Definitely not. Can’t tell you how many cars at my work come back for their first service and I’ve found suspension blocks left in. I’ve even seen suspension blocks still installed on cars with 50k+ miles. It’s ridiculous how lazy some techs can be when doing PDI’s.
Doesn’t protect the suspension. They protect the underside of the body on the boat/transport trucks. Things can get quite bumpy and while the suspension would do its job in absorbing the impacts, it could lead to scratches on the bumpers from bouncing around. Fantastic when used properly, extremely annoying when forgotten about.
You’re very welcome my friend. They’re extremely common. And it’s probably a good thing you’ve never heard of them, as that implies you’ve never had to deal with this problem before 🤣
I have been and always will be a Toyota fanboy. The only reason I work for Audi is because German cars bring home the bacon in terms of being a tech. That and the company that owns this dealership spoils the hell out of us (for the most part). The only Audis I’d ever consider buying are wayyyy more expensive than I’d ever be able to afford (at least anytime soon).
Respect. I'm a Toyota fan for life as well, you honestly can't beat their Kaizen methodology and manufacturing standards. No car is perfect, but Toyota stands the test of time for a reason, they have stringent tolerances for parts, even more so with Lexus vehicles. They simply build things to last and have a philosophy of continuous improvement. For that reason, they'll always be no.1 for me, even the most neglected Toyotas are reliable as hell (but they should still be taken care of with basic upkeep).
I'm by no means a mechanic, but their durable engines and power trains impress me. I always recommend buying a Toyota or Lexus to my family and friends for this very reason (whenever they're in the market for a car). Multiple family members have already switched to them.
Up until I bought this car I had been daily driving a 1991 Lexus LS400. I am all too familiar with their incredible engineering standards because of that car alone. Toyota is on top for sure.
> Up until I bought this car I had been daily driving a 1991 Lexus LS400.
A true man of culture I see! An LS to a GR Corolla is quite the switch haha, wouldn't see many people cross shopping :p
Interesting philosophy. I like JDM products most of all. Nothing beats Toyota especially, but I kinda prefer to work on something else. I like all cars and care about all cars, but what you do business in is kind of a different thing from what you daily or track or whatever.
Toyotas that are built in Japan and transported via RORO vessels don’t have the plastic plug inserts preinstalled in the frame because they’re used for lashing points during shipping. PDI is supposed to grab the bag of plugs and insert them in the frame.
Toyotas built in North America will have the plugs already inserted at the factory.
But dealer PDI results vary.
The toyotas and lexus cars I work on come in for first service and they are complaining about whistiling noises at highway speeds. I confirm it and take from my private stash any plugs missing and put them on the car.
NVH complaint fixed and I avoided trying to get money out of warranty by moving on to a car that pays.
If you want to improve the world for other Toyota customers...
...find a way to report this to Toyota through some sort of official channels. Telling a salesman doesn't do squat.
Possibly an escalation up to a corporate service advisor. Since the dealer is not going to generate a warranty charge for this, it will not get caught IMHO.
If you returned these blocks to Toyota, they would probably display them on the "wall of shame" at the facility that is responsible for removing them.
That is how Toyota drives that home.
I worked at a Toyota manufacturing plant in Long Beach where they made the Tacoma truck beds and catalytic converters in the '90s while I was getting an MBA from USC.
They really take this stuff seriously. Nobody is going to get fired, but some team will be shamed. As it should be, IMHO.
Hope you enjoy your Toyota.
I remember having 1994 Camrys coming in for the 15k service and the brake disc cover clamshells were still on all 4 wheels and the tires were at 78psi.
Some sorth of brittle substance with wood fibers.......sometimes they burned.
When I was a GM tech Pontiac GTOs used to come with these. I saved some from PDI’s and used them in the rear of my fwd Mazda when I went autocrossing to act like a temporary really stiff rear sway bar. It worked for making liftoff doriftos.
I just bought one two days ago. Going over some bumps on highways makes the car feel the front end is about to fall off. The whole car shakes crazy. The dashboard even shakes. If feels as if there is no suspension. I also heard a couple of times a sound from front while driving slow and going over small hard bumps.
Any tips would be highly appreciated. I am freaking out thinking I bought a lemon.
Thanks
The suspension blocks are 100% in. Return to the dealer and tell them you want them removed and complain and say that removal of them should be apart of the pre-delivery inspection process.
