After much press, Cadillac announced that it "suspending" availability of the U45 option in all models for the remainder of the '01 year. The U45 option is the Communiport/infotainment radio option which allowed voice activated access to email, the web and a PCS/Digital/Analogue phone system with integrated GPS navigation. They cited that delays in software troubleshooting have pushed back their launch of this option to well into the '02 year.
Tough one... In all sincerity, it depends on what he has done in the past. Does he go shop everywhere under the sun? Then invoice. If not, 500 over. If he beats my deal at invoice, let him go get the car. I do too many things after the fact to have to give cars away. I make sure that all of our customers, buying or leasing, have pick up and drop off service for anything, even oil changes. A loaner is always available, and not a chevy product. If you have an STS, you get an STS. We have a concierge service that can get you tickets, reservations at local restaurants, even a haircut while you wait if you decide to bring the car into us. Basically, we will do anything to keep you happy and make it convenient to do business with us. If your time while bringing the car into us isn't worth a few hundred dollars over the next 3 years, then go get it from somewhere else. In my experience, the ones who sell you out for $200, will bash you on CSI (customer satisfaction index) anyway. It costs me more to try and keep them. So I usually just say, Goodluck over at SO-and-SO dealer.
DDSach: On invoice pricing. GENERALLY, if you take the MSRP and multiply by 92.8%, it will get you real close to invoice. This also depends on whether or not they have to pay advertising in their local market. Advertising is around 1% of msrp. The 92.8% figure includes a 1% advertising fee. Figure on a 41,400 car (Base Deville with leather) invoice is around 38400. Take $2,000 off for the dealer cash. Take another $1,000 for being a demo (the dealer should do this) That's 35,400. If there is no local advertising, take another 400 off. Sounds like you are getting the car for around our actual cost. I can tell you I just sold a 00 base Deville with Leather, 9800 miles, used, for 33,000 + taxes. However, this was a car from Enterprise. Take that into account. I can buy them right now from auction for about 28,000. I caution you though. Do not expect to get the demo for the same price as a used car. To the consumer they are the same. To the dealer they are not. And we set the price. We still have a cost factor. Why on earth would we sell a car and lose $4,000 on it? If you are considering the demo, look into a used one instead for the money.
Unless it is catastrophic, I wouldn't get my car serviced at the dealer I buy it from. They are too far away and their service sucks. I go a dealer close to my house for service.
What I am talking about is not getting screwed in the deal. I have already agreed to go $1,000 over invoice which is against my general principle, but since we have to order the car rather than just taking it out of popcon, I figure I am taking up more of the dealer's time.
That give the dealer the holdback, flooring assistance an a grand on top of it. But this will only work if I know how they got the interest rate (money factor) and that it has not been loaded. I also want to make sure that any incentives Cadillac has at the time of the deal go back into it.
I have asked this dealer to tell me how much he wants to make. It is a simple question and I have no problem being fair, but why should it be some big friggin secret? It's the smoke and mirrors tactics that makes me approach this from a defensive position.
You sound like a reasonable dealership. You are right on many counts in your post # 157. Buying a car is a simple matter. Do your homework, know exactly what you want, and about how much you expect to pay. When the deal presents itself as you expected it, take it, and don't waste anybody else's time.. Done. A dealer can't sell every car at a loss and remain in business, nor must he sell every one at MSRP. The savvy shopper must know what the fair price should be and be able to recognize it upon it's presentation. Accept no additional items in the closer's (finance guy) office, & shop for the GMPP if you want it on the internet so you can recognize how much the closer is gonna try to get from you for it! The dealer I got my car would be happy for the holdback money & the high number on the Major Guard. (Beware the custom plan)
Dealer said they had problems with people leaving the keys in the ignition (ignition off) - You know, locked in a garage. This killed the battery for some reason.
Asked me if I was doing this, which I wasn't.
This was in late 1997, the 95 Concours was used car purchase.
Thank you very much for all the information that you have posted in this topic. You can feel good that you have helped so many people by answering their questions about Cadillacs and the purchasing process. We are planning to purchase a new deville just before Christmas, but would appreciate your opinion on whether we should wait till after the first of the year. I've heard that there will be changes in the On-Star program effective 1 Jan., and also wonder if you would expect any price advantage by waiting. I have seen ads that mentioned a "customer loyalty" bonus of $1,000 for current Cadillac owners. Is this always available, or only at close-out time? Also, is that from GM or the local dealer?
