Rx 300 Service Costs

[wildberry]

I have a question regarding service costs. I just moved to Raleigh from Pennsylvania. I have a 2003 RX 300 with just over 35000 miles. My 35,000 service was done yesterday and at a cost of $278 and my 30,000 service cost me $600 and was a major service. The dealer here in Raleigh is useless to begin with, but is the only dealer close to me.

They didn't do much for the 35,000 service. My 5K services from my original dealer were more in the $100 to $150 range.

What are others paying for the service.

Thanks

[douglasmiami]

What was done at each of these services? I didn't realize that Lexus scheduled services that close together. There is another forum where others are discussing the 60k service. One suggestion was to take to another reputable mechanic, not a Lexus dealer. They're always more expensive.

[b0pIT]

a 35k is the same as a 5k, the more major services occur at 15k and 30k intervals. A 5k is an oil/filter change, tire rotation, and top off fluids.

[KevinK]

The 30k service of $600 at dealer sounds right. The 35k service should cost about $100. It only includes oil change, tire rotation.

[Arizona]

Service writer’s, like sales people, are on commission… Lexus, and other high line dealerships, hourly shop rates can exceed $100.00 per hour…

Ask around, there are a number of good independent shops (that specialize in Japanese cars) with lower overhead that can do your work… The only time I take my car to Lexus is for warranty work, and they do an excellent job…

[SW03ES]

If you can live without the loaner, take it to an independent shop, or even a quick lube place (just bring your Toyota filter) just watch them and check the level before you drive off. No reason to Pay Lexus $150 to change the oil and rotate the tires unless you need the loaner. I need the loaner so I figure the extra $75 is spent on a rental Lexus for the day.

[sgriffith]

I change my oil myself....so it is a lot less expensive....but when I bought new tires for my RX they throw in rotations & balancing for the life of the tire....so my service runs just under $22.00.....and it doesn't take that long for them to rotate the tires (but I do live in a small town ;-) ) So, you can spend A LOT less than $268. Like Arizona, I only take mine to the dealer to do work on the vehicle...because I too need a loaner & only want them to do that kind of work. But, like most others on this forum, you have to do what makes you feel most comfortable....but $268 for an oil change and a tire rotation makes me do more than scratch my head!!!

[SW03ES]

My dealer only charges $140 for that service, $110 since I bring my own oil. Other dealers in the are charge over $200 though.

[douglasmiami]

SWO - do you recommend taking your own oil? Is there a particular type / brand that you like that lube place doesn't offer? And previously, you recommended taking your own filter (Toyota), why is that?

My wife already thinks I'm obsessed with my Lexus. If I start taking my own oil and filter, she'll kill me.

[SW03ES]

The reason for taking the filter is that Toyota makes the best oil filter out there. You don't want to skimp on the oil filter as it filters out all the contaminants in the oil. I take my own oil to the Lexus dealership because they charge $20 a quart for the Synthetic oil and I can but it for $5. If the quick lube place charges a reasonable amount then there's no reason to take your own oil.

[wwest]

My 01 AWD RX330 now has 38k miles and has NEVER been in the shop, any shop. 7500 miles oil and oil/air/air/filter changes and nothing else.

Same with my 92 LS at 94k miles except I did have to drain flush and replace the factory anti-freeze this past year. Oh, yes, I did replace the driver's side rear oxygen sensor several years ago on the LS.

[wolfie212003]

In order to save on service costs I was going to start taking my 2002 RX300 to a toyota dealership to have my oil changed. I figure if its not lexus doing it, it might as well be Toyota. A long time ago when I had concerns about this i brought it up on this site and someone told me that the 2002 Rx 300 is based on the camry anyway so lexus isn't really doing anything special to it. They just like to scare you into bringing it only to Lexus. At least they like to scare people like me who know nothing about cars and trust them to tell me to do the right thing.

If I take it to the lexus dealership here in columbus, OH they'll charge me about 70.00 for the oil change but toyota is quoting me 27.00. I like the sound of that.

Do you think I'm safe going with the Toyota dealership to do my oil changes?

[sgriffith]

I would say so...it is all Toyota stuff anyways....and the Toyota dealer in my area can acutally do all of my scheduled maintenance. I still take it to a Lexus dealer for the maintenance that I don't do myself...but mostly just because I like to take a day off work & go to the metroplex!! I would think that you were safe...the Toyota dealer closest to me is where I buy all of my parts to do my service anyways.

[bluestu]

I take my RX300 down the street to the Speedy Lube every 3,000 miles and they charge me $17 to change my oil. I take it to Toyota's express service every 15,000 mi. to change the transmission fluid. Costs $40. I change my air filter myself. Why would anyone take their car to a Lexus dealership for scheduled maintainance or any repairs other than warranty issues???? I'm amazed at how many people are throwing their money away!!!

[SW03ES]

Well, there are a couple reasons.

1. Need of a loaner car. When factoring in the cost of the loaner, the service doesn't cost that much.

2. Desire to have a complete maintenance record on file at Lexus. Lexus has a national database that has your entire maintenance record (when serviced at Lexus), thats worth a lot at tradein time.

