VADriver

Hey everybody,


I took my 2013 Certified Pre-owned GS 350, bought in July of 2015 in to have a couple of minor interior issues looked at, which were wrong upon purchase, but discovered later.


Those were resolved, and I was smacked with a $2,600 estimate for "additional maintenance work needed."


It had 27K when I bought it, I've got 32K now, so I've barely put 5K miles on this car, very gently driven.


I'm being told.


- I will need all 4 tires replaced very soon
- I will need all brakes replaced very soon, and resurfacing of rotors.
- Replacement of differential fluid is recommended immediately


Now, I'm not debating that a car needs maintenance. That's a given. I'm not trying to get out of that.


But how in the world can a car be worn down to such a maintenance condition when I've only put 5K miles on it after buying it certified pre-owned??!


My impression is that it should have been in that peak condition upon sale. I bought it out of the showroom, and was later told that their sales manager drove it for a while. I've heard that sometimes cars that are put in showrooms have been dogged/driven abusively.


I've got a feeling that someone really wore this car down before it was put up for sale.


- The VA dealer is actually charging me for an interior trim piece that was missing (the little felt lining that's on the bottom of your interior passenger door handle.) It was missing when I bought it, but only discovered it a month ago.


This car already failed VA inspection when I brought it to my home state to register, because of broken rear license plate lights. The MD dealer had to fix it.


You have to remove that little felt surface to get access to the screw to take the door apart, which makes me wonder what else was wrong with this car that I didn't know about...?...


I bought it at a Maryland dealer because of a pre-arrangement with my bank for financing, but a Virginia dealer is more convenient. The VA dealer told me, "You'd have to take it up with the MD dealer"


I'm really irritated by this level of service, and don't feel it's up to the Lexus name (one of the main reasons I chose Lexus).


It's like asking a waitress something and she says "I'm sorry this isn't my station."


I had never heard of changing differential fluid. I asked the service advisor about this, and she said, "Yes sir, that has to be checked to see if it's dirty and then replaced every 30K miles."


I asked, "You mean to tell me that this fluid needs to be replaced more frequently than the tires??!!"


"Yes sir" she said.


I thought the differential is a "closed loop", like the coolant system or transmission (why some cars, including mine have extremely long life or "lifetime" transmission fluid).


Why have to replace this so frequently?


Have any of you seen such outrageous maintenance estimates on a certified pre-owned Lexus, with such low miles and having been driven so little?


I don't feel I should have to be shelling out so much in maintenance so soon (that's why I got rid of my BMW).


I've put in a formal complaint with Lexus Corporate regarding this, that adequate work was clearly not done to get it to the condition for sale.


This is already seen in missing interior pieces and its failure of the VA inspection.


Is this what I should come to expect going forward from Lexus? What kind of outcome do you think I should look forward to receiving from them?


Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.


Rob

Dallasguy1

For 5000 miles I'm sure everything was beaten up already and you need to talk to the manager or the director if they don't respond well talk to Lexus USA. The items you are talking about are not covered under warranty them being wear and tear item, I got my car two weeks ago and I'm waiting for delivery of the tires and I'm sure brakes might be due soon, even though I bought it from the Lexus dealer but the deal was As-Is deal so I cannot complain about it . Rest of the car is top notch nothing broken or missing.

spoogenet

The little felt pieces from the door pockets are commonly missing pieces, many people didn't realize they're even there! They get sucked up by powerful vacuums at car washes & detailers. They are cheap & easy to replace, search the forum for the part numbers.

The differential oil is scheduled to be checked every 15k miles but the Lexus maintenance schedule does not specify a change interval.

While I hear your dissatisfaction, it may have more to do with the dealer(s) than the car. I recommend a 2nd opinion from a non-affiliated dealer or service shop.

There are specific requirements for the brakes & tires to be L-certified. From what you've described, it sounds possibly they either cheated on that or the brakes/tires were near the acceptable limit and they've worn a bit fast for you.

xRYD3Rx

From my understanding and from my 2010 Lexus Gs 350 certified pre owned purchase I know thats there should have been a 160-170 point inspection of the car and tires/brakes will be all changed before being sold. I know thats how it is at the dealer i get my cars from. But i think thats how all the certified pre owned cars should be thats why there are called "certified".

