Your Lexus Dealer Experience

[doog442]

4 hours ago, Shahpor said:

Anyway, I hope there are no hard feelings.  I have had a few constructive conversations on here where people haven't agreed, so it is not always a bad thing.  This forum would be rather boring if everyone thought the same.

Hey no worries.Age and a few unpalatable experiences has perhaps given me a more cynical view of some dealerships but don't let that detract from what a great product Lexus is.

Car ownership has changed. The majority of dealerships are dealing with lease / PCP and people are changing their cars every 3 years without even opening the bonnet.You can imagine my horror with BMW where I couldn't even check the oil - no dipstick so what's a bloke to do ?! Thankfully I'm back in the fold and old habits die hard. Our new cars have service plans because they are new, Mini and BMW throw them around like confetti with their conditional servicing. My Lexus plan is costing me nearly a grand over 3 years . I service all three of my kids cars so am not adverse to a bit of spannering. I did likewise with the IS200 when it got on a bit, just hate being lied to, ripped off and basically treated like an idiot by some dealers. 

[rayaans]

3 hours ago, 200h said:

i always thought for a car to be lexus approved it had to have a full lexus service history

this is a bit of an eye opener, so you px a car without a full lexus service history and get buttons for it

then lexus spend a few quid on a major service then add £3000 / £4000 onto the price they gave to you

when they re sell it ,that sounds like legalised robbery.

 

It's true and it does happen. Seems to happen more often down south for some odd reason.  Some of Lexus Edgeware cars are like that

However, my dealer says they prefer to shift cars without complete dealer history through auction as it makes quick cash albeit not as much and most buyers know to look at service books now and therefore they take longer to sell

[Glover]

Thanks IS Jason.  That's reassuring to know.  I spoke to the parts people at Lexus Birmingham a few times and they were excellent. 

I'm beginning to wonder if I'm the only person on the forum from the Nottingham area or the East Mids or indeed Sheffield as there never seems to be any recommendations regarding the dealerships or independents in Nottingham, Derby, Leicester, Lincoln, Sheffield or even a little bit further afield Stoke  On the plus side I've heard nothing but good news about Lexus Birmingham which is only 40 miles away.  If there is anyone who can help re the local area I'd love to see comments on this thread.

[olliesgrandad]

Mercedes do not have a service book any longer. The car records only basic servicing. There is no record of brake replacement etc recorded anywhere. Purchasing an approved used Mercedes gives very little information. I was very pleased when I bought my Lexus to be able to read the service book. 

[NemesisUK]

40 minutes ago, olliesgrandad said:

Mercedes do not have a service book any longer. The car records only basic servicing. There is no record of brake replacement etc recorded anywhere. Purchasing an approved used Mercedes gives very little information. I was very pleased when I bought my Lexus to be able to read the service book. 

Mercedes do have complete service records, all digital now. Accessible only by dealers or indies with the official Xentry online diagnostic software.

[pobrown]

3 hours ago, Glover said:

I'm beginning to wonder if I'm the only person on the forum from the Nottingham area or the East Mids or indeed Sheffield as there never seems to be any recommendations regarding the dealerships or independents in Nottingham, Derby, Leicester, Lincoln, Sheffield or even a little bit further afield Stoke.

I'm in south Sheffield. I've used Sheffield for servicing and I bought a car from Lincoln in March and used them for a service just last week. 

[Glover]

Thanks Phil. How were both dealerships for servicing?

[olliesgrandad]

22 hours ago, NemesisUK said:

Mercedes do have complete service records, all digital now. Accessible only by dealers or indies with the official Xentry online diagnostic software.

Interesting. When I asked Mercedes Bristol for details of previous work to my convertible they told me that only basic information was stored on the car. 

[pobrown]

On 27/12/2016 at 5:22 PM, Glover said:

Thanks Phil. How were both dealerships for servicing?

Haven't used Sheffield for servicing since 2011 as I got rid of my old IS250 then.  They were always fine - I never had any issues with the work done.  I would have carried on using them but I got a good price on the service plan with my new car from Lincoln.

I used Lincoln last week for my 30k service after purchasing a car from them in March.  They were very friendly and I like the fact that the service manager and the salesman both recognised me when I arrived.  They also understood that I had driven an hour to get to them (instead of 30 mins to Sheffield) and got me back on the road as quickly as possible.

If I keep the car longer than the 3yr service plan then I will start using http://www.lex-tekautos.com which is an independent Lexus specialist about 4 miles from me.  I know the guy that runs it - he used to work for Lexus so is fully trained.  A couple of my family have already used him and give glowing reports.

[royoftherovers]

3 minutes ago, pobrown said:

Haven't used Sheffield for servicing since 2011 as I got rid of my old IS250 then.  They were always fine - I never had any issues with the work done.  I would have carried on using them but I got a good price on the service plan with my new car from Lincoln.

