amchugh371

Hello everyone,

I have an '06 RX330 with 25K miles. When I took in for 20K mile service I was charged $500 to change all the fluids. I took in today for an inspection and an oil change. They called me to tell me that I have 4 mm of brake pads left and that I needed front & rear brakes for $800. They said they had to sand the rotors or something like that. I thought it was a ridiculous price & told them to hold off. This car is costing me more than a junk car. I thought buying a Lexus would not need as much maintenance. Does anyone know if it's possible to need brakes at 25K and if this price sounds high?

Many thanks.

RX330inFL

With a great amount of sarcasm, let me first say -- "Expensive car, expensive service. Welcome to the world of Lexus." Remember when the Acura NSX came out and owners were complaining about needing new rear tires at 10K miles. Sheesh, it is a sports car!! OK, sarcasm is now off.

Needing brakes at 25K is not unheard of and has as much to do with your driving style and type of roads driven as the parts themselves. For example, I got 40K miles out of my front brakes and the rear brakes are still original at 50K. However, I drive casually in this car and have others for my high-revving days.

Next, you do not need to let the dealership do these services. Feel free to do it yourself, do what you can, or take it some place else. Just keep records and go to the dealer for warranty repairs. Sears, for example, might charge 1/2 to 1/4 the price the dealership wanted to charge you for your brakes and give you just as good a service. If you want to stay with a dealership, try going to the local Toyota dealer and see what they say.

I do many of the basic filter and wiper blade changes myself. But when it comes to getting under the car I take it to a local shop for my routine $17.95 oil change with semi-synthetic oil and NAPA filters in under 30 minutes and had them do the transmission full flush for $80.

Take some time to look through some of the recent threads. Members have posted how-to instructions on brake pad installation with pictures (thanks, mandyfig), filter replacement, etc. Lots of information here, one just needs to search.

Don't let your dealer bleed your wallet and enthusiasm for your RX.

amchugh371

I guess I should have taken shop with the boys I drive in the city so it's possible I may need brakes now. I will take your advice & go to a local mechanic or to the Toyota dealer. I guess my $88 charge today for an inspection & oil change was a bit much too. Oh well, live & learn. Thanks again!

Angela

CK6Speed

iTrader: (1)

Like he said above. needing new pads at 25K is not unheard of, but it is kind of early. You must be heavy on the brakes For example, I had my front brake pads changed at around 56K miles and the rear pads were still okay after I sold my 04 RX330 to my friend. I haven't heard if they needed to change the rears yet and I think they have about 70K on it by now. Keep in mind I also had larger and heavier 20" rims on my car so that would take more braking to slow the car down than stock and I still lasted that long.

For changing the oil, I just but the oil filter from either Toyota or Lexus, then go to Walmart and buy some Mobile 1 synthetic for about $25 and do it myself. Takes about 10 minutes and I didn't even have to lift the car. My RX was lowered on Eibach springs and I still had enough room to crawl under there and do the oil change work. Should be much easier at stock height.

For rotors, I aways do it myself. Generally my brake pads last 40K miles or more, so when the time comes to change it I generally skip the rotor resurfacing and buy new aftermarket rotors and brake pads and change it all at once. Personally, I've seen how much they charge, I've done the work myself, and I can't justify the price of labor. Its worse than paying for high dollar IT computer engineers to debug a system network when "Control+Alt+ Delete" would have solved the problem

amchugh371

Thanks CK6speed. I don't have a handy mechanic around so I'll take it to a local mechanic. Thanks for the advice.

RX330inFL

From each according to their abilities...I took Home Ec in HS and it served me well in the military.

For your $88 you got complimentary coffee and snacks and probably your car washed. In some cases, that may have also included a loaner car. For some, the $$$ are not as important as their time or convenience. Lexus dealers depend on those customers to make a profit.

However, if you chose to forgo those extras you can save your dollars and still take very good care of your vehicle. Personally, I do not mind going into a somewhat filthy Sears shop or local shop (the one I use has a plasma display bigger than any of the local Lexus waiting areas), take my car to the local car wash, etc. Besides, at least at Sears I can look at the Craftsman tools and not just Lexus clothing and accessories. (What is the symbol to add Tim Allen style man-grunts? )

All kidding aside, if you are not comfortable in doing your own services make sure you find a place you can get the basics performed and who will help look after your investment and remember that while your RX is under warranty you can always take it back to the dealer as needed.

Grumpa72

There was a post with photos showing how easy this is. If you have any DIY skills, this takes about 20 minutes per wheel. Do the search.

In my opinion, there isn't any need to turn the rotors unless they are seriously warped, you have pulsing in the brake pedal, or there are deep gouges in the metal. Do a search on this and you will find a lot of discussion.