Airbag recall came with "free" vehicle inspection, and now needs the following... (1 Viewer)

[Eric Sarjeant]

I’ll throw in my angle as a different point of view (As a dealer). But before I do, those prices are steep, but the recommends seem reasonable. I would check with a Toyota dealer, parts and labor is probably 50% cheaper than Lexus.

We do the multi point inspection (MPI) for several reasons:
1) yes, to sell you more parts and labor hours. No different in concept than a restaurant offering you desert, no one is required to buy anything extra. You go to Best Buy, they are going to try and sell you a $50 HDMI cable... not really any different. Maybe a rip off? maybe not. It’s perception to some extent.
2) liability, if your brakes failed or engine blew after being in our shop. You would be on the phone the next day asking why we didn’t tell you about any symptoms while in our possession. We’re the doctors for your car. Can you be your own doctor and research 90% of things on your own? Yep, but some things you do need the doctor for. For others, peace of mind has high value, same with time.
3) accusations of wrongdoing: Customer complaints after a service/maintenance, telling us something else is broke and blames our workmanship on the next issue. Always nice to have the MPI to lean on for documentation for thoroughness. No different than taking notes after a meeting for the file.

At the end of the day, there are some really good Independant mechanics out there. But as the technology gets more complicated you will need the dealer for their special tools and computer software.

My recommendation is to always ask for a “master tech” for a 200 maintenance/service. They are skilled and trained. At the end of the day, it’s the same billable hour as a non-master tech.

 

[Reckless]

Good points from a dealers perspective. If I had a choice I would skip the whole 1 hour inspection and get my free recall work done in 15 minutes. My time is money and I just wanted my passenger airbag working.

 

[2008Cruiser]

I made an appointment at Magic Toyota to have them do my passenger airbag sensor. After three hours they call and tell me they don't have the parts. The *only* reason I was bringing my 200 to them was them fix this warranty issue. Nothing else. I will tell you all, never ever go to Magic Toyota in Edmonds for ANYTHING. They are the most incompetent dealership I have ever been to. I bring my vehicles to Lexus of seattle. They may charge me a bit more, but at least they are professional, so what they say, and do very good work.

 

[Volunteer]

I had an appt to do my my passenger airbag sensor this morning I was in and out in an hour they didn't look at anything or recommend anything other than to say all the recalls were up to date. I prefer it that way and do all my own maintenance.

 

[Docboy]

I’ll throw in my angle as a different point of view (As a dealer). But before I do, those prices are steep, but the recommends seem reasonable. I would check with a Toyota dealer, parts and labor is probably 50% cheaper than Lexus.

We do the multi point inspection (MPI) for several reasons:
1) yes, to sell you more parts and labor hours. No different in concept than a restaurant offering you desert, no one is required to buy anything extra. You go to Best Buy, they are going to try and sell you a $50 HDMI cable... not really any different. Maybe a rip off? maybe not. It’s perception to some extent.
2) liability, if your brakes failed or engine blew after being in our shop. You would be on the phone the next day asking why we didn’t tell you about any symptoms while in our possession. We’re the doctors for your car. Can you be your own doctor and research 90% of things on your own? Yep, but some things you do need the doctor for. For others, peace of mind has high value, same with time.
3) accusations of wrongdoing: Customer complaints after a service/maintenance, telling us something else is broke and blames our workmanship on the next issue. Always nice to have the MPI to lean on for documentation for thoroughness. No different than taking notes after a meeting for the file.

At the end of the day, there are some really good Independant mechanics out there. But as the technology gets more complicated you will need the dealer for their special tools and computer software.

My recommendation is to always ask for a “master tech” for a 200 maintenance/service. They are skilled and trained. At the end of the day, it’s the same billable hour as a non-master tech.

Appreciate your perspective, thanks.

Yesterday I made a call to the local Lexus dealership "A" who did the inspection and seat belt recall. I made 2 calls, left messages with a gal. Never called me back. Guess business must be so good there to not return a call from a customer.

