Scotty- Quick to the point We purchased a new Top of the line Highlander Hybrid Platinum for +$52K. We have been very patient, having ordered in December last year. After a production delay or two the car finally arrived 3/31/22. We paid the price that was quoted in December. MSRP, which seems "acceptable" in today's horrible car market. Unfortunately, after receiving our Highlander, we discovered that Toyota has voluntarily de-contented our car with a feature that was highlighted at the time online and in their brochures. The Digital Rearview mirror. (a fancy mirror with cameras, and features) The car came with a standard rearview mirror. There was no official word from Toyota about this feature delete, or from the dealer, and yet they still charged the same price for the car as was quoted in December.
Now to elaborate a bit--
Researching online (Reddit, etc.) if you wish to add a digital mirror to your vehicle at the dealer, its upwards of $2700!! Apparently other Highlander customers are becoming aware of this issue and are upset. Some of these people have contacted Toyota and it sounds like Toyota is just ignoring this issue. Some have canceled their orders altogether. Future customers, putting in their orders now, are hopefully made aware of this, and it's their prerogative of weather or not they care enough about this feature to pay the same price for a car that had come with the option just a couple months ago. In our case, we were simply sold something we didn't get. That's 100% fraud. There are so may ways that Toyota could have handled this better. Pathetically, even GM and Ford currently offer consolations for dis-contented cars due to the shortages, a discount, or a rain check. Toyota is stealing money for a feature that was touted at the time of ordering, then removing it and hoping the customer doesn't realize.
This is not just a mistake at the factory either, I have some proof. I have a brochure I downloaded for the 2022 Highlander when we ordered the car in December. When you look at the '22 Highlander online now, the mirror feature is no longer shown. This is an intentional mid-year de-content with no notice, price consideration, or care given to an existing customer order.
Of note, I am a professional in the auto industry. Worked for OEMs American and International at the highest level. I understand exactly how this business operates. I'm honestly shocked that Toyota, a proud Japanese company would stoop to such lengths to rip-off their customers. It's very Watergate-ish. To hide and obscure problems, rather than deal with them head-on, and openly. We are all smart enough to realize there are global problems, with much more severity than a feature in a luxury SUV, but it's the avoidance, and indignation that I find reprehensible. Makes me wonder what other features (safety or otherwise) are missing from new Toyotas? Toyota is risking their most valuable asset with this, their customer's confidence. Its a disgrace to the Japanese culture of customer care and open honesty.
Seems as though there is very little to be done by the battered consumer, other than to get the word out. If only Toyota would feel a little pain from their nefarious mis-representations. Social media such as your glorious platform should put Toyota on point, and at minimum ask them to answer to it. I ask you to please shed some light on this, let potential Toyota customers know that the company is endorsing very sketchy practices with their newest and high profile vehicles, and I'm guessing that it is not limited to mirrors in Highlanders. Everyone is so desperate for transportation these days, Toyota probably thinks we should be thankful to get anything right now. However, if I'm going to be lied to, and sold features that don't exist, I might was well buy a Tesla...
Thank you for always sounding the alarm Scotty!
"Worked for OEMs American and International at the highest level. I understand exactly how this business operates"
Kinda doubting that.
A $2700 mirror that sounds more like an option. A brochure isn't proof unless it specifically says "standard on all models", you'll probably see in the fine print that it was optional, the price just wasn't listed.
Do you have proof that Toyota said the digital rear view mirror will be included in your car?
What does your contract / terms and conditions with Toyota say?
Basically, what is Toyota obligated to supply to you?
As @russelljkelly81 said, this definitely doesn't sound like standard equipment to me... Are you sure it should have been installed?
For example, I'm also in the process of receiving a car I ordered last year, my contract with the dealer says (translated to English) "The car that will be delivered will NOT have significant differences impacting usability or enjoyment from what is displayed in the specifications."
As far as parts shortages, usually manufactures are upfront about it - for example I was informed that on my car the BCW system may have to be installed at the dealer at a later date due to the parts being unavailable - so maybe the digital rear view mirror is just something they'll install later? But it's weird that you supposedly didn't get any communication from them on the subject...
Those are astute, plausible observations, however in this case the mirror in question was clearly a standard feature of the Highlander Platinum package. (the package we ordered) This has been the case since 2020.
When we ordered the car last December, the official spec list for the Platinum package clearly indicated this mirror as a standard feature. It was also repeated in the 2022 Highlander brochure at that time. The MSRP we were quoted in December did not change to now. This is simply Toyota de-contenting a vehicle mid-year with no adjustment in price, or contingency offered. Misleading and dishonest.
