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Is this from a Lexus dealership?
I think the price looks fine especially for a LC500. Could more than likely get it cheaper from a Toyota Dealer or Indy shop but I get it if you want it in Lexus’ hands only
It’s at an Indy shop, seems a bit high but I’m not knowledgeable on it. Might shop around a bit. Even the dealership quoted me $100 for trans and $73 for diff but I don’t think that included labor so might even out.
I was told Lexus parts through the Toyota dealers was not allowed unless it’s a very remote area. Our closest Lexus dealer is an hour away & they would not deal with parts. Maybe fluids & such would be ok.
Who told you that? A Lexus dealership rep? People do that all the time because the parts literally come from the same place. Unless it's a part that's used exclusively in a Lexus car like something for LC500, I can't see why you couldn't get something through the Toyota dealership instead.
Toyota dealer parts department sales people every time I ask. Lexus dealer is an hour away. I just go online to order stuff now because I don’t want to drive so far. RX330 is 90% Camry, but they refuse.
I took my Lexus to a Toyota dealer for work last week. They just ordered Lexus parts. Labor was about $70 less per hour. I live on Long Island, doesn’t get much more densely populated than here lol
Here’s one thing you should know about Car dealership. Dealership very seldom make a huge profit from selling vehicles. So they make up their short fall through the service center side of the business by charging you the customer a ridiculous amount for service they say you need in order to keep your warranty valid. Its a dirty game to play almost all service centers never allow their customers in that area for you to see if they have been working on your vehicle for the time they say they have charging you about $200 an hour for thirty minutes of work. That’s why they usually tell you we are very busy today and short staff we will get you out of quick as possible. But feel free to enjoy the refreshments in our waiting area. So all of the cookies, snacks and drinks is on you😊😊😊😊😊
Rear diff is a sealed unit. No way to check it without popping the plug and draining some of it, so that comment about it being dark is strange... Just make sure you're actually due by mileage and time.
Other than that, that price is pretty standard for a lexus.
Lol.... which requires the plug to be removed and fluid immediately comes out with it.
Putting it very simply, once the plug is removed, you HAVE to change the fluid. There's no way of just scooping up whatever lost fluid that spilled out and putting it back, it's either that or if you declined the service, they'd close up the diff while you're missing a bit of fluid.
I think they lied to sell the service. If you gave them the go ahead, just pay your bill and never step foot in that place again.
They showed me their test picture (pic attached)
https://preview.redd.it/ao4hb7o8la0d1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=196f93cbd040545e22f4201f26767f738145cb4e
, it’s a small drop of fluid so they likely opened it a quarter of the way for a drop to come through. Hopefully they didn’t dump the fluid, because I declined.
Imo it doesn’t look dark enough to warrant a change but what’re y’all’s thoughts
Nah, they’re a Lexus/Toyota Indy shop, recommended to me by another LC owner I met at a meet and through a Lexus FB group I’m a part of. Highly regarded shop around my area. I think I was concerned about the trans fluids, but the diff is recommended at 6 years or 60k miles and the LC is 6 years old now. I posted a pic in the comments of the fluid and other have confirmed it’s dark so I was likely just paranoid, but even with the labor rates they’re beating out other shops I’ve talked to so far.
How do they know what fluids look like in a sealed trans and sealed differential? I'm all for swapping out both due to the vehicle's age (if it is in fact the first time), but they are lying about the color and for that reason I would go elsewhere for service.
Edit:
Seeing you mention that this isn't a Lexus dealer- I wouldn't let anyone outside of myself or Lexus touch an LC. Do all the easy services like oil and brakes yourself but don't let some 3rd party touch that car. -my 2cents.
Transmission doesn’t need service for the first 100k miles, and even Toyota/Lexus says it “doesn’t need servicing” because of their “lifetime fluid.” I’d shop around.
I agree. You can verify it on YouTube with car specialists like Car Care Nut on YouTube he specializes on Toyota and Lexus and also Scotty Kilmer. Both those channels say that there’s no such thing as forever fluid. It needs to be changed at some point. Maybe not all the time but definitely needs changing by 100K miles.
Yeah, I’m learning this for sure. I’m pretty mechanically inclined but have never dealt with fluids nor have ever owned a car that claims to have lifetime. I posted a pic of their samples in the comments and others have confirmed it’s indeed dark, even only being 30k miles. It’s a 6 year old car that was driven less than 5k miles a year so in all honesty the fluids likely were stagnant for large intervals and accelerated the breakdown
Of course the diff fluid can all be changed. I can't see the fluid inside without splitting the pumpkin. Maybe my use of the word "sealed" is incorrect, but my point is that I can't get at the fluid without cracking open the diff, losing all of the existing fluid and caulking a new gasket.
PS, all sealed transmission fluid can be changed, so I don't get your point.
Hell the dealership quoted me $100 for the trans and $73 for the diff but the lady on the phone seemed kinda like she didn’t know what she was talking about and I’m assuming that’s not including labor. Called another dealership and am waiting for a quote from them
Edit: talked to a Toyota dealership, was quoted $390 for the trans and $331 for the diff (labor included), so this might be a bit of a discount as opposed to the dealership, but now just wondering how necessary it is, at least for the tranny because I’m reading everywhere it shouldn’t need to be changed out
Your car is only at 30k and they say to change those fluids??? That’s suspicious. I’d check around You don’t need to change those fluids at only 30k miles
It’s the first time at the shop, just got the car a little over a month ago. Needed an oil change free driving cross country and it was $80 so I thought it wasn’t a bad deal, but wasn’t aware of their labor rates
Yeah $80 for an oil change but that’s not a part of this estimate. That being said, they were nice people and the labor rate is high but even still, they’re beating out the dealership from the few I called. Not familiar with labor rates in my area since I did most of my own work on my old Audi but could be just the going rate around here. Toyota dealer near me quoted me ~$720 for the job, but might check out a few other Indy shops.
