Toyota Shops **Advertising** LEXUS Service ??

I had our ES300 60K service completed at the Toyota dealer..... including spark plugs, the 60K service was $425. The Lexus dealer wanted $725 to do the exact same list!! I actually took the list from Lexus to the Toyota dealer.

The only difference was, Lexus washed/vacuumed out the car. To me, that was an expensive car wash.

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-- Curtis Newton snipped-for-privacy@remove-me.akaMail.com

ICQ: 4899169

Regardless, still seems to me 400 bux is a lot of gelt for a laundry list that is mostly "inspect" (pencil-whip). The actual list of labor/parts services is only:

-change oil & filter

-replace brake fluid

-clean & adj. rear brakes

-adjust emgc'y brake

-rotate tires & pressure check

-top off fluids

-clean & adj throttle body

-service (?) battery & clean terminals

-drain & refill antifreeze

-lubricate locks/latches/hinges

-replace transmission fluid

-replace differential fluid

-replace spark plugs (execpt add'tl chg for platinum plugs)

-replace wiper blade inserts

Then of course you get hit with the requisite environmental disposal fee and "shop supplies" fee.

I don't object to the environmental disposal fee, except that the oil disposal companies PAY the dealer for his waste oil.... Still, the "shop supplies" fee is what irks the shit out of me and is one of my trigger buttons. Hand cleaner and shop towels, gasket sealer, uniforms, etc is normal overhead, damnit, and the cost of doing business, like lights, phone, admin salaries, etc.

won't disagree that $400 is a lot.

--to powerflush the tranny, they charge $149

--to replace the spark plugs on the V6, the plugs alone are $75, plus the labor...the back plugs are nasty. I think it was an hour labor ($80 an hour).

So, you are basically at $300 for the two major items, the rest aren't bad. As expensive as a new transmission is, I don't mind paying $150 to get a good powerflush...and those spark plugs don't look easy.

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-- Curtis Newton snipped-for-privacy@remove-me.akaMail.com

ICQ: 4899169

I don't know, it seems like $400 is pretty reasonable for all this stuff. If I was to do all this stuff, it would take me all day - assume a technician does it in half this, that's still four hours of labor and in the US, by the time you pay salary taxes, benefits, etc., a techniican is costing easily $50/hour. Parts and fluids is probably another $100, then add in service writer and foreman salary. Figure in something to cover liability, insurance, equipment, advertising, return on capital, etc. and $400 looks to me like a bargain.

The environmental disposal fees are just their way of packaging the costs a different way. I'd prefer it to be just built-in also, but it is just a packaging question, not a cost question.

If you think there is a lot of profit in this stuff, invest $250K in opening a shop and try your luck.

- Mark

There are independent shops that could probably do it for half of what dealers charge for service. The question is the quality of work and the level of service. With independent shops, you'll have to arrange for alternate transportation to get to work, or sit on a hard folding chair next to a humming vending machine - watching Bubba or Habib selling cigarettes to minors.

With Lexus service, you can usually get a free loaner car (not a Chevy Cavalier, a fairly new Lexus) for the day. Or you can sit in a nicely furnished waiting room, watch large screen TV, read the free magazines and paper, enjoy the gourmet coffee, etc. And I know that the service will be done right. (Though there are exceptions.)

I just had my 30k done at Lexus for $540. It sure is a lot of money and I wish that it could be less. But as long as they do my car right and treat me right, I'll keep going to this dealership.

I hear what you're saying, Mark, it just grindles me that such fundamental basic services should have to come at such incredible premiums. Yes, the Lexus waiting room is very comfortable and its many amenities are a nice touch, including access to a phone and in some dealerships, even access to the internet. You also generally find yourself in the company of a better breed of clientele :-)

In my situation I find myself being encouraged (pressured, actually) to have high-mileage services performed on my low-mileage 96 LS. The car is not a daily driver but we do manage to go through a tankful of gas every 6 weeks or so. It is now 8 years old and has 52k miles on it. What's wrong with it? Nothing, but my dealer thinks I should be having the "age" services performed, even suggesting now that I should have the timing belt replaced and I say that's nonesense. I understand about seals and so forth drying out, but the car is regularly driven, just not every day and then not terribly far. A couple times a year we'll even take a short trip (500 mi round trip). Overall we average about 5 to 6k miles a year on each of our two vehicles and always have people standing in line to buy them when we finally decide to upgrade.

Actually, your dealer isn't out of line suggesting you to replace the timing belt. Even though it's a low mileage car, it's been 8 years. I believe that it should've been replaced at 6 years if I'm not mistaken.

Timing belt is made of rubber (some new ones are made of neoprene) and it will eventually crack and break.

Look closely at your maintenance schedule book. The scheduled maintenance goes either by mileage OR by time, whichever comes first.

The age-related maintenance recommendations are way too aggressive. You basically need to do an oil change at least once/year and change out brake fluid and anti-freeze every 2-3, but other than that, I would do things by mileage.

Lexus service does have nicer amentities, but that's expensive coffee. My earlier comment that $400 was a good price for a 60K service reflects what you'd be charged at a non-Lexus shop. Most Lexus dealerships want $800-$1000 for a 60K service. That IS high.

- Mark

As I said, I understand about rubber seals & etc drying out, but advancements in rubber processing technologies have largely negated the old problem with ozone. We -did- have the T-belt checked (inspected) at

45,000 (abt 2 years ago I recall) and the mech said then it was virtually as good as new w/no evidence of abnormal wear. However, the original battery failed the load test so it was replaced along with the hood struts, which also had become weak and would barely hold the hood open any more. We're still on original brakes, both frt & rear. The mech said based on the break wear so far that we'll probably be due for brakes somewhere around 75k or so. Today most everything is still original on the car except the alternator, which was recently replaced due to a defective regulator and front struts and 4 tires which were replaced at 45,000.

Yes it does, but the warranty has long since expired. The car sees annual maintenance (oil change, etc) whether it needs it or not >>grin