JDR76

When I traded in my IS for my GS, the dealer put my IS on the lot as a CPO. They did not change the tires or the brakes. They don't have to have new tires/brakes, they just have to meet certain minimums. It was a point of negotiation with my trade - I was able to get a bit more because they did not have to buy tires and brakes for it. My tires just barely met the minimum.

patgilm

What dealer in MD did you buy it from so I know to stay away from them?

AJLex19

When I worked out a deal with my dealership, I realized that because of the great price I got on the car, there were a few areas that were not up to par.

-My rotors were very rusted (when I complained, tech said they were in spec).
-My tires had 5/32nd tread left (barely the minimum required for certification before needing to be changed)
-Grinding noise when coasting (lexus tech unable to reproduce)
-A leather peeling/cracking problem on the drivers seat (addressed under warranty)

Overall, the idea is that you need to be very keen on the details to ensure this is the car you want to pursue. When my dad got his '11 GS from the SAME dealership, it had not a single issue and anything that came up was fixed under warranty no questions asked.

Anyway, I got my car up to par to my own standards - I don't care what the dealer thinks is "in spec" or "certified" because that is open to interpretation as one dealer's car might be spotless while another's is just barely worthy of certification.

The bottom line is that you shouldn't expect too much of a headache from the GS - its a well built car. Sometimes doing things outside the dealership at reputable places is a good bet (tirerack has some great prices on tires BTW) and there are some great local shops that you can find that will help you bring the car up to your standards.

As far as the differential fluid, thats news to me that it would need changing at 32k miles, but get a second opinion if you have a reputable mechanic that you can rely on.

Sometimes service is a little "iffy" at some dealerships, and stellar is another...never hurts to hear what another Lexus dealership might tell you. It can be frustrating sometimes dealing with service departments...thats when its time to switch to a local shop, DIY or another Lexus Dealer's service dept.

islandbeef

They don't call them "stealerships" for nothing. As the others have said on this thread, go to a trusted independent mechanic nearby and get a second opinion. Getting maintenance work done outside of the dealership will not affect the warranty, you'll be okay.

SC300Es

Definitely get it checked out by an independent or another dealership. Long time ago when my wife took her Honda Accord for a state inspection the SA told her she needed new rear drum brakes. I checked it myself and didn't replace them. That was more than five years ago.

They scare you into paying for unnecessary work. Don't fall for it.

Has anyone had ALL their brakes go bad at the same time? Isn't it usually front or back?

Ed

DallasDave

iTrader: (1)

+1 for SC300Es. Most Dealerships make the majority of their profit from their service departments...not new/pre-owned car sales. It's probably a scare tactic.


Find a place you are comfortable with, that's not the Dealer. I have a local NTB (good guys, they are sharp and eager to have you come out to the bay and review their findings) and a local "oil change" place about two miles away.


I use these places for routine maintenance and am very happy with them.


A differential change cannot be more than $150. While you are there, have them review the tires/brakes WITH you.


Don't be a victim and give in to the Dealership "just because they said so." $2,600 is CRAZY HIGH for the work they specified.

rld14

You may have very well met an overzealous service advisor. ESPECIALLY as the car was just bought from what's probably a competing dealership.

CPO standards are 5/32" of tread on the tires and 6mm on the brake pads. If the car met those standards the brakes and tires should still be OK 5K miles later unless you drive like my mother.

Feel free to PM me the VIN and I will see if there are any service notes from when the car was certified.

Bill

islandbeef

"Upselling" via scare tactics is the norm at certain dealerships. They're making money off you. Yes, certain things need to be fixed but not "right now" and certainly NOT at "that price". Shop around, be vigilant, don't give in right away and don't let fear dictate how wide you should open your wallet.

I learned the hard way during my early Land Rover/BMW ownership days.

rjm

I would RUN, not walk away from that dealership. Sounds like they are trying to rip you off.

"Replacement of differential fluid is recommended immediately"

At 32,000 miles.........I don't think so.

richard203

iTrader: (1)

if u brought ur car cpo ur car should be using all brand new part put in it, if its a used car than that's a different story. cpo car need to have perfectly new or almost new parts.

eternalkp

my friend brought her 2013 gs 350 awd to sears goodyear to replace her tires, the MICHELIN PRIMACY MXM4. Sears charges $1,150 (plus $70 rebate and $100 sear store credit) while Lexus dealer quotes her for $1,276.