3. Desire to have only genuine parts used. When you have your oil changed at the quick lube they don't use a genuine Toyota filter (found in independent tests to be one of if not the best). This can of course be remedied by bringing your own.

4. Desire to forge a relationship with a service advisor. I've found this is very important. Down the road when warranty work has to be done etc.

5. Or they just plain enjoy having their vehicle serviced at Lexus.

This is why I mainly have mine serviced at Lexus, mostly for the loaner car. They charge me $130 for an oil change and tire rotation and I get a loaner for the day, when figuring in the cost of renting something similar to a Lexus they're really only charging me $40 or so.

[bluestu]

$130 for a tire rotation and oil change is ridiculous!!! I get my tires rotated and balanced for free and the oil changed for $17 with a high-grade oil filter. It takes a total of 30 minutes. All you really need to do to maintain a car is change the fluids regularly and have it inspected periodically by a good mechanic. I found a guy who won't fix anything unless it is absolutely necessary. I can trust him to do a good job when something needs fixing. If you look around, you can find great deals on car maintainence. I see too many people getting ripped off bad on car repairs and service. Toyotas are built to last a long time and ten years from now the car you own won't be worth much anyhow. Save your money for your next purchase unless you have money to burn.

[riwyle]

SW03ES-

I have always heard (possibly in error) that filters on the maket made by major suppliers all meet SAE specs as for particulant removal efficiency. Can you provide references to the independent tests which rated thy Toyota filter as best? I would like to review them.

Thanks

[bowtie3]

I have a question regarding service costs.  I just moved to Raleigh from Pennsylvania.  I have a 2003 RX 300 with just over 35000 miles.  My 35,000 service was done yesterday and at a cost of $278 and my 30,000 service cost me $600 and was a major service.  The dealer here in Raleigh is useless to begin with, but is the only dealer close  to me.

They didn't do much for the 35,000 service.  My 5K services from my original dealer were more in the $100 to $150 range.

What are others paying for the service.

Thanks

←

One of the Toyota dealers in our area is owned by the same person who owns the Lexus dealer. That particular Toyota dealer refuses to do ANY service work to a Lexus. I purchased a shop service manual for a Toyota Highlander because they are basically the same vehicle as the RX300. The " OFFICIAL " Lexus manuals are only available from the Lexus dealer; 2 volumes at a cost of $100.00 each. I recently had the rear main oil seal replaced on my wife's 2000 RX300. It was replaced under the Certified Warranty but the service director said it usually costs about $800.00-$1000.00 for a customer-pay repair. [ Quote---- Very rarely happens ] I called a Toyota dealer and got an estimate for the same job on a Highlander and the cost was about HALF as much. It seems a rip-off to charge twice as much for the SAME job using the SAME parts. The Lexus dealer wanted $450.00 to replace all of the brake pads on the 2000 RX300, not including machining the rotors. I purchased a premium set of pads from an import parts house [ $60.00 ] and did the job in about 2 hours. As for the dealer costs for 30,000, 60,000, and 90,000 mile services, they're either crazy or they think the owners are stupid! OK, you caught me, I'm a retired GM technician. BUT I've worked on too much GM crap to own one!

[SW03ES]

Gotta keep in mind though at Lexus you're paying for things they don't do at Toyota:

1. A loaner car, a rental comparable to an RX330 would cost you probably $60 a day.

2. Free wash

3. Upgraded waiting area with refreshments and satellite TV

4. Higher paid service techs with more seniority and experience in customer service

5. Pickup and dropoff. Lexus dealers will come get your car and bring you a loaner, then bring it back when they're done.

It doesn't totally excuse the cost, but you've got to understand that you're not comparing equal service to equal service. Most Lexus owners are content to pay the Lexus service prices so they're not being underhanded. If they FORCED you to use Lexus that would be one thing, but they don't and Lexus service costs are comparable to other luxury brands.

[mikey00]

Gotta keep in mind though at Lexus you're paying for things they don't do at Toyota:

1. A loaner car, a rental comparable to an RX330 would cost you probably $60 a day.

2. Free wash

3. Upgraded waiting area with refreshments and satellite TV

4. Higher paid service techs with more seniority and experience in customer service

5. Pickup and dropoff. Lexus dealers will come get your car and bring you a loaner, then bring it back when they're done.

It doesn't totally excuse the cost, but you've got to understand that you're not comparing equal service to equal service. Most Lexus owners are content to pay the Lexus service prices so they're not being underhanded. If they FORCED you to use Lexus that would be one thing, but they don't and Lexus service costs are comparable to other luxury brands.

←

I don't need a loaner when the service takes 30 minutes tops. The free wash in reality is quite expensive. The waiting area in my local lube shop has coffee, cable TV, mags and again it's less than 30 minutes. Same flunkys changing oil as local shop. When local dealer ran an ad for a service advisor, they were looking for an aggressive sales person, not a tech. So much for relationship.

