Lexus Service Plan?

[whole9yards]

Hi guys, picking up my 400h tomorrow from the dealer. They were trying to sell me the Service Plan. I was interested until I was shown the figures. It averages £300-400 each service, and that's after the 10% discount! Just how much does each service cost exactly??! Does it vary or is there a flat fee for minor service and major service? I seem to remember my last service on 05 reg GS 300 was quoted a flat fee of £225?

Finally, is the service plan worth getting? I DO intend to always get my car serviced at the Lexus dealer...

Thanks!!

Jake

[ColinBarber]

service plan is worth it if you have a big one coming up (60k or 100k), otherwise there isn't much of a saving.

I had a 90k service the other week, cost me about £240 which I felt was rather excessive for essentially an oil change. I would have cost around £160 for an essentials service - which for a minor service is basically the same as a full 'Lexus' service.

The major services all tend to have different prices but I guess around the £350 mark is about right.

[whole9yards]

Thanks Colin! This is what is confusing me... The car is 09 reg, and it's done 37k on the clock. However, for some reason it's been serviced 5 times, with the last time being the 50k service. How can they call it a 50k service when it's only done 37k?? And when i get to the next service, it'd be 60k? Wouldn't that be a little too excessive for a 4 yr car that has only got less than 50k on it? I don't think it'd be fair for me to pay for that when the car certainly does not need it! And in my circumstances, would I benefit from the plan do you reckon?

Thanks!

Jake

[ColinBarber]

you need to ask your dealer what the price of the next two services will be, they normally have guide prices for each service. You can then work out if a plan is worth it. Normally the best plans to get are 3 year ones if you need a major service next, that way you get two major and one minor for the price.

As you your next service you can ask for the additional 60k items (plugs) to be deferred until they will need doing, which I guess will be the 80k service. They shouldn't have a problem with that.

[whole9yards]

Thank you so much Colin!!

[Valkirk]

Once the car is 5 years old you can go on the 5yr service plan which offers very good value for money so I would only take it up to 5yr's on the normal plan if you do.

[whole9yards]

Thanks guys!

By the way, Is a service plan cancellable?

Cheers

Jake

[wendle]

Hi, Jake

I brought a 4 year service plan when I got my old car back in 2008, at the time I was contemplating keeping the car 5 years.

I had 3 options when I PX the car last week, I had 1 service left on it ( I had used 3)

1….transfer the value left service plan onto the new service plan for my new car

2….transfer the service plan to another person ( if I had sold the car privately ).

3….get a refund on the amount of money left on the plan, minions a administration fee of £25.

Chris

[whole9yards]

Hi, Jake

I brought a 4 year service plan when I got my old car back in 2008, at the time I was contemplating keeping the car 5 years.

I had 3 options when I PX the car last week, I had 1 service left on it ( I had used 3)

1….transfer the value left service plan onto the new service plan for my new car

2….transfer the service plan to another person ( if I had sold the car privately ).

3….get a refund on the amount of money left on the plan, minions a administration fee of £25.

Chris

Thanks Chris!

In your experience, you reckon it's good value for money? My RX 400h is a 09 reg, with 37k on the clock. The total cost for my next 3 servicings (2 minor and 1 60k major) came to just over £1k. I could get my local toyota to do the servicing to be honest, but as it's a hybrid, thought Lexus dealer might know the car best to service it.

[wendle]

Hi Jake

It’s a tough choice, when I got my car in 2008 they wanted £1096 for 4 services witch I thought was good value at £275 per service, although I did have to travel 100 mile round trip to this dealership as my local dealership could only get the same 4 service package down to £1570, around £120 per service more, so it was worth the extra trip and it was a day out. So as you can see, defiantly shop around.

The same dealership on my new car have quoted me £1258 for a 4 service package, I am still waiting for my local dealership to come back to me with a quote.

I am not sure weather to take out a service plan or not, my brother in law always rings around different dealerships and fights one off against another, sometimes if a dealership is a bit short on work they off special offers, and I don’t think he has ever paid much more than me. So defiantly shop around.

On the other hand once your Lexus warranty has expired are you going to extend it?, if not with your low annual mileage do you really need to service the car every year,? Perhaps just a oil and filter change every 12 months and a main service every 10,000 miles. I only cover 4500 miles a year and think it a bit silly having it serviced every year, but you don’t have a choice if the car is under warranty.

Some people would argue that a full Lexus stamped service book will give you a better return when you come to sell the car and I would agree, but only up to say 5/6 years old, after that I don’t think it will make much difference especially if you can still show a oil change every year and a full service every 10,000 miles, so again to me it would depend on how long you intend to keep the car.

Chris

[whole9yards]

Wow, thank you so much Chris!! That's very helpful! I think I am likely to do around 6-7k a year, though I can't get enough of driving it at the moment, so it's likely gonna be more :) i tend to agree that it seems excessive to service it every year, but as it's only 3 years old, it might be a good idea from resell value point of view to have it serviced every year, at least for the next 3 years, which will bring it to the end if my PCP agreement...

I am pretty sure i could get cheaper quote from other dealers, but the location is hard to beat. And They Know It!! I think I might have to just bite the bullet. As long as you think the quote isn't too outrageous?

Thanks again!

Jake

[teejaybee]

Wow, thank you so much Chris!! That's very helpful! I think I am likely to do around 6-7k a year, though I can't get enough of driving it at the moment, so it's likely gonna be more :) i tend to agree that it seems excessive to service it every year, but as it's only 3 years old, it might be a good idea from resell value point of view to have it serviced every year, at least for the next 3 years, which will bring it to the end if my PCP agreement...

I am pretty sure i could get cheaper quote from other dealers, but the location is hard to beat. And They Know It!! I think I might have to just bite the bullet. As long as you think the quote isn't too outrageous?

Thanks again!

Jake

Jake, where is your local dealer? I have an 07 which will need a service in March 2013, I still don't know whether to stick with a main dealer or go independent. It's got a FLSH to date, it will be a major service next time and I will probably keep it for 2 years so it will be 7 years old when I sell it. Whatever happens I think I will ring round the main dealers to see what they are charging hence my wondering where your dealer is?

[whole9yards]

Wow, thank you so much Chris!! That's very helpful! I think I am likely to do around 6-7k a year, though I can't get enough of driving it at the moment, so it's likely gonna be more :) i tend to agree that it seems excessive to service it every year, but as it's only 3 years old, it might be a good idea from resell value point of view to have it serviced every year, at least for the next 3 years, which will bring it to the end if my PCP agreement...

I am pretty sure i could get cheaper quote from other dealers, but the location is hard to beat. And They Know It!! I think I might have to just bite the bullet. As long as you think the quote isn't too outrageous?

Thanks again!

Jake

Jake, where is your local dealer? I have an 07 which will need a service in March 2013, I still don't know whether to stick with a main dealer or go independent. It's got a FLSH to date, it will be a major service next time and I will probably keep it for 2 years so it will be 7 years old when I sell it. Whatever happens I think I will ring round the main dealers to see what they are charging hence my wondering where your dealer is?

It's Lexus Bristol. Good luck :)