Repairs Under Extended Warranty

tom123 · July 27, 2015

I had one seized rear caliper replaced (£350), two leaking rear tail light clusters replaced (£500+), and an air con leak fixed (£920) under warranty during the first twelve months of ownership of my RX. So you can now make that two people that you know who've had their moneys worth out of a warranty!
Equality if you didn't have a warranty you could have got the sliding pins replaced and glued the seal on the back of the light cluster back on. The AC fix probably would have been considerable less outside of the Lexus dealerships, all for less than the price of the warranty.

Replacing the sliding pins would only provide a short-term fix, would it not? Plus, once that much water has gotten in to the light clusters, I would rather have them replaced. The air con repair may well have been cheaper at a non-specialist, but all in all, I think I have definitely got value for money. There is also the value of the peace of mind that comes with all repairs being done at a main dealer, so you are not comparing like with like. I still have 6 months of cover left, and I will be renewing for another 12 or 24 months if I am able to.

steveledzep · July 27, 2015

Had my IS since November last year and purchased the Lexus extended warranty for 24 months in January. Not had cause to claim as yet. In fact, if I don't make a claim during the 2 years, then I'll be very happy. Peace of mind.

I considered the RAC warranty at half the Lexus £800 cost, but struggled to work out from the policy document if anything was covered ?

As I say, I've yet to test the Lexus warranty, but it does seem very comprehensive.

I'm likely to move my IS on next July and it will still have six months transferrable warranty.

Up against a similar spec/mileage car, bet I sell mine first....and at a premium !!

PCM · July 28, 2015

I have a warranty as well - 1 year free plus two more at £.

( £1450 claimed so far ) but for me - it's peace of mind.

But... each to their own. Nice to have a choice.

billgatesisaconman · July 28, 2015

It's all about how you stack the numbers up & what gives you peace of mind, for me it's about the overall cost ... .£10k car & £1k pa warranty for 5 years = buy a £15k car instead...

the recent offer Lexus has (24mth for the price of 12mth) isn't too bad, but their Usual price is way too high ...

a lot of Lexus parts are 3rd party & the same quality (can I use that word to describe an Rx rear caliper ?... lol)

is supplied & fitted by main dealers to other cars for considerably less and they are still making good money ... adding up eyewatering repair costs to justify them having your pants down with an overpriced warranty isn't an option for me

Parrot of Doom · July 29, 2015

Hi all,

Anybody else got any good or bad feedback on Lexus Manchester?

Tempted to take my car elsewhere in future. I live in York, so Leeds or Hull may be worth a go. Heard bad things about Hull. Not sure on Leeds. Any opinions?

I bought mine from Lexus Manchester. They were a bit disorganised (assumed I didn't want to collect the car when I went in to pay for it) but otherwise ok. They "fixed" a loose headlight with glue (not ok), but they neglected to mention the centre exhaust pipe had a big hole in it, covered with bandage. So a few months later when I realised, I returned the car. They investigated, found the hole and tried to get it through the Lexus manufacturer warranty. Obviously the warranty people told them to bugger off, so then they said I'd have to pay for a new exhaust. I told them to bugger off, they said their manager would be in touch. I gave them an hour or two, they didn't get back to me, so I went onto Facebook and Twitter and sent Lexus UK pictures of the exhaust, together with "Lexus Manchester won't pay for this".

Lexus UK couldn't have been more apologetic. I think they must have expressed their concern to Lexus Manchester's manager, because the latter immediately contacted me to say "of course we'll replace it". When I collected the car, the manager told me he wished I'd contacted him first before going to Lexus UK, he said they'd gone through the warranty first "to keep the cost out of the dealership". I thought that was a particularly deceitful way of doing business - it's their purchase, they either didn't check the exhaust or simply sold it to me and hoped I'd never notice.

I'm never going back. For your service needs, I suggest you go to Charlesworth Motors near Glossop. They're only a small garage but their rates are very reasonable and I'm entirely satisfied with the service I've received.

