My Chrysler dealer also has an "attitude problem". When I was shopping for my M, I demanded they find me one with the luxury group AND perfomance handling. The first salesman I saw (a 7 year vet with that dealer) showed me their entire stock of 2 M's with a real sh*tty "take-it-or-leave-it" attitude, so I left. I came back a couple weeks later and deliberately talked to another salesman who was most helpful. Unfortunately, he left the dealership a few days after taking my deposit & I was passed over to another salesman. He was also was most helpful and found my "dream car"- my Garnet M. At 'closing', I praised this salesman highly to the dealership manager. It didn't help as within a month that salesman was gone too- but the tenured *ssh*le was still there. Will it ever dawn on DC that rude and nasty dealership personnel hurt their sales???????
I was in the market for a 300M last December. I wanted to get a discounted 2000 from carsdirect.com. But the ones with the options I wanted were all gone. So I turned to the Costco Auto Program. A guy from the local dealer contacted me. Their '00 selection was also limited. So I had him quote me some 2001s. They had a fully loaded one for under the carsdirect.com price in beautiful Steel Blue. I went there the next day, test drove it, signed a few papers and took it home. I really enjoyed this kind of buying experience. No talking to a BS artist involved :-)
I checked with my dealer on my Specials status and est. ship date. I told him I had inside info through the group which he thought was pretty cool. His report showed the car at status BK (Built, released, ready to ship) and had an estimated ship date of 12/12 so it's very possible both our cars will go out on 12/14. And yes, it's a bit weird that my cars est. ship date was before yours even though it was built a week later. Go figure.
My experance was very plesent. I went in and told him what I wanted and within two hours was out of there in my car. I delt with the fleet manager (I try to cut out the middle men or women) My Honda was another story.
Most of the aturabutes you gave to Acura TL-S I have fixed on the 300M, like accelleration, drifting, ect. The car is quieter and handles better then ever. Although it is 0.2 still slower then your Type S. but getting there.
I believe it is the color. I drive fast (usually 10 to 20 over the limit) and have not ever got a speeding ticket. My stealth Cypress Green must not show up on the laser or radar guns, maybe that is why they discontinued it.
Interesting observations about the 300M and how many are around in other parts of the country.
We must have different buying patterns in the midwest because there are quite a few of them on the road around here. I usually pass 1 or 2 every day going to work and back. My dealer has trouble keeping them in stock, especially right now. They aren't as common as Intrepids but they are more common than Acura TL's, Audi's, or Bimmer's.
Bought a system on Ebay and it was not as stated. so now I am having to deal with the company to correct the problem. I just hope I can finish it before Christmas. May try to install my Intrex springs this weekend I will probably change the struts to firmer ones to stop the possibilty of vibration. Question, I remember times when the cars were "jacked up" was thinking of just putting on the front ones to see how it would handle and look.
another door lock actuator is acting up and also I again told them I think the passenger door lock switch is the wrong type--its black and the rest of the switches are chrome---otto--can you settle this once and for all---did the 2000's have all chrome swithces including the passenger door lock or is the dealer snowing me telling me all the 2K's have a black passenger door lock switch
I went to the dealer without an appointment and just wanted them to order the acuator which I knew was bad and the door switch---they made me wait almost 2 hours till a tech could look at it-- I have other parts on order already and just wanted all the parts to come in at the same time
Also I again mentioned the seat movement problem and even though I showed them it moves slightly, they again told me that is normal and there is nothing they could do--I even gave them the TSB number and they claimed it doesnt apply to my year vehicle, but to earlier ones---am I getting a runnaround--is it time to go to another dealer? I think I'm getting the same treatment as fastdriver's experience--the car is great, the dealer s*#@&.