I used Lincoln last week for my 30k service after purchasing a car from them in March.  They were very friendly and I like the fact that the service manager and the salesman both recognised me when I arrived.  They also understood that I had driven an hour to get to them (instead of 30 mins to Sheffield) and got me back on the road as quickly as possible.

If I keep the car longer than the 3yr service plan then I will start using http://www.lex-tekautos.com which is an independent Lexus specialist about 4 miles from me.  I know the guy that runs it - he used to work for Lexus so is fully trained.  A couple of my family have already used him and give glowing reports.

Do we have a National List of Lexus Indies, comprising Indies that individual Members can recommend on the basis of service they have received ?

If no, can we have one please?

I can recommend one on the Wirral who would be useful for Members in Wirral, North Cheshire, North Wales and South West Lancs.

Regards

 

John

John

[SHELLDRAKE]

On ‎12‎/‎24‎/‎2016 at 0:49 PM, tayaste said:

Just out of interest, Who do you use now Norman? 

I use a firm in Tarvin  (Tarvin Garage Services L.T.D.) never had any problems with them -maybe you should give them a try, and their labour charge is lower than Lexus.

[Wallace]

I cannot fault Lexus Wolverhampton for their customer care in both sales and service departments.  We have been using them since 2001 and the only thing that has changed is the staff in the showroom.  They must have a very fast churn rate as the receptionist is always different and we get a different sales person each new Lexus IS that we buy.  The service department are very, very good.  They are always polite when you visit them, even down to the man who collects your car for service and delivers you a loan car.

We had a bad experience at Lexus Stoke three years ago when we were looking for a new IS hybrid.  The salesman, who has now left, was insisting on selling us a white car when we wanted Mesa Red!  No matter now many times we told him we wanted a red car, he was trying to sell us a white one.  We revisited Lexus Stoke a couple of months ago and met a very nice salesman called Mike, who was very pleasant and knowledgeable about the Lexus range.

We had told both Lexus Wolverhampton and Lexus Stoke that we will be waiting for the 2017 IS300h F-Sport.  I sent them both the same e-mail on Friday, 16th December, detailing the car we wanted and saying that we wanted delivery on or about 1st March.  James from Wolverhampton replied with a message to say that although he was on holiday, he would contact us the following Monday, which he did.  We have heard nothing from Lexus Stoke!  Guess who we will be buying our new car from.

[Glover]

Thanks for the additional info about Lincoln Phil.  I'm only 35 mins away so it's a possibility.  And I used to work in Sheffield so happy to use an independent there as it's a fairly easy journey to the South and East of the city.  Pity there's nothing in Nottingham (or if there is people are keeping quiet about it:-)).

Still haven't heard from anyone in the East Mids re Derby, Leicester or Nottingham so presumably nobody on the forum has used them.

I think the idea of a database of indies is brilliant.  I wonder if it could also include parts, tyres, valeting etc. so we have everything we need in one easily accessible location.

I haven't used any independents for servicing although for my Toyota I use Wrights Garage in Kettering; they've serviced my Yaris since 2004.  They were a Toyota franchise from the early years but when Toyota became mainstream their site was too small so Toyota dumped them.  Great service, keen prices and very knowledgeable. Website is http://www.wrightsgaragekettering.co.uk/

If you're after tyres then Extra Grip http://extragriptyres.co.uk/ are superb.  I've been using them and their predecessor company since the mid 80s.  They will get any tyre you want and service, prices and advice are excellent.

[tayaste]

1 hour ago, SHELLDRAKE said:

I use a firm in Tarvin  (Tarvin Garage Services L.T.D.) never had any problems with them -maybe you should give them a try, and their labour charge il lower than Lexus.

Thanks. 

[Jamesf1]

so far used Lexus Chester (trade in\purchase) Lexus Stockport (trade in\purchase) and Lexus Bolton (servicing\recall) and had no issues at all.

[BigChange]

Has anyone had experience of Lexus Reading ?  

[Sherra]

Geoff

I have used Nottingham for service MOT and Warranty work and always found them to be spot on. Used Lincoln once for 60,000 miles service because it needed minor adjustments and was  the nearest Lister dealership, from whom I purchased the car (Coventry branch) and was still under their warranty. At that time Listers did not give discount to LOC members but do now. This lack of discount prompted me to use Nottingham when their discount covered the fuel cost when i required a headlight bulb replaced.Lincoln did keep me informed as to progress during the service to advise when to collect the car. Not tried Leicester or Derby (yet)

[Big Rat]

Personally Lexus Bristol have been great with my IS-F in the twelve months I've owned it.

Spark plugs replaced at a fair bit less than others have mentioned on forum.

Immediate action over warranty claim - water pump replaced the same day.

