Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see May lease deals!
Options
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1836247743
The LHS is a luxury car not a low rider. No stick on chrome of any kind.
Maybe you didn't like the idea of the stick-on, but if it did'nt look perfect like an original handle, I would never consider it. By the way, what about the fake plastic wood dashboard, or the plastic-chrome window switches, are they tacky?
I was looking at some of the other pics in the list and almost puked when I saw the Mustang with the fake wood additions.
I read your notes about the front end knocking, but the dealer is certifying it,and there is the remainder of the 36,000/3 yr warranty as well as a 8yr/80,000 mile power train warranty, is there anything else that would fall outside of these limits that I need to know about? And is $17,9 for a fully-loaded LHS with 30,000 miles a good deal?
Now that I've said some good stuff..... let's get to the bad stuff.
1.)The black trim strip along the back edge of the hood looks like the clearcoat is being stripped away by the wind.
2.) The steering wheel leather is developing ridges and pockmarks in the areas where it is held.
3.) The driver seat "shifts" when braking.
Now I can't complain too loudly, since none of the above is a mechanical problem that would have me stranded by the side of the road, but I do keep this car spotless, like most who read these messages keep their cars. And! This car did list for over 30 grand. A bit too much to have the cosmetic and annoying "seat shift" problems listed above. We'll see what Chrysler has to say next week. It will be the first time back to them. I just don't want to hear the service writer say "That's considered normal" to any of the above!
My only other complaint is the same I had back in May of 2000.
Tire noise... especially on concrete road surfaces..... coming from the Goodyear Eagle LS tires is very high. I would love to replace them if somebody out there has found a truly quiet tire for this car. Any advice from you fellow owners?
All in all, this car WAS the best kept secret at Chrysler. Too bad it's been reduced to a trim level of the Concorde this year. It's no wonder postings have dropped off so much.
Go to the 300M topic here in TH. I believe that two of the 3 items you mentioned are TSB's. Someone there will help you.
fastdriver
1)Dunlop SP Sport A2- Great grip, just about silent from what I've read and heard.
2)Yokohama Avid T4(or H4?)- Low price, good ride, handling, quietness.
3)Yokohama 420- Good price, nice ride, excellent handling, very quiet.
4)Bridgestone Pole-Position S-03- Great grip and ride, very quiet, not the cheapest, but very high ratings.
These are just a few that I can remember. Try going over to the 300M guys and ask, they'll probably tell you of the same ones, but maybe a few others too.
Fastdriver.... I made sure my dealer was aware of those TSB's. It's what I'm counting on to get everything back to brand new again. And yes, all LHS owners should check out the 300M posts. We're driving pretty much the same car, and there's loads of info there.
Beach15....talk about choices! I especially like your comment on Dunlop's being "just about silent". I'm pricing all thoise choices right now!
And Bb_lhs_2k..... I stopped at a tire store on the way home from work tonight to price the Avid T4's! I hope you keep us posted on your experience from both buying tires from Tirerack.com AND on how quiet they really are once you get them on your car. Just a note about buying those tires, though. I got a price (I'm in PA)of $505 for 4 tires, mounted, balanced, new stems, raodside hazard, discard of current tires, and all taxes. Unless you've got a buddy in the mounting business, you may end up paying more after shipping, and getting someone to mount them!
Thanks again to all three of you. And stay tuned...
It is basically a piece of foam. Do you think it is worth to take apart half of the car to replace it? Does it really decrease a noise (I did not notice any noise increase but maybe it was cracked since new)or it has some other use?
Thanks a lot for your opinions!
I would not dare let a car dealer (regardless of make) do that to my car just to get that piece of foam back inside the fender. If you let them do this you should expect some scratches on the paint, possibly some rattles and maybe a misalligned fender all at no extra charge to you, just thrown in for doing business with them. If we are talking about the same part I am sure it can be changed without all the disassembly, but I doubt that the dealer is capable of doing it!!!!
That was exactly what I was afraid of.
The dealer I was talking to assured me that the front of the car must be taken apart.
I checked the part again . It is a piece of foam attached to the fender, you can see it when the doors are opened. I thought it would be possible just to remove the old one and slide a new part in.
I will call another dealer tomorrow and find out if they can fix it in a simple way.
thanks again.
THAT'S why Chrysler is in the financial shape that it is! Half these dealers don't have the SLIGHTEST clue what they're doing! That's probably why it cost Chrysler $3,300 in warranty repair work on Christine in 33 months! They are NOT true mechanics. Just replace it, don't even TRY to fix. Can't believe Chrysler lets them get away with this crap. Half of what they spent on Christine probably wasn't necessary!
fastdriver
I wanted them to replace the cover only. No can do?? But, will replace the whole air bag assy to a cost of $800.00 under warranty. So a five dollar part is a $800.00 dollar repair for Chrysler.
