the Cost of Lexus Repair

I was told by several mechanics that a Lexus can be expected to run for 200,000 miles, so long as the timing belt is changed at 90,000 miles. With this advice in mind, I went to my local mechanic (not a dealership) to get my timing belt changed. I was told that the repair was an expensive one, largely because an entire kit would be used to change out the belt. Additionally, the labor required to change the belt was approximately 5 hours, so the cost reflected the time intensity of the work. My mechanic offers a AAA discount, which amounts to 10% off the cost of labor associated with a repair. Had I not had a AAA membership, the total cost would have been more like $800 to replace the timing belt.

I was very pleased with the service that was performed. Although the car was out of commission for around 6 hours, it now runs beautifully, and I have every reason to believe that it will last another 80,000 to 90,000 miles. Although the cost of the repair was somewhat steep (especially since nothing was broken, per se), I feel that it was worth it, since I have piece of mind that the investment I made will pay off in the long run.

From what I learned, this is not a service item that you want to skip if you intend to drive your Lexus for ten or more years.