Major service a few weeks ago with gold club discounts applied 👍

Big Rat

 

[Glover]

Thanks Paul I was beginning to think I was the only forum member from Notts:-)  That's great information.  Must admit my buying experience from Nottingham wasn't great but sounds like servicing is better so as they're just down the road I'll give them a try (and must join the club too that's a great advert for the benefits) 

Incidentally if you're close to Nottingham you might want to try the local authority for your MoT.  I've always taken my car to Nottingham City Council (Eastcroft or Woolsthorpe depot) for my MoT.  They don't repair cars so you know they are giving an honest opinion not finding fault to generate business.  I've had two fails in 30 plus years of using public sector MoT services!  Most recent the trusty Yaris after 13 years of negotiating Nottingham's speed bumps decided to break a rear spring but not let me know.  The tester showed me the crack and they retested for free.

Geoff

[999101999]

Hello,  Has anyone any experience with dealing with Listers / Lexus Lincoln, sales and service ?

[Farqui]

I've used Lincoln's servicing dept, with mixed results.

Why'd you ask Ian / @999101999 ?

[999101999]

Farqui,  I must say sales and reception staff are very pleasent.  Service manager was equally pleasant and helpful.

Just a case of me checking out how LOC members viewed the centre and if they had had any interaction.

Had a few issues on collection of my F Sport.  Some now rectified, two still outstanding !

Not to mention the joys of airbags :-)

[Farqui]

The service mgr did come across as pleasant but he hasn't addressed false advisories. Nor did his deputy. A poor show and hasn't given me any confidence to return.

[Linas.P]

I am bit late to this party... To be honest so far I have only horror stories with Lexus Service in UK.

My services at Woodford were complete farce in any dimension, clearly online booking via Lexus.co.uk is completely disjointed from dealerships and "participating centers" are just slapped with unprofitable "essential care" services. As such it felt that they really did they best to disappoint me, starting from call back to confirm booking. They didn't knew who they calling and why and could not book the service without VIN, for that I had to call them back again to be transferred 10 times between Toyota and Lexus departments. Next they forgotten to book courtesy car, forgotten to mention that I will have to pay £40 for taxi and in the end refused to even listen that I am not exactly happy about it. I asked them to programme few little personalisations things on my car to which they lied that it cannot be done on 2008 IS250 (even though I have choice sheet for 2005 car).. fair enough that can cost £120 alone, but why lie it cannot be done at all?! That is not all - my A/C pump completely seized 3 miles away from dealerships ( it is only 9 miles drive from home)... I know kind of unfortunate because it would have been hard to spot, yet concerning considering they returned "all green" check sheet for me. As well I was surprised that oil on dipstick was looking rather dirty though level was correct (I suspecting that oil filter was not changed).

Second service was alright'ish, but nothing magic. In fact I tried to avoid them like a plague, but they were the only ones in vicinity to be available for the date I needed. As well, it is partially because I have complained to all possible managers first time around and probably they were bit scared to totally screw-up second time around. Courtesy car was booked and ready, they knew why and what, essential major was done even oil looked clean this time around. There was feeling of hostility in the air and at the same time respect - service manager not exactly liked me, but probably was not prepared for all bollocking again from "up top".

The Fuel gasket recall was as well without much issues, though they use terrible hand wash ( I am yet to find which one)...

For me the suspicion is that they treat only those customers who are potential "spenders" if they know you have 2 cars on lease from them and are likely to replace each every 3 years, they will do all they can to please you. However, if you coming with some ratty 8 years old car with demand of essential care... you pretty much last in the queue. This obviously makes complete sense - they are not representatives of the brand (which for me is the key issue here), they barely sell Lexus cars and tries make profit, the rest is just unwanted pain which comes from servicing. For me that is wrong, because I expect uniform service and care about the brand image.. that is especially if you want me to stick with that dealer or make. At least Lexus Woodford are more like dealership without affiliation - it almost seems like tomorrow you might come around and find Kia sign on their roof.

Contrary, their sales guys are like from different company (they are literally in separate building while service is together with Toyota).. they quite knowledgeable, but only interested in you as long as they feel potential sale... real professionals I would say - don't waste the time defending brand at all. You like it - great sign the finance here... don't like it... door is that way. I tried asking why Lexus though it is "OK" to fit 6 speakers horror standard audio in the car which costs north of £39k (RC300h) whilst £8k Fiesta has better system... no answer to that. They jokingly I said it is sad no RC350 is available in UK.. there was some side-mouthed caught - it would not sell in UK. Next one was - so this car is not for you, right? When do you want me to call you back? Ok... and I didn't even felt when I was pretty much escorted to the door.

Not that is far from conclusive, it would be great to try other dealers before making my mind... but home many dealer you can try before you switch? I guess that is take away, first impression is what matters...

[rayaans]

4 hours ago, 999101999 said:

Hello,  Has anyone any experience with dealing with Listers / Lexus Lincoln, sales and service ?

Listers Lexus group in general are not as honest as some of the others.

Again, mixed results when buying my RX - wasnt particularly happy about the prep of the car and change of private reg - they make it a farce compared to other dealers who just get it done.