NeverSatisfied

I was quoted $415+ tax at Lexus. Took it to a well-known lube/tune shop and was out the door at $260 for the exact same service.

Where did you guys get your 15K service done and how much did you pay?

I'm trying to find out if the dealers in Hawaii are gouging consumers. I remember when I had my '95 Accord EX, the local dealer was charging around $80 for a routine oil change, but when I went to college in AZ, the dealers there were charging $20.

Thanks!

flipside909

Luxury Motorworks 15k service. $155 w/all Toyota Genuine Parts done by Lexus Certified Mechanics. SoCal.

mikey00

I just checked my RX owners manual and 15K service is basically the same as 5K and 10K service for which I pay about $30 with Quaker State synthetic blend oil and Quaker state filter at my local guy (non-Lexus). The 15K service does add re-torque the drive shaft flange bolts if you have AWD. This is just a quick procedure which is worth $20 tops. I did it myself at my first 15K service and don't really view it as a necessary item and have not done it since. Other items for 15K service are just quick visual inspections that my guy does at every oil change. I bet the dealers quote included some items they add on to make more bucks that are not required by Lexus. My local Lexus dealer in NJ adds new wiper inserts, front and rear differential fluid and trans fluid change and charges $350
Mike

bob2200

My question would be what the lube/tune shop did for the $260. You do need to check your owners manual to see just what Lexus actually recommends. I paid a lot less than $260, but I had to find a Lexus dealer that would do only the Lexus recommended procedures.

I guess they have a semi-captive audience in Hawaii.

NeverSatisfied

A fax from my dealer:

15K, 45K, 75K & 105K service:

Rotate tires
Inspect brake pads & discs
Inspect brake fluid, line pipes & hoses (lube shop did these 3 for $30)

Change Auto trans fluid ($89.95)

Inspect Exhaust pipes & mountings
Inspect steering linkage
Inspect ball joints & dust covers
Inspect bolts & nuts on chassis & body
Inspect body for paint corrorion

Change engine coolant ($69.95)

Oil change ($49.95 synthetic)

Is the ATF & coolant too "new" to change?

bob2200

My feeling is on some things you should go by time and on others you should go by milage. It's "15k-mi/one year", not just 15k-mi. My feeling is that things like coolant and brake fluid changes should go by the 2-year point and not the 30k-mi point. There's some divided opinion in CL whether transmission drain/refill should be 15K-mi, 30k-mi, or much longer interval.

Is your mileage low for the age of the car? I know Hawaii doesn't have many Federal highways.

NeverSatisfied

I really haven't kept a record of my MPG's, but I can get about 350-370 miles on a full tank of 89 octane. I'm pretty sure I get close of the supposed 26; I do drive 25 miles each way to work (95% hwy driving).

Lil4X

Just had my 15K done at Westside Lexus in Houston. All regular maintenance is “free” up to 35K at this dealership. While I was told the service would take 3 hours, I caught them during a lull in activity so several techs attacked the car at once and got it out in one hour.

The invoice looked like this:

Air Filter, r&r 2004
Battery Terminals, Inspection All
Cooling System Check All
CHECK ALL UNDER HOOD FLUIDS ALL
Inspect Air Conditioner Filter All
Inspect Body All
Inspect Brake Fluid All
Inspect Ball Joints & Dust Covers All
Inspect Brake Lines & Hoses All
Inspect Drive Belts All
Inspect Exhaust Pipes & Mountings, All
Fuel Lines & Connections All
Inspect Steering Linkage & Boots All
Oil & Filter Change w/ Lube 2004
Check Aire Pressure & Rotation All
Re-Torque Drive Shaft Flange Bolts All
Road Test Vehicle All
Service Automatic Trans Minor T-IV ATF 2004
Service Rear Differential All
CHECK AND TOP OFF WASHER FLUID ALL
15K Service
32PSI 10/32 11MM 10MM

Now obviously my FWD did not have the rear diff checked and the drive shaft bolts re-torqued, but my old 300 AWD had exactly the same service, so the form is generic. Not sure if the Lexus “Aire” is any different from regular “air”, but all four tires were rotation.

Parts included oil and filter, gasket, ATF, pan gasket, drain plug gasket, and washer fluid. I got a “free” car wash and interior clean-up as usual, and walked out of the service bay without having spent a dime (unless you count the lease payments that probably have a tidy sum hidden amongst them for just this level of service). In my hour at the dealership I also had 2 lattes and an hour of wireless internet connection and the use of a phone and an office cubicle - also "free".

fatttu

I just paid $300.00 for my 15k service at North Park Lexus in San Antonio a couple of weeks ago. My previous services have been at Hoy-Fox Lexus in El Paso. When I was drving back home to Kerrville, which is about 55 miles away I felt my transmission shifting strangely but I thought it was the new fluid working our the bubbles. After I dumped it off at my wife't place of employment I didn't think much more about the shifting but when my wife arrived home she told me that she thought it was shifting strangely. I left it parked during the weekend and took it back Monday. It was really shifting horribly during the drive back to San Antonio. When I came up to a light, it felt like someone slammed into the back of me. When I accelerated and the transmission downshifted, it slipped badly. After the road test with the tech he checked it out and found probably one of the most common problems that would have indicated the above problems. Yes, low transmission fluid. He said it didn't even register on the dip stick. I know I should have checked it but I didn't believe a Lexus tech would have forgotton to put enough in, especially not even enough to register on the dip stick. The tech said that the service tech who serviced my vehicle must have encountered a bubble while filling the fluid, and because it appeared to have been full, stopped. Even though I had to drive almost an hour there, using my expensive gas and possibly subjecting the transmission to damage, the service writer never offered anything for my trouble and it didn't appear to have fazed them that they had made a mistake. I may go to Austin for my next service and see what happens there.



Breakwater blue/light grey leather/AWD RX-330

NeverSatisfied

That's terrible that the tranny fluid was mis-read... there are so many lazy people out there (he/she should've taken the time to re-check that the fluid was full, knowing you encounter "bubbles" sometimes. I guess the world wouldn't go 'round without lazy people!

Lil4X

Fatttu - write a letter to Lexus customer service right away to establish documentation of the failure of the service technician to check your fluid level after servicing the transmission. IF any damage was done to the transmission you want this incident on record . . . just in case. Send a copy of the service reciept and any other documentation you can to:

Lexus Customer Service
P.O. Box 2991 — Mail Drop L202
Torrance, CA 90509-2991

Send Certified, Return Receipt Requested and follow up with a phone call to their office @

1-800-255-3987, prompt #4

Lexus corporate takes these dealer issues very seriously, and you are well within your rights to ask just what they plan to do to ensure this situation does not recur, and what assurance they can offer that your transmission was not compromised. You need to be sure the incident is recorded in the vehicle's database to provide a basis for warranty claims on your transmission in the future. Oil changes and fluid fillups are normally handled by the least experienced apes in the shop, and this kind of inexcusable mistake happens more often than you might think.

Be as pleasant as possible, but explain your concern. It's highly doubtful that any damage was done, but for your own protection, establish that paperwork now. I think you are wise not to give them another chance to lay a wrench on your car. The odds are another dealer can provide far better service.

Good Luck!

fatttu

Thanks for the information Lil4x. We will do that soon as possible. We were expecting a customer survey from the dealer where we were going to voice our displeasure and concerns. Now we will run with this information you have provided. Thanks again.










Breakwater blue/light grey leather/AWD/RX330