11/17/2011

Kinue K. Santa Monica, CA

I would like to commend my shopping experience at Marina del Rey Toyota. The fleet manager Richard Garcia helped us twice. The first time was the purchase over a year ago for a Prius with the cash for clunkers deal. He quoted us a price and the price out the door and it was better than any of the other places we had been to. This time my car had been a total loss so I was looking for a new truck. I spoke w Richard about a new 4-Runner. I had checked other places first and went to see him. He immediately gave me a price which was substantially better and gave me the total price. I had been having my car serviced there with the service advisor Gene Edmonds. He always told me what I needed and made sure that things were taken care of. Since I have my cars serviced there, I also received a discount on the final price. Richard also made sure that I understood all the bells and whistles and even came to our house to adjust the automatic garage opener for the Prius. My truck had just arrived at the dock and he made an extra effort so that they would deliver it to MDR Toyota as soon as possible. There was none of this playing games at this dealership and I was just given the straight facts.

11/15/2011

Alicia B. Venice, CA

This is the first time I've taken the time to write a Yelp review, and the reason being is that I had SUCH an amazing experience at Marina del Rey Toyota this past Friday. I am a female, and leased a 2011 Prius. Car dealerships can be intimidating, especially for solo shopping females, and I must say that of all of the dealerships I went into on my long car hunt, this one gets the highest mark in terms of customer service. Also, despite what I'd heard about the dealerships in Marina del Rey being over priced, they actually worked with me to get an extremely competitive deal that I am very very happy with. If you are in the market for a Toyota, buy it here! You won't be sorry.

11/11/2011

Robert L. Playa Del Rey, CA

These guys were great. I needed some advice on syncing new devices to bluetooth in my new Prius. So I stopped in on the way to work. They were helpful and cheerfully solved my problem in 2 minutes. Here's the punchline, I didn't even buy the car from them and they knew it (had a competitive dealer's plate frames on the car).

I will buy a car from them next time. Talk to"Big George". He's their new sales manager.

11/11/2011

Qard P. Beverly Hills, CA

Disrespectful, Insincere, and insulting: all with a big plastered smile on their faces. I bought my car here a couple years ago and am never taking it back. They are sneaky and manipulative. Don't trust them if they call you repeatedly asking to buy your car back - they are wasting your time. After reading more negative reviews I regret ever setting foot in this establishment.

11/8/2011

Seth F. Los Angeles, CA

In all honesty I've never had a ton of luck with car dealerships, happily, I had a great experience with these guys. My car had an intermittent stereo problem, when I brought it to Santa Monica Toyota their attitude was, if I can't see the problem, you don't have a problem we can fix and they did nothing. Unfortunately, the problem persisted, Marina del Rey Toyota stuck with this really tricky little problem (I won't bore you with the details) until it was fixed. David Jobb was my service advisor and he just couldn't have been nicer or more accommodating.

11/2/2011

Dont D. Venice, CA

So i took my car back to Marina Del Rey Toyota because i had good service the first time i went there for a simple oil change. I am very careful where i take my Scion XD.

I took it in for a 45 thousand mile service and they called me saying the breaks needed to be changed. Since I do not drive that often i found it odd that they needed service so i decided to double check the old paperwork on the last service to compair the break pad measurement. On the front it had gone way down and was in the red now....it was in the yellow before but they did not warn me about it just a few months ago.The back breaks...now get this...they actually grew !!! I had no idea break pads could grow ??? Did they eat a lot of organic foods while i was not looking and gained muscles? I THINK NOT!

When i pointed this out to the service department they were like UHHH OHHH UHHH UMMMMM well different mechanics read things differently! WHAT?????THE FUCK??? can we say negligence? Thank god for my boyfriends smarts....we looked up a break specialist on yelp and found someone in the area with 5 star review. We took it over to them and they did a free break check and tire check.

The results you ask? The back breaks were brand new ,,,, didn't need to be replaced and the front ones were in desperate need. ALSO all three tires had MAJOR WEAR on them ...and also needed to be replaced. Marina Del Rey Toyota just checked my tires today and said they were fine and safe!!! THESE TIRES ARE NOT SAFE AT ALL!!!! I saw the wear with my own eyes......!!!!

What on earth was Marina Del Rey Toyota thinking? I personally will never take my business there again...

Run for your life .....do not go there for service and by the looks of the other reviews...do not buy your car from there either.

10/29/2011

Chris F. Long Beach, CA

Back in 2009, I decided to make use of the Cash-for-Clunkers program to buy a Yaris. A new car, even with the program, was a stretch for me. I had just graduated from grad school, so I planned to use Toyota's recent graduate rebate.

