atlg8r

I'm just about to get the 15,000 mile service on my '04 GX 470.

When I read the service manual that came with the car, this term's service looks like a glorified oil change and tire rotation/balance.

The local dealer wants $350+ for this.

Is there any reason why I shouldn't visit a local authorized Lexus repair shop and have this done for less than $100?? (Other than me liking to throw away money)

Rx900

what kind of repair shop?? try Toyota dealers.

bgsntth

Yes, your suspicions are correct. The dealer is trying to scam you, most likely by throwing in unecessary and pricey service items into the 15K service (e.g., transmission and differential fluid change). I started a thread on this about a month ago. The good news is that you caught this before you took it in for the the 15K, unlike myself My dealer actually charged $450 for the 15K, and others have seen even higher prices.

Fusion400

Can I get GX470 oil filter from my local Toyota dealer if I choose to DIY instead of lexus? They should have the same oil filter part number as 4Runner right?

<VENOM>

skip it, go in when you hit 30k just get an oil change and tire roatation, check out your local Toyota dealer, they usually have their price half of what Lexus wants

I asked Lexus why they have maintenance intervals at 15k, 30k, 45k, 60k, 90k, 120k, odd how it goes from every 15k to 30k, the dealers like to milk the owners while the cars are new

<VENOM>

Just ask for a V8 4Runner oil filter

Solomoan

I armed myself with some of the tips gleaned from this thread, and thought I'd catch my dealer on a few spots. However, they printed their standard 15,000 service, and it did not include changing diff or tranny fluids. They did change A/C filter, and charge $180 labor because it's 1.5 hours for the tech. My parts were $90, and with tax, got billed for $288.

Oh, and after I left, noticed my left front headlight out...(Shi!!!) My XenonDepot HID kit! They told me the clip had broken and the whole thing had to come out. $116 later I've got the frickin factory bulbs back in...(I have misplaced the originals, and couldn't risk days of driving around with no headlights...).

I am definitely going to use the Toyota service dept in the dealership right next door from here on out.

Capirato

Solomoan.....

The ProXenon HIDs are 100% Plug and Play and each side is completely separate.

Under the same circumstances, all you would have had to do, is remove the HID bulb and replace it with an OEM. Then plug the original OEM Plug into the bulb socket.

~ Cap

PitBull

Och!! I did the air conditioning filter myself, at around 1 year and 20K miles took 5 minutes and I bought the air conditioning filter at Auto Zone (Bosch it looked like a better filter then the OEM it has more filter area) cost around $19. Now at 15K you might also need a oil/filter change and I had my front and rear diff's done. Cost me around $29 for the oil/filter change and $30 for both of the diff's. I rotate the michelins every 8K miles ($18). Never ever buy a dealer service package!!! Look at the manual and ask for specific maintance items. There are also other items that are not listed that should be done (example flush brake fluid every 2 years). At 30K you will want to change the engine air filter but do it yourself, only take a few minutes and removing 4 clips, I would use the OEM airfilter.

<VENOM>

Im sorry but that filter is not worth 180 bucks, I would flip out, probably kill someone, that seems to be the only thing that works with service writers.

gs400jon

At my last servicing, I asked to have the A/C filter changed. The service writer said it wasn't that dirty and had it cleaned. No charge.

Solomoan

The $180 labor charge was for the 15,000 mile servicing, which included:
-tire rotation (I marked the tires to make sure this was done).
-changing oil/oil filter
-changing a/c filter
-lubing chassis
-visual 30 point inspection (which is what really pissed me off as they checked off that the headlights were in working order).

The two filters were billed at $36 & $38 respectively.

There was also a mysterious "miscellaneous shop supply" charge of $20 that I just noticed.

I'm chalking this up to a "lesson learned", realizing that I was the chump on this one, but vow that it won't happen again.

et415

I'm not sure if I would skip any scheduled service, and if I did do some service myself or using a non-Lexus shop, I would keep meticulous records. At a Lexus Owners Clinic recently, the service manager warned that the Lexus warranty applies only if the owner maintains the car as recommended. He said using only Lexus dealers for service is better if you ever need warranty work since all work at Lexus dealers nationwide are hooked into a national database, which can easily be looked up, and Lexus dealers only use Lexus-quality parts.. If you go outside the Lexus network, then you have to show that the car was properly maintained (at least the part that is broken). Using non-Lexus parts may also raise some inquiries. I have no idea whether a skipped oil change or using a cheap no-name oil filter is grounds for a warranty denial for, say, premature engine breakdown, but I thought I'd pass along his comments, for what it's worth.

PitBull

I get a kick out of how these dealers talk out of both sides of their mouths. I've looked at 3 different CPO LX470's and I've examined their service records. On one their were no records in the data base other then a 30K miles service done by the CPO dealer at the 50K mile mark. The others both showed that all of the oil/filter changes were down on a 9-10K mile interval versus the required 5K mile interval. Makes you wonder doesn't it??? When I question this with the dealer the response from the sales manager was "what do you care your covered if anything goes wrong up to 100K miles or 6 years". I guess I cared because when you buy a CPO vehicle you expect to get the very best maintained vehicle, not one that was eyeballed by a tech for 1 hour and judged to be OK. Also I guess when you get a CPO vehicle it means that the vehicles life starts over at that point and you only need to show it was care for from that point on to cover you for warranty problems? I guess what the dealers are telling the customer is do as I say not as I do.

<VENOM>

The Lexus tech and parts guy was trying to tell me that I should pay for a 90 dollar synthetic oil change every 5k cause synthetic was better, yet they could not tell me why it was better but somehow it's worth more but not better then dino oil, but they don't recommend going longer then 5k then whats the point.

Then somehow the guy starts telling me about the GX 470 and the all aluminum engine, I had to explain to the guy 1st an all aluminum engine has steel sleeves and 2nd that the GX is an iron block.

The service writer have quotas they have to meet, they need to sell $100,000 or more monthly of non warranty items, when I worked as a tech they sold people work they did not even need, really sad that Dealers are allowed to do that, it's basically a crime.