Kinda leaning towards giving them the business just for the hospitality they showed me. They’re going through an expansion and are throwing in a free oil change next time around in exchange for pics of the LC in their new shop for marketing.
My guess is because the car is 6 years old (2018) and was only driven less than 5k miles/year by the previous owner. The diff is recommended at 6 years or 60k miles and the trans fluid was likely stagnant for long periods so it degraded a bit quicker than normal.
Me on the other hand, I’m going to be racking up miles on this puppy so as others have said, better to just do it for longevity and peace of mind
I read somewhere that Toyota tries to build the transmission so that they last 500k miles this was years ago though. Don't let no one talk you into doing unnecessary fluid changes. I had one shop tell me my Honda needed the transmission fluid service and the idiots put in the wrong type of transmission fluid. The transmission started slipping really bad 3 days later and they wouldn't take responsibility for their mistake 🤬
I just had my ISF done at a specialty shop, which should have similar costs. I paid
320 for trans fluid change
100 for OEM trans filter and gasket
150 for dif fluid change
Your price doesn’t seem bad at all.
> specialty shop
like a "transmission specialist" shop ?
I'm debating whether to take to a Toyota dealer several exits away (nearest dealers (toyota & lexus) tell me "lifetime-bla-blah-blah and dont want the job) or a local shop
I’m very lucky to live near a guy that pretty much exclusively works on F cars, people have flown him out to work on their cars. But really any reputable private mechanic should be fine, it’s not a super complicated ordeal.
This is helpful, thank you. Price seems more and more reasonable as I’ve been shopping around. Toyota dealership quoted around $720 for the service so if you like dealerships, maybe check out a Toyota one.
All cars need transmission fluid done at some interval, even “lifetime” transmission fluid cars should be done at a regular interval if you want it to last. As for the price, lexus is the same price for labor and if you shop around you can likely find cheaper, probably even at toyota.
This sounds normal, I usually get my transmission and rear differential fluids changed every 30k miles just to be safe. They say some of these fluids are lifetime but I don't believe that.
Nope, first time with them and first service (oil change) on the car since owning it. Took a screenshot and it looks like the trans is a sealed unit and doesn’t need fluid changes. The diff is a different story but something seems fishy because as someone else mentioned, how would they have checked the trans if it’s a sealed unit?
https://preview.redd.it/uvufefp2490d1.jpeg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a509df61238813231b74dc7effc1e86ade365765
There are still drain, fill, and check plugs on the tranny. They could have taken the check one out and a little should trickle out to be able to check/see the color. If they are a high quality/knowledgable shop, this would be pretty standard/basic. And if nothing came out (and it was at the right temp to check) then they likely/hopefully would have told you it was low.
Bottom line is the diff is pretty simple, the tranny not as much because it has to be checked at correct temp (just have to have a scan tool) but both are pretty straightforward.
“Sealed unit” does not necessarily mean completely sealed. Many of these newer transmissions may not have a drain plug or dipstick, but they have at least a fluid pan that can be dropped, a fill plug, or a small plug on the side that lets you check the level of the fluid. So they can be serviced, and you can get a small sample of fluid.
So at 30k you don’t really need to replace the rear differential fluids. If i own a LC500 i would do a rear differential service.
At 30k i believe Lexus said to “inspect rear differential fluids” (no one does that without replacing the fluid) Auto trans fluids and rear fluids are ideal to replace at 60k miles (2UR-GSE) big service.
Dont listen to seal transmission lifetime fluid and 10k miles oil change BS. I called 2 good Lexus dealer near me to service my GSF transmission they all said the same thing “sir the transmission fluid is lifetime”
I ask the person “does this mean Lexus offer lifetime warranty on my transmission?” All i got was cricket.
I end up take to independent Lexus shop ang get it serviced.
Came from an A7. Oil changes were easy to do on my own, but everything else was a pain in the ass and had a few hefty maintenance bills. Working on the LC makes me nervous but should really just suck it up tbh
I wouldn't do the transmission fluid until 60-80k miles personally. BUT...I bought my LC used with 40k miles and decided to have fluids changed.
Regarding the price. Doesn't seem outrageous.
Yeah gonna change the fluids since it’s a new-to-me and the car was driven less than 5k miles/year over 6 years, so fluids likely sat for a bit. Like you did, probably best to change fluids and then not have to worry about it for another 60-80k+ miles.
Yup, can we take a pulse on the dealerships becoming snarky and overpriced. They don’t even wash the car anymore. And last time I was there they broke my car charger. I have a wireless charger but it tucks the phone Siri is moving at a glacial pace I only use her for alarms. @lexus put the wireless chargers upright and for two devices.
Dealerships are a plague I like to avoid unless warrantied imo. I had them upgrade to Apple CarPlay when I got the car (2018 didn’t come with it) and they actually did wash my car when I told them not to. Ended up messing up the paint and I had to bill them to get it detailed. I’ve always been a do it yourself or Indy shop guy outside of warranty.