As it turned out, the Cash-for-Clunkers program made it pretty hard to buy sub-compact Japanese cars for a while because everyone was buying them up. So when Marina Del Rey Toyota refused to budge from the MSRP on the Yaris they had in stock, I was disappointed but not terribly surprised. I ended up buying the car anyway, and was treated with the attitude of an average convenience store checkout person. Not badly, per se, but with no care at all. The woman screaming at the sales staff twenty feet from me as I signed my paperwork should have been a warning sign.

A week or two after I purchased the car (and presumably had allowed my old truck to be turned to scrap metal), the dealership calls me to tell me that Toyota is not honoring the Recent Graduate rebate because of the particular school I attended. They told me I needed to come in and renegotiate! This, after they gave me absolutely $0 off MSRP, remember. I told them that I'd be happy to take my old truck back if they preferred, but I wasn't going to renegotiate on a car I was overcharged for in the first place. They said they'd call me back, and never did.

Until a few weeks ago, that is. I got a call from a salesperson telling me that they were interested in buying my car back from me. I was not particularly responsive to the first couple of calls, as I'm a very busy person. But the salesperson was very insistent, calling me many times. He told me they really needed my specific car for a good repeat client, and I'd be doing him a favor to come in and get an appraisal.

I decided to think about it, but when I ran the numbers on what it would cost me to get into a new car to replace my Yaris, I realized it wasn't going to be worth it, especially after taxes and fees. So, the next time the salesperson called, I told him this. I also told him I lived in Long Beach and that it was a big time commitment to stop in to get the car appraised. He then told me all about the specific people who wanted the car and how important it was that he get this car for the family's daughter. So much so that he promised me a quote for my 2009 Yaris that was "significantly over market value" and that they would take a loss on this car just to keep this top-tier client. And, of course, he promised an unbeatable deal on a new replacement car, insisting that he felt I would be happy to make the deal to sell back the car and buy a new one.

Today, I went back to Marina Del Rey Toyota for the first time since I purchased my Yaris. (I wasn't about to have my car serviced there after the buying experience I had had.) I gave them my car to appraise, and chose the car I would replace it with (another Yaris).

Based on my research, "market value" of my 2009 vehicle is about $12,500. Of course, this is very subjective when speaking about a used car. When the salesperson came back with the "deal sheet" that included the cost of the new car minus the trade-in, the trade in appraisal given to me was $8000! Not only is this clearly not "significantly above market value" for the car, it's well below any estimate I could find online for the car, including for dealer trade-ins.

Guess what the "unbeatable deal" for the replacement vehicle was? You guessed it, MSRP!

So, of course, I was out of my seat to walk out the door when the salesperson asked me to wait to see the Sales Manger. I did, and when he came, he basically scolded me for expecting any deal that even vaguely resembled the one I had discussed over the phone with the salesperson who had called me. When I mentioned I was told that they were ready to take a loss on my car to keep a good long-term client, he just stared at me blankly.

I couldn't get out of there fast enough, having spent many hours of research and financial calculations, in addition to an entire morning of my life driving 80 miles round trip to the dealership, all in response to what was basically a sneaky sales pitch. So, I have had two pretty terrible experiences with this dealership in the course of buying just the one car. I will not be going back.

10/28/2011

Y J. Westlake Village, CA

I purchased a car before from them. Very sleazy guy was there . I will not buy again. I switched to Honda and do not need their service anymore but service department is ok.

10/26/2011

Tinghsuan C. Los Ageles, CA

I took my prius 2008 to Marina del Rey Toyota for repairing my windshield washer (clogged), one of the headlights and central console. My manufacture warranty is already expired, but I have an extended warranty which extends up to 7 years after purchasing. Originally, my extended warranty does not cover the parts which I would like to repair, but the service manager helped me out and finally fixed everything FOR FREE. I am very satisfied with their service and appreciate it. If you have a Toyota car to repair, I definitely recommend this dealership!

10/24/2011

Carol K. Los Angeles, CA

Trying to buy out the lease on our Prius was taking way too much time and we thought we were getting the runaround. Kamal Girgis stepped in and put everything back on track in a professional and polite way and made it all work out. Very impressed with him and reassured by his sense of fairness. We would do business with him again.

10/8/2011

Katie R. Long Beach, CA

I'm a 21 year old girl and I just bought my new 2011 Toyota Yaris sedan here. Their license plates say "I got a whale of a deal!" and you know it's true! I totally got a huge deal, and didn't feel taken advantage of like at some other dealerships.

I was worried when I realized this was the last dealership within 500 miles with the car I wanted, but it was the EXACT car I wanted so i figured I'd have to go check it out. After my test drive, we were already talking numbers. I took that car home with payments well within my price range.

