Manhattan Beach Toyota

Took my ’06 Corolla in for the air bag recall in April. When the service guy offered a free safety check I declined due to the extra time it would take. He said it wouldn’t take long so I agreed, even though most «free» safety checks are a fishing expedition for additional repairs.
He didn’t disappoint. He reported that the mechanic had discovered a leaking water pump, a cracked and worn belt, bad spark plugs, and other minor problems. They would be glad to take care of the repairs. First, I am a mechanic, and have checked the water pump, plugs, and the cracked belt and found all were ok. Two months later and everything is still ok. When a business generates bogus repairs in the name of greed, it demonstrates a lack of integrity in that business. Beware of «free safety checks».

I normally do not right reviews that focus on negative aspects of a business but my dealing today with Manhattan Beach Toyota needs to be documented so that others are prepared if they choose to enter their lot.
I had a brief and pleasant conversation with a sales person the night before, ⁶⁄₁₇. I let him know what Priuses I was interested in (2) a white 2014 and a black 2013. We decided I would come in after work the next day about 5pm. I ended work early and showed up at the dealer at 2:48pm approx. He handed me off to a freshly hired associate but before he did he asked me what I was hoping to accomplish today? I chuckled as the question is a bit odd, how could I have any expectation if I have not even seen the car…
The associate took me to the first Prius, the black one and then realized he did not have the keys, I am pretty easy going so I said, no worries I will wait for you. As a waited another associate dropped by and chatted me up. after about 30 min I said I am going inside to wait, yes 30 min! I proceeded to see the original regular associate, jr and I assume the Sr associate meet and disappear into the back. about 7 min later I approached the Sr associate who had returned and said «this is ridiculous», I asked him, «can I at least look at the other one the white one», I looked up the notes on my phone and proceeded to give him the listed price and mileage. Surprise he could not find it! after a fair amount of time of him trying to locate it in their system, I joked and said «you probably sold it», guess what??? NO JOKE «uhm yes sir looks like we sold it early this morning»
Need I say more? I simple call letting me know that one of the 2 had been sold and a little prep on getting ready a set of keys for the black one could have made a world of difference but this Dealer is not interested in you only your money. NOT even an apology, just a sheepish look and a «if you wait a moment we should have the keys of the other car».
I said «NO thank you, you have horrible customer service!» and left. Oh did I mention that I drove 27 miles in the other direction after work to see these 2 cars & waited over an hour for a set of keys!!!
Please save your time and Money and find a reputable Toyota dealer that has integrity and some ethics on how to run an honest business.
Buyer beware!!!
310−704−1335

