I just brought my GS400 into the Lexus dealership for the major 60K mile service. I installed a K&N air filter about 10 days ago and let them know about this. The lexus service rep said since the K&N filter is oil based, after a while it coats the air sensor so much that the engine service light goes off and the air sensor will eventually need to be replaced ($500). He recommended replacing it with the stock filter. Have you guys heard of this problem with the K&N filter.

 

R you kidding me? K&N has been making filters for so long. Unless for some reason you "over oiled" the filter, this doesn't make any sence. I think the dealer is biased about aftermarket stuff. Almost every autopart store carries K&N. I would get a second opinion.

 

You should email K&N and get a response from them, and you can inform us.

The SRT HFI uses either a K&N or AFE cone-type filter, and to my knowldedge no probs yet from owners in having to replace the MAF.

 

Just got the reply from K&N (below). My local lexus dealer is high on crack! On a side note, they also royally screwed me on my 60K mile service for $1100. I called Longo Lexus and they quoted me $298 plus tax. I talked with 2 reps and made sure it was for the V8 GS400. OUCH!!!!!!!
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Hi Kris,

This dealership does not know about the K&N Air Filter. The oil on our
filters cannot be drawn off of the filter when correctly oiled. If the
filter is overoiled (dripping with oil) this is a possibility. If by chance
oil does get on the mass air sensor the sensor would only need to be removed
and cleaned. It would not need to be replaced. K&N has been in business
since 1955 and our air filters have not changed in design. They have always
been made with the same cotton gauze and mineral based oil. We actually
make air filters for Ford, Chrysler, Mopar, Rotax among a few companies. If
our filters were damaging to mass air sensors these major companies would
not endorse our product. Some dealerships want customers to get rid of the
K&N Air Filters so you can spend the money on the over priced stock filters.


If you have any further questions or concerns please let me know.

Thank you,

Lisa Sutton
K&N Technical Support
800/858-3333 ext. 4517

 

Exactly what i thought. Time to switch dealers my friend.

 

Did you ask more than one Lex dealer? Sounds like your local dealer is interested in ripping people off instead of giving sound advice. What a bunch of crooks! At least you got your response from K&N... I'd print that email and keep it w/your service records, just in case you need to refer to it if something were to happen.

 

Is there any recourse in terms of contacting Lexus Corp about this massive price difference in service costs between dealerships? I mean $50-$100 is not that big of a deal, but an $800 difference is ridiculous!!

 

I agree that dealer prices are usually over priced... but you might want to double check the lower price dealer to find out exactly what they do. I've gotten big discrepencies like that also and later found out that sometimes they skip certain items. When I ask them to do exactly what was required in the manual, their prices are quite close to one another.

The lower price dealer told me they skipped certain items because if you have bought the car from them, they provide the owner with a different maintenance schedule (to spread out the expenditure more evenly)...

So just make sure when you tell them to do a 30K, 60K, 90K mile service, have them tell you what they actually do and compare to the manual to make sure they have all the items in there!