Got a Quick Question for a Car Dealer?

jipster

and the next day the car stops on the highway and i had the guy who fixed it check the car and he said the fuel pump

I'd take it back to the guy who "fixed it"... and tell him to "fix it" properly. Obviously he missed something in the reassembly.

dtownfb

Haivng owned a GM vehicle from the same era, It's possible that you may have an ignition problem. also if your battery is dead (I'm assuming it is relatively new since made mention it was dead), it could point to a problem with the altenator not working porperly.

First I would do as jipster suggested and have the mechanic who did the work look it over again, this time looking beyond the fuel pump.

Good luck.

shanne

when the passenger airbag deploys does the whole dash need to be replaced.

nace818

When I purchased my used 06 Buick Lucerne, I also purchased the extended GM 3 year warranty. The finance manager told me that I had also purchased GAP and road hazard warranties. The latter was supposed to cover glass breakage and tire damage. He even told me to raise my comprehensive insurance deductible to $1000.00 since windshields would be replaced at no charge also any tires that were damaged within one year. Well, I hit a brick in the road an blew out a tire. I sent all the bill and other info to the warranty co. and was told I was not in the system. After several calls back an forth the finance manager tells me he forgot to charge me for the road hazard insurance and the $350.00 bill was mine. I', mot even sure if he is being truthful. I paid $2500.00 for that 3 year GM extended warranty, I can see that on the contract also GAP, but not the tire hazard. Do yyou think the dealership should at least pay half the bill for misleading me? They even gave me road hazard phamplets.

bolivar

What 'coverage' shows in your signed paperwork is what you have.

What the dealer 'should' do isn't the question. I doubt you are going to get any help from the dealer on this.

And, Comprehensive insurance coverage covers more than windshield breakage. Thief of things inside or on (hubcaps, wheels, etc) the car, a thief breaking a window, hitting a non-fixed object - these are things comp covers. 'Road hazard', to me, means a tire coverage, not these other, general comprehensive coverage items.

You need to read the policy. You might not have coverage on any of these things in your dealer 'road hazard' policy.

I may get jumped on for this, but basically, 'salesmen lie'.

obyone

I may get jumped on for this, but basically, 'salesmen lie'.

It's never good to generalize. With autos along with any other major purchase one has to assume responsibility and look over carefully on what one is buying at the time. If the finance manager no longer worked there how far would "but he told me...." go in trying to get the dealership or the extended warranty company to pay for something that's not covered.

If you're paying $2500 for an extended warranty, it should be worth 30 minutes of your time to read the fine print and understand what is and what isn't covered. I'm sure whether the items in question are covered or not is spelled out in detail in the contract. Course a lot of things are subject to interpretation.

nace818

You're right. I should have read the contract carefully, but being excited with my new purchase and wanting to get out of there after several hours, I just believed what I was told. After all, I was given two pamphlets, one explaing about windshield coverage and one for tire damage and such. Given these I assumed I had all these coverages. Time passed and I never got to read anything until I needed it,then it was too late. Alas, I see nothing on the contract about either glass or tire coverage, only GAP and the GM 3 year warranty.

Mr_Shiftright

The golden rule in the automotive world is a simple one: If you don't have it in writing, in your hand, you got nothin'.

99intrigue1

Ongoing saga...seems ever since the transmission was replaced (2x in less than a year), have had strange electrical problems/codes. EGR valve replaced so it passed inspection, but instrument gauges still go crazy every now and then, trac of light comes on and stays on, SVS light on at same time....then, the hard starting issue began. After it starts, it runs great (except for the crazy gauges, trac off, fuel gauge, etc). Took it in, and the mechanic replaced the battery. Next morning, same thing...hard starting. Now the mechanic says it might be the fuel pump.
Huh??
Had my old battery tested a couple of weeks ago and it was good, with low charge. AutoZone's printout said check alternator belt, charging system, cables & connections.
The people who replaced the battery did not bench test the alternator, but said alternator output was '93 amps'.

Suggestions???

Mr_Shiftright

This is a bit off topic since car dealers are not necessarily technicians.

Why don't you cut and paste this into our very nifty ANSWERS department? You'll be able to talk to volunteers who might be able to talk you through this.

adub47

Ok...I was asked to move my question over here...I think this is the right spot...