I was looking at the Cadillac Website, financing options and read about a program they have called "SmartBuy". Mechanically, it looks just like a lease. So what's the difference between the two. Anyone have any experience with this?
I believe all smart buy is is a typical auto loan, except that they want the monthly payments to be below a certain amount each month. Since you are promising to pay back a certain amount in the loan & your payment has been artificially reduced, you will find that you will have a last "baloon" payment of at LEAST $ 10,000. all do at once. Your options at that time will be to pay it all, or go out and get a USED car loan for 10 grand & begin paying THAT out. There's no slack.
Our 2000 DHS no longer automatically releases the parking break when we put the car in gear (we had the same problem with a 2000 DeVille rental car, but chalked it up to being an "abused" rental).
Is this a common problem? Any suggested solutions?
Philly: Don't do a smartbuy. Do a lease. They are essentially the same, however you agree to pay the balloon at the end instead of having the option to do it. If you want to walk away from the balloon, you can, but it costs you $250. And $1,000 over invoice is plenty. I would take that deal in a heartbeat.
51Hornet: Onstar has been changed for every single 01 product. It won't matter when you buy one as far as beginning or end of year. The $1,000 rebate is coming from the dealer, not the manufacturer. The only thing I know of is that Cadillac increased the dealer cash from $2,000 to $3,000. Maybe they are using the extra grand. Keep in mind, there are 5 zones in the US. I only get info concerning the North Central region. They may have something different. And before anyone starts driving across country to save a grand, you only get the rebate based on where you live .
Tonorad: I have heard of this problem on a few other ones. It is a problem, not a change in options.
I am now on my second 'smart buy' program. Yes, it is a typical loan with a baloon payment. I liked it better than the lease because it is easier to understand and technically, you own the car, not the leasing company. Since I went back to the same dealer for the 2nd time, GM waived the disposal fee and the dealer took care of a couple of 'excessive wear and tear' items. All I paid when I turned the vehicle back in was my excess mileage. The first time was on a 96 Blazer and now on a 99 Suburban. I have the Sub now with 18K yearly miles for $450 a month. New loan would have been well over $600 for 60 months. Personally I like the smart buy and will probably do it again when it comes time to turn in the Sub.
Thanks for the input. I am not sure what I am going to do. I have looked into traditional buying over leasing over smartbuy and I'm still undecided. Until I read the article about the Tim Allen (the comedian) Design DTSi in the lates issue of Car & Driver, I thought I would return the car after the lease as usual. But, after reading about this 400 hp monster, I'm not so sure. I have 3 months to figure it out.
Check out the newest release of Car & Driver for a good article on a special one-off DTSi that was built for actor Tim Allen. Tim is a car enthusiast in real life, and the same shop that built the STS LeMans pace cars did the work on this car. Concurrently, Tim Allen started a company called Tim Allen Design (TAD) that had much of the input to the design of this car, and we may be seeing TAD inspired STSi's, CTSi's, and DTSi's in the future with the TAD moniker, much like Mercedes had AMG versions of their cars.
The DTSi built for Tim is painted the same Silver color that the Evoq show car came in, and has lots of custom trim and parts. The car is rated at 398HP!
I read this list a lot, but have not posted for a long time. I currently have a 94 Eldorado, which I really like, but am considering a couple of used Devilles becuase my wife and I need to go to a 4 door car. The Eldo has 50000 miles on it and I'm looking at a couple of fairly low mileage 96's and 97's. One of the 97's has 26K on it and the dealer is offering the extended warranty with it. He has two other 96's with 34K and 38K respectively on them. However, he isn't offering a 6/70 extended warranty on those two. I thought maybe tccad1 might be able to lend some insight into the ground rules dealers go by for offering the extended warranty. The 97 is a nice car but has a little bit of rust on one of the rear wheel wells. The two 96's don't have that problem. Should that surface rust be covered under the original warranty that is still in effect on the car?.
I know most of you guys have newer Caddies than mine. I love mine and it is the first Cadillac I've owned. I could afford a new one, but I am certain I would be satisfied with an earlier model Deville and I have other motoring interests to put the extra money in (such as a new Honda Goldwing). I hope that some of you who have either had or do have one of these models can also shed some light on anything I should look out for before I buy one.
donw3- I am surprised to hear about the rust. I guess it depends on the climate, but Rust is covered for 6 years or 100,000 miles under the standard Cadillac warranty.
