The dealer charged $128 for an oil change for the LS 460. Is there a cheaper but still safe place to get the oil changed?
Any independent or even Toyota dealer can perform it. It may require synthetic (no idea) but the cost will be around 50%-60% of the Lexus dealer price.
Do not visit any quick lubes and keep your receipt.
Wow, that’s a heck of an oil change. Surely they must have done something else. Visual inspections would be my guess. Be that as it may.
I Don’t Know What Kind Of Car An LS 460 Is, But That Shouldn’t Matter.
This car must be new to you, if you are just noticing a $100 + oil change. You don’t tell how many miles on it. Maybe there were some other services performed besides just oil and filter change. Did you ask, “Why so much?”
If $128 is too much for you then you need to find a good independent or try another dealer. The dealer for my domestic cars charges $18.00 for oil, factory filter, fluid top-off, brake inspection and tire rotation, every day of the week, synthetic oil slightly higher. They will work on anything, even foreign cars. I have used them in really lousy weather when I couldn’t DIY it. I like them because they have a pit and I don’t like my car lifted very often. I pass on the tire rotations.
See if anybody you know has or knows of somebody with an LS 460 or similar model and see if they can recommend a shop.
CSA
There are two items that increase your cost of changing oil. One is the filter is unique to this vehicle and there may not be a good aftermarket equivalent ($14.50 or so from dealer). Second is that it takes 9 qts of 5W20 or 0W20 oil for an oil change. Finally, not every garage may have a proper tool to change the cartridge filter. That tool itself runs between $30 and $48.50; few garages will want to invest unless they service quite a few of these type vehicles.
You may want to join clublexus.com, which is where I found this info. They seem to be a helpful bunch.
Thank you, jayhawkroy. This is why I like this site so much. There’s always something to be learned.
I’m going to rescind my advise and tell the lady to pay the Lexus dealer.
Well, things have changed, and based upon new information I’m going to suggest that you continue to take your LS 460 to your local Lexus dealer for maintenance, and pay them whatever it costs.
Going elsewhere may be a big mistake. The Lexus LS 460 apparently has special needs, and they are not inexpensive. You bought a premium vehicle. Now you have to pay the price to maintain it.
Don’t cheap out on the maintenance of this car. Do what’s required, pay the money, it will pay of in the long run.
I will call around and see if others have the tools for this car. Thanks so much.
I can only caution you to be very specific about the oil filter, oil spec, and the need for the special tool to change the oil filter. All too often you may get a standard “yes” answer, without the person realizing the relative uniqueness of this vehicle at this time.
9 quarts of oil??!! How the heck big of an engine does this thing have anyway??
This is why I’m so loath to buy a brand new car. So many funny little things that are moving general maintenance beyond what can be done at dad’s garage. I mean, unique cartridge filters that need a special, one-of-a-kind tool to remove? Come on.
Do Your Homework Before The Purchase. One More Reason I Like Em’ Slightly Used.
However, a one-time filter wrench purchase wouldn’t be that bad.
With that much oil, I wonder what change interval they recommend.
every 5000 miles
I quit using my Lexus dealer years ago for service, when they started to try and extort unneeded services from me (we won’t stamp your warranty book unless you get your transmission oil changed every 15,000 miles !!!). I found an excellent independent Lexus shop, been using them ever since. Many components are shared with Toyota.
Well, things have changed, and based upon new information I’m going to suggest that you continue to take your LS 460 to your local Lexus dealer for maintenance, and pay them whatever it costs.
What new information??? There’s nothing special about a Lexus that maintenance MUST be preformed by a dealer…ESPECIALLY an oil change. It’s NOT difficult to do…and nothing special about their filters.
Find a good independent and have them do all maintenance…it’ll be cheaper and as good or BETTER then the Lexus dealer.
That’s Interesting. I Wonder Why All That Oil Wouldn’t Extend The Interval?
What’s all that extra oil doing in there? Maybe it’s lubricating something else, in addition to the engine.
I know that some aircraft engines use a “dry sump” engine oil system and have oil resevoirs that hold quite a volume of oil. My guess is they do that for cooling purposes and because it’s hard to stop for more oil at 15,000 feet when the “oil light” comes on and also, a larger cooler would do it and the oil lines are possibly quite long, requiring more volume.
I thought “going green” meant reducing the amount of petroleum and synthetic oils and fuels being used.
Wix makes a filter for this car…$8.
The tool can be bought at ADAP for $15.
And if you’re a little ingenious you don’t need the tool. First time I replaced the filter on my wifes es350 I used a pipe wrench.
9 Quarts is a lot…
All-in-all…the price is still way too high…even using full synthetic.
It Makes Me Wonder If 9 Quarts Every 5000 Miles Is A “Work-Around” For What Many On The Web Claim Is A Sludge Problem That Blew Up Lexus Engines?
CSA
My Chevy also takes 9 quarts over a 5000 mile interval… of course it only accepts 5 of those quarts initially, the other 4 are added at 1000 mile intervals 
This sounds like an odd theory, but I wonder of the 9 quarts and fancy filter are used to guarantee a supply of clean oil to the variable valve timing system, to prevent gumming up of the system. I’m just guessing, you understand.
" I’m just guessing, you understand."
Without guesses this would be a pretty boring board…
I think you’re on to something, many newer vehicles seem to have increases oil capacity, no more ‘4 quarts plus the filter’.