I suggest you read this all the way through and call me @ 949−292−9601 if you have questions on authenticity or voracity.
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The last new car i purchased in the US was in 1997 (Jeep Wrangler) and I found the entire experience to be fraught with dishonesty and shenanigans. My latest car is one i purchased and shipped from Germany. I refuse to bring along a man just to get a fair deal. How sad is it that in the year 2016 — nothing has changed.
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Over memorial day weekend, I dropped into this dealership and was very clear about the fact that I just wanted to look at used inventory of a specific model. I indicated, I had financing in place through my credit union and I had no intention of buying today– I just wanted to check out inventory. When I failed to crumble under the queries of a novice salesperson they sent over someone else. I repeated my intentions. However, this salesman was very intentional and direct in stating that because of their family owned status and fantastic deals –I could do a lease to purchase at a .000xxxx rate which would make the purchase of a new version of the car a much better option financially.
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I told «them» to work up the numbers with an inclusion of my trade in (a 2010 BMW). I also told them I would not run my credit, I wanted to see the offer before running my credit (despite their claims: running your credit hurts your score) They (salesman and finance manager) were relentless in trying to pressure me into allowing them to run my credit. I refused — and BTW — this is their way to try and tie you into them. Always go with your own information. I pulled up my credit Karma report — showed them exactly what my credit score was, my car pay off, and my exact monthly income. Everything you need to determine my credit worthiness to buy a car.
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problem two: on trade in they first tried to persuade me that I had negative equity in my car. At the number they quoted it would mean that they were offering me $ 3,000 for my 2010 BMW X3 fully loaded @ 113K mileage. I have no delusions about what my car is worth — I had an exact work up. After closing down «the deal» at this point — they magically said they would give me 9K, Which is still far too low and just so happens to be my payoff amount. I let them carry on so I could see the numbers.
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When they finally cam back with number and surrounded me (single mom with small child) with finance manager, manager, salesperson I almost laughed. I am not the right person to play these games with. So, their «fantastic lease to offer» took a 31K car and made it 42K — if I were to pay cash for the residual value of 20K at the end of the three year lease. Follow: on this program you lease for three years and then either turn in the lease or you have option to purchase at set price — this was about 20K on this particular car. I would give you exact numbers but he snatched his paperwork back out of my hands saying I couldn’t keep it. i. e — they didn’t want me to image it here for you to see.
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So, for three years the fantastic offer by the family owned dealer was $ 610 a month with approximately $ 300 of that payment being an actual principle payment. The other $ 310 was the «usage money factor». LOL — otherwise known as an interest rate. By law, they are required to tell you what the INTEREST rate is. This was an OUTRAGEOUS interest rate trying to be disguised as some .0000xxx lease factor.
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I know they were surprised when I worked out the math on my iphone and called them out on their outrageous business practices.
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There is never an excuse to rip off your customers. If you want to charge a usurious rate then an honest business would clearly state the numbers and not try to hide them. Then, a customer should make a decision if this is the option best for them.
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In summary: don’t let any car dealership run your credit until you are ready to do the deal. Credit Karma is free — run yours before you go. Have your KBB print off for your car, and pay stubs. If they wont give you a purchase price without running your credit — walk away. Your credit score should have nothing to do with the purchase price! Do the math and understand what you are doing. And, in my opinion — this dealership had very poor new inventory options — go to a bigger dealer and one that is more transparency and a culture of ethics. Both parties in a good business transaction get value for their money and effort. I don’t deny their need to make a profit but trying to rip me off to get excess is unacceptable.

Really great experience at MB Toyota. The salesman Arron made the process simple, found me what I wanted, at a great price, and stayed in contact with me throughout the process. Finance manager Eric was great also. Easy to deal with and explained the options. Very pleasurable experience

A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.
John C. Maxwell
Luckily for Manhattan Beach Toyota, that’s exactly who their new service manager, Shannon Eckel, is.
After having my Prius fixed by my trusted body shop, Romaina Autobody, following a car accident, suddenly the huge red Triangle of Death appeared on my dashboard. OK, maybe that’s not exactly the technical term, but this triangle signifies that there is some major failure with the onboard systems and you probably shouldn’t drive the car. This was out of my bodyshop’s sphere of expertise and my regular mechanic couldn’t figure out what was causing it either. In the past, I had a less than stellar experience with Manhattan Beach Toyota and its service manager, yet it seemed like a logical place to take my car to now for a workup, especially knowing that there was a new service manager there.
I went straight to this new manager, Shannon, described my last unfortunate interaction with his predecessor and asked for his personal help to figure out my problem.
What a difference a great leader makes. Not only did he reassure me that they will do everything to try and solve my problem, Shannon was friendly, patient and accommodating. I was even given a free rental, so I could get back to work. Shannon’s lighthearted sense of humor was an extra bonus. Sally, a service rep, was professional, friendly, provided me with her email and cell number so we could communicate easily — I was quite impressed.
My Triangle of Death, which would come and go, mainly on the freeway, stumped even their main mechanic. They couldn’t replicate it in the shop, so the car was returned to me twice but the problem popped up again, as soon as I would get back on the freeway. Toyota persevered. Eventually, Shannon-​himself, took my car, hooked it to a portable computer, and drove it on the freeway. That’s customer service! My problem was solved, fixed and now it’s been two weeks, and the Triangle of Death seems to be gone for good. I love drama in the theater but not in my car. Thanks, Manhattan Beach Toyota, for choosing a great service manager. In the words of Arnold Schwarzenegger — I’ll be back!