For what it's worth, I have bought cars from Volvo, Audi and Lexus dealerships. I have had poor experiences with all of them. I have a very, very low opinion of main dealers - the only reason I bought the 400h from one was because I was concerned about the hybrid system's complexity and the potential pitfalls (which I've since learnt don't exist) buying privately.

tom123 · July 29, 2015

Hi all,

Anybody else got any good or bad feedback on Lexus Manchester?

Tempted to take my car elsewhere in future. I live in York, so Leeds or Hull may be worth a go. Heard bad things about Hull. Not sure on Leeds. Any opinions?

I bought mine from Lexus Manchester. They were a bit disorganised (assumed I didn't want to collect the car when I went in to pay for it) but otherwise ok. They "fixed" a loose headlight with glue (not ok), but they neglected to mention the centre exhaust pipe had a big hole in it, covered with bandage. So a few months later when I realised, I returned the car. They investigated, found the hole and tried to get it through the Lexus manufacturer warranty. Obviously the warranty people told them to bugger off, so then they said I'd have to pay for a new exhaust. I told them to bugger off, they said their manager would be in touch. I gave them an hour or two, they didn't get back to me, so I went onto Facebook and Twitter and sent Lexus UK pictures of the exhaust, together with "Lexus Manchester won't pay for this".

Lexus UK couldn't have been more apologetic. I think they must have expressed their concern to Lexus Manchester's manager, because the latter immediately contacted me to say "of course we'll replace it". When I collected the car, the manager told me he wished I'd contacted him first before going to Lexus UK, he said they'd gone through the warranty first "to keep the cost out of the dealership". I thought that was a particularly deceitful way of doing business - it's their purchase, they either didn't check the exhaust or simply sold it to me and hoped I'd never notice.

I'm never going back. For your service needs, I suggest you go to Charlesworth Motors near Glossop. They're only a small garage but their rates are very reasonable and I'm entirely satisfied with the service I've received.

For what it's worth, I have bought cars from Volvo, Audi and Lexus dealerships. I have had poor experiences with all of them. I have a very, very low opinion of main dealers - the only reason I bought the 400h from one was because I was concerned about the hybrid system's complexity and the potential pitfalls (which I've since learnt don't exist) buying privately.

Either they were being deceitful when they sold the car to you, or they were incompetent by not checking the car properly before selling it to you as an approved pre-owned car. Not good either way.

I always find it surprising when dealers act like this - they have lost a potential customer for life over something they could have sorted easily and were legally obliged to (Sales Of Goods Act).

ChrisKaye · July 30, 2015

That's a very good point Tom.

Unfortunately my experiences with main dealers (not just Toyota/Lexus) has always been as PoD described. They are either Lazy or deceitful... However when compared to most non-franchised dealers, they are the lesser of two evils!:

1) They won't "go out of business" and then re-open under a different name (to evade tax/sales of goods obligations on faulty vehicles)

2) They care about their image, so try to avoid negative PR at all costs

3) They use proper parts during repairs rather than patch or bodge items (although sometimes this can be a negative point when a grommet comes as part of an assembly and can't be bought on it's own!)

It's particularly bad for RX shoppers as the mark ups on the used vehicles at Lexus seems ludicrously high especially in light of the original poster's issue.

The only thing you can do is thoroughly check any potential purchase yourself (or a mechanic/AA etc). You may get some points you can haggle with or at least have the items rectified before you have the keys handed to you...

tom123 · July 30, 2015

That's a very good point Tom.

Unfortunately my experiences with main dealers (not just Toyota/Lexus) has always been as PoD described. They are either Lazy or deceitful... However when compared to most non-franchised dealers, they are the lesser of two evils!:

1) They won't "go out of business" and then re-open under a different name (to evade tax/sales of goods obligations on faulty vehicles)

2) They care about their image, so try to avoid negative PR at all costs

3) They use proper parts during repairs rather than patch or bodge items (although sometimes this can be a negative point when a grommet comes as part of an assembly and can't be bought on it's own!)

