Chicago Lexus Dealerships - The Good, Bad, and Ugly
03-15-12, 12:55 PM
#61
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Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: il
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04-11-12, 07:50 PM
#62
i have bought an 2008 is250 from mcgrath of chicago. salesman was vasilly, price was reasonable and trade in could have been better! but overall very happy! all of my services, oil changes, some mods like f-sport springs and exhaust were done at mcgrath of chicago. every time i bring in my car they call it the best modded is250 in chicago. that may not be true but makes me feel great. they are mod friendly , because i upgraded my whole sound system and when my factory amp went out they let me take it out and bring it in for a free swap. my car is a cpo with extended warranty till its paid off in the next 5 years. so im happy, although the crunch noise comming from the front f-sport springs is getting annoying and i will be bringing it in for repair on my next oil change.
Last edited by linus73; 04-11-12 at 07:57 PM.
06-11-12, 09:05 AM
#64
Woodfield Lexus has always been good to me. Ed Vale in Service, Mark Demma in sales.
No screwing around. Straight up guys that will not treat you like some check writing dumb ***.
Another Chicago land dealership made the mistake of thinking I was just some unknowing check writing customer. (Thread in 3GS section under hybrid failure)
Between my knowledge of my car and the info listed right here on this site. The service writer and mechanic got a nice verbal ***-handing and I walked out with all new parts for free.
Here is what happened recently. A friend was looking for an exact model Lexus GS350. He found it at the dealership that tried to screw me over. After telling him what happened to my car there. He left and ended up buying from Woodfield Lexus the next day.
No screwing around. Straight up guys that will not treat you like some check writing dumb ***.
Another Chicago land dealership made the mistake of thinking I was just some unknowing check writing customer. (Thread in 3GS section under hybrid failure)
Between my knowledge of my car and the info listed right here on this site. The service writer and mechanic got a nice verbal ***-handing and I walked out with all new parts for free.
Here is what happened recently. A friend was looking for an exact model Lexus GS350. He found it at the dealership that tried to screw me over. After telling him what happened to my car there. He left and ended up buying from Woodfield Lexus the next day.
07-03-12, 09:18 AM
#65
Can anyone reccomend a particular dealer / service manager / tech to work on an ISF? Need to do my 15k mile service and get a few rattles taken care of under warranty.
Thanks
Yuri
Thanks
Yuri
07-30-12, 01:25 PM
#67
First I’d like to say that everyone at the McGrath Westmont dealership has been personable and friendly. My Pre-Owned Sales Associate was great and I certainly appreciated his candidness and honesty. I am glad that I was lucky enough to have him handle my sale.
Unfortunately, I am not as pleased with my vehicle. There are a few concerns and issues that are currently being dealt. At delivery, I noticed that the interior rear-view mirror was degraded and had significant pitting. I brought this up to my SA and he said he would need to speak with his manager regarding a possible resolution. As I have been a member of Club Lexus for several years, I did some research on my own and discovered that there was a TSB regarding this issue and many Lexus owners had experienced the same issue (TSB 0186-09 Poor rearview image quality).
These have been documented in the following threads:
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/gs-...-question.html
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-...tern-wear.html
I also noticed that there were many scratches on the car, with some damage to the passenger side. Initially I thought it was dirt or dust, but after getting home and inspecting it further it appears that someone had brushed the vehicle against something and there are many deep scratches that are noticeable on the lower rear passenger door area. The gentleman that was waiting on delivery of his GX470 even noticed it while we were waiting in the delivery garage. From my understanding, CPO vehicles go through a rigorous exterior inspection and are reconditioned to almost like new condition. With it being after closing, and having been awake for 26 hours after working that entire day, I really wanted to get home to rest and I should have done a thorough walk around on my own and pointed all of these out prior to leaving the dealership. From my understanding, one of the managers was supposed to do this with me and then sign the CPO certificate.
Another issue was with my vehicle’s CPO status. I purchased a CPO vehicle but when I called Lexus Headquarters and inquired about my vehicle, they stated that my vehicle wasn’t showing CPO status. I was told it when through the inspection in May 2012 but it was not registered as a CPO. If this vehicle is not a CPO vehicle, as it was sold to me, I have grossly overpaid and been mislead. I had left a few messages and emailed my SA about confirming this and providing me documentation other than the incomplete certificate in my glovebox but I had yet to get a response.
At signing, I told the gentleman that I wanted vanity plates. He told me that I would have to go to the Secretary of State facility and apply. I spoke with the SoS and they informed me that the dealership should have applied for the plates at signing. If I wanted vanity plates now, I will have to pay for new plates even though I just paid for plates at the signing. Essentially, I will have to play twice for the dealership’s hastiness and not applying for vanity plates when I asked for them while sitting there.
