deloss is the man
byon 04/20/2012
I want to thank Mr John Deloss for a great and painless experience during the purchase of my 2012 Toyota Tundra from South Coast Toyota. My truck is awesome and is exactly what I wanted. From my "pain in the neck" emails, to me signing on the dotted line, John was there through it all, ensuring it went smooth. Thanks again John. Believe me, if I get a chance to send people your way, I will.
- Recommend this dealer? Yes
- Purchased a vehicle from this dealer? Yes
- Did the dealer honor all commitments made? Yes
Bought New FJ Cruiser
byon 04/13/2012
I enjoyed buying car from the sales rep and all those involved. A. Dawes
- Recommend this dealer? Yes
- Purchased a vehicle from this dealer? Yes
- Did the dealer honor all commitments made? Yes
1 Comments
Great service staff
byon 04/13/2012
We took our former vehicle for service after going to the delearship where the car was originally purchased. Even though we had a full service contract, the service department tried to charge us for normal service. That is when we changed to South Coast Toyota where we had a far superior experience. We will never go back to the original dealer.
- Recommend this dealer? Yes
- Were you satisfied with the quality of work performed on your vehicle? Yes
- Did the dealership complete the work within the timeframe promised? Yes
- Did the dealership provide you with an accurate quote of the work to be performed? Yes
- Do you feel the price paid for service(s) was fair and appropriate? Yes
- Did the dealer honor all commitments made? Yes
1 Comments
Great Salesman
byon 04/13/2012
Tony, my salesman was polite, knowledgeable and very efficient. He took the time to explain the vehicle completely. The total time to complete the purchase was the quickest I have ever experienced.
- Recommend this dealer? Yes
- Purchased a vehicle from this dealer? Yes
- Did the dealer honor all commitments made? Yes
1 Comments
Great!
byon 01/13/2012
I called and talked to Bruce Tine, told him what i needed, he found it, got exactly what i needed. Came over checked it out, Bruce gave me a fair price and the I just love my tacoma. Thanks Bruce and SC Toyota!! John Treglia
- Recommend this dealer? Yes
- Purchased a vehicle from this dealer? Yes
- Did the dealer honor all commitments made? Yes
1 Comments
Do not go here!!!!!
byon 09/25/2010
DO NOT GO HERE!!!!!! These people are [violative content deleted]. I have had the worst experience ever buying my truck. I'm in the military and first came to this dealership because I work locally and wanted to support my local dealership. When I first got there they were very aggressive and were very pushy, especially the sales guy named Mark Ochoa. He kept thanking me for my service and feeding me empty promises of how he was going to take care of us. AND the guy that claimed to be Irish (with the big mole on his face) also thanked me for service and claimed he would take care of me because I was in the Military and I was Irish. In the end none of them took care of me at all. And the $500 military discount that was promised to me the whole time was never given to me. Bottom line, I ended up paying MSRP for my Toyota when I could have gotten a better deal (and treated a lot better) had I gone to Cabe Toyota in Long Beach. Do not got here trust me. You have been warned!!! Shop around because there are way better deals at other toyota dealerships trust me!!!!!!!!
- Recommend this dealer? No
- Purchased a vehicle from this dealer? Yes
Terrible customer service
byon 07/10/2009
I arrived at the lot in the late morning of a busy Saturday. I understand that they were busy, but after about 15 minutes I looked for a sales person. I found about four of them standing on the side of the building chatting. I asked if one of them could let me test drive a corolla and an XB. None volunteered. After I asked again, they reluctantly chose to have one help me. He said he would go get the keys, without asking which car I wanted to drive. He disappeared into the building and never came back. And neither did I.
- Recommend this dealer? No
- Purchased a vehicle from this dealer? No
unfriendly high pressure sales tactics
byon 04/02/2008
I was there for a Camry SE and everything was ready to go. Upon inspection, the hood latch was detached, there was a noticeable scratch on the back bumper and a big scratch on the front lip on the underside. Additionally, the car had been on the lot for over a year, so the battery was low. First I asked for the back lip to be replaced and he said that they don't have any replacements in stock. I asked for a discount and he wouldn't budge, so he walked back to his office to talk on the phone while my brother and I inspected the vehicle from outside his office (where he could see us). About 15 minutes later he comes back and takes the car keys away and locks the door after I tried to talk to him about another discount. He said to go to his office so we can finish the deal. About 10 minutes later as my brother and I were deciding on what we wanted to do, I guess our salesman had become tired of waiting so I assume that he sent another guy out to rudely move the car and park it. We walk in and he says they took it away because someone else is looking to buy it. I was angered at the high pressure sales tactic that was being used and walked out. Sure enough, the car that's been sitting on the lot for one year is still unsold since he called me back the next day offering me a $300 off discount. DO NOT go to SC Toyota. They are small and they play games and use unethical high pressure sales tactics to trick you into buying. I surely will not buy from them nor would I ever recommend them.
- Recommend this dealer? No
- Purchased a vehicle from this dealer? No
tricked into buying an $800 alarm that should have only cost $359
byon 07/20/2007
This was the first new car I bought and the sales experience was fine and price was settled on pretty quickly, I guess I threw out a high starting price. The salesman was helpful in getting me a decent APR and did drive me back to the rental car agency to drop of my rental. But my issue was with the finance department. I got a decent APR, but the lower the better. The finance mgr offers to drop the APR even more if I buy this $800 alarm, and this alarm would only cost me an extra $1 a month on my monthly payments. At first I hesitated and said no, because its $800. But he kept insisting that it was only a dollar extra a month and that if you didn't buy it they couldn't lower my APR more. So I caved and bought it. Little did I know that you should never buy anything in the Finance dept. When I checked the Toyota website at home for the msrp of an alarm system it was only $359. Still a little bitter that I got suckered into buying an overpriced alarm, but lesson learned. I wouldn't buy another car here.
- Recommend this dealer? No
- Purchased a vehicle from this dealer? Yes
1 Comments