Servco Toyota Kona

Wife took her Tacoma in for a service in August and was apparently charged for an oil change that wasn't done. A mechanic today pulled up the Carfax and no record of it and the oil is black. Caution when using them, and we won't be back for service or purchases.

I went in a second time and got much better service. Actually bought a new truck! They were very helpful with getting a good interest rate.

Brought my 2022 car in for an oil chg and tire rotation a few weeks ago. Ever since, I've had a slow leak in one tire. Found the source today, it was a plug that was put in with no glue. How do I know it had no glue? Because it pulled right out with pliers (see photo). How do I know Big Island Toyota plugged the tire? Because they are the only shop that has ever touched this car, I am the original owner, no one but me has ever driven it, and I have never plugged any of the tires until today. They never told me they plugged a tire, verbally or in writing. Totally irresponsible. Will never trust them again. DON'T BRING THEM YOUR CAR!!!

Horrible service gave them multiple chances.
No call backs after leaving message.
No call back when car is complete. Showed back up at end of day and my truck was sitting there ready.
Left truck there all day and no work was performed. The truck did not need parts.
I could go on and on. These are all different experiences. I could go on and on. But hey only other place is Hilo. Let me tell you it’s not much better there.
Did I mention these are trucks with 38k or 50k

Efficient, competent, everything you could ask for. Regular servicing was combined with a small factory recall weld splatter issue- everything resolved. They’re free shuttle service allowed me to get my errands done during the appointment - EXCELLENT!

We needed a trailer tow package for our work 22 Tacoma, I spoke with and dealt with Trystah Dacalio she put the order in and scheduled us Trystah had great communication and was very responsive, thank you BIT and Trystah D for your help and great service.

UPDATED REVIEW BELOW:
After a rough experience calling into Toyota Kona to schedule an oil change, I’m glad I was met with Trystah and Aric during check in. They flipped the entire experience 180° and saved this review from being a one star. They are the heart of Toyota Kona and deserve the recognition as such. They have superb customer service and never fail to put a smile on my face as well as the other customers. They always go above and beyond which ensures the customer is not only satisfied but will absolutely return each time. If Trystah and Aric are part of your service experience, no need to fret, they will have everything under control from start to finish and keep you updated the entire time. Thank you for saving the day time and time again Trystah and Aric. I can’t thank you enough.

UPDATED REVIEW 12/2
I unfortunately feel the need to leave an updated review as the service I experienced after the original review was drastically different. I have come to the conclusion that I will be taking my cars elsewhere for basic maintenance as the SERVICE IS HORRENDOUS. I scheduled my service as the first appointment in the morning to ensure I would make it to my back to back appointments afterward. When reserving the appointment I specifically asked what I could do to ensure I would have a brief appointment and this is what was guaranteed to get me in and out. After driving 1.5 hours to make my 6:40am appointment and waiting an hour and 45 minutes in the waiting area, I noticed that two people that came in after me were already long gone with their cars. I went outside to check the status of mine and he said that it was almost done. I looked into the bay and seen that my car hadn’t even gone up on the lift yet or had been touched. Because of the delay and lack of what I’d think would be common sense (first in, first out mentality) , I was late to the rest of my appointments for the day and had to pay cancellation fees while also not getting the service done. (Shoutout to Midas down the road for taking a walk in and getting it done in less than an hour).

THEN I have to take my second truck in because the stock Tacoma dash screen went black. I needed them to run a diagnostic on why it completely broke without cause and it’s the same problem again. I wait an hour in a half for the truck to be done (oil change and diagnostic check), go outside to check and the truck hasn’t been touched. The employees are standing around conversating like there wasn’t MULTIPLE cars needing to be completed. I ask one person if it’s a busy day she says no pretty chill, while another person tells me it’s taking so long because it’s a super busy day with a full schedule.
Moral of this long story,
GO ELSEWHERE AT ALL COST. Spend the extra $20 down the road and get fast and reliable service. Go to a place that doesn’t lie just to rip you off and make more money.
I am a loyal Toyota customer but now will rethink future purchases off of these few experiences because if they can’t even service their own branded vehicles how can we trust them?

