coach1

10k or 12 months. I'm religious about oil changes and since I put 5K on the car in 10 months I thought it was a good idea to do the first oil change at 5K. Depending on how I drive I may go 10K and skip the oil change on the next scheduled service. What I don't understand is the reluctance to spend $49-59 when you've spent $40K on a car. Treat it right and you might get 200-300K trouble free miles out of it. Lubricants tend to dry-out over time & oil is about the cheapest maintenance you can do…about the price of a tank of gas.

Canesguy

Really? a tank of gas is well over $100? What are you paying per gal.?

LexBob2

$100 per tank? How much are you paying and how much are you buying?

keyframe13

The real question is how much you're paying for an oil change?) I am charged $80 at the Lexus dealer for syntetic while the full tank of gas is @$60

bc6152

According to a few other members you can get your oil changed at a Toyota dealer for much less than at a Lexus dealer. Don't understand why it would be less, but I plan to use the Toyota dealer and save $$$. The engine in the Lexus 350 is the same as the Avalon. Same filter, same amount of oil...

Canesguy

No, didn't say I was paying $100 for a fill-up, rather it's $100+ what a synthetic oil change goes for here. Regular where I am is $3.19.

Canesguy

$80 for a synthetic oil change is a value compared to where I live.

coach1

seriously…now we're going to argue over the price of gas now. Last month I paid $2.83/gal, yesterday I paid $2.94. So oil change = price of 2 oil changes….missing the point ?, I see your humor, just not sure everyone here have realistic expectations. I have had $500-600 BMW routine service charges & that was 10/15yrs ago.

My thoughts are….we as Lexus owners are bored, have very little to bit*h about so me manufacture issues like we don't like the sound of the voice command prompts, or the seats aren't well enough ventilated…WTF….want some drama visit the Audi or BMW forums.

there…I feel better

bc6152

Coach.

lesz

I'm one of those who has used the local Toyota dealer for service needs on my Lexus vehicles. Part of the reason for doing so is that the closest Lexus dealers are about 100 miles away, but the cost difference is at least as important. At the local Toyota dealer, I can get an oil change for my ES350 using the same Toyota full synthetic oil and the same filter as at the Lexus dealer, and the cost of that oil change is $53.

coach1

I do have a question regarding the service record data base….can Toyota access your Lexus service records and record service?

LexBob2

I've heard no. But I'm not 100% certain of the information.

lesz

I don't know the answer to your question, but I doubt that they have access to the Lexus data base. In any case, I've been using Toyota dealers and independent mechanics for service on my Lexus vehicles for years, and I've never had an issue at re-sale or trade-in time. I keep my own old-fashioned paper record of all maintenance, and I can provide that to any potential buyer or a dealer at trade-in time. That said, no one has ever asked for my records, and I've always been able to trade in or sell my vehicles for a very favorable (to me) price. I think that the majority of potential buyers and dealer used car managers make their judgments based primarily on what their eyes tell them when they are looking at the vehicle and what they experience doing a test drive. I'm sure that dealer service departments would like for us to believe that their service records will be to our benefit at re-sale time, but I have no evidence that that is, in fact, the case.

I also found it curious, when I traded-in my 2006 ES that, on the dealer's internet site when they were selling the vehicle, they said that "all recommended service had been done by the original owner" even though that vehicle had not ever been taken back to a Lexus dealer for service a single time during the 7 years that I owned it. Again, I did have regular maintenance done, but it was done by either the Toyota dealer or by an independent mechanic.

mcomer

Access to service records is easy, go to www.lexusdrivers.com and "join". Easy user name and password stuff.
Enter the VIN of any and all of the Lexi in your fleet and then click the Service History Icon. Every service visit from the first Pre Delivery Inspection onward will be there. Also has owner's manual pages if you've misplaced yours. Minor cool feature is that the wallpaper picture changes to reflect your model car...color might be wrong however!

mrBillFL

1+

If I leased, I would only do the minimum required maintenance. waste of money to do more.

I own, and plan to keep it over 100k miles. so I think it makes sense to over maintain cars, and it will pay off in the long run.