I had ordered my R/T and waited and waited. It seems to me that DC isn't the only one to blame for not shipping them out. As I recall, my "dealer" had some input and they seemed to want to take their time with the whole process. Then to make it even more loong, they didn't follow up on paperwork to get my car on a ship to Guam. I actually had to do the phone calling and get them to proceed. Maybe Otto remembers from our conversations on a different forum. In this case maybe DC is waiting to release those Specials so that they don't just trickle into the dealerships.
are you the one who out bid me on those springs? if so,guess i wasn`t slick enuff huh? oh well more will come,i seen the 2" promo`s on there. is that anyone here..(visionary computers)? if so,i wont out bid.
Hey guys good news ,we started shipping today. Kosh yours has been shipped ,but poor Arby's has not ? His was built first , figure that out. The only thing I can figure is that Kosh's car was easier to get to and Arby's was in the middle of the yard .
not so scarce in Florida. There is a good number of 300Ms here. But most are non-PHP. Some dealers NEVER order any PHPs. One dealer in Palm Beach said that he ONCE had one PHP and they sold it to a guy who came out of a Cadillac. The story goes that the guy returned the PHP 300M the next day and picked up a non-PHP one, the ride of PHP was too harsh for him.
I just took delivery of my new 300M. I only bought a new car because of the 0.0% financing and the 7 year warranty. I really like the 300M's style and color (dark blue) w/ chrome wheels. I am impressed with the performance for the cars category. I love the nice features such as dual memory heated seats, real wood, information such as tire pressure, etc. I now wish I would have got the very best stereo option. The seats are a very weird smooth leather. I don't get them. I keep thinking that they are going to rip or something. But it is just probably that I'm used to my Bonneville and Porsche seats which I love. If you stand about 40' away and look at the direct profile of the 300M you will see that it really does have some beautiful lines.
We also got told that we are to be laid off for two weeks Jan 14 and 21 . Guess I can now go to the Detroit auto show during the weekday when its not so packed. Hey all you guys and gals sitting on the fence ,thinking about getting a new M , go for it . keep me working !!!!
sdmike2- yeah sad but happy. maybe one day I will see them when they are a little older. sniff sniff
I did a little maneuvering back and forth with the car, it defenitly needs some handling improvements. But the trade off is the comfort of everyday driving. I almost would prefer the harsher ride, and know that my car is going to move on the road and not wobble back and forth. I see a few suggestions for improvement, mostly ordering the performance handling, I am going to see if my dealer can improve it after the fact.
It should reach here in about 7 to 10 days, assuming it doesn't get stuck at the St. Paul rail yard waiting for a truck. It could be a Christmas present or New Years baby. We shall see.
Drat Otto, that sucks to get a two week furlough. But being able to attend the NAIAS isn't a bad alternative. Glad I was able to contribute a little to the effort to keep ya workin.
That's just a programmed reminder to do the normal maintenance stuff like oil change, inspect brakes, rotate tires, etc. It's not tied to anything specific. If you crack your owners manual and check out the trip computer section you should find instructions on how to reset it, set the mileage interval you want and so on. I don't recall if you can just shut it off or not.
if you have the luxury group it's easy to set the service intervals using the buttons on your overhead computer. Mine is set to remind me of my 5,000 mile oil changes.
Hey Otto, thanks for the update. At least the cars are finally starting to roll off the lot. Who knows. Maybe today it'll go out. Kosh, you lucky SOB. Enjoy your Special. :-)
Otto, I'm sorry to hear of the "forced" vacation. Consider it a winter "vacation".
LOL! The salesman who sold that PHP 300M to someone coming out of a Caddy must not do his homework. Talk about an inevitable outcome.
I was cruising a dealer lot in the Twin Cities southern suburbs last fall looking for 02 M's. They had six of them already and believe it or not EVERY one of them had the PHP package. I was hoping for at least 1 and surprised to find that many, literally their entire inventory of M's.
I thought about the same thing but my dealer looks like they haven't sold "any" 300Ms since I was in for a test drive 3 weeks ago. I'd think they would be drooling for my sale at this point. My main concern is the 0% financing ending January 4th.
Keep in mind that it has to get here first BEFORE I can enjoy it. I know of one instance where a vehicle just sat at the St. Paul yard for over 2 weeks because there were no loads going in the dealers direction. That won't be the case here, but until it's safe in the garage I'll be holding my breath.