I'd complain to the dealer, but there is nothing a dealer can/would do here since this is a Toyota corporate/factory decision. With a 6 month wait, The dealer would gladly just sell the car immediately to a less astute customer.
It's something we as consumers need to pay very close attention to these days, companies are struggling to produce, due to a severely stressed supply chain. Unfortunately, consumers are over a barrel, and will bear the brunt of this disfunction, unless people begin to hold the companies accountable.
This is not an isolated issue. You can read more about others who are currently experiencing this same problem with their Highlanders/orders.
https://www.toyotanation.com/threads/digital-display-rearview-mirror.1715294/
> was clearly a standard feature of the Highlander Platinum package
Do you have that in writing? that it was in the package as of the time that you ordered the car?
Cause if you do, I'm sure that you can demand Toyota to supply it - it's a $52k car, I'm sure they'd want to have the costumers that buy premium goods happy.
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Honestly, what Toyota did is dishonest - but it's better than some companies that decided to made significant internal changes impacting reliability... by a lot.
Toyota has simply removed a feature without concession of price
Toyota is doing what every manufacturer is doing: trying to roll out cars as quickly as possible to meet demand. The dealer sets the price. For all you know, Toyota is selling cars to dealerships at reduced prices.
The dealer should inform the customer of the change and offer a rebate. What are they actually doing? Cashing in on the hot market and charging ridiculous add-on fees.
consensus here seems to be to just suck it up
my take-away is don't buy new, and don't trust the scumbags at the stealership.
there is nothing a dealer can/would do here since this is a Toyota corporate/factory decision
You are giving money to the dealership, not Toyota Corporation. Ultimately, the responsibility to full-fill their contract with you falls on the dealership.
You didn't mention anything about your paperwork. Did you read the contract when you signed it? Does it specify the mirror? If yes, then they broke their agreement with you, and you can seek recompense. Did you try asking them to install the mirror for you? or conversely, did you ask for a $2,700 refund?
If there is no mention of the mirror on your order, then they don't owe you anything since you signed off on it.
Brochures are not a legally binding document.
unless the customer pushes back en masse
By paying them exorbitant amounts of money, and then whining about it?
If you don't like a product, then don't give them your money. That's how the free market works.
This will become more and more prevalent
And you just helped to enable them.
If a particular feature you wanted on your car is suddenly omitted, the general consensus here seems to be to just suck it up?
I always make sure I'm happy with a product BEFORE I pay for it. Pretty simple. (or I make sure there is a guarantee written into the contract.). Caveat emptor. Do you pay for your meal before you eat it too?
So I have to agree with all three comments here on this topic. This Digital mirror is still being offered on some Rav4 trims as part of a package so Toyota is still providing this feature (unless they end up having to remove it on those too). Further more I checked the Toyota Canadian website (will include the exact quote from their website below) and there is fine print that this option has been removed on certain models due to supply chain issues. So more than likely it is somewhere in fine print for your vehicle too. I don't think they will risk not saying anything (not even a fine print) just in the U.S. market.
"** Due to supply chain shortages, until further notice certain 2022 models equipped with the Digital Display Rear View Mirror will be built with the Auto-Dimming Mirror instead. Please reach out to a Toyota dealership for more details."
Thanks for everyone's feedback. To be clear, this issue is simply Toyota selectively de-contenting their cars, and citing supply issues as an excuse. Up until last month, 2022 Highlander Platinums have had this feature. Some 2022's have it, some don't? It's extremely unorthodox. Toyota has simply removed a feature without concession of price or an arrangement to add the feature later. The customer gets the short end of the stick no matter how you look at it.
Legally or otherwise there's not much to be done. Toyota is simply reneging on their confidence to supply the car in its entirety. No need to make a federal case of it, corporations will always have a legal scapegoat. Their legal departments are vast, and ruthless. Regardless of all that, it is deeply disappointing, it's dishonest, dismissive and condescending to their customers. Today it is a mirror, tomorrow it's a sports seat, a sunroof, or a heated steering wheel. If a particular feature you wanted on your car is suddenly omitted, the general consensus here seems to be to just suck it up?
The moral of this story, don't be surprised *when* it happens to "you". This will become more and more prevalent in all realms of business. (cars, products, construction, etc ) unless the customer pushes back en masse. It's important to get the word out, and I know I would have appreciated being informed about this before getting caught in the trap.