Using all caps is considered offensive. Please limit the use of them. It lessens the impact of the statement and many will just plain not read it. In the online world it is considered yelling.

 

Steve,

on behalf of CLubLexus and the other moderators, I'd like to 1st thank you for becoming part of our community. Second, I'd like to apologize for the circumstances that brought you to our community. I think most of us here are happy to see dealer participation, it validates our Club, and helps the Lexus brand image. I applaud your efforts in trying to resolve this matter with Mr. Hall, unfortunatley not to his satisfaction. It is always beneficial to the members to hear both sides of the story, since we all know that somewhere in the middle we can find the truth.

I hope that this first experience with ClubLexus has not left you feeling that our Club is a "gripe-line", but rather a tight knit community that cares about its membership. We all try to look out for each other here, and hope that you will continue to interact with us to better the relationship between our membership and dealers like yourselves.

Once again, it was unfortunate for your first interaction with CL to be one of a defensive nature, but you are welcome here. I'm sure you may even find out some information about Lexus that most dealers are not aware of. Posting your response was a good first step in letting people (our members) know that your dealership does in fact represent Lexus and its ideals.

 

Wow, what a story. A few thoughts:
- Wonder where Stevinson got it from, a trade-in or an auction?
- I recommend an independent inspection before buying any used car. I had a BBB-certified auto inspector look at a truck I was interested in, and the report showed a decent drive train but turned up evidence of a previous front clip wreck and repair. I was going to use the truck as a second vehicle for winter use and hauling anyway, so repaired damage wasn't a big deal, but I was only going to put up with that if I got the truck dirt cheap. They were asking just under retail blue book for it. I used the inspection report as a weapon during negotiations, and got the truck for less than wholesale. That inspection was the best $100 I ever spent!
- Stevinson parts department has been very helpful to me, even gave me photocopied pages from the repair manual for free so I could figure out stereo wiring. Got no beef with that department.
- Toylexmods has a point - What kind of inspection process is this where such a truck could pass and be "Lexus Certified"? Anybody have knowledge of "Lexus Certified" criteria?
- Are there certain types of wrecks that Carfax can't detect? If so, then what good is Carfax??

 

Jim Falk Beverly Hills Lexus, CA
Stars: **
Your service advisor/contact. Katelyn Truong
Any specific technicians. Louis - good guy...
Comments:
No real complaints really....BUT i wouldn't go there again...their waiting room can only fit 4 people...the TV kept going out every 20 minutes. Very small dealership. One dude left his SC430 there for a week and it came back with 2 large chips on the hood and scratches around the bumper...didn't look like road debris did it....went to check my car afterwards and found a chip in the hood!!!!! don't know if they did it or not but i'm pretty sure it wasn't there beforehand because i checked it before handing it in for the 1K service... I guess it's Longo for the 5K service.

Pricing for common service. High (oil change is $60, while Longo and others in LA are usually <$45)

I would never go there again....the salespeople tried to rip me off...wound up buying from Beverly Hills...

 

Funny how the little birdie chirps....

Just a few notes...

Johnny Mo.....yes, I gave Stevinson the benefit and allowed them to search for a replacement. However, when this next Certified LX was brought out for my inspection and it drove the way it did...I lost all confidence in this dealers Service Department and mechanics. We dont pay the prices for junk. Period

I do now know why or how this wrecked 99 LX got back on the Stevinson web page...nor do I care. The fact is that it just popped back on over a month after the purchase and return from us. Oh, and it was not on the web site between. So, someone must have put it back up...changed the price a couple thousand and thats that. Why would someone do such a thing. Do such things happen by themselves?

My post stands and we have no confidence in Stevinson. Sorry, if that offends...but we have another 40 or so years to buy cars and when we do...I will be ever more weary of each such dealing. As should you all.

Dave

 

Lexcoupe,

Beware of Carfax and dont count on the information 100%. The 5k is a bunch of crap as well..read the fine print. As for Lexus Certification process...I have personally gone over the report. Any tech worthy of working at a Lexus dealership would have caught this damage. Period. I can only see a couple of reasons why it was not disclosed. I wont say those..you can pretty much figure it out.

"- Toylexmods has a point - What kind of inspection process is this where such a truck could pass and be "Lexus Certified"? Anybody have knowledge of "Lexus Certified" criteria?
- Are there certain types of wrecks that Carfax can't detect? If so, then what good is Carfax??"

Dave

 

Sorry about your experience w/ Keyes. But remember, sales departments are a separate entity from service departments. I had a great purchasing experience at Kearny Mesa Lexus, but wasn't impressed by their service department.

I've had my Lexus serviced at about five dealerships (Kearny Mesa, Carlsbad, Bakersfield, Sacramento, and Keyes) and no one has come close to matching the quality of Keyes service. Maybe it's b/c I have a pretty good relationship w/ my SA and tech, but they take outstanding care of me. Quick appointments, always have a Lexus loaner waiting for me, and repairs are done w/ no fuss.

