Hey fellas, I've been noticing now, ever since around August of this year, that I've been getting more, and more stress cracks on my Toyota Installed Hotckis Bar...

I took it to my local dealer, which I have been doing business with ever since day one of SCION, lol. I was they're first customer, and first customer to have all these upgrades dumped into my car within the first week. Well, anyways, I took it to them about 3 weeks before I left for my move out here to Georgia. After SOO MUCH diliberation with all the head honcho's, etc, they told me, since its been over a year, since I've had the Hotchkis Bar installed, it no longer carries the Toyota Warranty with it no longer, AND, the cracks are due to stress, DUH, its a damn strut bar, you expect it NOT to bend and twist?? lo

So basically I'm left with this:




They told me it can fall under two categories... ONE: Abuse, shouldn't crack like that under normal driving... and TWO: not under warranty, etc, etc, basic dealer BS.

I told them, "LOOK, I have been doing business with you all since June 9th of 2003, and for ANY small to BIG problem I have had, I came to you guys for help. Whether it be the OEM foglight's rubbing on the AEM, to my TRD TOYOTA INSTALLED exhuast rattling every 2,000mi. due to a worn crush gasket on ALL occasions. You have EVENTUALLY helped me out with my problems by either beating around the bush SO BADLY, I had to call up the west coast Toyota CS Supervisor to have my problems fixed, to me LITERALLY standing on top of you, and WATCH you do work on my car. I am sick and tired of it. I am seriously, what you'd call a "preferred" customer...LMAO, so you guys need to make ends meet with this and the rest of my problems FOR GOOD." <<<And left it at that.

They looked at me, and just stared past me... I assume they knew I was moving to GA, and they won't have to deal with me anymore, so they just tossed in the towel on me one last time..

After all that ISH, I got my TRD exhaust rattle fixed, refinished Hothkis Bar, and all the other small things.. AND no more than 2 days after having my car back from them, YES>it took them 3 weeks with my car, and NO RENTAL, I had just pulled into the MAGIC MOUNTAIN parking lot with my car to spend the first night of our move back to Georgia, until suddenly I started to hear a light buzzing sound coming from my rear end... Finally when we got into Arizona, I think it was Flag Staff, or Tuscon (I dunno), my exhaust went into FULL RATTLE mode, and my paint began or powder coat, whatever it is, began to crack on my strut bar again... I was destined for a 2800mile trip with a LOUDER than my exhaust FULL EXHAUST SYSTEM rattle, and a ____TY looking strut bar...

My exhaust still rattles right now, and my strut bar, looks worse than ever... I have yet have time to take into town to the Toyota Dealer and confront them with my problems, yet, I dunno how to approach them without yelling at the top of my lungs. GRANTED, THEY did not do anything wrong to me (YET), but I am just so angered at this all, I dunno what I can do..

I think I'm going to lay it all out for them, toss down my 23 invoices for all things I've done at that dealer, and yell "HEEEELLLLPPPP!!!" then, see what they can do for me. And if they get it all fixed again, and it comes back, I will seriously go bezerk.. HONESTLY, I will ask for my money back for everything, warranty or not... and take my money elsewhere.

ONE LAST NOTE, my parents' AT ThunderCloud had the TRD Exhaust installed on theirs as well as the HOTCKIS bar since June 20th, 2003 and they only had the same Exhaust problems I've had, not the strut bar. But their's was a little worse than mine. AND, they had actually gotten they're exhaust replaced with a brand new unit, and all exhaust hardware pretty much.. 4k mi. later, its still fine. So I think I'm going to show them my parents' invoice as well to show them, SEE, DO THIS TO MINE!

lol..

sorry for the drawn out post, but I'm sooo frustrated.. I don't want to REPRESENT the CA Crew and all my clubs, etc, and SCION in general running around Atlanta with a PIECE OF ____ sounding exhaust system.. Its just NOT RIGHT.

Thanks for the patience and reading this.

-Tylor

 

I can't really tell what's happening with your strut brace. Is the paint just cracking but staying attached? Is it the silver paint or just the clear coat? Is it only noticable when you're at an angle? I'd like to see some more pics, not that I have a solution or anything, I'm just curious as to what's happening.

 

Well, it seemed to me at first, that someone had taken some steel wool to my strut bar.. then eventually one day, it looked like similar to clay mud after it dries up, and leaves those giant cracks...