I recently found a 2009 Honda Accord for sale that is within my price range and something I'm seriously considering. I do have a question that someone may be able to answer or provide some insight.

Vehicle Details: Honda Accord EX-L V6 Navigation System

The carfax checks out with no problems but one thing sparked my interest was that within a span of 6 months it says "Anti-theft computer/module replaced" - does anyone know what that may mean? Should I stay away? To have it re-placed in such a close amount of time is odd and makes me think something is wrong with the car even though I dont know exactly what it means. Any help would be greatly appreciated! It is a certified pre-owned Honda.

kyfdx

Was it replaced twice? I ask, because of "within a span of 6 months it says "Anti-theft computer/module replaced" - "

Or, is that within 6 months of it being new?

bolivar

This could be the 'remote' box that locks/unlocks the doors and arms the security features. It might also auto-lock the doors, etc.

I don't think I would worry about this. It's probably just one of several 'black boxes' in the car.

isellhondas

I answered this in that other forum.

Car Faxes will often list things that don't mean anything adverse. If something was replaced, who cares? It certainly doesn't mean this is a "bad" car.

Same applies to accidents. Sometimes a Car Fax might state.." ACCIDENT REPORTED" when the "accident" was a bumper scrape that got turned into an Insurance Company.

I don't think you have a thing to worry about especially if it's a Certified car!

jimmiller39

Hello all!

I am an internet manager at a car dealership. I have been given the great task of building up sales with very minimul advertising budget. The advice I have got is to sign up with an ad posting company. A friend of my swears by it. He pays very little and gets 3-5 deals a month off it. While this isn't a huge anumber for the cost it's a great ROI. My autotrader account I pay almost $1800 a month and if I get one sale from it a month that would be rounding up. Does anyone know any good ad posting companies they could recommend?

-Jim

Kirstie_H

No, but I do have some questions -
1. Why continue paying for autotrader if you're not getting sales from those ads?
2. Tried craigslist?

qbrozen

I would think craigs for a legit and large dealer is a big waste of time. At least in my area, there are SO MANY postings on craigs, not to mention they get bumped off the page by the minute, so you'd have to relist every day to stay even on the first 2 pages of listings.

I'm surprised autotrader doesn't do better. Although, maybe you are priced to high or don't have the proper descriptions or pics. As a frequent shopper, I can tell you that I weed out any ad without pics and ignore any ad that doesn't have a proper list of features (or that I can figure out the features thanks to all the detailed photos).

the_big_al

I will second this post. I browse A LOT of car ads. If an ad doesn't have pictures, I skip right past it. If it has poor quality pics, I also don't bother. I also skip right past if I can tell it's a generic features list culled from a standard listing off a manufactures site. (i.e. a standard features list for a Malibu LT1 pulled directly off the Chevy website). Especially when I can tell that the vehicle you posted in fact not a Malibu LT but in fact an Malibu LTZ. When an ad also uses generic pictures of a particular car instead of actual pictures of the car being sold is a HUGE turn off. I mean how hard is it to get good pictures?? Even with a cell phone, you can get fairly decent pictures.

All too often I see ads that use poor quality, generic pictures, wrong features, and bad info. Take a few minutes when posting an ad to make sure you have good pictures and good info. I like pictures that show the WHOLE CAR, front, rear, sides and corner shot. (no glamorous fender or headlight shots. Those work great in car mags, but not for selling me a car), the engine, a picture of the dash with the mileage, an couple good interior shots, a picture of the bed if it's a truck. Any scratches and such I don't really worry about unless they are numerous or very distracting. Then maybe a few close ups and then that same shot from a distance so I can see it in reference to the whole car.

This is also just a personal preference, but I would be much more inclined to buy a car that is clean but not DETAILED. More specifically, I would be more inclined to buy a car that has not had its engine detailed. I like to look at the motor in it's un-detailed state so as to better be able to tell its overall condition. Trouble spots show up better and it's easier to tell whether or not its owner took care of it. A good car will have a clean engine bay free of major oil leaks and splatters and other gunk. Even after 100K miles, if a car is properly maintained, it still looks good. Maybe dusty, maybe a little grimy, but you would be able to spot trouble spots really easily. I would much prefer that to the just recently detailed engine that has a valve cover leaking or a minor head gasket leak or something that the recent detail just cleaned up and you can't tell it has any more.

