Ab175

So I was looking to schedule a 15,000-mile service on my 18 gx460 and I took a look at the maintenance guide and found that it was basically a glorified tire rotation. When I called the dealer for a quote on a 15,000-mile service they tacked on wiper blades, engine air filter, and cabin air filter. Quoted me 400$ for this service. Adding in an Oil change takes it to like 650$ lmao. The factory maintenance guide only recommends a tire rotation. Would y'all follow the dealer's recommendation or just follow the factory maintenance guide (doing just a tire rotation). Also as a side note, are y'all changing oil every 5,000 or 10,000 miles? My 14 GX (different car) has been dealer serviced its entire life up to about 141k which is where it's at now, never asked any questions so whatever the dealer recommended was done. I am wondering if that's really necessary lol.

ASE

Follow the factory recommendation(s). Dealerships make their profit in service, not by selling cars ... so their motivation is to push frequent visits where the service advisor is trained to check as many service boxes the customer will not question.

ASE

When buying new, I always drive directly from vehicle delivery to Discount Tire and replace the (garbage) OEM rubber with real tires ... so never return to the dealership for tire anything or for oil changes ... this avoids the dealership "up-sell" opportunity on unnecessary service.

Megamorph

What ASE said.

Megamorph

And for any Lexus owners in Houston, I suggest avoiding the Service Department at Westside Lexus as much as possible. I've heard many people call them crooks and my own experience suggests their reputation is well-deserved.

ASE

On oil change frequency ... I do every 5,000 to 6,000 miles ... and use 10w-30 versus the recommended (cafe standard) 0w-20 ... my climate is not cold enough to warrant.

DallasDave

iTrader: (1)

Do what the FACTORY MAINTENANCE recommends, not what the Dealership says. Lexus engieered the vehicle a certain way and certainly understands the requirements WAY BETTER than some greedy Dealership. If you continue to follow the Dealership's recommendations you could easily spend 3-4x more money than you need to.

I love asking the Service Department why they recommend maintenance when LEXUS says it is not necessary. "Uh, well if you plan on owning the vehicle a long time we recommend...blah, blah, blah" I'd say, so you guys know better than the company that manufactured my SUV? LOL, it is hard for me not to get angry, as dealerships took advantage of my eldery parents time after time.

xychromo

Is there a thread somewhere listing 'good' dealership experiences? I've actually had good interaction with my local dealership, although haven't had anything major done so far. Just want to give a plug to the decent dealerships out there, they aren't all thieves.

ASE

Agree ... one just needs to be aware that many (sometimes the majority) of "Service Advisors" are administrators with limited automotive background, with their training and incentives targeted at sales ... checking as many service boxes as the customer will allow. As long as one understands that Automotive Service IS the profit center of any dealership, factory recommended intervals and judgement should be exercised as an override to anything being recommended. It's usually the little (routine) things where dealers capitalize with outrageous markups. On major stuff where something is clearly in need of repair ... like anything else, getting multiple quotes keeps everyone honest ... both in what is specifically being recommended and relative to the repair cost. The mechanics are not the challenge here ... the majority are professionals who have pride in their work. Too bad gone are the days where the customer had a direct relationship with the mechanic.

CFAI

I imagine this is good advice in general. However, like @xychromo mentioned, there can be value at some dealerships to establish a relationship. When I was in NJ, I took my '07 IS250 to the dealer even after the CPO ran out. I would insist on getting the same service manager. On the one hand, I probably paid maybe $20 more per oil change, and maybe a few hundred extra on brake work than at an independent. But on the other hand:
1) When my brake work was being done they were going to give me a loaner. However, I was going on a 10 day vacation, over a 300 mile drive 3 states away (North East states are smaller than down here in TX). When I told the service guy about it, he just tossed me the keys to a new ES350 and told me to have fun and to just call when I got back. No cost.
2) I had massive electrical issues with the IS (windows, directionals would intermittently not work, car would occasionally not start etc.). I brought to dealer. It took a few days to diagnose. It turns out the there was a drain clog, and water filled into one of the fuse boxes. Rather than telling me I needed to change the head unit (which a friend's brother had to do for on his IS a $6k cost for a similar issue), they just charged me for one hour (rather than the 3 hours they took) - total price $150 to fix something that I thought I was going to have to junk the car over.
3) Brakes had an issue a little over a year after I had them done, and they redid them for free.
4) This is speculative, but the sticky dash issue only presented itself after I moved to TX, which was 3 years past the 10 year recall limit. I called corporate and pointed out that I had taken what as a 13 year old Lexus to the dealership for service over the 7 years that I owned it, and while they wouldn't cover the full recall, they did offer to pay for the dash (just the part).
I also would acknowledge them when they did do the right thing - simple stuff like during the holidays bringing in chocolates for the staff, and getting my service guy a bottle of whiskey etc. Loyalty goes both ways.

That said, now that I am in TX, I def don't get that same vibe from the dealership here, actually they almost seem hostile - so I will prob start to look for an independent shop for the IS, and the GX once its warranty runs out.

Ab175

Where in TX are you at? In the Houston area, clearchoice independent lexus is good if you want lexus trained techs, or J&T automotive is good as well.

Megamorph

Just wondering what most people see as the advantage to using Clear Choice for service? Over the years, I've taken quotes from them several times on large repairs and they have always been the same as the dealer or less than the dealer by some minuscule amount.

Ab175

They are generally quite a bit less than the dealer in terms of regular maintenance items but yeah they are definitely more pricey than a typical independent shop. Never had a large repair done by them so I would not know about their pricing on that.

CFAI

I'm in Austin.

nuclearn8

I would never recommend letting the dealer service department up sell something one can easily do yourself, like an engine air filter or Cabin air filter. Anyone who can open the glovebox or open the hood can perform these two simple maintenance items for the cost of the filter itself.
Everything else is personal preference in terms of maintenance and ability... everyone has a different comfort level with doing their own maintenance and everyone’s time has a different value to them so I’ll never judge someone for getting their vehicle serviced at the dealer, even for something as routine as an engine oil change.

I personally do more maintenance than what the manual recommends in terms of lubricant replacement intervals because I enjoy doing it, it’s a hobby and cheap entertainment for me. I have the time and don’t mind because I feel comfortable doing it and can use a superior product often times than they would use from a bulk container of mystery oil, lubricant or grease.

I have had more bad service department experiences than good ones for autos and harleys... there are a few good apples out there and if you can find a service writer/ advisor and a master technician you trust then that combo can be invaluable. I rarely take my Gx to the dealer but when i do for a warranty item or something outside my comfort level I always ask for the same advisor and technician which I feel comfortable... have talked for them, taken them to lunch a time or two... they’re passionate about their profession and appreciate small gestures like lunch, lottery tickets , gift cards and tips when I take my vehicle in or simply pass by (I have their cells and will drop **** randomly at the dealer for them). I often schedule my appt when I do have to go in for right before lunch and it’s conveniently done at lunch break and we pile in and grab some lunch then drop them back at the dealer... along the way I get my “test ride post maintenance with them in the vehicle and they get a free lunch out of it”. It’s a win win and amazing what people will tell you and how much they’ll do right by you when they know you care about them and are passionate about having a safe and reliable vehicle to drive.