Sounds to me like the dealer did not properly position the roof rack when they installed it. My roof rack doesn't come anywhere near the rear hatch when the hatch is all the way up. I am guessing that your roof rack has to be pretty much positioned as far back on the roof as they could put it for it to interfere with the hatch. It should be relatively centered front to back with the rear of the rack stopping several inches short of where the hatch "hinges". If it doesn't look too far back, I wonder if they somehow gave you the wrong size roof rack for your car? If you continue to have problems you might have them remove the rack and re-position it rather than letting them fiddle with the hatch operation. You can also remove the rack and re-position it yourself if you are so inclined. The directions for installing/removing the rack should be in the packet of new car stuff. Good luck...
I used to get around 25 mpg in mixed driving, since they replaced the transmission (auto) I am getting just under 29 mpg. So for all of you getting poor mileage have them check the transmission. Mine started whining when slowing down from 40-30.
I just wish I could trade this car in for something better. I just hate getting into the car everyday wondering what will break next. Only have 7200 miles on it in 10 months and have made 12 trips to the dealer for repairs.
Mike, Yes the seats do fold down flat. To do so you must flip up the rear bench (the part you sit on). It flips forward (hinges under the front edge), the seat backs then fold flat behind it.
I was just about to answer Chedwick and say that the seats did not fold flat, and then I read your post. How Cool! When I fit the clothes dryer in the car the seats weren't even folded flat. Imagine what I could have done if they were . . . the washer too, hmmmm, probably not.
Just a side note: I drove through paint over the weekend (white paint on my red car). Some guy had spilled two gallons of paint in his driveway and was washing it into the street!! I took it to the dealership's body shop yesterday. Every piece of black molding needs to be replaced, as well as the top and bottom grills and the bumpers (because they're all one piece with the black molding). Estimated cost of repairs, including detailing charge to get paint off of the red paint, glass, and other surfaces = $1,260!!!
thanks for the info about the digital read out but that was covered back at the beginning of the forums, i cant believe we have come this far part 13 already, yet still no "club" that we seem to have been waiting for from edmunds for months now, personaly i say who needs is we seem to be doing fine.
Brett, you say you put weight on the seat backs without folding the seat bottom forward? I remember in the older forum someone mentioned that they broke their hinges by putting presure on the seat backs when the bottom was not folded forward. Do your seat backs go back with no problem latching?
Ill try to take some pictures of the vent rings and scan and post them.
Hi all! I just put up an update to my Zinker web site with lots of pix of my latest trip to Long Island NY. See if Zinc floats. See the Big Duck! And read about my stinkin clutch.
The first guess of any logical and impartial person would have been that I misread the table, and in the fullness of time, this thought occurred to me too. I was chagrined to find that this was correct. Not liking to think that my dealer would have overinflated my tires (40 psi), I reflexively scanned the table for the highest number and associated it with the 195/60's instead of the 205/50's. I saw what I wanted to see. My apologies.
I have to admit I am attracted to the Cruiser. But, sounds like they dropped the ball on safety. My brother lives near Ivyland, in back of the air base on Bristol Rd? Starting to see more and more Foci around the city.
im with you on the cruiser.in fact,i had it in mind originally.that was till i found out about the z.so far,build quality seems o.k.with pt.im not referring to safety however.seems there are issues regarding a weak area on z.no recall yet,ford has its hands full with the firestone fiasco.its a disgrace to sacrifice human life for profit.im guessing they did a cost/benefit/risk analysis with those tires.do you remember the firestone 500 problem back in the 70's? im right off bristol rd.
Ahhh... Just when I was beginning to slip into lala land and think that my Z was problem free... BOOM!! hit about 980 miles and the Service Engine Light clicks on... Didnt hear anything or feel anything strange, but I have an appointment at 8am tomorrow for service to run diagnostics on it... PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!! just let it be a false alert!!