It was such an awesome experience working with Shayla, highly recommend. No sales frills here, she listened to what I was looking for, got right to work, kept the coffee coming and was able to send me home in my new Tacoma by lunch time! Mahalo nui, Shayla. Will be back for my runner next ☺️ Hoping that my future experiences with the service department will be just as pleasant, professional and productive.

They charged $366 to do a scan. Said it was basically totaled and over 10k to fix our car. Then sent the wrong car back to us. Two days later we had a mobile mechanic actually lift the hood and fix the issue in an hour. They want fast money and will lie. Then will pretend the manger is never there and will not return calls.
Changing from a one star to a three star due to the fact after getting the BBB involved, they are going to issue a refund for the scan and whole situation.

3 weeks ago, I took my Nissan Xterra for a simple front wheel alignment. It had brand new tires and brand new factory suspension parts installed.
That took 5 visits and 10 days to get done correctly.

The Monday I arrived on time for my appointment and dropped off my vehicle. 3hrs, later, I told them I had to go and 3hrs later it was not even started. So I left.

The Thursday, I arrived and dropped it off. It was done, but the steering wheel was canted off-center.

I told the service adviser and he claimed he test drove it and it was fine. I called the Service Manager and she told me to test drive it with the technician. Which I did. I showed it to him on my now 3rd visit and he agreed it was off center.
I booked it in for Monday again and told the adviser I would tape my steering wheel and dahs and mark with a marker exactly where center was. He agreed.

On Monday, It was dropped off and done correctly!

I regret my decision of taking my vehicle there and the only reason why was because their alignment schedule was open.

I appreciate the Service Manager and adviser to do it correctly, but it was a serious waste of time and energy for something simple that could have been doner correctly from the beginning..if only time and precision was taken.

From the moment we walked in the door, to the moment we drove off the lot Jason (and the rest of the staff at Kona Toyota) treated us like family.
Living in Kona is island life and it comes with its different hurdles at times, anyone who has attempted to buy a vehicle of their choosing will know what I mean.
Not only did they make it smooth to find and reserve a vehicle for us, Jason did it with open communication and transparency. Qualities that any business would cherish.

If you are even thinking of owning a Toyota, go and ask to speak to Jason and hopefully you are rewarded with the amazing experience that we had. We left with an incredible car, and a new friend.

Thank you Big Island Toyota.

Just bought my first car and Robert Carmelo walked us through it, from the time we showed up to when we left. He was so helpful throughout the whole process. Super friendly guy, he answered all of our questions honestly and I really couldn’t have asked for a better experience. I highly recommend! Thank you Big Island Toyota!!!

My tundra was taken in because it was not shifting out of 4L. Their diagnostic test said it was the speed sensor. I hav extended warranty for 5 years more and the warranty department said they wasn’t able to pay for the speed sensors and I have to pay out of pocket. So I waited 2 weeks without my truck. When it was finally finished they said now they have to change the transfer case because my truck is still not shifting out of 4L. Now it’s going to take another 6-8 weeks for the part to come in and now the warranty department is saying that they are paying for the transfer case replacement and $350 dollars for a rental. Now I’m paying $800 for the speed sensor replacement and $100 deductible for the transfer case. I don’t think there was a problem with the sensors and I still have to pay for 2 months of rental car to get my business done. Do not pay for warranty cause you will be charged for everything even after paying for the warranty. You guys are terrible. Some workers are so kind and helpful and some are pilau

Robert Carmelo was helpful efficient and over all amazing. My ohana and I love our new 4RUNNER. Toyota's speak for themselves but service can't be beat here on the kona side.

Poor customer service during the ending of the day. We walked in and the hodge podge of salespeople did not welcome us at all. Inventory is stale and shipments don't seem to replenish more than base model vehicles. Take the extra trip and travel to Hilo or to Oahu for better selection and actual customer service.

Responsive team but basically a vanilla car dealer. If you need anything like tires, windows, accessories they aren’t much help. I had a couple small issues to get my car ready for the state safety inspection and had to go elsewhere. Also, a few of their “recommendations” were kinda sus.

For instance, replace air filter $118. Got one at Carquest for $40. Took me less than 5 mins to install and the OG one was not that dirty. Typical car dealer stuff.

