Any Questions for a Car Dealer?

kengilbert

Hi,
I'm tired of driving my flawless 2000 F150 (gets 21.3 mpg one year to the next & huals more than I can lift, but is huge to drive in town) and want to go back to an econobox. Tried to get an Echo with just the options I wanted from Japan but failed (post #1452.) So I've been thinking I'll just wait to see what 2003 brings (any hope for an Echo hatch?) since I'm under no time pressure. But I'm pedaling by the local Ford dealer here today and see 2 Focus ZX3's on the 'display lawn' and wanted to see if Ford dealers order these things loaded the way Toyota dealers load the Echo. Look at the sticker on the white one and the 2002 is msrp $12,470 plus freight: absolutely no options. I'm thinking "great, maybe I should come back in my truck" when my eye lands on the ADM sticker for "Northwest Adjustment $998 + undercoat $190 + accent package $4,500 total $18,648." Luckily I had gotten off my bicycle or I might have scratched the car when I fainted. From the ground I noticed chrome wheels and a chrome tailpipe; is that the accent package? I can't believe the dealer expects anybody to pay $18 for a '02 Focus without air or anything else (and the 03's due any day?) but my question is why he would do this sticker? I will never go back because it would be like going into a dark alley that someone told you guys with guns hang out. He must put ADM stickers on every car for a reason; what is it?
Thanks, Ken

firemedic1969

When should I go shopping for end of year deals. Wait until the 03's are filling the lot or now so that the dealers make room, end of month quotas. Still leaning toward a Tribute (no Trib bashing please)

karz10

who makes cars without air anymore, i didn't know that, i know i live in the SE, but even when I was in MI you didn't want to buy a car w/out air, we have the technology!!!

karz

jimd1862

We are purchasing a 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4WD 6 cyl. and the dealer said that because we get Jeep Employee Discount that we cannot Negotiate on the sticker price. I thought that the discount was reimbursed to the dealer from Jeep. We will be paying 26862.00 which includes tax,title & fees after the discount. Here is the info I got from Edwards Price Calculator 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Laredo 4WD 4dr SUV (4.0L 6cyl 4A)

Invoice MSRP TMV
Base Price $25,588 $27,835 $25,901
Destination Charge $625 $625 $625
Total
(w/o Options) $26,213 $28,460 $26,526
What Others
Are Pay

landru2

Your post indicates that MSRP (sticker price) is $28,460. You are paying $26,852 including taxes.

rroyce10

.... It "looks" like you are paying cost plus the tax .. I think, Landru2 reads about that too.

Terry.

mpyne

i heard many horrors stories that when the car is prepped the person detailing the car will put swirls in the paint when the car is brand new. that scary!!!

dorene2

The credit union we are affiliated with here in Western New York can't get me better than 6.5%!!! on a new car buy ast this time! I heard something about supposed "car loan sales" for dealers and such to get cheap money over Memorial Day and LAbor Day weekends. Since our vehicle isn't due in until after Labor Day, I am hoping to get a little better money, but I guess I won't hold out for much better than the 4.9% from Toyota (If they will still honor it after 9/3) I am still unsure if I have any recourse there since we made the deal before the 9/3 dead line, but not the pick up! I am hoping for things to improve as the model year nears the end what with production stopping in November and all to make way for those 2004's coming in February!

mackabee

as long as you sign up before 9/3 the rate holds. By sign up I mean do the contract paperwork.

Good luck!
: )
Mackabee

stickguy

lower is better, but on a modest size car loan, the monthly payment difference between 4.9% and 6.5% isn't that much. Certainly not enough to make a car unaffordable (or if it does, you are getting in way over your head at 4.9 anyway).

isellhondas

Someone thinks a 6.5 % or 4.9 % loan is high???

These rates are the lowest they have been in thirty years!!!