Just curious to know whether those of you who are dealing with service issues are having trouble getting service time because Ford dealers are dealing with the tire issue. Has anyone been bumped? Trouble making an appointment?
Service appointments are very hard to get here in Houston. Way too many Explorers needing new tires. Cross your fingers and hope your car doesn't break!
Well, while I am sad your car isn't doing well. I am glad you that didn't drift off into Lala Land without your passport and visa. Our prison are very not nice.
LoL im just praying that there isnt anything serious... i hope the light just faulted... the engine didnt make ay strange noises, and still ran the same from before and after the light went on... Plus... im gonna be real mad if they have to keep the car fer a while... I just bade an appointment to have a $450 bass setup put into my baby... 10" box, power amped, bass blockers to turn the stock speakers into strictly mid/tweeters... the bass blockers will free up a lot of power for mid/tweet since they dont have to crank out all the bass... will be real nice... thumpin along in my Z
Just disregard that whole post I made earlier about the roof rack, I think I was smoking crack, or maybe it is the 40 hr work week and full time college at night?? I was thinking of a previous roof rack I owned which side mounted in 4 places, when I took the time to look obviously the kona rack mounts in that space above the hatch. OK at least I admit when I'm an idiot...
As far as service appointments go, there isn't a problem at the dealership where I bought, they are pretty exceptional though. They actually have a whole set up specifically to deal with the tire thing without taking up the time from all us other folks. They had something like 1200 replacement tires in stock last week and still time to change joe blow's oil. My last point, then off for some much needed shut eye, this is an EXCEPTION, especially in our area. Our dealer is so on top of things that all the metro dealers are having to send their customers to ours. Anyway I will try to refrain from "foot in mouth" in the future. : ( sorry
I find it funny whenever someone says "Ive been to a few dealers and couldnt find ____ car!"
I just move the the Sacramento area (California) and there are 8 (!) ford dealers within 30 minutes drive, and one thats right near buy. ALL of them have had Konas, and the one closest gets truck loads of 'em and doesnt even bother stocking regular zx3's (and they have the kona bikes inside, no wait).
I think when I get my next car (*cough* ZX3 *cough*) ill just go around and say "well ill go right over to so-and-so ford and see what they say!" and get the price WAY down!
Man... yer a lucky one in that aspect... many of us, including myself had to factory order and wait upwards near 3 months to get our zx3s with the color/options we wanted!! When are you looking to buy a Z? are you looking at the Kona? or are you going to get a 2001 model? what color/options are ya lookin at? tis forum is a great place for any purchase questions... it was my main support during my selection/buying period, and continues to be even more so after i took delivery.... Lookin forward to havin ya in the Z family sometime in the near future!!
Im waiting for the 2001 model (and for my car to die so my parents can decide to get it for me hehe) because I want the 16" rims without paying $1500 for the Kona package! Oh, which obviously means I want the Premium package (which I also need for the tilt wheel), ABS, Auto (still cant drive stick), and the Power package... Maybe the moonroof if I can keep it under $15k. So far Twilight blue is my favorite color, saw it the other day driving down the street... theres also a zinc zx3 that goes to the same college as I, and I would like the zinc... but Im a "driver" not a motorist (and the focus zx3 IS the best handling car for $15,000), and I dont my as-yet-never-been-pulled-over-self to be seen so easily by the cops
I might wait to see if the Focus-R or SVT comes out next year though, and if it stays under $20k, and isnt stick only like the contour svt... (well, my parents do like the Impreza 2.5RS, so the suped-up focus might be a possibility hehe)
Anyway, ive been posting here a little while already... and I really need some help defending the Focus in the other Topics here! Especially vs. the Neon. You owners could probably do better than I can! (especially if you have moded cars)
KONAGIRL: Hey thanks! Ya, mine is "metallic dirt" (ie. brown) too. I really was ambivilant about it at first, as I really wanted a silver car. But, they could not find me a silver one, and well, the dirt grew on me (lol, not literally). Besides, *everyone* has a silver car now because that's what they are using in all the commercials. I've always loved silver cars but now that everyone has them, they aren't so cool anymore. I didn't like the 16" alloys at first either but now I really love them and can't imagine not having them. Even the crazy mountain bike tire trim.
