LexT, a long drive and no gas charge IS a GREAT deal, more especially if you get a late model vehicle!

 

If you look at what Lexus is charging you for service, it won't take much to realize that the free loaner is the most expensive rental you will ever have.

 

sometimes I just wait for the service or walk to go shopping, guess I chould take a loaner, they always offer them for the major services.

 

There shouldn't be any charges for loaners and there is no requirment to fill up the tank before returning it, at least that's how it went on my last loaner a couple of months ago.

 

Getting a loaner is no problem, but usually you will need to make appt for service. If you just show up they get pretty chingy about it. Cost wise there should be no cost. As everyone said, they want you to fill the gas to the same level you took it out at and also if your vehicle is in service for a day but you drive their loaner for a week, then they will charge you for that. However, I have done that but as a courtesy, they did not charge me so it depends with each dealer.

 

I thought I would share a story with you guys.

Aside from my Land Cruiser, I also own a 2001 Acura TL (my second Acura). My Acura dealer always supplies you with an Acura loaner, but typically have a backup so you need to make an appointment. In an emergency they try to make accomodations. They never charge regardless of whether the car is in or out of warranty. Over the years I've gotten to know the service managers pretty well.

Well a couple of weeks ago I got into a car accident and in that accident less than a mile from where the accident occured. In the accident the bumper was torn off the car and the police told me that I had to take it with me (go figure). The car was driveable so I load up all the pieces into the trunk with the bumper sticking way out. I figure I would drive by the dealer to see if I could at least dump the parts there and I would be back the next day to get an estimate (They have a Acura authorized bodyshop).

I get to the dealer and they had closed for the night, but I see the service manager through the overhead doors. I knock on the glass to get her attention. She sees me and walks to the door and a look of shock comes over her face when she sees my car.

After she asks me if I'm OK, I ask her if I could dump the parts there. Without letting me finish, she says, "You can't drive that car, let me give you a loaner and we'll sort it all out later".

Now even though they have a body shop, it run as a seperate business with their own fleet of loaners, typically Camrys for which they charge a fee.

Now my insurance would have only covered $20 a day for a rental which basically comes out to some econobox.

The service manager said that I could keep the Acura TSX it as long as she didn't need it. If she did, they would call and then we would arrange for Enterprise to get me a rental.

Well it took about two weeks for them to fix my car, I kept the Acura loaner the whole time and they never charged me nor my insurance.

 

Only for major? See this just seems crazy to me. I get a loaner the minute I walk in the door, even if it's only for an oil change. No loaner fee, no gas charge, no nothing. I mean sure, the fact that I'm paying 20 bucks or more an hour than almost any other non-luxury dealer or mechanic in town makes up for that usually, but still no charge for the loaner.

 

No charge for loaner here in Dallas (Park Place Plano or Grapevine). Couple of years ago with my first loaner (ES330) I did fill up the gas when I returned it. The service consultant noticed that and told me that I don't need to fill up the gas next time. That was a full tank of gas. In the past 3 weeks, I had two RX330 loaners. The only difference is now they only fill half a tank.

 

We've never been charged once for a loaner in the 14 years, not even when I had a non-lexus car that I would take to the Lexus dealer to get it serviced!

 

I get charged $7.50 every time I use a loaner, and the dealership I use (Scholfield Lexus in Wichita, KS) has a fairly large fleet of Hyundai Sonatas They also have a few RX330's and an ES330, but those are very rarely loaned out. For what I've spent with them in the past 6 months of owning my car, it'd be nice to have a free loaner but I can understand them not wanting to eat the cost of gas. Plus, it's kind of fun to drive like a maniac in that little Sonata...

 

here at my dealer, it's all strictly Lexus vehicles (or enterprise rental cars if they run out)

 

yeah...same here! Once they got me a Lincoln because they ran out of Lexus loaners. According to them, I guess Lexus of Portland is one of the top Lexus dealerships in the US and one of the top dealerships overall as well. I love their service, very friendly and efficient and on-time all the time!

 

I've never been charged for a loaner. I have looked at the bills and it never appeared. I once had my car in the shop for 3 weeks waiting on a new trans and there were no charges to me. When no lexus vehicles are available they give me one from enterprise. Usually a midsize car. I've had a tarus, impalla, and a pontiac over the years.