So I called another Lexus dealership "B", the one who I bought the car from. Service tech gave me an immediate quote, almost $4,500+ tax for the mentioned items. The most expensive being the power steering rack, $2800+ tax. The transfer case seeping the tech was surprised at, and for this he did not recommend anything. Prior hx would suggest this dealership to have comparable service prices with the local one who did not return my call, so price wise I have a good idea.

I then called a local nearby indy garage. $2,900 total for recommended repairs, not including the transfer case, which they are also surprised at. Tech here said aside from the transfer case seepage, other items seem on par with what is needed for a 100k Lexus. One thing interesting to note here is the front brakes; I have been having for a long time brake squeal when breaking the LX to a complete stop. Dealership "A" never could find anything wrong. Indy tech here suggested the front brake pads be replaced with ceramic pads, which is supposed to be an upgrade from OEM. They also recommended that I replace the front rotors instead of machining the rotors. I found this odd, but I okayed the rotor replacement for now, reasoning being that when my wife had her old RX330, she had so many issues with her brakes when the break pads were replaced, the rotors had to be remachined a few times before I need it needed replacement.

Anyways, this indy first be doing an inspection with photos to confirm findings today before I I authorize any repairs and maintenance. They have a lot of good detailed 5 star reviews, so I'm putting a leap of faith here. Will keep this post updated.

 

[Docboy]

I made an appointment at Magic Toyota to have them do my passenger airbag sensor. After three hours they call and tell me they don't have the parts. The *only* reason I was bringing my 200 to them was them fix this warranty issue. Nothing else. I will tell you all, never ever go to Magic Toyota in Edmonds for ANYTHING. They are the most incompetent dealership I have ever been to. I bring my vehicles to Lexus of seattle. They may charge me a bit more, but at least they are professional, so what they say, and do very good work.

So you left your vehicle at Magic Toyota for 3 hours, only to have them call you they didn't have the parts? Ugh.

 

[2008Cruiser]

So you left your vehicle at Magic Toyota for 3 hours, only to have them call you they didn't have the parts? Ugh.

Yeah. I've had so many bad experiences with them in the past I don't ever go back. The kicker is they are 3/4 mile away from my house so at the very least getting terrible service is conveniently close by. The VM the service guy left for me was laughable. So many excuses, the part wasn't available for my rig, needed VIN, there was like 6 excuses rolled into one big fatty. I guess they don't have computers that tells them they don't have the parts for the scheduled work for the next day. Well, after this recall, I will again never go back until the next recall. Problem is, I have zero confidence they will even do the repair correctly. Anyone know is there an easy way to tell if the repair was actually performed? Where is the sensor?

 

[Romer]

Power steering rack on a 100 series (similar) was $1450 at a local Toyota dealer

 

[eatSleepWoof]

Appreciate your perspective, thanks.

Yesterday I made a call to the local Lexus dealership "A" who did the inspection and seat belt recall. I made 2 calls, left messages with a gal. Never called me back. Guess business must be so good there to not return a call from a customer.

So I called another Lexus dealership "B", the one who I bought the car from. Service tech gave me an immediate quote, almost $4,500+ tax for the mentioned items. The most expensive being the power steering rack, $2800+ tax. The transfer case seeping the tech was surprised at, and for this he did not recommend anything. Prior hx would suggest this dealership to have comparable service prices with the local one who did not return my call, so price wise I have a good idea.

I then called a local nearby indy garage. $2,900 total for recommended repairs, not including the transfer case, which they are also surprised at. Tech here said aside from the transfer case seepage, other items seem on par with what is needed for a 100k Lexus. One thing interesting to note here is the front brakes; I have been having for a long time brake squeal when breaking the LX to a complete stop. Dealership "A" never could find anything wrong. Indy tech here suggested the front brake pads be replaced with ceramic pads, which is supposed to be an upgrade from OEM. They also recommended that I replace the front rotors instead of machining the rotors. I found this odd, but I okayed the rotor replacement for now, reasoning being that when my wife had her old RX330, she had so many issues with her brakes when the break pads were replaced, the rotors had to be remachined a few times before I need it needed replacement.

