10,000 mile dealer non-service
 

Made an appointment with my dealer for the second complimentary oil change at the upcoming 10k mileage mark. This morning, the time came.

Dealership said, "We've just instituted a 3% credit card surcharge. Bill is $378. Want to pay some other way?" I said, "I was under the impression I was entitled to two complimentary services." They replied, "That expired at 18 months. You've had your (2022) car nearly two years. That no longer applies."

Notwithstanding the idea of paying $378 for essentially an oil change, I declined on principle. Then I asked about the other item I was bringing it in for: shutting off the incredibly annoying alarm that beeps continuously unto distraction within 15 seconds if I have 2 people in the back seat and haven't buckled the seat belt over the vacated center position. (The car apparently thinks there's a person in the middle, even if nothing is resting there.) They replied they can't stop that either: "You can shut off the alert to your mobile app, but not the alarm in the car. It's a safety feature. Sorry."

I'm sorry, too. Guess I'll never be able to use that fancy center rear armrest as long as I live. Not happy today.

Things to remember,The only time you go to the dealer is for warranty work period.
I take the oil and filter and oil plug to the Toyota dealer and I get a tire rotation and get out the door for $47 once a year, done deal.

My ES sporadically chirps the rear seat belt alarm and has been doing so for five years. I rarely have anyone back there so pretty much do as you did - buckle up the empty seat when necessary. Oil changes - as others say, use an inde shop. I pay roughly $80 for an oil change and tire rotation.

Can't you deactivate that seat belt chime with Carista?

I bet you can if you know what Carista is:) There must be a design flaw in the seat sensors back there. For me, doesn't matter most of the time. In fact, the last time someone sat back there, he said "has anyone ever sat back here"

Given the particular details, no sympathy from me on this.

It is right there in regular print in the 20XX Lexus ES XXXX Warranty and Services Guide you only get one, ONE, complementary service that includes an oil and oil filter change. The terms on that complementary service are:
(emphasis added)

Sure, the Lexus dealer has contractual obligations to perform the first complimentary service (performed at six months or 5,000 miles, whichever occurs first) and the second complimentary service (performed at 12 months or 10,000 miles, whichever occurs first) which includes an oil and oil filter change, BUT you, the customer, also have a contractual obligation to schedule those services as required by the contract terms.

You didn't meet your contractual obligation for a dealer provided complimentary service so you really have no grounds for complaining about not getting a service at no cost to you.

"You didn't meet your contractual obligation for a dealer provided complimentary service so you really have no grounds for complaining about not getting a service at no cost to you."
Agreed, but they should've warned him first to avoid this misunderstanding.
Incidentally, my dealer said as a matter of courtesy, they will be flexible on those mileage and time parameters----within a few months and a few thousand miles each way.
Like another poster, each year, I, too, take my (Castrol fully synthetic 10,000 mile) oil and a first class oil filter (from Walmart) to my independent mechanic, who changes out the oil and filter and rotates the tires. Whole thing costs me maybe $55 (cash)/year. :) I check the placement of my driver's side floor mat myself!!!

Good sir, I made this post to tell my story and express my displeasure. I have done so. Where did you get the misimpression that I was soliciting grp52's sympathy?

Agreed, on all counts. I am a bit puzzled at how this is not a malfunction. It's hard for me to imagine that the car was designed so that it made an incessant, insufferable alarm noise every time you put two people in the back seat and neglect to buckle up the one who isn't there. It makes me wonder if the weight sensor in the center position is defective.

Good suggestion, thanks! Carista's site says I can. Of course, that answer begs another question: If Carista lets me do it, why did my dealer tell me they couldn't?

I don't understand either. My DW had the same experience when requesting to turn off the "Front Passenger Seat Belt Reminder" on our 2019 Rav4 Adv. because when she placed some carry-on objects on the seat it will start to chime a few seconds later. They stated a security issue; but the "Personalized Settings Sheet" shows this as available to be turned off by dealer. In the end I used the Carista App with my OBDLink LX on Android to turn off this on the Rav4 and my new ES 300h. It's pretty easy, plus you will have a bunch of other settings to customize without going to the dealer.

Wow this dealer is tight, I guess they must be the only dealer in the area... or you didn't bought the car from them, essentially this costs them next to nothing and the customer most likely will bring the car back for services in the future, I do not understand the logic, maybe you talked to a wrong service rep...

The dealer that I bought the car from them, If I have any issues, I just talk to the sale rep. who sold me the car, he can get me an appointment even if they are full for that particular day, or get me some perks and discounts etc.

I believe that must be the case.

I can’t help but think this is a legal liability that some dealers want to avoid. I had heard some dealers were reluctant to turn off the seatbelt chimes. Fortunately, I showed the service rep the page in the manual that talked of dealer options and simply said “I want that”. There was no argument.

I believe the seatbelt reminder can be turned off in the Vehicle Settings menu:

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.clu...55e3433715.jpg


If that doesn't work (or in my case, what I did before I discovered this OR Carista) is cut the cables to the seat belt sensors:

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.clu...8ab46f4369.jpg

I don't like cutting wires in a car but this is something I will NEVER need to undo. Even when I sell the car. It's a stupid "feature". Almost as bad as not displaying Gracenote information on songs when the car is in motion because that somehow distracts your driving. :egads:

It literally takes 1 minute to access the cables. There are the two above, which are for the rear passenger side and middle and one for the passenger seat behind the driver. The sensors activate when the circuit is closed not open. In other words, when the buckle goes in, it opens the circuit, turning off the notification. When the buckle isn't clipped, the circuit is closed. Therefore, cutting the wires leaves the circuit permanently open making the car think the buckle is always clipped in.

Edit - Don't try this with the front seats. The airbag system is integrated into the seat buckles and you'll trigger an SRS light on the dashboard. For the front passenger seat, I deactivated via Carista. For the driver seat it's not an issue because I always wear my seatbelt.