Personally, I have had a '96 and now own a '98 which will be traded on an '01 in January. I would imagine you would be happier in a '97 assuming the rust issue can be resolved. It is a newer looking body style and has some improvements in the Northstar. Good Luck with your search.
I am considering purchasing a '97 Sedan DeVille. I know that the new DeVilles' are great, but I personally love the old bodystyle. I just wanted to know if anyone has any thoughts as to owning one and any mechanical issues with this specific version. I just test drove one here in Atlanta at for $18,500 and it seemed really nice. I must admit I went in to purchase a Q45 and test drove it on a lark and now I'm in love with it. I loved the ride, feel, everything about it. This would be my first Cadillac and just want to know if anyone has any thoughts.
Foggedabowdit! An Infinity is a Datsun dressed up to look like a fancy Toyota! You'll love the Deville.
As far as issues go, you might want to go back and check out some of the previous postings in this conference. There were some people that have experienced some excessive oil consumption, save that they are really good cars.
Three wheel center caps have already flown off our 2001 Deville DHS. Has any one had this experience on a 2000 or 2001 Deville? Is this a common occurence?
I have seen some Caddys on showroom floors w/ dealer installed gold packages. The package consists of the wreath & crest on the wheel covers being in gold, the stick-on DeVille badge on the right rear trunk lid in gold, & I believe the exhaust tips are gold. Is the Deville badge the OEM one somehow plated gold? How do they get the wheels to accept the gold color, & do the gold colors "stick" to what they're applied to?
Barry, I had my emblems 2001 DHS re-done in GOLD. The process is Electrostatic and done with emblems and tips on the car. As I have Night Vision, the hood emblem lies flat on hood. It took about 20 minutes ...cost $100.00 I did not have crest/emblems put on hub caps. However, this process did not improve the gas milage. Overall Results: Pleasing! TAMCO
Barry, I had my emblems 2001 DHS re-done in GOLD. The process is Electrostatic and done with emblems and tips on the car. As I have Night Vision, the hood emblem lies flat on hood. It took about 20 minutes ...cost $100.00 I did not have crest/emblems put on hub caps. However, this process did not improve the gas milage. Overall Results: Pleasing! TAMCO
Anybody know, on a 2000 Deville, can I just grasp the top of the dash and pull up to get to the innards or does it take a special tool? Dealer Service says everything is, "clipped" together. I've got a rattle in the dash or in the speaker in the nearby pillar and really don't have time to go back to the dealer again. If the problem is somthing I can solve without voiding my warranty or breaking some plastic, I'd like to try. Thanks.
On posting #138, I mentioned a dealer service problem with my 2000 Cadillac DTS, after the OnStar antenna was struck by lightning. At the time of that posting, my car had been in the shop for 49 days. This is the 61st day, and my car is still in the shop. I called the Cadillac customer service line again this morning, and was told that I could not speak with anyone at the supervisory or management level because my problem was not caused by a manufacturing defect. I would tell anyone interested in buying a Cadillac DTS, that it is a wonderful car with great handling and exceptional comfort. However, the Cadillac organization does not stand behind their customer to assist them when the customer is having very serious problems with an incompetent dealer. Cadillac management assigned an exclusive franchise in my city to this dealer; they should take some responsibility to put some pressure on the dealer when my car has been in the shop for 61 days and counting. Has anyone had experience with Mercedes, Lincoln or Lexus customer service? Is the Cadillac attitude typical, or unusual?
Davis25: VERY unusual. I have a customer right now that has been having a problem with the radio. Within 2 weeks I was able to do a full substitution and am getting him the new car today with Cadillac's help.
Wowser: I would advise against it. The airbag is located under the dashboard. Go in through the bottom of the dashboard.
Pfergy: Smartbuys are better with Chevrolets and Pontiacs because that is where they put there money. A cadillac leased will by around 100-125 a month cheaper than a smartbuy. So I guess we are both right. Philly, if you get another Cadillac, lease it. Email me at J_balcer@yahoo.com with your return e-mail and I will send you a comparison between buying and leasing the same car. Leasing comes out probably 200 bucks cheaper because of the inflated residuals Cadillac offers.
You are right on about leasing. Even if I decide to pick up after the lease, it is still a better deal than the SmartBuy.
So I will lease again, but I have a problem. We agreed on a price of $1000 over invoice, but my dealer has the APR (money factor, lease rate or whatever they call it today) set at .625. They have also assumed a residual of 51%. I have another dealer that has figured the rate at .400 and the residual at 52%. This makes the monthly payments $104 cheaper!