Anyways, this indy first be doing an inspection with photos to confirm findings today before I I authorize any repairs and maintenance. They have a lot of good detailed 5 star reviews, so I'm putting a leap of faith here. Will keep this post updated.

You do not want ceramic pads on a street car, and I would be wary of any mechanic that suggested you do. Ceramic pads perform better when they are very hot (racetrack hot), but will perform worse at cooler (ie. street) temperatures.

Brake squealing may require changing _pads_, but not _type_ of pads.

 

[Docboy]

Update:

Finally got the LX back, took the indy shop an extra day to do all the work. Indy garage did a thorough exam and provided photos of areas needing repairs, and confirmed most of the findings the dealership found.

To confirm what the dealership recommended, indy shop had 2 master tech work on the LX and found:
1a. The front rotors were "mangled" and deformed quite badly. Indy thinks current rotors/pads were replaced before and may not have been done properly. Photos showed the front rotors to be heavily damaged. So I accepted the recommendation to have new rotors and new ceramic pads as an upgrade.
1b. Rear pads are at 4.5mm and still have life left, so I elected to defer the rear pads and rotors for now.
2. Spark plugs were quite worn and shot. Was told manual recommends replacement at 120k miles but since the plugs were worn and they had the truck, I had them replace all the plugs.
3. There was indeed a very tiny leak at the transfer case. Shop felt this leak is too minor, so we left it alone for now and will monitor.
4. I was worried there may be the dreaded cam leak; indy confirmed no cam leak, but both left and right valve cover on the engine were leaking, so these were replaced.
5a. The left rear shock had seepage, indy recommended replacing both left rear and right rear shock at the same time, so this was done. Shop mentioned something about these bolts being difficult to remove. They had to soak it in some fluid and did not have to drill out the bolts.
5b. I had the shop inspect the AHC system, and the AHC is still good. No leaks with the AHC.
6a. The steering system was leaking pretty badly, both left and right boots. So the entire steering assembly w/outer tie rod ends was replaced, along with a power steering fluid flush that they recommend. I questioned at first why a flush was needed when the entire assembly is going to be replaced; tech said a flush would help remove any contaminants, so I okayed it.
6b. After the steering assembly was replaced, indy outsourced the vehicle to get it aligned, which took some time.
6c. I also had the shop inspect the radiator and coolant reservoir. No problem here with the radiator; shop feels the radiator still has life left. There is a little pink residue where the hose connects from the coolant reservoir to the radiator; tech feels this is is not a major issue, and likely due to expansion and contraction from heating.
7. Shop also recommended a "fuel induction cleaning service" and cleaning some corrosion on the battery; these items I declined, figured I can clean the battery myself with some vinegar and baking soda. And the fuel induction cleaning I it wasn't necessary, so this was a no.

Total cost was $4k including WA state's lovely 10% tax. Ouch! Dealership wanted $6k+tax after I asked for a new quote. Man, these trucks are definitely not cheap to maintain, and the labor seemed intensive, especially the steering assembly and removing old rusted nuts and bolts. I may have to explore getting a Toyota 4R next time or a Toyota electric SUV if it comes out, and compare maintenance costs. But I figured I want this truck to last at least another 100k miles.

After getting the LX back, I noticed the following:
1. Steering is markedly improved. Feels heavier and meatier, much more precise; I can actually "feel" more of the road now. Prior to the steering replacement, the steering felt very loose, and I heard and felt "fluid clicks" when I turned the steering wheel all the way to the left and right. No more steering noise, and the truck goes straight with no veering whatsoever.
2. The ride is improved as well. Feels rock solid, and truck doesn't feel "bouncy" anymore. I guess the ride improvement is due to new shocks.
3. Brakes feel awesome. Immediate grab and stop, and the squealing is gone. Stops are nice and solid, the ceramic pads have very little dust, so that's a positive.

Feels good to have a car again. I had to rely on wife giving me rides to/from the office, and also taking the bus, which made me appreciate having a car.

 

[Romer]

many times when you get a new vehicle it hasnt been well maintained. That ends up causing more issues. Once you catch up it isnt so bad.

