Verified Company
I had my car serviced here at Venture Motorworks in September 2025 and unfortunately had a mixed experience.
My first impression was excellent. The shop felt like walking into a car doctor’s office—clean, professional, welcoming, and well organized. The booking process was efficient and the waiting area was comfortable. I initially felt confident that I was leaving my vehicle with professionals who would treat it with care.
I also understood that this is marketed as an “elite” Toyota/Lexus specialty shop. Because of that reputation, I expected pricing similar to the Lexus dealership and assumed that all procedures would be carried out properly and to a high standard.
The services performed included:
• Front brake pads and rotors
• Rear brake pads and rotors
• Brake fluid flush
• Engine oil change
• Differential fluid change
To be fair, the team handled the engine oil change and differential fluid replacement efficiently.
However, several serious issues occurred during the brake service that significantly impacted my trust and overall satisfaction.
During the brake job, the shop replaced the pads and rotors but failed to install one of the required brake hardware components—a shim/retaining wire that must be installed on each individual brake pad. This part is clearly part of the brake hardware kit that I was charged for.
Because this component was missing, the brake pads were loose and produced a clunking noise while driving in a straight line. Beyond being annoying, this type of oversight can potentially lead to additional brake issues if ignored.
When I returned to the shop for a second visit, instead of thoroughly investigating the problem and verifying that all brake hardware components were correctly installed, they replaced the brake pads with a cheaper brand and assumed the original premium pads were defective. No discount was offered despite the downgrade in parts.
After the second visit failed to resolve the issue, I decided to investigate the problem myself. I disassembled the brakes and confirmed that the pads were indeed missing the required shim/retaining wire and other hardware components. I ordered the correct brake hardware from Amazon, installed it myself, and the problem was immediately resolved.
Additionally, during the brake fluid flush, the shop failed to reinstall the protective screen located underneath the brake fluid reservoir cap.
It was also concerning that the shop apparently could not use Toyota/Lexus Techstream (the proper diagnostic software used by dealerships) to bleed the brake system. When I picked up the car, they jokingly mentioned that it took five people to bleed the brakes because they were having difficulty with the process.
To make matters worse, the engine oil viscosity used during the oil change was different from the factory-recommended specification, and this change was made without my consent.
The shop claims to have a quality assurance process, but based on my experience it appears that such a process is either ineffective or nonexistent. These issues should have been caught before the vehicle was returned to me. Even after bringing the car back the next business day, the underlying problem was still not properly diagnosed or resolved.
Considering the premium pricing and the shop’s reputation as a Lexus/Toyota specialist, the quality of workmanship simply did not meet expectations.
While some of the basic services were completed adequately, the number of oversights and the need for me to correct critical brake components myself ultimately caused me to lose confidence in the shop.
I hope the team takes this feedback seriously and improves their quality control procedures in the future.