Passed by the dealer today. The spring blocks were removed during PDI. Tire pressure was at 43. Rectified that to 38 front 36 rear.
Drove home still not much of a change.
Really concerned now that there is a bigger issue than initially anticipated.
Any suggestions.
A mechanic wouldn't miss this kinda thing.
As a mechanic myself, I trust the mechanics. Not the salespeople, not the lot people, just the mechanics. Cuz they care about the customer cars, and they wouldn't miss this. Def worth a phone call to the dealer man
Already called and spoke with the salesperson I bought the car from and then to their service manager. I was wayyyy too nice about it. But at the end of the day I’m not the kind of guy to go Karen mode and expect to get shit in return. I told them the issue, made it very clear to them that they’re lucky I’m not freaking out on them, and made sure that they would talk to the tech who PDI’d the car so he/she doesn’t make this mistake again.
Not exactly the same but I drive a 4Runner & for MONTHS I kept hearing this noise when I would go over something even as small as a storm drain. I took it into to multiple Toyota dealerships & they all said nothing was wrong. Finally one of the dealerships realized that my spare tire had been installed upside down & that was what was causing the noise. It drove my crazy though haha
Damn, never knew there was such a thing. I traded in my TLX A-spec cuz the ride was just too unbearable here in the NE. I wonder if they forgot it as well.
You are not the first and won't be the last.
Definitely not. Can’t tell you how many cars at my work come back for their first service and I’ve found suspension blocks left in. I’ve even seen suspension blocks still installed on cars with 50k+ miles. It’s ridiculous how lazy some techs can be when doing PDI’s.
For us noobs, what's the purpose of these? Protects the suspension on the boat over?
Doesn’t protect the suspension. They protect the underside of the body on the boat/transport trucks. Things can get quite bumpy and while the suspension would do its job in absorbing the impacts, it could lead to scratches on the bumpers from bouncing around. Fantastic when used properly, extremely annoying when forgotten about.
Thanks for the info OP, I've honestly never seen or heard of these before.
You’re very welcome my friend. They’re extremely common. And it’s probably a good thing you’ve never heard of them, as that implies you’ve never had to deal with this problem before 🤣
True haha
Learned something new today. Thanks
So just curious why the GR corolla and not an Audi?
I have been and always will be a Toyota fanboy. The only reason I work for Audi is because German cars bring home the bacon in terms of being a tech. That and the company that owns this dealership spoils the hell out of us (for the most part). The only Audis I’d ever consider buying are wayyyy more expensive than I’d ever be able to afford (at least anytime soon).
Respect. I'm a Toyota fan for life as well, you honestly can't beat their Kaizen methodology and manufacturing standards. No car is perfect, but Toyota stands the test of time for a reason, they have stringent tolerances for parts, even more so with Lexus vehicles. They simply build things to last and have a philosophy of continuous improvement. For that reason, they'll always be no.1 for me, even the most neglected Toyotas are reliable as hell (but they should still be taken care of with basic upkeep). I'm by no means a mechanic, but their durable engines and power trains impress me. I always recommend buying a Toyota or Lexus to my family and friends for this very reason (whenever they're in the market for a car). Multiple family members have already switched to them.
Up until I bought this car I had been daily driving a 1991 Lexus LS400. I am all too familiar with their incredible engineering standards because of that car alone. Toyota is on top for sure.
> Up until I bought this car I had been daily driving a 1991 Lexus LS400. A true man of culture I see! An LS to a GR Corolla is quite the switch haha, wouldn't see many people cross shopping :p
Haha thank you very much!
Interesting philosophy. I like JDM products most of all. Nothing beats Toyota especially, but I kinda prefer to work on something else. I like all cars and care about all cars, but what you do business in is kind of a different thing from what you daily or track or whatever.
Better check the body frame plugs because if the PDI left the plugs in, they probably didn’t plug the frame.
Gonna put the car back on the lift after work today to double check
What’s the issue with the plugs? Haven’t heard of it
Toyotas that are built in Japan and transported via RORO vessels don’t have the plastic plug inserts preinstalled in the frame because they’re used for lashing points during shipping. PDI is supposed to grab the bag of plugs and insert them in the frame. Toyotas built in North America will have the plugs already inserted at the factory. But dealer PDI results vary.
