Lexus LS Dealers and Service Issues
Has anyone experienced noisy (squeaky) brakes on the LS430? Has the problem been resolved successfully and how?
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Also, how was your dealer experience? I had awful experience with Toyota dealers, hope it's not the case with Lexus. If you can recommend a Colorado dealership I would be most grateful. Thank you.
Thanks again...
Name :Summit auto service, Inc.in DECATUR 404-373-7070. Japanese cars only, not german or domestic cars.
I am getting Engine Check light. I checked all the fluids, they are OK. Should I take to dealer?
Any suggestions? barrynj
I've been buying used luxury cars; until a recent job change, I used to commute 50 miles each way and ended up putting on 25-30K miles per year, so my used luxury cars, if not high mileage when I bought them, ended up being high mileage.
Currently I have a 95 Cad deVille, which was pretty reliable until I hit 150K miles, then it's $500 here and $1000 there every 6-10 weeks. I've been using a local independent shop and the dealer to make repairs. My Cad dealer service advisor is arrogant, condescending, and intimidating and I'm determined not to buy another Cad.
The relevance here is that I'm contemplating buying a 96-97 LS 400. (I have a friend who is an independent used car dealer and can get me a good price, so I won't buy it from a Lexus dealer.) My concern is that I'm hesitant because the local Lexus dealer/service shop is owned by the same company that owns the Cad dealership. My questions:
1) Do the BAD Lexus dealer shops outnumber the GOOD Lexus dealer service shops?
2) Anyone have any insight to these multi-brand dealership "families"? Is there any possibility that the Lexus service shop might be managed better than the Cad shop?
3)Is there any repair on a LS400 that can't be done by an independent shop? Do I need to have a relationship with the dealer?
Thanks for any input--
Regards,
Herschel53
Service isn't inexpensive, but I get first class service, i.e.:
Current year Lexus as free loaner
Limo service to local mall or other location
free food and beverages
nice lounge with TV
putting green
computer driven virtual golf (hit ball into a screen and see where it ends up) with a series courses available. Bummer here is I don't play any better!
and other touches.
Look, no one wants to throw good money away needlessly, but these type of vehicles are not disposable or simple. They are extremely sophisticated and if you truly want years of happiness, belly up to the bar, pay the piper and move on.
And no, I do not work for any automotive company. I do work for a producer of luxury jewelry and watches. The same applies here. Why spend $20k on a wristwatch and take it to someone who is not qualified or experienced and may not use appropriate parts?? This makes no sense. But hey, this is America, it is your car. Go ahead and roll the dice if you want.
Finally, I currently have a 98 MB E320, completely serviced at dealerships. While I have had no problems with the vehicle, my next car will probably be a Lexus because MB service is awful. No loaner vehicles, poor waiting areas, waiting for appointments. As anyone can see above, I will pay for premium service, but MB is not even in the game compared to Lexus.
Peace... Egoman
& was thinking.."New Avalon or used Lexus". This went on 4 6 months until a guy put it all in a nut shell. "The Avalon is a great car, But if U got one...evrytime U saw a Lexus...U would wish
U had chosen that"...But in a lexus, Yuo will just smile & b glad U choose it. Best Car I have ever owned & driven. I have quickly put 80,000 trouble free miles on it & plan to drive it until I can get me the used 2001 or 2002.
Larry
As to the price, they are correct there. A "standard" service has certain minmimum required parts, some Lexus recommended parts and a dealer can also add their own items to the list. You ought to be able to review these services and decline some. The price for a given service is also set at the dealers discretion, as each dealership has their own hourly rate, overhead and profit margin.
Service issues aside, I hope you enjoy the LS as much as I am.
So bad that I had to go to "Lexus". I do not consider replacing windshield wiper blades at 18 months a necessity. As stevestein said the dealer has their own items, mostly big profit items. These are know in the trade a gravy items. Pure profit, your order writer is trained to include these items in your write-up and if they forget the computer adds them.
Just get a copy of "Automotive News" and read for yourself.
My guess is the stevestein is employed by Catena or a friend of the dealer.
I’ve purchased new autos since 1960, most cannot be trusted, and Lexus is not different.
Lexus has a mailing address in your owner’s manual, and they do get back to you. It may take awhile but it is worth the wait.
This is how I got satisfaction from the dealer.
