60K Service On Rx 400H - Slightly Baffled....

[Boswell]

I'd really appreciate advice on getting our 60k service done on a RX 400H, 5 years old - I've been through previous posts, but can't find anything recent.

Local Lexus main agents quoted £745, or £445 with no spark plugs (surely an odd option if they're required?).

Lexus UK website talks about a Fixed Price Promise and a Fixed Price Repair Plan, but I can't understand what they refer to. Lexus UK didn't seem to know either, and referred me to main dealer.

Lexus website details an Essential Care Major Service at £345, and underneath mentions the 24-month Service plan @ £25-95. Lexus UK couldn't give me any info on the difference between the Essential Care Major Service and the 'Full' Major Service (£745) but didn't think it inc. plugs.

Local independent garage (known and trust them for 30 years) quoted £349 inc. plugs for a Full Service following the Lexus Full Service specs.

I'm aware of the special nature of the hybrid system which could be a problem for local garage (now or in the future), plus, I would have thought, electronic analysis specific to Lexus(?).

I don't know whether LOC would benefit in this case.

[RXJasonRX]

Hello. My RX400h is 7 years old and I have the essential intermediate service one year, then the essential full service the next. This year I had the intermediate one at £175. This seems to do the trick for me, as mine's not a new car.

[Boswell]

Thanks, Jason, that's useful.

Talking to the original garage this afternoon, made a bit more sense. The National Service Plan at £25-95/month seems reasonable value, as it offers 2 'complete' services (rather than 'essential) and 2 MOTs, which would cover 60k and 70k services, they would be 'allowed' to be entered in the log book (unlike Essential services) and would inc. spark plugs.

What is still a mystery is the Fixed Price Repair Plan. Is it actually a monthly plan? Does it really cover everything including hybrid batter? Is the cost mentioned anywhere? Here's an extract from the current Lexus UK website:

Even a Lexus will require the occasional repair to replace worn parts. For this reason we have created a Fixed Price Repair Plan to ensure that your costs are kept to an absolute minimum.

Offering exceptional value and price transparency, there are no hidden additions. Even in the event of a repair taking a little longer than expected, you will still only pay the agreed fixed amount. As you would expect at a Lexus Centre, your vehicle will be repaired using genuine Lexus parts, so that its exceptional quality and reliability remain uncompromised.

The Lexus Fixed Price repair commitment covers components that naturally wear out as the miles pass. Intended for models aged 5 years and above, the Fixed Price promise has been introduced to offer exceptional value for money on older models where wear and tear repairs are likely to be more common.

This includes front and rear brake pads, batteries for both diesel and petrol models, front wiper blades and parts needed following MOT inspections.

[Boswell]

Having been quoted the £25-95/month plan by one main dealer as covering 'Full', not 'Essential' services and 2 MOTs, another main dealer has just said that it only covers Essential services and not the elusive spark plugs.

Neither main dealer knew about the Lexus Fixed Price Repair Plan.

I'm sure an expert will be along soon to clarify....

[vrodman]

Hi Richard

I've just had my 60k/6yr full service done yesterday by my local Toyota main dealer and it's cost £364.21p - that's everything including new spark plugs.

There were no other non-service items required.

It's the first service I've had done on it as I've only owned it since February, all other services were done by Birmingham Lexus for the previous owner. I asked my Toyota dealer about servicing my 08 Lexus RX400h when I first bought it and enquired whether the fact that it's a hybrid made any difference and the service manager said basically it's just a big Prius, so nothing they aren't dealing with on a day to day basis

I'm lucky in that my local Toyota main dealer is absolutely first class - I've been using them since I bought my brand new Hi Ace van back in 2003, which has now covered 120k miles and has full service history. Not sure if it's the quality of the van or the quality of the dealer service but in the 11 years and 120k miles that I've owned it, the only non-service repair that I've had on it was a new radiator about three years ago.

Dan

[doro708]

Hi Paul,

Do you have any idea if the batteries are still covered for 1 year if you have done the service at Toyota ? Other members were saying that having the service done at Lexus they will give you 1 year warranty on the batteries.

Kind regards,

Adrian

[Animal Mother]

Hi Paul,

Do you have any idea if the batteries are still covered for 1 year if you have done the service at Toyota ? Other members were saying that having the service done at Lexus they will give you 1 year warranty on the batteries.

Kind regards,

Adrian

You need the Lexus Hybrid Healthcheck for that warranty. I'm not sure if the warranty still stands if there have been services missed inth epast (or done elsewhere).