 

Dave ToyLexmods),

I hear you and understand your position. I just thought it was "stand up" of Stevinson to post here, even though they were doing it to defend themselves. I was not disputing or minimizing your issue...I'd be pi$$ed too. Anyway, in the very near future I'm hoping to get Ethan (Static911) our head honcho here at CL, a copy of the requirements/allowances for a car becoming Certified. Unfortunately, I also agree with you that we should all be aware (at all dealerships) when purchasing a pre-owned car (certified or otherwise), I'm not sure, but I think one of the loopholes may be ignorance. I don't mean stupidity, what I mean is if the dealership is not made awar of the damage, and no DMV records indicate a significant crash they may be able to certify the car just the same. I know it's not a perfect system, but I also think that "car guys" should be able to spot a re-paint and new parts labels pretty quickly.

Edit: Oh yeah, on the Carfax thing, I wouldn't trust that either 100%, my brother in law was trying to sell his sister-inlaw's '96 Vette, and this thing was a total "girl car" (ladies please don't take offense)..It was absolutely MINT, low mileage etc. Well we ran the CarFax and it came back with a differing mileage issue., the car was bought new in May 96, (moved from CT to NY 2 months later) and (selling it in '02 with 34K miles and when it was registered in NY it looks like someone mis-keyed the mileage and instead of putting down 4,653.1, they put down 46, 531. Now honestly, if you see that you gotta say to yourself it is IMPOSSIBLE to put 46K on a car in 2 months AND for it to still look as good as this car did...I would even go out on a limb and say I think it was all original (even tires). SO long story short CarFax is only as good as the info provided (kind of like the dealer when they take in trades)

 

Johnny,

Oh, I dont know if I would call it ignorance. I have a Certification report and complete checklist sitting right here. You will be amazed at the detail and level of inspection that is to be done. Thats why we shoudnt question a "Certified Lexus veh from a Elite of Lexus dealership" Never again will we purchase anything without a complete written statement as to the condition of said veh. We pay Lexus dealerships upwards of $100 dollars an hour for service, pay way too much for general veh maint and we should expect the best work possible on this planet. Why, for our safety on the roads, period.


"I'm not sure, but I think one of the loopholes may be ignorance. I don't mean stupidity, what I mean is if the dealership is not made awar of the damage, and no DMV records indicate a significant crash they may be able to certify the car just the same. I know it's not a perfect system, but I also think that "car guys" should be able to spot a re-paint and new parts labels pretty quickly."

 

Bought a 99 470 from Kearny Mesa and they certified the car without looking at it. They came back and repainted the hood and fixed a broken head light that I noticed upon delivery although it took two tries and the car being driven from LA to SD to get it done. About six months later the seats started to turn green. A year later, I complained about it. A year and a half later Lexus says it does not sound like a new car warranty issue, which I believe it is, and they also say Kearny Mesa says its been too long for them to look into it or fix the problem. The Santa Monica dealer has volunteered to try to do something and will try to stain them to see if that helps. Nice of Santa Monica dealer to help but what happens when they turn green again in a year and both the certified new car and the original new car guarantee as gone. Lexus is not backing their warranty and Kearny Mesa clearly is just moving cars without looking at what the certify.

This is not anywhere near service let alone the Lexus Service.

Has anyone else had any luck with dye on his or her seats?
Has anyone else bought a certified car from Kearny Mesa that really was not inspected or passed incorrectly?

I am not even starting on the fact that the cars emblems are flaking, the wood inside does not match, all the little stupid things that bug buyers and are so simple and inexpensive to fix that the car never should have been sold in this condition.

 

Santa Monica Dealer CA
*** Overall nice. All in all good -- some days not so great -- others great. Matched pricing from other sources on new car.

Service area is way too small with no where to park but what else is new in urban areas. Car always comes back clean and loaners have thus far been available if need.

 

Kearny Mesa, CA
Zero --- BAD --- STAY AWAY

They sold me a certified car that they called me on for two weeks saying how the car was absolutely perfect. Took delivery of it and it had the hood paint ruined, a broken headlight, unmatched wood, blacked emblems pealing, stained mats, to note the top items. They fixed the paint and the headlight within a month or two. After the anntena was found to be broken and CD player gammed and now 17 months or so latter the leather seats were found to have been painted to cover up that fact that they are green and not tan as they were when delivered. Completely untrust worthy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Sorry to hear about the bad Lexus experience. I've had my 99LX for about 6 months, only problem I've had was the CD changer stopped working. The dealership replaced it, no questions asked. Sounds like the people at Kearny Mesa are crooks.

Good Luck,

Mike

 

Yes my changer stopped too within the first six months and Lexus replaced it as well without any questions. Nice of them and all but I wish they would replace it with the newer ones. They must have had too many problems with the nocs.

I love the truck. It is overall the best built out ther. But the Lexus service is starting to feel like most of the other dealers out there. It is just wrong that the world accepts service reps being paid on a commission. The only other industry that got away with this were the brokerage companies and that has finally gotten stopped. AUTO DEALERS should be next!

 

certless,

What's the details on your 99? Paint color? Leather color? Options? I had a few minor issues with my CPO but the dealership took care of them quick.