--- title: "Dealer Techs Caught Abusing Customer’s Toyota GR Corolla, Revving Cold Engine" description: "Mechanics at a Boston Toyota dealer were caught revving a customer's GR Corolla with the engine cold, and practicing driving manual." date: "2024-08-31" modified: "2024-08-31" authors: - name: "James Gilboy" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/james-gilboy.md" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/dealer-techs-caught-abusing-customers-toyota-gr-corolla-revving-cold-engine" categories: - "Culture" - "News" - "News by Brand" - "Toyota News" tags: - "GR Corolla" - "Hatchback" - "sports car" - "Toyota" --- # Dealer Techs Caught Abusing Customer’s Toyota GR Corolla, Revving Cold Engine ![A Toyota dealer mechanic abuses a customer's GR Corolla]() *\LouisL44 on YouTube\* The [Toyota GR Corolla]() is a once-in-a-generation car that shouldn't be thrashed on by anyone but its owner. Perhaps doubly so, given how [Toyota]() has been handling its engine problems under [warranty](). About the worst thing any GR Corolla owner could imagine, then, is a dealer technician revving the bejeezus out of it on a cold start. Unfortunately, that seems to have just gone down at a Toyota dealer in Boston. The incident was captured on video by [LouisL44](), who uploaded the footage to their YouTube channel, and arrives to us by way of *[Motor1]()*. In the video's description, the owner says they took their newly purchased car to the dealer for its first service, where their dashcam caught a technician who couldn't operate a manual transmission mistreating their car. The technician can be seen repeatedly, violently stalling the car, and allegedly revved its engine while cold. All the while, a notification on the instrument panel warns against heavy acceleration—and by extension, any extreme treatment of the engine. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oq3dZyXfABU On a subsequent startup by another tech, they accelerated hard in first gear, reaching more than 5,000 rpm on a cold start. They then revved it before rapidly killing the ignition, which at least on some older cars was *very* bad for the turbo. The video, which was uploaded just two days ago, does not indicate whether the GR Corolla's owner has sought recourse from the [Toyota]() dealer for the treatment of their vehicle. *The Drive* reached out to the dealer but did not receive a response by the time of publication. In the grand scale of things, it seems unlikely these technicians will lose their job for these antics. Had they gone out and [cracked 100 mph]() ([more like 85]() in the GRolla's case), it might be another story. But good mechanics are hard to replace, so a slap on the wrist and a warranty extension might be all that happens here. If any discipline is handed down at all, that is. *Got a tip or question for the author? You can reach them here: james@thedrive.com* ## Author James is a former staff writer for The Drive. He has changed the conversation around electrification, debunked misinformation online, and become a prominent hunter of what he calls "automotive cryptids." ### Author social links [Instagram]() ## More - [Toyota Is Turning a GR86 Into a Celica GT-Four Homage With the GR Corolla’s Help]() - [2025 Toyota GR Corolla Auto vs. Manual Test: Still Good Without a Stick?]() - [Toyota GR Yaris Gets a New Factory Tune. Could the Same Happen for GR Corolla?]() - [2023 Toyota GR Corolla Engine’s Colossal Failure Is a $32,000 Bill You Don’t Want]() - [Here’s Why the Automatic GR Corolla Doesn’t Use a Dual-Clutch Transmission]() - [Stop Working and Start Playing With the 2023 Toyota GR Corolla Configurator]() - [2025 Toyota GR Corolla Starts at $40,000 Now—and the Auto Doesn’t Come Cheap]() - [Toyota GR Corolla Hot Hatch Will Have AWD, GR Yaris Engine, Manual, Widebody Look: Source]()