Is It Necessary To Use Lexus Dealer For Service?

[df4801]

Hi all,

New here, with my new (2003 LS430).

1st lexus for me. It has 60K miles and I'm doing the 60K service.

Basically change all the fluids (tranny, diff, brake, radiator, oil)

1. I assume all this is necessary. Any other advice?

2. Dealer wants over $700 (ouch!). Do I really need to use the dealer?

Thanks!

[1990LS400]

Main advice is to follow the maintenance schedule in the maintenance booklet. Except for doing simple repairs and engine oil changes myself, I've usually used indie Lexus repair shops unless I needed the dealer for warranty repairs.

Toyota dealers can be a good place to buy oil filters -- LS430 uses the same oil filter as a Land Cruiser V8. The last 10-pack of oil filters with 10 drain plug gaskets I bought from a Toyota dealer cost less than $40.

Not much to worry about ... your car is hardly "broken in".

[curiousB]

Be sure to check fluid change intervals. The newer LS430's don't require transmission fluid change until beyond 100k miles. Its a fairly sealed unit.

[amcdonal86]

Where can I find the maintenance schedule (beside the maintenance manual, which I don't believe I have)?

[1990LS400]

Where can I find the maintenance schedule (beside the maintenance manual, which I don't believe I have)?

You could register and look in the Owners section of the Lexus website.

I just now logged into the owners section and found the maintenance schedule for my 2000 LS400 has been deleted from the website -- guess it's so old, it no longer needs maintenance.

The owners manual for my 90 LS also showed the maintenance schedule but it didn't have the pages for recording the performance of service. The 90 LS also had a separate maintenance booklet.

I would imagine you could obtain a maintenance manual from Lexus or view the maintenance schedule on the fee-based Lexus techinfo site.

[curiousB]

Here's a place to get maintenance schedules, TSBs, and recall info:

http://www.edmunds.com/maintenance/select.html

[1990LS400]

Here's a place to get maintenance schedules, TSBs, and recall info:

http://www.edmunds.com/maintenance/select.html

The maintenance schedule on edmunds DOES NOT match the maintenance schedule in the maintenance booklet for my 2000 LS400.

[dfkd]

Here's a place to get maintenance schedules, TSBs, and recall info:

http://www.edmunds.com/maintenance/select.html

The maintenance schedule on edmunds DOES NOT match the maintenance schedule in the maintenance booklet for my 2000 LS400.

From AARC attached.

scheduled_maintenance_intervals.pdf

[1990LS400]

From AARC attached.

The problem is that the maintenance schedule is not the same for all model years of the same car model. For example, the spark plug change interval is much longer for my 2000 LS400 than for earlier model years of the LS400.

[dfkd]

Darn, sorry. For some reason I assumed he had a 1st gen.

Here's the version for a 2003 LS.

2003_maintenance_intervals.pdf

[1990LS400]

Darn, sorry. For some reason I assumed he had a 1st gen.

Here's the version for a 2003 LS.

I'm suspicious of that maintenance schedule too. Did the spark plug replacement interval for the 2001 LS430 really drop back to 60,000 miles after it was 120,000 miles on the 2000 LS400?

[dfkd]

CHecking the one for the 2000 model, it also shows a 60,000 mile schedule for the spark plugs.

[1990LS400]

CHecking the one for the 2000 model, it also shows a 60,000 mile schedule for the spark plugs.

The maintenance schedule you found for the 2000 LS400 is also incorrect. I've sometimes wondered these on-line scam maintenance schedules were created just to sell unneeded services.

Here is an old thread that discusses the increase in the spark plug change interval from 60,000 miles to 120,000 miles for the LS400 between 1998 and 2000: http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...38&hl=spark

It includes a comment from LexusLooker who verified that the spark plug change interval is also 120,000 miles for the LS430.

Attached are the 60,000 and 120,000 pages from the maintenance log book for my 2000 LS400. As you can see, for the 2000 model year spark plugs are replaced at 60,000 miles only on the GS300 and SC300. Although the "Replace spark plugs" item is checked on my 60,000 mile page is checked, they were not replaced -- I just now checked the invoice ... about $371 before tax for the 60,000 mile service.