As for the mirror and damage to the paint on the vehicle, if this were a regular used care purchase like my first two Lexus vehicle purchases where, I would have never brought it up and accepted the car as is. With this being a Certified Pre-Owned purchase, I expected the car and sale to be held to a higher standard with major attention paid to details and being treated as if I were buying a new vehicle. The side door pockets were filled with trash, food wrappers and garbage. My shift **** is not the OEM **** that should have came with the vehicle and the replacement ****’s wood does not match my vehicle’s wood interior. I would much prefer to have had the original chrome and leather **** that the car arrived to the port with. My car did not come with a manual or the wallet that holds all of the manuals and paperwork and a second key was not ready at delivery. The exterior has damage to it and the rear-view mirror should have been noticed prior to the vehicle having been put up for sale.
At the moment, I don’t understand how this vehicle could have gone through all of these inspections and have been certified. If it has, then how were these details missed? And on top of these issues, no one could definitively tell me if this car is in fact a CPO vehicle. The online listing stated that the vehicle was a CPO, the sticker across the windshield clearly stated that it was Certified and I was told about the CPO coverage for my car and the benefits that are available to me since I am a CPO but Lexus Headquarters is not showing my car with CPO status. I’ve had this vehicle for less than a week and it had already stressed me out.
Though I really like my car, I am not sure that I made the right decision, as this experience should have been exciting, fun, stress-free and mirrored the purchase of my GS300 or my ES300. I know I did not purchase an $80K LS or LX but this purchase is a major one for me and I was expecting and hoping to be treated the same way a customer who may have been buying one of those vehicles. I was hoping for that euphoric feeling that a new car customer gets when bringing their new toy home, but I do not.
Unfortunately, I am not as pleased with my vehicle. There are a few concerns and issues that are currently being dealt. At delivery, I noticed that the interior rear-view mirror was degraded and had significant pitting. I brought this up to my SA and he said he would need to speak with his manager regarding a possible resolution. As I have been a member of Club Lexus for several years, I did some research on my own and discovered that there was a TSB regarding this issue and many Lexus owners had experienced the same issue (TSB 0186-09 Poor rearview image quality).
These have been documented in the following threads:
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/gs-...-question.html
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-...tern-wear.html
I also noticed that there were many scratches on the car, with some damage to the passenger side. Initially I thought it was dirt or dust, but after getting home and inspecting it further it appears that someone had brushed the vehicle against something and there are many deep scratches that are noticeable on the lower rear passenger door area. The gentleman that was waiting on delivery of his GX470 even noticed it while we were waiting in the delivery garage. From my understanding, CPO vehicles go through a rigorous exterior inspection and are reconditioned to almost like new condition. With it being after closing, and having been awake for 26 hours after working that entire day, I really wanted to get home to rest and I should have done a thorough walk around on my own and pointed all of these out prior to leaving the dealership. From my understanding, one of the managers was supposed to do this with me and then sign the CPO certificate.
Another issue was with my vehicle’s CPO status. I purchased a CPO vehicle but when I called Lexus Headquarters and inquired about my vehicle, they stated that my vehicle wasn’t showing CPO status. I was told it when through the inspection in May 2012 but it was not registered as a CPO. If this vehicle is not a CPO vehicle, as it was sold to me, I have grossly overpaid and been mislead. I had left a few messages and emailed my SA about confirming this and providing me documentation other than the incomplete certificate in my glovebox but I had yet to get a response.
At signing, I told the gentleman that I wanted vanity plates. He told me that I would have to go to the Secretary of State facility and apply. I spoke with the SoS and they informed me that the dealership should have applied for the plates at signing. If I wanted vanity plates now, I will have to pay for new plates even though I just paid for plates at the signing. Essentially, I will have to play twice for the dealership’s hastiness and not applying for vanity plates when I asked for them while sitting there.
As for the mirror and damage to the paint on the vehicle, if this were a regular used care purchase like my first two Lexus vehicle purchases where, I would have never brought it up and accepted the car as is. With this being a Certified Pre-Owned purchase, I expected the car and sale to be held to a higher standard with major attention paid to details and being treated as if I were buying a new vehicle. The side door pockets were filled with trash, food wrappers and garbage. My shift **** is not the OEM **** that should have came with the vehicle and the replacement ****’s wood does not match my vehicle’s wood interior. I would much prefer to have had the original chrome and leather **** that the car arrived to the port with. My car did not come with a manual or the wallet that holds all of the manuals and paperwork and a second key was not ready at delivery. The exterior has damage to it and the rear-view mirror should have been noticed prior to the vehicle having been put up for sale.
