When I first bought the car and took it to the dealer for an oil change, I was charged $100 (oil, tire rotation, wash). Since then, I always had my local mechanic do the same thing (minus wash) for around $40.

Now my local mechanic is moving and I am going to have to do something. Does anyone trust those Jiffy Lube and Lube Express places? Every time I take my beater car there, they recommend changing everything. Of course, it's my beater car so I tell them to forget it.

I was just curious if everyone else is willing to pay the dealer this highway robbery?

 

Stay away from places like jiffy lube and lube express. These guys are more concerned about amount/volume of oil changes vs. qulaity. I heard some horror stories wth places like that.

Usually, its some high school dropout that is changing the oil and doesnt know the difference between fuel filter and oil filter.

Also, depends if you are putting MOBIL1 or not. If you are, bring your own oil and filter and watch them do it and don't just sit in the waiting room. I am ****, so I go out there with them. And if they say no customers allowed inside than just wait outside the garage and constantly watch what they are doing. Alot of these guys will put regular oil in if you are not watching and keep the Mobile 1 for themselves. If you are dropping your car off the change and cant watch, mark the bottles and insist you want the empty bottles back.

The biggest crock is when they hit you up for other things. Like, "when is the last time you changed your tranmission oil" Look it here it's suppose to be pink and not brown/black. I suggest strongly to change it. "
If they end up changing it, guranteed the color after 1 day of driving will make the pink tranmission oil turn it dark brown.

I remember when I was back in college and hard up for cash and took my car for an oil change. The guy tells me I have a AC leak in my radiator. He busts out little ac leak detector and tells me look it coming from here. I ask him how long till my ac runs out. He responds and says, about 3 weeks it will be all out of coolant and you should get it repaired now for $450 dollars. He was so convincing, that I almost let him talk me into to it. I decided to wait until later to do it or when i runs out.
YUP, 4 years later my camry AC is still kicking *** and going strong. I have no respect for people who try to conive and cheat the average consumer.

By the way, I pay $45 bucks for a Mobile 1 oil change.

 

i do my own.

its really easy with an investment of 100 bucks u can have everything u need even if you have absolutly nothing, then its just the price of the oil and the filter each time u wanna do it

 

How'd you do that?

You just described most Lexus dealers to a "T".

"Stay away from places like"

There is NO dealer today that would use anyone close to "skilled" for routine, repetitive, tasks, brake fluid "flushing" included.

Learn to DIY, but please dispose of the used fluids properly.

 

I used be more than happy to take all my pre-Lexus rides to Jiffy lube but wouldn't dream of it today. I agree with everything that drewgs4 has to say about those places. I don't have the time nor the space to do my own oil changes and I'm more than happy to spend a little extra for the piece of mind.

 

this is just my experience...on two seperate occassions, those lube-and-thru places all made mistakes to my old cars...so never again...

luckily with referrals, i found this tech who charges $10 labor when i bring my own parts....straight cash deal..this way i get to bring my own filter, M-ONE, and in-n-out in 30 minutes...total cost ~$40 with mobil ONE

btw, my lex dealer only charges $40 for regular oil or $60 for M-one..all with free wash...

 

see my webpage yet?

 

My dad and I change our own oil. I don't see what's so hard about it. I would never pay anybody to do something so simple. And chance are that they would screw it up. When I do it, I know it's done right.

 

oil changes at the dealer

cheap and top service



yezzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

just go to any normal place like mobil station where there is a big station so that you'll see they doing quality work..

 

I do it at home,Mobil 1& Lexus filter.

Fernando.

 

I did a very detailed thread with pics in the MAINTENANCE forum not too long ago.
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...threadid=52410

Otherwise, I let the dealer do it when I am adding mods or something.

 

The only mechanic that I can trust. ME. I do an oil change once a month.
So many places like to use air guns to remove and INSTALL the oil pan drain plugs which strips the bolt or worse the pan.

 

For nine years I have taken all my cars to the dealer for every scheduled maintenance. Maybe I'm getting ripped off (maybe? ), but when there's a problem, I've got proof that I've done everything by the book. Especially now with my L-Tuned GS430, the most expensive thing I've EVER bought, I'd much rather trust a certified Lexus mechanic than some grease monkey or my own questionable skills. I just don't see the logic in saving (at most) a few hundred bucks on preventive maintenance on something so expensive...

 

exactly that. this is my first car and i've yet to be able to confidently mess with anything. my dealer charges me $37.50. is that a little cheap? can someone guess why?