It's particularly bad for RX shoppers as the mark ups on the used vehicles at Lexus seems ludicrously high especially in light of the original poster's issue.

The only thing you can do is thoroughly check any potential purchase yourself (or a mechanic/AA etc). You may get some points you can haggle with or at least have the items rectified before you have the keys handed to you...

To be honest, when I bought my RX400h I didn't really check it over at all. I had just assumed that the Lexus dealer would have inspected it to the standard that their website advertises. I now realise that an 'approved used' car has basically just been valeted and that's it.

I noticed my RX had a blowing centre exhaust section a few months after I bought it. When I asked the selling Lexus dealer (Exeter) if they would like to replace the section, given that the fault had occurred within the first 6 months of ownership, the service manager told me that she had never heard of the Sales of Goods Act, and said I would have to pay £1100 for the repair. I ended up paying £50 at an exhaust shop for a stainless steel section to be welded on.

I have never taken my car back to that dealer for a service, and I will never buy another car from them ever again.

PCM · July 31, 2015

I know when I bought my used Lexus from a Lexus Dealer as 'approved', it had had a lot of work done that week.

The checklist they use is quite long.

Brakes, timing belt, service, valet etc...

willydoit · July 31, 2015

It never fails to dismay me, the excessive rates charged for parts and labour at main dealers should be sufficient to ensure a decent profit margin without having to manufacture work which isn't required. To my mind if paying dealer prices one should automatically expect a certain level of honesty and trust which in most cases simply does not materialise.

Took a RX350 to local Lexus dealer who confirmed a bad rear wheel bearing on a test drive, during which they also suggested a possible issue with the brakes and advised bearing replacement and brake service, a total of around £800.00. I asked if vehicle should be placed on ramps to ensure that the noise was definately the wheel bearing and nothing else and was told this wouldnt provide any better diagnostic facility and that they had to replace that bearing before diagnosing any other potential cause. This was followed by the old chestnut "the other bearing has done the same miles so may also need replacing".

Now I find that dealer acceptance that it is perfectly normal to have to replace wheel bearings at 55k miles on a car of this value ( I have had brake pads last longer than that) bad enough but to then suggest that the other side could also need replacing because of the same 55k mileage just a total insult and not indicative of somewhere I want to put my trust.

Went around the corner to an independant garage specialising in Lexus Toyota, run by Lexus trained engineers who confirmed the n/side bearing was noisy but couldnt find any issues with the brakes. Cost for the work by the Independant using all Lexus parts approx £250 versus the around £800 wanted by Lexus.

As recent laws have made it illegal for car manufacturers and warranty companies to void warranties if servicing etc has not been carried out at main dealerships I would advice anyone to look for a suitably qualified Independent who they can trust to use manufacturer parts rather than the main dealers if my experiences over the years are anything to go by.

To the original poster, I would check out a company called Japtech in Hull, Lexus trained staff with a good reputation. Only 5 minutes from the main Lexus dealership so if considering using Hull, give Japtech a call first. Same parts fitted by Lexus trained staff, less than half the cost and more importantly I didnt feel they were trying to pull the wool over my eyes. Oh and for those who like the Lexus extras that are supposed to justify the extra cost, they also have free TV and hot drinks, will also provide courtesy car or collect and return.

Before anyone asks, no I have no connection with the company, just pleased that I have now found somewhere that I can trust to look after my RX350 and SC430 without wondering whether they are just taking advantage and where my business is appreciated.

ChrisKaye · July 31, 2015

I wish I had a decent Indy near me!

ChrisKaye · July 31, 2015

Reading about this wheel bearing and the leaky wing mirror (that may not have been damaged or hit) scenarios, where do Lexus stand with a part that may have been badly manufactured at the factory? Could you claim for this?