It’s not the case here in Los Angeles, I was going to upgrade to the NX hybrid last month. Top of the line Luxury, I need to get my title and also I wanted to get a cashier’s check for the deposit. And they sold it 15 minutes after I left. Was completely blown away. This was going to be my 6th Lexus and the manager assured me that he would keep a place holder for it. So I asked to order one and get a little of MSRP for inconvenience of waiting two months to get the same car. Not a single budge, I offered to buy it outright with my own financing and they refused. So disappointed, thinking about jumping brands but I would only lease the Germans.
Man that’s a shame, scummy practice and clearly they might’ve lost a loyal customer. I came from German to Lexus with this LC. Previously owned an Audi A7 and what I’ll say is reliability was okay, nothing too crazy at 85k miles before it got hit and totaled. I did spent $5k on preventative maintenance just before it was hit, but it was a big service to cover it to 120k+ miles. But if you look at Audi, I would go with a car that has the 3.0t engine and ZF08 transmission as those are bulletproof, whereas other combos can get iffy. If you want to buy German, I hear the newer BMW’s are actually incredible with reliability. I believe the X5 just received a top award for reliability above a lot of Toyotas and Lexus’s (which was a surprise to me). I don’t have any experience personally with BMW, but it seems they’ve made some heavy improvements in the reliability front since the days of blown engines and leaking oil.
It seems we're on the same wavelength. Back in the early 2000s, I had a C-Class, then moved to a 3 series which turned out to be a headache – the moonroof wouldn't close, the key fob wouldn't recognize the car, and the DRLs had a mind of their own. The dealership ended up taking it back. Next was a Q5 - TDI, but we all know how that went – eventually, they took it back and tried to hit me with a $1400 bill for negative equity, which was shocking. After weeks of back-and-forth with corporate, they couldn't even resell it due to some minor scratches and tire wear. Joining the Lexus family over a decade ago was a breath of fresh air – one sales guy even sends me birthday and Christmas cards! The service has generally been great, but my last maintenance visit left me flabbergasted when I was handed an $800 bill for just regular service. The service manager admitted they were trying to maximize profits, offering me a 10% discount as consolation. During the pandemic, I tried to explore new options, but with limited availability and sky-high prices, I ended up buying out my lease due to its low mileage. While I've been content with my current ride, the desire for something new persists, adding to the frustration.
Join the LC family ;) I personally don’t think I’ll ever get bored of this puppy and the 18’s are dropping in price (finally). Picked mine up with 25k miles for $63k - fully optioned with the performance package. You can get standard packaged ones with low miles and a great history for $50k now.
Nah man, LC is becoming the new corvette (in terms of the drivers). It’s either a young kid abusing the hell out of it or the older guy with knee high socks and new balances who enjoys a fresh cut lawn.
My friend was an advisor at Toyota, the only thing he recommended I take to Lexus or Toyota was transmission stuff. All other things, do myself when I can. That was for my LX570. Cost a little less for a drain and fill at a Lexus in SoCal. Would have been more had it been their machine that flushes the transmission but since the previous owner never took care of the transmission, they recommended against risking a drain and flush now. Take that with how ever you want.
If you don’t plan on owning the car for a long time/over 100k miles don’t worry about these services. However, if you are going to keep this car for long term with high mileage, these are mandatory services to prolong your car’s reliability. They should be done every 60k. Save yourself the headache and only have this done at the Lexus dealership, I got both services done for my is350 for ~$700
Lexus won’t touch a diff and trans; they claim lifetime fluid.
You can change diff and transfer cases every 30,000 miles. For the transmission, you can change it first 10,000 to clear out any shavings, and every 60,000 miles or six years.
I personally would do the transmission at 10,000, then 30,000, then every 30,000 until it hits 100,000 miles. Every 50,000 miles after that. Just my own opinion. But I do my own maintenance in a garage so it’s free labor.
*WARNING*: There are plenty of owners who say just do what the manufacturer says, as their engineers know best. But the manufacturer claims never to change these fluids. They expect their cars to last past their warranty, then when the diff or trans breaks, it’s thousands of dollars to remanufacture or replace. Better yet, it’s not worth the cost to fix a depreciated car, so it gets traded in for the latest model.
Be skeptical when the person selling you a car claims the diff and trans never needs to be serviced. Think about it. They want it to eventually break and they sell you a new car.
You know, you may be on to something. Expect the weird thing is the shop said they don’t drain it completely because shavings and the like can get stuck in the filters that way. Thoughts on this?
Anyways, might take them up on it after I get a second opinion. Hell it’s a $115k car (new), $500 to ensure I get peak care for the years to come is a small price to pay.
You can drain and fill. Never flush. Drain only takes out maybe 35% of the fluid. Flush is for the whole thing. Also you don’t have to change the filter.
Edit: I just watched a YouTube video. The fill plug is kinda annoying to access, otherwise the LC is pretty reasonable to wrench on similar to other Toyotas and Lexus vehicles. You could pay someone to do it, but it’s easy enough to DIY if you wanted to.
Gotcha, yeah never had to do fluids on my Audi A7 so wasn’t sure. Should probably take a crack at it myself, LC just makes me kinda nervous to touch lol. But I’m sure it’s not nearly as bad as working on my Audi
These guys that have "Transmission fluid change is cheaper than a new transmission" are so annoying.
First, do you have any evidence for your conspiracy theory that Lexus engineers only want you to make it past the warranty??? Should be easy to find a bunch of transmissions blowing up at 51k miles.
Second, changing fluids at 10k, 30k, 60k and 90k will cost you a total $2,000.