I also hate armorall'ed dashes and interior air fresheners and anything designed to cover up odors. (Fabreeze is the ONLY thing I use in my vehicles and even then I use it sparingly). If there is an odor in the car, I want to know what is causing it so I can remove it, not just cover it up. After 7 years and 140K miles on my truck, it still never had an odor. It didn't smell new anymore, but I never had to do anything to it to make it smell good. Amorall is just greasy and makes things slick attracts more dust than it repels. Same goes for the tires. I hate shiny tires. They too just attract dust. Just a good scrub and clean of the tires and leave them naturally a dull rubber black. They are tires. Let them look like tires. Not like shiny plastic hot wheels.

Those however are personal tastes and probably don't reflect what others are necessarily looking for. But if I see two identical cars side by side, one has been meticulously detailed and the other is in clean with no major signs of abuse, but hasn't been meticulously detailed, I'll take the clean one. Then after it's mine, I'd take it to a detailer and have it thoroughly detailed (aside from the armorall dash and tires). Or I'd spend a Saturday afternoon doing it myself since I enjoy that kind of stuff and I'd save $200.

Getting back to topic, I browse Craig's list a lot. However I stay away from the dealer ads for the very reason that they really seem to never post accurate info. It's usually just a generic ad that when you click any where, you are taken to their website or a place where they ask for more info to contact you. Never any USEFUL info about the actual car being advertised. I browse the "owner" ads more as they are more "real". Auto trader at least in my area is hit or miss with its ads. Some are good ads, but a lot are more generic designed to pull you into their site or get you to call or come into the lot, not actually sell you the car being advertised. At least that has been my experience.

nace818

I must say I agree with 99% of what you have posted. I couldn't have said it any differently. But I love the wet black tire look. To each his own.

bhill2

I saw this listed as a feature on a BMW. What the heck is it? does it mean it picks up the entire range of stations from NPR to Fox News?

robr2

Although that sounds likes a plausible answer, it means that the tuner uses more than one antenna and that the tuner picks the best signal.

bhill2

OK, thanks. I was kind of hoping that it meant that it had talents beyond AM/FM. For instance, that it could be used for a satellite radio.

dtownfb

If the check engine light is not on, you could have an issue with the ignition switch. Common problem on these vehicles and can cause the problems you mentioned.

brendam426

I purchased a 1995 Saturn at car auction and need to get keys made, how can I contact a Saturn dealer to get a key or at least the code?

imidazol97

I believe you can go to any GM dealership for help with that. They should be able to determine the key cut and how to do the setting of the computer, if any, to recognize the key security.

Same for the key fob for remote entry.

You might do some browsing on ebay, keyfobs, keys for that year saturn.

lorimoore80

INQUIRY DETAILS
Hi, I am hoping maybe you can help me. In 2009, I bought a 2007 Pontiac G6 from Flagpole Nissan in Oneonta, NY. Teddy Maldonado was the Owner/Operator of this dealership. I purchased the Compass Essential Plan, Power Plus Warranty for this vehicle, which I paid $2,000.00 for. In October 2010, I needed some very expensive repairs done on my car. I took it to Country Club Imports in Oneonta, NY, for the repairs and my Warranty would not cover it. Teddy Maldonado sold Flagpole Nissan to Country Club shortly after I bought the car. So my account was transferred to them. I contacted the Compass Essential Plan, the Warranty Company, and they said they never received any money for this account, so the Warranty was void. I am very upset with the whole Nissan Company, I paid $2,000.00 for something I did not receive. Mr. Teddy Maldonado ripped me off for the $2,000.00. He is also co-owner of Saratoga Nissan, located in Saratoga, NY. I called him, Teddy Maldonado, several times in Saratoga, and he will not return my phone calls. If you can't help me please let me know where I have to go from here to get my money back from this guy. I am very upset that this man took advantage of me this way, when I put my trust in the Nissan Company. I have all the Warranty paperwork, bill of sale that also says I paid for the Warranty, and everything else to prove that I purchased this Warranty form Teddy Maldonado. Please Help me... Lori Moore 468 MacDougall Rd. East Meredith, NY 13757

stickguy

you probably need a lawyer, unless you want to do small claims court on your own!