My sales person was George, he's on a by-appointment only basis, he doesn't just hang around the front like a vulture, so I definitely recommend calling ahead of time and scheduling with him. He was very personable and reasonable, i could tell he wanted to do what was best for me and was really negotiable. Never once did he tell me he couldn't do what I wanted, he lowered the price, got me a lower APR rate than I was expecting, and made my payments in my budget.

This is the first time I bought a new car, and i mean a NEW car. It was such a no-hassle experience and I'm so glad I came here.

*I had to go back 3 days later to re-fill my paperwork because the finance manager misspelled my name and address on a few things. It was my fault, too because I looked over it before and told him it was correct, but was annoying. They also sold me the car with a light on the dashboard which i didn't know what it meant at the time, but then found out it was tire pressure. I dropped it off while I went in to fill out the paperwork and they fixed it quick, free of charge, and gave me a car wash.

Overall, I'd DEFINITELY recommend them to anyone. I am so happy every time I get in my new car! Thanks so much MDR Toyota!

8/22/2011

Jennifer J. Los Angeles, CA

WORST car shopping experience of my life.

I am 20-something female who visited the lot with a female friend. I saw eyes light up as i drove onto the lot. Should have turned away then.

As soon as we got out of the car we were immediately approached by Jodi, the only female employee on the lot. I was straight forward with my intentions for the day. "Not purchasing today, shopping around, and my price range is X amount"

She took the laid back approach showed us the cars that fit. Nothing was too enticing, many wreaked of smoke, which she blamed on the other smoking employees. She immediately set herself up as the "good cop," telling us that it was a good thing that we were approached by her because the others were snakes and that she would look out for us. Around this time the manager rode by on a bike, barking out orders for her to show us other cars. CLASSY.

She then mentioned that cars come on the lot all the time and that they had just sold a Scion that came on the lot that very day for a great price. Ten minutes later, as i went to get her business card and leave, the manager came up and told me that they had just gotten a GREAT car on the lot that fit my criteria. Turned out to be the Scion that she had said was sold. I was intrigued, but suspicious and let him begin his shtick.

As we went inside to talk about the Scion a man very dramatically walked out with a SOLD sign and put it on that same car. Assuming it had sold, I wasn't bothered by this and was ready to leave, no harm, no foul. The manager then went and had a very loud pow wow with the sales team, came back and told me that a woman had just come on the lot and put a down payment on the car, BUT he wanted to give the sale to me. This is when it all became clear. There was no woman with her down payment, this was just a very very bad scheme to try and pressure me into buying the car immediately.

They continued the act, as Jodi kept playing the good cop, saying things like "just stick around, i think this is going to work out for you" and "oh dont worry, he's really fighting for you." After trying to remind them several times that I wasn't going to buy the car today anyway, they kept on pushing it. I then told them "I'd like to leave" As we went to walk out, the manager and Jodi cornered my friend and I and the manager literally SHOUTED at me about how I was missing out and blowing it by not buying the car. I felt SO uncomfortable and violated that it took my friend telling the manager, "LISTEN this is starting to get really weird, stop" to get him to back off.

Jodi relentlessly played the good cop, even following me to the car telling me, "They don't understand, but I DO"

No Jodi, I UNDERSTAND. I understand that there is no whale of a deal here, only disgusting car selling tactics. What happened to old fashioned salesmanship? I ended up buying my car at carmax, mostly because of the amazingly honest professionalism and service I experienced there. I feel like carmax owes this place a Thank You card; compared to the scum at Marina Toyota they looked like a bunch of saints.

Save yourself the awful experience and go elsewhere. As far as Toyota dealers go, the Santa Monica lot was a MUCH better experience.

8/11/2011

Rebecca P. Los Angeles, CA

I don't know how they are with pricing, but I scheduled an appointment to take my car in to get a recall item replaced the other day. I made the appointment for today, so was pleased with the speed with which I could get in--particularly since the recall item was related to my transmission. I arrived, and quickly was helped and told it would take about 1.5 hours to finish. I waited, and was entertained in the modest but comfortable waiting room watching morning news programs and enjoying a complimentary donut my belly didn't need, while glancing into the office space decorated for someone's birthday. I felt like there were good people here, confirmed by the fact that my car was done faster than predicted and also came washed. Yes, I went in for a free service and walked out with a free donut and car wash. Not a bad start to the day!

8/1/2011

Rosemary S. Culver City, CA

Bought my Highlander hybrid here but I take it elsewhere for servicing. Forgot to change the "maintenance" alert light so dropped by Marina del Rey Toyota where they had reset the alert signal before, when I drove by for that reason only. Today, a service rep told me that they would be liable for something if they fixed the light without servicing it. B.S. alert! LOL So, I called my HONEST mechanics @ Ed's Little Auto Shop, and they reset it in two seconds, apologizing for forgetting to.