I guess all of the subvented zero interest rates, 1.9, 2.9 rates have really mad many buyers think these rates are for real!!

wahoo2003

Hi, I just purchased a new 2002 vehicle and I have a question for you all. The dealer calls me up today and tells me that they have lost all my contract paperwork and they wanted me to come back and sign these documents again. Here is the main problem... I live approximately 3 hours away and I do not want to sign these paper especially since it was NOT my fault. Obviously they wanted me to be present and sign each one of these paperwork. To be fair, I gave them 3 options:
1) they can send someone to where I reside
2) they can have a copy of my contract
3) they can mail me the "new" contract
Unfortunately, they didnt like neither of these options. What can I do? Frankly I am very irritated and to some point very cautious about their "mistake". Any feedback would be GREAT!

landru2

If the documents have actually been lost I don't know why they'd have a problem with sending new ones to you by courier to be signed. Just make sure they are identical to the copy you have. It is totally unreasonable to expect you take a 6 hour round trip because they can't keep track of their paperwork.

rroyce10

..... Have the Dealer "drop kick" the Fed Ex to you ..

Carrier arrives the next day, you pull all the sheets, take a good look .. drop the sheets in the new Fed EX pack, the new pack is already set to go with a return address and stamped with an "overnight" -- oooof, of it goes with the carrier, the dealer has it the next AM .. less than 24hrs, if goes right ..

Sounds like a plan too me ...

Terry :-)

sbell4

How can a dealer lose the paperwork?

tiredofmanual

Two car salesmen and a dealership owner are telling you not to budge off your position. If the new paperwork ever arrives, I'd make pretty dang sure it matched word for word and number for number with the copies you have. Sounds fishy to me.

wahoo2003

I appreciate all your feedbacks. I think if they REALLY need the contract then I think they ll have mail me the contract. And as tiredofmanual said...I ll make sure that paper $ and words do match word for word.
If they keep pesting me about how I ll have to make long trip to their dealership...well I guess I wont be signing any paperwork. I mean...whose fault is it lose contracts? Get this...according to their story, other 12 contracts have been lost along with mine. I smell possible foul play going on here...

stever

Why not just mail them a copy of your copy of the documentation? If they need original stuff for some reason, they can sign an affidavit that it was lost and it's a true and correct copy of the original. Curious story....

(Hi KC!)

Steve
Host
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KCRam

Hiya Steve!

(don't mind us, it's a host thing LOL)

kcram
Host
Smart Shopper and FWI Message Boards

ejones3

I live in the Atlanta area and I was interested in purchasing a new 2002 tacoma. It,s a demo with 5000 mile on it. My question is how much should I pay. the MSRP is $14261. Need help like to buy over the weekend.

mark156

Ejones3, post in "Real World Trade in values" and RRoyce (Terry) will help you... might be quicker there than in this section.

M.

chorn1

I was able to go to another dealer and purchased a 2002 Honda Civic 4 dr auto + extras ($19100) for $16709. I felt like I got a fair price. I now purchasing Lo Jack for $595?. Has anyone gotten a better deal than that?

CarMan@Edmunds

Hi chorn1. Although it certainly would be nice to catch the individual or individuals who are responsible for the theft of my automobile, my problem with Lo Jack is that I would rather not get my car or truck back after it has been stolen. It's sort of like how I would rather have my vehicle totaled if it is in a major accident, rather than repaired. Assuming that one has some sort of gap insurance, they can walk away from their vehicle for free and get something new if it is stolen. I would much rather get a new vehicle at that point than one that has been stripped or smashed up in some sort of joy ride. Of course, this is just my personal opinion and many people do in fact purchase Lo Jack.

Car_man
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sulsmith

We are interested in buying a 1999 Honda Accord. How much more is reasonable to pay for a certifed with the warranty from a dealer? Also, am I correct that the warranty on a 1999 would be 48 months, 48,000 miles if purchased previous to the 2003 model coming out, If after would be 12,000 miles, 12 months? Thanks for any and all help.