I'll bet that Otto will be posting that your's shipped today!
But I agree, it's weird that the last built is the first shipped. Maybe it's based on some complex formula like phases of the moon or something! LOL!
I'm wondering about how your different 5* dealers treat you? Since this is my first time with a Chryler Dealer for my soon to be purchased "Special". My dealer's service department is not open on saturdays. They don't offer loaner cars while mine is in for service. Are all Chrsyler dealers the same? I'm worried that the 5* will only last through the Sales Department and once I buy the thing I'll be treated like a second class citizen. Should I be concerned? It's 5* but it's not a big dealer. What makes a 5* Dealer better than a regular Dealer?
I have a '99 300M. Is there anyway to program the transmitter so that when you press 'UNLOCK' the lights flash ? The interior lights come on but the windows are tinted and you're very far away it's not noticeable. Thanks in advance....
I have a '01 M, and my Chrysler dealer is a 5*. The service dept. is fantastic, they are open Saturdays for Oil chgs & Tire rotations only. Where I live a vast majority of the car dealers are on the same street or one over so they seem to be very aggressive at their attempts to offer excellent customer service. Next to my dealer is a Buick, Chevrolet, GMC, Daewoo, Dodge, Mercedes, Infiniti, Saab, and Acura dealers. Down the street is BMW, Cadilac, Hyundai, Land Rover, Saturn, Lincoln, Lexus, Nissan, Honda, Mazda, Suzuki, Kia, Porche, Jaguar, Audi, and Volkswagon. It really is a literal car lovers paradise here, no need for me to go to a Car Show unless I want to see concept cars. My wife's Dodge dealer across the street is a 5* and they are great too! I consider myself lucky after reading some of the horror stories some other M owners have had to share here. I used to live in a city where the dealers were far apart and their service was usually not very good, I do believe a makes a difference. However, it shouldn't make a difference, right?
yea we should come up with some ideas and send'em in, maybe even make a little promo vid...haha i can picture it now. here are 3 commercials for the WRX, my02 subaru, the first one if my fav...
i mean u cant make a commercial for the 300 like this of course, but at least show some spunk huh? i mean the 300 WAS a racecar for a long time, and it comes from good roots. the best car commercial of all time is the my02 Nissan altima, the stunt driver has my repect, unfortunately after seeing the commercial i ran out and tried the 360 spin without any horizontal movement, read how to do it and all on the net, watched some videos, got arrogant, went and tried it, big disaster. i just ended up making a 65ft figure 8
You know I might be in the same situation. One of my coworkers who frequently rides in my car is seriously considering buying an M -- she loves mine! But at least I know it won't look anything like mine as I have a discontinued color and no chrome trim :-)!.
Large American luxury sedans in So CA just aren't that popular. Most people out here who are going to spend $30,000 will buy an SUV or 4-door truck instead (or a foreign made car). I was back East a couple years ago just after buying my M and was suprised at how many I saw back there as opposed to here. I probably only see about one M a day now (and I commute on the freeway). PT Cruisers have only been out for a little over a year and I see at least 10 of them a day. (Intrepids are pretty popular too). One good thing about the small percentage of M's is that the resale value is higher here. The last time I was as the Chrysler dealer they only had 3 2002's on the lot (and about 20 PT's). They were asking over $34,000 for them all. They had an used 2001 with 14,000 miles on it and were asking $27,000! (it didn't even have the luxury package). I have yet to see a 1999 advertised for less than $22,000.
Has anybody that bought an 01 back in 00 or up to the recent new warranty ads try and go back to the dealer and ask them what we need to do for that warranty to be applied? I bought my 01 back in November of 00, and with all of the warranty stuff in the papers, you would think that DC would send the first 01 model owners a letter stating that it applies to our cars..I guess that is just way to forward thinking..??