So, who sets the residual and the interest rates? My dealer says that GMAC set them. GMAC says that rates and residual are set by the dealer and that they are merely an "acceptance" corporation.
Has your insurance company assisted you in this matter? I would imagine that they are concerned as, I assume, that your policy reimburses you for loss of use of the vehicle.
I don't know where you live, but there must be more than one dealer around. I can not believe that Cadillac is not helping. I would have been camping out in the Regional VP's office by now.
I am sorry for your experience. I have heard of other problems like this happening with Mercedes, Lexus and BMW. I am glad that yours is the exception rather than the rule.
First of all to TCCAD Jeez I'd tip you if you were in my neck of the woods. Thanks for your info. But if anybody remembers, I was the guy that was burning more oil than Saddam Hussein. My 97 DeVille eventually got the rings done and now I am burning a cool 1qt per 1000 miles.......Great Job huh? I was away for three weeks in Ireland just taking it easy. All was well because I had just put in a new set of plugs (platinum 9.00 per) And with the exception of the lingering oil burning I was feeling good. My plan was to put new plug wires in upon return and I did.I put in the plugs at 96,000 miles as she started to miss. New plugs still a miss new wires still running with a miss. I had my personal guy (8years of great service do it.) four hours later i'm missing again. I put in AC Delco parts. The light went on (check engine soon) This morning I tried a new dealer that I have never used. After three non returned calls to find out if I should pick up the car I finally reached the service rep late in the afternoon to get the skinny and he told me that one of the wires wasn't making contact properly with the plug, so they replaced the plug (one month old) and the one wire (three days old) and to pick it up in the morning. Now I had the wire plug fit checked by a pro mechanic friend of mine and he said all was well with the connection. Why would they replace as I was told, one plug and one wire? I just cant see them breaking up a set of 160.00 retail wires for one wire. I smell a rat. The service guy told me they wouldn't charge me the 100 dollar deductable but just 91.50 I said to do the deductible and I'll spring for the 100 but he said NO. "Why do I keep smelling a rat? I asked for the parts back but again I have a feeling I will be told ooops we threw them out. anybody got a clue as to what is going on?
Tipping:I live off tips and if I could find someone worth tipping I'd come up with a bottle of wine a case of fancy beer or something of that nature. Cash in a situation such as a dealership I feel is not appropriate. A guy at a car wash is working for peanuts......tip him joe
In general, you must have horrible luck. I've never heard of a car being struck by lightning. I thought they were naturally 'insulated' from it?
But if yours was, and it got into the electrical wiring of your car, I would think the 10million or so volts and God knows what amperage from the lightning would have fried every inch of wires in the car. And every electronic module, sensor, control, motor, switch, etc would also be fried.
What I would be asking, and mainly you should be talking to your insurance company - why in the world is anyone trying to repair this car?????? TOTAL IT. Demand your insurance company total it. You've got a very, very good basis for this - the local dealer has not been able to fix the thing in 91 days!!!!!!!
In my humble opinion, you are barking at the wrong business, the Cad dealer. Get to beating on the insurance company.
Who in their right mind would want a car that had been struck by lightning and repaired anyway!!!!
I agree with previous posts, if lightning struck your car, it should be an insurance claim. Most warranties do not cover "acts of God" and that is why you have comprehensive insuance coverage. Look at it this way, if lightning had hit a nearby tree and the tree fell on your car, I doubt Cadillac would be trying to fix it.
The insurance rep has been vigorous in trying to assist in getting a response from the dealer. After about a month, the insurance company was told it would take $1,500 in parts and a couple of days labor to fix the car. I personally don't believe that they even looked at the car, other than fuses,in the first month. The problem is lame excuses from the dealer. When my wife went to the dealer after about three weeks, to speak to the service manager, after waiting an hour she was told "the service manager is in the bathroom, and his zipper is stuck, so he can't come out and talk to you". I go to the dealership every week to talk to the general manager. They give excuses like "The factory shipped us a rebuilt part, but we wanted a new part, so we sent it back". Yesterday they told me "We have determined that you need an ABS module, but ABS modules are on recall, and the factory will not ship it to us". When I go see the general manager, he gives excuses like "the service manager is under a car in the shop, and he can't join us". This has been going on for 62 days, and my frustration is being compounded by the fact that I am being stonewalled by Cadillac customer service.