I think the "bottom line" of all this is to only use the official Lexus maintenance log book for the model year that matches your car and avoid the on-line scam maintenance schedules that dishonest repair shops use to charge for unnecessary services.

[glenmore]

This is an age old question and there are many pluses and minuses.

On the plus side:

1) Mechanics will be much more familiar with your car.

2) A regular schedule of maintenance at the dealer MAY earn you some goodwill for some future expensive repair. This is on the theory that they have continuously gouged you so they can take a little less on an unexpected repair.

3) Dealers will try as hard as they can to foist a repair off on the manufacturer as a warranty item, giving you a free ride.

4) They warrantee their work.

On the negative side:

1) Very expensive. A good independent will always be cheaper.

2) No guarantee of goodwill. You do all your service at the dealer and they STILL gouge you on a big repair.

3) No guarantee that they will warrantee their work. This board has plenty of stories of their cars coming out of dealer service with continuing problems. Then it becomes a war of who gives up first.

4) You really should try and develop a good relationship with a good independent. It's like finding a good plumber or dentist. Find a good one and give them your business.

glenmore

1990 LS400

1991 300CE

2000 C280

[curiousB]

Good point about the conflicting data. When in doubt go with Mfg data.

I wonder when you do transmission fluid change. If you never pull a trailer or camper then is the auto trans lifetime lubricated?

Its a pet peeve with me as my (st)(D)ealer showed AT fluid change as part of 30k and 60k miles service yet there was no fluid or filter on the parts column. I think they just did an inspection but claimed they did a replace. Oversight or dishonest. Who knows but it seems its a revenue grab either way.

[1990LS400]

I wonder when you do transmission fluid change. If you never pull a trailer or camper then is the auto trans lifetime lubricated?

It's surely documented in your maintanance manual.

For my 2000 LS400, the answer is "Never" if I was to follow the maintenance manual which only goes up to 150,000 miles. Like many Lexus owners, I overdo the maintenance schedule a little.

The only additional service I do above what is in the maintenance manual is to replace the transmission fluid every 30,000 miles -- probably needless but I do it anyway. Besides, I have a hitch on the car and occasionally tow a small trailer -- so light that I can't "feel" it while driving with it hooked to the back of the car. Couldn't feel it when attached to the less powerful 90 LS I had either.

[VBdenny]

Find a local Toyota dealer that does not also have a Lexus dealership. I just had all the fluids changed on my car for $250 at a major Toyota dealer. Brake fluid, Transmission gear oil, power steering, cooling system, everything but the engine oil since I do that.

Lexus dealers RIP you off for preventitive maintenance work. I would even be comfortable going to a Nissan or Honda dealer if they have good ratings. There is a website on dealer ratings somewhere out there. My local Lexus dealer, Charles Barker Lexus, was rated 1.5 on a 5 point scale. I used them once and was not happy.

To answer your original question, no, you do not need to do any of these things and your car will be fine. It really depends more on how long you plan to keep it and does having things perfect give you satisfaction. It does me.

[dfkd]

So all this conflicting data got me curious so I headed to my car and found that the previous owner received a handout maintenance schedule from Lexus some time after 1999 as it is labeled "1999 and prior model year vehicles."

Again, the data doesn't match what the website said.

This schedule actually specifies different replacement schedules for platinum plugs vs iridium plugs.

I do find that every 3 years or 48,000km for the air filter to be absurd.

I'd assume we can take this one as being correct; at least for the cars 1999 and older.

NOTE: mileages are in KM (Canadian car).

Maintenance_Schedule_in_print_small.pdf

[happy rider]

Here's a place to get maintenance schedules, TSBs, and recall info:

http://www.edmunds.com/maintenance/select.html

The maintenance quote is way way much lower than the price quote provided by dealers. Lexus dealer asks about 1,200 for the 90,000 maintenance. :o

[90LS400Lexus]

You dont need the dealer for everything. Also for dealer type work, try your local Toyota dealer for cheaper service. I now get the oil changed at my local Toyota dealer for less. Especially since my Lexus dealer didnt actually do it and charged me for it the last time I had it there.

However my local Toyota dealer (we have three, but one is in with our local Lexus dealer), but the closest has changed owners and prices have went way up.