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Has anyone had a positive/negative experience with Fitzgerald that they'd like to share? I'll share my experience after picking up our new van.
I got this email response from a Dealer when I brought it up:
"Aftermarket warranties are not good because they will only allow you to take your car to only certain repair centers. Takes a long time to fix your car, every time you need warranty work, a rep must come out to the repair center to verify the problem and authorize the repairs. Also a lot of these companies seem to go out of business quickly. So if you use them, be careful."
Its entirely possible that he is correct and that he is simply trying to advise that it may not be a good idea to purchase aftermarket warranties.
However, it is also possible that he is trying to sway me from getting it so that I can purchase their warranty.
Has anyone had any bad experiences with getting an external warranty?
He also indicated that "The 7 yr 100k mile warranty which is bumper to bumper coverage at any Toyota Dealer in the USA is $1375. Our warranty price is fixed and one price for all our customers."
Hope that dealer is being straight with you on this.
kirstie_h
Roving Host & Future Vehicles Host
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
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Thanks for your reply. I saw your post and actually tried to call that dealer in Illinois and the other dealer in Maryland, but found that they were closed on Sunday.
I will try to give them a call today to see what type of deal can be made.
When I spoke to my local dealer the other day regarding extended warranties, he indicated that the Toyota dealer that you are purchasing the extended warranty would have to check the vehicle prior to approving any sale of Warranties. Is that the case you had with the Out of State dealer?
- 2005 AWD Limited (tan exterior and interior)
- HO package (including the head phones), floor mats and bug deflector (don't remember the codes)
- Price: $38500, 250 BS dealer add-on, 70 county tax.
- I added the 6/100000/100 Fidelity Extended plan (they do/did not offer/sell any other) for $950 with the price guarantee (get your $$ back if you do not use the warranty)
- 4.25%, $340 GAP coverage
- I am military - so it will be registered in a different state which means I don't pay state tax.
- Fairfax, VA
Was a hair over $40k total.
Funny thing is that I ( probably like most people purchasing a Sienna ) started looking at a Sienna LE with cloth interior and DVD. I then moved on to an LE AWD with Leather DVD....then moved up again to an XLE AWD with Leather....then finally settled on the Limited XLE AWD with the HE Package. I went from a medium level Sienna to the 2nd most expensive version that you can get. At first I said that I won't spend more then $33k on the car....then I finally settled on $41200....oyyyyyy what an experience for buying my first Family vehicle.
Although I won't get the vehicle until Christmas time ( cuz they are finishing building and shipping the car from the factory ) my final OTD price was $41200 ( including installation of running Boards and Rear Spoiler, tax, doc, and lic fee ) which was about $1200 less then the OTD quotes that I was receiving from other dealers. On top of that the MSRP price on the vehicle ( at least based off of what the Toyota.com website states ) was $41040....and this was before any doc fee and tax was included.
For those that are looking for a Sienna in Northern California....I worked with the Internet Fleet Manager in Dublin Toyota in the East Bay ( I will email you his address if you want it ). Because I was VERY VERY weary of any Dealers because of the many posts that sited those "Switch and bait" car dealers ( especially on deals that seemed too good to be true ), I sent this guy about 20 emails over the span of about 3 weeks having him confirm everything in email....from having him put in writing in the email that the vehicle is going to be sold at the OTD price to confirming the color of the vehicle. The guy was rather patient with me despite my skeptism about the price and why he was quoting $1200 less then what everyone else was quoting ( BTW...his explanation of the lower price was because the vehicle was being manufactured with the Running Boards and Rear Spoiler at the Factory and not as an aftermarket dealer install....which allowed him to offer me the car at that price ).
Suggestions to all......negoitate via email. If you go test drive your vehicle, DO NOT negiotiate with the dealer directly ( unless you like being tortured for a couple of hours or like the art of haggling ). After sitting through my first 3 hour attempt at negotiating a price with a dealer ( that wasn't even willing to get close to the TMV price ), I wasn't going to go through that again ( especially with an impatient wife ). Prenegotiating everything over email, I was in and out of the dealership within 1 hour ( oddly enough with the same dealership but with a different dealer ).
Advice to all....prenegotiate everything over email BUT DO NOT give out your phone #. I emailed about 15 different dealers in Northern and Southern California and about 1/3 of them said to "come in and we can make a deal" ( including 1 Internet Sales Manager that refused to quote me anything over email ). I found that it was easier for me to negotiate with a Dealer if I didn't actually talk to them. When I finally decided to go with a particular email....I made the call to the guy.
I will post again once I actually get the vehicle....but I wanted to thank EVERYONE for their responses and experiences that they had when they purchased their vehicles. It was helpful in helping me buy the vehicle.
$10,400 trade-in was fair for our '02 Civic LX with 21,400 miles.