This sounds like it has nothing to do with Nissan, and probably not the warranty company (assuming they really never did receive payment).

You are going to be suing (or threatening to sue) the Teddy guy, since based on your facts, he essentially stole your money (or committed fraud). Even if it was an honest mistake (bookkeeping error?) he is still responsible for it.

No idea what selling the dealership means to this.

imidazol97

I would take my paperwork showing the purchase and the list of contacts you tried to the local prosecutor's office. It sounds like criminal behavior to me. If they get interested in pursuing it, that would be better than paying your own attorney.

mako1a

Can anybody tell me when the 2012 Mustangs will hit the dealer lots?

I bought a 2007 Escape while waiting for the Mustang to come out in Yellow.

They didn't do yellow (or at least I haven't seen any). So 2011s are out.

I don't want any "new" car that sat outside through the snow this past winter.

A 2012 in May or June would be perfect.

bcd1979

This is the first time i am planning to buy a brand new car from the dealer (all my previous ones have been used cars).

I am planning to buy a new sedan with manual transmission.
The car is in short supply. after few weeks of searching, one dealer in my area has said that he will take a deposit of $500 and tell the local inventory manager to route a manual transmission car to his dealership.
I asked him a price and he said the car would cost approx X amount of dollars ( he did not give a firm offer). Now, the MSRP of the car , even on the manufacturers site is a 1000 dollars less than what he said the approx price would be once he gets it on the lot (he did not tell me a time frame)
In such a case, shall i give him the $500 dollars as a deposit ?
i am not sure how the process works.
Do I have to first negotiate a price and lock it down and then pay him the 500 deposit to wait for the car (don't know even if its possible),
or can I pay him the 500 $ deposit , wait for the car to come, and then negotiate a price. ?
I fear that if i don't negotiate a deal with him now and pay him the 500 deposit, he will not return the money back?

28firefighter

You need to do a few things before handing over a deposit.

1) Find out exactly what the car being routed to you has in terms of options. Is it a base car, stripped with a manual transmission, or is it loaded up with options? Is that set of options what you want?

2) Using that information, find out what the MSRP of the car is and what a car with those options should be selling for. Use edmunds as well as other resources as your disposal to do that. These boards are a great source.

3) Negotiate the price with the dealer, based on your research above, and get it in writing. An approximation is not good enough, and putting a deposit on a car with no set price is license for the dealer to do whatever he wants with the price since you did not agree to anything. Not that he will, but why would you open yourself up to that?

4) You need to find out whether this is going to be a refundable or non-refundable deposit.

If he is unwilling to negotiate a price, then tell him you'd be happy to wait until it is on the lot and then you will come in to make an offer, and do not give a deposit. Frankly, I'd probably do business somewhere else if they were expecting a deposit without a negotiated price.

bcd1979

thanks.... 28firefighter.. great info and just what I need

timadams

I second what 28firefighter said. Don't hand over any money without a written agreement.

BTW, where do you live and what car are you looking at? I ask because there might be other options. I had my local Subaru dealer order me a Legacy exactly how I wanted it, and I paid invoice, which was $1,800 under MSRP. My dealer didn't ask for any money until we negotiated the final price. I can't help but think your dealer is trying to play games.

Take a look at my post at http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.ef17ade/838#MSG838

jproc

I'll third it! If the dealer won't give you firm details on exactly what he wants to charge you run!

bcd1979

I am in the pacific NW and I am trying to get a 2011 Hyundai Elantra with a manual transmission

bolivar

A written and SIGNED sales agreement, fully filled out with all numbers, etc. Signed by a Manager, not a salesman. A salesman's signature isn't worth anything - if you read the fine print.

When you get this, and you get a price you are happy with, on a car with the options you want, you can then give him a deposit. I would also add into the sales agreement a time limit. If the car cannot be delivered to you by such-and-such date, the agreement is void, and the deposit will be fully returned within 3 days.

