First non-dealer oil change
 

Today I had my first non-dealer oil change at 10k and I think it went pretty well compared to my previous dealership experiences. I asked for full synthetic and got Castrol Edge Full Synthetic 5W30. Parts and labor seemed reasonable. I believe I could've saved a few dollars by bringing my own oil, so perhaps next time. If you are in the San Diego area I highly recommend TLC (Toyota Lexus Care) Auto for all your needs. They only work on Toyota and Lexus and use all OEM parts.

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Honestly, that oil seems kinda expensive. At Wal-Mart, that same oil is $27.48 for a 5-quart jug, or just under $60 for two of them with tax. I would just bring your own and save yourself about $30. That is what I've been doing. I take my Pennzoil Platinum 5W-30 to the dealer, and they charge me about $65 for labor and parts (i.e. the filter and drain plug), when I pay just under $60 for the oil. (It is roughly the same price as the Castrol.) So, out-the-door for $120. It looks like your shop would be even cheaper than the dealership if you brought your own oil. When I used the dealership-provided oil, I was only paying $110.

Yep, way expensive. I pay that at Lexus more or less.

One thing that may also factor into the cost is convenience and professionalism. Is TLC local? Is it easy to get appointments? Do they listen to you when you ask questions? Do they care about what they are doing? If the answer is yes to these questions, then it might be worth the extra few dollars. Just my thought.

Castrol Edge Full Synthetic is good & used that oil on my previous Subarus. I would buy the oil & let the tech use it.

That is cheaper than my Lexus dealer. They raise prices every time I go. My mom did the full service (oil change, cabin filter, and "inspections" they don't even do) on her LS 500 and it was nearly $500. And I drove her an hour to get there!

If they really don't do the inspections, you can request they send a walk-around while the car is up on the lift. That'll make em do it. lol

Seriously, I wish Lexus had some kind of quality control or standards for dealers.

I did! Never got it. Supposed to get a print out and a video too. When all was said and done i could have sat around even longer waiting or leave and we left. I have been considering not using the dealership for oil changes, got a local place that does only Toyota/Lexus as well.

I'm only going to use the dealership until my car is out of warranty. Just for the sake of record keeping and over the top peace of mind. I know that you don't have to service it at the dealership and they still have to acknowledge warranty, but part of me thinks I'd get less push back this way and the money I'd save wouldn't be worth the headaches.

I take all my cars to Firestone. Been a customer for 15 years in 3 different cities. IMO theyre eaiser to work with than the dealer. The dealer acts large and in charge and has a certain veil of secrecy to their operations which makes it more annoying when they get things wrong. I've had them overfill oil and quote the wrong oil weight. It also doesn't instill confidence that my service manual says the IS500 uses 0W-20. :egads: At Firestone they tend to be more transparent about what theyre doing. Their garage bays and lifts are open to watch them work, and I can be a bit more demanding during the invoicing.

Yeah, I get you. I agree, if there is a problem they're more likely to take care of it when you've got a relationship with them and they service the car.