Thanks.
Try this http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov
Click on problems/issues in the left column and then put in the appropriate info for the car you want to look up. You don't get much info, but you have several options. I believe you can order the full TSB from them or at least get the TSB number so that your "award-winning 5-STAR" dealer can look up the full TSB on THEIR computer IF they even know how to use it since not many dealers ever bother checking for TSB's to begin with. They all like to "play" dumb when it comes to any problem that you bring to their attention.
Another source for TSB info is- I think- http://www.alldata.com
Hope this helps. Like I always say when going to a DC dealer for ANYTHING- BE PREPARED!
fastdriver
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1853835613
Looks good but needs razorstars to help the wheels compete with the paint job.
Also, no bone throw ?
About that front air damn too. I didn't ask, but rather than overspray, I was wondering if it was possible they just painted it too with everything else. The paint job does look very good from what I can see, but I wonder if it'll be hard to sell?
And your parents told the dealer about all the problems with their 300M before they traded it in :>)
Problems? What problems? The "5-STAR" couldn't duplicate the problems or said that they all did that- was a characteristic of the car! ;-))))
fastdriver
fastdriver- Amen! Exactly!
In addition- should I have told the dealer that Chrysler did $3,300 worth of warranty work on Christine in the 33 months that I had her? Was never IN a wreck, just WAS a wreck!
fastdriver
Come on who goes out and buys a 30K car and then decides they don"t like the color?
Also no car is ever the same after a collision. :>( IMHO
Mmmm....maybe they won't have that problem now with the new and improved plastic, chrome plated wheels.
fastdriver
Replaced my GoodYears at about 30K with Michelin Pilots; wheels rims were fine at that point but that was well over a year ago. I had a flat on the GoodYears and immediately replaced the OEM tires; was waiting for an excuse. The Pilots are much better.
Now, though, you almost tempt me to have my rims checked!! But there has been no indication of air pressure problems, so I'll probably wait until another flat to check rims.
Thanks for the input; makes me think. :^))
I called my dealer and explained the problem and my suspicions about the speed sensor. He said "no problem, we can fit you in, in two weeks." "WHAT!!!! Maybe you don't understand", I said, "the vehicle is not driveable, the engine light is on and it won't shift out of second gear." After getting the Service Manager (funny title for someone with no intention of giving service)on the phone he says, "I'm sorry, just bring it in and I will try to fit you in this week." I'm still not happy but 'try' is better than two weeks.
I couldn't break away to bring the car in so my wife volunteered. My cell phone rings mid day and she tells me that the associate running the free shuttle called in sick and that she has no ride home from the dealership (35 miles). I'm very involved in work but trying to avoid a conflict, I tell her, "That's OK just use one of the free rental coupons they gave us when we bought the LHS. I'm sure you all can see this coming a mile away. Fifteen minutes later my cell phone rings again, "Guess what", my wife says, "They're all out of rental cars!!!!" I tell her not to worry, I'll fix it.
By now I'm in full battle gear, flack jacket, cammo, hollow-points, I'm ready. I call the dealership and ask for the General Manager......5 minutes on hold.....I get voice mail. Hang up and call back. Explain, I asked for the General Manager, the voice says, "He's not in today." I ask for the Service Manager.....10 minutes on hold....I can't even tell if I'm on hold, no music, nothing. Hang up call back. I asked for the Service Manager, she says, "I'm sorry he's at lunch." Can I please have the Sales Manager, nope he's with a customer. O.K. lady I'm about ready to lose it here, I've got my wife sitting in the rental office with no car, no shuttle and I've asked 3 times to speak to someone and you have failed. Please find me a manager of some kind that can truly help a customer. After 5 minutes on hold I talk to the Business Manager. I basically re-hash the last 4 paragraphs and close with "If this is the kind of service that is warranted by a $32,000 purchase from you folks I would hate to see how you treat Neon owners!"
Here's the end of the story. The Business Manager drives my wife 20 miles to another of their franchise dealerships and gets her a rental. She's now 55 miles from home.
To recap:
Price of the LHS - $32,000
Price of the speed sensor - free (extended non-chrysler warrantee)
Price of the rental - free
Price of the 4 hours my wife wasted - inexcuseable
Price of the 30 minutes I spent on the phone - unforgiveable
Price of the new cars I will buy over the next 30 years at the rate of one every 2 years - $480,000 not adjusted for inflation.