The sales department took great care of me. I had been trying to get out of my honda lease and been wanting to buy the new ’16 highlander. Mario, my sales rep, got me a fantastic deal. I finally got the car I wanted and super ecstatic to service my car in the new facility. Thanks again!

Manhattan Beach Toyota is a world-​class dealership! I have been coming here from since 2005 and leased 5 Toyotas for a fair price. Taron in Parts provides excellent customer service for me each time. Brad is a great manager and has helped me along the way! I highly recommend Manhattan Beach Toyota!

This is will be our second car in past 3 months at the dealership. We were fortunate to be able to have the same sales person and the floor manager to assist us. Aldo Ginossi and Jonathan Sipin, our rock stars of the day, did some magic work and ensured we left with our second car. They were straight forward and will only promise what they can offer. No hidden agenda. We are extremely happy with our deal. We would recommend anyone to stop in and talk to them prior leasing our buying a car.

I visited there last week with my fiancé and we both had a very pleasant experience with their customer service. Masoud Younes and Aldo Coach helped us when we told them that we were interested in purchasing 2016 Corolla. They were both very knowledgeable and patient with their customer service. We ended up purchasing the car that day since they gave us the best deal we could have and we both do not regret this decision! When you go, find one of these two guys and they will help you find your dream car.

Not many people enjoy the car buying experience, even less when it is forced on them. Our trusty 2005 Corolla S (318,000 miles) broke down on the 405 in Inglewood, on our way home to Chula Vista from LA. GEICO towed it to Manhattan Beach Toyota as it was the closest. As it was already 9pm on a Sunday evening, we rented a car and headed home, prepared to collect our thoughts and decide what to do after getting home. While checking out MBT’s website, I noticed a 2015 Venza with 4,400 miles in their CPO program. I had always liked the Venza, and we wanted something with more room and comfort. The price as listed was more than fair, so we basically made the deal over the phone, they sent us the papers and we traveled back there on Sunday to finalize the Venza deal and retrieve our Corolla. The sales staff, particularly Frank Murillo and Nate Yamasaki, were extremely professional and treated us fairly. The service department, especially Jaime, was very helpful regarding our Corolla. We were in and out of there quickly, with no hassle. Frank even helped me get the Corolla up on a tow dolly! I would not hesitate to recommend MBT, I only wish they were closer so I could send people there without the drive, lol. The CPO program is a great way to buy a car and not take the depreciation hit, and comes with it’s own benefits.
P. S. The Corolla is still running and still in the family, it is now my niece’s first car.

This is the first time I took my car to this dealership for a routine maintenance.
According to the maintenance schedule in the manual, I only needed a minor maintenance at my mileage point, which consists of a simple oil change.
When I walked in as a lone female asking for my oil change, the service writer guy a.k.a. salesman, «pulled up my records» and told me I’m due for a major service.
LOL.
I think the only thing that was due for a major maintenance was his wallet.
Just be careful if you take your car to this dealership. I’m going to try to find an honest and reputable Toyota specialist and get my maintenance done there from now on.

Great experience! Ken H. and Eric are great people! They helped me from beginning to end to get my certified Prius. And not only that, they gave me an amZing deal. I enjoyed the entire process, 0 complains. I really recommend this place and these amazing guys.
Edgar H.

I came to this dealership after being told that they would beat a price I was quoted at another dealership. There was a little bump in the road on the way to a mutual agreement, but the dealership was very quick to fix the problem.
Dilver, our sales associate, was very kind and did his best to ensure that we were completely satisfied with the entire process. Look for him if you want to get a car. He knows how to treat people. He also gave us free Manhattan Beach Toyota caps!
Side note: The car we purchased is great!

