SHR XTC

I have a 92 ES and my sister has a 99 ES.
I have never been in accident or any need for a paint job but on my sister's 99 ES, the paint is already fading. Also, no accident all original.
She purchased the car NEW from Lexus of Smithtown, in Smithtown, Long Island, New York.
At the time of the purchase she purchased the EXTENDED Warranty.
Is the paint covered in the warranty??
Also, I remember asking the Manager if the Extended Warranty can be used at any Lexus Dealership and she said "YES".
My sister called Lexus of Manhattan and they were giving her the run around and treating her rude. This was for basic maintence and telling her that the warranty is only valid at Smithtown.
Is there any way to find out the truth??
Where can we make a complaint about the rude service at Lexus of Manhattan??

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks~~

lexusk8

Wow, have I heard this kind of story so many times...

Any kind of Lexus purchased warranty (i.e. basic, powertrain, extended) can be used at any Lexus dealership. There is a national database used by all Lexus dealerships that keeps track of all the customers' VIN numbers, services and maintenance work. I've heard horror stories from the Manhattan dealership though I've never used them for anything. In a situation like this, you should call the Lexus National number (1-800-25-LEXUS), and #4 option for customer service.

As far as the paint condition on your sister's ES, it's tough to say if it qualifies as warrantable work since Lexus does not cover natural "fading" or "wear-and-tear" items on any part of the car. It's the same way with paint chips, no warranty work there.

amf1932

I thought that extended warranties only covered the mechanical aspects of a car(engine, drive train, etc.) and NOT the cosmetics.

ripe911

Did you try to use any polish or wax to bring the shine back? It only takes one year of neglect and several times in a cheap car wash with harsh brushes to ruin the shine on the car. The manuel says to wax the car every other month. I had a 96 ES and the paint on that car was very faded. I went through the steps (clay bar, paint cleaner, polish and wax) and the paint came back brand new. In fact, it was better than a lot of newer cars out there. I did this process every 6 months before I sold it. And I got more money for the car because of it. The buyer was shocked at the shine the car had. The Gs400 I have now also had paint that was in horrible condition. Black is a color very hard to take care of but I did it and it shines beautifully.

If I were you, I would check the Detailing section in CL and give it a try or just take the car to a Detail Shop and pay $80. You will see a difference. If you don't, then I would consider taking it to Lexus.

ripe911

it wasn't like this when I first bought it.

AsianGirl007

iTrader: (1)

What warranty company did your sister purchase? Is it a Lexus factory warranty or another company? There are a gazillion warranty companies out there and not all are good. If she bought a Lexus "Gold" or "Platinum" warranty, then the warranty is auotmatically good at any Lexus dealership. If she bought another companies, many of them have you pay the dealership, then you have to fill out a reimbursement form to get paid back. She should read the fine print on the paperwork. And tell her if she doesn't get satisfactory answers from one particular Lexus dealer employee, she can always call back and ask for a manager. The Finance managers usually handle the warranties. Good luck.

SHR XTC

Thanks for all the wonderful advice.

lexusk8,
Thanks for the number!!!

amf1932,
I thought the paint was covered for "x" amout of years/mileage. But I do understand about chips and dents but natural fade, I thought was covered.

ripe911,
I'm flying out to NYC to check out the car. Hopefully I can do something as you mentioned. By the way, your GS looks very shiny. What did you use.

Longo Lexus,
Before anything, you guys have a great dealership and service!!!!
She purchased the Platunim Warranty and as you mentioned, Lexus of Manhattan did mention about paying and about the reimbursment. How long does that take?? Also they said she does NOT get a Loaner Car since she didn't purchase the car at their dealership.

Once again, thanks for all the useful advice!!!!

AsianGirl007

iTrader: (1)

Thanks for the props.

If she bought a Lexus Platinum Warranty, then it's automatic service, meaning she doesn't have to worry about that reimbursement thing (huge pain in the you know where). It is good at ANY Lexus dealership. There is also "Travel Protection", which means if you away from your house for more than 100 miles and in a hotel and your car breaks down and it's a warranty issue, they cover your lodging up to $200 per day for up to 3 days and a rental car for up to $50 per day up to 5 days. Also, Lexus uses AAA Auto Club for roadside assistance so, being a woman myself, it's reassuring to have that familiar logo show up and not some greasy Joe's auto tow guy show up.

As far as the "no loaner cars" goes, if your sister has a warranty issue and I think the official ruling is something like 8 hours of labor time, then you get a loaner. I'm 99% sure about that. The reason why I'm not 100% sure about that is because most dealerships pretty much give you one as long as you call in advance and it's a fairly big service you need. (i.e. you are not just in for a quick oil change, it doesn't make sense to give out a loaner for that).

As far as paint is concerned, car paint is waterbased. It does not last forever. Heck, it doesn't last very long. Period. I don't believe any car paint is covered under warranty. I always recommend getting Simonize or some other protectant put on your Lexus. (You buy an expensive suit, you're not gonna throw it in the washing machine, right? Spend a little extra money and have it dry cleaned.) Simonize also helps keep the leather seats from drying and creasing. AND, I'm a slob so I eat and drink in my car so it also protects from when I spill stuff. It wipes right off.

iammikey

Wow! Didn't know that a dealership would get involved in a forum! Longo Lexus is awesome. I flew down there from Sacramento and bought my 04 ES330 from you guys on September 6, 2003, from Daniel, and you're follow-up is awesome! I may be buying from you guys again after the new year.

Anyways, I thought the paint was covered by the corrosion warranty. Toyota took care of my 89 4x4 truck with paint delamination. All it took was a look-see by the zone rep and it was a done deal. Doesn't Lexus view paint issues like this on a case-by-case basis?

AsianGirl007

iTrader: (1)

Congratulations on your ES330. Yes, there is a anti-corrosion warranty, but those incidents are rare. I thought she was talking about paint fading over time. Lexus is the best as far as customer care is concerned. If you ever have a problem, Lexus will try to fix it.