I bought my first Lexus a year ago and to be honest have not been impressed with the dealership (Lexus of Richmond Hill). My main issue is during the delivery of the vehicle and not so much with the service department. I have filed a complaint with Lexus Canada but only received a call from the head of service department regarding couple defects that i pointed out but there were no acknowledgement regarding the customer service issues during the delivery of the vehicle. Having said that, i just want to get your opinion on getting your oil change/routine services done elsewhere as I am not keen on bringing my vehicle back to that dealership. Do any of you service your lexus at a Toyota dealership? TIA

 

Not me - I use the Lexus dealer every time and they provide top notch service including a loaner every single time even for an oil change.

 

You can take your new car anywhere you choose. And probably for less money than the dealer. Find an independent service facility that you trust and that has good reviews and use them, or go to a Toyota dealer for your service. It's your choice and hopefully you'll only need oil changes and tire rotations which some tire stores do for free... Good Luck with the new wheels...

 

One of the benefits of having a large family and group of friends is that I get first-hand feedback on their experiences. Most of the feedback when taking a vehicle to the dealership has been negative. That being said, I would never recommend anyone to take their vehicle in to the dealership to get serviced.

Since I have leased all of my vehicles for over a decade now, service requirements are limited to an oil change. For that, I go to my nearest Valvoline instant oil change location. I don't have to exit my vehicle and it typically only takes about 15 minutes to be completed. Having to wait for over an hour at a dealership is a huge inconvenience IMO.

 

Over the course of the 15+ years that I've been driving Lexus vehicles, I've used the local Toyota dealer for all non-warranty maintenance and repairs.

The Toyota dealer uses the same parts and materials that the Lexus dealer uses, and the cost of work at the Toyota dealer has typically been 50% or less of what the Lexus dealer would charge for the same work. For example, a few years ago, I had a leak in the refrigerant line for the AC system on my GX. The Lexus dealer said that they would need to replace the entire line, and they quoted me around $2000 to do the work. The Toyota dealer quoted me around $1000 for the same repair, but they said that, instead of replacing the entire line, they could just replace the bad fitting that was the source of the leak. I had them replace that fitting,for a cost of around $200-250, and that simpler repair completely solved the problem. Cost savings at the Toyota dealer have been similar for maintenance work, such as an oil change.

At the Toyota dealer, they have a waiting room that is just as nice as the one at the Lexus dealer. The waiting area has a large screen TV and internet access, just like the Lexus dealer, and they offer premium coffee and snacks, just like the Lexus dealer does. For any repairs or maintenance, they offer a loaner car. The only difference between what the Toyota dealer offers and what the Lexus dealer offers is that the loaner car that I get at the Toyota dealer is likely to a Camry, instead of the ES that I might get at the Lexus dealer.

Shortly after getting my first Lexus vehicle, I came to the conclusion that Lexus service departments 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 a premium price for service.

 

Based on your post I decided to check my local Valvoline oil change center for the cost involved for my 2019 ES 350. An oil change with a "non premium" (mystery) filter was $97.28. At my Lexus dealer it's $75.00 with a genuine Lexus filter and oil. Now I'm not a big fan of taking my car into the dealer for anything, but here's a stark reminder that there are differences out there. Yes, it's fast, but sometimes fast isn't the best...

 

DIY is the best way to reduce cost and ensure a quality job.

 

Don't forget the coupon which will save you an extra $7.00 bucks... LOL. If you're that worried about an oil filter just buy it online and ask them to install it. I'm sure that an "authentic" oil filter will make all the difference.

 

You are correct and I did every one on my 2013 and the first one - on me - is coming up on the '19 in December... About $30.00 for oil and $6.95 for a filter + my labor... And I enjoy working on the car...

Just a little tidbit about sitting in your car listening to Amazon Music while the oil is being changed; the $8.00 an hour "technician" could be having a cigarette or eating his/her lunch (or yours) and sending you on your way. Happened right here in Pennsylvania a few years ago when the PA Attorney General did an investigation of a company that did changes in a jiffy...

 

Our only Lexus dealer within about 450 miles is located at the opposite end of the same building from the same dealer’s Toyota store. I suspect they would decline to service my Lexus since they are the same dealer. If they did accept it, they would probably charge Lexus price so I might as well go to the other side of the building and get the free cookie (and loaner if desired).

I do feel like this dealer has treated us fairly so I don’t have any trouble taking my business to them anyway. I have owned numerous Toyotas and didn’t notice a sharp increase in service costs from this dealer when we had both. I haven’t compared prices recently now that both of our vehicles are Lexus brand.

 

For new cars I ALWAYS use the dealership, even for routine oil changes. I've found if there are issues down the road there can't be any finger pointing since they were the only ones who serviced the vehicle!

 

Thanks for all your replies.

 

I would say in today's World very few people change their own oil/filter. I know there are still some out there that do but in area where I live, I just don't see it happening or at least I never see it. #70's80's kind of thing

 

Plenty people still do it but I ain't one of them

 

I did it on my Impala but this car was a cover on it and other bs, taking it to the dealer on Monday for an oil change and some service stuff. $80 and not even a rotation.