louie1951

iTrader: (1)

i drove 20 miles on friday noon to get my oil changed, arriving with no cars awaiting service. did the paperwork, walked off to look through the showroom.
spoke with a salesman killing time for over 20 minutes, then walked around some more returning to check-in service area. my 1992, 155k SC 400 had not been moved. i saw the service advisor in the managers office and went to pop my head in the door, hearing a service tech saying "the high mileage lexus" will be looking at basically what boiled down to was 'will need more than oil today'. well i did pop in at this point saying i came in for oil and not to get screwed.
they all hung their heads, and disappeared. unfortunately i let them change the oil, but being manic /depressive my mood change was in full trottle.
i acquired all the names of the three service personnel, left angry as hell, then called to report incident to the general manager. since my call has not been returned in 48 hours, i can only assume policy comes down from the top.

BEWARE

although i merely tinker with mechanics because of eyes and age, i know and realize what i have and drive. i have decided to post this info where ever i can, including the BBB, states attorney complaint division and any where someone will be saved from potential theives.
i actually bought a new 2001 Sequoia there and had a bad experience. it gives me pleasure whenever i look at my 2007 FJ cruiser i did not purchase there.
i do not think the parent company is any better, but they do make a good vehicle, and they are all the same.

DON'T THREAD ON ME

ishootstuf

iTrader: (1)

What's your point? Do you know why oil changes include all those other "free" inspections? It to look for other stuff that needs repairing. At 155k, I think there is a very good chance your car would need more than just oil. Stop being an A$$ - they did nothing wrong from what I read of your post.

Enigma8246

I always make a list of what they recommend, check it out myself and get a second opinion from another shop and friends. I've avoided being screwed several times like that but sometimes the work is necessary

louie1951

iTrader: (1)

i know my car very well, and have a good honest mechanic.
since it was lunch time, personnel waited to service vehicle.
i guess you had to be there, and see the look on all their faces when they realized i was the owner.
at 155k i expect things to go, and they do.

ishootstuf

iTrader: (1)

So you're writing to the BBB because the technicians were at lunch?

msc300

i understand what your saying but if they said it before they even checked your car it is a problem stealerships way of makin money

louie1951

iTrader: (1)

i guess that's my point. the guy who gets paid, say 15 bucks an hour to work on my car checks the fluids, brakes, etc. i am fine with that. the three suits, that's a different animal all together.

One_jZ_SC3

iTrader: (2)

I dont understand whats going on here??? Just take the list of things that needs to be fixed, declined their service and go somewhere else thats 100x cheaper or do it yourself...

Supra Dr

iTrader: (14)

^^^ agreed. If they are spending their time checking your car over for
free, let them. Get a second opinion & estimate.

fried_rice

iTrader: (20)

They don't call it a stealership for nothin'.

ThomasGS4

iTrader: (19)

Agreed. If you had a bad experience in the past, then why did you even take your car here to get serviced? There's a few reasons why they look for other problems with the car. 1.) To make money off you, and 2.) since you're not changing your own oil, they don't expect you to be someone that likes to work on your car. Do you see what I'm going at here?

Pointless thread. Someone close it already...

Gspec

Pointless thread? I think half you people are missing the point entirely......

As a mechanic, I know exactly what the OP's talking about, and have witnessed it first hand at a couple of "shady" shops I've worked at in the past )not for long btw....you dont play by their rules you dont last long) ...It's a scam plain and simple....."oh yeah he needs his oil changed...but hey, why not replace this leaking rear main seal (that isnt leaking) while we're at it"......I'm glad you caught that little part of their conversation.... regrettably, 80% of the general public simply doesn't have the automotive knowledge it takes to avoid being screwed by this kind of shop.

Kudo's for calling them out and taking steps to help keep it from happening to someone else...

BostonSC4

iTrader: (2)

as a HUGE victim of this myself, i hear everything he's saying. i found that i was a victim of this after it cost me 1,000$ for a tune up....this shop changed the plugs, didn't charge me, (still misfired) changed the wires, didnt charge me. (still misfired) changed the caps and rotors, didn't charge me, (still misfired) kept it and "checked for blown headgasket for 6 hours", didn't charge me. til i told them enough bull***** and wanted my car back, so they hit me with a 553dollar bill for everything...i paid them and peeled out of their lot and left 2 nice thick black lines across their little lot, to another shop...while STILL misfiring. took it to this other shop and they charged me 600 dollars total. new wires, because the previous shop left an ignition wire hanging out of the housing which the timing belt ate through....and once again another 5 hours to check for a head gasket......effin bullshat if you ask me. so 1,100 dollar tune up.

that sounds like fair honest mechanics to me! and to anyone who really thinks these mechanics were trying to do an honest job, think of the circumstances. its an old lexus, (high repair costs) lotsss of miles (not for an SC but for them)....see where i'm going with this????? and to come to those conclusions before the car was even moved? and anyone can tell a regretful, embarrassed face when they see it. they can hide behind their "5 million point oil change inspection" BS all they want. its not hard to tell its bull. you should have left the same "F-U" rubber marks across their lot that i did.

why did this happen to me? oh yeah thats right, cause i'm 18 and i must not know anything about cars. f dishonest mechanics man its as profitable as sellin drugs

LexFather

No more rude replies in this thread.

//LRD

Man I had to go back and check if I was in the right section (Fl)..lol

Hey it suck that you were made to feel this way !! But I guess there are some members that need to be reminded that chit like this goes on everyday to hard working people.


I agree