ToyotaCare Plus lawsuit put on hold

December 23, 2024 — The ToyotaCare Plus lawsuit has been stayed because Toyota argued that the plaintiffs signed a valid arbitration agreement.

ToyotaCare Plus is a maintenance plan offered by Toyota that will reportedly cover the cost of scheduled services over a specified mileage period.

ToyotaCare Plus costs about $1,000, according to Toyota’s advertising, but paying for separate maintenance services will reportedly cost $1,900. Toyota says a typical service visit costs $100, and other service visits may cost $400 each.

The ToyotaCare Plus lawsuit alleges that customers would be better off paying for services individually out of pocket rather than purchasing a ToyotaCare Plus plan.

Plaintiff Teresa Solis paid $1,025 for the ToyotaCare Plus plan, but she believes Toyota performed scheduled maintenance too early or allegedly skipped the service altogether.

For example, the class action lawsuit alleges that the plaintiff took her vehicle to the dealership for scheduled maintenance service at 20,000 miles, but the technician allegedly performed the 30,000-mile service.

The plaintiff claims that what Toyota originally said would cost about $400 for “major service” actually cost about $200.

She also claimed that another service visit cost $30 when Toyota’s ToyotaCare Plus manual said another service visit would cost $100. According to the plaintiff, she could have paid her bills herself and saved money by not using the maintenance plan.

“Eventually, Ms. Solis realized she would only pay $800 to $900, less than the total price she paid for the maintenance plan.” — Toyota Cares Lawsuit

The ToyotaCare Plus plan also reportedly does not cover the cost of replacing the cab and air filter.

Toyota responded to the class action lawsuit by telling a judge that the plaintiff did not have standing to file the Toyota Cares lawsuit because she signed a valid arbitration agreement. Toyota argued that her claims about the maintenance program must be argued before an arbitrator rather than a federal district court judge.

After hearing arguments from Toyota and the plaintiffs, Judge Dana M. Sabraw ruled in favor of Toyota and granted it the right to compel arbitration and stay (either temporarily or indefinitely) the class action pending arbitration. motion.

The ToyotaCare Plus lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California: Teresa Solis v. Toyota Motor Sales America, Inc. et al..

The plaintiff is represented by Singleton Schreiber.