Anyway, you asked me about the bike rack. The rack itself was installed, but the parts that hold the bike were still in the box (I still don't have the bike). I'm sure it doesn't take a rocket scientist but there's a lot of parts and screws and stuff and no instructions. Hate to have my bike fly into someone's windshield because I failed to install it properly. But then considering the trained Ford monkeys sent me off the lot with my tires 10 lbs. underinflated, I suppose better I do it than them.
Now, regarding what "thekat" said about the Kona roof rack dinging the hatch, it's true. You should definitely check yours. It only happens when the hatch is fully extended up. I had to file the rear corners on the rack down to make it stop, and I still have two little vampire punctures from before. I looked on another forum and apparently this is an almost universal problem with the Konas.
KOSTAMOJEN: I basically got my Kona version without paying for it (well I figure I paid about $300 actually, and the bike alone is worth more than that) because they couldn't find the exact car I wanted elsewhere and they happened to have 2 Konas on the lot they wanted to move. The same old rules apply when car buying. Always go at the end of the month, just before the new model year comes out (NOW), on a rainy day, and only an hour or two before closing time and you will get a better deal. I went in at 6pm, they closed at 8, and I kept them there til 11pm. It was a "mercy sale"...for them. With their wives calling them on their cel phones every 5 minutes I knew I had them right where I wanted them mwahahahaha! Seriously, after they have invested that much time in it and kept everyone there that late, they aren't going to let you walk out of there without a car if your offer is even remotely reasonable.
In the Cleveland area the Focus hatchback is in such demand that I have had trouble finding a 2000 model with stick. When I did manage to find a good sized selections of 2000 ZX3's with stick (of course), the dealership was unwilling to part with them for less than $300 OVER MSRP. In fact when I told the saleman that I would not buy a car for OVER MSRP, he handed me off to a high pressure closer. This guy tried to convince me why I was getting such a good deal on the car in question. Extremely frustrating. Especially when he starts lying to me. I could not believe it when he started trying to convince me that the ZX3 doesn't come with a power point unless it is ordered with the smoker's package. What next, they have to order all of the ZX3's with power door locks or they don't come with doors. I really could care less if it came with a smoker package or not.
My personal favorite is when he told me, that if dealership "X" ONLY $1700 made on every focus ZX3 it sells they wouldn't be able to afford the nice fountain in the lobby, so I should be lucky I was getting such a good deal.
Well I got up and walked right out of there, drove down the street to another dealership and ordered a 2001 for $1000 less than the best offer dearship "X" could give on a comparably equipped ZX3.
I paid $13.5K ($14.1K OTD after $400 rebate) for a 2001 with the premium package (which has tilt and 16" rims thrown in for a few pennies more than air and cruise alone on the 2000, oh and it is YELLOW:).
ok.. so i dropped my Z at the service center this mornin around 8:30... not only did they give me the run-around saying I didnt have an appointment (which i made last night) they refused to give me a loaner... then they refused to give me a ride to a local rental car place... so i started walkin and fortunately a friend of mine passed by and gave me a ride.... had to rent a car for the day... This is exactly why i paid extra for the premium coverage warranty... FORD will definately be getting a claim for rental car reimbursement!! I love my Z... but I HATE FORD!! I'll keep ya all posted on what the engine light was on for as soon as I find out.