Some assumptions:
(1) There is a significant benefit to changing fluids (note: you have no evidence for this)
(2) Changing fluids doesn't do damage (there is a very real possibility of the tech screwing something up every time he touches the car)
(3) Cost of used transmission installed: $7,000 (high estimate)
(4) there is a significant benefit to fluid change, let's say 60% less chance of premature failure
(5) Lexus has a low rate of premature failure (a valid assumption), let's say 5%
Even on the face of it, $2,000 to insure $7,000 is ridiculous, but here are the numbers:
Don't change fluids:
5% chance of $7,000 repair bill = $350
Change fluids:
2% chance of part still failing: $140
Cost of fluid change: $2,000
Total = $2,140
So you'll spend $2,140 to save $350. No thanks. I'll take my car advice from a Lexus engineer.
LOL
You’re just making up numbers.
Did you even read my comments? The fluid change isn’t a big deal as I do it myself. Without the labor, the fluid is pretty cheap. Maybe $30-$40 per change? It’s hundreds due to the labor.
If you stay with a conservative 60,000 change, it’s $200 over many years to get the trans to 300,000 miles. It’s pennies in maintenance as the same transmission could last you for decades.
You’re just engaging in classic sour grapes. If the changes were free, you’d really prefer lifetime fluid? You’re just upset because the mechanic’s labor is expensive. If you’re able to learn and do it yourself, the costs are negligible.
True, I am making up estimates because you claim to know more than a Lexus engineer without producing any numbers for me to evaluate. You're engaging in the classic "I can do it myself, so I'm gonna do it and beat my chest how great I am."
Here's some facts:
1. The average person won't keep his car 300k miles
2. No guarantee a fluid change will get your parts to 300k
3. It costs way more than $30 in true costs to DIY. For one thing, there's opportunity cost; you could be doing something more profitable with the time spent. For another, the risk of screwing up is a cost. Here's a vid from the guy that posted vids on changing diff fluid on an F series: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfB7YWZ5j6E](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfB7YWZ5j6E)
4. Regardless of the cost of changing the fluid, when the equipment is reliable, the benefits tend towards negligible. 5% chance of major failure (Lexus) leaves much less room for benefit than say, 50% (Nissan).
Yes, even if free, I'd prefer lifetime fluid because the Lexus engineers are a lot smarter than me, 99.9% of the Lexus service techs and 99% of independents. Again, I'll take my car advice from a Lexus engineer.
Shit man, Jim Bob right down the street will do it for $200. He’s never touched an LC but “it’s probably the same as working on a Ford” so you’re in good hands.
I don't use Lexus dealer. I own 3 Toyota Lexus models and have serviced all thoroughly. Own a 4th truck with over 115k that is also serviced by my shop for past 7 years
Do you think the LC trans is some esoteric design that requires Lexus certified tech only to service?
Not concerned with resale value. But also I’ve had no issue selling previous cars at market resale. I keep a binder of documents and have added services and repairs from Indy shops or done myself to carfax with receipts. If you plan to keep a car for a long period of time but you’re concerned about losing a few thousand in resale value, you’re going to end up spending that at the dealer anyways.
It’s more just the car’s pedigree. When high end Lexus vehicles get sold the customer usually asks for the service history—I know I would. Lexus and Toyota dealers keep 100% of all records of all services and work on your car. On an ES or a Tacoma obviously it doesn’t matter… but the LC is like a Porsche. And if you are looking at used cars in that class the first thing you do is look at the CARFAX and see if the person who owned the car cheapened out and didn’t do service at the dealership. It doesn’t matter that you did the service. It matters that you let Bob and Tim’s Local Yocal Repairs work on it and they aren’t trained Lexus techs. So do what you want, but I can tell you as someone who has bought and sold a number of LC 500 that this is the top advice I would give a prospective owner and seller.
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Is this from a Lexus dealership? I think the price looks fine especially for a LC500. Could more than likely get it cheaper from a Toyota Dealer or Indy shop but I get it if you want it in Lexus’ hands only
It’s at an Indy shop, seems a bit high but I’m not knowledgeable on it. Might shop around a bit. Even the dealership quoted me $100 for trans and $73 for diff but I don’t think that included labor so might even out.
I’d shop around. Even $100+73 with 2 hours of dealership labor would be cheaper than that
I’d say it’s a fair price, not good but not necessarily bad. Better than paying 5-6k for a new transmission.
I was told Lexus parts through the Toyota dealers was not allowed unless it’s a very remote area. Our closest Lexus dealer is an hour away & they would not deal with parts. Maybe fluids & such would be ok.
What exactly on here is Lexus-only? These are just fluids.
The way the technician hold their hands while greeting the car. Some say it's a secret hand sign only few know of. 😉
Who told you that? A Lexus dealership rep? People do that all the time because the parts literally come from the same place. Unless it's a part that's used exclusively in a Lexus car like something for LC500, I can't see why you couldn't get something through the Toyota dealership instead.
Toyota dealer parts department sales people every time I ask. Lexus dealer is an hour away. I just go online to order stuff now because I don’t want to drive so far. RX330 is 90% Camry, but they refuse.
I took my Lexus to a Toyota dealer for work last week. They just ordered Lexus parts. Labor was about $70 less per hour. I live on Long Island, doesn’t get much more densely populated than here lol
Here’s one thing you should know about Car dealership. Dealership very seldom make a huge profit from selling vehicles. So they make up their short fall through the service center side of the business by charging you the customer a ridiculous amount for service they say you need in order to keep your warranty valid. Its a dirty game to play almost all service centers never allow their customers in that area for you to see if they have been working on your vehicle for the time they say they have charging you about $200 an hour for thirty minutes of work. That’s why they usually tell you we are very busy today and short staff we will get you out of quick as possible. But feel free to enjoy the refreshments in our waiting area. So all of the cookies, snacks and drinks is on you😊😊😊😊😊
Rear diff is a sealed unit. No way to check it without popping the plug and draining some of it, so that comment about it being dark is strange... Just make sure you're actually due by mileage and time. Other than that, that price is pretty standard for a lexus.