Robert Carmelo and Kenny were very helpful to me in the process of buying my new car here at Big Island Toyota. They were very patient and answered all of my questions clearly. I had a great car buying experience and I love my new Prius!

I had been looking around the island for about a month and finally Robert and Kenny helped me find my dream Tacoma! They made the whole process fast, easy and I left with so much more knowledge and happy!
Mahalos

My mother took her vehicle in they held her vehicle for a week told her that her engine was blown and that she would have to pay over $40,000 for a new one and then charged her $800+ for the diagnostics when she got the truck back she took it to an independent mechanic who looked at the engine and could see Toyota did nothing to it and all that was wrong with it was a timing belt issue. These people are crooks

I went to get my first car and the service deserved 10 stars if it was possible. Robert Carmelo would be the perfect guy for you if you’re going to get a vehicle, he was fast and he knew what you needed. The whole thing went by good and if you had him helping he would point you to the right way. Highly recommend once again ROBERT CARMELO.

Robert Carmelo helped me with my purchase of a 4 Runner. He was knowledgeable, personable and had a great sense of humor making this car purchase enjoyable. Ray also was a breeze to work with for the financing part. Toyotas are great cars and this dealership holds to that high level of excellence in service too! Highly recommend Kona Toyota! Thank you! I love my new 4 Runner! Kathleen P.

I had AMAZING customer service from Robert Carmelo, I felt like we were Family. He deserves more than 5 stars!

If you ever want to get a car here always ask for Robert Carmelo he is a great salesman and a wonderful guy to be around and I would recommend him ever time

Awesome Customer Service, Kaha went out of his way as we were pressed for time to insure the transaction was seamless! Mahalo Big Island Toyota Kona!

Mahalo nui loa to Tom
I told him what I was looking for in a truck and he found me the perfect truck for my budget and my lifestyle. Didn’t try to upsell me or use high-pressure tactics at all. Highly recommend!

I drove by and saw a Nissan Altima listed at $13,000 and was in the market for a car. I had been to a few dealers and they were all asking over MSRP for their cars.

I stopped at the dealer and bought the car within an hour. I absolutely hate the car buying process but this one went very smoothly.

This place is awesome...friendly and helpful and honest!! Kaha was my Salesguy and he was on top of it without being too pushy! Ray is the Sales Manager..nice guy and got me a great car and an honest price...matching the KBB value. No games!!! Got a new Toyota Camry for the price of a used one the others guys was trying to sell me!! Go to Big Island Toyota Kona☺️

I cannot recommend this dealership enough. The sales team is incredibly knowledgeable and patient, and they helped me find the perfect car for my needs. The paperwork process was fast and painless, and I felt like I got a great deal on my new car. If you're in the market for a new or used car, definitely check them out.

2018 Camry maintenance needed to be done so I called to schedule an appointment. The girl mentioned I still needed to get my recall done as well. She got the parts here and scheduled me for both my maintenance and recall. It did take several hours but my recall was to replace a fuel pump which is a few hours itself. I’m very grateful for them getting the car back to me on the same day. My service advisor, Trystah was very helpful and greeted us with a smile. She went over what we were doing for the day and got it back to me an hour before her promise time. Thank you to the technician that worked on my car! The shuttle service is a huge bonus and he was very pleasant! Terrific service all around.

I would like to thank Shayla over at Big Island Toyota Kona! She is very knowledgeable and efficient at what she does and I highly recommend her to anyone that is looking to purchase a vehicle.

Shayla was the person that helped me during my experience at big island Toyota at the Kona branch.

She’s honestly the best of the best. She came in on her only day off to help me with purchasing my car. She wasn’t pushy at all throughout the process and made sure that I was well taken cared of. I highly recommend checking Shayla out for all your car needs.

If you're looking to get a new car, hit up Shayla! She's the best! She helped me find the right car and the best deal. Recommended her to all my family and friends. Love my Camry!

I just bought a 2023 Toyota Tacoma and had no problem at all with my transaction. I had excellant service from Shayla and Kenny. The only regret is that I live on another island and I can't get the proper scheduled maintenance done to my vehicle by them. However, this is something that I have to work out here on Molokai.