Chrysler will NEVER see a penny of this money! I refuse to ever drive a car sold by people who don't care about customers. The ONLY way to pay these folks back is to vote with my dollars.
This, among a few others, is why we got rid of the car and have never looked back. What's even weirder to me is that at the Chevy dealership we bought the new vehicle from and to another where we went once to have something quickly checked, they were prompt, courteous, and customer-friendly. No problems, no anger. Just as it should be. Our relatives also just bought a new Kia Sedona, and have rave reviews about the dealer, who also calls every time they've ever brought the van in or called, asking about their satisfaction and how they may better serve them, a fact to which they actually act on within a day of any complaint, large or small. That's customer service, and I can only hope that so many Chrysler dealers out there get the picture soon.
My '94 LHS had the transmission limping problem coming back from Hilton Head (13 hour drive on a Sunday) and just about everything else you describe with the dealer at that time. My problem is always wanting to buy the newest upgrade of a car. '94 and '99 were complete revisions of the LH series.
So with the '99, now I have been carrying the two sensors needed to fix it most times in my glove box; haven't had to use them yet (47K). Figure I can crawl under the car and replace them, if needed, rather than mess with a dealer.
Notice you live in VA; mind saying who the dealer was who was so unresponsive? I have been using Koons in Tyson's Corner; once tried Leesburg Chrysler and won't go back there; considering Manassas Chrylser. Not fond of Chrysler dealers, in general, and looking for ones to avoid entirely.
The dealer in question is POMOCO in Hampton, VA. They are something else.
Sorry to hear about your problems, but NOT surprised at all. You really need this additional stress in your life these days. I don't see things changing anytime soon for DC despite what they say. I solved the stress problem with Christine(99 300M) by getting rid of her 3 months early and buying an 2001 Acura CL-S in March 2001.
I have only been to the dealer for 3 oil/filter changes and 2 tire rotations/balance in 18,700 miles. I did have my FIRST problem a few weeks ago when I noticed that the radio speaker covering on the passenger door was wet from the bottom up. I went to the dealer who looked at it right then and there and said that he would need it for a day or two to check it out, but that he would give me a new TL to drive. Haven't had a chance to call for an appointment yet. Will probably do that Monday because since that time we've had no rain, but expect heavy rain tomorrow. I expect the speaker cover will get wet again.
Good luck.
fastdriver
Thanks.
But here's the real stinger. In addition to the injustices that must be endured with every trip back to the dealer, comes the cold reality of residual value. While the Acura's sticker is in the same range as the LHS ($32,000), it's residual value is much higher. Used 2000 Acura TL's and CL's in my market routinely go for $20,000 - $25,000 while the trade-in value on my LHS is $12,000 according to Kelly Blue Book. How can a 2 year old vehicle lose 63% of its original sticker?! This brings the cost of ownership on the vehicle to over $14,000 per year! This is the last Chrysler I'll EVER buy.
I much rather be a classic elegant American luxury than a plain boring expressionless vanilla box. IMHO.
By the way went to the Chrysler Route 2002 here in Cleveland today. They had two Acura's to test drive against the 300M Specials no one even wanted to try them the were just sitting their.
I did try one after the 300M Because I had heard that a couple of 300M owners had traded their M's for them and I wanted to see why.
Still don"t know why I was not impressed with anything about the car.
Was real impressed with the M Special though. My wife has the 01 LHS and it is probably the right ride for her, but I really liked the handling of the M a lot better for myself.
Jab02LHS - Yes your car is an extension of yourself and I want to quickly remove the "sucker" tatoo from my forehead. If a car classified as "vanilla" holds 78% of its value, ranks in JD Power Satifaction Ratings as excellent, gives me a 4yr/50K mile bumper to bumper warranty and a free loaner.......make mine a triple scoop and hold the nuts. And as for the "special" anyone willing to pay a premium for 18" wheels, dual exhaust and 8.0 second zero to 60 times ought to have their head examined. I refuse to drive a "sport sedan" that my wifes Tahoe can take.
Quality Issues 300M & LHS
Shrinking weather stripping
Shrinking or detached headlight trim
Malfunctioning alarm system
Malfunctioning power door locks
Malfunctioning information center
Warped rotors
Leaking chrome rims
Clear coat peeling from hood trim
Melting steering wheel trim
Speed sensors
Check the TSB's this is not a reliable car. I've vented enough for awhile. I swear I will not speak unless spoken to until further notice.