[RX in NC]

I do my own routine maintenance because I trust no one else to ensure that the correct components are utilized and the work is done carefully and thoroughly. That's probably a big part of the reason why most of our vehicles provide us with at least 125,000 miles before I make the decision to fire them. With a basic set of tools and a willingness to do the necessary research, this becomes a habit that just about anyone can adopt. When I purchased our daughter's first vehicle back in 1991, part of the agreement was that she had to assist me with its oil changes, tire rotations, and tune-ups. I was able to teach her a great deal of respect for what a vehicle requires of its owner on an ongoing basis, and those lessons have paid off down the road as far as being a responsible motorist is concerned.

[Lexusfreak]

Gotta keep in mind though at Lexus you're paying for things they don't do at Toyota:

1. A loaner car, a rental comparable to an RX330 would cost you probably $60 a day.

2. Free wash

3. Upgraded waiting area with refreshments and satellite TV

4. Higher paid service techs with more seniority and experience in customer service

5. Pickup and dropoff. Lexus dealers will come get your car and bring you a loaner, then bring it back when they're done.

It doesn't totally excuse the cost, but you've got to understand that you're not comparing equal service to equal service. Most Lexus owners are content to pay the Lexus service prices so they're not being underhanded. If they FORCED you to use Lexus that would be one thing, but they don't and Lexus service costs are comparable to other luxury brands.

←

I understand what sw is trying to say & it's a fair point. I take my ES to an independent repair shop for regular maintenance & pay about 60% of what the Lexus dealers charge. I figure with the money I save, I can get about 20 car washes, a few tin's of Tim Horton's coffee (sorry to my American friends / members, Tim Horton's is a Canadian thing unless your in Buffalo) , & I don't mind waiting for my car to be serviced as they are usually very quick & I like watching them work on my car. ;) I'm even considering doing my own maintenance to save even more (at least oil changes).

[SW03ES]

LF- Sure, thats your decision and it works for you. You don't accuse the Lexus dealer of ripping people off though. There are reasons people use the Lexus dealer, they provide a service and just because you don't choose to use it doesn't mean it shouldn't be offered.

Why do some people buy clothes at Nordstrom they can buy at Macy's or Hechts? Many times they're the same clothes but they're as much as 50% more at Nordstrom. You pay for the atmosphere, you pay to have your !Removed! kissed, you pay so they bring your packages to you from around the counter instead of handing them to you etc. Its the same way having your car serviced at Lexus vs. Toyota. I just bought a couple new suits, one I bought at Nordstrom for $1300 one I bought at Syms for $500. Same brand of suit, Hickey Freeman. Why buy suits at Nordstrom? Well there I got a personal fitting, suit was well pressed, got a really nice solid wood hangar, nice thick canvas suit bag and they carried it out to my car. At syms I changed clothes in a room that was like a locker room (everyone changes out in one big room) and I got the suit back on a plastic hangar wrapped in a plastic bag LOL. You get what you pay for, some people care about that, some don't. I do sometimes but not always.

Sorry about the clothes analogy, I've been Christmas shopping

[Lexusfreak]

LF- Sure, thats your decision and it works for you. You don't accuse the Lexus dealer of ripping people off though. There are reasons people use the Lexus dealer, they provide a service and just because you don't choose to use it doesn't mean it shouldn't be offered.

Why do some people buy clothes at Nordstrom they can buy at Macy's or Hechts? Many times they're the same clothes but they're as much as 50% more at Nordstrom. You pay for the atmosphere, you pay to have your !Removed! kissed, you pay so they bring your packages to you from around the counter instead of handing them to you etc. Its the same way having your car serviced at Lexus vs. Toyota. I just bought a couple new suits, one I bought at Nordstrom for $1300 one I bought at Syms for $500. Same brand of suit, Hickey Freeman. Why buy suits at Nordstrom? Well there I got a personal fitting, suit was well pressed, got a really nice solid wood hangar, nice thick canvas suit bag and they carried it out to my car. At syms I changed clothes in a room that was like a locker room (everyone changes out in one big room) and I got the suit back on a plastic hangar wrapped in a plastic bag LOL. You get what you pay for, some people care about that, some don't. I do sometimes but not always.

Sorry about the clothes analogy, I've been Christmas shopping 

←

SW, didn't mean to come across as 'suggesting' the Lexus dealers are ripping off customers, your right.....the Lexus dealer does provide a certain service that is above most other brands & dealers in the auto industry (even including some other Luxury brands) which is great. For some (including myself), I can do without the 'perks' of Lexus service (I normally only take my car to the dealer for warranty, extended warranty or when it's a major problem that only the dealer would be able to fix), such as the car washes & fancy coffee. Just mentioning that if some folks are tight for cash (especially after Christmas shopping ....I only need a couple more items & I'm done lol) one can get their Lexus serviced at a alternative shop & still have some 'coin' left for other stuff.......Lexus service is not a 'rip off', it's just a tad expensive. ;) I hope I cleared that up some........

[SW03ES]

LF, Oh no I didn't mean that you were suggesting that they were ripping people off, I mean't that you didn't suggest that they were even though you elected not to use the dealer. Confusion was my fault, sorry about that.