If you are planning to buy a vehicle stop by here and ask for SHAYLA! She is amazing, she provided me with stellar service and made everything so easy.

My maintenance light turned on and I was lucky enough to get an appt to do a basic maintenance on my car on the same day. Did the oil change, tire rotation, multi point inspection within the hour that I dropped it off. Awesome service! Service advisor working was very helpful, explained what was gonna be done on the vehicle and when to come back for my next service. She made sure I had a new reminder sticker for my next service. I am based on the hilo side but can never get an appt this quick. Thank you big island toyota kona!

@Kamustrong is the man - we told him exactly what kind of vehicle we were looking for and he delivered. He called us as soon as the vehicle that fit our specs arrived and we drove it off the lot that same day. He made the process nice and easy and gave us helpful tips along the way. Even after we bought the vehicle, he remained available when we had more questions or needed help getting the vehicle serviced. Truly knowledgeable, efficient and credible. Go to Big Island Toyota and see Kamu - he take care!!

I have been purchasing vehicles from Kamu at Big Island Toyota for over 6 years now. Kamu makes the purchasing of a new vehicle simple and easy. He is very knowledgeable and makes sure you get the right vehicle for what you need. I would recommend working with Kamu to purchasing your next vehicle. When I need to get one of my vehicles serviced I bring them to Big Island Toyota’s Service Department. They are very friendly, knowledgeable, and always do a great job keeping my vehicles safe & running well.

Service department nice people. shuttle at Big Island Toyota is a bonus. Looks like the inventory is back. My Tacoma truck is well cared for at Big Island Toyota Kona.

Amazing buying experience, Car sales team is very knowledgeable on vehicles, Paperwork was very fast and efficient, I highly recommend..

Some of the vehicles me and my family bought from Toyota Kona. Kamu, Yama, Kaha, and Thor were such great help getting our dream rides. Definitely coming back again in the future. Aloha

Obviously Toyota is struggling trying to find good mechanics. I have a major vibration in the back of my truck when it's over 40 miles an hour. For some reason their mechanic couldn't feel it so could not diagnose it. It's amazing considering it vibrates the whole back of the truck. In other words don't waste your money here doing any type of Diagnostics they won't figure it out they have no idea what the hell they're doing. On top of that they told me that I needed my cooling system flushed and new spark plugs both of those things have been done within the last year. So they misdiagnosed two things and couldn't diagnose the thing I asked about. Wow is that incompetence.

Update:

I had a bad you joint that was about to fail. Seriously guys they couldn't find a bad u-joint that was vibrating and about to fail. Think about that, if you don't know what that is, it's the main thing that holds your axle together. They couldn't find a major part failing on my axle. Really, think about that.

Appointment at 0930. Didn't even take my truck in till about 1430. Still not done... Why have an appointment? If your not even going to take it. I could understand an hour even 2 hours.... But 5 hours later. Why have an appointment system then? Like I have nothing better to do but wait around for them to look at my warrantied truck or I would of never came here.

Took my car in for an estimate a few weeks ago for help diagnosing issues with my ABS and ignition key. The service was helpful and I was able to resolve the mechanical issues. But I later found the emergency $20 bill I leave in my ashtray had been removed. After days of playing phone tag with Aric the service consultant who I had worked with, I left multiple voicemails with the service manager Cara and never received any response. Very disappointing.

I have been going to Kona Toyota for years. Yes, issues have come up, and ... they have always handled the problem. Great local company!

I gave a 5 rating but I totally understand if someone appropriately gave a ONE rating. It's all depending whom I first came in contact with. I walked in just to inquire about Tacoma battery warranty coverage on my truck, LUCKY my I was greeted by Crystal, who was honest+thoughtful +caring (characters you born with not taught or trained esp. at car dealership, lol); she went extra mile to get info from service dept and advised me what to do since no appt available for 3 weeks. As result I had my truck's battery replaced under warranty by the very NEXT DAY!!!! Although the person I met next next day, of course wasn't Crystal, was horrible (she seemed very unhappy when store just open???, wonder how she acted at end of workday? lol) & i just wanted to turn around and walk out. To the point: if it was her who helped me the very first day when I walked in. I would have given Kona Toyota a NEGATIVE star (not deserving a 1 star) if such thing exists, plus I would never return for any needed services in the future EVEN they are the only Toyota around. I'm a business owner, I would pay double for good employees (not good SALE by any mean, honesty creates trust with customers.... that's more sustainable business and enjoyable environment to be around) and wish unhappy employees to quit and find a career they love. I'm now trying to schedule to have my truck break changed. Wish me luck .