Regarding the service problem, the car is a 2000 DTS which I purchased new on March 18, 2000 for over $50,000. It has been in the dealer shop since the morning of August 10. It does not need to be totaled. The repair estimate is $1,500. for parts. I fear that the dealer does not have a service person capable of working on the car.
Gee whiz, man! A $50,000 car you haven't had in your hands for 61+ days!
Why put up with this stuff? All the things the dealer is telling you are completely bogus.
Of course the insurance man is willing to wait, especially if you don't have a rental clause in your policy. He has been told it is a $1,500 repair. He is willing to wait forever to get a deal like this. The dealer seems totally incompentent and is lying to you to boot.
I still say, beat on the insurance. Demand they load the car on a wrecker and move to another Cad dealer, I wouldn't care if it's 100+ miles away! And demand this dealer give you an reasonable estimate and time it will take to get your car rebuilt.
Start looking for the phone number of your state insurance commissioner, I bet you are going to need to talk to him. You should start building a log of the conversations with the Cad dealer and insurance people, and especially log all future transactions.
If struck by lightning, I still wouldn't want the car after any kind of repairs......
Where exactly did lightning hit the car? I'm not doubting you one bit, but I must say, that is the first time I have ever heard of a car being struck directy by lightning.
Lightning struck the OnStar antenna as my wife was driving on the expressway. It was during a thunderstorm. I have already tried to transfer the car to another Cadillac dealer, but the other dealers will not accept a car where work has been started but not completed by another dealer. It is almost criminal that Cadillac customer service will not even let me talk to a supervisor or manager at Cadillac. The local dealer is totally incompetent, has no credibility whatsoever, and Cadillac has given them a monopoly for our city. Cadillac took my $50K, and then are leaving me out to dry when I have a problem that will be impossible to resolve without their assistance.
Write to the President of Cadillac and copy the CEO of GM, John F. Smith Jr. I am positive that if you make a serious stink about this at that level, you will have some movement quick, fast and in a hurry.
Also, contact your local media and see if they are interested in helping you out. After all, how many times does a car get struck by lightning in the exact spot where it can do any damage.
Thank you. Do you happen to know the name and address of the President of Cadillac? I have been unable to find it on the Internet, and when I made an inquiry to a Cadillac dealer, I was told that they could not give out that information. I am sending a certified letter today to the customer assistance address shown in the owner's manual. As a matter of information, I went to the see the general manager of the Cadillac dealership today, and his excuse for today was "we have to send your key out to get it coded before we can do any other work".
I'd write directly to Jack Smith. Before taking over as CEO from Sloane, he was the VP/General Manager for Cadillac. Having come from Cadillac, he will know that division the best and would likely have hand picked his successor.
I would copy your letter to your State Attorney General or Ombudsman as well as the BBB. Start making a serious racket. Write a letter a week until you have some clear forward motion.
Did your wife say exactly what happened when lightning hit the car? I'm just curious as I have never talked with anyone who has actually been in a car when it was struck by lightning. I think that would certainly qualify as a "freak accident."
She said there was a flash of light and her car shut off. There was no noise. She called me on her cell phone, and I told her to press the OnStar button and ask for a tow truck. She then discovered that OnStar was not working. Another motorist then stopped and said that he had seen the flash strike the antenna. It is interesting that when the dealer tested OnStar, it worked and did not need repair, so apparently the lightning voltage did not burn the wiring, although the rubber surrounding the antenna was partially melted. I personally think there is not much damage, but I think the dealer technician does not have the expertise to reset the various computer programs that control the electronics in the car, and consequently the car sits there with little or no work being done. This is why I desperately need a little attention from Cadillac Motor Division
This is a strange situation for a car to be struck by lightning. She must of been, kind of sound dumb but anyhow, some where in an area where some things around at that time could have been lightning sensitive and evidently must of hit your car by mistake if the car was near lightning sensitive object. I never heard of such thing before.
Actually, lightning strikes at cars are rare but not unheard of. Cars are inheritly grounded which is why your wife was unhurt during the strike. The current went through the car straight to the ground. 30 years ago, the worst that would have happened would be the car stalling. 20 years ago you might have blown the engine computer, but the computers were so simple then so it might have survived anyway. These days a 2000 Deville has engine computers, computers for ABS and Stabilitrak, radio and navigation systems, OnStar and probably a few others I haven't thought of. Instead of simple wiring, a multiplexed series of wires that transmits signals about all systems (i.e. a network) throughout the car. A lightning strike could have seriously damaged any one of these systems.
