Servicing Lexus At Toyota

[briatore]

Hello :)

Has anyone repaired or services their Lexus at a Toyota service/dealership? How did it go?

I've just been told that I can't do it! :)

Thanks

[normski2]

I have heard of folks doing this and don't think they had any problems. Think the Toyota dealerships had to get in Lexus parts mind you... for warranty reasons.

If you live miles and miles from a lexus garage and there is a Toyota garage near then it makes sense surely?

You are at least taking it to the parent company... its not like you are going to Ford, Vauxhallor the like.

Who told you you can't?

Where exactly are you Flavio.....Italy?

[colbecoz]

For both my Lexus, I used Lexus Aberdeen, but, they decidedto close down the branch and amalgamate with Arnold Clark Toyota, Aberdeen. I now get ervice/repairs done there, but the service is nothing like that of the Lexus dealer. My book still gets stamped with Lexus stamp and not Toyota. The Lead Lexus Techician moved to AC Toyota Aberdeen, but I wonder if this is why they still do it????

Col..

[briatore]

Normski, I've experienced some very nasty things at the only Lexus service around and the next one is about 500 kms away. :) There is a Toyota service about 100 kms from here where people are very professional and courteous, even friendly, and I really wanted to repair the car there. However, they found out that they can't order parts for my car because they are not a Lexus service. Of course, the parts are exactly the same (even I could verify that on toyodiy), only when they submitted my VIN, they got refused from the above. The Toyota/Lexus office (the above) told me that technically it's possible, but they won't let them order the parts for my car because it's a Lexus and they are a Toyota service! Basically, in different words, they said they don't care for me as the customer as much as they care for who repairs it!?! If it weren't sad, it would have been almost funny. :) In all fairness, they used very pleasant tone and language while telling me that, but that' doesn't mean a thing. But, that's not all. The engine is already removed from the car for the repairs at the Toyota place because they had to do it to see what was wrong. Now, "the above" would want me to pay the Toyota guys for removing it and refitting it (and doing nothing in the process for about EUR 1.000,00) and drive the car to the Lexus place for repairs, which I wouldn't do for I have extremely well founded reasons not to go to the local Lexus ever again. So, I don't know what to do now. Anyone interested in a set of wonderful leather seats and a Mark Levinson system? :D I honestly, really still can't believe all this. Obviously, I'm at a place far worse than Italy. :D :D ;)

[darkoracle]

I was interested in this subject as my nearest Lexus dealer is either Birmingham/Bristol or Cardiff (where I bought it).

I live in Wales and there is a Toyota dealership less than ten miles away, while the Lexus are about 60 to 80 miles away.

My car is still under warranty and although I've had no reason to return it, I am wondering if the situation is somewhat different for warranty work - as opposed to repair/servicing.

Flavio's experience sounds frightening and has all but put me off even considering it now; but when I posed the question to the Cardiff salesman, he seemed to find no problem with it.

I've heard of Lexus supplying parts to the Toyota dealerships in the past, so don't know what the issue is with Falvio's car.

[briatore]

colbecoz, the guys at the service are confident they can do it and I don't care about the stamp, so that's not the issue. To be honest, for me, it's all about the people and the people at the Toyota place, not Lexus, are the ones I believe to do it. I'm honestly starting to regret I've ever laid my eyes on a Lexus. I haven't lost my nerves when the car broke down and I had to have it towed for over a thousand kilometers. I kept cool when it turned out to be the head gasket, which is something that is basically a design flaw. I even held it together when they told me they need to replace more or less the whole engine because the block is damaged, but when they told me they wouldn't let it be repaired because of some administrative bs they have, that really ruined it all for me. I'm a really calm person and I understand that things happen. I've had worse disasters in my life. Who cares, it's just a broken engine, but this is downright stupid and could have been avoided very easily. I mean, I will have it repaired even if I have to send it back all the way to Japan, but making it more difficult for your customers is the way to go. Kudos, Lexus.

[briatore]

darkoracle, me neither. :)

I spoke on the phone to the top guy at Toyota/Lexus country office here and he told me this. After I read what you and other people said, which is basically, that it's not so uncommon, let alone impossible, that Lexus cars are serviced and repaired at Toyota services, I don't know what to think. I see no reason why they wouldn't let the Toyota repair the car, apart from being very bureaucratistic and short-sighted. They would want me to pay a lot of money for nothing (taking the engine out and apart and then back in again) in order to take my car where I don't want to take it. Go figure.

[darkoracle]

The only thing that I can think of is to ask members on this forum to give specific examples of Lexus cars being repaired by Toyota dealerships with Lexus supplying original parts.

You could then quote chapter and verse of these incidents and ask them (Lexus) to justify why they did it on those occasions and will not do it now.

I feel really angry about this and its not even my car!

[briatore]

darkoracle, I don't live in UK, so I'm pretty sure they'd come up with some kind of excuse of examples being from a different countries and so on, but I'd be very thankful to anyone providing the info.