If you consider a clothes dryer as weight, then, yes, I did put a lot of weight on my rear seat without it folded down. It works fine though. No problems at all, snapped right back in. I wish I didn't know that though because now I'm going to be looking for it to go bad.
just scheduled my time to have my stock system upgraded a bit... gonna add:
Alpine Type-S 8" sub Coustic 160SE Amp 2 Bass Blockers (to turn standard speakers into mid/tweet only) All Wiring+Connectors Install kit to hook into stock Radio Speaker cabinet w/ speaker shield Labor ----------------------------------------- gonna be thumpin... nothing extravigant, but will definately be a nice upgrade... Most of my friends are DJs so i mainly listen to Techno-style music... the stock sterio is great for most music, but bass and big beat music tends to drown out all highs and mid tones. What this upgrade will do is eliminate the bass from the 4 stock speakers and free up a lot of power to them so they can work primarily on mids and highs while the 8" will be pumpin the bass only... with the shape and openness of the Z's interior i have a feeling this upgrade is gonna sound great!!
gettin it all done at 9am on monday... just in time to hit the road for my trip back to florida.. so if ya see me in my twilight blue Z with the bass thumpin' anywhere along 95 South during the course of next week.. be sure to honk&wave... i'll definately do the same.
still no word on my car from service... kinda annoying... guess this is my induction into the world of Fixed Or Repaired Daily!!! nah, dont get me wrong... I love the car, just truly dont want all the problems.
konagrl...glad to hear your service dept is up to par. A rare find in this forum...might be worth the 1,222 drive...
kht, when I went to the new Honda dealer out in the Chicago burbs the sales guy couldn't say enough about their new facility, which was great looking for sure...said they spent millions of dollars on it...which is nice and all for the rich burbanites that dont mind spending a couple extra grand on their car for fountains and such... I laughed all the way outta there....
btw all...
7700 miles this morning (took delivery 6/24) getting 30 MPG average with 80% highway driving...could be a tad better if I didn't speed on occasion
I was the one that had the rear seat break when I folded it and put weight on it way back. Since then they redesigned the seat so now it uses bolts to hold the lower hinge in place. Mine had just used a small clip.
Gabe, you're right. The wait is killing me! I just hope my 1991 Ford Escort GT with 150000 miles will last me until I take delivery of the ZX3. It has been reliable (and well taken care of) all these years, until last month when it started giving me trouble. Too much is wrong with it to fix it up so I can sell it. I was going to give it to a friend, but I'll save him the headaches and just scrap it. Kind of a sad way for the car to go, but I can't see spending that kind of money so it will pass e-check so I can even attempt to sell it (I have to replace almost the entire exhaust system, which is just one of the few problems with that poor tired old Escort).
Just got a call from one of the service guys... Chalk me up for #2 on this forum to have a shotty MAF (mass air flow sensor). They said the part will be in tomorrow morning and will be ready by tomorrow afternoon.... dont exactly know what this part does, but i guess as long as they fix it i'll be happy...
Brettzx3, I know just how you feel about getting paint on your car! The same thing happened to me about a month ago. I still have some paint on the black moldings, but the rest of it came off due to running it through a car wash IMMEDIATELY and then judicious scrubbing and washing on my part for the next couple of days. $1200 seems like an awful lot of money for something you might be able to handle yourself. Do you know what kind of paint it was? The stuff I drove over was latex, which I'm sure is easier to get off, but still... I used regular old car wash solution and water, but many people told me to try bug and tar remover or goo-gone. Keep us posted!
I remember when that happened to you. Actually, I thought about you when it happened to me. I did immediately drive to a spray and wash to try to get it off, but it was everywhere. The moldings are destroyed. When I realized that I couldn't get it off, I went back and confronted the dimwit who was washing the paint in the street. He was still outside of his house happily hosing the paint into the middle of the street. I marched right down there and told him that my car was wrecked and that it was is fault. His homeowner's insurance agent contacted me already and they are covering the whole bill plus car rental expense. They're replacing bumpers, grills, bottom and middle moldings, etc., anything that has that black molding on/attached to it. They (the body shop) told me that whatever solvents they could use would melt the moldings. I got lucky - real lucky. My car goes in the shop on 9/20. I'll keep everyone updated on the progress.
