Toyota / Lexus Repair Shops

[Anonymous]

Anyone like their Lexus repair shop? (I prefer indy shops that specialize in a particular brand; they tend to have more specific training + experience for edge cases.)

I tried LXT Automotive in North Bethesda a while back, but didn't like that they don't use OEM brakes. Makes me wonder what else they don't use OEM for that I'm not paying attention to.

[Anonymous]

A lot of OEM stuff is overrated. Sometimes it matters, other times it doesn’t. OEM also doesn’t necessarily mean “highest quality” either. It actually means “mass produced to factory specs by the lowest bidder and provided direct to the manufacturer instead of being offered for sale under the vendor brand name”.

A lot of aftermarket parts (brakes being just one) are vastly superior to OEM parts. Look at Brembo, for example. They’re a huge upgrade over OEM, so much so they’re offered as more expensive options over OEM.

The biggest difference is with remanufactured parts- especially things with bearings. In that regard, a new OEM part is more desirable, simply because the bearings used are usually better tolerance and hardness. Things like alternators, water pumps, hubs, etc - no matter how good the rest of the part is, if the bearings are junk, it’s a lesser quality part.

But for stuff like brakes? M’eh. The aftermarket is all over the place, from sub-par to vastly superior.


You get what you pay for.

[Anonymous]

It's a Lexus. Just find a qualified, trusted mechanic. These aren't Euro cars, that have unique eccentricities that demand going to a specialized mechanic.

[Anonymous]

15:27 All true, but I still prefer OEM. Back in the day, I used to be the gear head who would research and buy the high performance stuff.

Brakes are actually a good test case. As you point out, there are a ton of aftermarket options out there. The OEM balances price, noise, breaking power, dust, longevity, failure rates, and a bunch of other factors. The random one the shop puts in? They overweight price and either use that to compete or pocket additional profit.

The problem is consumers have no idea what most indy shops put in. And 99% of consumers don’t realize they are getting subpar product.

I guess I’m just looking for a competent shop (other than the dealer) that defaults to using OEM parts because they balance all factors, even if they aren’t cheaper. My old BMW tech was like that, but have found the equivalent for Toyota/Lexus. It’s either the stealership or shops that use aftermarket because it’s better for their business.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's a Lexus. Just find a qualified, trusted mechanic. These aren't Euro cars, that have unique eccentricities that demand going to a specialized mechanic.

Exactly. Any place that can repair a Toyota Corolla can repair a Lexus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:15:27 All true, but I still prefer OEM. Back in the day, I used to be the gear head who would research and buy the high performance stuff.

Brakes are actually a good test case. As you point out, there are a ton of aftermarket options out there. The OEM balances price, noise, breaking power, dust, longevity, failure rates, and a bunch of other factors. The random one the shop puts in? They overweight price and either use that to compete or pocket additional profit.

The problem is consumers have no idea what most indy shops put in. And 99% of consumers don’t realize they are getting subpar product.

I guess I’m just looking for a competent shop (other than the dealer) that defaults to using OEM parts because they balance all factors, even if they aren’t cheaper. My old BMW tech was like that, but have found the equivalent for Toyota/Lexus. It’s either the stealership or shops that use aftermarket because it’s better for their business.

Im with you....have you tried to purchase the OEM parts and provided them to your mechanic? From my experience, no matter how trusted a indy shop, unless you can see the part being replaced, you don't really know. So to me, its either provide your parts or go to the dealer.

[Anonymous]

It would be interesting to know if anyone has a mechanic that would do this. I’ve never seen one that installs customer supplied parts.