As you could see, I've already contacted the Toyota/Lexus country office and spoke to the director. Basically, he told me their internal rules wouldn't allow the Toyota service place an order for my replacement engine. And it's not a warranty work or anything. I'm paying for the engine and labour and all. That's why I wanted to know if such rules really exist.

It all seems very dodgy to me now. I'm starting to think that the Lexus dealership has strong, possibly not entirely professional, connections with the Toyota/Lexus country office. Nothing else comes to my mind because it all doesn't make any sense.

I've had Audis before and I always took them to a VW service for maintenance and repairs. What, if I had a Scion, I guess they'd want me to ship it back to US for oil change?!? My car is produced by Toyota Motor Company. It's says that on the plaque and Toyota can't repair it now? That's some radical thinking on their behalf.

But hear this, and it's for crying out loud. I double checked and there isn't even a proper Lexus service here anyway. They only have two lifts with a differently painted floor underneath in a Toyota service, and it says Toyota on the building, and the mechanics are the same ones repairing Toyotas. How does it make different from the service where my car is at right now? Maybe, they should paint the floor and that would sort it out for me. Since there isn't a separate Lexus service, that means they would like me to take my car out of one Toyota service and bring it to another Toyota service. I'm speechless.

Please, does anyone have any suggestions on how to reach someone helpful at the Toyota Europe Customer Service? I'd like to talk to them before I consider taking other courses of action. What's worst, the word Lexus started making me sick, and I'm not sure what to do with the car when I get it back eventually.

[juicestop]

I did my last service myself, wanted oem pollen, air and oil filters. I have a Toyota franchise 5 miles from me. I filled in an online form with the part numbers, the Toyota rep emailed me back with the prices for each and said that if I replied within the hour they would be ready to pick up at my local Toyota branch in the afternoon. So, they do supply Lexus parts, and I don't see why they wouldn't service a Lexus car, but I didn't ask when I picked up the parts. Wish I had now so that I'd have a more definitive answer to briatore's opening question.

[briatore]

juicestop. thanks a lot. It makes perfect sense. Toyota Motor Company built the car in the first place, so why shouldn't they be able to supply parts or repair it.

[ColinBarber]

This would partly be a policy of the franchise owner in the UK, and I'm sure Toyota GB and Europe have some guidelines to which some dealers may or may not adhere to.

Most of the Lexus dealerships around the South East are next to a Toyota showroom with a shared servicing facility and owned by the same company. Clearly they wouldn't typically allow you to get Toyota rates for servicing as it isn't in their interest.

Years ago the old EPC used to have a Lexus section which required a password to stop Toyota dealers looking up parts for Lexus vehicles, I'm sure that isn't the case anymore.

[Silver Arrow]

Legally you can have the car serviced anywhere as long as they use OEM parts and done to manufacturers schedules - that is the law - and the manufacturer has to honour the warranty.

It doesn't mean however, that you can just do it yourself. It's best to have it done at a garage that is officially registered somehow - and so a Toyota dealer should be just fine.

Whether 1) you decide to take the chance and 2) £000's aren't wiped off the cars value at PEX is another thing of course; So even tho' the law states you can do it, manufacturers act like a cartel to protect their own interests and profit - so heed with caution.

[briatore]

ColinBarber, thanks a lot. You're probably right about the prices. Some people here have serviced their Lexus cars at Toyota services, though. I didn't care much about the quote and I wasn't going for a lower price, so they could have quoted me either Lexus or Toyota prices and I wouldn't have known the difference. :) I've checked and even at the Lexus place where they'd want me to go, they issued me an invoice from Toyota service.

Silver Arrow, thank you for your reply. The car has all regular services and all repairs so far done at Lexus, but that's not important right now because it is out of warranty anyway (2008). :) I believe that a brand new engine installed at a Toyota service would actually bring the price up not down, so I'm ok with that. You're right about manufacturers, because that exactly is the source of my problems. It should be all the same to them because the engine would be bought from them anyway. The only thing is that they want me to have it installed at a Lexus and not a Toyota service and that's something I can't and won't do.

[ColinBarber]

Legally you can have the car serviced anywhere as long as they use OEM parts and done to manufacturers schedules - that is the law - and the manufacturer has to honour the warranty.

But that does't mean a garage is legally bound to service your vehicle if you request it. If you get you car serviced at a Toyota dealer then yes your warranty will be fine, however if Toyota dealers have agreements in place with their Lexus sister dealerships not to service Lexus vehicles then they are entitled to do so. It isn't anti-competitve because there are a thousand and one other places you could get it serviced at.

[Zotto]

Ciao Flavio, I live in your same country, and have just serviced my GS in a Lexus seller who also sells Toyota, and there is not such a rigid distinction of brands. Besides, I had to change my brake pads in Germany just 2 months ago and I did it in a Toyota service; probably it's only a problem for bigger troubles like haveing to change whole engine. My Lexus (Toyota) service is in Busto Arsizio.