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#71 of 71 by kcram HOST Sep 02, 2002 (03:59 pm)

raybear

Don't rule out new cars also. Hondas hold their value so well it's worth considering.

amy123

My mother is trying to buy a Ford Tarus...the dealership says they found only one that meets her requirements and it is at another dealership. They want her to pay $700 extra to have the car brought to their lot. (The other dealership is within 50 miles though they won't tell exactly where.) Is that normal?

landru2

No, that's not normal.

Time for you to get on the phone.

rroyce10

.... Is $700 normal ..?

Yes, thats normal .. it's normal if Mom was buying a Aston Martin DB7 Vantage Volante and dropping $200 grand.

But she's not, she's getting a Taurus .. Like Landru said, start dialing.

Terry :-)

kkollwitz

You can find Tauruses you like here: http://www5.forddirect.fordvehicles.com

bobst

If my car is stolen, I don't want it back. Who knows what they may have been doing in the back seat, and some smells never go away.

I admit that some cars are hard to replace, so Lo Jack may be appropriate for them. Since you brought it up, I think I will have it installed in my Bugatti.

nyccarguy

The guy has the car washed 3 times a week and detailed once a week.

nyccarguy

That just like Terry said, he got caught once about 10 years ago (With a Corvette ZR1) via a paper trail. The dealer called him up and asked him politely to bring their money back and to come take his car.

sam_beaver

[[my problem with Lo Jack is that I would rather not get my car or truck back after it has been stolen. ]]

I don't have a LoJack, but I must admit their ad copy on this question sounds pretty convincing. They claim that most stolen cars ARE recovered, and that the issue is mainly whether you'll get it back in 30 minutes, presumably in pretty good shape, or two days later after it has been stripped and abused.

Of course, even if they can locate the car in 30 minutes, the timer doesn't start until you notify them. If it's stolen at 10 AM I'll find out at 5 PM, and by then who knows what shape it's in.

I am considering getting one, although I suppose I should have decided already. Probably I'll get one after the car is stolen.....

jt_chicago

I am thinking of buying a dodge stratus and dodge is offering a 3000 customer cash incentive. My question is can I actually ask for this as cash (or check)? Or must this be used as a downpayment? I would much rather have the cash. Any advice is appreciated.

rbrenton88

The pros will leave a car overnight somewhere to see if Lojack brings the cops or not, then they'll do work on it. If recovered, probably in very good shape. Probably ok to get back. (if they have time to strip, it'll be totalled anyway)

Its the joyriders that will do some serious engine damage in a short time.
That you dont want to get back.

michaellno

Both my sister and brother-in-law have had vehicles stolen. BIL had an early 90's Toyota pickup which he had tricked out quite nicely, stolen (I think) from work and found stripped in an lot close to the US/Mexican border (they live in San Diego). Totalled (and he had just paid it off 2 months earlier!); ended up getting an Acura Integra.

Sis' car (an '85 RX-7, excellent condition), was stolen from their apartment complex. They didn't know it was gone until the SD County Sheriff's Dept called them. Guess the "joyriders" had been pulled over (there were 3 of them, which doesn't work too well in a 2 seat car). The guys in the front seats bailed out, leaving a girl behind who was arrested. Car was returned in the condition it was in when taken. Sister kept the car for 3 or 4 more years before selling it.

raybear

I believe you can, although financing over 100% of a new car may be something the bank isn't willing to help with. Do you have a trade?

thel

By not applying the $3000 to the car you will be even more upside-down on the loan when you drive it off the lot. Now if you also get 0% financing, it may be worth it unless you blow the $3,000 on a TV or something.

yaman

I doubt that any manufacturer is offering both.Still I saw in the paper the other day that the average discount off of MSRP is over $ 4,000 on cars sold by the big 3.

morgan18

I currently am waiting for a check from ford in regards to winning a lemon law case. I will probably receive it around the beginning of October. I really like the 2002 Dodge Stratus R/T and think other thought of the 2003. Please let me know, it is greatly appreciated.

jonjacobs2

Any one know if there is a 30 day right of refusal in the state of Minnesota? I was told by a friend that Minnesota has a law that you can force the dealer to take back a vehicle up to 30 days after purchase. I have heard that the 3 day return and such are common misconceptions, but this guy was certain and MN has a lot of really silly laws. Does anyone know if this is for real? And if it is for real how could a dealer survive with this law around?