We all know that x items per hundred/thousand can leave the factory below quality levels so bad items can and do slip through - even if they have a basic quality check performed....

willydoit · July 31, 2015

Reading about this wheel bearing and the leaky wing mirror (that may not have been damaged or hit) scenarios, where do Lexus stand with a part that may have been badly manufactured at the factory? Could you claim for this?

We all know that x items per hundred/thousand can leave the factory below quality levels so bad items can and do slip through - even if they have a basic quality check performed....

An interesting point, like most issues that are well documented as obvious failings on different cars and obviously items which could be argued as being not fit for purpose due to the number of reported failings by owners, the manufacturers will just ignore it, hoping it goes away. I would hope that in the event of failure any item covered by warranty would be replaced without question if there is no obvious evidence of third party damage. The difficulty comes in that the older the cars get and the more miles they do the greater the chance that they will encounter some form of knock or damage that the less scrupulous companies could subsequently cite as being a contributing factor to a parts failure.

I have owned cars for over 40 years and have never yet had to replace a wheel bearing on one, yet I am expected to accept that a Lexus with only 55,000 miles should have a bearing fail and it just seems to be considered normal as it is quite common. It seems that if a large number of vehicles fail with a particular fault the dealers have the right to call it normal for that model. I call it a part that is obviously not fit for purpose or a manufacturing/design fault yet despite the fact that neither the dealers or manufacturers can survive without the consumer, the consumers opinions, experiences and concern counts for little if anything so long as there is money to be made on the repair.

This is where buying low mileage used cars can be an issue, cars covering higher mileage experience such faults early in their life, often while still under warranty and are therefore resolved whereas a low mileage car doesnt encounter the fault until later in its life an out of warranty. This is where the morality of the manufacturer comes into play. While digressing slightly I have to say that Diahatsu seem to be the best manufacturer for supporting its customers. My wife had a Diahatsu Copen, very low mileage, the rear exhaust box fell off, quick google search showed it to be a known fault that Diahatsu replaced under warranty, our car was out of warranty but one email to Diahatsu and they arranged replacement free of charge. At 6 years old we had rust bubbles appearing on all 4 wheel arches, they had been repaired once under 6 year anti corrosion warranty and started bubbling again. We wrote to Diahatsu asking if, as it was a known issue, they would consider extending the bodywork warranty to cover re-occurrences of the issue. Within 30 minutes we received an email reply advising us to book it into out Diahatsu dealership where they woulkd arrange to have all four wings replaced and sprayed at no charge.which I know cost them £1,600 plus vat. No heavy handed complaints from us just a polite email raising the issue. Now thats what I call customer care.

Unfortunately, the Diahatsu dealership (Maple Garage in Hull) tried to rip us and Diahatsu off by claiming to have replaced all the panels but actually just resprayed the originals and kept the panels for themselves. They actually lied to Diahatsu submitting an invoice for having replaced the panels and spraying them, weeks before the car was even taken in to them. Again an example of the lengths some dealerships are prepared to go to to rip you off, they even had the audacity to charge us for waxoyling the panels (that they hadnt actually replaced) saying that Diahatsu had refused to pay them any more money to cover the waxoyl.

So my advice, be wary of any dealer but avoid Maple Garage in Hull like the plague, amazingly they have a number of dealer franchises, I dont think Diahatsu any more, but they even do all the servicing for the local police vehicles. Lets just hope their experience of Maple Garage is a more honest one than ours. Sorry for ranting off topic...

royoftherovers · July 31, 2015

It never fails to dismay me, the excessive rates charged for parts and labour at main dealers should be sufficient to ensure a decent profit margin without having to manufacture work which isn't required. To my mind if paying dealer prices one should automatically expect a certain level of honesty and trust which in most cases simply does not materialise.