Hey zoomnm, do me favor. Take your new M and go about 65 to 70MPH and accelerate up a hill and see if you experience a low frequency vibration through the steering wheel. My 2002 has this vibration and it's real annoying. Dealer and Chrysler have no clue say it's "the way they are". Thanks Tom
I've probably owned around 15 to 20 cars and I just have to state that this 2001 M is the best car I have ever driven. I can't explain the feeling you get when you jump into it and get the tunes going and just go for a tour. I've owned a new Maxima and a new Grand Prix and although they were nice cars they never put me into the "zone " that the "M" does when I get into it. It just seems to say, "Get in, let's go". Arby and Kosh, I'm sure you will feel the same way when yours arrive. P.S. We've had about 5" of snow today. I swear poor "Beast" is shivering out there.
Good news Arby your baby is one its way .Mr Stork was good enough to take on more when he left this morning. I wish I could have been there to say goodbye but , Dr Otto had a few more Special babies to deliver. As for the two weeks in Jan ,it's not that bad . The doctor needs a rest and we get good $$ when we are laid off. Yeah ,cant wait for the auto show in Motor City. I think they will have some concepts to show the direction we will be going in 2004.
Here's directions for a list of the things you can toggle/switch on w/o the lux group. Not all of them are avail on the 99 (mine's an 01) but the light flash should work...
Instead of typing it again, I just copied what I posted here (Splatt was taken on that board
here's a couple things you can turn on/off if you don't have the EVIC (comes with the lux group).
Auto unlock on exit. The doors will all unlock if the driver door is opened and the car is turned off (in either order btw).
- close all doors and place key in ignition
- cycle between on/run and off 4 times ending in off
- depress the power door unlock switch to unlock the doors
- a chime will sound to indicate that it's been done
Unlock all doors on one press or two (first being drivers, second the rest). These directions will toggle between the two:
- press and hold the Unlock button on the transmitter
- continue to hold the unlock, wait at least 4 but less than 10 seconds, then press the lock button
- release both buttons
Lamp flash on unlock(toggle):
- Press and hold lock on transmitter
- hold between 4 and 10 seconds, then press trunk button
- release both buttons
To enable/disable horn chirp on lock:
- press and hold lock
- hold between 4 to 10 seconds, then press the unlock button
- release both buttons.
To unlock trunk on immediate press of trunk or press and hold 3 seconds (i prefer to have to hold it 3 secs since I'll hit it by mistake too much (toggle)
- press and hold unlock button
- hold between 4 and 10 secs, then press trunk button
most dealers should really be rated about 2*. In order to get 5* rating they have to have satisfactory feedback from customers. They send out rating forms to get this input. In my opinion, the 5* dealers only send form out to customers who they know were treated well and are satisfied. The customers who appear not satisfied most likely are never sent a form to fill out. I know I only received one after my first visit. I havent received any forms for my last 5 visits as they must sense that I am not a happy customers. The dealers not rated 5* (they are in the minority) probably send out forms to all their customers and must get some bad responses. All the above IMHO only.
Well your baby is now on it's way too. Welcome to the wait-a-thon.
About the 5* service question. The dealer here hasn't earned its 5*'s yet, but they are trying hard. Their service department has done a 180 about face from just a few years ago. The technician even signs his/her name on the service order and a card left hanging on the mirror. In short they sign their name to their work. And my experience has been great the last few times I've taken a car in for routine maintenance. I've heard good comments about them around town, which never used to be the case.
In contrast the the 5* dealer in the town where I work is a constant source of complaints from my co-worker's who take their cars there.
So, in the end, it isn't so much the 5* rating as it is the attitude of the dealership management. It's the genuine commitment to customer service that makes the difference.
I am looking for a used factory radio/cd/cassette to fit my new (to me) '99 Concorde (some for sale on e-bay, plus also have found an individual wanting to sell his/her radio/cd/cassette).
Here's the question: The model number for these radios is P04858540A[X], with the [X] being a variable - so far, I've seen [X] = E, G, and H on ones for sale. Does anyone know if that is a rolling revision number? Or does it simply reflect model year without any real design or performance differences, or perhaps slight variations for different vehicles (Concorde vs. 300M ve LHS etc.)? My guess is that an "E" is earlier than a "G" is earlier than an "H".