It just spent about the same on my daughters 470 to offset years of neglect. The calipers fell apart when we took them off. I replaced all the calipers, DBA rotors and pads (Those were expensive, but did that my self. Had the shop do the Timing belt, Tranny flush and several other items

Now it is baselined with no maintenance due and no issues appearing around the edge. It will run for years as long as we continue to maintain it

Now BMWs are another manner, at 42K miles Had to replace both front struts on my Z4 as they were leaking AT 42K miles Because it has the fancy suspension that was almost 4K just for that and I dont expect the BMW to last near as long as any of these vehicles

 

[tbisaacs]

Update:

Finally got the LX back, took the indy shop an extra day to do all the work. Indy garage did a thorough exam and provided photos of areas needing repairs, and confirmed most of the findings the dealership found.

To confirm what the dealership recommended, indy shop had 2 master tech work on the LX and found:
1a. The front rotors were "mangled" and deformed quite badly. Indy thinks current rotors/pads were replaced before and may not have been done properly. Photos showed the front rotors to be heavily damaged. So I accepted the recommendation to have new rotors and new ceramic pads as an upgrade.
1b. Rear pads are at 4.5mm and still have life left, so I elected to defer the rear pads and rotors for now.
2. Spark plugs were quite worn and shot. Was told manual recommends replacement at 120k miles but since the plugs were worn and they had the truck, I had them replace all the plugs.
3. There was indeed a very tiny leak at the transfer case. Shop felt this leak is too minor, so we left it alone for now and will monitor.
4. I was worried there may be the dreaded cam leak; indy confirmed no cam leak, but both left and right valve cover on the engine were leaking, so these were replaced.
5a. The left rear shock had seepage, indy recommended replacing both left rear and right rear shock at the same time, so this was done. Shop mentioned something about these bolts being difficult to remove. They had to soak it in some fluid and did not have to drill out the bolts.
5b. I had the shop inspect the AHC system, and the AHC is still good. No leaks with the AHC.
6a. The steering system was leaking pretty badly, both left and right boots. So the entire steering assembly w/outer tie rod ends was replaced, along with a power steering fluid flush that they recommend. I questioned at first why a flush was needed when the entire assembly is going to be replaced; tech said a flush would help remove any contaminants, so I okayed it.
6b. After the steering assembly was replaced, indy outsourced the vehicle to get it aligned, which took some time.
6c. I also had the shop inspect the radiator and coolant reservoir. No problem here with the radiator; shop feels the radiator still has life left. There is a little pink residue where the hose connects from the coolant reservoir to the radiator; tech feels this is is not a major issue, and likely due to expansion and contraction from heating.
7. Shop also recommended a "fuel induction cleaning service" and cleaning some corrosion on the battery; these items I declined, figured I can clean the battery myself with some vinegar and baking soda. And the fuel induction cleaning I it wasn't necessary, so this was a no.

Total cost was $4k including WA state's lovely 10% tax. Ouch! Dealership wanted $6k+tax after I asked for a new quote. Man, these trucks are definitely not cheap to maintain, and the labor seemed intensive, especially the steering assembly and removing old rusted nuts and bolts. I may have to explore getting a Toyota 4R next time or a Toyota electric SUV if it comes out, and compare maintenance costs. But I figured I want this truck to last at least another 100k miles.

After getting the LX back, I noticed the following:
1. Steering is markedly improved. Feels heavier and meatier, much more precise; I can actually "feel" more of the road now. Prior to the steering replacement, the steering felt very loose, and I heard and felt "fluid clicks" when I turned the steering wheel all the way to the left and right. No more steering noise, and the truck goes straight with no veering whatsoever.
2. The ride is improved as well. Feels rock solid, and truck doesn't feel "bouncy" anymore. I guess the ride improvement is due to new shocks.
3. Brakes feel awesome. Immediate grab and stop, and the squealing is gone. Stops are nice and solid, the ceramic pads have very little dust, so that's a positive.

Feels good to have a car again. I had to rely on wife giving me rides to/from the office, and also taking the bus, which made me appreciate having a car.

