Has anyone used a Toyota dealer ?

[VFR]

To have your Lexus serviced that is.

Crossed my mind the other day as I passed a local Toyota dealer that a service by them should carry equal weight on the service book & warranty as they the same company. Talking about just regular servicing mind that needs no special tools or tech I would have thought. 

[PaulWhitt20]

Hi, I used the Toyota dealer to look at the binding brakes as it was nearer than the Lexus garage and didn't want to drive 40 miles with the brakes sticking. Cost £60. So if that is Toyota hourly rate, a lot cheaper than the Lexus hourly rate.

Not sure how the Relax warranty would work if it was a Toyota stamp in the service book. May be worth checking. But I did have a survey from Lexus a while back asking opinions on using Toyota for servicing, so this may be something they are looking at for the future.

Makes me wonder, I usually use Lexus Chester who are twinned with Skoda and they take the Lexus cars to the Skoda workshop!

 

[cadman2k]

Regular servicing yes, they can also provide you with a service plan.

Hybrid Battery health checks - No

Therefore needs to be done at a lexus dealer to provide continuation of guarantee.

It's a bit strange considering the percentage and number of hybrids Toyota have in the market.

By the time you get a Toyota service then pay for a hybrid Battery check, alits close to just getting both done at a lexus dealer.

 

[Las Palmas]

Here there are no Lexus service.

Toyota is Lexus service here.

Same thing I suppose.

[Spock66]

Some of the Steven Eagell dealerships are joint Lexus / Toyota dealerships.  They have separate showrooms but a shared workshop around the back.

[ColinBarber]

5 hours ago, Spock66 said:

Some of the Steven Eagell dealerships are joint Lexus / Toyota dealerships.  They have separate showrooms but a shared workshop around the back.

Not just them, some Inchcape and other dealers are the same. But different labour rates, specific Lexus mechanic's training etc.

Toyota GB don't allow their Toyota dealers to work on Lexus models, and thereby remove a revenue stream from the Lexus dealers who have invested in the franchise.

 

On 6/16/2023 at 8:47 AM, PaulWhitt20 said:

Not sure how the Relax warranty would work if it was a Toyota stamp in the service book.

It wouldn't. You won't get a warranty extension if a Lexus dealer doesn't carry out the service.

[J Henderson]

Lexus Edinburgh also share the workshop with the Toyota garage next door.

Same parent company owns both franchises (plus all the other marques nearby)

[flotsam]

I've found Toyota are better than Lexus. Lexus seem to see you as an open wallet.

[Linas.P]

I have not used Toyota, but I have enquired about the service and in conclusions they turn out to be same price. As well if you service your Lexus in Toyota, then you won't get Lexus Relax warranty, despite Toyota having same warranty it simply does not apply to Lexus... so it is kind of no brainer to use them.

Now to be honest that was back in the days when Lexus had "Essential Maintenance" plan, but I doubt something would have fundamentally changed overall. To quote some specific numbers  back then minor service for my IS250 was £285 with Lexus and "Essential" price was £165. Toyota dealer quoted me £225 for minor service, basically oil and filters... and it doesn't come with courtesy car or coffee or anything else, they did not do pick-up, nor delivery and sitting in Toyota dealer whilst they do it was kind of unacceptable either, as they don't even have like a sit down area. In short if you take car with them, then you basically have to take bus home and come later to pick-up the car (well or taxi if you really posh). So even assuming now I would have to pay £285 to Lexus, I would still rather use Lexus for convenience of having courtesy car etc. 

Last time I called Lexus they said they not doing "Essential Care" anymore (which is real shame), but offered 20% discount. So all in all - the saving by using Toyota is simply not there, or so little that it is not worth bothering about. 

[Lmafudd]

Lexus Coventry and Toyota Coventry share the same workshop etc. Says it all.

[serbarry]

3 minutes ago, Lmafudd said:

Lexus Coventry and Toyota Coventry share the same workshop etc. Says it all.

The same in Cork. 

[Linas.P]

Yes, but that is kind of missing the point - I don't believe work quality is what at risk here, Lexus is just Toyota in principle. I am 100% sure for something like oil change there is absolutely no difference whenever Toyota or Lexus Technician will do it. In all likelihood it may be the same person.

The difference comes from the price you pay, so why take your Lexus to Toyota dealership if they going to charge you the same price? And if you paying the same price, then why not benefit from nicer customer area, free coffee, biscuit, courtesy car and car wash. I am not saying they really add the value, but they don't remove any value. And finally if your car is less than 100k miles / 10 years then Relax it is quite obvious reason to stay with Lexus.

I guess the only reason why I would use Toyota dealer for service... would be hypothetical scenario where there are no Lexus dealers in my area and there is Toyota dealer nearby AND my car is over 10 years / 100k miles. Then yes - I can see the point, but else just stick with Lexus.