Where is everyone servicing your ES?
06-20-18, 02:15 PM
#1
Driver School Candidate
Thread Starter
Where is everyone servicing your ES?
I am curious to see where do everyone bring their ES for regular maintenance / service (oil / filter change, tire rotation, etc.), and why??
A) Lexus dealership
B) 3rd party national recognized service shops
C) Independent / Privately-owned auto shops
D) DIY
Thank you in advance for your respond!!
A) Lexus dealership
B) 3rd party national recognized service shops
C) Independent / Privately-owned auto shops
D) DIY
Thank you in advance for your respond!!
06-20-18, 02:32 PM
#2
Pit Crew
C) Independently owned private stop - they only service Japanese cars and known in the community to have good service and be honest.
Prices are consistently 30-40% lower than the dealership so this is a no brainer. At my Lexus dealership, that service B or whatever that only has an oil change and tire rotation is over $170 and this shop charges $90 for the same service.
Prices are consistently 30-40% lower than the dealership so this is a no brainer. At my Lexus dealership, that service B or whatever that only has an oil change and tire rotation is over $170 and this shop charges $90 for the same service.
06-20-18, 02:58 PM
#3
Lead Lap
In the 15 years or so since I started driving Lexus vehicles, I've had all of my non-warranty service done at the Toyota dealer, and the prices that I have paid have been half or less what the Lexus dealer would charge for the same service. For example, at the Toyota dealer, I pay $41 (with a $10 coupon that is always available) for a full synthetic change, and the Toyota dealer uses the same oil and filter that the Lexus dealer would use. Lexus dealers typically charge $100 or significantly more for the same full synthetic oil change.
A number of years ago, I had a leak in the refrigerant line on my GX. The Lexus dealer told me that the entire refrigerant line had to be replaced, and they quoted me $1800 for the repair. The Toyota dealer quoted me $800 for the same repair, but they said that the entire line did not have to be replaced. Instead, they just replaced the fitting that was the source of the leak. The repair, including recharging the AC system, cost me less than $200, and the AC system, with that repair, has performed flawlessly in the 6 years or so since the repair was done.
The service departments at Lexus dealers seem to operate on the principle that, if people are willing to pay a premium price for a Lexus vehicle, they will also be willing to pay through the nose for service.These and other similar experiences have led me to choose not to use the Lexus dealer for anything other than warranty service.
A number of years ago, I had a leak in the refrigerant line on my GX. The Lexus dealer told me that the entire refrigerant line had to be replaced, and they quoted me $1800 for the repair. The Toyota dealer quoted me $800 for the same repair, but they said that the entire line did not have to be replaced. Instead, they just replaced the fitting that was the source of the leak. The repair, including recharging the AC system, cost me less than $200, and the AC system, with that repair, has performed flawlessly in the 6 years or so since the repair was done.
The service departments at Lexus dealers seem to operate on the principle that, if people are willing to pay a premium price for a Lexus vehicle, they will also be willing to pay through the nose for service.These and other similar experiences have led me to choose not to use the Lexus dealer for anything other than warranty service.
06-20-18, 02:58 PM
#4
A) Lexus dealership - piece of mind.
06-20-18, 03:22 PM
#5
Are you saying a Toyota dealership wouldn't give you that same "peace of mind"? That said, I now do my own oil changes and take my ES to Discount Tire for free tire rotations. There's not really much else you can't do yourself, like filter replacements. The rest is mostly dealer profit items, so I just skip them. My wife's Honda is 8 years old and has had nothing done but what I mentioned above. Wear items, like brakes, are different, though.
06-20-18, 04:35 PM
#6
Trending Topics
06-20-18, 04:59 PM
#8
Lead Lap
Are you saying a Toyota dealership wouldn't give you that same "peace of mind"? That said, I now do my own oil changes and take my ES to Discount Tire for free tire rotations. There's not really much else you can't do yourself, like filter replacements. The rest is mostly dealer profit items, so I just skip them. My wife's Honda is 8 years old and has had nothing done but what I mentioned above. Wear items, like brakes, are different, though.
