I was told by another Lotus Exige owner, that you can take your Lotus to a Toyota dealership for routine maintenance or warranty work.

Any truth to this?

Basically my choices for my next car are limited because of my location and the proximity to other dealerships. But if I could get the Lotus serviced locally, this would definitely open up my options.

 

yes the filter is the same, but do they know how to properly lift the vehicle and remove just the middle panel to get to the oil filter?

after seeing video of a few falling off lifts, id go to an independent or lotus dealer..

 

So there is no correlation because of the joint nature of the car (Toyota driveline, Lotus chassis)?

For warranty work, I must go to a Lotus dealership?

If so, that's a deal breaker (I didn't expect too much, I was just hoping).

 

Definitely NO on warranty work, and essentially no on service. I was told so on my S240. For oil change Lotus dealership only as the underside aero pan has some 20 screws just to get to the filter. {Granted you CAN buy your filter from Toyota, but the engine oil is completely different and expensive, and takes like 6 qts as the oil coolers and reservoir are in the front of the car}. My first break-in oil change was $350, and I supplied the oil!

Not that Toyota cannot service it, I just got the vibe they don't want to. This required a 2 hour journey to my closest Loti dealership.

My particular Loti required alot of maintenance and I eventually took a bath and ditched it after 6 mos.

Brilliant car at 9-10/10ths, b**ch the rest of the time. And talk about attention! Never had I encountered a moment in Paris Hilton's life like in that car.

 

Pagani Zonda has a Mercedes V-12 but you cant bring it to MB dealer..

the Engine is the Celica 1.8 but everything else is different and they dont want the liability... you can do oil changes yourself with ease or find an independent shop to do service. warranty work is only dont by a Lotus Dealer however..

 

This is EXACTLY what I'm trying to avoid... Thanks KK Moto for sharing your experience.
Yeah, I was just hoping... My expectations were pretty low.

Oil changes, and routine maintenance would be fine, but going to the dealer is more than a 2hr trip for me.

 

I guess it depends on how much you drive and if you are interested in doing simple stuff. I have an 08 240s and it has never been into a Lotus dealer. I take it to a local shop that specializes in track and high performance cars. They installed the exhaust, changed the oil, changed the brake fluid (motul), installed race pads, and corner balanced/setup the car for the track which is my primary use. Other stuff I do myself. The only warranty item that I have experienced is that the turn signals stopped working; a quick google search revealed the problem and I'll fix that myself when it gets a bit warmer.

My point is that they are simple cars to work on and they don't break much in my experience...

Good luck
Roy

 

Well, dammit Roy...! I'm trying to narrow my search for my next car, by eliminating cars one at a time. You are NOT helping.

(I mean that in a good way).

Thanks.

 

+1 on finding a good local indy to do the work. Get a lift point kit to make putting it on the lift and getting the belly pan off much easier. I do all the regular maintenance and upgrades on the car and save quite a bit of time and money. These cars are fairly easy to work on and learning how is half the fun.

 

Roy sounds fortunate, as do most owners, and he has a point. He had a very good car. Yes, they are quite simple, bullet-proof engine, simple drivetrain, etc.

Mine was the complete opposite. Never in my tenure of ownership did it NOT have to be in the dealership for something. Granted lemons happen to every manufacturer and I could be unfairly damning a good car. I intended mine to be a daily driver with planned track events. I'm bitter because I lost an entire season just trying to keep the car on the road.

Objectively, it is not like every other car. It is a special car and needs to be treated as such. I'm pretty hard core and read many of forums where people DD'd them, even in the winter. I suppose I realized that I'm too much a princess to deal with it every day. I happily acquired a 911 S which outperforms my Exige S and provides the DD requirements, plus its rock-solid & reliable, and much, much, more comfortable.

Again, at 9-10/10ths, it was brilliant. But to enjoy the Lotus, one must endure the Lotus...........

 

I've had many, many sports cars, sports SUVs, etc, all fulfilling a particular purpose in my life and each were appreciated for that role.

My Lotus S240 was the first car in my lot that I truly learned to hate. I so wish someone talked me out of my lust. It is beautiful, but geez. Like marrying a supermodel with STD's.






I have many more pics if you wish to see anymore.

 

I believe I'm suffering from the same lust you are... And it doesn't help that this NSFW pic you just posted is so damn gorgeous.

 

I'd post more but don't want to get you busted with carporn at work... It was an expensive affair.............

 

 

Here's a few more pics for your "lust"

KK Moto - What went wrong with yours? I have the same car and it's been pretty trouble free. I also had an S1 Exige and an Elise Sport 190, all flogged at the track hard and all pretty good cars. I will say that if I could only have one car it would be a Porsche, they are hard to beat for an all around great car.