Toyota of Santa Barbara

Reviews

• KH

  Kelly Hall

  Sep 5, 2025
  1.0
  I made an appointment with Edgar Arroyo to test drive a particular vehicle. After driving for 1.6 hours to get there and arriving before my scheduled appointment I was informed by another salesman (although Edgar was sitting there) that the vehicle I was to test drive was sold the night before. Edgar confirmed my appointment the day of via email knowing he did not have the vehicle in inventory. I let the other salesman waste his time showing me a few "junk" vehicles before letting him know I would never purchase anything from them due to not being informed the vehicle I was to test drive was no longer in inventory. The salesman asked me to wait a minute which I did, and then came back to inform us his Manager wanted to fill our gas tank for the inconvenience. He wanted to drive my friends $60,000 dollar Mercedes to fill it up. Funny. We declined. If I could give them negative stars I would give them a -5 stars. Unprofessionalism at it's finest.
• VL

  Vanessa Lynn

  Aug 28, 2025
  1.0
  I had a great experience with Jackson during my test drive of two used cars. However, when I decided to purchase, I realized I wanted a new car. I went to the dealership and was assisted by Juan since Jackson wasn’t there. I test drove a Hybrid Rav4 and was ready to make a purchase. I wanted a vehicle that wasn’t in stock, but they could get the Hybrid Rav4 with the Softex interior and JBL sound system the next day. I sat in the office while they were working things out. After about 30 minutes, they returned with a ridiculous price, over $51K! They added an extended warranty for $3,995, lowballed my trade-in value by $1,100, and were trying to get me to finance my purchase, all of which would increase their profit. During my test drive, Juan informed me that this Rav4 was actually better than the Lexus Hybrid UX that I was considering in terms of performance and would cost me significantly less in repairs. However, when I researched this later, I discovered that in general the Lexus outperforms Toyota in terms of performance and reliability, and repairs average only $1,000 more annually. It’s shameful how they profiled me, since I was a woman. Additionally, my sister is a retired Toyota employee who was a part of the original team that launched the Lexus brand. I let the dealership know because I wanted the corporate discount. I was told that since the vehicle was limited in availability, they were not able to give me that discount. Now I’m getting numerous calls and text messages encouraging me to come in because they have new arrivals just like what I wanted. Sorry, but I’m not going to give them my business. I’ve been in sales for over 45 years and I would never treat a customer that way. Shame on Toyota of Santa Barbara!
• JC

  Justin Carrow

  Aug 23, 2025
  5.0
  Had a great experience at Toyota of Santa Barbara. Alex made the whole process simple and stress free. We inquired one day and picked up our new Sienna the next. He even put a big red bow on the car so we could get the perfect Instagram shot. Highly recommend Alex if you want a smooth buying experience.
• RT

  R T

  Aug 17, 2025
  4.0
  Toyota of Santa Barbara Coresponded to relay the Will to Send me New tire Valve covers Mailed to my Address, in response I update to a 4 star review....... due to the safety Hazard the wheel covers caused I cannot put 5 stars. It really hurts me to give poor ratings as I don't divulge into negativity but Toyota , Ford , Nissan and Suzuki are the vehicles I drive. Alex the service manager is great but the staff really rush and do not take heed to Quality in detail that Toyota is Built upon. My tire Valves where not put back on, the matinece light was on after service? , my hubcaps almost flew off on the freeway I had to pull over in a dangerous situation. It's very disheartening as I don't feel me or my vehicle are truly valued 😥 Toyota is a symbol of quality and partnership of USA and Japan After WW2 and on the 80th anniversary it gives me great mourning to leave a less then stellar review.
• JD

  Josh Damigo

  Aug 13, 2025
  2.0
  This has been the worst experience I’ve ever had with a vehicle purchase. I’m usually an easy win on reviews, but from the very start, this has been a nightmare. I told the sales team my budget — they upsold me (I get it, that’s the business). But anytime an issue came up, it felt like everyone scattered. I paid more than I planned because I wanted to support a local business. (I was working in SB) Unfortunately, it seems no good deed goes unpunished. I ended up with a used 2019 CH-R with 40k miles. Before I even made my first payment, the check engine light came on. I live 40 miles away, so I drove a few days before taking it in. The sales associate said they’d get me a loaner and fix it since it was clearly under warranty. But as I pulled into the lot — literally pulling in — the check engine light went off. The service advisor told me, “If the light’s not on, we can’t work on it.” I was surprised, but accepted it. He did say that if it happened again, I could take it to a Toyota dealer closer to me (Oxnard). The next day, the light came back on. After returning from a short vacation, I went to Oxnard Toyota. They told me I’d be charged just for them to look at it. I explained it should be covered under warranty, and I hadn’t even made my first payment. They said to call the selling dealer. I called the sales associate, and after a 25-minute wait, I was told they wouldn’t honor what their service advisor said. I’d have to bring it back to Santa Barbara. Oxnard Toyota was kind enough to help me immediately, but I also told the sales associate they needed to make sure their service advisor stopped telling people to take warranty work elsewhere. When I finally brought it to Santa Barbara, they again tried to charge me. I explained (again) that it was under warranty. They eventually agreed but didn’t provide a loaner — just a $25 Uber credit (I paid the difference). I was then helped by Andrei, who was professional and kind, but even he mistakenly told me I owed money for the repair. Again, I had to point out it was under warranty. The problem turned out to be the thermostat, which they replaced. For a month, everything seemed fine — until last Sunday. The car jolted, the check engine light came on, and the cruise control stopped working. I suspected the same thermostat issue. I took it to Camarillo Independent for a diagnostic, and sure enough, the computer pointed to the thermostat. I told them not to fix it so I could take it back to Santa Barbara under warranty. After another 60+ mile trip (each way), I left the car there. The next morning, the light was off again. Andrei called to say they couldn’t find anything because they couldn’t duplicate the problem. I told him I had photos from the other shop showing coolant splatter in the engine bay, but Toyota SB insisted their own techs must duplicate the issue. Now I’m being told to pick up my car (4th trip) and wait for the light to come on again so I can drive it back for a 5th time. I will be contacting a lawyer regarding Lemon Law. This has been beyond frustrating and a terrible way to treat someone who came in wanting to support local business. I will update this review if resolved, but as of now, I believe people need to know what they might be getting into. And I hate writing negative reviews. (Update +1 Star, Andrei called me and said that they found an old code and they cleared it to try to duplicate it again. His communication has been the silver lining for this raincloud.)