This nurse’s dream car was lost… until Toyota stepped in
Published on Feb 23, 2022 at 3:54 PM (UTC+4)
by Danny Korecki
Last updated on Mar 25, 2022 at 9:41 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
A Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro is a rare vehicle as is, but every model year brings an exclusive, often sought-after color.
That exclusive color is exactly what Nurse Melissa Nagy-Deak of Pennsylvania had her heart set on.
“It had to be Lunar Rock,” Nagy-Deak said.
Lunar Rock was the exclusive color for the 2021 model year of the 4Runner TRD Pro. If you didn’t buy a TRD Pro in 2021, you are not getting Lunar Rock.
She spent the last two years on the front lines dealing with the COVID pandemic, so she decided it was time to treat herself to her dream truck.
Dealer inventories across the country were low and for Nagy-Deak to get her dream 4Runner she had to hop on a plane to Carroll, Iowa more than 1000 miles from her home.
It was a big trip – especially because she had to drive it all the way back home – but it was one she was more than willing to make.
After enjoying the car for just four weeks, the unthinkable happened when returning home from a late-night shift. The Lunar Rock 4Runner TRD Pro was rear-ended.
Nagy-Deak was devastated.
She tried to reach out to her Toyota dealer to find a replacement, but the color was no longer being produced.
Lunar Rock TRD Pro production had stopped back in July of 2021 and 2022’s exclusive color had shifted to Lime Rush.
Fortunately, the Toyota dealer knew Nagy-Deak’s situation and did everything they could to help.
They began coordinating with the district manager and the Central Atlantic Toyota Region.
The market representation manager pulled an internal report which showcased every vehicle in the company inventory.
What they found was the exact spec of Nagy-Deak’s 4Runner being used as a press vehicle in the Atlanta area.
The car was released from its press fleet duties for Nagy-Deak to purchase.
“It was worth the wait,” Nagy-Deak said.
“And I’ll always be grateful to everyone who played a part to make this happen. I’m just blown away by how thoughtful everyone has been throughout this process.
“It’s incredible and it’s why I’ll be a Toyota customer for life.”
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Danny Korecki is an author specializing in new vehicles, car culture, and racing. Danny had a short stint in the video game industry and worked for a Fortune 500 financial company as an analyst, but his true passion is cars. You can find Danny’s work featured in CNBC, MSN, Autotrader, Super Street Magazine, TREAD Magazine, DriveTribe, The Drive, Right Foot Down, and Jalopnik. He can be found dailying a BMW E92 M3.
