Lexus Maintenance Costs

Since Lexus is the luxury division of Toyota, maintenance and repairs are cheap, relatively speaking. RepairPal ranked Lexus in sixth place overall for its low ownership costs. Lexus owners spend about $551 per year on maintenance and repairs, though costs grow as vehicles age.

There are several plans to help you manage Lexus maintenance costs. Extending your warranty can be a good idea to avoid expensive repair costs. Lexus has its own program, but there are also plenty of third-party options on the market that can be more affordable.

We’ve reviewed a number of the most popular providers and picked a few that stood out from the rest. Our recommendations for third-party extended car warranty all performed well in customer service, industry reputation, perks, and plan options.

An extended warranty can help lower your out-of-pocket ownership costs. Click the links below to compare extended warranty options for your Lexus.

The Lexus maintenance schedule requires oil changes at least every 6 months or 5,000 miles. In addition to that, vehicles require different services at different intervals. Below is an example Lexus service schedule for up to 90,000 miles. You can get customized maintenance recommendations for your Lexus on the manufacturer’s website.

New Lexus models come with two free maintenance appointments at 6 months/5,000 miles and 12 months/10,000 miles. Depending on your car, this will include at least one oil change – synthetic oil vehicles go 10,000 miles between oil changes, while conventional vehicles go 5,000 miles between oil changes.

This is a nice perk of being a new car owner, but it’s definitely not the longest free maintenance program out there.

To get the most out of your car, you have to take care of it. While regular maintenance can feel like a drag, it would be a lot worse to skip out on services. Doing so can lead to even higher maintenance costs down the road.

Remember, warranties don’t cover scheduled maintenance or wear items. New car owners have the option to get a Lexus prepaid maintenance plan that lasts between 2 years/20,000 miles and 5 years/90,000 miles. This plan covers oil changes, tire rotations, inspections, filters, and scheduled service recommendations up to the mileage amount you choose.

If you don’t go with a prepaid plan, here are some maintenance prices you can expect to see:

Now let’s talk a little bit about repairs. Many people think of repairs and maintenance as the same thing. They both contribute to the cost of owning a vehicle, but there are some differences between them. Maintenance is what you do to keep your car in good health, like preventative medicine. You stick to the schedule to minimize your chances of a breakdown.

Repairs happen when your car has broken down or a part has failed. Repair costs are more unpredictable between vehicles – you and your neighbor may drive the exact same car, but one of you may spend thousands more on repairs than the other.

Here are a few repairs you might encounter with a Lexus RX 350, courtesy of RepairPal:

And here are a few repairs associated with the Lexus ES 350:

Overall, Lexus gets great reliability ratings. RepairPal estimates that 8 percent of Lexus repairs are for serious issues, compared to 12 percent for the industry.

Brand new Lexus models don’t require much in terms of repairs and maintenance. So, we’re going to look at 5-year maintenance costs for vehicles that are already 5 years old. At this point, the car is outside of the factory warranty period, there’s no free maintenance, and you’re on your own unless you bought an extended warranty.

(Note: Comparison data is from the True Cost To Own calculator from Edmunds.com.)

You’ll notice that the Lexus GS is the one with the highest 5-year maintenance cost. While it does have a higher sticker price, it’s also the only car in this comparison that requires premium fuel. Also, you might have to take your car into the shop a bit more often if it’s a turbo or sport model – depending on your driving habits, of course.

Lexus NX maintenance costs came out the cheapest in this comparison, but you might find different prices if you have a 300 or Hybrid 300h model. Overall, these costs are on the affordable side for luxury cars. It definitely helps that Lexus is basically an upgraded version of Toyota. Some owners even go so far as to buy Toyota parts to put in their Lexus cars to save even more money. Now, we wouldn’t recommend doing that unless you know what you’re doing and your Lexus is outside of its factory warranty.

Comparing Lexus To Other Brands

Next, we’ll compare Lexus RX 350 maintenance costs to models from a few other brands. We’ll stick with the SUV theme of the RX, too.

Here you’ll notice that the Infiniti QX60 has ownership costs similar to the Lexus RX. That makes sense, since Infiniti is the luxury division of Nissan – another reliable car company.

Compared to other brands, Lexus isn’t a high-maintenance car. We added the RAV4 into the mix to compare Lexus maintenance costs to Toyota. The maintenance and repair costs for both SUVs are pretty similar when you account for the difference in the sticker price.

You can also see that the European models by Audi, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW cost considerably more to repair during the 5-year period. Looking at Mercedes and Lexus car maintenance, Lexus is a little bit cheaper. However, Lexus repair costs are much cheaper than Mercedes.

So, what brand costs the most to maintain? BMW’s maintenance cost is the highest out of any of these models. That’s especially true when you consider the sale price. BMW X3 owners will pay an extra $21,117 for maintenance and repairs on 2015 models, which is well above the car’s value of $18,230.

We mentioned above that some Lexus models require services every 6 months or 5,000 miles. The RX 350 is one of them. The 2015 Lexus RX 350 maintenance schedule includes regular services every 6 months or 5,000 miles, whichever comes sooner. Most services will involve basic things like changing the oil, filters, and inspecting the engine. Major services will happen at milestones like 60,000 and 90,000 miles. You can check out the full maintenance schedule here.

Finally, here’s how annual repair costs stack up across these brands (via RepairPal):

• Toyota: $441
• Lexus: $551
• Infiniti: $638
• Mercedes-Benz: $908
• BMW: $968

Thankfully, Lexus owners have fewer repairs to worry about than drivers of other luxury cars. Even so, breakdowns still happen. The next time you get stuck on the side of the road, who knows if you’ll need a $200 or $2,000 repair? Extended warranties from dealers can help cover mechanical failures past the factory warranty period. Third-party warranties, called vehicle service contracts, can also cover the same parts – they are just backed by different companies.

Basically, extended coverage plans let you pay for repairs ahead of time and on a monthly budget, instead of paying hundreds (or thousands) at one time. There’s always the chance that a plan can save you from a huge repair, like a $3,000 transmission replacement.

Lexus does offer some extended warranty options called Lexus Service Agreements. But to purchase one of these, your car has to be within the factory warranty period of 4 years/50,000 miles. Plus, plans require a deductible unless you visit the dealership that sold you the plan.

In contrast, you can add a third-party vehicle service contract to your car at almost any point in time. Third-party contracts are typically cheaper than dealer warranties, and they offer more freedom as well. Here are a few more things you can expect from the best providers:

• You can choose any certified repair shop.
• The service contract provider can pay the shop directly.
• Coverage can extend past 200,000 miles for many vehicles.
• Extras include roadside assistance, travel benefits, rental car coverage, and more.

Lastly, Lexus owners have an advantage when shopping for extended coverage. That’s because Lexus is an easy-to-repair luxury vehicle. Some providers won’t cover other luxury brands, but Lexus owners should have no problem finding coverage.

Compare top Lexus extended warranty options below to help lower your out-of-pocket vehicle ownership costs.