Even worse, subtle damage could have happened that would have make a device flakey and not fail completely. It's an electrical nightmare to debug something like this but the obvious answer is to replace everything electrical until the car works. Your dealer sounds like they are complete morons who should have their dealership yanked. If my company had people who acted this way, the upper management would enjoy firing them.
In addition to the suggestions that have already been offered, don't hesistate to raise the spectre of legal action to them. This should get the dealer's attention, if nothing else. Judges have little sympathy for companies giving a customer the runaround for 2+ months with such an expensive purchase.
Your treatment from your local Cadillac dealer is despicable. It is one reason why this brand and American luxury cars are taking a beating by the German and Japanese marques. I once needed a part for my Mercedes and it was flown out the NEXT day on Lufthansa, to give me good service. And, I WAS impressed and have owned three M.B.'s. Now, due to my poor service on my DTS and stories like yours, this second Cadillac of mine will probably be my last. And, it's not due to the car itself but the dealer. Someone suggested contacting Jack Smith, but I do not believe he is still the Pres. or Chairman of GM anymore...
Do not stand for this treatment. Be polite but vocal on expressing your outrage. Please keep us informed...and, good luck.
Thank you for your interest and support. It is a shame that Cadillac's customer support is so poor, because the DTS is a terrific automobile. It has great handling and exceptional comfort. My personal opinion is that there is no physical damage to the car other than the OnStar antenna and the glass surrounding the antenna, which is rough and discolored. There was no odor in the car to indicate that wiring or insulation had been overheated. I think that the car was surrounded by a strong electrical field that disturbed the software programs which control the functions of the car. I learned yesterday that the only person at the dealership who supposedly knows how to do reprogramming is the service manager. I think he is over his head, and doesn't know where to begin, and that's why they have used all the lame excuses and stalling tactics. I could probably have driven my car away on the first day if he had the expertise to reprogram the computers. This is what makes the stonewalling by Cadillac customer service so frustrating. If we could get someone'e attention, they could either send in someone from the factory to assist with the reprogramming, or send in a specialist from another dealer. I sent certified letters two days ago to the owner of the dealership and to Cadillac Customer Assistance Center. Hopefully this sad saga will end soon.
Comments
For those wanting this option, THIS SUCKS!
I don't want to get screwed on the money factor which is the interest part of the lease. Any info would be appreciated.
DDSach: On invoice pricing. GENERALLY, if you take the MSRP and multiply by 92.8%, it will get you real close to invoice. This also depends on whether or not they have to pay advertising in their local market. Advertising is around 1% of msrp. The 92.8% figure includes a 1% advertising fee. Figure on a 41,400 car (Base Deville with leather) invoice is around 38400. Take $2,000 off for the dealer cash. Take another $1,000 for being a demo (the dealer should do this) That's 35,400. If there is no local advertising, take another 400 off. Sounds like you are getting the car for around our actual cost. I can tell you I just sold a 00 base Deville with Leather, 9800 miles, used, for 33,000 + taxes. However, this was a car from Enterprise. Take that into account. I can buy them right now from auction for about 28,000. I caution you though. Do not expect to get the demo for the same price as a used car. To the consumer they are the same. To the dealer they are not. And we set the price. We still have a cost factor. Why on earth would we sell a car and lose $4,000 on it? If you are considering the demo, look into a used one instead for the money.
What I am talking about is not getting screwed in the deal. I have already agreed to go $1,000 over invoice which is against my general principle, but since we have to order the car rather than just taking it out of popcon, I figure I am taking up more of the dealer's time.
That give the dealer the holdback, flooring assistance an a grand on top of it. But this will only work if I know how they got the interest rate (money factor) and that it has not been loaded. I also want to make sure that any incentives Cadillac has at the time of the deal go back into it.
I have asked this dealer to tell me how much he wants to make. It is a simple question and I have no problem being fair, but why should it be some big friggin secret? It's the smoke and mirrors tactics that makes me approach this from a defensive position.
Do you have an accessory like a radar detector which could account for the problem?
If yes & no to the above, you probably have a bad battery.
Dealer replaced the radio, that fixed it.
Never before heard of a radio having a short and killing a battery. Wonder what that AM/FM Cassette CD radio cost?
Asked me if I was doing this, which I wasn't.