A verbal agreement and a hearty handshake aren't worth the paper it isn't written on.

timadams

bcd, you are too far away to buy a car from them, but go to www.fitzmall.com and click on the Hyundai logo. You can see what they have in stock and what they are charging. I looked at the Elantras they have and they are charging about $200 under invoice ($700 under MSRP). Surprisingly, they have 57 Elantras in their system, but not a single manual tranny one. I can see why it might be hard to find one. In any event, I would never pay over MSRP, and you should be at or close to invoice.

You can look right here on Edmunds - or go to to www.carprices.com - to figure out invoice and MSRP for a car exactly like you want it. Good luck.

qbrozen

Well it SOUNDS like what the dealer is trying to do is get ANY manual transmission car for you, regardless of options. That's why they won't give you a firm price.

And, no, I wouldn't give a deposit without hammering that out. If they get the car and its not what you want or you can't agree to a price, they very likely will keep the deposit because it will be a tough car to sell.

oregonboy

I would have to think that, if manual tranny Elantras are truly that rare, it would be a profoundly easy car to sell. There is a small percentage of drivers (like me) who would not consider buying anything else! :shades:

snakeweasel

I would think that the reason it is rare is that it's not an easy car to sell.

stickguy

chicken and egg situation.

qbrozen

you just said it yourself, though .... small percentage of buyers.

bcd1979

I checked with Hyundai USA and they said that the 2011 Manual Elantra's are going to be production from May 2011, after which , they will be routed to dealers.
I guess the ones that are currently in country might be coming from Korean plant.
this probably explains why there are very few and dealers are not willing to commit to a factory order

snakeweasel

No I don't think thats a chicken/egg situation.

Its rare because its a hard car to sell as not many people looking for that type of car want a stick. The fact that many people who want that type of car in a stick are few is in no way dependent on the rareity of the car.

texases

If that's the case (they aren't in production yet) then I would do nothing until they are showing up on dealers' lots. There's no way you'll negotiate a good price now - vehicles in short/zero supply don't get discounted.

isellhondas

That would NOT be a "profoundly easy" car to sell. It would be a nightmare!

As a used car it would be even harder to sell. It's a Hyundai with a stick!

You are right, it's, indeed, a VERY small percentage of drivers who want sticks in that type of a car and that percentage keeps getting smaller.

DO NOT do anything without a written Purchase Order!!! The others have given good advise!

caol

I am in the Military and I currently received orders to deploy and I have a baby on the way. My Wife and I would like for her to stay home instead of paying for daycare. She also will not get any paid time off after having the baby. Selling the car looked like the best solution as it will sit in a lot any ways. I have a 2006 Honda accord LX 4d Sedan. Auto trader and KBB show we would have to pay at least 4k for a dealership to take it. I have tried looking to many options such as the soldier sailor act; sadly it does not apply for this situation. Even if someone take over payments that still leave me at fault if they miss any.

Are there any solutions that could work in selling the car?

stickguy

clean. later model Hondas tend to be a very easy sell privately, and for well more than what a dealer will give you in trade. especially with high gas prices!

post all the details over on the "real world trade in value" thread, and you should get a pretty good idea about what a trade in and private sale would likely be.

but, if you would have to come up with Many thousands to get out of it, could be better to let it sit (I assume your wife has a different car? Any chance you could sell that one instead?)

Not sure you could even do a formal take over payments (only ever saw that on a lease), and if you are deployed, I would certainly not recommend you being a landlord to it!

good luck, and stay safe.

jhs70

Pilot EX-L 4x4 with NAV. Equinox LTZ AWD. Both great cars. I just cannot make up my mind. Each brings something a bit different to the table. Both have their detractors. Does anyone have any opinion on these cars? I can get an OTD deal on a pilot that is about a grand less than for a comparably (or maybe just a bit more) equipped Equinox. Resale is probably better on the pilot. I need to do some towing, so the pilot gets the nod there. I actually think the equinox is better styled, but the pilot is fine looking - and way better than it used to look. Not sure when they will restyle it again. I could go on and on, but i would rather hear from you all. Thank you for your time and advice.

qbrozen

personally I think the first gen Pilot was way better looking .... but that's neither here nor there.

Resale on the Pilot isn't just a bit better, it is WAY better (just a cursory look shows an '09 Equinox LTZ at $20,500 while an '09 Pilot EXL at $27,500). If I'm getting the Pilot cheaper to begin with, it is no contest for me.