Had battery under warranty replaced by Lexus dealer after leaving vehicle overnight at the dealership. When vehicle picked up the next day, the battery light was lit on the dashboard. The service manager (not a service advisor) observed this and stated the issue could be the alternator and that I would once again have to leave the vehicle overnight for it to be checked-out. Annoyed that they had contacted me for vehicle pickup following battery replacement, and after the dealership had conducted a no-cost 26 point safety check with everything checking fine, I left with the vehicle and drove to an independent shop. On the four mile drive to this shop, the car lost all power and blocked traffic. Police arrived and arranged for a tow to the repair shop. The owner of the shop indicated I should have had the vehicle towed to his shop instead of attempting to drive since the issue likely would be the alternator and these alternators can catch on fire when they fail. A few days later, I contacted a service advisor, who was the one who originally checked me in at the dealership. He stated he had never heard of Lexus alternators catching on fire although he had heard about bad alternators smoking. He also claimed the battery light was not on after the mechanic had changed out the battery.
I am concerned that the dealership service manager never advised me about the danger of driving the vehicle with a possible bad alternator.
Questions: Is there documentation about faulty alternators either catching fire or smoking? Suggestions on how to formally respond to the service manager for failing to properly advise me?

 

Hi @sak715 .

Welcome to Club Lexus and your 1st Post!

 

I've never heard of a alternator catch fire......Swapping the battery out, I'd tthink that they'd do a quick test of the alternator output, to perhaps figure out why the battery failed, thou...Most of the time its the internal regulator. Before you get the replacement alternator, I'd bench test the replacement alternator, before you install or have it installed......I went thru that a few yrs ago.