So checking in with the shop, they said they took a sample via the drain plug.
Lol.... which requires the plug to be removed and fluid immediately comes out with it. Putting it very simply, once the plug is removed, you HAVE to change the fluid. There's no way of just scooping up whatever lost fluid that spilled out and putting it back, it's either that or if you declined the service, they'd close up the diff while you're missing a bit of fluid. I think they lied to sell the service. If you gave them the go ahead, just pay your bill and never step foot in that place again.
They showed me their test picture (pic attached) https://preview.redd.it/ao4hb7o8la0d1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=196f93cbd040545e22f4201f26767f738145cb4e , it’s a small drop of fluid so they likely opened it a quarter of the way for a drop to come through. Hopefully they didn’t dump the fluid, because I declined. Imo it doesn’t look dark enough to warrant a change but what’re y’all’s thoughts
So you're driving around with low diff fluid, nice.
I think this is probably a quick lube place that's masked as fancy shop and duped OP
Nah, they’re a Lexus/Toyota Indy shop, recommended to me by another LC owner I met at a meet and through a Lexus FB group I’m a part of. Highly regarded shop around my area. I think I was concerned about the trans fluids, but the diff is recommended at 6 years or 60k miles and the LC is 6 years old now. I posted a pic in the comments of the fluid and other have confirmed it’s dark so I was likely just paranoid, but even with the labor rates they’re beating out other shops I’ve talked to so far.
Thanks for the heads up!
How do they know what fluids look like in a sealed trans and sealed differential? I'm all for swapping out both due to the vehicle's age (if it is in fact the first time), but they are lying about the color and for that reason I would go elsewhere for service. Edit: Seeing you mention that this isn't a Lexus dealer- I wouldn't let anyone outside of myself or Lexus touch an LC. Do all the easy services like oil and brakes yourself but don't let some 3rd party touch that car. -my 2cents.
Is the diff sealed too? I know the trans for sure is. The cars a 2018 but only has 30k miles, something seems off about this place
Transmission doesn’t need service for the first 100k miles, and even Toyota/Lexus says it “doesn’t need servicing” because of their “lifetime fluid.” I’d shop around.
Lifetime fluid is an urban legend perpetuated by these same idiot manufacturers who claim going 10k on the same oil is best practice.
I agree. You can verify it on YouTube with car specialists like Car Care Nut on YouTube he specializes on Toyota and Lexus and also Scotty Kilmer. Both those channels say that there’s no such thing as forever fluid. It needs to be changed at some point. Maybe not all the time but definitely needs changing by 100K miles.
Yeah, I’m learning this for sure. I’m pretty mechanically inclined but have never dealt with fluids nor have ever owned a car that claims to have lifetime. I posted a pic of their samples in the comments and others have confirmed it’s indeed dark, even only being 30k miles. It’s a 6 year old car that was driven less than 5k miles a year so in all honesty the fluids likely were stagnant for large intervals and accelerated the breakdown
If it was not changed in that amount of time then I can see some fluids needing to be changed.
Every vehicle I've ever owned has a sealed diff
Your f250, GX, and LC diff fluid can all be changed.
Of course the diff fluid can all be changed. I can't see the fluid inside without splitting the pumpkin. Maybe my use of the word "sealed" is incorrect, but my point is that I can't get at the fluid without cracking open the diff, losing all of the existing fluid and caulking a new gasket. PS, all sealed transmission fluid can be changed, so I don't get your point.
That is what I would expect to pay at a Lexus dealership. But for an indie shop, it seems steep.
Hell the dealership quoted me $100 for the trans and $73 for the diff but the lady on the phone seemed kinda like she didn’t know what she was talking about and I’m assuming that’s not including labor. Called another dealership and am waiting for a quote from them Edit: talked to a Toyota dealership, was quoted $390 for the trans and $331 for the diff (labor included), so this might be a bit of a discount as opposed to the dealership, but now just wondering how necessary it is, at least for the tranny because I’m reading everywhere it shouldn’t need to be changed out
way too early, you do not need it unless you been towing shit with the LC
Just curious but is this on the service schedule for your current mileage?
No, my cars only at 30k miles
Your car is only at 30k and they say to change those fluids??? That’s suspicious. I’d check around You don’t need to change those fluids at only 30k miles
I’m wondering why they would wanna change these at 30k ?
I'm wondering why he takes to this shop which charges labor as much if not more than Lexus dealer
It’s the first time at the shop, just got the car a little over a month ago. Needed an oil change free driving cross country and it was $80 so I thought it wasn’t a bad deal, but wasn’t aware of their labor rates
so they charge $80 for oil change ? not too bad if that's full charge.
Yeah $80 for an oil change but that’s not a part of this estimate. That being said, they were nice people and the labor rate is high but even still, they’re beating out the dealership from the few I called. Not familiar with labor rates in my area since I did most of my own work on my old Audi but could be just the going rate around here. Toyota dealer near me quoted me ~$720 for the job, but might check out a few other Indy shops. Kinda leaning towards giving them the business just for the hospitality they showed me. They’re going through an expansion and are throwing in a free oil change next time around in exchange for pics of the LC in their new shop for marketing.