Can anyone verify this, and do you know if an "E" would be inferior to a "G" or "H" in form/fit/function - especially performance? I ask because an individual is willing to sell directly to me for a good price, but it's an "E" (he says out of a 300M "PHG and luxury package" (and I don't know what that means - he's not said what year) - so I'm wondering if I should pay a little more for a "G" or "H" (if for example they are much later or "improved" versions).
Waited the 4.5 weeks and my beautiful steel blue 300m came in and ahhrgh, the dealer screwed up the order and didn't get the lux group or chrome wheels. First told me I couldn't get the chrome with the PHG, yeah right (that's not true is it?). But when I realized he didn't get the lux group either, I decided to reorder. Order went in on 12/12, will it make it before the two week shut down I'm reading about? Ottowrkr?
Comments
I checked with my dealer on my Specials status and est. ship date. I told him I had inside info through the group which he thought was pretty cool. His report showed the car at status BK (Built, released, ready to ship) and had an estimated ship date of 12/12 so it's very possible both our cars will go out on 12/14. And yes, it's a bit weird that my cars est. ship date was before yours even though it was built a week later. Go figure.
We must have different buying patterns in the midwest because there are quite a few of them on the road around here. I usually pass 1 or 2 every day going to work and back. My dealer has trouble keeping them in stock, especially right now. They aren't as common as Intrepids but they are more common than Acura TL's, Audi's, or Bimmer's.
I went to the dealer without an appointment and just wanted them to order the acuator which I knew was bad and the door switch---they made me wait almost 2 hours till a tech could look at it-- I have other parts on order already and just wanted all the parts to come in at the same time
Also I again mentioned the seat movement problem and even though I showed them it moves slightly, they again told me that is normal and there is nothing they could do--I even gave them the TSB number and they claimed it doesnt apply to my year vehicle, but to earlier ones---am I getting a runnaround--is it time to go to another dealer?
I think I'm getting the same treatment as fastdriver's experience--the car is great, the dealer s*#@&.
SDmike--you should get my return mail by xmas---
if so,guess i wasn`t slick enuff huh? oh well more will come,i seen the 2" promo`s on there.
is that anyone here..(visionary computers)?
if so,i wont out bid.
hey if you picture a traditional radar screen... it's green, right? no wonder your green 300M did not show up on the radar!
If you stand about 40' away and look at the direct profile of the 300M you will see that it really does have some beautiful lines.
sdmike2- yeah sad but happy. maybe one day I will see them when they are a little older. sniff sniff
I see a few suggestions for improvement, mostly ordering the performance handling, I am going to see if my dealer can improve it after the fact.
Far out! The new family member is on the way.
It should reach here in about 7 to 10 days, assuming it doesn't get stuck at the St. Paul rail yard waiting for a truck. It could be a Christmas present or New Years baby. We shall see.
Drat Otto, that sucks to get a two week furlough. But being able to attend the NAIAS isn't a bad alternative. Glad I was able to contribute a little to the effort to keep ya workin.
That's just a programmed reminder to do the normal maintenance stuff like oil change, inspect brakes, rotate tires, etc. It's not tied to anything specific. If you crack your owners manual and check out the trip computer section you should find instructions on how to reset it, set the mileage interval you want and so on. I don't recall if you can just shut it off or not.
Otto, I'm sorry to hear of the "forced" vacation. Consider it a winter "vacation".
LOL! The salesman who sold that PHP 300M to someone coming out of a Caddy must not do his homework. Talk about an inevitable outcome.
I was cruising a dealer lot in the Twin Cities southern suburbs last fall looking for 02 M's. They had six of them already and believe it or not EVERY one of them had the PHP package. I was hoping for at least 1 and surprised to find that many, literally their entire inventory of M's.
Keep in mind that it has to get here first BEFORE I can enjoy it.
I'll bet that Otto will be posting that your's shipped today!
