dantampa

Where is the best place to get a '99 LS400 serviced for someone who is mechanically inclined enough to not be sold completely up the river but definitely not at all inclined enough to do the work himself? My last not-under-warranty car was an '00 Crown Vic ex-cop car (LOL) and I had an awesome local, private mechanic. Very honest, very affordable, top-notch quality work.

Now I'm wondering, if and when the need arises, where will I take my LS400? I value quality parts and workmanship more than I do a cheap price. I don't wanna get ripped off but I also don't mind spending "good money" on my car. Also, I just shed an '06 S2000 with a $650/mo car payment (!) so I figure there aren't many repairs that are gonna bother me at this point. Anything is cheaper than that lousy monthly payment.

DentGuyLS

I would just take it to Lexus. They know your car better than anyone else. You bought a Lexus, take it to Lexus. You can afford it.

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

lexus dealerships are like any other dealership when it comes to recommending you unneeded services.

best bet is to find a qualified independent toyota/lexus mechanic in your area (check your local forum, near the bottom of the main clublexus forum page) since you'll get lexus dealership quality (many specialist toyota mechs are ex-dealership mechs) for a MUCH more reasonable price.

the mechanics working at lexus dealerships don't have exclusive access to information, most bigname independent shops i've used use exclusively ex-dealership mechanics, toyota/lexus certified and all.

JimsGX

I totally agree with PD... I've had some poor experiences with the dealer and the old LS. They've diagnosed things wrong and I've paid the price for it. I found a local indy that works by himself. I always know who's working on my car and he knows how particular I am.

The only thing I'm considering taking my 1st gen to the dealer for is a valve shim adjustment. There are too many different shim sizes and it would be more of a hassle than its worth for my indy to tackle it with a full accompaniment of shims on hand. Other than that, I don't need the local dealer for anything more than occasionally paying retail for a part I need/want right away.

dantampa

I agree with you guys. My gut feeling was to find someone local that is a great mechanic, with a solid reputation to prove it, and is passionate about working on Lexus's/Toyotas.

My feeling to go with a private mechanic is not so much price but that the Lexus mechanics might not really "care" much about what they do with your car. For example, I've had mechanics at the local Honda dealership return my S2000 with the oil filler cap off. If they get that sort of thing wrong, I wonder what else they might get wrong.

Can a good Toyota mechanic work on a '99 LS400 all the same? How many nuances do our cars have over Toyotas? I would suspect our cars have a lot more intricate luxury bits and someone who isn't experienced with them might get tripped up.

Kansas

I've been driving Lexus LS cars for over 19 years and have had little difficulty finding excellent and less expensive independent repair shops owned by former Lexus dealer service managers and service writers and staffed by former Lexus dealer mechanics.

I've also noticed that Lexus dealers seem to lose interest in our cars as they age -- odd because the big money in repairs is in repairing older cars.

As much as I like the cushy waiting rooms, Plasma TVs and gourmet coffee at Lexus dealers, I'd rather have the lower prices, better service and most of all, the integrity, that I've found at independent repair shops.

I've never had a car damaged at an independent repair shop. I have had several minor damage incidents at a Lexus dealer. My "favorite" Lexus dealer experience was an attempt to charge me over $1,000 for what instantly became a $15 repair when I called a tow truck to take my first LS to another repair shop. And that would have been at SUPERIOR LEXUS, KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI -- not that I am naming names.

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

LOL

mcat

what was the $15 part btw? I almost bought a car from Superior KC.

ghenley

I found an indie that does a good job and I trust.

Greg

Kansas

The $15 part was a battery cable. Before I called a tow truck to have the car taken to another shop, the diagnosis was that some sort of main ECU had failed and that they were going to charge me over $1,000 to replace it. This was back in 1994 and the basic 4 yr/50K warranty on the car had just expired.

I had never heard and seen so much stuttering and back pedaling as I stood by my car in the service bay and essentially prohibited them from touching it until the tow trunk arrived to take it away. The service manager took me aside and told me that he thought the real problem was a defective battery cable. He asked me to allow them to replace the battery cable to see if that fixed the starting problem. I allowed them to replace the battery cable, cancelled the tow trunk, and drove my car away. The Superior Lexus service manager did not apologize.

Some car dealers and repair shops put tremendous pressure on their service staff to produce revenue. That's just the way it is.

98LS

You're best off finding a good, honest indie shop to work on your car. While the Lexus service experience is nice (free snacks, drinks, plush waiting room, etc)., you pay for those through the "upselling" of services that you may not need.

damon

Find a good indy mechanic that you trust that has no problem with you supplying your own parts. That is the way to save dollars repairing an older Lexus.