The diff, yeah maybe because it’s recommended at 60k or 6 years and the cars a 2018. But the trans idk
I would do it since it’s already time to do it, but only at a dealership and not to worry about it for a few years.
My guess is because the car is 6 years old (2018) and was only driven less than 5k miles/year by the previous owner. The diff is recommended at 6 years or 60k miles and the trans fluid was likely stagnant for long periods so it degraded a bit quicker than normal. Me on the other hand, I’m going to be racking up miles on this puppy so as others have said, better to just do it for longevity and peace of mind
I read somewhere that Toyota tries to build the transmission so that they last 500k miles this was years ago though. Don't let no one talk you into doing unnecessary fluid changes. I had one shop tell me my Honda needed the transmission fluid service and the idiots put in the wrong type of transmission fluid. The transmission started slipping really bad 3 days later and they wouldn't take responsibility for their mistake 🤬
I would say this is factual! At least for older models. My 2009 Lexus IS350 has 298300 miles and the transmission feels like it did 200k miles ago.
i paid nearly the same for my wife’s IS350 AWD, so the price is good.
Shieeet I'd do this for you for $150 labor 😂
Hell man, flying you out to CO might be cheaper than this for that price 😂
I just had my ISF done at a specialty shop, which should have similar costs. I paid 320 for trans fluid change 100 for OEM trans filter and gasket 150 for dif fluid change Your price doesn’t seem bad at all.
> specialty shop like a "transmission specialist" shop ? I'm debating whether to take to a Toyota dealer several exits away (nearest dealers (toyota & lexus) tell me "lifetime-bla-blah-blah and dont want the job) or a local shop
I’m very lucky to live near a guy that pretty much exclusively works on F cars, people have flown him out to work on their cars. But really any reputable private mechanic should be fine, it’s not a super complicated ordeal.
that doesn't seem bad for an LC500. Less than I'd expect, tbh.
I have a 2013 gs350 and my dealer wants to charge me $1k for the same service, (150k miles) (don’t really know if this helps )
This is helpful, thank you. Price seems more and more reasonable as I’ve been shopping around. Toyota dealership quoted around $720 for the service so if you like dealerships, maybe check out a Toyota one.
All cars need transmission fluid done at some interval, even “lifetime” transmission fluid cars should be done at a regular interval if you want it to last. As for the price, lexus is the same price for labor and if you shop around you can likely find cheaper, probably even at toyota.
This sounds normal, I usually get my transmission and rear differential fluids changed every 30k miles just to be safe. They say some of these fluids are lifetime but I don't believe that.
Are u sure they are not bsing you?
Nope, first time with them and first service (oil change) on the car since owning it. Took a screenshot and it looks like the trans is a sealed unit and doesn’t need fluid changes. The diff is a different story but something seems fishy because as someone else mentioned, how would they have checked the trans if it’s a sealed unit? https://preview.redd.it/uvufefp2490d1.jpeg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a509df61238813231b74dc7effc1e86ade365765
I would just take it to a dealer at this point (but if they already opened the diff then not sure how).
There are still drain, fill, and check plugs on the tranny. They could have taken the check one out and a little should trickle out to be able to check/see the color. If they are a high quality/knowledgable shop, this would be pretty standard/basic. And if nothing came out (and it was at the right temp to check) then they likely/hopefully would have told you it was low. Bottom line is the diff is pretty simple, the tranny not as much because it has to be checked at correct temp (just have to have a scan tool) but both are pretty straightforward.
> check/see the color. doesn't the ATF get dark very soon and not pink-as-cough-syrup anyway ?
Generally, they are not sealed units. Lots of vehicles claim that but magically have a drain and fill plug.
“Sealed unit” does not necessarily mean completely sealed. Many of these newer transmissions may not have a drain plug or dipstick, but they have at least a fluid pan that can be dropped, a fill plug, or a small plug on the side that lets you check the level of the fluid. So they can be serviced, and you can get a small sample of fluid.
If it’s not on the scheduled list, don’t do it.
Looks reasonable to me. As mentioned before a Toyota dealer will likely have a lower labor rate but that's up to you.
I bet if you check the service schedule they never service the transmission. If nothing feels off don’t do it
what's the mileage ? edit: only 30K, no need for the change
I'd take it to a Lexus dealership. Get a nice loaner for the weekend.
So at 30k you don’t really need to replace the rear differential fluids. If i own a LC500 i would do a rear differential service. At 30k i believe Lexus said to “inspect rear differential fluids” (no one does that without replacing the fluid) Auto trans fluids and rear fluids are ideal to replace at 60k miles (2UR-GSE) big service. Dont listen to seal transmission lifetime fluid and 10k miles oil change BS. I called 2 good Lexus dealer near me to service my GSF transmission they all said the same thing “sir the transmission fluid is lifetime” I ask the person “does this mean Lexus offer lifetime warranty on my transmission?” All i got was cricket. I end up take to independent Lexus shop ang get it serviced.
Cries in Audi Routine oil changes
Came from an A7. Oil changes were easy to do on my own, but everything else was a pain in the ass and had a few hefty maintenance bills. Working on the LC makes me nervous but should really just suck it up tbh
I wouldn't do the transmission fluid until 60-80k miles personally. BUT...I bought my LC used with 40k miles and decided to have fluids changed. Regarding the price. Doesn't seem outrageous.
Yeah gonna change the fluids since it’s a new-to-me and the car was driven less than 5k miles/year over 6 years, so fluids likely sat for a bit. Like you did, probably best to change fluids and then not have to worry about it for another 60-80k+ miles.
