Michael Bowcott

Review of Lexus of Richmond Hill

Lexus of Richmond Hill has a five star rating but ...

Lexus of Richmond Hill has a five star rating but in my opinion, it is not for its service department. The sales side of the company is very good but if you are considering buying a Car at this dealer, it is buyer beware when it comes to service. (NOTE: It was not always this way, just in the past year)

I just took my GS 350 in for its 90,000 KM service. My new adviser, Russel tried to up sell me from a standard $300 service to over $3000 in additional work, most of which was not necessary or needed, yet. Up selling is a tactic used by dealers to increase revenue while keeping otherwise idle mechanics busy. In my case, it was just too blatant and something I did not expect from a dealer I once trusted. Here is my most recent experience.

I took my car in for its regular service at 90,000. This was an oil change and brake inspection. I did mention that on one occasion my brakes had made a loud squealing noise and here is what happened. The service rep told me i needed new spark plugs, $795. In speaking with another mechanic, and consulting the owners manual, it became clear that spark plugs are good fro 150-180 KM. They told me I need new brake pads because they are at 35-40%,. The non Lexus mechanic says "still very good but not necessary until 20-25%. They said there was rust on the rotor and I would need to get them done as well, that would be $1500+. Apparently, I also needed differential fluid, brake fluid and any other fluid the car contained. This is one of the most blatant examples of "Up Selling" and I would steer clear of Lexus of RH service department until they get their act together. Not impressed at all.