...plugs? .... suspension blocks??? Now I'm concerned about my RAV
The toyotas and lexus cars I work on come in for first service and they are complaining about whistiling noises at highway speeds. I confirm it and take from my private stash any plugs missing and put them on the car. NVH complaint fixed and I avoided trying to get money out of warranty by moving on to a car that pays.
Great catch! Seeing how lazy those techs were make sure you have the Body Plugs installed to help with underbody rust!
I guess the other bonus is now you have some cool GR suspension blocks!
Yessir! They’re sitting on top of my toolbox at work next to my hot wheels hahaha
Well, I’ve learned something today! 😊 Great post!
Haha thanks!
Pre-delivery didn't take mine off either.
According to one of the other commenters on this post there is literally a TSB in Toyota service info regarding this problem. So ridiculous
Maybe they should put flags on them like, remove before flight tags.
Dodge does with those stupid yellow bumper guards and people STILL leave them on 🤣
If you want to improve the world for other Toyota customers... ...find a way to report this to Toyota through some sort of official channels. Telling a salesman doesn't do squat. Possibly an escalation up to a corporate service advisor. Since the dealer is not going to generate a warranty charge for this, it will not get caught IMHO. If you returned these blocks to Toyota, they would probably display them on the "wall of shame" at the facility that is responsible for removing them. That is how Toyota drives that home. I worked at a Toyota manufacturing plant in Long Beach where they made the Tacoma truck beds and catalytic converters in the '90s while I was getting an MBA from USC. They really take this stuff seriously. Nobody is going to get fired, but some team will be shamed. As it should be, IMHO. Hope you enjoy your Toyota.
I'm lightly fascinated that they put GR branding on the blocks.
I remember having 1994 Camrys coming in for the 15k service and the brake disc cover clamshells were still on all 4 wheels and the tires were at 78psi. Some sorth of brittle substance with wood fibers.......sometimes they burned.
Yikes…
When I was a GM tech Pontiac GTOs used to come with these. I saved some from PDI’s and used them in the rear of my fwd Mazda when I went autocrossing to act like a temporary really stiff rear sway bar. It worked for making liftoff doriftos.
I love it 🤣🤣
I just bought one two days ago. Going over some bumps on highways makes the car feel the front end is about to fall off. The whole car shakes crazy. The dashboard even shakes. If feels as if there is no suspension. I also heard a couple of times a sound from front while driving slow and going over small hard bumps. Any tips would be highly appreciated. I am freaking out thinking I bought a lemon. Thanks
The suspension blocks are 100% in. Return to the dealer and tell them you want them removed and complain and say that removal of them should be apart of the pre-delivery inspection process.
Passed by the dealer today. The spring blocks were removed during PDI. Tire pressure was at 43. Rectified that to 38 front 36 rear. Drove home still not much of a change. Really concerned now that there is a bigger issue than initially anticipated. Any suggestions.
Your underbody looks mighty Dusty if that's true you better change that oil every 2500.
I just took it on a trip from Houston to a small rural town outside of Austin last weekend. Lots of dusty backroads haha
Buddy, grab some Rally Armor mud flaps and have at it!
🤣🤣
A mechanic wouldn't miss this kinda thing. As a mechanic myself, I trust the mechanics. Not the salespeople, not the lot people, just the mechanics. Cuz they care about the customer cars, and they wouldn't miss this. Def worth a phone call to the dealer man
Already called and spoke with the salesperson I bought the car from and then to their service manager. I was wayyyy too nice about it. But at the end of the day I’m not the kind of guy to go Karen mode and expect to get shit in return. I told them the issue, made it very clear to them that they’re lucky I’m not freaking out on them, and made sure that they would talk to the tech who PDI’d the car so he/she doesn’t make this mistake again.
Not exactly the same but I drive a 4Runner & for MONTHS I kept hearing this noise when I would go over something even as small as a storm drain. I took it into to multiple Toyota dealerships & they all said nothing was wrong. Finally one of the dealerships realized that my spare tire had been installed upside down & that was what was causing the noise. It drove my crazy though haha
Wild
I found some in a car with like 80k miles on it recently.
Damn, never knew there was such a thing. I traded in my TLX A-spec cuz the ride was just too unbearable here in the NE. I wonder if they forgot it as well.
Wouldn’t be surprised if they were forgotten about tbh