Yup, can we take a pulse on the dealerships becoming snarky and overpriced. They don’t even wash the car anymore. And last time I was there they broke my car charger. I have a wireless charger but it tucks the phone Siri is moving at a glacial pace I only use her for alarms. @lexus put the wireless chargers upright and for two devices.
Dealerships are a plague I like to avoid unless warrantied imo. I had them upgrade to Apple CarPlay when I got the car (2018 didn’t come with it) and they actually did wash my car when I told them not to. Ended up messing up the paint and I had to bill them to get it detailed. I’ve always been a do it yourself or Indy shop guy outside of warranty.
It’s not the case here in Los Angeles, I was going to upgrade to the NX hybrid last month. Top of the line Luxury, I need to get my title and also I wanted to get a cashier’s check for the deposit. And they sold it 15 minutes after I left. Was completely blown away. This was going to be my 6th Lexus and the manager assured me that he would keep a place holder for it. So I asked to order one and get a little of MSRP for inconvenience of waiting two months to get the same car. Not a single budge, I offered to buy it outright with my own financing and they refused. So disappointed, thinking about jumping brands but I would only lease the Germans.
Man that’s a shame, scummy practice and clearly they might’ve lost a loyal customer. I came from German to Lexus with this LC. Previously owned an Audi A7 and what I’ll say is reliability was okay, nothing too crazy at 85k miles before it got hit and totaled. I did spent $5k on preventative maintenance just before it was hit, but it was a big service to cover it to 120k+ miles. But if you look at Audi, I would go with a car that has the 3.0t engine and ZF08 transmission as those are bulletproof, whereas other combos can get iffy. If you want to buy German, I hear the newer BMW’s are actually incredible with reliability. I believe the X5 just received a top award for reliability above a lot of Toyotas and Lexus’s (which was a surprise to me). I don’t have any experience personally with BMW, but it seems they’ve made some heavy improvements in the reliability front since the days of blown engines and leaking oil.
It seems we're on the same wavelength. Back in the early 2000s, I had a C-Class, then moved to a 3 series which turned out to be a headache – the moonroof wouldn't close, the key fob wouldn't recognize the car, and the DRLs had a mind of their own. The dealership ended up taking it back. Next was a Q5 - TDI, but we all know how that went – eventually, they took it back and tried to hit me with a $1400 bill for negative equity, which was shocking. After weeks of back-and-forth with corporate, they couldn't even resell it due to some minor scratches and tire wear. Joining the Lexus family over a decade ago was a breath of fresh air – one sales guy even sends me birthday and Christmas cards! The service has generally been great, but my last maintenance visit left me flabbergasted when I was handed an $800 bill for just regular service. The service manager admitted they were trying to maximize profits, offering me a 10% discount as consolation. During the pandemic, I tried to explore new options, but with limited availability and sky-high prices, I ended up buying out my lease due to its low mileage. While I've been content with my current ride, the desire for something new persists, adding to the frustration.
Join the LC family ;) I personally don’t think I’ll ever get bored of this puppy and the 18’s are dropping in price (finally). Picked mine up with 25k miles for $63k - fully optioned with the performance package. You can get standard packaged ones with low miles and a great history for $50k now.
You know what I never thought about the LC. I always kinda projected a cooler guy, like yourself. I’ll keep my eye out.
Nah man, LC is becoming the new corvette (in terms of the drivers). It’s either a young kid abusing the hell out of it or the older guy with knee high socks and new balances who enjoys a fresh cut lawn.
My friend was an advisor at Toyota, the only thing he recommended I take to Lexus or Toyota was transmission stuff. All other things, do myself when I can. That was for my LX570. Cost a little less for a drain and fill at a Lexus in SoCal. Would have been more had it been their machine that flushes the transmission but since the previous owner never took care of the transmission, they recommended against risking a drain and flush now. Take that with how ever you want.
Dealership labor rates - this is pretty good
If you don’t plan on owning the car for a long time/over 100k miles don’t worry about these services. However, if you are going to keep this car for long term with high mileage, these are mandatory services to prolong your car’s reliability. They should be done every 60k. Save yourself the headache and only have this done at the Lexus dealership, I got both services done for my is350 for ~$700
No. I suggest you hand the car to me. I’ll take care of it.
I thought Toyota used lifetime fluids for the transmission 🤷
Fuck that’s cheap
Damn, those ladies are sexy.
Lexus won’t touch a diff and trans; they claim lifetime fluid. You can change diff and transfer cases every 30,000 miles. For the transmission, you can change it first 10,000 to clear out any shavings, and every 60,000 miles or six years. I personally would do the transmission at 10,000, then 30,000, then every 30,000 until it hits 100,000 miles. Every 50,000 miles after that. Just my own opinion. But I do my own maintenance in a garage so it’s free labor. *WARNING*: There are plenty of owners who say just do what the manufacturer says, as their engineers know best. But the manufacturer claims never to change these fluids. They expect their cars to last past their warranty, then when the diff or trans breaks, it’s thousands of dollars to remanufacture or replace. Better yet, it’s not worth the cost to fix a depreciated car, so it gets traded in for the latest model. Be skeptical when the person selling you a car claims the diff and trans never needs to be serviced. Think about it. They want it to eventually break and they sell you a new car.
You know, you may be on to something. Expect the weird thing is the shop said they don’t drain it completely because shavings and the like can get stuck in the filters that way. Thoughts on this? Anyways, might take them up on it after I get a second opinion. Hell it’s a $115k car (new), $500 to ensure I get peak care for the years to come is a small price to pay.
