Dealer Wants to Change Transmission Fluid!
09-07-11, 04:20 PM
#16
That is it. Notice what is not there, no promise of corporate review for example or going to the dealership's owners, no interest in promoting practices that are more ethical. In effect, where profit is involved criminal is out, but sharp dealing, misleading offers and poor ethics is in.
I understand that dealers want a maximum return from service and repair work. I also understand that what Lexus of Concord is doing is may not be a criminal or civil wrong. Nevertheless, it is at the very best a poor and deliberately misleading practice.
If my local library can winkle out the name of the name and address of a top manager in the Lexus division, I will send them a snail mail and copy of the schedule. Sometimes going high helps but I will not hold my breath.
Would I buy another Lexus? I do not know. I have owned a number of different marks over the years VW, Porsche, Buick, Pontiac, Nissan, Acura, and Lexus and had repair work done by many dealers and independents in four states. I have seen all levels of sales and service from the exceptionally good to the horribly negligent. Perhaps the dealers who serviced our Maximas were the worst. In the end though Nissan made it right, and sent me a hefty rebate on my second Maxima.
In this case the remedy is not money it is for Lexus of Concord to change the service schedule to remove the services never/not performed, and to clearly distinguish the factory items from the dealer extras, much as they do on the new car price stickers. If the items are optional at extra cost or at no cost, they should clearly say so.
I think that Lexus is a good car line, but not all dealers are as good. I would have recommended Lexus of Concord, but for this little chisel. If they change it I will recommend them. If not then I suggest Lexus of Anywhere else or an independent for service. New car sales yes, parts yes, but not service.
I say that even though with the loaner and the gas fillup the net cost of the service was near zero. But if I hadn't been alert the cost would have been >$300.
Because they are so close to home I might continue to take the car their for warranty and some scheduled maintenance, but I look up the factory schedule before hand.
I thank everyone who posted because I now much more about Lexus transmission fluid service.
If corporate Lexus or the dealership owners get back to me, I will post their response.
I understand that dealers want a maximum return from service and repair work. I also understand that what Lexus of Concord is doing is may not be a criminal or civil wrong. Nevertheless, it is at the very best a poor and deliberately misleading practice.
If my local library can winkle out the name of the name and address of a top manager in the Lexus division, I will send them a snail mail and copy of the schedule. Sometimes going high helps but I will not hold my breath.
Would I buy another Lexus? I do not know. I have owned a number of different marks over the years VW, Porsche, Buick, Pontiac, Nissan, Acura, and Lexus and had repair work done by many dealers and independents in four states. I have seen all levels of sales and service from the exceptionally good to the horribly negligent. Perhaps the dealers who serviced our Maximas were the worst. In the end though Nissan made it right, and sent me a hefty rebate on my second Maxima.
In this case the remedy is not money it is for Lexus of Concord to change the service schedule to remove the services never/not performed, and to clearly distinguish the factory items from the dealer extras, much as they do on the new car price stickers. If the items are optional at extra cost or at no cost, they should clearly say so.
I think that Lexus is a good car line, but not all dealers are as good. I would have recommended Lexus of Concord, but for this little chisel. If they change it I will recommend them. If not then I suggest Lexus of Anywhere else or an independent for service. New car sales yes, parts yes, but not service.
I say that even though with the loaner and the gas fillup the net cost of the service was near zero. But if I hadn't been alert the cost would have been >$300.
Because they are so close to home I might continue to take the car their for warranty and some scheduled maintenance, but I look up the factory schedule before hand.
I thank everyone who posted because I now much more about Lexus transmission fluid service.
If corporate Lexus or the dealership owners get back to me, I will post their response.
09-07-11, 07:40 PM
#17
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Lexus and Acura dealerships are overall the best I have ever done business with in terms of attitude, courtesy, well designed facilities etc. Lexus of Concord is not an exception. Whether all of them are always ethical and competent is a different question. These values trump friendly smiles and good coffee.
With the possible exception of the Yugo or Trabant, sellers have a duty to be competent and ethical. Buyers have a duty to be honest, ethical, and reasonable. I believe that asking Lexus to use what ever influence or force they have stop unethical dealer practices is reasonable and good business.
So yes, there are bad actors everywhere, but damnit, I was hoping that Toyota had learned a general lesson from its earlier troubles.
One good thing though, is this forum and the knowledgeable folks that post here. Information helps to avoid problems or to get remedies.
09-08-11, 09:38 AM
#18
So while changing all of the fluid is physically impossible, changing a small amount of it is possible, and is something some dealers do, and in some places (like Canada) it is included on the scheduled maintenance, and how much fluid gets changed isn't actually that much less than older transmissions. You just can't do a full flush, which has never been a part of the scheduled maintenance on older Toyota/Lexus transmissions either, it's always been a drain & fill, doing a flush was "extra" and something dealers tried to sell customers.
Jeff
09-08-11, 02:08 PM
#19
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Hi everyone,
Same thing happened to me.
So I took my car in to get the 60k mile service the other day, and the dealer recommended that on my next service I get a transmission fluid replacement. So I told her that it is a completely sealed unit and changing a significant amount is impossible. That is when she looked at me like I was some sort of retard making things up... she told me who in the right mind would tell me such a thing. Anyway I referred to it in the manual and she said it was weird as she has "seen" it done in the shop.
I live in Canada but do own a US Lexus.
So I am still curious to know what they were planning on doing...
Thanks
Same thing happened to me.
So I took my car in to get the 60k mile service the other day, and the dealer recommended that on my next service I get a transmission fluid replacement. So I told her that it is a completely sealed unit and changing a significant amount is impossible. That is when she looked at me like I was some sort of retard making things up... she told me who in the right mind would tell me such a thing. Anyway I referred to it in the manual and she said it was weird as she has "seen" it done in the shop.
I live in Canada but do own a US Lexus.
So I am still curious to know what they were planning on doing...
Thanks
09-08-11, 03:30 PM
#20
Like I said in my post, they were planning on doing a normal drain and fill, which is what Lexus recommends doing on the 2IS in Canada. It is normal for them to do this service.
Whether or not you think this service is worth doing to change out a portion of your fluid is up to you, but they're still likely to recommend it in the future. Noteworthy addition to this is that Lexus Canada only includes this service for 06-09 2IS models. Starting for MY2010, it is no longer on the maintenance list.
Jeff
Whether or not you think this service is worth doing to change out a portion of your fluid is up to you, but they're still likely to recommend it in the future. Noteworthy addition to this is that Lexus Canada only includes this service for 06-09 2IS models. Starting for MY2010, it is no longer on the maintenance list.
Jeff
Last edited by Jeff Lange; 09-08-11 at 03:46 PM.
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