Cost Of Oil Change At Dealership

[homeslice]

I've just hit my 10K mile mark on my Rx350 and have scheduled an appointment at my dealer in northern NJ for an oil change. The quoted me $272 which includes tire rotation, brake inspection, oil & filter change. Is this comparable with other lexus dealers? They are picking up the car, leaving me a loaner car and will drop it off at my house when it's done - which is pretty nice but $272!! :o

Thanks.

[rx350guy]

I've just hit my 10K mile mark on my Rx350 and have scheduled an appointment at my dealer in northern NJ for an oil change. The quoted me $272 which includes tire rotation, brake inspection, oil & filter change. Is this comparable with other lexus dealers? They are picking up the car, leaving me a loaner car and will drop it off at my house when it's done - which is pretty nice but $272!! :o

Thanks.

That's about what I was quoted for the 10K mile service on my RX 350, which prompted me to do a little research. If you have a Toyota dealership nearby, check them out for comparison. My local Toyota dealership here in San Diego did the exact same work that the Lexus dealership would have done, and they charged me $50..

[SmilingBoognish]

The dealership I purchased my vehicle from quoted $90 for an oil change. I've always done my own oil changes and tire rotations in all my cars and motorcycles. I intend to do the same with my new Lexus. $90 is unreasonably high for a simple oil change and tire rotation. Besides, I trust myself more to inspect brakes and axle boots than a green service tech who doesn't know me from Adam.

[rx350guy]

The dealership I purchased my vehicle from quoted $90 for an oil change. I've always done my own oil changes and tire rotations in all my cars and motorcycles. I intend to do the same with my new Lexus. $90 is unreasonably high for a simple oil change and tire rotation. Besides, I trust myself more to inspect brakes and axle boots than a green service tech who doesn't know me from Adam.

Agree that $90 is WAY too much for an oil change and tire rotation; but what does your dealership charge for the "10K mile service", which in reality is not much more than an oil change and tire rotation. I'll bet they quote you a lot more than $90..

[Pete Zaria]

Forgive me for being naive, but...

Why would you even pay someone to change your oil and filter, rotate the tires and check your brakes, let alone $200+?

I can do all of that in my driveway in well under an hour.... And for under $20. Am I missing something? :P

Peace,

Pete Zaria.

[skywagon]

I've just hit my 10K mile mark on my Rx350 and have scheduled an appointment at my dealer in northern NJ for an oil change. The quoted me $272 which includes tire rotation, brake inspection, oil & filter change. Is this comparable with other lexus dealers? They are picking up the car, leaving me a loaner car and will drop it off at my house when it's done - which is pretty nice but $272!! :o

Thanks.

Do they throw in the jar of vasaline?? lol

[fbsdmd]

Forgive me for being naive, but...

Why would you even pay someone to change your oil and filter, rotate the tires and check your brakes, let alone $200+?

I can do all of that in my driveway in well under an hour.... And for under $20. Am I missing something? :P

Peace,

Pete Zaria.

I assume you want an answer to your question(am I missing something?). 1. Jacking up a car the size of the RX-350 four times and working on 18" wheels is both arduous and, in your driveway, potentially dangerous. If you decide to work the spare into the rotation, hauling the spare out from under is a no fun job. 2. Some people who have given oil change guidance in another thread have recommended raising the front of the car higher than the back; this might require purchasing jack stands, and then trusting them. In any event, it would seem necessary to slide under the car. I am too old to slide under the car. 3. You must take the used oil, 5 or more quarts, and transport it to an oil recycling point. This is potentially somewhat messy. 4. I won't even go in to the brake checking issue.

I can make enough money in an hour at my job to hire someone who's job it is to change oil and rotate tires and check brakes, and still have a little money left over. The person who I am hiring to do this work is grateful; he needs to do this work so that he can support his family and pay me. I must agree with others in this thread that what you get for your $200 for the 10,000 mile check makes it a bit pricey. It would seem possible that the Lexus folks could find some other more acceptable way of !Removed! us.

[Nebraska99]

Heck, I am so mechanically unclined that the oil plug would probably end up screwed into the flux capacitor.

[Pete Zaria]

Forgive me for being naive, but...

Why would you even pay someone to change your oil and filter, rotate the tires and check your brakes, let alone $200+?

I can do all of that in my driveway in well under an hour.... And for under $20. Am I missing something? :P

Peace,

Pete Zaria.