hkoenen2 - I'm really surprised that my seat held the dryer. I got my car in December, 1999. It was made in Oct. 1999, so I'm pretty sure that whatever older equipment it came with, it has. I am feeling really lucky now. First, the paint and now this. I think I need to go place some bets
I also had to drop my focus off this morning at the dealer body shop to fix a scratch which was there when I bought the car. They also tried the same 'we have no loaner' run around. To make matters worse I had spoken with a sales manager yesterday to insure they would have a car for me to drive. They didn't seem to know what I was talking about. This was resolved by my visiting another sales mgr and listening to how they were already -12 for loaner cars today. My feeling is they will attempt to jack with you if you are young (you're 21 right?). Being 24 and a ,gasp, woman made me "easy prey". So they thought. After causing a major scene it took about 10 minutes for them to get me off the lot in an acceptable loaner. I'm sorry but for them to not even take you to the rent car place! That is sooooooooo bad. Hope you haven't filled out your dealership review yet..... hit 'em where it hurts. Oh and next time try this, "why don't you just put me in an Explorer? You couldn't pay someone to take one of those off your hands"...
Glad to here that you have your build date so quickly. I just spoke with my dealer today and he informs me that My ZX3 which was ordered the first week in Aug. will not even be assigned a build date until after the 2nd of Oct. After some investigation on his part he called me back and let me know what I had already suspected. There is a parts hold on it becouse of the Moonroof option. I don't know how Ford could have been suprised that someone would order a zx3 with a moonroof after all they knew about it before anyone else did.
yes, I am 21... and they treat me like it too... every single time i call or step foot in there they treat me like a dumb kid... then i get my father in there and he raises hell, so it's at the point that they see me comin and they all try to act busy and ignore me... which just makes matters worse because the more they screw w/ me the more my pops has to get involved to get things done... I should have used that line "why don't you just put me in an Explorer? You couldn't pay someone to take one of those off your hands"...
They see my silver Z pull up in the service bay and they all run...Okay it's not that bad, and I never raise my voice, insult anyone's intelligence to get my point across, but since I've had to be persistant about a few things...I've been labled extreme. LOL Oh well..
I worked as a receptionist in a service dept before, so..I've been there, I know how the people talk etc but you just gotta be firm w/o being dumb...
but nj I can't believe they wouldn't even give you a lift anywhere...that's...just poor service in the extreme...
I have a feeling a lot of people have or will be writing in very small print when the service surveys are sent
small print for sure... that and a few typed pages most likely... im not plannin on givin them one good remark asides from price... i tell ya... if i didnt get such a good price i would have told them to shove it months ago...
Hey, this is a message board... no need to use perfect grammar... i sure dont... I like my internet grammar... it's kinda like ebonics for people who type lol
brett- sorry to hear about your car. im glad you got the guys homeowners to cover it.good move on your part.thats the way it should be.just out of curiosity, what possessed him to rinse it in the street?
ahhhh the big duck. I miss that place! I went to Southampton College, and the big duck is just one of many weird places in the area. Looks like you enjoyed your trip. Very nice Z:-)
Does anyone here go to Kean U. and drive a red Z? -Still counting down the days till arrival....
Kkan, I had originally intended to get the moonroof, but my salesman told me that it would delay production. He suggested, knowing my current car situation, that I drop the option, which I did. He also gave me the names of some aftermarket shops.
I wish all salesmen where as honest and forthcoming with information.
Ok, ok...I'll start off by saying I am the BIG FOUR OH and maybe that has something to do with it, but the dealer treated me well today.
They all remember me from my experience with my 1st Focus which they could never repair. They even remember my name. Anyhow, the dealer service department wasn't busy and they drove my car into the garage to hear the zx3 forum now famous TAP, TAP, TAP from Zetec Symphony Orchestra 2.0.
