My Dealership Hates me!
 

So...

My car pulls to the right slightly, and when I go above 70 mph the tire seems to shimmy. All this movement comes from my passenger front tire. Through the steering wheel I can also feel that when I make a right handed turn there is like a funny feeling in the tire.

My friends tell me it is either the alignment, the balancing, or maybe even the belt in the tire.

So here is the part where my dealership hates me. I understand they are busy and have appointments made in advance and what not but I tried calling the dealership for an HOUR!! and repeatedly got an answering machine for the service. I called another dealership and immediately got someone on the phone -- they were booked no help there. ANYWAY!!

I call back again, and I am polite and mild the entire time and ask to speak to a person instead of an answering machine. I get the service manager who I have already had issues with and he immediately recognizes it is me. That is good and bad (my issue before was I had oily finger prints on my center console after an oil change, and under my hood on the engine cover. My interior is sterling so any bit of oil is noticeable immediately!) He tells me they are booked two weeks out. I'm sorry but I find that unacceptable considering my car is pretty much brand new (4 months).. and is having a steering issue. I tell him that if I continue to drive the car the tire may get premature wearing and I don't want that to happen considering the drive I make every day to work and home. He apologizes, but still there is nothing he can do for me! He mentions maybe that he can bump one of his customers off so I can come in (I live at least 100 miles away from my dealership). I really don't want him to do that, because if I was on that end I wouldn't be happy! I mean it takes an hour max to align and balance tires!! Anyway --- I mention taking my car to a toyota dealership and letting them work on my car, he is hesitant but agrees and says he'll pay for the expenses.

So.. do I do it? Take it to the Toyota dealership? I mean.. if they break something can that fall back on me and Lexus not fix the car? I want my car to be fixed but at the same time I don't want to void my warranty on the vehicle. Decisions.. Decisions!

I think you shouldn't do it until his words are on a form with signature and state that his dealer would pay toyota all fees.

if you do goto the toyota dealership, you should get the service manager to give you something in writing stating that he will cover any expenses or whatever.

Well its not even the cost that I am worried about...

My main concern is.... even though the car is covered through warranty, can work done to the car outside of the dealership void my warranty? The guy said he would pay for it(which is the Service Manager), I've got his cell number .. and if he doesn't well we are going to have a HUGE problem as this is already strike two with this service place.

I'm sorry but I think you should call him back (eventhough he hates you) to find out if that fix would void your warranty or not. But I think it shouldn't since Lexus is a branch of Toyota.

uh... i don't see how your dealership hates you... but i would just wait the 2 weeks...

Here is what I would do if I really lived 100 miles away from a dealership.

Go to a local tire shop and get all your tires balanced again. This will cost no more then $40 bucks. You will spend more money on gas and you will have to waste a day and take it off from work.

And if that doesnt fix the problem take it in to the dealer.

Thats what I would do.

it's not going to void your warranty. If the toyota dealership (or the Mom and Pop shop) damages your car or does faulty work, then you have to resolve the issue with them. However, if they do their job correctly, then there is no reason to void your warranty.

They hate me because everytime I call I complain about something they have done to my car. And I complained because it deserved it. Shouldn't come back to a car with oily fingerprints on sterling interior after an oil change. :(

Its bad when the service manager knows exactly who you are and they have only serviced your car once. :(

Anyway, I'm off to get my stuff balanced... Hopefully that resolves my issue.

I'd wait it out and have it done right! In the meantime you can call 800-25-Lexus, to document your complaint.

maybe you have one of those faulty dunlops that causes the car steer to the right???

It should be alright, I have an Acura TSX and sometimes take it to the Honda dealer when Acura is full and Im not getting anything major done, I have been assured by my service manager that it will NOT void the Acura warranty.

You should also be fine, they are under the same branch.....

I have the same problem, and if you have dunlop tires, it is because of them.

I have not even bothered to resolve this issue with my dealership cause I know they will just blame it on my car being lowered. Waiting on my wheels and new tires, then these dunlops are gone for good and will never buy again.

Good luck with your problem. I have read that some owners have gotten new tires (Bridgestone) due to the dunlops.