Brendon Taylor, made buying my TRD 4Runner an incredible experience. He was so nice and consistently making sure we got taken of, I sent my mom to buy one from him as well. If your going to buy a vehicle at this place, brendon is the guy to do it. Also I received 0 pressure to buy anything. Really enjoyed my experience! Thank you brendon.

Took my truck down to Toyota because my 4x4 wasn’t working the way it’s supposed to. When I took my truck down there it was on 2wd and they did a diagnostic and said it was stuck on 4low. After they took a look at it they told it it’s back on 2wd and it was okay to drive, but when I drove it it was on 4low. How are you gonna say the truck is on 2wd but it’s on 4low and can’t do nothing to put it back. Now my truck is stuck on 4low and can’t do anything about it

The service dept at this dealership just doesn't value the customer's time. I waited just shy of 4 hours for a scheduled oil change/tire rotation. The previous couple of times before this I waited about 2 1/2 hours. Why bother scheduling? The only reason I went to the dealership is because the service was covered under my purchase agreement. I guess when you're the only dealership on island, service is not a primary consideration.

If I could rate this place a zero that would be it!!!and they take 4 hours for an oil change one time they kept my car and failed to mention no oil change was done because they didn’t have a part in stock , so what exactly was done for 4 plus hours is beside me, the unprofessionalism is beyond ridiculous and I’m shocked they are still in business not sure who is running this joint but they better fix this mess !!!!!!! DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY HERE!!!!

Houston we have a problem they make me prove every time I come in there on my contract that i have an extended warranty with them and oil changes and safety checks are included every single time I come in it’s an extreme hassle and very poor management that you don’t get hassled the whole time you’re under contract with them Can’t blame the employees if they don’t have any guidance from above on how to run a company property Pay attention to your company please your customers and life gets better

The service department is unprofessional and disorganized. I came in to get a safety inspection and it was over an hour before they even would check me in. Then the absorbent amount of time waiting for safety check was ridiculous. Think twice before buying a car here because the customer service is terrible.

I hate leaving bad reviews but I did not recieve good customer service at all. I went to toyota to get a code read so I would know why my airbag light is on. The service person said it would cost $169 just to get code read. 4.5 hours later and no check-ins I awkwardly wait by the service desks which had no customers and was ignored for 20 minutes when they finally said, "we will give you your write up up in 15 minutes". I come back 15 minutes later- ignored again and then handed a $2,500 bill if I want it repaired. I get that things are expensive to fix, I can even understand 169 for a diagnosis, and even a long wait. BUT what I cannot understand is not offering a car to go back to work, not being given a timeline for how long the diagnosis will take, and being ignored when standing right in front of service agents.

I took my vehicle in for an oil change and specifically booked my appointment for a full synthetic oil change. When speaking to the service agent at the dealership I also mentioned I wanted a full synthetic oil change. After picking up my vehicle I noticed on the paperwork that they had put semi-synthetic oil in my vehicle. I asked the service agent about the oil and she said she would need to double check and that she would need to call me back the following day. She never called me back. I had to call Toyota to ask about it and then said that same agent would need to call me back. She never called. I tried calling back again but the calls just go straight to voicemail. I tried chatting with an agent to get additional details and to understand why nobody was calling me back and to understand why the customer service was so poor, and she just told me to call again. TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE!!! No trust in what they have actually done to my vehicle and incredibly unreliable.

Disappointed. Had a 9:30 AM appointment, arrived 10 minutes early, and told it would take 2 hours. I noticed that they hadn't changed the oil and was told the new schedule was 10,000 miles or one year. My truck was purchased 14 months ago so why didn't they change the oil?