Service at non-Lexus location

Warranty: depends on your location and the relevent consumer law there

You can save a lot of money going to non-Lexus service. I have been doing it for 5 years and have found that there is very little to do and it is much quicker besides being at least half in cost. In NC the warranty is valid as long as you have records as to what you have done.

Depends on the consumer laws where you live.

In the US, the only way a warranty can be tied in to service with the dealership (you have to go to the dealer in order for the warranty to be valid) is if that dealership provides the service for free for the lifetime of the warranty. (look into the Magnuson-Moss Act:

) For the vast majority of automobiles in the US, that means that you can have the services performed at any dealer, independent mechanic, or even DIY, so long as you can prove that you had the services done appropriately/timely, the manufacturer cannot deny you warranty coverage based solely on not going to a dealer.

On

,Lexus only recommends seeing your Lexus dealer, and then extolls thevirtues of seeing the dealer... They don't say that going to theLexus dealer is required. I'll note that according to the Scheduled Maintenance Log, , that the first serviceat 6 months/5000 miles is complementary if performed at a Lexusdealership, so only you can decide if that initial oil/filter changeand tire rotation (any shop can do this or you could DIY) is worthyour time/hassle of going to the far away Lexus dealership. The firstservice where things might get tricky for a DIY or independent is the36 months/30,000 mile service, where the brake fluid needs changing.

Do you have a Toyota dealer near you that has a good reputation? If you don't have a Lexus dealer near you, a local Toyota dealer can request Lexus/Toyota to do warranty service. As for maintenace, Toyota can do it, at an hourly labor cost considerably less than Lexus charges, at least in my area. And, personally, I get better service at my Toyota dealer. When it comes to servicing my car, I prefer "meat and potatoes" to "internet tech".

Can a Toyota dealer handle an LS430? Most OTHER Lexi have a Toyota that is similar. The LS does not.

It depends on what is being done. For example, the oil filter for the LS

430 is the same as for the Sequoia, but there are many other parts on the LS that are not used on a Toyota.

But my experience is if you schedule your service in advance, the dealer will have all the necessary parts on hand for maintenence. When my Lexus has a problem outside of normal maintenanence, I drop by the dealership and have the service manager look at it to determine what parts might need to be ordered for the service. In any case, the service ends up being much less expensive than Lexus, and as I said before, I prefer the "meat and potatoes" style of my Toyota dealer to the "hi tech" style of my Lexus dealer. But, hey, that's me. Others may be feel differently and might feel comfortable paying twice as much for labor to get "free" wifi and "free" loaner cars.

Jose

Don't forget all the free juices/coffee/pastries, wide variety of reading/periodical availability, and the most exclusive and important people you'll see!