7/28/2011

Natalie H. North Hollywood, CA

My husband & I just bought a beautiful Tundra from MDR Toyota and had a great experience. Even though we finalized our decision at 10pm when they were closing, Brian, Ihab, and Jimmy all stayed until almost midnight to finish up the paperwork. It was a quick, smooth process and we are very pleased with the truck. I would recommend buying your next vehicle from MDR Toyota!

And BIG shout out to Jimmy & Ihab for excellent customer service!

7/7/2011

Willy W. Westlake Village, CA

If it was possible to give negative stars for this place I would.

My friend bought a used Tundra from Marina del Rey Toyota that was said to be certified. A few months after purchase the transmission began to slip so he took it in for service. When his local dealership tried to look the vehicle up there was no record of it being certified. This is when he called me and asked me to take over the battle.

When I called the Marina del Rey dealership and explained the situation they first denied that the Tundra could be having any problems in such a short amount of time. Next, they tried to assure me that it was certified and that the dealership we were using for service didn't know what they are doing. After shoveling this crap back and forth I eventually got the number for corporate and placed the call. After speaking with the gentleman at corporate for a while I noticed he thought I was the manager of Marina del Rey Toyota and when I broke the news to him that I was representing the customer he could not believe that they allowed me to contact him directly. When I explained to him that they could not stand me in their hair and that they knew I was not going away they gave me his number. This is when his tone changed.

He acknowledged the horrible mistake made by Marina del Rey Toyota and said he would do anything in his power to correct it. I made him use his power to get my friend a brand new transmission, new exhaust manifolds, and upgraded brakes which were all found in need of replacement. All free of course with rental car provided.

Yes, ultimately Toyota corporate covered for Marina del Rey Toyota but selling a vehicle as certified when it is not is inexcusable. I advise you to steer clear of Marina del Rey Toyota.

7/2/2011

Rosa B. Los Angeles, CA

My husband brings his Tacoma here for servicing and has always been treated well. While we were waiting for service to be done, we decided to window shop for Highlanders. We met with Ihab in sales and we told him straight out that we were only researching the vehicle and weren't buying that day. He did not push at all and was very helpful. A few months later, when we returned, ready to buy, we met with Ihab again and told him what monthly payment we were comfortable with. He went off and worked things with his manager, John, and Scott in Finance. We didn't have to deal with haggling or anything. They got the number down close to what we wanted and weren't pushy with the add-ons or extended warranties.

This was the best car-buying experience I've had. I very much appreciated not be pressured or having to spend hours haggling over price.

If you are looking for a Toyota, check this dealership out. Ask for Ihab as your salesperson and get Scott in Financing.

6/28/2011

Kassandra M. El Segundo, CA

My husband and I were in the market for a compact SUV and were eyeing the Rav4 and other vehicles in its class (Honda CV-R, Hyundai Tucson, and even the Mazda CX-7). We started shopping around months ago, only to be let down after each and every visit to different car dealerships. To say the least, we were constantly given the runaround and were even flat out lied to by other salesmen. At one particular dealership, we were told that we had worse credit than we actually did and that we would need a very hefty deposit to get the kind of monthly payment we were looking for! We got out of there immediately and were just about to give up hope on finding a new vehicle when my husband received a letter from MDR Toyota in the mail.

From the moment I even spoke to our salesman Ihab over the phone, I was treated with the utmost respect. I didn't feel as though I was being taken advantage of being that I am a younger woman (who, to be honest, doesn't know TOO much about cars and the entire buying process). I told him that I didn't want to waste either of our time by driving out to see him and asked if he could answer many of my questions before I even thought about stopping by with my husband and he graciously (and patiently) answered every single one I had right there, over the phone.

After meeting with Ihab days later, he explained that somehow, the numbers that the other dealerships gave to us didn't quite seem to add up and that our credit score was actually much higher than we were told. He put us at ease about the car buying (or leasing, in our case) process and was able to work out the most fantastic deal for us. We had the keys to our brand new, 2011 Rav4 in our hands just a few hours later and it was all thanks to him. We couldn't be happier with the service we received and also with our awesome car!

I can't even begin to express my appreciation and sheer gratitude to Marina Del Rey Toyota and specifically Ihab. It was by far the best car-shopping experience we have ever had.