I dunno... looks like the powder coat or paint is just cracked all up, ONLY vertical/semi-vertical cracks are visible, THUS showing stress.. but yet, the paint or whatever is cracked, and its just sitting there in place.. I'm thinking the paint UNDER the clear coat has cracked. Becuase, I've felt it, and it has only MINOR, MINOR scratch-like feelings....

I'm honestly stuck on just selling it for like $75 and letting someone else have it, who has access to a powercoater, and buying the APR bB strut bar.... and also sell my goddam TRD exhaust (I'll miss the sound of it) and go buy the GReddy EVO II, or like an HKS or something.. I dunno.. :oops: Or maybe, just leave the back section off, and leave my High Flow race cat on, and just have an angled tip coming out front of my left or right rear fender well, lol.. It sounds good without the rear section on, and is REALLY loud, without that raggedy sound.. perhaps I could fab. up a trap or something similar that runs to a straight pipe off my high flow cat, and then to a cheapo muffler, that way its a tad quiter.. who knows??

anyways..... after I've highjacked my own thread... :D

thanks for the help!

-Tylor

 

according to this thread it is being discountinued due to design flaw

https://www.scionlife.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=21

 

You mean according to this thread? --> https://www.scionlife.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=35345

Well, according to this thread, he's wrong. --> https://www.scionlife.com/forums/vie...light=hotchkis

I actually read about it in another thread and I think Paul from McGeorge posted that it wasn't discontinued, but I can't find that thread.

 

those two threads seem to be for the tC. not the xB.

i don't know whats going on with the strut bar, but i'd say dump it and get a new one.
the exhaust problem is odd.

 

Yea, I'm gonna sell the strut bar, then I'm gonna buy the APR bB Strut Bar... not bad for like $100... :o

but, I'm still stuck up on this...

I swear, Toyota needs to do something, like refund me my money, or some____...since they won't repair it...

-Tylor


.

 

this was replaced when it happened to two other norcal members tylorweaver. PM ad-roc(adam), he had his warrantied by the dealer. There was someone else in the norcal that had the same problem and was also warrantied. It IS a design flaw, PM ad-roc now for details.

 

Email me your info and I will get it replaced for you. I will have to see if I have any extras. But will definetly get it taken care of . On the very early ones we had an issue with the clear coat cracking. That has been fixed. Hope this helps.

 

^^^ yei yeii..or call up scion headquarters and tell them your story..

 

THANK YOU^

there is a god.

you see, Toyota was B!TCHING all day long, that it was NOT under warranty anymore, because once the 1st yr's up.. you're pretty much screwed with aftermarket warranties..

SO, I'll be glad to take you up on your offer sir!

Would I be able to get a shiny red one, you know for my complications???

Thank you.

I will send you an e-mail asap.

Thanks.

-TylorWeaver

and GABE, I need to talk to you bro, shoot me a PM please

 

IM sent to ya!! See I told you everything was gonna be allright. Hotchkis has always been a cool company and thats why I have their swaybar setup.

 

i love the how the xb handles after i got the strut bar installed..it rides smooth like chocolate

 

LMAO...chocolate??

Mmmmm...

-Tylor

(is that HONESTLY, the best you came up with..??/ Chocolate?? AHAHAHA)


____

 

thats cuz im hungry..^^^ LOL

aight..it runs smooth as SILK

 

lol.. well, I was thinking more along the lines of your mothers' panties.. but, thats ANOTHER story :D

jk bro :D

-Tylor

btw, I'm eating chocolate now... DAMNIT! better whip out the oxyclean for the morning...lol

 

lol.. well, I was thinking more along the lines of your mothers' panties.. but, thats ANOTHER story :D

jk bro :D

-Tylor

btw, I'm eating chocolate now... DAMNIT! better whip out the oxyclean for the morning...lol

 

good one..

 

Hey Tylor did you tell them that you drive like a mad man?? :twisted:

 

STFU Dave!!! :oops: :oops:

:twisted:

Umm.. what are u talking about??

Just because a I did a handfull of Canyon Runs, and some AutoX, doesn't mean, I was a madman...

(bastard... :D )

nice to hear from ya Dave??

Hows the family and the goatee??

Love, Tylor

I MEAN..

-Tylor :D