Hi All,

I was wondering, if I follow the maintenance schedule in the manual for the CT200H, does it matter if I take it to a Lexus dealership for service or not? I'm getting close to 30K and the schedule says I need to do an oil change, cabin air filter, engine filter, etc...of course I can find cheaper deals if I go somewhere else. If I do, does the life of the car deteriorate any comparing to if I do take my car to the dealership? I've been taking it to Lexus so far but their prices are sometimes pretty unreasonable...any advice would be appreciated! Thanks

 

Not only is it illegal for car manufacturers to mandate services by them to honour warranties, (Magnuson-Moss Act), there is no reason why you can't either: a) do the work yourself AND/OR b) allow an independent to do the work for you. The only requirements are that you keep all receipts and to follow proper intervals and parts/fluids that meet or exceed specs by Lexus.

 

Jack, do the tune up yourself, it's super easy to do. The engine and cabin filters are easy to replace, you can watch how to do it on youtube. Don't be intimidated with your auto, anything that needs fixing or tuning can be found on line. i have a '12 and the only thing I had the dealership do is brake flush since I didn't have time, will find time on my next flush. Also have a '93 Volvo with 232k miles by maintaining it myself and learning how to fix and tune up with forums like this. If you are up to the task, folks here are helpful if you have questions

 

I second the do it yourself on both air filters. But ... don't count the dealers out ... both of mine often have coupon specials that make the oil change a deal. Plus - you can get a loaner and they return it washed.

Ii took mine in today for it's 10k --- they gave me a new ES hybrid.

 

I agree with the DIY thing. 99% of my work on my LS460 and my wife's CT is done by me. But as others have stated, dealers often offer deals that make it a no-brainer to allow them to do. Brake flush and trans flush among the jobs I refuse to do.

 

thanks for the advice! say if i wanted to do the engine/cabin filters myself...is there anywhere online where I can buy OEM parts, or does that really not matter?

 

For cabin and engine filters it does not matter, just stick with name brands.
FYI Toyota dealers will also do the oil change and other maintenance services on a Lexus as it is the same engine, transmission etc as a Prius. Same parts, usually less than half the price of a Lexus dealer, and they usually have pretty nice lounges if you wait.

 

I 98% agree with this. The 2% is regarding the cabin filter. The OEM filter is just a plain filter with the brand name replacement ones being the same. However with just a few bucks more, you can upgrade to a charcoal one. You'll immediately appreciate it if you ever drive by a cattle ranch

Below is what I installed last (purchased for $20.90):


EDIT:
I just checked pricing. Non-charcoal filters runs around $10 on Amazon, while charcoal impregnated filters runs for about $20. So depending on how you look at it, double the price may not be worth it to some, however from personal experience, I won't be going back to regular filters.

Example 1 (Regular): MAHLE Original LA 395 Cabin Air Filter ($12.97)


Example 2 (Charcoal): MAHLE Original LAK 490 Cabin Air Filter ($23.38)

 

You're going to get lots of opinion on what brands to get so it comes down to personal preference. I usually go for the cheapest ones from Amazon or ebay. In fact, I stay away from the fancy ones that claim multiple layers or extra fine filtering. I prefer that the air flow is unimpeded otherwise it's taxing on the blower motor. You spend most of your time breathing unfiltered air outside of the car anyways in regards to the cabin filter. There's a combo engine filter and cabin filter on ebay for $12 delivered that I'm going to try for my next replacement found here:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/171818922967

 

I put a Fram charcoal filter in my HS250h, I think it is the same part as the CT and after a few weeks my wife complained there was no longer any air flow. I replaced it with a plain Purolator cabin filter and we got our air flow back. It had been slowed down by the Fram charcoal filter!

 

100% agree. But I can do you one better. I got my last cabin filter on Ebay from a vendor in California for 5.98 with FREE shipping: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cabin-Air-Fi...JWw2a5&vxp=mtr

 

No affiliation with AutohausAZ -- I buy a lot from them. Free ship with $75 .. they occasionally drop it down to $50.

Have quite a few cars -- I'm always needing something. They sell many OEM parts -- I get most of my filters from them. They also have many of the Denso products. Don't overlook the online Toyota or Lexus dealers -- some are very competitive. I just had to order a part from the Lexus dealer -- having them send the filters was no additional shipping -- and the filters did not cost much more. Most of the cheap aftermarket filters are made in China - not necessarily a bad thing. The OE is naturally consistent high quality. I always get the wiper inserts from a dealer.

 

As do I. I figured out long, long ago, that aftermarket refills NEVER work well. I've used PIAA, Michelin, Trico, and many others, They all chatter eventually. I go to my Toyota dealer parts counter, pay 20 bucks and they put them in for me for free. They ALWAYS work smoothly and last the entire year... streak-free. This in the very wet and rainy, Pacific Northwest.

As for Chinese parts, I regularly use them in all my vehicles, except for oil filters. Again my Toyota dealer supplies my Lexus oil filters for my LS and my CT and they're priced at only 7 bucks or so. I've never had any issues with Chinese parts. Many of these suppliers meet or exceed the various standards of manufacturing quality certification (CE).

 

I wish more people understood how good the Toyota wiper blades are .. people toss the premium blade without understanding that the insert is cheap and easy to replace. The same with Nissan.