intense34

So we bought a new ES350 last year and had the dealership include the third and fourth service...

My wife took the vehicle for the first service and a day later I get a call from the service manager stating they had a "little" incident when the car was being reversed out of the car wash area, apparently a cart hit the rear bumper and it was a small scratch and was told they would take care of it...I asked him to send clear pictures of the damage and upon receiving it, it wasn't a small scratch but rather big as the "scratch" went the entire height of the rear bumper and had to have been a strong hit cause the top side of the bumper was scratched as well...

I made my concerns be heard how it wasn't "small" and it would need to be replaced...The manager agreed and said a new bumper will be ordered and painted...A few days later, my wife goes to pickup the car and she sees the color, white, is not the same as the front bumper...We know the paint color between the bumpers and the body will have a slight different in hue cause of the material however in this case, it was now 3 different hues...So they tried to convince my wife it was the same and its because of the sunlight and the angle she was looking at it...I told her to come home and have me look at it, mind you I look at color as a profession for 15 years...Looked at the car in the shade and different hue as my wife had mentioned to them...

I called the manager and told him the issue and even spoke with the individual who painted the bumper and he did agree with me that it is not the same as the front bumper...After some back and forth with the service manager, I had them take the bumper off another vehicle from the lot and put it onto ours, so now its the same as it was when the car was dropped off for the first service...

I took the vehicle to a different dealership for the second service...Now that the third and fourth services are with the dealership the car was purchased from, I emailed and called them to see if they would transfer those services to the dealership of my choosing citing all my concerns with them and how they misled us and tried to get one over us with the bumper being hit and then the color...Never got a phone call back or a reply to the emails I sent...

Filed a complaint with corporate to have them get involved...Received a call a few days after filing the complaint and spoke with the rep about the issues we went through and how we wanted to take the services elsewhere as a result...She said she'd contact the dealership and see what they'll do...

A few more days go by and I get a call from the corp rep and states there is nothing she can do as the dealership are individually owned and corp can't tell them what to do...She did state that the dealership can pay for those services to get them at a different place of our choosing but they refused to do so, of course...

So now my options are to take it to them for the third and fourth services or elsewhere and pay for it...

Has anyone gone thru something similar or know what other options we have?

Sorry for the long story but would rather give the back story first...

Thanks in advance...

RXSF

I probably wouldn't go back to the same dealership, not because of fear of more damage, but because they will remember all the "trouble" you put them through, regardless of whose fault it was and may not do their best work. I was surprised that they agreed to place a bumper cover of another vehicle (new? or one from their loaner fleet?) and put onto yours. At this point, I wouldn't trust them with my vehicle, and if the other dealership is not too far of a trek, I would go to them. To be honest, the 15,000 mile service can be skipped completely. It is a tire rotation and a bunch of visual inspections, I believe the cost being around $180. The 20K service is just another oil change, I think it runs aprox $230. Service coupons are out there as well. If you plan on doing both services anyways, the total is less than $500 and that is low enough in the grand scheme of things for peace of mind.

As an aside, something like this happened to me with my 2nd gen RX. Ii was there for oil change service and brake pad replacement/rotor resurface. Got a call that my car hit another car as it backing out of a spot. They fixed everything up and also comped the entire service, which would have been close to $1000

intense34

My thoughts are the same as yours RXSF, don't think I'll take it to the same dealership for peace of mind...

I'm not sure if they took it off a loaner car or brand new vehicle but it looked new with no issue, so was happy after the fact...

Just surprised at how limited power corp has to appease the customer considering the dealerships shadiness...

mmarshall

Was it conventional pure white paint (known as Refrigerator or Appliance-White) or the commonly-used Pearl/Oyster White with the nice but less-shiny textured-effect to it? And just how much off was the shade of white on the bumper from the rest of the car? If it was very close, I wouldn't have worried about it, since, on many vehicles, because of somewhat different painting processes, the paint on soft vinyl and plastic surfaces like bumper-covers, side mirrors, etc.....doesn't always exactly match the paint used on body sheet-metal panels. Even when it does match exactly, it tends to fade and discolor more quickly on the soft vinyl and plastic surfaces quicker, because the paint itself is often softer...it has to be able to flex with the vinyl and soft materials without cracking. So, even if you had a perfect match now, it won't (necessarily) be a perfect one in a couple of years. Using a good scratch-remover or mild-abrasive cleaner (I recommend SCRATCH OUT) will help prevent the fading by removing any microscopicly-thin layers of faded paint, and exposing the still-bright paint beneath it.

intense34

If you're referring to the exterior of my color, it's starfire pearl...I'm unsure as to what the color they used to paint the bumper but it surely wasn't the same as the front bumper especially if my wife can tell the difference right away...

