Cheap Timing Belt Job Cpo Warranty Not Talked About Enough!

[rvgraham]

I bought my '99 two years ago, and just concluded the warranty portion of my ownership (reached 100k).

The CPO warranty is the best thing I have ever experienced since owning cars. I was treated like royalty, given free, clean new loaners (and not asked to return them with full tank, even though they almost always started with it). And all the expresso and goodies I could put down

During the warranty, I received:

New radio head unit because of one lcd segment not displaying right.

New amp, based on my word that the front right speakers were occasionally cutting out, even though the dealer could not confirm the problem.

New horn button in steering wheel, including fixing wires I tore out of the horns themselves because the horn started going off by itself!

New windshield washer level sensor because it showed empty warning when not empty (intermittent).

New regulator for driver's window, only because it made a slight clicking noise.

Now the big stuff, all last week at 99,800 miles:

Replaced Timing Belt for $45 (for part only) because it was determined that my water pump was weeping a bit, and they'd be in there anyway.

Replaced water pump.

Replaced idlers for timing belt.

Replaced lower ball joints, other front suspension parts. (No more clunking in front right when braking suddenly or hitting bumps.)

Replaced some rear suspension parts.

Did free four wheel alignment.

Replaced driver's window motor because (on my word only) it stuck once and would only go down about a half inch (no, it wasn't the seal sticking.)

Fixed tsb issue with noisy tilt/telescope mechanism.

A couple of smaller things.

Perhaps the most reliable American made car today is a Buick (based on a few owner survey results, including Consumer Reports). General Motors offers a cpo warranty on Buicks: 3 months or 3,000 miles! What a JOKE!

Please note that some of these things are technically not covered under the certified pre-owned warranty, but Lexus approved them just because they wanted me to remain convinced that they are the best car company in the world! Is there any doubt?

I may have paid $1,000 to $1,500 more for the car than the best price I'd have found elsewhere (in our stratospherically overpriced area), but the dealer got me a much better interest rate than I'd have gotten anywhere else, and with this kind of warranty treatment, I'd do it all again in a heartbeat. I fact, I think I'll sell at the end of the year and pick up a 2003 off lease, With CPO. From the same dealer.

A very happy Bob Graham

PS: My dealer is Steven's Creek in San Jose CA, and my service guy is Harry Kiriakopoulos.

[nc211]

I couldn't agree MORE! Some Lexus dealerships really do step up to the plate. Although there are those who've had a bad experience with them, I think the majority feel like you do. Johnson Lexus of Raleigh has really done a TOP NOTCH job for me over the past few months to fix problems on my car, just to prove that just because your LS400 might be old(er), it isn't worn out. It's funny....when most manufacturers are trying to get you to upgrade to a newer model year, Lexus puts out sooo much effort to keep you happy with the one you've got! Even when it is 11 years old with 112,000 miles on it. You just can't beat that....period.

[sapper_daddy]

good stuff