ujeniawa

Okay, all! I am a "New Poster" and I got a problem/question. Some "generous" soul keyed by newly purchased 06 RX330 - only rear quarter and moderately deep! I have a body shop I have worked with in the past and want to use them for the repair work (they are cheaper and did pretty good work on my BMW), but am hesitant because I do not know if they are familiar with lexus: ya know paint matching (black), buffing vs. retouching, etc. Has anyone had any experience with body work on their lexus? Does anyone have any suggestions?

tfischer

I had some major accident problems many years ago with an SC400, and the Lexus body shop (actually at a Toyota dealership) did a great job with the repairs and with matching the paint (dark blue).

Recently I had some scratches on the hood of my black SC430, and had my local body shop polish and buff them out. There was no repainting involved, and they did that for about $50.00. I'm sure the Lexus body shop would have charged much more.

Good body shops have access to all paint codes and if they know what they are doing, they should be able to match any paint color. This same shop did some major repair work on a friend's Celica with a light metallic blue color that was probably a pretty match.

If they are good enought to trust with your BMW and matched the paint well on that car, I would think that matching the black on your Lexus should not be a big issue. How many shades of black are there?

Tammy

Our local Lexus dealer doesn't have a body shop. Any work is outsourced to a very good body shop locally. You might contact your Lexus sales person or dealer and ask for their opinion on a local shop. Part of the "service after the sale". Visit the shop and inquire on their work. Good shops are proud to show off their work. Watch for how light reflects off the new paint.

rxdriver

Lexus dealers in my area don't have body shops... they sent me to a very good auto body shop nearby that specializes in Toyota and Lexus products. I've heard that they've got the deal with Toyota for fixing Toyota and Lexus products that come off the Union Pacific train in West Chicago, IL, with any body damage. I've been there twice - absolutely perfect paint match with both a solid color and the RX 330 Flint Mica.

tfischer

In the Cincinnati area the local Lexus dealers do not have their own body shop. Instead, they send everything to a large Toyota dealer which has its own large body shop and does the Lexus work.

I had a little run-in with a stone wall some years ago in a dark blue SC400 (it was a dark and stormy night), and they fixed everything and matched the paint perfectly. But basically this was the Lexus body shop for southern Ohio, so you would expect them to get it right. They used only factory parts (including one of those thousand dollar headlight units) and factory paint, I guess.

ujeniawa

Thank you so very much for sharing your experiences! I have indeed decided to try my local body shop. It is not a Toyota or Lexus, but I think they can do the job!

Lexmex

We have no Lexus in Mexico and my uncle has done all the work on my car and no issues. Just because an independent may not know Lexus, doesn't mean they can't do the work.

CK6Speed

iTrader: (1)

I took my 04 RX330 to get repaired at a reputable independent local body shop that was refered by friends. In the past I used to go to a friend's body shop for all my paint and repairs, but he has since shut down. What I have leared though is that it doesn't matter what the name of the shop is, or if it is a certified Lexus shop or not. It is the worker who performs the work on the car that matters. I would have no problem taking my car to a reputable non Lexus body shop provided that their reputation is good. All you need to do is a little homework and get references if possible. Since I enter my cars in car shows, I get references from other show winning vehicle owners as to which shops they prefer. What I have learned is different shops excell in different areas. Some do awsome body work and good paint. Some do good body work and awsome paint. It really is rare (Unless you are willing to spend a lot of money) to find body shops that do awsome body work and paint. They are out there, but they are usually the best of the best and can cost 2-3X more than your typical body shop. For a show car they may be worth it. For a daily driver the cost might not be justified. This is just my experience with body shops in my area.

Rainbird

I think one of the big issues to be concerned with is the use of "after market" repair parts. Most of these parts do not have the quality and fit of genuine Lexus products. If you care, monitor the parts that are installed closely.

tfischer

Absolutely. It's a big issue in the insurance industry, and is in litigation all over the place.

Insurance companies often will only pay for aftermarket parts (as "good enough"), and if you want factory parts you have to pay the extra. I've had friends who were quite upset that their car was repaired with such items. Mostly, the insurance companies won't budge. (That's got lawsuit written all over it.)

In my one experience, there was no aftermarket part for the headlight assembly on an SC400, so I did not get this run-around, nor did they object to the charges of the Lexus body shop.

If you are dealing with an insurance company for body shop repairs, ask the body shop about the replacement parts. If you want Lexus parts, you may have to pay extra. If you are paying on your own, ask about this when you get the estimate to see what the body shop is using. Sometimes they won't tell you that the parts are non-factory aftermarket parts (usually doors, hoods, bumpers, spoilers, and stuff like that).

It's a jungle out there.

Tammy

I have a optional "rider" included in my insurance specifying the use of factory only parts. It's $28 per year on the collision. I did have to ask for it, the agent didn't volunteer the coverage. Then, the question is resolved in writing. This includes Lexus glass for the windshield.

tfischer

Nice move!

I did not know of such a rider; clearly this is a result of all the controversy and litigation.

$28 is not too bad, considering that the difference in some parts is hundreds of dollars.

I'm calling my agent right now.

Thanks for the tip.

tfischer

I really did call.

That rider is not available in my state (Ohio).

Insurance companies are highly regulated at the state level (the Federal Govt. was conned a long time ago to get out of insurance regulation; this is done only at the state level). The insurance companies love this because state legislatures are much easier to lobby than the US Congress, so very often these state laws have some very favorable provisions from the companies' point of view. Also for this reason every state is different.

My agent is doing more investigation and will get back to me with a full report.

Stay tuned.