Took a RX350 to local Lexus dealer who confirmed a bad rear wheel bearing on a test drive, during which they also suggested a possible issue with the brakes and advised bearing replacement and brake service, a total of around £800.00. I asked if vehicle should be placed on ramps to ensure that the noise was definately the wheel bearing and nothing else and was told this wouldnt provide any better diagnostic facility and that they had to replace that bearing before diagnosing any other potential cause. This was followed by the old chestnut "the other bearing has done the same miles so may also need replacing".

Now I find that dealer acceptance that it is perfectly normal to have to replace wheel bearings at 55k miles on a car of this value ( I have had brake pads last longer than that) bad enough but to then suggest that the other side could also need replacing because of the same 55k mileage just a total insult and not indicative of somewhere I want to put my trust.

Went around the corner to an independant garage specialising in Lexus Toyota, run by Lexus trained engineers who confirmed the n/side bearing was noisy but couldnt find any issues with the brakes. Cost for the work by the Independant using all Lexus parts approx £250 versus the around £800 wanted by Lexus.

As recent laws have made it illegal for car manufacturers and warranty companies to void warranties if servicing etc has not been carried out at main dealerships I would advice anyone to look for a suitably qualified Independent who they can trust to use manufacturer parts rather than the main dealers if my experiences over the years are anything to go by.

To the original poster, I would check out a company called Japtech in Hull, Lexus trained staff with a good reputation. Only 5 minutes from the main Lexus dealership so if considering using Hull, give Japtech a call first. Same parts fitted by Lexus trained staff, less than half the cost and more importantly I didnt feel they were trying to pull the wool over my eyes. Oh and for those who like the Lexus extras that are supposed to justify the extra cost, they also have free TV and hot drinks, will also provide courtesy car or collect and return.

Before anyone asks, no I have no connection with the company, just pleased that I have now found somewhere that I can trust to look after my RX350 and SC430 without wondering whether they are just taking advantage and where my business is appreciated.

I think that this is an excellent contribution that will be accepted unreservedly by the majority of members here and if the first 5 paragraphs could be sent to Lexus HQ in UK supported by us ( A CLASS ACTION OF SORTS?) we might see progress towards ending malpractices within the Lexus Dealership network.

It might also provide some unexpected adverse publicity for Lexus, which if received in the spirit in which it is meant could well prove benficial.

I have absolutely no connection with WILLDOIT or JAPFEST.

Regards

John

ColinBarber · July 31, 2015

Now I find that dealer acceptance that it is perfectly normal to have to replace wheel bearings at 55k miles on a car of this value ( I have had brake pads last longer than that) bad enough but to then suggest that the other side could also need replacing because of the same 55k mileage just a total insult and not indicative of somewhere I want to put my trust.

As recent laws have made it illegal for car manufacturers and warranty companies to void warranties if servicing etc has not been carried out at main dealerships I would advice anyone to look for a suitably qualified Independent who they can trust to use manufacturer parts rather than the main dealers if my experiences over the years are anything to go by.

Bearings shouldn't need replacing at 55k miles unless the vehicle has been overloaded, driven at excess speeds around corners or in some other way abused. My 400h had 112k miles on the clock when I sold it, not a sound coming from the original bearings. Unless Toyota started to use cheaper bearing on the newer vehicles to save money - this was around the time when their cost saving over quality drive was in full force.

Sadly the law only applies to the original manufacture's warranty. The third party Lexus extended warrant stipulates the vehicle must be serviced by a Lexus dealer - one reason why they lowered the warranty prices was to stop older vehicles going to independents.

willydoit · July 31, 2015

Now I find that dealer acceptance that it is perfectly normal to have to replace wheel bearings at 55k miles on a car of this value ( I have had brake pads last longer than that) bad enough but to then suggest that the other side could also need replacing because of the same 55k mileage just a total insult and not indicative of somewhere I want to put my trust.

As recent laws have made it illegal for car manufacturers and warranty companies to void warranties if servicing etc has not been carried out at main dealerships I would advice anyone to look for a suitably qualified Independent who they can trust to use manufacturer parts rather than the main dealers if my experiences over the years are anything to go by.