For me, my peace of mind comes from knowing that, if I get my service done at the Toyota dealer, I will still have, in my pocket, over half of the money that I would have spent for the same service at the Lexus dealer and, also, knowing that the Toyota service advisor isn't going to try to sell me a long list of services that the car doesn't need.
06-20-18, 05:21 PM
#9
Lead Lap
Are you saying a Toyota dealership wouldn't give you that same "peace of mind"? That said, I now do my own oil changes and take my ES to Discount Tire for free tire rotations. There's not really much else you can't do yourself, like filter replacements. The rest is mostly dealer profit items, so I just skip them. My wife's Honda is 8 years old and has had nothing done but what I mentioned above. Wear items, like brakes, are different, though.
06-20-18, 05:31 PM
#10
Lead Lap
I'm not sure that I even know what "peace of mind" means, but I know that that is what the salesperson at Best Buy tells me that I will have if I buy a $350 service contract for an $800 TV.
For me, my peace of mind comes from knowing that, if I get my service done at the Toyota dealer, I will still have, in my pocket, over half of the money that I would have spent for the same service at the Lexus dealer and, also, knowing that the Toyota service advisor isn't going to try to sell me a long list of services that the car doesn't need.
For me, my peace of mind comes from knowing that, if I get my service done at the Toyota dealer, I will still have, in my pocket, over half of the money that I would have spent for the same service at the Lexus dealer and, also, knowing that the Toyota service advisor isn't going to try to sell me a long list of services that the car doesn't need.
06-20-18, 05:52 PM
#11
I am at the stage of life where , no, I will not be doing my own oil changes and driveway maintenance. Convenience is worth a lot to me, and I am not a young person trying to save a buck any time I can.
06-20-18, 06:13 PM
#12
06-20-18, 07:29 PM
#13
Are you saying a Toyota dealership wouldn't give you that same "peace of mind"? That said, I now do my own oil changes and take my ES to Discount Tire for free tire rotations. There's not really much else you can't do yourself, like filter replacements. The rest is mostly dealer profit items, so I just skip them. My wife's Honda is 8 years old and has had nothing done but what I mentioned above. Wear items, like brakes, are different, though.
in our neck of the woods the Toyo dealers have "special" mechanics and all they are qualified to do is oil changes. If a different service question arises during an oil change they have a "real" mechanic look at the car.
These oil change mechanics don't have to be Toyota or Ase certified and also can work at Walmart changing oil
no such practice at the Lexus dealership, hence the $150 vs $50 for the oil change
#safe harbor statement# all examples above are complete fiction and do not apply to any specific dealership or city in the USA
06-21-18, 02:27 AM
#14
Instructor
well for normal things like oil changes I now go to a Toyota dealer.. for tire rotations I go to the shop where I bought the tires since they do free rotations...anything mechanical ( and this hasn'thappened yet ) I have a very good friend who owns his own body shop.. they've been in business for about 30 years and he also has a mechanic on duty, so things like brakes will probably get done there... Used to take it to Lexus for every thing until my warranty was up... not to mention I had one service writer ask me when I took my car in for an oil change if I wanted the rear differential service as well.. an extra 90 bucks I believe... which isn't unreasonable.....except front wheel drive cars dont have rear differentials... oh and lets not forget the time the service writer at the dealership told me that "he had heard" if you use an after market battery in a lexus, it will only last about 6 months.. well In january I put in a new interstate so I guess it's going to go belly up on me in about a week or so... hahaha... have you ever heard such a crock of, well you know, nonsense. Stuff like that will keep me away from the dealership...
Roland
Roland
06-21-18, 02:54 AM
#15
Pole Position
The Toyota dealership. The only thing I have done is every 10,000 miles an oil change and tire rotation and every 30,000 miles brake fluid changed. I change the air and cabin air filters bought on line and takes five minutes for both. I take my Mobil 1 and filter bought on line and they charge me $25 for labor. All service work is recorded under my vehicle on drivers.lexus.com.