Now looking at best extended warranty cost. Dealer F+I said could only go $200 below retail.
invoice
25831 base xle
565 freight
229 Z1 (PIO) net, mats, sill, +aid, emgncy
187 071 Artic Frost
325 TDA
150 Mark-up
6 Fuel Charge
27293 Total
Because I am a stickler for detail ( and you have to be when negotiating with Dealers ), I had the chance to spell out clearly EVERYTHING that I wanted and have them confirm it for me in writing ( or more specifically email ). I emailed the dealer 10 times confirming that the OTD price was legit, what the color of the vehicle was, that the OTD price included the exact accessories that I wanted, and even shipping details on when the vehicle should arrive. That way, I would leave very little "wiggle" room for the dealer to back out of a quoted price ( when I finally showed up at the dealership ) or sell me a different vehicle due to a "minor" technicality on their end.
The beauty of emailing is that you don't have to talk to the fast talking dealer until you want to, you are in control. For me, it was when I got all my question answered and I had everything in writing. When I showed up at the dealer, I printed out the 12 pages of emails ( in hand ) just in case anything came up that was not what we agreed upon.
Again....all this was due to the info that I got from this forum. The "bait and switch" ( which helped me raise a "red flag" with a particular dealer ) or the "OTD price but only if I finance through the dealer" tactics was especially helpful.
However, the downside to that is that owners must pay personal property tax on whatever vehicle(s) they own as of January 1, so by waiting til the new year, you won't have to pay 2005 property tax on the new vehicle (NOT sales tax - you have to pay that no matter what).
Of course, every state has its own tax laws, so you'll want to check that out first.
kirstie_h
Roving Host & Future Vehicles Host
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
Review your vehicle
An age old argument.
Actually it depends on how you measure it. The 7" is measured diagonally to make it seem bigger.
One thing I learned is never pay too much for doc fees. One place wanted $195.00 for doc fees.
Those prices seem too good to be true! But if they are correct is there any point going anywhere else? I haven't seen better prices posted anywhere by anyone.
If we don't need the van until May is it possible we could pay less by waiting until then? Or do prices stay relatively level on a popular vehicle like the Sienna until the model year changes?
Thanks!
I want to say thank you... all.
I purchased the 05 sienna le 8 (pass) + Pack.#8 (bx)
Inc.z1 & cf for $29.500 [although the best offer i got was $28.950, but the dealers(broker) attitude wasn't worth it (no help or info on car)]
I purchased thru williamsburg leasing in brooklyn
they've got more experience than most.
What can I say about the car! No surprises & no regrets. I think you cant go wrong with toyota.
as for the sienna vs odyssey argument.
1.honda's were always more reliable, toyota's more comfortable "lexus"
2.the odyssey is brand new & will be improved & better down the line for sure, but the sienna is already 2nd yr model which i thought is more reliable
3.sienna's 8 pass. seat is wider than odysseys, acc. to my info.
If i could afford it I would've purchased both minivans + the lexus ls 430+acura tl+ a lambo.....etc....ferari...
Know which dream I'm talking about?
Later
H.
Now another 10 days past I found out from my credit card that the dealer did not refund my deposit.
What should I do in this kind of dispute? I don't see why I should be responsible for an apparent mistake on the dealer's side. Thanks for all advices and suggestions.
Sienna XLE AWD,
Color - Sand
Package #9 (Leather)
CF: Floor Mats
N1: Auto-dimming mirror
MSRP: 37,020
Edmunds Invoice (excluding CF and N1): 31,593
Final Price: 33,025 + 298 (documentation fee?)
Got it at Boulder Toyota.
Thanks
I'm hearing concerns about the run flat tires that are standard on the AWD....seems they will need to be replaced at 25-30K miles of wear and will cost about $250 each....is anyone else concerned or heard about this ?
thanks again
That sounds like a great deal. Can you please post the name of the dealer and any relevant negotiation strategies you used?
TIA.
Failing that, dispute the charge with the issuing bank.
You might want to try Diehl Toyota in York,PA. They offered me a similar deal on the XLE AWD + Package #9. In fact, I almost bought a beautiful Blue one about two weeks ago.
Good luck!
Could you pass me the details of whom to contact, if possible in the east coast tri-state area for retrofitting the OEM Nav. system?
I had checked with toyota dealers around here and some of them are offering NAV systems that are not OEM and do not go flush into the front panel as the OEM Nav does.
BTW, I got a 2005 Sienna XLE with AWD/ DVD system and 4 Headphones at the invoice price $33,103 + dest.charge $565 + mats $115. Any idea how this compares to others with these options?
VPN
Where did you purchase and how did get you that price?
I purchased it from Prestige Toyota in North New Jersey.
I started visiting other dealers in this area but they did not have stock of Sienna with the options I preferred. This guy had it and once we started comparing his price with Edmunds price list, he agreed to the invoice price.
I also kept telling him that I don't need the DVD/ AWD on the XLE so I was not interested in paying a premium for those options. Also, he mentioned later and I sensed that the price would have been a little higher if he had to order the vehicle from the factory.