any good independent Toyota or Lexus mechanics in this area?

thanks for any info! :) I need suspension work done on my SUV
and got quoted $2700 from the dealer.(only $450 of that is parts,
the rest is labor...) blood-sucking low-lifes those people can be... sorry..

a little more detail on the $2700....

my former SUV is a BMW X5 and the exact same type of suspension work done at
BMW of Fairfax was less than $1100...

How can a Lexus dealer overcharge by $1600? Beats the pudding out of me... :(

Horst Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> a little more detail on the $2700....
>
> my former SUV is a BMW X5 and the exact same type
> of suspension work done at
> BMW of Fairfax was less than $1100...
>
> How can a Lexus dealer overcharge by $1600?
> Beats the pudding out of me... :(

You just answered your own question, take it to the BMW dealer.

Fix Your Toy in Manasas

http://consumer.checkbook.org/SiteMap/Washington_DC/Ratings_And_Articles/Auto_Repair_Shops/detail.cfm?firmCode1=3302886

Does it have air suspension? That might be why. FYI a newer model mercedes s500 requires a complete suspension overhaul between 70k-90k. Cost is $12000. Not twelve hundred, 12 thousand dollars. If you check on craigslist or ebay you will see a lot of owners selling their upscale model mercedes before 100k to avoid that expensive repair

Also I am not trying to be rude but have you considered the fact that repairs on a Lexus are going to be unreasonably expensive before buying it? Even the smallest repair such as brakes or any fluid flushes are going to cost you more then your everyday honda simply because of the brand. I had to replace all four tires on my brand new subaru(full time awd cars require to swap all four tires at the same time in order not to offset the transmission) and it cost me $1100 at the dealership,my old Sabb only cost $385 with Firehawk GTs. Check out craigslist they have a lot of independent mechanics but you are taking a risk as they may not be ase certified. There is a really good body shop by Ft.Belvoir that I go to. It is tucked in behind some industrial building but the guy owns the shop and he is very reasonable and fair with his clients. Kurts Repair Auto Shop. I am sure you can look them up in the yellow pages or 411.

This is why it's always good to go with a brand that has (1) free maintenance through warranty period, (2) a refundable extended warranty and (3) a refundable maintenance plan that matches the term of the extended warranty. I believe I paid $3,000 for the extended warranty to 100k miles and another $2,500 for the maintenance on my LR3 last year. Yes, it may seem like a lot upfront, but the good thing is that if you don't use it, you get your money back in full 100%.

That means if I sell the truck before the 4yr/50k warranty kicks over to the extended warranty, that's $5500 back in my wallet. If I sell at say 5yr/70k, I get a prorated portion of the funds back based on time and mileage. After I found out what it costs to replace an engine on these suckers ($12,500) and to have the timing belt changed at one particular maintenance interval ($2,700), it's a no brainer. Heck, even a simple brake and rotor job would've cost $900. It's ridiculous. -§

Danny Sherman at Midas Fairfax City is greeat.


He is honest .

703-273-0197

Native Wrote:

> FYI a newer model mercedes s500 requires a
> complete suspension overhaul between 70k-90k. Cost
> is $12000.

$12,000?? LOL...If that's true, it's just *another* reason why Mercedes owners are clearly not only vain, but stupid to boot. I mean, if you're going to show off your money, at least try not to be a moron about it.

It is true, S500 has an air suspension which is very costly to repair.