But I agree, it's weird that the last built is the first shipped. Maybe it's based on some complex formula like phases of the moon or something! LOL!
http://frealfso.frostburg.edu/cs110LCf01/simmonsj/snowbid
i mean u cant make a commercial for the 300 like this of course, but at least show some spunk huh? i mean the 300 WAS a racecar for a long time, and it comes from good roots. the best car commercial of all time is the my02 Nissan altima, the stunt driver has my repect, unfortunately after seeing the commercial i ran out and tried the 360 spin without any horizontal movement, read how to do it and all on the net, watched some videos, got arrogant, went and tried it, big disaster. i just ended up making a 65ft figure 8
Has anybody that bought an 01 back in 00 or up to the recent new warranty ads try and go back to the dealer and ask them what we need to do for that warranty to be applied? I bought my 01 back in November of 00, and with all of the warranty stuff in the papers, you would think that DC would send the first 01 model owners a letter stating that it applies to our cars..I guess that is just way to forward thinking..??
It is a sales promotion, pure and simple.
Thanks
Tom
P.S. We've had about 5" of snow today. I swear poor "Beast" is shivering out there.
Instead of typing it again, I just copied what I posted here
http://pub88.ezboard.com/f300menthusiastsclubfrm1.showMessage?topicID=116.topic
here's a couple things you can turn on/off if you don't have the EVIC (comes with the lux group).
Auto unlock on exit. The doors will all unlock if the driver door is opened and the car is turned off (in either order btw).
- close all doors and place key in ignition
- cycle between on/run and off 4 times ending in off
- depress the power door unlock switch to unlock the doors
- a chime will sound to indicate that it's been done
Unlock all doors on one press or two (first being drivers, second the rest). These directions will toggle between the two:
- press and hold the Unlock button on the transmitter
- continue to hold the unlock, wait at least 4 but less than 10 seconds, then press the lock button
- release both buttons
Lamp flash on unlock(toggle):
- Press and hold lock on transmitter
- hold between 4 and 10 seconds, then press trunk button
- release both buttons
To enable/disable horn chirp on lock:
- press and hold lock
- hold between 4 to 10 seconds, then press the unlock button
- release both buttons.
To unlock trunk on immediate press of trunk or press and hold 3 seconds (i prefer to have to hold it 3 secs since I'll hit it by mistake too much (toggle)
- press and hold unlock button
- hold between 4 and 10 secs, then press trunk button
- release both buttons.
Seat movement on entry/exit
Press and hold the set button
move the horizontal seat switch rearward
let go of the set and seat switches.
Enjoy
Easyrider300M
About the 5* service question. The dealer here hasn't earned its 5*'s yet, but they are trying hard. Their service department has done a 180 about face from just a few years ago. The technician even signs his/her name on the service order and a card left hanging on the mirror. In short they sign their name to their work. And my experience has been great the last few times I've taken a car in for routine maintenance. I've heard good comments about them around town, which never used to be the case.
In contrast the the 5* dealer in the town where I work is a constant source of complaints from my co-worker's who take their cars there.
So, in the end, it isn't so much the 5* rating as it is the attitude of the dealership management. It's the genuine commitment to customer service that makes the difference.
Here's the question: The model number for these radios is P04858540A[X], with the [X] being a variable - so far, I've seen [X] = E, G, and H on ones for sale. Does anyone know if that is a rolling revision number? Or does it simply reflect model year without any real design or performance differences, or perhaps slight variations for different vehicles (Concorde vs. 300M ve LHS etc.)? My guess is that an "E" is earlier than a "G" is earlier than an "H".
Can anyone verify this, and do you know if an "E" would be inferior to a "G" or "H" in form/fit/function - especially performance? I ask because an individual is willing to sell directly to me for a good price, but it's an "E" (he says out of a 300M "PHG and luxury package" (and I don't know what that means - he's not said what year) - so I'm wondering if I should pay a little more for a "G" or "H" (if for example they are much later or "improved" versions).
TIA for any information/advice.