Check the Mechanics Files link at the top of the page. Also, Yelp can be a good reference. I loved New Braunfels whe I was stationed at Randolph AFB. They had the Best German bakery there.
And donāt worry about finding a Lexus mechanic. This is 90% Toyota Highlander under the sheetmetal.
Thanks @texases. Thatās good to know. My car is still at the dealer. Iām still waiting for more information about their diagnose and recommendation for the most critical thing that needs to be fixed now, in 6 months and 1 year. Iāll post back to this forum when I hear back from them.
I would DEFINITELY take it to another mechanic to verify that these repairs are actually necessary. Some shops offer oil change āspecials,ā which includes their (in)famous '12-point inspection. These shops invariably find that you need just exactly what they sellā¦ In your case, major mechanic workā¦ you arbitrarily need some. In your case, you need a lot. And my guess is that your oil change mechanic cited the repairs as safety concerns or found some other reasons that would make delaying the repairs inadvisable.
Possibly your car does need some repairs. If youāre driving it and arenāt having major problems with it, definitely take it to another mechanic. Not only does your oil change guy seem to be ready to perform unnecessary repairs, his prices are outrageous. Dealers, who charge premium rates for repairs, can do any of the listed repairs much cheaper than this guy.
Good luck with your Lexus. Itās a good car, and I seriously doubt that you need any, much less all of the listed repairs.
I just got my Lexus out and they told me the absolutely minimum repair for āsafetyā reason was power steering rack and pressure hose (which happens to be the most expensive item in the list). I told them weāll think about it. We took our vehicle to the local mechanic and wow!!! they ran emission test, showed and explained everything under the hood and the car, checked all the leaks, looked at evap core and the only recommended repair was CV boot on left. Heāll replace the CV boot and axle for half of the cost (he didnāt know the cost from the dealer). Thanks all for your suggestions! Questions and comments he made were the same as everyone posted here on this forum!
Ask what it would cost to use a Toyota axle. Will be more but still less than the dealer.
There are some shoddy aftermarket axles out there that might only last a year or so.
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Glad to hear youāve found a good inde shop to fix your 2005 Lexus.
Iāve had good luck putting aftermarket boots on original factory Toyota cv axleshafts, provided I KNOW the boot has just recently torn, no dirt has found its way in, and I know for a FACT itās not noisey
Iād rather do that, versus buying a cheap chinese new axleshaft
When confronted with mechanics who are trying to sell unneeded repairs, I generally just say, āThank you. Iāll have my mechanic check it out.ā A local tire store is infamous for selling unneeded repairs via oil change specials which they have got to be losing money on ($9.99 for a regular oil change with filter?). I use their coupons religiously. And each and every time they present me with a shopping list of repairs that I absolutely MUST have done in order to safely operate my car. And just as faithfully, I roll out my āIāll have my mechanic check it outā response.
Sometimes they put on the hard sell, but usually they just sigh and resign themselves to the fact that I wonāt be needing a set of muffler bearings or whatever else theyāve decided that I absolutely, positively must have to safely drive off of their parking lot. The hard sell simply requires as many repeats of āIāll have my mechanic take a look at itā as is necessary to drive the point home.
Why donāt you have your regular mechanic do your oil changes also? Youāre essentially wasting these guys time with a 10 buck oil change while steering dollars away from your regular guy.
Keep in mind that not all upselling is devious. The mechanic is put into a damned if he does, damned if he donāt situation.
If the mechanic points out an aged accessory belt or oil leak then heās accused of fishing. If the mechanic blows it all off and sends it out the door without checking anything then heās guilty of negligence and not doing his job.
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You make some good points, ok4450. Yes, there are honest mechanics who are diligent about inspecting a vehicle and pointing needed repairs. Unfortunately, the tire dealer that I referred to above is not one of them. I donāt mind in the least wasting their mechanicās timeā¦ Itās almost like a vendetta to me. When I was young and knew very little about automobiles, they fleeced me for over $1,000 when I made less than that in a monthās time. Since then, Iāve done everything I can to see to it that no one goes there to have anything done except their loss-leader oil changes. Iād put them out of business if I could.
They thrive on people who know nothing about their vehicles and I suspect not only do they do unnecessary repair work, I am quite certain that they charge for work thatās not even done. And thatās not just speculationā¦ I have solid evidence of it from friends of mine whoāve been swindled by these crooks.