The vehicle isn't that old for it to start fading but I do understand the issue when they do age and I'll consider your suggestion when they do start to fade...

Considering the vehicle was left in good faith with the dealership and pretty much in the condition it was when it was purchased, I expect it to be returned in the same condition and not have 3 shades of the exterior color...And for them to try and convince us that it is the same and its the angle being viewed, come on...When I called them out on the BS, they knew they weren't going to get away with it and when I stated what I did, only then did they agree...

mmarshall

Yes....that's what Lexus calls its version of the classic Oyster Pearl white with the grainy pattern.

Well then, I hope the issue is resolved to your satisfaction. Good Luck.

FastTags

Sorry to hear your sad story, but the dealer did take care of your problem as you wished even though they didnt have to replace the bumper, usually paint job. The additional service wheather you paid or not is thru the dealer you purchased your which means you have to go to them for free service. The additional service cost money, so they either charged you or gave you a deal which only good at thier dealership.

intense34

So I guess you would've accepted your vehicle in a different color hue, 3 in this matter, and been okay with it even though it wasn't that way when you dropped it off...

intense34

Well then thanks....

FastTags

No. I never said that. I would demand it to be as it was before, what i am trying really hard to say is that the dealer did good by you at then end, so if you want to het free service you have to go there, and I would. I have dealt with dealers far worse, who would not tru to fix their mistakes and those dealers i would avoid.

intense34

True they did in the end but just didn't appreciate nor expect them to try and convince us that there is no difference with regards to the color...

You hear unpleasant stories about dealerships and don't think it would happen to you but it eventually does...

Just wanted to see if I had exhausted all avenues for the third and fourth services and guess I don't have much of a choice to either take it to them or not...

Thanks to all who've chimed in...

FastTags

I've had my share of bad service, I don't think yours was that bad. Yes they painted the bumper which was expected, they did a poor job, so they got you a new bumper.

I had it when the Honda body shop painted very well, but they did not buff any other parts other than what is painted,They just did not want to buff the whole car. There were lots of overspray, so the buff was necessary!!! They left a huge gap b/n the q. panel and the bumper and tried to tell me that it is Okey, allowed 2mm by the Honda. I had to go back 4 times (40 minutes drive), for them to do it right, argue with 2 different managers, and other employees.


Oh yeah, when I came to pick up the car for the 3rd time, it was dirty and covered in pollen, I couldn't even tell if they fixed what they promised to fix. I told them I cant see anything, they said "well, we washed the car in the morning , its not our fault it dirty now, its GOD fault go pick a bone with him"

So, yes IMO Lexus did a bang up job to take care of you, unlike Honda did to me.

chikoo

#1. They took care of you when you raised a concern.
#2. You still went to another dealership
#3. What is "purchasing 3rd & 4th service" ? It must be a local dealer offer, and I am sure Lexus cannot help you with that. Lexus does not sell any services that I am aware of. But then it has been a while I have purchased a new Lexus.

tex2670

Two services is what--2 oil changes and 2 tire rotations? Corporate is right--those are services that the individual dealership agreed to give you. They aren't from corporate and they aren't transferrable. I think the likelihood that the dealership will reimburse you so that you can take your car elsewhere and never come back is extremely low.

You may look at it from a different angle--given this dealer's screw up, what are the chances that they would do something again? In other words, would they be sure to treat your car with the utmost care to win back your confidence? If you were willing to give them another chance, I think your best bet is to ask the dealer to comp services 5 and 6, and then you will consider giving them another chance. If not, then you would have to pay out of pocket for services 3 and 4, which really isn't that much $$ anyway.

tex2670

Ha ha--"bang up job". I get it.