I assume you want an answer to your question(am I missing something?). 1. Jacking up a car the size of the RX-350 four times and working on 18" wheels is both arduous and, in your driveway, potentially dangerous. If you decide to work the spare into the rotation, hauling the spare out from under is a no fun job. 2. Some people who have given oil change guidance in another thread have recommended raising the front of the car higher than the back; this might require purchasing jack stands, and then trusting them. In any event, it would seem necessary to slide under the car. I am too old to slide under the car. 3. You must take the used oil, 5 or more quarts, and transport it to an oil recycling point. This is potentially somewhat messy. 4. I won't even go in to the brake checking issue.

I can make enough money in an hour at my job to hire someone who's job it is to change oil and rotate tires and check brakes, and still have a little money left over. The person who I am hiring to do this work is grateful; he needs to do this work so that he can support his family and pay me. I must agree with others in this thread that what you get for your $200 for the 10,000 mile check makes it a bit pricey. It would seem possible that the Lexus folks could find some other more acceptable way of !Removed! us.

I suppose the "time is money" argument is valid. I make between $45 and $65 per hour, so to me, it's worth it to do as much of my own auto work as possible and save the money. If you're in a higher tax bracket, having someone else do your auto work for you probably makes much more sense.

I will politely disagree with you about the "danger" and effort to rotate tires on an SUV. My second vehicle is a (gasp) 97 Ford Explorer, I've rotated it's tires many times. I have two, 2-ton hydraulic floor jacks (which cost me $20 each) and four steel jack stands rated for 4,000 pounds each (I have no problem trusting them). Getting both ends of the Explorer up and rotating the 4 tires front-to-back (as I usually do) takes about 45 minutes. 15 minutes longer if you don't have an air wrench.

Yes, working under a car isn't much fun, but you really only need to spend a collective total of about 3 minutes down there... one to pull the drain plug, and two more to re-install the drain plug and change the filter.

You made valid points and I didn't mean to offend you or provoke a sharp response (note my comment, "Forgive me for being naive, but...").

I think what it comes down to is how valuable your time is and how much you mind getting your hands dirty. I was just saying that I'd never pay someone $200+ to do what I could do in less than an hour.

Peace,

Pete Zaria.

[fbsdmd]

You made valid points and I didn't mean to offend you or provoke a sharp response (note my comment, "Forgive me for being naive, but...").

I think what it comes down to is how valuable your time is and how much you mind getting your hands dirty. I was just saying that I'd never pay someone $200+ to do what I could do in less than an hour.

Peace,

Pete Zaria.

Hey Pete-No sharp response from me. I will defend to the death your right to do your own maintenance work. It isn't for everybody.

[SmilingBoognish]

Agree that $90 is WAY too much for an oil change and tire rotation; but what does your dealership charge for the "10K mile service", which in reality is not much more than an oil change and tire rotation. I'll bet they quote you a lot more than $90...

I didn't ask any further questions after the $90 quote for oil changes. :P I imagine they would charge more for additional inspections, which I would do anyway while changing the oil and rotating the tires.

Quick question, before I post a new thread, does anybody know when the recommended interval is for transmission fluid changes? The service manual calls for an "inspection" every 15k. Seems like a very frequent change interval, but I don't really know how one goes about "inspecting" a lubrication fluid.

[GDixon]

Agree that $90 is WAY too much for an oil change and tire rotation; but what does your dealership charge for the "10K mile service", which in reality is not much more than an oil change and tire rotation. I'll bet they quote you a lot more than $90...

I didn't ask any further questions after the $90 quote for oil changes. :P I imagine they would charge more for additional inspections, which I would do anyway while changing the oil and rotating the tires.

Quick question, before I post a new thread, does anybody know when the recommended interval is for transmission fluid changes? The service manual calls for an "inspection" every 15k. Seems like a very frequent change interval, but I don't really know how one goes about "inspecting" a lubrication fluid.

The service manager at the Lexus dealer told me that the 08 RX350 goes 100K on transmission oil. Starting in 08 the oil used is full synthetic. Same for the other fluids - except engine oil of course.

[SmilingBoognish]

The service manager at the Lexus dealer told me that the 08 RX350 goes 100K on transmission oil. Starting in 08 the oil used is full synthetic. Same for the other fluids - except engine oil of course.

Much thanks!

I actually stumbled upon a Lexus TSB at lexushelp.com (TC008-07) which says, in part:

100,000 Maintenance Interval — Inspection only; ATF-WS does NOT require any

flushing or changing during the life of the vehicle.

The use of Genuine Toyota ATF-WS is recommended.

The use of additives or aftermarket fluids that are considered compatible

or substitutes may result in shift concerns and damage to the internal

transmission components.

