Great, but not so cool, Toyota Warranty Claims Expert
Toyota announced 2023 Toyota GR Corolla at a track in Park City, Utah last week. The brand has repeatedly praised the hot hatch as a toy for the track, and I’m sure many will appreciate it on race days. But if the engine starts, is it still under warranty?
Kristen Lee is more amazing at the Driver asked this question about Toyota and I’ve been thinking about the answer ever since:
When I asked if the GR Corolla’s warranty covers tracking dates, a Toyota spokesperson did not answer outright yes or no, but instead said that the company “covers driving with responsibility on follow-up days.” They’ve elaborated to say it’s not about voiding the warranty, but “about personal liability.”
For context, the GR Corolla’s warranty seems like a pretty standard one. That’s a basic three-year or 36,000-mile new-vehicle policy that “applies to all components other than normal wear and tear and maintenance categories,” according to the press release. There’s also a 5-year, 60,000-mile warranty on the powertrain “and unlimited mileage.” Unlike Toyota GR86, nowhere in GR Corolla’s press material does Toyota offer a one-year membership to the National Automobile Sports Association, which includes a free, coached track day. Anyway, not yet.
Lee was concerned because Toyota initially rejected a GR86 Owner’s Warranty Repair Claims after the dealer service manager reported the abuse of a sports car driver based on owner’s social media company page. Toyota later approved the repair after the story went viral and sparked an outcry from enthusiasts.
The Driver The post indicates that Toyota’s warranty response could mean that, despite seemingly encouraging owners to take their cars to the track, the company will review warranty claims on a case-by-case basis. .
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Who would be qualified to do such a job? It would take an uncanny knack for recognizing the difference between a good ol’ time and being an ass on a track. You’d have to know the car of course, and engines, but more importantly, you’d need to also be a great judge of what counts as having fun and what counts as being an ass.
It’s a very specific sweet spot. To that end, I’ve worked up some additional requirements Toyota should consider when looking for the right judge of track day character:
- Willing to deny warranty coverage for anyone with Hoosiers as a preexisting condition.
- Has never uttered the words”winning the track day” or “track day, bro!”
- No use of the word “bro” unless referring to a familial relation. “Hell yeah, brothers” are acceptable.
- “Send its!” shouted at between 70 and 90 decibels.
- Understands passive aggressively driving vs. aggressively passive driving
- Maintains a strict no-overtaking-in-corners policy
- Has never paid more than $100 for a hair cut
- Tells no one unprompted how much they paid for their car/aftermarket parts
- Must present sunglasses at interview for inspection