This was in late 1997, the 95 Concours was used car purchase.
You can feel good that you have helped so many people by answering their questions about Cadillacs and the purchasing process.
We are planning to purchase a new deville just before Christmas, but would appreciate your opinion on whether we should wait till after the first of the year. I've heard that there will be changes in the On-Star program effective 1 Jan., and also wonder if you would expect any price advantage by waiting.
I have seen ads that mentioned a "customer loyalty" bonus of $1,000 for current Cadillac owners. Is this always available, or only at close-out time? Also, is that from GM or the local dealer?
Is this a common problem? Any suggested solutions?
51Hornet: Onstar has been changed for every single 01 product. It won't matter when you buy one as far as beginning or end of year. The $1,000 rebate is coming from the dealer, not the manufacturer. The only thing I know of is that Cadillac increased the dealer cash from $2,000 to $3,000. Maybe they are using the extra grand. Keep in mind, there are 5 zones in the US. I only get info concerning the North Central region. They may have something different. And before anyone starts driving across country to save a grand, you only get the rebate based on where you live
Tonorad: I have heard of this problem on a few other ones. It is a problem, not a change in options.
Personally I like the smart buy and will probably do it again when it comes time to turn in the Sub.
The DTSi built for Tim is painted the same Silver color that the Evoq show car came in, and has lots of custom trim and parts. The car is rated at 398HP!
I know most of you guys have newer Caddies than mine. I love mine and it is the first Cadillac I've owned. I could afford a new one, but I am certain I would be satisfied with an earlier model Deville and I have other motoring interests to put the extra money in (such as a new Honda Goldwing). I hope that some of you who have either had or do have one of these models can also shed some light on anything I should look out for before I buy one.
Thanks to all of you for reading my post.
guess it depends on the climate, but Rust is covered for 6 years or 100,000 miles under the standard Cadillac warranty.
Personally, I have had a '96 and now own a '98 which will be traded on an '01 in January. I would imagine you would be happier in a '97 assuming the rust issue can be resolved. It is a newer looking body style and has some improvements in the Northstar. Good Luck with your search.
As far as issues go, you might want to go back and check out some of the previous postings in this conference. There were some people that have experienced some excessive oil consumption, save that they are really good cars.
Good Luck
2001 Deville DHS. Has any one had this experience on a 2000 or 2001 Deville? Is this a common occurence?
Thanks.
I would tell anyone interested in buying a Cadillac DTS, that it is a wonderful car with great handling and exceptional comfort. However, the Cadillac organization does not stand behind their customer to assist them when the customer is having very serious problems with an incompetent dealer. Cadillac management assigned an exclusive franchise in my city to this dealer; they should take some responsibility to put some pressure on the dealer when my car has been in the shop for 61 days and counting. Has anyone had experience with Mercedes, Lincoln or Lexus customer service? Is the Cadillac attitude typical, or unusual?
Wowser: I would advise against it. The airbag is located under the dashboard. Go in through the bottom of the dashboard.
Pfergy: Smartbuys are better with Chevrolets and Pontiacs because that is where they put there money. A cadillac leased will by around 100-125 a month cheaper than a smartbuy. So I guess we are both right. Philly, if you get another Cadillac, lease it. Email me at J_balcer@yahoo.com with your return e-mail and I will send you a comparison between buying and leasing the same car. Leasing comes out probably 200 bucks cheaper because of the inflated residuals Cadillac offers.
So I will lease again, but I have a problem. We agreed on a price of $1000 over invoice, but my dealer has the APR (money factor, lease rate or whatever they call it today) set at .625. They have also assumed a residual of 51%. I have another dealer that has figured the rate at .400 and the residual at 52%. This makes the monthly payments $104 cheaper!
So, who sets the residual and the interest rates?
My dealer says that GMAC set them. GMAC says that rates and residual are set by the dealer and that they are merely an "acceptance" corporation.
Who is lying?
I don't know where you live, but there must be more than one dealer around. I can not believe that Cadillac is not helping. I would have been camping out in the Regional VP's office by now.
I am sorry for your experience. I have heard of other problems like this happening with Mercedes, Lexus and BMW. I am glad that yours is the exception rather than the rule.
