Amazing what they can do with heart surgery these days. When my 30 year old son was born, they told us he had a hole in his heart. By the time he was to enter kindergarten, told the surgery had to be done, NOW! Scary times. Got in there, found another hole, patched them both up. Besides the scar on his chest, he's a healthy wonderful kid, getting married come October 15th. Has to take meds before and after any dental work and gets checked every few years but that's it. Since then, technology is so much better so most things are very easy to get done. One just needs to be positive about it all and things will be fine. Good luck with it all!
The Sandman
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2025 VW GTI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
Noticed with the help of a trusty Audi mechanic that my TTS' rear differential appears to be leaking over the exhsost and rear sway bar (enough to notice a drip on the sway bar).
More to come; I have an appointment for the seat trim thing Monday, but asking them if I can bring it in Friday due to this newly discovered issue, and I need this car tip top come early April.
Is that a warranty issue?
It darn well better be! If' Audi thinks they can put all "gaskets" or something or other relating to leaks of fluid/oil into the wear and tear 1 year 12,000 mile warranty category, they are going to have a fight on their hands. I doubt it'll come to that.
'18 Porsche Macan Turbo, '16 Audi TTS, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
Last week I had a big scare - an acute ischemic stroke. They have not pinned down the cause, but there are several risk factors including: hypertension, weight, sedentary lifestyle and a lousy 95 LDL cholesterol value.
It started with numbness on my cheek then it gradually moved down my left arm and fingers. Thank God it did NOT affect my speech or mobility.
Tomorrow I go in for an eolectrogram and I may have to wear a heart monitor for 30 days to rule out Afib as the cause of the stroke.
Other than a few anxious moments I feel fine. And I don't look forward to a lifetime of statins, diet and exercise.
Good luck with your test tomorrow.
Don't jump to conclusions about your possible future med regimen. A couple pills that have been around for many many years that have proven positive results, is not the worst thing that can happen to you.
Chin up.
jmonroe
Well said JMonroe....I am agreeing with you for the second time in two days. I guess maybe I should get a check up.
*Also under the 150 word limit.
Another left handed compliment.
Better than being critical of you all the time
About that check up...yeah, you need one and I'd like to be the one giving it. You'd be begging for a colonoscopy by the time I'm finished checking you out. :@
I don't even want to ask what that is going to entail
To abacomike, Statins are not only about lowering the cholesterol number. They tend to prevent the arteries from growing more buildup and even may decrease what ever buildup is present. The medications also tend to make the plaque stronger and less likely to fracture causing a heart attack. Best analogy is comparing a hard boiled egg shell to a regular egg shell. A crack in hard boiled one, contents do not spill out.
Thanks for stepping up ML. I was sure there was a logical reason for the doctor prescribing statins to Mike....and that explains it perfectly.
I had to drive this puppy today to get it warmed up for a customer- a tough job, but someone has to do it...
I like that BMW 3....guessing an M3. Is it black or graphite? My wife wouldn't allow me to get it in either color, but she would probably allow almost anything else....white or red would be good.
Noticed with the help of a trusty Audi mechanic that my TTS' rear differential appears to be leaking over the exhsost and rear sway bar (enough to notice a drip on the sway bar).
More to come; I have an appointment for the seat trim thing Monday, but asking them if I can bring it in Friday due to this newly discovered issue, and I need this car tip top come early April.
Is that a warranty issue?
It darn well better be! If' Audi thinks they can put all "gaskets" or something or other relating to leaks of fluid/oil into the wear and tear 1 year 12,000 mile warranty category, they are going to have a fight on their hands. I doubt it'll come to that
.
It will be interesting to see how Audi treats this one.
I am just hoping for the day when I get an email or call telling me they have a special on, and I tell them too bad you didn't honor the warranty for the clutch, or I may have considered one.
If the day ever comes when I want an Audi again I am going to get an additional $1200 off or forget it.
Amazing what they can do with heart surgery these days. When my 30 year old son was born, they told us he had a hole in his heart. By the time he was to enter kindergarten, told the surgery had to be done, NOW! Scary times. Got in there, found another hole, patched them both up. Besides the scar on his chest, he's a healthy wonderful kid, getting married come October 15th. Has to take meds before and after any dental work and gets checked every few years but that's it. Since then, technology is so much better so most things are very easy to get done. One just needs to be positive about it all and things will be fine. Good luck with it all!
The Sandman
Mr Sandman, Your sentence "When my 30 year old son was born," makes me think he must have been in the womb for a long time.
I know what you mean and I do that myself, sometimes torturing the English language. At any rate, I am glad your son is doing well and many people are still alive today through the miracle of modern science. Best wishes for the wedding and a very happy future.
Noticed with the help of a trusty Audi mechanic that my TTS' rear differential appears to be leaking over the exhsost and rear sway bar (enough to notice a drip on the sway bar).
More to come; I have an appointment for the seat trim thing Monday, but asking them if I can bring it in Friday due to this newly discovered issue, and I need this car tip top come early April.
Is that a warranty issue?
It darn well better be! If' Audi thinks they can put all "gaskets" or something or other relating to leaks of fluid/oil into the wear and tear 1 year 12,000 mile warranty category, they are going to have a fight on their hands. I doubt it'll come to that
.
It will be interesting to see how Audi treats this one.
I am just hoping for the day when I get an email or call telling me they have a special on, and I tell them too bad you didn't honor the warranty for the clutch, or I may have considered one.
If the day ever comes when I want an Audi again I am going to get an additional $1200 off or forget it.
Go back and read my post about how to get that 1200 bucks back.
You don't have to take that deal when it's offered but it nice to have it in your hip pocket if you ever change your mind.