Bearings shouldn't need replacing at 55k miles unless the vehicle has been overloaded, driven at excess speeds around corners or in some other way abused. My 400h had 112k miles on the clock when I sold it, not a sound coming from the original bearings. Unless Toyota started to use cheaper bearing on the newer vehicles to save money - this was around the time when their cost saving over quality drive was in full force.

Sadly the law only applies to the original manufacture's warranty. The third party Lexus extended warrant stipulates the vehicle must be serviced by a Lexus dealer - one reason why they lowered the warranty prices was to stop older vehicles going to independents.

That's the reason they do it, in a 24 month period you are looking at at least two services and at twice the price of the indy plus the £1000 you have paid they have already got a pot of around £2k of your money to start covering repairs with. Dont get me wrong, warranties are a great peace of mind and in certain circumstances are still worth the cost of servicing at Lexus given the size of some repair bills but then those horrendous repair bills could likely be halved again by having the work done at a good Indy.

Given the choice I would rather take my cars to a Lexus dealership any day of the week but the simple fact is I cant because I dont feel I can trust them (I accept there will be good dealers out there) and I do not see anything in attitude from staff or quality of work which would justify spending at least twice the price of having the job done elsewhere.

royoftherovers · July 31, 2015

Reading about this wheel bearing and the leaky wing mirror (that may not have been damaged or hit) scenarios, where do Lexus stand with a part that may have been badly manufactured at the factory? Could you claim for this?

We all know that x items per hundred/thousand can leave the factory below quality levels so bad items can and do slip through - even if they have a basic quality check performed....

An interesting point, like most issues that are well documented as obvious failings on different cars and obviously items which could be argued as being not fit for purpose due to the number of reported failings by owners, the manufacturers will just ignore it, hoping it goes away. I would hope that in the event of failure any item covered by warranty would be replaced without question if there is no obvious evidence of third party damage. The difficulty comes in that the older the cars get and the more miles they do the greater the chance that they will encounter some form of knock or damage that the less scrupulous companies could subsequently cite as being a contributing factor to a parts failure.

I have owned cars for over 40 years and have never yet had to replace a wheel bearing on one, yet I am expected to accept that a Lexus with only 55,000 miles should have a bearing fail and it just seems to be considered normal as it is quite common. It seems that if a large number of vehicles fail with a particular fault the dealers have the right to call it normal for that model. I call it a part that is obviously not fit for purpose or a manufacturing/design fault yet despite the fact that neither the dealers or manufacturers can survive without the consumer, the consumers opinions, experiences and concern counts for little if anything so long as there is money to be made on the repair.

This is where buying low mileage used cars can be an issue, cars covering higher mileage experience such faults early in their life, often while still under warranty and are therefore resolved whereas a low mileage car doesnt encounter the fault until later in its life an out of warranty. This is where the morality of the manufacturer comes into play. While digressing slightly I have to say that Diahatsu seem to be the best manufacturer for supporting its customers. My wife had a Diahatsu Copen, very low mileage, the rear exhaust box fell off, quick google search showed it to be a known fault that Diahatsu replaced under warranty, our car was out of warranty but one email to Diahatsu and they arranged replacement free of charge. At 6 years old we had rust bubbles appearing on all 4 wheel arches, they had been repaired once under 6 year anti corrosion warranty and started bubbling again. We wrote to Diahatsu asking if, as it was a known issue, they would consider extending the bodywork warranty to cover re-occurrences of the issue. Within 30 minutes we received an email reply advising us to book it into out Diahatsu dealership where they woulkd arrange to have all four wings replaced and sprayed at no charge.which I know cost them £1,600 plus vat. No heavy handed complaints from us just a polite email raising the issue. Now thats what I call customer care.

