Florida Dealers

[ramblnman]

Does anyone have experience with the 2 Lexus

dealers in the Tampa Bay area either Lexus of

Tampa Bay or Lexus of Clearwater?

[mostlygone]

We are on our 3rd vehicle from Lexus of Tampa Bay and have been very happy with the overall experience. When buying our 07 GX 470 in December, our schedules were very tight due to a fair amount of business travel. We did the entire deal by phone and fax. The whole process of final document signing at the dealership took about 10 minutes and we were off - it must be a world record.

The Service Department has been great and the facility is very nice if you have to wait on your car. I usually bring my computer and work until the car is done. Often they have catered food and drinks in the waiting area

My wife works over in Pinellas County so we visited Lexus of Clearwater for one scheduled service. At that time (February 07 I think), they were undergoing expansion/construction and could not perform the car wash however the experience was fine - staff courteous and attentive, etc.

[Edric]

I can give a Thumbs Up to Lexus Of Orlando in Winter Park, FL and they do not charge a dealer fee ever

[tmax25]

Problems with Lexus of Tampa Bay Service Dept!

March '03 - Purchased a 2004 RX330. Vehicle was a new model & had MULTIPLE "bugs". Lost count of how many times vehicle was in for problems. Techs ignored complaints. Turned in multiple times for same complaints. For example: roof rattle at 60 MPH (sounded like something was beating top of vehicle). Was told could not fix because they could not get vehicle up to 60 MPH to "reproduce noise". After complaining to dealer manager....the rear spoiler was loose. Simple Fix!! Most complaints were simple adjustments but took manager involvement & multiple trips to dealer. Some complaints were never addressed. "Lexus knows about the problem but there is no solution right now, we'll call you." Of course, they never called. Most solutions for the problems I found online through forums like this. I would print the forum pages for proof but it still took major assertiveness & alot of time. Rear end clunk & general rattles continued to get worse over time. We rarely drove the vehicle due to the high frustration level! We finally traded the vehicle after 33 months & barely 20,000 miles. I am so sorry for the person who bought that Lemon!!

I decided to try another Lexus due to the positive reputation for quality. Traded for a new '06 GX470. I have had very few problems & have enjoyed the vehicle very much. Quality is as expected from a Lexus. The service dept quality has not improved. The only major problem I have had with the GX is vibration at 65 MPH. Didn't notice on test drive but noticed immediately during drive home on interstate. I reported the problem immediately but it took 17,000 miles, 4 trips to the dealer, & my refusal to pick up the vehicle without a fix for them to resolve the issue. Once again I heard the excuse, "Because of where we are located, we cannot get the vehicle up to 65 MPH". Each time they told me the GX needed an alignment & tried to charge me for work not covered under warranty. After a heated & long debate, a simple test was performed. They put the car on the rack & tested it at 65 MPH. The Michelin tires were all defective. They changed them without charge & no vibration since. The last time I had service, I waited an hour before they checked me in. My advisor was involved with another customer that "took longer than expected". I kept asking others for help but they stated only my scheduled advisor could help me. After 1 hour of sitting in my car in the drop off area, I lost my patience & went to management.

In short, the dealership is easy & pleasant unless you have issues with the vehicle. Be prepared to stand your ground & be assertive. I am calm mannered & they are too quick to ignore my complaints. The service advisors can be a bit arrogant & apprear aggitated. I have never seen a single one of them smile. However, for all the times I have been without my vehicle, they have provided me with another Lexus for transportation. The dealership is clean & comfortable.

Even though I love the GX, my next trade will not be with Lexus due to service issues.

[City Rider]

I just want to add that my experience with Lexus of Palm Beach has been my best Car Buying experience ever...

I was buying a used Lexus and was treated as if I was paying top dollar for their new models...

The salesman, Edwin Caban made everything fit my budget and really didn't waste time haggling with me over small money...

I will highly recommend taking a trip to the south and see what Edwin can do for you...

-Zee