At the moment, I don’t understand how this vehicle could have gone through all of these inspections and have been certified. If it has, then how were these details missed? And on top of these issues, no one could definitively tell me if this car is in fact a CPO vehicle. The online listing stated that the vehicle was a CPO, the sticker across the windshield clearly stated that it was Certified and I was told about the CPO coverage for my car and the benefits that are available to me since I am a CPO but Lexus Headquarters is not showing my car with CPO status. I’ve had this vehicle for less than a week and it had already stressed me out.
Though I really like my car, I am not sure that I made the right decision, as this experience should have been exciting, fun, stress-free and mirrored the purchase of my GS300 or my ES300. I know I did not purchase an $80K LS or LX but this purchase is a major one for me and I was expecting and hoping to be treated the same way a customer who may have been buying one of those vehicles. I was hoping for that euphoric feeling that a new car customer gets when bringing their new toy home, but I do not.
07-30-12, 10:51 PM
#68
^ Seems like a lot of new IS owners have been having CPO problems recently. I've seen lots of people lately complaining how their car is CPO but then has problems that should have been pointed out or disqualified it. One guy had a car that was in an accident apparently get CPO'ed. I bought my car from a third party used car dealer and I'm glad I've done so. I was able to get an '07 IS350 two years ago still under factory warranty for $20,300. It wasn't CPO but the car was in really good condition. The car surprisingly had no rock chips anywhere on the front, rear bumper was perfect, wheels had no curb rash, and the interior was almost like new except for the driver seat with normal wear. Only regret I have is that it's my first car and warranty was running out before I realized what TSIB's were. I could have gotten quite a few things fixed like my squeaky driver's seat, dash rattles, and some other stuff.
I had the same problem as you too with the plates. I wanted vanity plates with my name on it so I could look cool at school but the dealer told me I had to get regular plates first and then visit a local SoS facility to get the vanity ones and to give them back my regular one and pay the difference.
I'm sure you would, but you should go back and complain to get those problems straightened out, especially the CPO issue. You bought a used car and it'll have damage and wear but if it's CPO, it shouldn't have the issues. It makes me feel your car actually isn't CPO. My car was probably in better condition than yours and it wasn't a CPO. And if you're still under warranty, get any TSIB's done and recalls too.
I had the same problem as you too with the plates. I wanted vanity plates with my name on it so I could look cool at school but the dealer told me I had to get regular plates first and then visit a local SoS facility to get the vanity ones and to give them back my regular one and pay the difference.
I'm sure you would, but you should go back and complain to get those problems straightened out, especially the CPO issue. You bought a used car and it'll have damage and wear but if it's CPO, it shouldn't have the issues. It makes me feel your car actually isn't CPO. My car was probably in better condition than yours and it wasn't a CPO. And if you're still under warranty, get any TSIB's done and recalls too.
Last edited by chi123; 07-30-12 at 10:56 PM.
07-31-12, 08:28 AM
#69
I picked up the car last night after dropping it off on Saturday at the dealership. I contacted Lexus Extra Care and they stayed in touch with me all last week. It seems the dealership did the CPO inspection but never sent the paperwork to Lexus for the warranty. LEC got on them about it and told them to send it in. I kind of think that they were trying to make a sale on a CPO without paying Lexus the extra money it costs a dealership to register a vehicle for CPO status. I can’t say this bodes well for my trust with this dealership.
They also requested a buffing of the entire vehicle, replacement of the interior rearview mirror and an install of the OEM shift ****. There is one gouge on the roof that has gone through the clearcoat that they could not repair, but the rest of the car looks great now. My car had Lexus wheel locks installed at the port when it arrived into the US but they are not on my vehicle anymore, so I guess I will have to chalk that up as a loss. I am still missing all manuals and the wallet.
I’ve only owned Lexus vehicles, but this does tarnish the image for me. Along with this vehicle not having Memory Seats standard and it loosing it’s place in the US as the best in quality, the brand has been cheapened in my eyes. I wish I hadn’t had to escalate the issues with LEC but I needed to make sure my bases were covered.
They also requested a buffing of the entire vehicle, replacement of the interior rearview mirror and an install of the OEM shift ****. There is one gouge on the roof that has gone through the clearcoat that they could not repair, but the rest of the car looks great now. My car had Lexus wheel locks installed at the port when it arrived into the US but they are not on my vehicle anymore, so I guess I will have to chalk that up as a loss. I am still missing all manuals and the wallet.
