I agree that replacing the part is the MO. But replacing all of the sections or parts I do not agree with. The design was made to not have to replace all the parts, just the defective one.

 

Even if you replaced the entire exhaust system that's not $6000. And I'm pretty sure you don't need to pull the engine to do it, typical dealer embellishing the cost as much as possible.

 

Thats just obviously not what Toyota's service manual says.

Remember, the dealer lost your business. They knew you wouldn't go for a $6k Job, they could have sold you a $2k job...

These places are not as crooked as people make them out to be, they just do business a certain way.

 

Was not even the whole exhaust. It was from the middle cat to the front cats. (I mentioned earlier it was the entire thing right the end). The Indy shop looked us very odd when I said Toyota wanted to pull the whole engine.

 

I highly doubt the service manual says to replace all three cats, Y pipe as well if only one cat goes. That does not make sense.

This dealer has gone above and beyond in the past. Namely, they rebuilt my rear caliber on one side instead of automatically replacing it. My headlight wiring was chewed by mice who had a nest inside, they did a repair job instead of replace. They also can offer refurbished parts as an option. This was more incompetence IMO.

 

Wasn't your issue a perforation in the Y pipe though? Not a bad CAT.

 

The Y pipe leads into the cat, it’s one piece. You can change out the middle cat which includes the pipe, no welding needed. Some Toyota’s do it one piece. some not.

 

It may be that when they see any sort of a perforation of the exhaust their shop manual calls for the whole section to be replaced.

 

That very well could be. However, I still don’t think it would recommend four sectional pieces to be replaced if just one part was bad. I would be interesting to know.

 

Having seen the way Toyota/Lexus approaches other replacements it wouldn’t surprise me at all. I’ll ask my mechanic, he has all the shop manuals.

 

So I took my car today for an oil change at a different Toyota location. First time in a long time I have gone to a different Toyota dealer, maybe 20 years.

Anyways, they sub contact my stone chip as someone came in to fix it. It’s a bit more than if I went direct. They definitely repair and fix exhaust and do not just replace, they do the cheapest option to maintain the fix. However, someone comes into the shop to do the welding on the premises. My guess is that each Toyota or Lexus location is different than one another.

 

That REALLY surprises me that a toyota dealer would cut and weld an exhaust like that...maybe because its Canada and you see more perforated exhausts...

 

I have no idea. I Think is really has to do with each individual location. This dealer does service Lexus models.

I know some dealers used to do emissions tests in house, while others drove the car to a third party. Some do windshield changes some don’t. My old one where I am pissed off at used to do all of this stuff in house But I guess no welding.

 

Sure i did. Car runs great, no CEL, Passes inspection every time, and still gets 30MPG on the highway.

Not bypassing the O2, just limiting the amount of exhaust gas its exposed to. Passes Texas Inspection every single time. Emissions and all.

My 2002 Lexus ES has integrated cats. Its industry standard now, and has been for many, many years.

 

To each his or her own, but thats like saying VW was not cheating emissions, just polluting when the vehicle wasnt being tested.