The light went on (check engine soon) This morning I tried a new dealer that I have never used. After three non returned calls to find out if I should pick up the car I finally reached the service rep late in the afternoon to get the skinny and he told me that one of the wires wasn't making contact properly with the plug, so they replaced the plug (one month old) and the one wire (three days old) and to pick it up in the morning. Now I had the wire plug fit checked by a pro mechanic friend of mine and he said all was well with the connection. Why would they replace as I was told, one plug and one wire? I just cant see them breaking up a set of 160.00 retail wires for one wire. I smell a rat. The service guy told me they wouldn't charge me the 100 dollar deductable but just 91.50 I said to do the deductible and I'll spring for the 100 but he said NO. "Why do I keep smelling a rat? I asked for the parts back but again I have a feeling I will be told ooops we threw them out. anybody got a clue as to what is going on?
Tipping:I live off tips and if I could find someone worth tipping I'd come up with a bottle of wine a case of fancy beer or something of that nature. Cash in a situation such as a dealership I feel is not appropriate. A guy at a car wash is working for peanuts......tip him
joe
But if yours was, and it got into the electrical wiring of your car, I would think the 10million or so volts and God knows what amperage from the lightning would have fried every inch of wires in the car. And every electronic module, sensor, control, motor, switch, etc would also be fried.
What I would be asking, and mainly you should be talking to your insurance company - why in the world is anyone trying to repair this car??????
TOTAL IT. Demand your insurance company total it. You've got a very, very good basis for this - the local dealer has not been able to fix the thing in 91 days!!!!!!!
In my humble opinion, you are barking at the wrong business, the Cad dealer. Get to beating on the insurance company.
Who in their right mind would want a car that had been struck by lightning and repaired anyway!!!!
When I go see the general manager, he gives excuses like "the service manager is under a car in the shop, and he can't join us". This has been going on for 62 days, and my frustration is being compounded by the fact that I am being stonewalled by Cadillac customer service.
Why put up with this stuff? All the things the dealer is telling you are completely bogus.
Of course the insurance man is willing to wait, especially if you don't have a rental clause in your policy. He has been told it is a $1,500 repair. He is willing to wait forever to get a deal like this. The dealer seems totally incompentent and is lying to you to boot.
I still say, beat on the insurance. Demand they load the car on a wrecker and move to another Cad dealer, I wouldn't care if it's 100+ miles away! And demand this dealer give you an reasonable estimate and time it will take to get your car rebuilt.
Start looking for the phone number of your state insurance commissioner, I bet you are going to need to talk to him. You should start building a log of the conversations with the Cad dealer and insurance people, and especially log all future transactions.
If struck by lightning, I still wouldn't want the car after any kind of repairs......
Cadillac has given them a monopoly for our city. Cadillac took my $50K, and then are leaving me out to dry when I have a problem that will be impossible to resolve without their assistance.
Also, contact your local media and see if they are interested in helping you out. After all, how many times does a car get struck by lightning in the exact spot where it can do any damage.
I would copy your letter to your State Attorney General or Ombudsman as well as the BBB. Start making a serious racket. Write a letter a week until you have some clear forward motion.
This is why I desperately need a little attention from Cadillac Motor Division
Even worse, subtle damage could have happened that would have make a device flakey and not fail completely. It's an electrical nightmare to debug something like this but the obvious answer is to replace everything electrical until the car works. Your dealer sounds like they are complete morons who should have their dealership yanked. If my company had people who acted this way, the upper management would enjoy firing them.
In addition to the suggestions that have already been offered, don't hesistate to raise the spectre of legal action to them. This should get the dealer's attention, if nothing else. Judges have little sympathy for companies giving a customer the runaround for 2+ months with such an expensive purchase.
Do not stand for this treatment. Be polite but vocal on expressing your outrage. Please keep us informed...and, good luck.
My personal opinion is that there is no physical damage to the car other than the OnStar antenna and the glass surrounding the antenna, which is rough and discolored. There was no odor in the car to indicate that wiring or insulation had been overheated. I think that the car was surrounded by a strong electrical field that disturbed the software programs which control the functions of the car. I learned yesterday that the only person at the dealership who supposedly knows how to do reprogramming is the service manager. I think he is over his head, and doesn't know where to begin, and that's why they have used all the lame excuses and stalling tactics. I could probably have driven my car away on the first day if he had the expertise to reprogram the computers. This is what makes the stonewalling by Cadillac customer service so frustrating. If we could get someone'e attention, they could either send in someone from the factory to assist with the reprogramming, or send in a specialist from another dealer. I sent certified letters two days ago to the owner of the dealership and to Cadillac Customer Assistance Center. Hopefully this sad saga will end soon.