Lexus Bolton Review

[blackpoolmike]

Not had a Lexus before, but got a good chance to test out the renowned service as my LS430 needed 100k service plus an engine management problem needed sorting. Lexus Bolton is nearest to me (Blackpool), but Stockport seems to get all the good reviews. I got prices from both for the service and there wasn't much difference. Bolton said they would collect my car from Blackpool and drop of a courtesy car, which they did. It was a high spec Toyota Avensis - they apologised for not having a Lexus - but I was happy anyway. Later in the day they phoned to say what they had found re engine management problem. We agreed on the cost to fix and they went ahead. As the fix was to take a few days, they offered to swap the Avensis for a Lexus. When I got the car back there were a couple of things I wasn't happy about and that night I emailed the after sales manager. I was amazed to get a phone call at 8:15 the following morning to apologise and start the ball rolling to sort out the problems. They collected the car again and left me a new top spec RX300 with plenty of fuel in it. They sorted my car and to compensate me for not getting it spot on the first time, they replaced a faulty rain sensor, fixed some switches that didn't illuminate, valeted the car inside and out and delivered the car back with a full tank of petrol. So, although the initial problem was a disappointment, I'm very impressed at the efforts they went to sort things out and the freebies I got. As a result, I'll certainly use Bolton again.

[Rob]

Not had a Lexus before, but got a good chance to test out the renowned service as my LS430 needed 100k service plus an engine management problem needed sorting. Lexus Bolton is nearest to me (Blackpool), but Stockport seems to get all the good reviews. I got prices from both for the service and there wasn't much difference. Bolton said they would collect my car from Blackpool and drop of a courtesy car, which they did. It was a high spec Toyota Avensis - they apologised for not having a Lexus - but I was happy anyway. Later in the day they phoned to say what they had found re engine management problem. We agreed on the cost to fix and they went ahead. As the fix was to take a few days, they offered to swap the Avensis for a Lexus. When I got the car back there were a couple of things I wasn't happy about and that night I emailed the after sales manager. I was amazed to get a phone call at 8:15 the following morning to apologise and start the ball rolling to sort out the problems. They collected the car again and left me a new top spec RX300 with plenty of fuel in it. They sorted my car and to compensate me for not getting it spot on the first time, they replaced a faulty rain sensor, fixed some switches that didn't illuminate, valeted the car inside and out  and delivered the car back with a full tank of petrol. So, although the initial problem was a disappointment, I'm very impressed at the efforts they went to sort things out and the freebies I got. As a result, I'll certainly use Bolton again.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

any idea what the mangaers name was, becasue when i had probs with them he was a complete twit, and it apperared they couldnt organise a drink up if they tried.

Edited July 28, 2008 by janey
profanity

[Greg Francis]

Regarding the reports of the standard of service from LEXUS BOLTON, I wondered if the writer of the favourable report is the staff member who lives in Blackpool ? Here's my story about Lexus Bolton. I'm now on my third Lexus and so, having owned 3 x LS400's since about 1995, I have a reasonable knowledge of the car. With my first Lexus (a 1993 model with about 100k on the clock) it developed a problem leaking water. I took the car into Lexus Bolton, and they phoned me a day later saying that the cylinder head gasket had blown, and it required repairs in the region of £3000. Since I don't believe it's that easy to blow head gaskets on a Lexus 400 (last time it overheated, I had it towed into Lexus Hatfield - who found a blockage of leaves in the radiator fan ... charged me £5 to remove them - wonderful people !) I took the car to my local garage, who repair mostly vans and large trucks. He phoned me up a few days later and told me to come and collect it - and to bring £300 (iee: £2700 less than Lexus Bolton had quoted !) to pay for radiator repairs. That was probably about 6 years ago. I sold that car a few months afterwards, as I'd bought a newer model. The car is still running around Blackpool daily, and it should have taught me a lesson about Lexus Bolton. But - it didn't. Sometime later, I took my newer (2nd) Lexus into Bolton to have some work done on it. In fairness, they cured the problem, so I had no hesitation when they phoned me, to say that I was entitled to a new alternator under warranty, in letting them come over (or rather, their local stooge in Blackpool) pick it up. They promised to bring me a courtesy car - they didn't. In fact, the guy who collected my car, left the car he'd driven in, firmly locked, outside my house. When they brought my car back the following day, they had also fitted a new windscreen wiper. It was fitted upside down, and it banged against the edge of the window - useless. But, that was the tip of the iceberg. When I got in the car to actually drive it the next day, the air con and most of the electrics had gone off completely ! Also, the Battery went flat very quickly. I took it into a local auto electricians workshop, luckily near to where it broke down, and he fitted a new Battery - almost £100's worth of Bosch HD Battery. This quickly went flat, and still, the heating and air con, did not work. I took the car back in to the auto electrician, and he found that the alternator had not been tightened properly. He sorted this out but, the air con and heating would still not work properly. After another day of work on the car, he found that some connecting wires or rods (or whatever) were not connected up to the climate system. To have the repairs and new Battery fitted cost me £250. All un-neccessary work, had Lexus Bolton done the job properly in the first place. When Lexus Bolton phoned some time later to remind me that a service was due, I told them why I didn't want them to touch it again. Their response was one of complete dis-interest ! I guess they must be used to it - they didn't even query my complaint ?

Incidentally, I had new brake pads fitted on my first Lexus, at Harry Feeney (Toyota dealers) in Blackpool. After I drove the car out of the workshop, I noticed a clattering sound in the front wheel area. I took it back, they said they couldn't hear it, I took it back again a few days later, the mechanic came around the block with me in the car, listened to it, took it back into the workshop, and pronounced that the front suspension needed replacement. Obviously I didn't believe him because, I've been driving for 43 years now, and I learned very early on, that the more 'respectable' the dealership, the more likely you are to get ripped off. A couple of weeks later, I was passing Kwikfit (of all places) and I thought I'd just ask them to check the suspension. After doing a quick dance display for me, the Kwikfit mechanic informed me that the Toyota dealer had fitted Toyota Camry brake pads - which were the wrong size, thus, they were rattling about. I faxed and wrote to the Manager of Feeney's but I never got a reply !

I'm a new member to this club, so I thought I'd start the ball rolling with a good long 'grumpy old man' style message. I now have a LS400 with the sport pack - it is superb and, despite my age, and being a lifelong speed merchant, I cannot make this car do anything wrong. I regularly drive through the night (being a musician) and so, I regularly clog it at up to 150mph whenever possible. The 50mph bends on the M6 in Birmingham/Wolverhampton drift by at a blissful 110/120 without a hint of back end slip ! I thoroughly recommend this sport pack (lowered suspension and bigger wider wheels) to anyone who wants to really enjoy the benefits of a superb car !

[Dave76]

Great posts, I have will be getting my first Lex (used) soon, Last week I spoke to an owner of a used LS400 and he was in no way impressed by the Lexus approved garage in the Wisbech area, I have had a good and trustworthy mechanic for several years now, looks like I will be keeping him.

Thanks for the posts.