I’ve only owned Lexus vehicles, but this does tarnish the image for me. Along with this vehicle not having Memory Seats standard and it loosing it’s place in the US as the best in quality, the brand has been cheapened in my eyes. I wish I hadn’t had to escalate the issues with LEC but I needed to make sure my bases were covered.
08-11-12, 05:14 AM
#70
Driver School Candidate
Hey Ed with Woodfield Lexus,
Neurocity thanks for the kind words! If anyone ever needs assistance or help with their Lexus please let me know. I am putting a package together for Chicago Club Lexus members....discount on parts and labor and other perks....let me know what you all would be interested in or would like to see.
Thanks Ed
Neurocity thanks for the kind words! If anyone ever needs assistance or help with their Lexus please let me know. I am putting a package together for Chicago Club Lexus members....discount on parts and labor and other perks....let me know what you all would be interested in or would like to see.
Thanks Ed
08-20-12, 06:11 PM
#71
Guest
Posts: n/a
First I’d like to say that everyone at the McGrath Westmont dealership has been personable and friendly. My Pre-Owned Sales Associate was great and I certainly appreciated his candidness and honesty. I am glad that I was lucky enough to have him handle my sale.
Unfortunately, I am not as pleased with my vehicle. There are a few concerns and issues that are currently being dealt. At delivery, I noticed that the interior rear-view mirror was degraded and had significant pitting. I brought this up to my SA and he said he would need to speak with his manager regarding a possible resolution. As I have been a member of Club Lexus for several years, I did some research on my own and discovered that there was a TSB regarding this issue and many Lexus owners had experienced the same issue (TSB 0186-09 Poor rearview image quality).
These have been documented in the following threads:
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/gs-...-question.html
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-...tern-wear.html
I also noticed that there were many scratches on the car, with some damage to the passenger side. Initially I thought it was dirt or dust, but after getting home and inspecting it further it appears that someone had brushed the vehicle against something and there are many deep scratches that are noticeable on the lower rear passenger door area. The gentleman that was waiting on delivery of his GX470 even noticed it while we were waiting in the delivery garage. From my understanding, CPO vehicles go through a rigorous exterior inspection and are reconditioned to almost like new condition. With it being after closing, and having been awake for 26 hours after working that entire day, I really wanted to get home to rest and I should have done a thorough walk around on my own and pointed all of these out prior to leaving the dealership. From my understanding, one of the managers was supposed to do this with me and then sign the CPO certificate.
Another issue was with my vehicle’s CPO status. I purchased a CPO vehicle but when I called Lexus Headquarters and inquired about my vehicle, they stated that my vehicle wasn’t showing CPO status. I was told it when through the inspection in May 2012 but it was not registered as a CPO. If this vehicle is not a CPO vehicle, as it was sold to me, I have grossly overpaid and been mislead. I had left a few messages and emailed my SA about confirming this and providing me documentation other than the incomplete certificate in my glovebox but I had yet to get a response.
At signing, I told the gentleman that I wanted vanity plates. He told me that I would have to go to the Secretary of State facility and apply. I spoke with the SoS and they informed me that the dealership should have applied for the plates at signing. If I wanted vanity plates now, I will have to pay for new plates even though I just paid for plates at the signing. Essentially, I will have to play twice for the dealership’s hastiness and not applying for vanity plates when I asked for them while sitting there.
As for the mirror and damage to the paint on the vehicle, if this were a regular used care purchase like my first two Lexus vehicle purchases where, I would have never brought it up and accepted the car as is. With this being a Certified Pre-Owned purchase, I expected the car and sale to be held to a higher standard with major attention paid to details and being treated as if I were buying a new vehicle. The side door pockets were filled with trash, food wrappers and garbage. My shift **** is not the OEM **** that should have came with the vehicle and the replacement ****’s wood does not match my vehicle’s wood interior. I would much prefer to have had the original chrome and leather **** that the car arrived to the port with. My car did not come with a manual or the wallet that holds all of the manuals and paperwork and a second key was not ready at delivery. The exterior has damage to it and the rear-view mirror should have been noticed prior to the vehicle having been put up for sale.
At the moment, I don’t understand how this vehicle could have gone through all of these inspections and have been certified. If it has, then how were these details missed? And on top of these issues, no one could definitively tell me if this car is in fact a CPO vehicle. The online listing stated that the vehicle was a CPO, the sticker across the windshield clearly stated that it was Certified and I was told about the CPO coverage for my car and the benefits that are available to me since I am a CPO but Lexus Headquarters is not showing my car with CPO status. I’ve had this vehicle for less than a week and it had already stressed me out.
