Is Lexus Gb Service Worth It If The Car Is 6 Years Old?

[alitech]

I bought my rx400h last year in September. A major service is coming up for 80k miles in about 2k miles. I have been qouted £650 for a major service at my local lexus garage in Croydon. They can do a 15% discount on that.. which brings it to around £550. My car has one service missing in its history and one service from a regular garage, but all other services from Lexus GB.

My question is, will it be worth getting the Lexus service instead of a regular garage with perhaps an excellent reputation, lets say Kwikfit?

Is there a good lexus service centre that is not Lexus GB so I can save on the money? I mean £550 is a lot of money for me. My car is a 55 reg.

Any other Lexus service centres near and around croydon/south london/surrey who may be cheaper?

[DaveEdin]

Try your local toyota dealer... They're often cheaper than the Lexus equivalent and they all work for the same company in the end...

[alitech]

Try your local toyota dealer... They're often cheaper than the Lexus equivalent and they all work for the same company in the end...

Thanks for your reply. Have you ever noticed that the Lexus dealerships are right next to the Toyota ones accross the country? There service centres may be shared in the dealerships, but I can bet they will tell me to ask Lexus directly and that they couldnt help me.

I will nevertheless give it a shot. Thanks for the tip.

[ihpj]

Threads like this make me chuckle - I want to buy a complex hybrid vehicle chock full of wazzy gizmos and cutting edge technology but I don't want t pay £500 for a service cause I want to save £200.

Your 400h is not like any ordinary car - it needs proper care and maintenance to ensure proper operation. Do you honestly believe that monkeys like KwikFit can service this vehicle properly and correctly in respect of the correct operation of the Hybrid system?

For me it beggars belief that people will spend £20k on a car but will look to using KwikFit (and the like) to maintain it. And when it goes *BANG* will scream to high heaven and blame Lexus for their poorly built cars.

[alitech]

Mine cost me 11k and its on finance for 5 years. Does that put things into perspective you insensitive numptee

[ihpj]

Mine cost me 11k and its on finance for 5 years. Does that put things into perspective you insensitive numptee.

I'm not the one asking if I can trust KwikFit to work on my vehicle - something someone said about a 'fool' and 'money' and 'being parted' comes to mind.

[alitech]

if you don't have anything good to say in reference to the title of the thread?.. maybe you could find another to flame in? plenty out there where this sort of behaviour is actually encouraged.

[ihpj]

Please see my post in the other thread ;)

[ColinBarber]

Why not go with a Lexus essentials service. You won't get a Lexus stamp in the book but it is the same quality of work with genuine parts etc.

http://www.lexus.co.uk/owners/lexuscare/service-your-lexus/essential-care-service-plans.aspx

[Parthiban]

It's all about personal preference, my car's almost 9 years old but I still service it at Lexus - worth ringing around a few dealers though as I use Lexus Woodford and I don't think it really costs that much more than a decent independent so I don't mind paying a bit more for the extra peace of mind.

[Boxbrownie]

You won't get a Lexus stamp in the book

http://www.lexus.co.uk/owners/lexuscare/service-your-lexus/essential-care-service-plans.aspx

Why will the Dealer not stamp the book?

[alitech]

I was just about to ask the same question... whats all that about?

How come I have not heard of this before. Whenever I call them up, they always qoute £350 for minor and £650 for a major service.. whats the catch here?

[ColinBarber]

I was just about to ask the same question... whats all that about?

How come I have not heard of this before. Whenever I call them up, they always qoute £350 for minor and £650 for a major service.. whats the catch here?

It seems essentials was set up to gain back people who have migrated to independents due to the high costs of a main dealer service but it seems they also don't want to encourage existing customers from taking this 'cheaper' option. I was told you will get the full receipt/paperwork but that they won't stamp an 'L' in the service book. You may find that coolant or brake fluid changes may have additional charges. Possibly they may use cheaper oil too, although quality of the oil seems to vary between dealers anyway.

[alitech]

This is certainly a scoop in that case. Let me try to negotiate the stamp bit with my dealer. They have to do something obviously.. apart from the reciept, they do have an obligation to put something down on the service book i think.

[Parthiban]

This is certainly a scoop in that case. Let me try to negotiate the stamp bit with my dealer. They have to do something obviously.. apart from the reciept, they do have an obligation to put something down on the service book i think.

I hadn't heard of this essentials thing either, but my dealer offers significantly lower rates for work on my car because it's older (and I've been a customer a while).

Perhaps it's the same thing but they just didn't use the name, but they always stamp my service book.

[Mars]

This is certainly a scoop in that case. Let me try to negotiate the stamp bit with my dealer. They have to do something obviously.. apart from the reciept, they do have an obligation to put something down on the service book i think.

I hadn't heard of this essentials thing either, but my dealer offers significantly lower rates for work on my car because it's older (and I've been a customer a while).

Perhaps it's the same thing but they just didn't use the name, but they always stamp my service book.

Same here with the same dealer. I raised the question of this essentials service and was told I would not get a stamp in the service book but that at the price they charge me for my services it was not worth it. The fact is I think certain customers are being rewarded for their loyalty, I and Parthiban being a couple of those customers. A couple of years ago after the 6 year service I was saying "goodbye" to the Service Manager ie. that in future I was going to have it serviced cheaper elsewhere and was told, No, come back and we will sort something out and they have. No complaints at all.

[LEEWOOD]

Threads like this make me chuckle - I want to buy a complex hybrid vehicle chock full of wazzy gizmos and cutting edge technology but I don't want t pay £500 for a service cause I want to save £200.

Your 400h is not like any ordinary car - it needs proper care and maintenance to ensure proper operation. Do you honestly believe that monkeys like KwikFit can service this vehicle properly and correctly in respect of the correct operation of the Hybrid system?

For me it beggars belief that people will spend £20k on a car but will look to using KwikFit (and the like) to maintain it. And when it goes *BANG* will scream to high heaven and blame Lexus for their poorly built cars.

Ive just asked the same question, people join forums like this for HELP not to be sneered at!!!!

For your info my partner is driving a 911 carrera but couldnt bear to trade in the first Lexus that he had bought hence im now driving it.

I would suggest to all contributors on any forum like this that they give honest help where possible, after all we all want the best for our lexus vehicles either serviced by lexus or any independent lexus garages and as we all know there are some out there in the universe who are just as capable to do the neccesary work required without blowing it up, chuckle.

[Swindon Andy]

Had mine main dealer serviced last month. Checked the service book on picking it up - not stamped/signed. I went back in for them to stamp it - they did it no problem but said it wouldn't have mattered as all the services are on their database anyway.

I've got mixed thoughts on this. Were they covering their embarrassment or is that the real source of info?

I wonder if the essentials service is logged on their system for prospective buyers to check out.