Unfortunately, the Diahatsu dealership (Maple Garage in Hull) tried to rip us and Diahatsu off by claiming to have replaced all the panels but actually just resprayed the originals and kept the panels for themselves. They actually lied to Diahatsu submitting an invoice for having replaced the panels and spraying them, weeks before the car was even taken in to them. Again an example of the lengths some dealerships are prepared to go to to rip you off, they even had the audacity to charge us for waxoyling the panels (that they hadnt actually replaced) saying that Diahatsu had refused to pay them any more money to cover the waxoyl.

So my advice, be wary of any dealer but avoid Maple Garage in Hull like the plague, amazingly they have a number of dealer franchises, I dont think Diahatsu any more, but they even do all the servicing for the local police vehicles. Lets just hope their experience of Maple Garage is a more honest one than ours. Sorry for ranting off topic...

We (UK motorists) are a sad lot really. We put up with second or third class service and/or get ripped off and do nothing about it.

Warranties in the USA are significantly better (all manufacturers), presumably because their consumer market is bigger than ours and the customer is held in higher esteem than we are. If they did not react to consumers demands they would lose sales.

We however, pay up,turn to Indies, or back street garages, or d.i.y or do nothing.

There is evidence that some manufacturers (Kia, Hyundai and Toyota for example) are beginning to wake up and this will encourage those of us who pay for their vehicles personally (not Companies) to buy reliable cars which have longer term warranties. Company car buyers will continue to be seduced by the so called attractions of German cars principally, which is why their sales remain high and warranty periods relatively low.

Daihatsu incidentally is a division of Toyota and is no longer imported into UK due to falling demand and sales.

Interestingly, I have had to replace one wheel bearing in 50 years of motoring and that was last year in my (then) 12 year old, 197,000 mile E Class Mercedes.

In my view it is about time that we more senior and other responsible citizens woke up to the fact that "customer is still king" and used the power of forums such as this and made more extensive use of social media to express our dissatisfaction with the level of service that we receive.

Rant over!

Regards

John

ColinBarber · July 31, 2015

That's the reason they do it, in a 24 month period you are looking at at least two services and at twice the price of the indy plus the £1000 you have paid they have already got a pot of around £2k of your money to start covering repairs with. Dont get me wrong, warranties are a great peace of mind and in certain circumstances are still worth the cost of servicing at Lexus given the size of some repair bills but then those horrendous repair bills could likely be halved again by having the work done at a good Indy.

Given the choice I would rather take my cars to a Lexus dealership any day of the week but the simple fact is I cant because I dont feel I can trust them (I accept there will be good dealers out there) and I do not see anything in attitude from staff or quality of work which would justify spending at least twice the price of having the job done elsewhere.

Another problem with the main dealers is they just don't diagnose fully or try and repair things anymore, just replace assemblies. It's a double edged sword though because given labor rates of over £100 per hour it is often cheap just to swap out parts than pay for extra hours whilst they diagnose.

I think 5 years old is a good cut off point, before then and you lose too much value of your vehicle by not having FLSH - go with the 3 year standard warranty and a 2 year extension. After that look at the possibility of an independent, or just standard essentials servicing at Lexus but go to an indenpedant for any repairs.

willydoit · July 31, 2015

The guy at the Indy garage reckons the AA parts and garage cover is one of the best, have just had a look and for £270.01 I can get National Recovery, + at Home + Forward Travel + Car Hire and Accommodation if they cannot get us home + Parts and Garage cover and a £75.00 petrol voucher bringing the cost down to £195.00 to cover both the RX350 and the SC430 for either myself or my wife driving.

Having spoken to an AA rep a few minutes ago, had I had these items in place when bringing the 350 back from scotland and then noticing the rumbling, if I had called the AA to investigate they would have taken the car to the Garage for me and covered the cost of the Wheel Bearing replacement. You can claim up to £500 per incident and up to five claims a year (wear and tear not covered obviously) sounds like a good deal to me and pretty good peace of mind for less than a couple of hundred quid a year covering two Lexus's and can be purchased a lot cheaper if you opted for less options.