The Orchestra didn't disappoint and it played its new hit single, 'Rattle + Tap' (kinda U2 rip-off). The mechanics heard the noise and sort of had this grimace on their faces. They asked me 'What do you do to Ford Focuses?' So they put me in a Taurus and sent me off on my way.
I typed out a detailed description of all the problems and I hope they can address all the issues and fix it. I am pleased that they recognized that it is a real issue. That's a big positive step.
I asked if my car will be ready tomorrow, but they were not at all confident. Who knows how long it will take. I think it will take a week.
I'll keep you posted. I just wanted to write that I had a positive experience. I admit that I also dressed better than usual to give a positive impression. Hey you've got to play your cards and use psychology.
For anyone who is in the early 20s and can bring their Dad to the dealer---Man I would do it. That's what Dad's are for!!
nd- i respectfully disagree,dads are for raising their sons to become men.by the time one is in their early 20's they should be able to fight their own battles.the only one to gain respect will be the dad at the dealership not the youngster.you have to start somewhere.car dealerships will toughen one up in no time.actually,its a great learning experience,although i concede unpleasant at times.just another taste or shall i say distaste of the real world.heres hoping your z is o.k.
Looks like Ford listened to us and made an intelligent brochure. I didn't view all the pages, but I didn't see a spec sheet. Perhaps the person didn't include it.
Oh and I just love those 16 inch rubber. I wish I had that. Not to mention the traction control!
Seems you can get an Ford installed center armrest (quality looking piece?). And some carbon fiber dash inlays (again...looks kinda cheesy)
Nice Brochure. Lightyears better than 2000. 2001 is a new millenium after all!
Comments
http://www.mustangworld.com/ourpics/news/99hec.htm
This should save you some time. Yes, I can feel my karma getting better already. Have a good day everyone.
Konagrl : )
I just wish I could trade this car in for something better. I just hate getting into the car everyday wondering what will break next. Only have 7200 miles on it in 10 months and have made 12 trips to the dealer for repairs.
Yes the seats do fold down flat. To do so you must flip up the rear bench (the part you sit on). It flips forward (hinges under the front edge), the seat backs then fold flat behind it.
Gabe
Just a side note: I drove through paint over the weekend (white paint on my red car). Some guy had spilled two gallons of paint in his driveway and was washing it into the street!! I took it to the dealership's body shop yesterday. Every piece of black molding needs to be replaced, as well as the top and bottom grills and the bumpers (because they're all one piece with the black molding). Estimated cost of repairs, including detailing charge to get paint off of the red paint, glass, and other surfaces = $1,260!!!
Brett, you say you put weight on the seat backs without folding the seat bottom forward? I remember in the older forum someone mentioned that they broke their hinges by putting presure on the seat backs when the bottom was not folded forward. Do your seat backs go back with no problem latching?
Ill try to take some pictures of the vent rings and scan and post them.
http://www.geocities.com/zinc_zx3/
My brother lives near Ivyland, in back of the air base on Bristol Rd?
Starting to see more and more Foci around the city.
has its hands full with the firestone fiasco.its a
disgrace to sacrifice human life for profit.im
guessing they did a cost/benefit/risk analysis with
those tires.do you remember the firestone 500
problem back in the 70's? im right off bristol rd.
I'll keep ya posted
NJ
carlady/host
And, as much ad vapd doesn't like to hear it =], I am at 6800 mile with no problems. Zero, nada, zilch...
Jimmy
NJ
As far as service appointments go, there isn't a problem at the dealership where I bought, they are pretty exceptional though. They actually have a whole set up specifically to deal with the tire thing without taking up the time from all us other folks. They had something like 1200 replacement tires in stock last week and still time to change joe blow's oil. My last point, then off for some much needed shut eye, this is an EXCEPTION, especially in our area. Our dealer is so on top of things that all the metro dealers are having to send their customers to ours. Anyway I will try to refrain from "foot in mouth" in the future. : ( sorry
: ) konagrl
I just move the the Sacramento area (California) and there are 8 (!) ford dealers within 30 minutes drive, and one thats right near buy. ALL of them have had Konas, and the one closest gets truck loads of 'em and doesnt even bother stocking regular zx3's (and they have the kona bikes inside, no wait).