I just had my AHC shocks replaced and it feels like a new truck. I couldn’t believe it.

 

[Docboy]

many times when you get a new vehicle it hasnt been well maintained. That ends up causing more issues. Once you catch up it isnt so bad.

It just spent about the same on my daughters 470 to offset years of neglect. The calipers fell apart when we took them off. I replaced all the calipers, DBA rotors and pads (Those were expensive, but did that my self. Had the shop do the Timing belt, Tranny flush and several other items

Now it is baselined with no maintenance due and no issues appearing around the edge. It will run for years as long as we continue to maintain it

Now BMWs are another manner, at 42K miles Had to replace both front struts on my Z4 as they were leaking AT 42K miles Because it has the fancy suspension that was almost 4K just for that and I dont expect the BMW to last near as long as any of these vehicles

True. I suspect the prior owner didn't too much maintenance. Either that, or suddenly at 100k all this stuff just want kaput.

$4k for front struts, yikes! Put in perspective German cars are definitely $$ to maintain and repair. But they are fun to drive! When I had my 911tt it had $300+ oil changes!

 

[Docboy]

I just had my AHC shocks replaced and it feels like a new truck. I couldn’t believe it.

I couldn't believe it either. Did you have your rears and/or fronts done?

 

[tbisaacs]

I couldn't believe it either. Did you have your rears and/or fronts done?

I had both done. One rear and one front were leaking so just did it all.

 

[Docboy]

I had both done. One rear and one front were leaking so just did it all.

Did you get yours done at Greg's in Renton? I gave Greg's serious consideration, but I work and live on the Eastside and couldn't deal with the 405 traffic. I ended up using Ishii Motors, and I would recommend them as well.

 

[tbisaacs]

Did you get yours done at Greg's in Renton? I gave Greg's serious consideration, but I work and live on the Eastside and couldn't deal with the 405 traffic. I ended up using Ishii Motors, and I would recommend them as well.

Yep, I’ve used Greg’s for everything. Super happy. Totally get that 405 traffic...

 

[mooneywa]

This is the opposite of my dealer who I tell them to do specific things - like here is the exact software to update to for the transmission, here is the place I need lubed on the drive shaft, here is the backup sensor that isn't working correctly, etc etc - and they don't do it.

The tech didn't see anything wrong. Good for him, not what I said to do. Did he drive it? Well no. So then what did he do? The computer said it's fine. The computer said a driveshaft clunk is fine? Well that's what he said. ...and round and round we go.

And I'd LOVE to go to another dealer but I've found it's nearly impossible to get anyone who will actually be a mechanic and not a tech. If it's not in a X0k miles service recommendation, they don't want to do much.

 

[fro20fow]

I'll bet the truck had never had proper maintenance. The brake fluid flush, power steering fluid flush etc. really help to ensure those components stay fit and healthy.

Fuel induction cleaning while maybe not required helps to ensure things keep going as intended.


I don't know much about mechanics but know good clean fluids are the foundation to a well functioning machine.

 

[ceb]

Spent 3.5+ hours at the Lexus dealership for the airbag recall; was told it 1-2 hours. Meh. 2009 LX with 106k miles. No complimentary refuel fyi. Dealership did do a complimentary inspection, and they found the following:
-Brake fluid very dirty
-Power Steering rack leaking
-Valve cover gaskets leaking
-Transfer case seeping
-Left rear shock leaking
-front pads 1mm
-rear pads 4.5mm

I left quickly before getting an estimate due to work/family stuff. I don't really trust the dealership. How is it possible this truck needs so much maintenance? Is this normal? Is there any way I can verify if the above items really need attention? If so, in terms of cost what am I looking at here?

Let's step back a moment before we go all nuclear on the dealer and ask these questions:

When was the brake fluid last changed?
Is the power steering rack leaking?
Are the valve cover gaskets leaking?
Is the transfer case seeping
Is the left rear shock leaking
How many miles since the brake pas were last changed?

Let's get the answers to those questions before we crucify the dealer. We can always beat up on the dealer for the exorbitant estimate.