Here’s a question that was recently sent to us:

I lease a 2006 Toyota Camry and recently the driver side window made a really loud noise when I rolled it down, and then I wasn’t able to roll it back up. I paid the dealership $150 for them to look at it and tell me that the whole window needed to be replaced. Apparently, the window clips broke and since the clips come from the manufacturer I would need the whole glass replaced. My warranty expired about 5,000 miles ago, but I consider myself a good customer. The dealership told me it would cost $400 (less the $150) to repair. They also offered me 20% discount. I feel that this repair should be taken care of by the dealer or Toyota – what should I do?

Answer:

First, what the dealer has told you is correct. It’s silly, but once the clips holding the glass to the mechanism break, it’s time to replace the whole apparatus.

Since the dealer isn’t willing to repair the window free of charge, you can try and find an independent repair shop to do the work for less. However, the 20% discount the dealership offered you likely makes them the cheapest place to go.

As far as getting your repair covered completely, there is something called “after warranty assistance.” It’s not really easy to get, but I would definitely try. Just keep in mind that since your warranty is completely past, you will likely have to pay something. The question is, how much? After warranty assistance will usually cover 50-80% of the cost, so that should be your goal.

Our Recommendation: Speaking with the GM is usually productive in this situation, but you want to give the service manager a chance to come through for you. We would suggest you call and ask the service manager for after warranty assistance before you call the general manager.

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