I find it amusing that you would just jump to that conclusion because I tried to explain things to the previous poster I had to be a mole for the dealer. Is this another symptom of 30+ years of distrusting people? Didn't you get the same opportunity to discuss things with the service advisor, and have to sign the workorder before anything was done just as I did?
I am happy with the service I've gotten. Yes I can change my wiper blades cheaper, but you know what, I tend to procrastinate and blurry windshields in the rain are dangerous, so I don't mind them doing it for me. Same goes for checking fluid levels. Oh, by the way, I let them do it at the Chevy dealer on my wife's Blazer too, only they don't offer the loaner, snacks & beverages, virtual golf, etc. that I have available at my Lexus dealer. I know I'm paying for all this, but again, I don't care. Same reason I don't stay in a Motel 8 when I travel. It may also have beds, TV and clean sheets, but I prefer to pay extra for a Hyatt.
Anyway, does anyone know a suspension part that could sound like "low boy choi"?
Best thing to do is repeat that back to them and if they say "yes", that's it.
That sounded a little stiff to me, so I called Lexus Mission Viejo and asked what their price for the same services would be. It came to $850. A 30% premium for going to the nation's newest and biggest dealership!! Not worth it to me. Next time I'm going back to Mission Viejo.
I can understand triggering the remote control inadvertently since I always have it in my pocket. Or it could be triggered from a spurious source. However, there is no remote control for the windows that I know of.
Does anyone have any idea what could cause this? Has anyone else experienced it?
We have our headlights programmed to go "off" after I turn the car off and open the door. There were three options, I think, that I had to choose from.
The dealer programs these according to which choice we select, as well as the windows/sunroof feature. They can be changed at the Lexus service department, and perhaps other independents may be able to do it.
http://www.lexus.com/dealers/elite_dealers.html
I blogged about the issue here:
"2007 Lexus LS 460's Retro 1990 Trunk Lid Mechanism"
http://www.brokerblogger.com/brokerblogger/2007/02/lexus_ls_460s_r.html
So, when I called the Lexus Customer Satisfaction 800 # about my "safety issue", I found out that they may have looked at how much money I've been spending at the dealerships in recent years. The dealers and their "District Operations Mgr." certainly care about where you get your car serviced, so they may have been influenced by my recent "lack of loyalty" to the dealers. Of course, I'll never know for sure, but it doesn't matter, as I'm thrilled with the Independent Lexus Service in my area.
Independents are usually former Lexus Master Mechanics that either didn't feel that they were treated right at their dealerships, and/or wanted to have an "equity ownership position" vs. and "employee" position. Even the mechanics that work at the Independents want to get away from certain dealers, and evidently prefer working for the Independents.
Independents never told me I could not go out into the shop for "insurance reasons" and watch the work being done to my car, if I wanted to (I love an "education" along with my car's service). Independents are less expensive than dealers. Most Independents try to save you money wherever thay can by doing "a la carte" things vs. selling you "package deals" that can include services that "can't hurt", but are not really necessary at that time (IMO). But, even the Independent's "service package deals" are less expensive. I also find that Independents "try harder" in many ways, as they know the dealers make so much more money that the dealers can always provide loner cars, while the Independents only sometimes do, or never at all. Being a business man myself, I know that the dealers have to somehow include the expensive cost of having loner cars in the prices they charge.
Finally, I never feel like I'm sacrificing quality in any way when I have my Lexus cars serviced at Independents. They can keep up with the latest things going on with all Lexus vehicles. In fact, I believe that Independents actually provide a much needed service for Lexus Corporate, and the dealers. They are an "extra set of eyes and ears" out there in the world to help Lexus customers stay loyal to the Lexus brand, while having the integrity to direct customers who need warranty work done to the dealers (who make money from warranty work!).
"92 was serviced @ both dealer & independents. Most of costly work done on "92 was suspension/wheel related - upper and lower control arms, ball joints, rotors, etc. Also sensors.
Question - does anyone know if "aftermarket" parts for items listed, supplied by independents, are the equivalent in quality - ie machining, material - of dealer supplied parts???
I had a bad experience @ a Lexus dealer - could have been very costly - dealership has since changed hands - may give them a try. @ oil change, they told me I need control arms and rotors for '98.
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Do let us know when the mystery is resolved.