drivemycar

The good news is that I now am driving my first Lexus, a 2012 CPO which I leased. Process was smooth and friendly. Just one bump, at the lease signing stage, when we were asked to approve any/all of 4 other protection plans: 1) dings, 2) windshield (including Crystal Fusion); 3) tires and rims, and 4) pre-pay of maintenance charges. Any/all expenses could be rolled into the lease. I was unprepared for this phase of the process, but eventually declined, saying I could not equate the cost with the value. Now, the car has about 23K miles on it, and the finance officer told me the 30K maintenance alone would cost me $800, so that the pre-pay of maintenance plan (cost: about $1,235) would be a good plan to go with. I still can call him back and ask for this protection, albeit I'll have to pay a lump sum at this point since the lease is signed sealed and delivered.

I don't recall the cost of each of the other 3 plans, but obviously that's the main factor when buying such insurance. Maybe some of you opted for buying any/all of them for peace of mind, and found them to be valuable?? I just don't like doing business on the spur like that, so I resisted. We do primarily local driving, and estimate that we'll log about 7,500 miles a year on this car. Of course, a rock could hit the windshield, etc., but it's all a question of cost of these protections they offered.

As far as the pre-pay of maintenance, could anyone comment on the "at least $800" for the 30K maintenance, and why a trusted mechanic in my area couldn't handle that for me, perhaps at a lesser cost than the projected dealer fee? Or is it a good idea to pre-pay $1300 for what amounts to 6 maintenance appointments over 3 years, including of course the 30K one?

Clutchless

Do not let the dealer scare tactics fool you into making a big financial mistake. It is only a lease. The 30K service is all minor and cheap.
Frankly this is even more suspicious since if you just bought a CPO, they ought to have changed all the air filters and oil before you got it. How many miles have you put on it since purchase? Have you checked the Lexus service history online? You enter your VIN. You can sign up here
https://secure.drivers.lexus.com/lex...-lexus/home.do

Search the forum about 30K maintenance and you will find that A local independent shop or even a Toyota dealer can do it for under $300.
Per the federal Magnuson Moss warranty act, any qualified independent shop can do your maintenance to maintain your warranty status. You just need records that it was done.

Look at this thread for more data on the 30K service https://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-...e-service.html

All they do at 30K is change the engine oil and filter, change air filter and cabin air filter, rotate tires and check a bunch of stuff like brakes and suspension. This is essentially what most big chain tire stores advertise as their 30 point safety inspection that is included with an oil change plus the tire rotation. Some dealers want to flush the brake fluid, this may be needed if the car is over 3 years old.

drivemycar

Thanks, Clutchless. Last week, I leased this 2012 CPO RX350 with 21K miles on it, and yet as I said, the Finance guy trying to upsell me tells me there'll be an $800 charge for the 30K inspection. Of course I plan to use my trusted service station guys ahead of Lexus service dep't. And You're right...as part of CPO, dealer has already just replaced the cabin and engine air filters, did the 20K mileage service, balanced the wheels, changed oil, did the 161 pt certified inspection.
I did check the Lexus service history just now at the Lexus Drivers site....and it's so much more complete than the CarFax report which was available on the dealer's website. Not sure why that is...even if the same date of service was reported, the Lexus Drivers report showed much more repair work than did CarFax. I'll check threads to see if this issue has ever been discussed here.

kitlz

The Lexus website is far better for maintenance history if the dealer or previous owner entered the information. CarFax can be sketchy. Plenty of horror stories out there about unreported items.

Like Clutchless said, you can find plenty of options for maintenance from Toyota to indy shops. Do a search in the forum. The services can be entered into the Lexus owners website yourself. Keep the receipts to further show proof of maintenance. The dealer was trying to scare you with the $800 cost. The only time you're required to see them is if you have a warranty related issue. Check your car insurance policy regarding windshield replacement. You might have coverage already. Regarding the ding protection, PDR (paintless dent removal) is fairly inexpensive. Tire and rim, you didn't give too many specifics on that one. But you probably wouldn't see the fine print until after signing. These are all high profit items for dealers. It was good you declined them.

budwom

I got a chuckle out of this tactic. When we bought our 2013 RX 350, they gave us the very hard sell on five (5) different upsells, for a grand total of $10,000! Somehow we managed to pass on all of them, and the response of the finance guy was utter shock (feigned, of course). My wife and I almost burst out laughing. It was as if, by passing on dent repair and extended warranty, we were kidnapping the Lindberg baby.

swfla

iTrader: (1)

When I bought a CPO, the finance guy started in on his sales pitch. I cut him off and said I'm not interested and to just stop it. He wrote in big red letters, DECLINED WITH PREJUDICE across the add on contract and asked me to sign off on that. Another intimidation tactic. LOL I signed the refusal without blinking. I'm now officially prejudiced in Lexus eyes.

kitlz

Geez, I would've signed and added 'declined without prejudice.' Two can play that game.

drivemycar

I wasn't aware of the horror stories, I thought CarFax was the honest broker; I generally relied on their reports. What is most surprising to me is that with my car, the same dealer visit, the same inspection, is recorded on both Lexus Drivers and CarFax, and yet there's a completely different explanation of services provided! It's as if someone whitewashed the CarFax report. (Is that possible?--I have an inquiry into CarFax). Lexus Drivers might say "front and rear brake pads replaced" while CarFax has more ambiguous "brakes serviced" and no reference to changed brake pads. Many differences in entries. One Lexus Driver entry has to do with previous owner's prepaid service maintenance visit, no mention of a prepay plan on CarFax (prepaid maintenance was one of the upsells I declined---and yes, I had to sign something that I knowingly declined the crap). If it hasn't been covered before in any forums, I'll be glad to post regarding CarFax response(s) to my inquiry to them regarding discrepancies....something ain't right.

swfla

iTrader: (1)

AutoChek is a similar company often with different info from both Carfax and LexusDrivers. EX: My last Lexus had damage reported to rear on one report and to the side on the other. I was told that the actual Police Accident Report can be ordered thru Carfax or AutoChek and that it will have true details of damages. Never tried though. Anyone here tried?