6/17/2011

Evan C. Venice, CA

Oh Marina Del Rey Toyota, ha ha ha ha. Hourly rate for labor is 115.00 except that every job they do has a predetermined time frame for completion. My job took an hour and a half to complete but apparently that was because my mechanic was super human. "According to the book this is a three hour job, so that's what we're charging you" to quote Jon Valestin. I work hourly every day Jon and I want to thank you for introducing me to the new world order. I'm going to use this business model for myself and laugh all the way to the bank. One of their salesmen admitted that their Service Department was killing them. Be warned that this service dept has probably lost most of it's customers this way so they are making up for lost revenue by charging double for their labor cost. I can't imagine what they tell a customer who drops their car off to pick it at the end of the day. This is absolutely not a jibe against the mechanics, good job guys, what were talking about here are the managers who oversee these policies. Though I love my Toyota this kind of experience gives me an extremely bad taste in my mouth and moreover makes me feel STUPID. Good job.

5/27/2011

David G. Los Angeles, CA

I have been shopping for a Prius the past month and have called all LA Toyota dealers and visited a handful . My visit to Marina Del Ray was by far the worst car experience I have ever had. First, they lied to me over the phone to get me into the store. Two Lies. First they told me they had 7 Prius IIs when in fact they only had 2. I also asked over the phone what were the required add-ons per car (with the Earthquake in Japan, Prius production is on hold so you have to take what is available). They told me only paint protection and Bluetooth. After arriving did I realize that not only did they have a variety of other add-ons, but they were charging 3x-4x the retail price (which even that is not a good deal). $999 for Bluetooth, $100 for wheel locks, $1,700 for lojack, $2,500 for a protection package, etc. These two Prius IIs with a retail price of $24,280 had a sticker price of over $32,000 each.

If you don't want a Prius during this silly time of supply/demand, obviously this won't relate to you, but I would avoid this place unless they are the only ones that have what you really need. They lied to me on the phone and when I arrived they made me sit and wait before talking to anyone. No deals, no numbers, a pre, pre wait just for the sake of it. Then they needed me to fill out forms so they could give me a finance estimate...before talking about a price or any details whatsoever. I said it was ridiculous and the rep told me it was the quickest way to get to someone. Then someone else came by and gave me a verbal quote. I asked for it in writing since everything was overpriced (way beyond even the bad retail price). He said he couldn't. "You can't make me an offer in writing?" I asked. He came back with a white sheet of paper, hand torn in half with some hand written add-on prices on it. I then had to wait longer to talk to the "finance guy" who only wanted to tell me how hard it is to maintain a car dealership. He told me every sob story and beyond. "We hardly make any money on a car sale. We have to pay a lot of taxes to keep this place running. People think car dealerships are rolling in cash...but we aren't." (This went on and on even though I kept interrupting him).

Every single person at this place had a mission to waste my time. You think that if you want someone to buy your product you shouldn't piss them off in the process. While all other dealerships play the waiting game, they are far more friendly and don't waste your time.

All I wanted was to get a quote and it wasted too much of my time, time of which I would not have wasted had they not lied to me over the phone. Avoid this place - you live in LA and there are nicer, cleaner, newer, and far more friendly dealers than this one.

5/19/2011

Lucy P. , CA

Is it possible that I purchased one of the few 2011 Toyota Priuses left in Southern California???????? I called ALL the Toyota dealerships in the said region and heard all the same disappointing news: they were no new ones left due to the extraordinary high demand and the recent catastrophe in Japan has halted production of certain Toyota parts.

When I called this location, I spoke with a gentleman by the name of Richard G. I asked if they... by chance had any 2011 Priuses left *anxiously waiting for answer*. "I DO!!!!!", he says.

My mother was in the market for a new car and I suggested the Prius due to Toyota reliability, gas savings, and safety factors. I'm not going to ramble on about the Prius since this review is specifically for Marina Del Rey Toyota. Anyhow, Richard was awesome!! He negotiated the price FOR ME which was way BELOW sticker. The upper management agreed since I was a returning customer (see review below).

Richard also helped with the "trade in" of my mother's older model "C" series Mercedes for a decent price and then pulled out the sparkling new 2011 black Prius and then handed me the keys. He entered the car from the passenger side and showed me the basics of the Prius which operates similar to BMWs keyless entry and operation.

My experience here was MUCH better than the dealerships I've visited this month and all the "Mr. Slick" salesmen I've encountered. Richard is proof that not all are dishonest. He's a sales professional and did not "hard sell" at all. If you are in the market for a Toyota and do not want to go through the hassle of finding one, message me an I will give you Richard's cellular number. I promise you won't be disappointed.

As I drove my mom's new Prius home (45 miles away from the dealership), my average gas usage per gallon was 49.6 miles. WTF???? The gas tank indicator did not even budge a smidgen and according the the display, I can still drive another 545 miles. No wonder this is the most popular and most sold hybrid car in the WORLD!!!