I think when I get my next car (*cough* ZX3 *cough*) ill just go around and say "well ill go right over to so-and-so ford and see what they say!" and get the price WAY down!
hehehe
NJ
I might wait to see if the Focus-R or SVT comes out next year though, and if it stays under $20k, and isnt stick only like the contour svt... (well, my parents do like the Impreza 2.5RS, so the suped-up focus might be a possibility hehe)
Anyway, ive been posting here a little while already... and I really need some help defending the Focus in the other Topics here! Especially vs. the Neon. You owners could probably do better than I can! (especially if you have moded cars)
Anyway, you asked me about the bike rack. The rack itself was installed, but the parts that hold the bike were still in the box (I still don't have the bike). I'm sure it doesn't take a rocket scientist but there's a lot of parts and screws and stuff and no instructions. Hate to have my bike fly into someone's windshield because I failed to install it properly. But then considering the trained Ford monkeys sent me off the lot with my tires 10 lbs. underinflated, I suppose better I do it than them.
Now, regarding what "thekat" said about the Kona roof rack dinging the hatch, it's true. You should definitely check yours. It only happens when the hatch is fully extended up. I had to file the rear corners on the rack down to make it stop, and I still have two little vampire punctures from before. I looked on another forum and apparently this is an almost universal problem with the Konas.
KOSTAMOJEN: I basically got my Kona version without paying for it (well I figure I paid about $300 actually, and the bike alone is worth more than that) because they couldn't find the exact car I wanted elsewhere and they happened to have 2 Konas on the lot they wanted to move. The same old rules apply when car buying. Always go at the end of the month, just before the new model year comes out (NOW), on a rainy day, and only an hour or two before closing time and you will get a better deal. I went in at 6pm, they closed at 8, and I kept them there til 11pm. It was a "mercy sale"...for them. With their wives calling them on their cel phones every 5 minutes I knew I had them right where I wanted them mwahahahaha! Seriously, after they have invested that much time in it and kept everyone there that late, they aren't going to let you walk out of there without a car if your offer is even remotely reasonable.
My personal favorite is when he told me, that if dealership "X" ONLY $1700 made on every focus ZX3 it sells they wouldn't be able to afford the nice fountain in the lobby, so I should be lucky I was getting such a good deal.
Well I got up and walked right out of there, drove down the street to another dealership and ordered a 2001 for $1000 less than the best offer dearship "X" could give on a comparably equipped ZX3.
I paid $13.5K ($14.1K OTD after $400 rebate) for a 2001 with the premium package (which has tilt and 16" rims thrown in for a few pennies more than air and cruise alone on the 2000, oh and it is YELLOW:).
-k
I'll keep ya all posted on what the engine light was on for as soon as I find out.
NJ
You did the right thing.
Now comes the hard part. Waiting. It's worth it though.
cheers,
Gabe
Alpine Type-S 8" sub
Coustic 160SE Amp
2 Bass Blockers (to turn standard speakers into mid/tweet only)
All Wiring+Connectors
Install kit to hook into stock Radio
Speaker cabinet w/ speaker shield
Labor
-----------------------------------------
gonna be thumpin... nothing extravigant, but will definately be a nice upgrade... Most of my friends are DJs so i mainly listen to
Techno-style music... the stock sterio is great for most music, but bass and big beat music tends to drown out all highs and mid tones. What this upgrade will do is eliminate the bass from the 4 stock speakers and free up a lot of power to them so they can work primarily on mids and highs while the 8" will be pumpin the bass only... with the shape and openness of the Z's interior i have a feeling this upgrade is gonna sound great!!
gettin it all done at 9am on monday... just in time to hit the road for my trip back to florida.. so if ya see me in my twilight blue Z with the bass thumpin' anywhere along 95 South during the course of next week.. be sure to honk&wave... i'll definately do the same.
still no word on my car from service... kinda annoying... guess this is my induction into the world of Fixed Or Repaired Daily!!! nah, dont get me wrong... I love the car, just truly dont want all the problems.
