Stone

I'll be dropping off our RX330 for a checkup next week. Was told by the service scheduler that there is a $5 service charge for the loaner, basically for the gas. I work about 5 miles away so its no too far. Don't want to seem like a cheap bastard, but is this what all Lexus dealers are requiring for a loaner?

Seems like a good way for them to defer some of the cost of the loaners but the loaner program is one of Lexus's selling points along with great service. Its not listed in the brochure when they discuss the "perks" of owning a Lexus. I wonder if they'll ask for a few bucks more if I want great service or I can take the mediocre service for free. Obviously a joke, maybe not a good one, but seems unusual.

Thanks for the responses.

GS4DOUGIE

iTrader: (6)

NEVER-

I have never been asked nor would I pay for a loaner while my car is at the dealer. It is part of the service agreement that they provide free loaner cars at my dealership. Call BS on them, I bet they give it to you free. In addition, when I have rec'd the loaner, I have driven long distances, and never refueled the vehicle prior to returning it.

Doug

DaveGS4

iTrader: (2)

Never once.

I suspect it's they're trying to pass along the high cost of gas right now.

Stone

I suspected the same. Never heard of being charged for loaner before and don't feel comfortable being asked to pay that last minute. Sales person never mentioned during out checkout at delivery about that and we have only had it for 1 month. If this is related to gas prices, well, they were high a month ago. They're actually cheaper now than they were then.

I will politely mention that this is not part of OUR service agreement and will politley refuse to pay. I think that if most people lost 5 bucks they might not even notice. This is really not about the money is about trying to sneak in a money making opportunity when someone is sitting in front of the service writer and needing to get to work.

I will post with the service department's response to my polite refusal to pay.

laterldf

My dealer is one of the pilot "Lexus Express" dealerships, which basically means (as they explained it to me) that they claim to be able to provide ANY of the regularly scheduled maintenance services within ONE hour, even the major ones, e.g. 15k, 30k, etc. They want the customer to forego the loaner car and wait, unless he/she sqawks loudly enough. They claim that they have a "team" of technicians that can provide the service within one hour. For the record, it took the "team" (two tech's) at least THREE hours to do the 30k service on my wife's ES300 (I squawked so I got the loaner). I told them that this change wasn't consistent with Lexus service quality, but more akin to Toyota. later, ldf

wantalexus

I have never been charged for a loaner either. Call BS on your dealership.

mooretorque

Never in 13 years. (But they stopped filling my cars up with each service 5 years ago.)

BrickHead

My girlfriend and I have never been charged for a loaner in VA or NC. Call the Lexus customer service center and ask them why this particular dealer charges while the others don't. Getting a complementary loaner is part of the experience of owning a Lexus. What's the deal?!!

Hopeful

by them requiring that I fill up the gas tank when I return it.

NeverSatisfied

Are you on Oahu or Maui? I'm on Maui and never had to pay for anything w/ the loaner.

CK6Speed

iTrader: (1)

Never paid anything for a loaner at Oahu's (Hawaii) Lexus dealer. The only minor problems is we don't always get a Lexus loaner car since they run out of them so fast and we often get Totota Camrys.

D2-AUTOSPORT

When my 96 GS stalled out on a tank of bad gas, the dealership in NC (HighPoint) wanted to charge me for a loaner, until I told them my car was certified. It was a large amount of money too!

VSsc400

iTrader: (1)

most dealerships will wave the fee... but there is a $5 fee and this is only at select locations. (it was this way since i went to the dealer the first time 5 years ago)

Brief explanation.

When you get a loander the car always comes with a full tank of gas. The dealers asks the customers to fill the gas up to where the gas tank mark was when they took the loaner(full tank) but they don't. Dealers are supposed to charge a fuel fee... normally $2/gallon. They(lexus) did a study and found out that average miles traveled with a loaner was about 50miles.

at loactions where people don't fill the gas tank back up they instituted this $5 feature for the convenience of the customer(since they don't have to go to a gas station to fill it before you return it)

i don't work for lexus... but that's what they told me.

Question for you guys who don't pay the $5 fee.
do they ask you to fill the gas tank back up to where it was when you got the loaner?

KeysRx300

Ive only had my RX in for service once. It was at the Lexus of Kendall here in Miami. No problem getting the loaner car. They just asked to put back in the gas that I used. Problem was as soon as I pulled out of the dealership and went down the street. The gas low level light came on. I live about 50 miles from the dealer. So I had to stop and put gas in it. When I picked up my RX they had cleaned it out and washed it.

Neo

iTrader: (3)

Never charged and never asked to refuel. I also never took the loaners for any "extensive" driving though. But then again, I have not had Lexus service for a couple of years.