LIGHTYEAR

Please be patient with this long post...

Please advise me how to handle the dealership who "serviced" my car.

When I bought my LS400 1995 privately a year ago, I took it to a Lexus dealer here in the UK to have a "B" service, spark plug change, cam belt change and both front and rear brakes (disks and pads changed. This cost a few pounds but I wanted what is after all a great car up tight and perfect and safe.

After a year and 9000 miles I had an "A" service done a month ago ad then took the car this Friday for the MOT test (annual gov't required test of road worthyness) - which it failed !!! Having just had Lexus perform the service I expected to fly through this, and more to the point did not expect it to fail and the tester state that the car was "illegal and too dangerous to drive in it's present state!"

Basically, when the brakes were fixed last year, the fexible rear brake hoses were reconnected incorrectly. Instead of passing around the roll bar at the back, they were positioned against it, causing continuos rubbing and wearing them out. The MOT man said they were almost worn through and could have failed at any moment. I use this car daily, my wife drives it and we both use it with my baby son in the car.

What really amazes me is not just the incompetence of the intial faulty refitting of these hoses, but negligence in the sevicing that did not spot this last month. The "A"service description says that all hoses are checked as part of this procedure - obviously not in this instance.

The service manager has my car and is going to put this right - having admitted that this was all their fault and that this will be done at their cost.

Can you advise how you would deal with this and where you would go from here?

I have totally lost trust now in the professed premium service offered by Lexus and wonder what else has not been done properly???

rybikowsky

It sounds like you are fishing for a law suit.Forget about it.People even the best of them screw up once in awhile.The shop said they would make it all right.Accept it and go on going on.Michael Rybikowsky

VQT

I don't trust any dealer or shop because I have been screwed by them too many time like you already. But if you don't know how to do it yourself, you have to get the problem fix somehow?

That's why I learn to repair the car myself and only take it to the shop on things I can't do it myself or I don't have the tools for the task. If you can find a mechanic that you trust take the car to him from now on or start to learn to do the general maintenance yourself. I consider brake work, change sparkplugs, wires, oil change, trans. change are general maintenance.

JBrady

Well, as rybikowsky said, everyone screws up sometime... BUT, when it comes to brakes this is a HUGE screw up. IMO, the dealer owes you BIG time. I would suggest something along the lines of FREE maintenance for the next MAJOR work scheduled AND a written guarantee of properly performed work. That dealer put you in harms way, maybe not intentionally but in danger nonetheless. Also, anytime something like this happens you want to document with pictures and written statements from all involved. Good luck.

LIGHTYEAR

Hi Guys,

You are right, I not really looking to sue - always very difficult and uncertain + potentially very costly - but do think that for this initial incompetence (fitting) and then the compounding negligence ("A" service or lack of checking) that I am due more than just rectification. However, I am just after your opinions on what or how far to push it and whether anyone out there in this community has had a similar situation and what they accepted in conclusion.

I am considering reporting the issue to Lexus GB (who I understand take a very dim view of these such failings by the dealerships) along with the threat of a report/letter to the Trading Standards Department who chase such failure to provide for a charged service.

Thanks for you replies tho'.

BAWLEX94

i think that would be a good idea.....has something happened to you....then they would have definitely had a law suit on there hands......either they need serioulsy recompensate you, or i would consider exploring legal means......AND DOCUMENT

SCV8

I'd just take care of the damage and not return to the dealer;the production that they experience without any formal inspections is just plain scary.
I've only taken my car to the dealer but once,and got screwed around with some very similar cercumstances to yours.
I don't know why I even went there when I had;I'm 35 and have always just laughed at the bogus,hyped sales mentality around those places.