NJ
kht, when I went to the new Honda dealer out in the Chicago burbs the sales guy couldn't say enough about their new facility, which was great looking for sure...said they spent millions of dollars on it...which is nice and all for the rich burbanites that dont mind spending a couple extra grand on their car for fountains and such... I laughed all the way outta there....
btw all...
7700 miles this morning (took delivery 6/24) getting 30 MPG average with 80% highway driving...could be a tad better if I didn't speed on occasion
NJ
hkoenen2 - I'm really surprised that my seat held the dryer. I got my car in December, 1999. It was made in Oct. 1999, so I'm pretty sure that whatever older equipment it came with, it has. I am feeling really lucky now. First, the paint and now this. I think I need to go place some bets
-k
Explorer? You couldn't pay someone to take one of
those off your hands"...
thats a good one...
NJ
I worked as a receptionist in a service dept before, so..I've been there, I know how the people talk etc but you just gotta be firm w/o being dumb...
but nj I can't believe they wouldn't even give you a lift anywhere...that's...just poor service in the extreme...
I have a feeling a lot of people have or will be writing in very small print when the service surveys are sent
I agree. Think as I remember, we even had a couple volunteers.
Pat
and I am in no way saying anyone here is acting dumb in service departments...believe me, I share the frustration
Hey, this is a message board... no need to use perfect grammar... i sure dont... I like my internet grammar... it's kinda like ebonics for people who type lol
NJ
got the guys homeowners to cover it.good move on
your part.thats the way it should be.just out of
curiosity, what possessed him to rinse it in the street?
Does anyone here go to Kean U. and drive a red Z?
-Still counting down the days till arrival....
I wish all salesmen where as honest and forthcoming with information.
They all remember me from my experience with my 1st Focus which they could never repair. They even remember my name. Anyhow, the dealer service department wasn't busy and they drove my car into the garage to hear the zx3 forum now famous TAP, TAP, TAP from Zetec Symphony Orchestra 2.0.
The Orchestra didn't disappoint and it played its new hit single, 'Rattle + Tap' (kinda U2 rip-off). The mechanics heard the noise and sort of had this grimace on their faces. They asked me 'What do you do to Ford Focuses?' So they put me in a Taurus and sent me off on my way.
I typed out a detailed description of all the problems and I hope they can address all the issues and fix it. I am pleased that they recognized that it is a real issue. That's a big positive step.
I asked if my car will be ready tomorrow, but they were not at all confident. Who knows how long it will take. I think it will take a week.
I'll keep you posted. I just wanted to write that I had a positive experience. I admit that I also dressed better than usual to give a positive impression. Hey you've got to play your cards and use psychology.
For anyone who is in the early 20s and can bring their Dad to the dealer---Man I would do it. That's what Dad's are for!!
NorwayDoug
their sons to become men.by the time one is in
their early 20's they should be able to fight their own battles.the only one to gain respect will be the dad at the dealership not the youngster.you have to start somewhere.car dealerships will
toughen one up in no time.actually,its a great learning experience,although i concede unpleasant
at times.just another taste or shall i say distaste
of the real world.heres hoping your z is o.k.
http://webs-best.com/myweb/Focus.htm
Meant to put it on my sig.
Sorry!
Oh and I just love those 16 inch rubber. I wish I had that. Not to mention the traction control!
Seems you can get an Ford installed center armrest (quality looking piece?). And some carbon fiber dash inlays (again...looks kinda cheesy)
Nice Brochure. Lightyears better than 2000. 2001 is a new millenium after all!
ND
http://pages.about.com/focuszx3
sorry.