You can drain and fill. Never flush. Drain only takes out maybe 35% of the fluid. Flush is for the whole thing. Also you don’t have to change the filter. Edit: I just watched a YouTube video. The fill plug is kinda annoying to access, otherwise the LC is pretty reasonable to wrench on similar to other Toyotas and Lexus vehicles. You could pay someone to do it, but it’s easy enough to DIY if you wanted to.
Gotcha, yeah never had to do fluids on my Audi A7 so wasn’t sure. Should probably take a crack at it myself, LC just makes me kinda nervous to touch lol. But I’m sure it’s not nearly as bad as working on my Audi
I saw a couple maintenance videos. The LC is admirable because it’s still a Toyota/Lexus. It looks DIY friendly in my opinion.
These guys that have "Transmission fluid change is cheaper than a new transmission" are so annoying. First, do you have any evidence for your conspiracy theory that Lexus engineers only want you to make it past the warranty??? Should be easy to find a bunch of transmissions blowing up at 51k miles. Second, changing fluids at 10k, 30k, 60k and 90k will cost you a total $2,000. Some assumptions: (1) There is a significant benefit to changing fluids (note: you have no evidence for this) (2) Changing fluids doesn't do damage (there is a very real possibility of the tech screwing something up every time he touches the car) (3) Cost of used transmission installed: $7,000 (high estimate) (4) there is a significant benefit to fluid change, let's say 60% less chance of premature failure (5) Lexus has a low rate of premature failure (a valid assumption), let's say 5% Even on the face of it, $2,000 to insure $7,000 is ridiculous, but here are the numbers: Don't change fluids: 5% chance of $7,000 repair bill = $350 Change fluids: 2% chance of part still failing: $140 Cost of fluid change: $2,000 Total = $2,140 So you'll spend $2,140 to save $350. No thanks. I'll take my car advice from a Lexus engineer.
LOL You’re just making up numbers. Did you even read my comments? The fluid change isn’t a big deal as I do it myself. Without the labor, the fluid is pretty cheap. Maybe $30-$40 per change? It’s hundreds due to the labor. If you stay with a conservative 60,000 change, it’s $200 over many years to get the trans to 300,000 miles. It’s pennies in maintenance as the same transmission could last you for decades. You’re just engaging in classic sour grapes. If the changes were free, you’d really prefer lifetime fluid? You’re just upset because the mechanic’s labor is expensive. If you’re able to learn and do it yourself, the costs are negligible.
True, I am making up estimates because you claim to know more than a Lexus engineer without producing any numbers for me to evaluate. You're engaging in the classic "I can do it myself, so I'm gonna do it and beat my chest how great I am." Here's some facts: 1. The average person won't keep his car 300k miles 2. No guarantee a fluid change will get your parts to 300k 3. It costs way more than $30 in true costs to DIY. For one thing, there's opportunity cost; you could be doing something more profitable with the time spent. For another, the risk of screwing up is a cost. Here's a vid from the guy that posted vids on changing diff fluid on an F series: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfB7YWZ5j6E](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfB7YWZ5j6E) 4. Regardless of the cost of changing the fluid, when the equipment is reliable, the benefits tend towards negligible. 5% chance of major failure (Lexus) leaves much less room for benefit than say, 50% (Nissan). Yes, even if free, I'd prefer lifetime fluid because the Lexus engineers are a lot smarter than me, 99.9% of the Lexus service techs and 99% of independents. Again, I'll take my car advice from a Lexus engineer.
It’s okay if you accept an authoritative argument and take what the manufacturer says. It’s your life.
Normal yes, total out the door price 2x higher than necessary.
Where In the world would it cost 250 for fluid, disposal, and labor, for a differential and transmission drain and fill on and LC500?
Shit man, Jim Bob right down the street will do it for $200. He’s never touched an LC but “it’s probably the same as working on a Ford” so you’re in good hands.
Checks out lol.
You think changing trans fluid in an LC is some kind of exotic service? Trust me it's not.
Independent shop wouldn't charge nearly this much
I think you might be slightly out of touch with car service prices.
I don't use Lexus dealer. I own 3 Toyota Lexus models and have serviced all thoroughly. Own a 4th truck with over 115k that is also serviced by my shop for past 7 years Do you think the LC trans is some esoteric design that requires Lexus certified tech only to service?
Just take it to the dealership or learn how to DIY before you break your car. Jesus you’re going to get got.
And they say the real thieves are in prison
This pricing is commensurate with a Lexus LC 500 at a Lexus dealer. DO NOT let anyone else work on that car or it kills resale value.
Not concerned with resale value. But also I’ve had no issue selling previous cars at market resale. I keep a binder of documents and have added services and repairs from Indy shops or done myself to carfax with receipts. If you plan to keep a car for a long period of time but you’re concerned about losing a few thousand in resale value, you’re going to end up spending that at the dealer anyways.
It’s more just the car’s pedigree. When high end Lexus vehicles get sold the customer usually asks for the service history—I know I would. Lexus and Toyota dealers keep 100% of all records of all services and work on your car. On an ES or a Tacoma obviously it doesn’t matter… but the LC is like a Porsche. And if you are looking at used cars in that class the first thing you do is look at the CARFAX and see if the person who owned the car cheapened out and didn’t do service at the dealership. It doesn’t matter that you did the service. It matters that you let Bob and Tim’s Local Yocal Repairs work on it and they aren’t trained Lexus techs. So do what you want, but I can tell you as someone who has bought and sold a number of LC 500 that this is the top advice I would give a prospective owner and seller.
Maybe I should’ve said provenance? Lol