Should You Get Service at a Mechanic or Dealership

You invested money in your Lexus, so you want to protect that investment, including performing routine maintenance. Service schedules vary by model and miles driven, and some parts must be replaced as they wear out. You can get these services performed at Eskridge Lexus of Oklahoma City or a local mechanic and keep your Lexus running at its peak. However, there are some advantages to using our dealership that you won’t get from a regular repair shop.

Maintenance and Repair Options

Lexus owners have three options to maintain or repair their vehicles. First, if you’re handy, you can perform many services in your home garage, provided you have the tools. At Eskridge Lexus, we applaud DIY people because they share the same passion for automobiles. Our parts and service technicians love talking shop with customers and happily provide tips on installations and repairs. We provide continuous factory training to our technicians so they remain experts in all things Lexus.

However, we know some people have neither the time nor the inclination to do the work themselves. If that sounds like you, we recommend you bring your Lexus to our service center and let our professionals handle all your maintenance and service needs. We’ve streamlined the process with our online service scheduling tool. But you can always bring your car to our dealership at your convenience. In most cases, we can perform routine services in under an hour.

Your third option for service would be to choose one of the many local mechanics in the Guthrie, Oklahoma, area. Guthrie has several national chains and locally run repair shops to get service for your vehicle. We strongly recommend researching these options to ensure you receive quality service and support. Not every mechanic has the same training and skill. Some specialize in brands, while others work with limited systems. They may still be able to perform the services on your Lexus, but they might not have the needed expertise.

DIY Pros and Cons

Pros and cons exist with all three of your service options. For DIY people, you must know how cars work; some jobs require specific tools. So, you’ll need the know-how and correct tools to complete the job.

DIY Pro: You Save Money

You’ll save money doing any service at home because all you pay for is parts. Most mechanics upcharge for parts to make money before ever installing them. Plus, repair shops charge an hourly service charge. So, you’ll save money on both parts and service charges. For example, changing your oil at home will cost between $25-$50, depending on your price for the oil and filter. Taking your Lexus to a repair shop might cost as much as $125.

DIY Pro: You Feel Good

DIY people find great personal satisfaction when they do a job independently. We know the feeling because our technicians feel the same way.

DIY Con: Unexpected Costs

Some services and repairs require specialized tools and equipment to complete. Buying a particular tool can get expensive, and you may only use it once. But, of course, most DIY people love collecting tools, so maybe this is a Pro too. It could also slow down your repair if you didn’t realize you needed a special wrench before you started.

DIY Con: Time-Consuming

Even if you have the know-how to do your services, that doesn’t put you on par with a professional technician. And some services have very technical specs that require training to understand fully. We hear from many of our DIY customers that most of their jobs take longer than if they were to bring their vehicles to our service center.

DIY Con: Inexperience

Trained technicians, especially Lexus-certified technicians, have the knowledge and experience to diagnose and repair any issue with your Lexus quickly. DIY people often don’t possess the same level of expertise, and thus it takes them longer to complete the work. Sometimes DIY people can make a costly mistake because of a lack of training. If you don’t have the proper training to do a particular job, even if you want to, we recommend you have our technicians handle it for you.

Pros and Cons of Using a Local or Chain Garage

Not every mechanic has the same skills or experience. Therefore, choosing a local or chain garage comes with some things to consider first.

Local or Chain Garage Pro: Training

Even the worst mechanic has completed specialized training to work on vehicles. That base of knowledge puts them ahead of most DIY people. And they have the training to diagnose problems and generally fix them faster.

Local or Chain Garage Con: Lack of Expertise

Your corner garage and area chain mechanics work on almost every brand. While that gives them a broad range of experience, it doesn’t make them an expert in all brands. There’s a reason they say a jack of all trades is a master of none. These mechanics often misidentify problems or don’t know how to fix them. As a result, you may pay more for labor, and you might not get the job done right.

Pros and Cons of a Lexus Dealership

Eskridge Lexus offers more to Lexus owners without the risks you find with corner repair shops.

Lexus Dealership Pro: Expertise

Our technicians are experts in all Lexus parts and repair practices because we provide them with ongoing factory-certified training. In addition, they only work on Lexus vehicles, so they quickly identify and repair your problems.

Lexus Dealership Pro: World-Class Service Center

At Eskridge Lexus, we have cutting-edge tools and equipment to diagnose and repair any issues you might have with your Lexus. And we stand behind all the work we do.

Lexus Dealership Con: Price

Sure, you might pay a little more using a dealership for repairs. However, we have a list of rotating service specials to offset that cost. And when you factor in the expertise, it makes sense to use us. When you leave our service center, you’ll know your Lexus will run as well as the day it first rolled off the assembly line.

Service Your Lexus Today

If you need routine maintenance or a more complicated repair, we hope you consider Eskridge Lexus of Oklahoma City. You can  schedule service online or stop by our dealership at your convenience.

LEXUS. by MIKI Yoshihito is licensed with CC BY 2.0