Dealer And My 2004 Rx330

[bmuseed]

Hello

On Dec. 14, I brought my Lexus in for the recall to fix the rubber boot. Late that evening they called to say I could come and pick up my car. At the dealers, I was told that I had cracked bushings and should have my front lower control arm and bushing done as well as replace my two front tires as they had a low tread. ($2000--holiday gift?). They told me to do it immediately..I had to leave for an event with the wife so said I would schedule it. I left the deal and after driving for 10 minutes I noted smoke coming from the engine compartment. I stopped the car and looked under the hood to see sparks coming from the space between the radiator and engine block .. we had a water bottle in the back and even though I thought it might be an electrical fire, I poured the water on as it started to flame.. luckily it put it out and I found the cause..the mechanic had left the oil rag hanging from the dip stick and it caught on fire (still the sparks were weird). When I took the car back to the dealer, they just opened the hood and looked down and said there wasn't any damage..

Took the car to two other mechanics and they said there was nothing wrong with the bushings!!

I am ready to go back to the dealership manager and complain.

anyone's thoughts??

[lenore]

Take pictures of the engine compartment, must have some smoke damage. as for the bushings take pictures and then send them to the Bureau of Automotive repair for fraud. The state has been active about false repairs...show them the request for changing the bushings and picture of what you have, they may want to inspect your car. I assure you the dealer will not want anything to do with the Bureau. Then call Lexus of AMerica and file a complaint.

here is their web site (bureau of automotive repair) file a complaint.

http://www.autorepair.ca.gov/

[bmuseed]

Thank You..

Take pictures of the engine compartment, must have some smoke damage. as for the bushings take pictures and then send them to the Bureau of Automotive repair for fraud. The state has been active about false repairs...show them the request for changing the bushings and picture of what you have, they may want to inspect your car. I assure you the dealer will not want anything to do with the Bureau. Then call Lexus of AMerica and file a complaint.

here is their web site (bureau of automotive repair) file a complaint.

http://www.autorepair.ca.gov/

[code58]

Hello

On Dec. 14, I brought my Lexus in for the recall to fix the rubber boot. Late that evening they called to say I could come and pick up my car. At the dealers, I was told that I had cracked bushings and should have my front lower control arm and bushing done as well as replace my two front tires as they had a low tread. ($2000--holiday gift?). They told me to do it immediately..I had to leave for an event with the wife so said I would schedule it. I left the deal and after driving for 10 minutes I noted smoke coming from the engine compartment. I stopped the car and looked under the hood to see sparks coming from the space between the radiator and engine block .. we had a water bottle in the back and even though I thought it might be an electrical fire, I poured the water on as it started to flame.. luckily it put it out and I found the cause..the mechanic had left the oil rag hanging from the dip stick and it caught on fire (still the sparks were weird). When I took the car back to the dealer, they just opened the hood and looked down and said there wasn't any damage..

Took the car to two other mechanics and they said there was nothing wrong with the bushings!!

I am ready to go back to the dealership manager and complain.

anyone's thoughts??

Other than having worked in automotive most of my life, you understand why I do my own work!!! I've seen things done that would scare the wits out of you!

[lenore]

Yea Roger, that is why I work on mine, also to save money.....Have found few and far in between mechanics that do acceptable work...They are out there,I have dealt with them, and I trust them entirely. Just too many bad stories.....

[code58]

Yea Roger, that is why I work on mine, also to save money.....Have found few and far in between mechanics that do acceptable work...They are out there,I have dealt with them, and I trust them entirely. Just too many bad stories.....

I'm on 2 or 3 of the Ford truck forums all the time, and you really read the horror stories from time to time about the incompetency of some of the DEALER mechanics even. I worked for dealers a lot of years, and it hasn't changed, and isn't likely to, sadly. They do exist (good ones), but I believe they are outnumbered by mediocre to bad ones.

[lenore]

Funny you and i are on the same set of Forums....Good morning to you

[code58]

Funny you and i are on the same set of Forums....Good morning to you

Yea, Thomas (sorry, I can't get used to calling you by your wife's name), some of the truck forums (most popular one especially) get a little bit rough around the edges sometimes, and you need to fight fire with fire. I'm a pretty laid back guy in life, but "I don't suffer fools gladly", so the gloves come off occasionally. Testosterone does flow a little sometimes (not mine, left that behind), but I like an active forum, and the one forum is especially active! :D

[code58]

Thomas, I noticed your "credits" a couple of days ago. "Master of everything"? Everything? Just joshing. Bet the grandkids think that, right? I remember hearing a story some time back where kids in about the second grade , were asked by the teacher to tell the class what their father did. When it came around to one little girl, her answer was "he fixes things". Fathers and Grandfathers seen through the eyes of a child. Pretty good! Now I understand where that comes from. :)

[bmuseed]

Further to my Dec rant. I called my Lexus dealer and said I was concerned as I was told there was nothing wrong with my bushings and they had told me to get it fixed as they were cracked. The manager had me come in with my car and put it up on the rack and brought the mechanic and associate over for us to look.. They did find a piece of the oil rag the mechanic had left on the oil dipstick that was burned onto the oxygen sensor and he showed me the hair line dried out rubber cracks that were at the base of the bushing. Bottom line was that I can trust the dealer and he did say in the future I would get a 20% discount for any work.

[lenore]

I hope you filed a report, there is no excuse for that kind of treatment...Put yourself in the shoes of somebody else, say a daughter, relative, etc, that gets that stuff replaced when it is not needed...I have a few times stepped up to a service manager and countered what they were telling a customer when I knew it was BS...I cant stand seeing people get BS'd or talked over...I have no respect for that kind of dealership. These forums are a easy way to help folks and be helped..But when there is a bad dealership they should be called on the carpet.

[code58]

he showed me the hair line dried out rubber cracks that were at the base of the bushing. 1. Bottom line was that I can trust the dealer

Bmuseed, without seeing them, there is no way I can say positively, but I can say that it is not uncommon for rubber bushings to get fine cracks such as you have noted, after a few years. I can also say that more than likely there is NO cracking IN from where you saw the fine cracks. Ozone and dry conditions cause the NORMAL fine SURFACE cracks, which generally do NOT affect in any way the integrity of the bushing. As stated, I could only make a final determination by seeing the bushings, but have SERIOUS doubts about actually needing them for anything other than "feel good therapy". If you wallet is causing you to walk lop-sided, replace 'em, but not because it will probably MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE in the safety or integrity of the vehicle, because I doubt that it will.

1. You give him more credit than I probably would, having worked a large share of my career in them.