This review is for both the repair and dealer departments.
I brought my Prius in for service on Saturday afternoon. I didn’t have an appointment, but called an hour before hand and they said no problem. Dropped it off at 2 and it was done like an hour later! The shop is in a great location where you can walk to many shops and restaurants while you wait. Sally was a great help and I will definitely be coming back here.
Also just ordered a new Tacoma from this location after going to DCH Torrance and Carson Toyota. Both of the other dealerships added on dealer mark ups almost up to $ 5,000! Manhattan was easy to work with and I got it at a fair price without a markup. Wish I had just gone here first!

I was helping my in-​laws track down a new vehicle last week and we ended up at MB Toyota. WOW! What an awesome experience. Our sales woman, Michelle, was actually knowledgeable about the vehicle in question, very patient, and never once did she try and up-​sell us. The finance manager, Bob Barham, was equally friendly and patient, and did a wonderful job of explaining the terms of the deal to my in-​laws.
MB Toyota is about to open a brand new showroom, and you can tell that the Sperber family legacy will continue in a new, updated facility, led by Mr. Brad Sperber.
Mr. Sperber, keep employing the best people… they’re doing a great job!

I had a great experience at Manhattan Beach Toyota. I highly recommend working with Charley Hernandez. He was extremely helpful and very knowledgeable about all the cars on the lot. I really wanted a 4Runner with very specific specs and he tracked down the exact car I wanted in a very timely matter. I LOVE my new car and really appreciate that Charley took the time to find exactly what I wanted. He called me and gave me updates on when he was getting in new 4runners and once the car I wanted was on the lot he contacted me right away to book an appointment. He was very personable and easy to work with.
Everyone that I talked to was very helpful at this dealership and I would definitely recommend it to friends and family. Great experience!

This review is our experience in Parts Department. I can’t believe I forgot the gentleman’s name that helped us, he seemed like he was seasoned & very knowledgeable, damn I’ll have to find out or look at our receipt. Again, he was truly helpful and professional.
Anyhow, we’ve been having problems trying to get our old Camry to pass the Smog test. My husband found out there was a part that needed to be replaced (I don’t know or remember the name of it or even begin to describe it) but anyhow we walked in and waited for him to help us. He was very helpful and ordered the part for us, which came in quickly.
Definitely be back when we need more parts (it’s an old ass Camry, take care of it, it will take care of you) so needless to say, don’t go anywhere else for your Toyota parts unless it’s here.

I love the service department here! 9 times out of 10, I don’t have an appointment, but they always fit me in (as long as it’s not too late for the workers to finish the job). Given, the fact that they’re very busy, they seem to almost always allow me to get the service I request, and they bring it back in pristine condition. I also have a service dog with me, and none of the employees ever hassle me or bother her. I can’t say enough about how awesome these people are, especially Jaime. It seems like he’s there every time I come in for service, and every time, he’s professional, kind, and quick.
The only thing… I can’t wait until renovations are done… That trailer is uncomfortable!

I still would never buy a car here as the sales tactics have not changed since my last review.
The service department is very disappointing. The service people are slow and you car is never ready whey they promise it will be.
Prices are high for all services compared to the outside even with a coupon.
You can get an oil change at Jiffy Lube in 15 minutes and 3 hours at this place.
Unless you are covered under warranty you should try the huge number of other repair places nearby like Pep Boys, Firestone, or Globe tires.
Higher prices and slower service are the norm here.

Service is bad here. They have trouble listening. I called prior to dropping my car off with a flat tire. I specifically stated in the call that I wanted to see if the replacement tire was available so that the transition could be as quick as possible. The person I spoke with said they had the tire and they would be expecting me. I get there and no one knows that I had made the appointment. I had already given the VIN number and tire number to the person I spoke to to expedite faster. When I got to the dealership, I said I wanted a new tire because the damage on the old one could not be repaired. I was then told it would take an hour and half. I said fine, I will wait. THEN, 45 minutes later, the technician comes in to inform me that the «tire cannot be repaired, and will have to be replaced.» No kidding, I already said that. So now, I am waiting for longer than I need to.
Oh, and the tv in the service center waiting room is above the chairs you sit in. So you can’t see the tv. Ridiculous.
They «washed» my car. Meaning, they hosed it down. Why even bother?