waza8i78

Mileage a bit over 100k/Japan built model/no warranty.
Keyes Lexus dealer in Van Nuys, CA/Nice waiting room, includes real coffee, cookies, pastries, mufffins, teabags, a glass door fridge with bottled water and cans of soda, and a hot looking receptionist with huge knockers. WOW!! anyways...

got a freaking traffic ticket (correctable) from a nice cop. So, went in for a leaking passenger headlamp with HID non/AFS. Ballast shorted out along with bulb. Charged me $165 for a diagnostic, because I didn't get it fixed at the dealer.

Found out there was a recall on the 2004 model. Service guy said you get a free full tank of gas. But we had already filled up before going to dealer. Sh#t!! Replaced or added carpet clips and replaced brake switch. No charge, but would of cost $38.04 parts/$106.20 labor.

Price to replace passenger headlamp with components. $130 labor/$650 headlamp assembly/$346 ballast(ECU computer 4 headlight..whatever!!)/$413 for HID bulb....hahahaha...wait...$413 for a bulb..hahahahaha!!!

Called a different dealer (VistaLexus) on those same parts: $542.42 assembly/$280.97 ballast/$343.53 bulb. $240 less than Keyes!! Either, they don't have a glass door fridge with drinks, or there is no hot looking receptionist to look at! moving on...

Thanks to mandyfig for the DIY on resealing headlamp!! Waiting on new ballast and hid bulbs. Purchased a pair of slightly used OEM Denso ballasts and new pair of OEM Phillips+ HID bulbs for $205+ 9.00s/h/ins. $7 for RTV silicone, and plenty of free time cause I'm partially unemployed.

Also, dealer recommended maintenance:
Brake fluid exchange $145 - taking to independent
Power steering fluid exchange $155 - is this really necessary??
EFI -Throttle Body Service $189 - purchased a cans of maf sensor and throttle cleaner DIY
2 rear tires $269 - Michelins. sure I can get it slightly cheaper elsewhere
AC-Filter (cabin filter) - $119!!! haha.. - purchased filter w/charcoal $20 DIY
Lower control arm suspension bushings-arms $1375!! tech said cracked bushings. Created another thread if anyone knows more about that?

Thanks for reading!

bnizzle87

guess i'll be checkin out keyes lexus now. haha! in all honesty, im glad that you shopped around dealers for rates on fixing the headlamp. some people just suck it up, without even knowing they could save a few hundred dollars by going somewhere- even if its slightly farther than they would like.

bagsbie

Now, I really want to check out Keyes Lexus as well...

ecount00

I'll be at the reception desk first.

968racer

As for the PS fluid change, I take a syringe and remove as much as I can from the reservoir then refill. I do this a couple times a year because I know I can't begin to get most of it out and every bit helps. If you wanted to, you could turn the steering wheel while the car is running to recirculate the fluid & repeat. Like any of the other fluids in our cars, it breaks down eventually.