Though I really like my car, I am not sure that I made the right decision, as this experience should have been exciting, fun, stress-free and mirrored the purchase of my GS300 or my ES300. I know I did not purchase an $80K LS or LX but this purchase is a major one for me and I was expecting and hoping to be treated the same way a customer who may have been buying one of those vehicles. I was hoping for that euphoric feeling that a new car customer gets when bringing their new toy home, but I do not.
Unfortunately, I am not as pleased with my vehicle. There are a few concerns and issues that are currently being dealt. At delivery, I noticed that the interior rear-view mirror was degraded and had significant pitting. I brought this up to my SA and he said he would need to speak with his manager regarding a possible resolution. As I have been a member of Club Lexus for several years, I did some research on my own and discovered that there was a TSB regarding this issue and many Lexus owners had experienced the same issue (TSB 0186-09 Poor rearview image quality).
These have been documented in the following threads:
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/gs-...-question.html
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-...tern-wear.html
I also noticed that there were many scratches on the car, with some damage to the passenger side. Initially I thought it was dirt or dust, but after getting home and inspecting it further it appears that someone had brushed the vehicle against something and there are many deep scratches that are noticeable on the lower rear passenger door area. The gentleman that was waiting on delivery of his GX470 even noticed it while we were waiting in the delivery garage. From my understanding, CPO vehicles go through a rigorous exterior inspection and are reconditioned to almost like new condition. With it being after closing, and having been awake for 26 hours after working that entire day, I really wanted to get home to rest and I should have done a thorough walk around on my own and pointed all of these out prior to leaving the dealership. From my understanding, one of the managers was supposed to do this with me and then sign the CPO certificate.
Another issue was with my vehicle’s CPO status. I purchased a CPO vehicle but when I called Lexus Headquarters and inquired about my vehicle, they stated that my vehicle wasn’t showing CPO status. I was told it when through the inspection in May 2012 but it was not registered as a CPO. If this vehicle is not a CPO vehicle, as it was sold to me, I have grossly overpaid and been mislead. I had left a few messages and emailed my SA about confirming this and providing me documentation other than the incomplete certificate in my glovebox but I had yet to get a response.
At signing, I told the gentleman that I wanted vanity plates. He told me that I would have to go to the Secretary of State facility and apply. I spoke with the SoS and they informed me that the dealership should have applied for the plates at signing. If I wanted vanity plates now, I will have to pay for new plates even though I just paid for plates at the signing. Essentially, I will have to play twice for the dealership’s hastiness and not applying for vanity plates when I asked for them while sitting there.
As for the mirror and damage to the paint on the vehicle, if this were a regular used care purchase like my first two Lexus vehicle purchases where, I would have never brought it up and accepted the car as is. With this being a Certified Pre-Owned purchase, I expected the car and sale to be held to a higher standard with major attention paid to details and being treated as if I were buying a new vehicle. The side door pockets were filled with trash, food wrappers and garbage. My shift **** is not the OEM **** that should have came with the vehicle and the replacement ****’s wood does not match my vehicle’s wood interior. I would much prefer to have had the original chrome and leather **** that the car arrived to the port with. My car did not come with a manual or the wallet that holds all of the manuals and paperwork and a second key was not ready at delivery. The exterior has damage to it and the rear-view mirror should have been noticed prior to the vehicle having been put up for sale.
At the moment, I don’t understand how this vehicle could have gone through all of these inspections and have been certified. If it has, then how were these details missed? And on top of these issues, no one could definitively tell me if this car is in fact a CPO vehicle. The online listing stated that the vehicle was a CPO, the sticker across the windshield clearly stated that it was Certified and I was told about the CPO coverage for my car and the benefits that are available to me since I am a CPO but Lexus Headquarters is not showing my car with CPO status. I’ve had this vehicle for less than a week and it had already stressed me out.
Though I really like my car, I am not sure that I made the right decision, as this experience should have been exciting, fun, stress-free and mirrored the purchase of my GS300 or my ES300. I know I did not purchase an $80K LS or LX but this purchase is a major one for me and I was expecting and hoping to be treated the same way a customer who may have been buying one of those vehicles. I was hoping for that euphoric feeling that a new car customer gets when bringing their new toy home, but I do not.
damn dude welcome back...A lot of people been complaining about Lexus CPO as of late...even the previous salesperson I dealt with tried to pawn off an IS that had been in an accident as CPO...I was pretty pissed.
08-21-12, 12:36 PM
#72
Lexus HQ is still waiting for McGrath to respond.
08-29-12, 04:51 PM
#74
08-29-12, 04:55 PM
#75
