amberspark

Hi All-
I am so grateful for Club Lexus and all of the knowledgable members here!

The dealership told me that my 2007 ES 350 needs to have all 4 strut mounts replaced, as well as the left axle CV boot. They quoted me $3500 for these repairs.

They also told me that the transmission case halves were leaking so they put sealant on it as a temporary fix to "buy me some time". The repair quote for this was $3200

I will save the sob story, but I am going through a tough divorce and am beyond short on funds.

Can anyone offer any advice on how to get these repairs done as cheaply as possible? I am really in a bind with money being tied up in the divorce. I would be so, so thankful for any advice!

NickTee

Wow, that's insane quoting. The struts are around $700 in OEM part prices and the mounts are $100 each, the boot isn't even $50. So even if you had the struts, mounts, and CV boot replaced, it'd still only be $1,100-1,200 in parts and it's certainly not going to require $2,300 in labor(I guess they need 20 hours worth of labor, 4 of which would actually be work). Sounds like they're ripping you off. The Transmission case thing also sounds even more like bull**** and the pricing is hilarious unless they're installing a brand new transmission for you(which probably isn't required). And honestly, it shouldn't cost $3,000 for both(if they're actually necessary) combined, let alone each one.
This sounds like a classic case of them trying to take advantage of you because you're female. Go on Yelp or Google, look for good reviews(especially from females), and have a male coworker or friend bring it for you. As ridiculous as it is, if the guy knows even a little bit about the car, they won't try to bull**** the price.

Tpcorr

Since your car is similar to the Toyota Camry, some Toyota shops will do repairs on the ES 350 for much lower prices than a Lexus dealer would. Just another suggestion you may want to check out.

Tom

s9211

Have you tried contacting a local mechanic? A lot of mechanics who work on Honda/Toyota will work on Lexus. I take all my cars to a trusted mechanic who has worked on my cars for years now. I am in the process of buying a Lexus and asked him if he can work on Lexus.

There is usually huge savings when you can find a good local mechanic vs. getting repairs at the dealership.

jkayca

Indeed! My local mechanic works on my ES all the time. It's basically the same as the Camry.

Not that my mechanic has had to do anything major. Just oil changes and brakes.