My mother is not only happier, greener, saving $$$ on fuel, she is now an official L.A. HIPSTER!!!

3/29/2011

Sarah K. San Diego, CA

my mom and i can't be any more satisfied. ihab was such a wonderful salesman -- so patient and understanding -- and helped us so much with what little we had. chelsea, who showed my mom and me the cars on the lot, was very helpful as well. i felt so bad asking her a bunch of questions and making her walk back and forth to check stuff, but she was so understanding, nice, and personable. they both really seemed genuinely caring. overall, although we ended at 11:30 pm, it was totally worth it.

3/27/2011

Mike W. San Fransisco, CA

Took my Toyota here for its big service (60k miles) maintenance day. I scheduled the appointment on the web on a Friday, dropped off my car at 8am the following Saturday and I just figured it would be gone all day--but it was ready by noon. Got a Yelp discount too. Shuttle service dropped me off at home and picked me up. It's a car dealer so you know you're going to get upsells on the service but nothing unreasonable or unnecessary. I would come back.

3/18/2011

Kristin K. Los Angeles, CA

Love these guys. I took my Rav here for service when I moved to LA and I eventually bought my Prius from them. Santa Monica Toyota is actually closer but my husband has had nothing but bad experiences with Santa Monica VW so I don't go to any of the LA car guy dealerships.

I am often able to bring in my car for service without an appointment, which is great since I usually glance at the sticker and realize I'm 1000 miles past due.

A couple of times I've had to repair stuff and they were great at explaining things. They didn't try to upsell me and even were truthful about what I really needed and what I didn't. There's some poor reviews on here but honestly it's been 3 years and I've never had a bad experience... even when I got that stupid piece of plastic on the front end bumper of the Prius that gets stuck on curbs when you park. I don't think they charged me labor to replace it which was great (SUCH a dumb design flaw on Toyota's part...ugh).

In the Service dept., ask for Jeff! Bruce and Jon are great too.

3/16/2011

Benjamin S. Venice, CA

I leased a 2010 Prius at the end of December from MDR Toyota. I had previously gone to check out Santa Monica Toyota and they were way aggressive. After I got back from the test drive they brought in a 'closer' and I just didn't feel comfortable. Then I remembered MDR Toyota. I'm not sure why I forgot about them, but they are actually closer to me.

It was a quiet midday and I arrived there having done all my research, and what people were paying in the real-world. I didn't need a test drive. I was assigned a salesman, Eric, who was courteous, and showed me what they had left in stock (this being the end of the year). We found something that was pretty close to what I wanted, and I pulled out my 'research' consisting of some print outs from the web. He took it to his manager, and they matched the deal...and then I made them beat it by a few dollars and rounded it off. It was pretty painless. I was in and out of the dealership with the car in about 2 hours. The F & I guy was okay too. I was a bit worried they would try and sell me on other services and extras I didn't want but I was polite and upfront about it, and he didn't.

Overall a good experience. The Prius has been great so far. I haven't been in for my first service though yet.

3/16/2011

Lollie C. Marina del Rey, CA

These guys. Are. Unreal.

I had a job of a time trying to find ANY place in the area that stocked the size rims/tires I needed and everywhere I went was ridiculously expensive. So I finally give up and go to the dealer where I should have gone in the first place....without even asking for anything extra, they went out of their way to get me 2 tires under warranty (replaced all 4 and none were under warranty to begin with) AND were going to have the car back to me IN AN HOUR. That's unheard of. I ended up leaving my car there over night because they checked and found some other things that needed to be replaced and were still under warranty so they did those for free, cleaned the inside of my car, got all 4 new tires on my car in LESS than 24 hours. And every person I spoke to had a smile on their face or was willing to put down what they were doing and help immediately. Even the people in the wait room seemed calm and happy with the service they were receiving.

You will be hard pressed to find any dealership that has as many kind, hard working people. Thanks so much, MDR Toyota!

3/12/2011

L L. Los Angeles, CA

Not surprised by the 3 star average here. Made a 7am appt on a sat morning and showed up at 630a to find out they won't open till 8am! Why did the lady I make an appt with say 7am? After patiently waiting I talked to the customer service service guy about my cars ECM problem, only to be talked down to. If you listened to the way we were talking I swear your would of thought we were fighting. Went home with no resolve and called Toyota's own customer service line. WOW what a big difference on how the customer should be treated. DONT ever come here unless your service is free!