ATF-WS is NOT compatible with T-IV or Dexron ATF.

Amazing!

[johnac]

Just got an oil change AND tire rotation at my local Toyota dealer for $30.

[rx350guy]

Just got an oil change AND tire rotation at my local Toyota dealer for $30.

You can bet that your Lexus dealership would have charged you 4-5 times that amount for the exact same work. Of course, at the Lexus dealership you can have a danish and a cup of coffee while you're waiting..

[OLEG]

From previous post : if you rotate tires you have to reset tire pressure sensors.

So, question is: if you use NON Lexus dealer for tire rotation, do they reset tire pressure sensors in NAV?

Regards, Oleg

[lightflick]

From previous post : if you rotate tires you have to reset tire pressure sensors.

So, question is: if you use NON Lexus dealer for tire rotation, do they reset tire pressure sensors in NAV?

Regards, Oleg

Toyota and Lexus vehicle tire pressure reset procedures are mostly the same. There is a little Tire Pressure Reset Button near the driver's leg. Nothing in navigation resets tire pressures.

[Messerchmidt]

I've just hit my 10K mile mark on my Rx350 and have scheduled an appointment at my dealer in northern NJ for an oil change. The quoted me $272 which includes tire rotation, brake inspection, oil & filter change. Is this comparable with other lexus dealers? They are picking up the car, leaving me a loaner car and will drop it off at my house when it's done - which is pretty nice but $272!! :o

Thanks.

Do they throw in the jar of vasaline?? lol

to hell with vasaline, for 90~272$ it better come with a complementary !Removed!...LOL

I do the service @ toyota here in canada as well...1/3 the price, but no rental car or "free" interior vacuuming

[rx350guy]

I've just hit my 10K mile mark on my Rx350 and have scheduled an appointment at my dealer in northern NJ for an oil change. The quoted me $272 which includes tire rotation, brake inspection, oil & filter change. Is this comparable with other lexus dealers? They are picking up the car, leaving me a loaner car and will drop it off at my house when it's done - which is pretty nice but $272!! :o

Thanks.

Do they throw in the jar of vasaline?? lol

to hell with vasaline, for 90~272$ it better come with a complementary !Removed!...LOL

I do the service @ toyota here in canada as well...1/3 the price, but no rental car or "free" interior vacuuming

Probably no 'free' croissants, coffee, lexus bottled water, 60" flat screen TV or car wash either... LOL

My RX 350 is coming up on being due for 15K mile service. Lexus dealership price - $385; Toyota dealership - $159 for the EXACT same work. Is this a no-brainer or what?

[scottq60]

I realize that different people value money differently - $100 to one person may hold no more personal value than $5 does to someone else. It's all relative to one's income level/standard of living.

While the 09 RX350 my wife and I just purchased seems pretty special to us (the first "luxury" vehicle we've ever bought), and a major financial commitment, there are others who could walk into a dealership and pay cash or write a check for one, paying MSRP and not bat an eye. Those are the ones who probably don't mind paying $$ hundreds for service at a Lexus dealer at their prices. And that's their right.

Personally, I'm going to do all the maintenance on ours that I trust myself to do, including oil/filter changes, tire rotations, brake pad replacement, etc. as I have over the years with all of my/our vehicles. I value my $$ far too much to pay the fees that a Lexus dealership (or any dealership for that matter) charges for routine/periodic maintenance. I get a personal sense of satisfaction and peace of mind knowing that I do my own maintenance. I can't say that I fully trust technicians at any dealership, as much as I trust myself to do the job right. Again, I'm talking about routine maintenance - NOT special maintenance requiring special tools/training.

To each his/her own...

[SW03ES]

To me, $270 for the easy experience of them coming and getting the car, dropping off a loaner, and bringing it back to me and knowing my day won't be interrupted is cheap.

I don't pay $270, but I pay about $200 for the same service but I drop the car off myself. I don't have the time or the desire to wait at the dealer, so I drop it off the evening before and get the loaner, and go back the next day at my liesure. The Totota dealer charges $130 for the same service and wouldn't give me a loaner car, the cost of renting a car the caliber of the Lexus makes it a no brainer to me to use the dealer.

[P7M13 user]

I just came out from the dealer for oil change and tire rotation (car wash included, they even vacuum and cleaned the floor mats), total for $75 + tax. This is for my 2007 RX350 with 12350 miles. I got it used a week ago and the maint. required light was on, so I just want to make sure that the first service gets done properly at the dealer.