First Team Toyota

Reviews

• CS

  Chris Snead

  Jul 2, 2026
  2.0
  Had a 2:15pm oil change appointment. Showed up and checked in at 1:50pm. At 3:47pm I asked for a status update, and 10 minutes later I was told they were working on mine now. At 4:40pm my kids noticed there were no other customers waiting in any of the waiting areas, so we walked up front to find out what's going on and my vehicle was parked in the bay ready to go, but I hadn't received any notification about it. I asked if there were any problems with the vehicle and that was why it took 3 hours to change the oil and rotate the tires,and i was told they just had a lot of cars come in. Great...I had an appointment 2.5 hours earlier that I showed up to 25 minutes early...why was I the last one completed? Got in the vehicle and the radio volume was turned up, the paper mat they out in to protect your floor mats was still there but crumpled up and pushed aside and the inside of the car smelled bad. I normally go to First Team Honda and it is always 5 star service. I don't know if FT Toyota was having an off day or what, but the contrast between the two was astounding, and I don't plan to go back and find out.
• PT

  Paula Tumbaga

  Jul 1, 2026
  5.0
  Couldn’t be happier! Simply an amazing experience purchasing my vehicle from Michael Varnell at First Team Toyota. From the very beginning, Michael truly looked out for us, carefully explained the entire price sheet, and made sure he listened to all of my concerns without ever being pushy or pressing about what vehicle I should buy. I made sure to do my homework beforehand to find a car that would add genuine comfort to my family and me, and Michael ensured I knew absolutely everything about it before leaving the lot. He even took the time to show my wife what the pro pack was and how well the car would look with that dealership add-on. We didn’t have a level 2 charger before buying the electric vehicle but did check that our home electrical panel was able to handle the load; we ended up buying our charger from Amazon, it arrived promptly, and unless you happen to have a professional electrician friend, I highly recommend hiring a professional to install it rather than trying to handle the level 2 setup yourself. To top it all off, Nick the Manager and Sean the Sales Manager went out of their way to treat us just like family. If you want a straightforward, trustworthy, and personable buying experience, make sure you ask for Michael Varnell when you get there.
• KW

  kenny wilkins

  Jun 30, 2026
  5.0
  I had an outstanding experience at First Team Automotive. I originally came in looking for one truck, but thanks to this incredible team, I drove home in an even better one—a 2026 Toyota Tacoma SR5 4x4. A huge thank you to Eric, my salesman, for being honest, patient, knowledgeable on all my needs and never making me feel pressured. Chase, the manager, honored his word from start to finish and worked hard to make the deal happen. Nic was my main point of contact before I even walked in and was a man of his word which I truly appreciate! He coordinated everything, helped set up my trade-in and appraisal, and made the entire process seamless. I also felt they gave me a fair value for my trade-in, which I really appreciated. Carmen kept me updated throughout the appointment process and made scheduling easy. As a disabled veteran, I truly appreciated the respect and professionalism they showed me. They treated me fairly, valued my service, and made me feel like more than just another customer. If you’re looking for a dealership that stands behind its word, treats people right, and genuinely cares about its customers, I highly recommend First Team Automotive. Thank you all again—I absolutely love my new Tacoma!
• AS

  Ashley Dethlefs Shanks

  Jun 29, 2026
  1.0
  Buyer and customer beware. I scheduled a service appointment with First Team Toyota in Chesapeake last week and drove there from Newport News expecting my Virginia state inspection to be handled during that visit. When I pulled into the service bay, I waited almost five minutes before anyone even acknowledged me. Once I was finally assisted, I was told they do not schedule state inspections and that the wait would be 4–5 hours. Staff said this information was clearly posted in large red lettering on the website, but on the mobile page the actual state inspection notice is small and easy to miss. If state inspections are not handled by appointment, that should be made very clear during scheduling, or customers should be contacted before they make the drive. Better yet, give an error message to call service if you aren't going to allow appointments. (Your major competition does though!) I was also told that scheduling state inspections is against state law, but I have not found anything showing that to be accurate. What I did find indicates inspection stations may choose how they handle inspections. Either way, the bigger issue was the poor customer service. I did not appreciate the dismissive attitude, the smirking exchange between employees, calling out across the service desk area, or the way the situation was treated as though it was my fault. This is not my first poor service experience with First Team Toyota, and I regret buying my vehicle there. I will not be returning for future service and would not recommend them based on my experience.
• DS

  Darcy Staley

  Jun 20, 2026
  5.0
  🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 SALES TEAM: First-time new car buyer and very happy with my First Team experience. I completed Toyota's SmartPath (online car-buying option I highly recommend) and within minutes received a follow-up call from Sean. He confirmed my info and assigned Scott to work with me. Hannah also texted me to ensure I received the answers I needed. Very good tag-teaming. As we waited a few weeks for my car to arrive, Scott was an excellent advocate, answering questions -- even after hours -- and ensuring I would get what I requested. He showed me how to use different features from the app and the car itself, to start me off right. 🏎️ When I went to pick up my car and sign the financing paperwork, I was quickly greeted with a smile and a handshake by Timothy while still in the parking lot. He walked me indoors and made sure he handed me off to Derrick, who helped connect me with Scott. Randy introduced himself, as well, and I felt welcomed by everyone at the front desk. (Yes, they want to make a sale, but they did a VERY GOOD JOB showing me they were glad I'd picked First Team.) When I met with Ray for finalizing the financing and asked a million questions about the service package/s, he was very patient with his answers. He also provided a pamphlet so I could read and take it home and not have to try to absorb all the info by listening. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 TOYOTA PLUG-IN PRIUS: Still early days, but very happy with the responsiveness and feel of the car through the comfortable steering wheel. Surprisingly powerful torque gets me quickly up to speed on the highway commute. SofTex vegan leather looks and feels great and should be easy to clean. Interior cabin feels larger (wider) than it looks, though taller (6'+) drivers will need to lower the seat for comfort. Back seats have a lot of legroom for this style of car. View through the back window is laughably poor, though I like the added safety of having a good headrest for backseat passengers. Hatch is easily accessed with the hydraulic-assisted lift needing only fingertips to nudge open. Provided charging cable is long enough to reach from the 120V exterior house receptacle and clicking the connector in place is easy to manage one-handed. I'm looking forward to having a Level 2 charger installed soon. ????? SERVICE: TBD. I've read a lot of critical reviews of the First Team service. It's a distance from my home so not sure whether I'll be taking advantage of the Forever Services, or not. I'll update this review if-and-when I work with the Service Center.

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