3/5/2011

Christine Y. Los Angeles, CA

I haven't gone to a dealership for any maintenance after I found a good small shop. Unfortunately, a lovely recall notice for the ECM in the mail (computer failure in car may cause sudden engine failure possibly resulting in an accident) so here I go.

I'm really glad that I just had this and only this done here, never ever would I come here for anything else. The guys were nice enough. But really didn't know what they were doing it seems like.

11am-appt! supposed to guarantee that you get your car back in a timely manner. They told me that my car would be finished by 3pm with the nice complimentary car wash. 4 hrs...oh well they are probably busy on a Saturday right? They gave me that time and told me they would call me.

4pm-an hr past my time and no call yet. So I end up calling them to see whats going on and the guy who helped me told me to come at 4:30 and that it would all be done by then. Maybe it would've been nice to call sometime after 3pm to update me.

4:30pm-I get dropped off and go to the cashier. They tell me that my car will be pulled up right outside the door. I step outside and wait...and wait...and wait...someone asks to see my paperwork. He runs off with it and returns in a few minutes to tell me it is in the car wash. I head back inside to wait and a few minutes later my car drives up. The guy who helped me at 11am tells me that it wasn't even in the car wash yet and he drove it off since I was waiting. Then asks if I would like to wait some more for it be washed. My paperwork is not in the car either...and instead of being nice and clean...the inside of my car has spots of dirty water. The steering wheel, the gear shift, and on my floor (luckily I am a good Asian and have floor mats).

20 minutes after I arrive to pick up my car I finally drive off. Car is unwashed and inside is actually a bit dirtier than before. I hope my car will never ever have to visit this dealership ever again. At least my car won't ever have sudden computer failure with the engine shutting down now. They could have called me to update me, but didn't, and they should've really not told me to come at a specific time if they weren't going to have it ready.

2/25/2011

Del R. Santa Monica, CA

I had brought my car in for a stalling problem. My battery died the previous weekend I replaced the battery but the truck would stall when I slowed down or at a full stop. I did some reseach and a solution was to clear out the throttle due to carbon build up. Unfortunately my car stalled to the point that I could not drive it safely. I had it towed to the Toyota deal since they were close. All the service writers eye's lite up seeing my truck come in on a tow truck. Jeff the service writer whom my boyfriend spoke to earlier that week helped me. $110 for a diagnosis and that cost would be absorbed with the repair costs. Called later $169 for a throttle cleaning, fine. I picked it up just before they were closing, I understand its a Saturday night and everyone wants to get out. I start my car looks fine but as soon as I put it into DRIVE a new warning light appears VSC light on. I point it out and Jeff said that the light was on when I brought the car in - BIGGEST LIE!!

If that was the case it would have been on when he turned the car on to check the odometer reading and it would have been noted on my form. He got a technician to hook it up on the computer he said it needed to be recalibrated. Jeff didn't say anything but just reassured me that it was safe to drive, nothing about we will fix that. With that I was about to drive off since everyone was leaving and shutting down. Of course by then everyone had disappeared as I saw Jeff driving off in his Camry. I was lucky enough to talk to another service provider who had a technician look at it again and said it needed to be re-calibrated, that would cost $150. Now since the place was closed there was no option but to drive it home. Having to go back Monday yet taking more time to fix their mistake and no feeling that they are honest I was more than upset about taking it back. Talked to the manager Jon, he said to bring it down and they would fix it as long as it was just the re-calibration issue. If it was anything else then I'd have to pay. It was the re-calibration issue no charge and it took 10 mins to hook it up on the computer. Now if Jeff could have just spared 10 mins the first time it would have saved alot of wasted time and energy.

I would NOT recommend this place to anyone, they use to be good several years ago, but now it looks like they are getting tight on money and squeezing it out of the customers. Honest or NOT!

2/23/2011

Rob M. CA

My wife bought her Prius here. They also sold us a 4 year warranty, which they explained covered every failure and every regular maintenance. Come to find out the coverage was much less. Not sure if this is fraud on the part of this dealership, or a greater statement to stay away from buying ANY extra coverage from a dealer.

On her last visit, which was a 5,000 mile maintenance and recall service, they told her she needed an alignment and new tires. They said her tire pressure warning went off during the maintenance, which was also evidence the tires needed replacing. My next door neighbor used to own a tire shop, and he said the tires were fine. And strangely, now three weeks later, the tire pressure warning went off. All the tires were under inflated by 4-8 pounds, after holding pressure fine before the visit to MDR Toyota. Maybe I'm paranoid, but I suspect they slightly underinflated all the tires a bit, hoping the sensor would get us back to the dealership for new tires.

Sorry, but I don't trust these guys at all.