JJ

yaman

well would you sell something in Minnesota if someone could use it for 30 days-degrade its value (its now a used car worth probably thousands less than when new)and then make you take it back for a full refund ?

If Minnesota did have such a law you wouldn't have any new car dealers in the state they would probably all be in bankruptcy

robr2

Follow this link:

http://www.ag.state.mn.us/consumer/Default.htm

click on Car Shop and Good Luck

jonjacobs2

I thought this was a load of hot air.

Thanks

JJ

momwithkids

Hi,
I have a Mercedes ML320 and the engine broke down at 80000 miles. Mercedes concedes it's a defect, but says that since I have an extended warranty, they'll do just what that warranty company wants to do. The warranty company wants to put in an engine from a totalled 1999 ML320 (just like mine) that has 32000. I checked the VIN on it and it had just under 32000 when it was reported as junk in April 2002. The warranty company will warrant it for 20000 more miles or 3 years.

All that is background for my question: I want to sell this car as soon as it is fixed. Will this used engine be a detriment to resale value? Or will it be a plus, since it only has 32000 miles on it. (I checked the Mercedes service report and there was never any engine trouble with it before it was totalled). Should I fight the warranty company (big hassle) for a new engine. I'm not sure how much ground I have to stand on. Please give advice ASAP!
Thanks

suvshopper4

I'm not a car dealer, but...
Sounds like you'll have an 80k mile car with a 32k mile engine. Not bad, and seems like you will have been 'made whole' by the transaction.

Still, it could cause some potential buyers to walk away, because it is not the original engine, even though it is identical, with fewer miles on it.

Can you get a print-out about the 'new' engine's service record, and the documentation about it being junked (carfax report)? That may help in a sale. And it will especially help if it is an MB dealership that does the engine swap.

Good luck.

rroyce10

..... Whooo, sounds like a big winner to me ..

Like Suvshopper4 said --- *And it will especially help if it is an MB dealership that does the engine swap.* .. and of course the service records.

Ring the bell ..! thats a winner ...

80k with a failure ..? That a rare one.! 180k maybe.

Terry.

peetert

We've just about settled in on a 2002 Windstar SE that has almost everything we're looking for except side air bags. There's another model on the lot w/ the side airbags, but it also has power doors, which we don't need. This brings the price a little over what we can afford. In looking at forddirect, I found another SE with side airbags only.

My questions are:

Should I ask our dealer to see if he can trade for this one? If not, could I use this as a for negotiations?

In looking at Edmunds TMV, it is almost at invoice. Would it be reasonable to offer invoice, or less, since they are afterall, leftovers.

We like this dealership and are repeat customers here so hopefully that will help.

Thanks,

Peeter

thel

have one of the worst resale values in the car market. My advice would be to look for a used one that is only a year or two old. That way, someone else has eaten the huge amount of depreciation that hits these cars.

If you must have a new one, consider offering invoice or even lower as the dealer should be anxious to get the 02's of the lot with the 03's due to arrive. I would also expect there to be some factory to dealer incentives soon to help dealers move the 02's out.

peetert

Well, the incentives are there (0% just the the mazda you bought). We looked at some used ones, but while we had no problem buying a used Volvo (99 S70 w/ 38k) a few months ago, we are a bit shy about buying a used minivan.

As for resale, we're not looking at getting rid of this for quite a while.

Peeter