[Parrot of Doom]

£745 for this:

Change oil and filter (Toyota say mineral oil is fine)

Rotate tyres (not necessary if your car is aligned)

Replace aircon filter (in the glovebox, 1 minute job)

Replace engine air filter (easy DIY job)

Tighten CV joint boots (what, a 10 minute job?)

Inspect brakes (5 minute job)

Road test (not necessary if you know your car)

Check ball joints (5 minute job with a pry bar)

Check body (for rust?)

Check brake lines and hoses (fair enough)

Engine valve clearance (ditto)

Engine/inverter coolant (ditto)

Check exhaust (not necessary if you know your car)

Check fuel lines, tank, vapour system (fair enough)

Check fuel tank cap gasket (1 minute job)

Check rear diff oil (I doubt they do anything other than look for weeps)

Check steering (not necessary if you know your car)

Check transmission fluid (look at dipstick, yep it's still red)

Honestly, I don't see how that is worth £745. Most of it is simple inspection - if any work needs doing on the inspected parts, that'll add to the bill.

[Boswell]

Thanks, PoD

Isn't spark plug change inc. in the £745 service?

If not, then apparently £300 less.

That's a fairly modest list. How different is it from the abbreviated Essential list, I wonder? No hybrid-related checks at all?

Dan - thanks for the Toyota tip - I'll give my local a call.

[ColinBarber]

Engine valve clearance (ditto)

they will only listen, not mechanically check. They never need adjusting either, unless something is very wrong.

[Parrot of Doom]

I suspected as much. My cambelt is due next spring, I certainly won't be taking it to a Lexus dealer (not after Manchester tried getting out of paying for the knackered exhaust they sold me). There's a Toyota dealer not too far away, I'll see what he charges.

I've always done my own oil changes, I may get them to change the transmission fluid but following this service, I'm not sure I'll bother with the dealer network - not on a nearly ten-year-old car.

[Boxbrownie]

Engine valve clearance (ditto)

they will only listen, not mechanically check. They never need adjusting either, unless something is very wrong.

Exactly, I thought they were hydraulic?

[Boswell]

Even more confused having talked to two Toyota garages.

One quoted full service at £424 inc. plugs & VAT; another said (with first me having to send them the items on the service list from above) they didn't want to get involved (they explained changing plugs meant removing inlet manifold, which could trigger sensors they weren't familiar with - at least that was honest - their labour charge £112/hr, which must be near Lexus).

On second thoughts...

Does joining LOC get a discount with a Lexus main dealer garage? They appear to offer that, but can't quite pin it down on their blurb....and Legoland doesn't appeal at the moment...

[billgatesisaconman]

£745 for this:

Change oil and filter (Toyota say mineral oil is fine)

Rotate tyres (not necessary if your car is aligned)

Replace aircon filter (in the glovebox, 1 minute job)

Replace engine air filter (easy DIY job)

Tighten CV joint boots (what, a 10 minute job?)

Inspect brakes (5 minute job)

Road test (not necessary if you know your car)

Check ball joints (5 minute job with a pry bar)

Check body (for rust?)

Check brake lines and hoses (fair enough)

Engine valve clearance (ditto)

Engine/inverter coolant (ditto)

Check exhaust (not necessary if you know your car)

Check fuel lines, tank, vapour system (fair enough)

Check fuel tank cap gasket (1 minute job)

Check rear diff oil (I doubt they do anything other than look for weeps)

Check steering (not necessary if you know your car)

Check transmission fluid (look at dipstick, yep it's still red)

Honestly, I don't see how that is worth £745. Most of it is simple inspection - if any work needs doing on the inspected parts, that'll add to the bill

If it doesn't even include brake fluid or steering fluid replacement I'm disgusted ... must take them all of a hour & half, nothing but a bunch of thieves ... :shruriken:

[ColinBarber]

Engine valve clearance (ditto)

they will only listen, not mechanically check. They never need adjusting either, unless something is very wrong.

Exactly, I thought they were hydraulic?

No. Not like some rubbish engine designs which end up having sticking hydraulic adjusters. It uses shims but as wear almost never happens, adjustment isn't required.

[Boswell]

Replies on this thread were really useful. I went to a not-so-local Toyota dealer for the 60k service - around £430, inc. iridium plugs.

A Lexus main dealer had said £300 of their quoted £750 service cost was to cover plugs and labour and they would discount the cost if I didn't want the plugs changed. Barking.

[Parrot of Doom]

You're paying for the coffee machine, marble floor tiles and glass walls - none of which you use when you're out and about, waiting for your car to be serviced.