ANSWER TO JOHN FROM MDR TOYOTA WHO COMMENTED BELOW: My wife didn't have a nail in her tire, and her contract ended very recently (so, she hasn't received a year of free oil changes). She never even got to a point to discussing prices of new tires with you guys (let alone to a point of being offered tires at cost), since we don't even feel she needs new tires. In fact, she still has the original tires that came with the car, not tires from Costco. So, it sound like you must be talking about ANOTHER unsatisfied customer who made some big fuss with your dealership. My wife never complained to you guys about the issues I mentioned, she only complained to me about it. Probably means that for every customer who complains to you, there are a lot more unhappy customers who don't.

2/5/2011

Rachel P. Playa Del Rey, CA

I bought a slightly used Corolla in the Valley two years ago and I take it to this Toyota dealer for service close to home. Or at least, I took it there a few times and have mixed impressions.

Oil changes and routine service are no problem here, just make sure you make an appointment so you don't have to wait in the long lines.

I also took my car in around the time of the Toyota "acceleration" issues and recalls last year; it wasn't included in the overall recall but was having weird engine problems. Turned out the engine computer had short-circuited and the whole thing needed to be replaced -- thankfully under factory warranty. The service team was honest and helpful, even admitting that Corolla engines are tricky.

Another big issue I went to MDR Toyota for was the window sticking. My husband took the car in first, and had the window track cleaned out. That didn't fix the issue so we took it back; there was a long Saturday afternoon line and they only had time to take apart the door and diagnose the problem before the dealership closed. So they ordered the parts I needed and I made an appointment to come back on a weeknight. This involved me getting off work early and lining up a friend to pick me up from the dealership.

I showed up for my weeknight appointment to find that the window parts hadn't arrived yet. The service department couldn't have called and warned me or had me change my appointment?! Throughout this process the service guy we were working with also routinely called me "dear" or "darlin" which is SO offensive and condescending. No matter my age or gender, I'm the one signing the bill and should be treated with appropriate respect.

So I moved my weeknight appointment to another day, then showed up with my husband to find out our designated "doll" service guy wasn't even working that night and our repairs couldn't be completed. Thankfully we handed our case over to another guy who was helpful and made us a Saturday appointment. So that Saturday I showed up and had part of the window replaced with a total bill over $400.

Thought that was the end of the window problems but it kept sticking after a few weeks so we went back. Basically the new parts hadn't been completely secured or cleaned when they were first installed. They fixed it free of charge but what a complete waste of MY time - five appointments for a simple fix! When I got my car back, there were dirty fingerprints and smudges all over the window. The service guys couldn't even be bothered to clean up after their mess.

Maybe if I went back to MDR Toyota for other routine maintenance I would have good luck but I'm not sure I want to risk putting myself through another negative experience or losing more money there.

1/26/2011

Caroline A. Torrance, CA

This is my favorite Toyota dealer to go to for service.

I used to come here when I lived in the marina a few years ago. Since then I have moved a few times and have tried Toyota of Santa Monica, South Bay Toyota and Carson Toyota. Because I am used to Marina del Rey Toyota, I don't really like the others.

I will still make the drive to MDR when I can. It is out of the way but I just make a day of it. The marina is a nice place to have lunch or go for a walk while you wait for your car.

The service at Marina del Rey is just more honest. The guys there are nice, genuine people and not just trying to rip you off. No cheesiness.

Actually, everyone there is nice. The cashiers aren't as friendly but it has been my experience that they never really are at these kind of places. They are not notably unfriendly though. They are often college-aged kids just doing their job. They look like good, well-rounded kids.

Really good vibe overall.

1/12/2011

David C. La Mirada, CA

What an awesome experience I had buying my new Venza from this dealership! They delivered me a beautiful new Venza at a price that blew me away! It really made our Christmas special! I highly recommend going to them if you are in the market for a Toyota. David C. Brea, CA

1/7/2011

Otto Y. Los Angeles, CA

I dropped off my car for recall service. Someone rifled through all my belongings and stole a roll of quarters and some CDs. When I called management, they said that they have had no problems with this, and they would put in a "lost and found" inquiry, as if I somehow "lost" the roll of quarters and CDs!!! Basically, I felt like they accused me of lying and didn't even care. They said that there was a sign to remove all belongings of value from the car.... does that mean they have the right to take anything left in it???

I'll never go to that Toyota service center again.

Their response is untrue; they refused to compensate me for the money stolen. They offered me a free service visit instead. Personally, I don't feel comfortable taking my car for a free service visit when their staff rifled through my car and stole from me last time.

They say that they take customer service very seriously.... well, saying that they won't replace my stolen money and telling me they will put in a lost and found inquiry doesn't seem very serious to me, much less letting it happen in the first place.