This is what happens when you blow off my posts novels. :@
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
To abacomike,
Statins are not only about lowering the cholesterol number. They tend to prevent the arteries from growing more buildup and even may decrease what ever buildup is present. The medications also tend to make the plaque stronger and less likely to fracture causing a heart attack. Best analogy is comparing a hard boiled egg shell to a regular egg shell. A crack in hard boiled one, contents do not spill out.
Thanks for stepping up ML. I was sure there was a logical reason for the doctor prescribing statins to Mike....and that explains it perfectly.
Yes, but they cause liver function problems which I also have. I'm just a hell of a mess - that's for sure!!!
Noticed with the help of a trusty Audi mechanic that my TTS' rear differential appears to be leaking over the exhsost and rear sway bar (enough to notice a drip on the sway bar).
More to come; I have an appointment for the seat trim thing Monday, but asking them if I can bring it in Friday due to this newly discovered issue, and I need this car tip top come early April.
Is that a warranty issue?
It darn well better be! If' Audi thinks they can put all "gaskets" or something or other relating to leaks of fluid/oil into the wear and tear 1 year 12,000 mile warranty category, they are going to have a fight on their hands. I doubt it'll come to that
.
It will be interesting to see how Audi treats this one.
I am just hoping for the day when I get an email or call telling me they have a special on, and I tell them too bad you didn't honor the warranty for the clutch, or I may have considered one.
If the day ever comes when I want an Audi again I am going to get an additional $1200 off or forget it.
Go back and read my post about how to get that 1200 bucks back.
You don't have to take that deal when it's offered but it nice to have it in your hip pocket if you ever change your mind.
This is what happens when you blow off my posts novels. :@
jmonroe
Give me the short version and maybe I will look at it. (My time is valuable - unless you want to pay me $80 an hour to read your posts) You're the guy who told me I spent $200 too much for the C250 that I probably would have lost if I tried to hold out for another $200 bucks. Since I didn't whine like a little baby about my prepaid service they gave it to me free....you probably would have whined about that and lost it too. :@
Remember a while back I posted about a local ad offering to sell a bunch of Mustangs that looked to be in storage? Well I wonder if this guy was involved:
To abacomike, Statins are not only about lowering the cholesterol number. They tend to prevent the arteries from growing more buildup and even may decrease what ever buildup is present. The medications also tend to make the plaque stronger and less likely to fracture causing a heart attack. Best analogy is comparing a hard boiled egg shell to a regular egg shell. A crack in hard boiled one, contents do not spill out.
Thanks for stepping up ML. I was sure there was a logical reason for the doctor prescribing statins to Mike....and that explains it perfectly.
Yes, but they cause liver function problems which I also have. I'm just a hell of a mess - that's for sure!!!
They must have taken that into account and decided it was worth it to take the statins. Sounds crazy to us laymen, but I am sure they took liver function into consideration.
Not making light of your issues at all, you have fought your way back many times.
All of the medical talk has me thinking - if you feel weird, see the doctor. It's worth it, even with our expensive system.
Last year I had some weird feelings - palpitations, shortness of breath, faintness. I was at work, and drove myself to the ER. They did an EKG and some other tests, found nothing, told me I was fine. About a month later it happened again, went back to the ER, they did more tests, nothing - and sent me to a cardiologist. He ordered bloodwork, did the treadmill and heart X-ray (I forget the name), and found nothing serious. Cholesterol and BP were fine (cardiologist even called them "enviable" for someone not quite as young as I used to be), nothing was detected by their machines, nothing looked off about my heart. I jog 4-5x per week and have gradually been cutting back on sugar, but I haven't been able to give up all less than healthy food, and could stand to lose a few pounds. The cardiologist said it was either an occasional (likely) benign palpitation, or maybe anxiety - although I try to live pretty laid back. I felt a little off a few months ago and went back (non-ER), he says the feelings don't appear to be a serious issue. That peace of mind has made me feel better since. Now that 40 is in reach, time for a yearly physical.
I think we older guys can be reluctant to go to the doctor unless it is awful. Not good. While I'm at it, make sure your doctor has a PSA level baseline to follow over time. It can be a life saver.
Last week I had a big scare - an acute ischemic stroke. They have not pinned down the cause, but there are several risk factors including: hypertension, weight, sedentary lifestyle and a lousy 95 LDL cholesterol value.
It started with numbness on my cheek then it gradually moved down my left arm and fingers. Thank God it did NOT affect my speech or mobility.
Tomorrow I go in for an eolectrogram and I may have to wear a heart monitor for 30 days to rule out Afib as the cause of the stroke.
Other than a few anxious moments I feel fine. And I don't look forward to a lifetime of statins, diet and exercise.
@bwia, wish you the best. Good it was caught early so life-style changes can be maximally beneficial.
I had to drive this puppy today to get it warmed up for a customer- a tough job, but someone has to do it...
I like that BMW 3....guessing an M3. Is it black or graphite? My wife wouldn't allow me to get it in either color, but she would probably allow almost anything else....white or red would be good.
It's a BMW Individual color- Tanzanite Blue. This picture displays the color better:
I had to drive this puppy today to get it warmed up for a customer- a tough job, but someone has to do it...
I like that BMW 3....guessing an M3. Is it black or graphite? My wife wouldn't allow me to get it in either color, but she would probably allow almost anything else....white or red would be good.
It's a BMW Individual color- Tanzanite Blue. This picture displays the color better:
Interesting what they can do with paint these days. My Ford is the same. Looks one color on cloudy days, another when the sun is shining.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Noticed with the help of a trusty Audi mechanic that my TTS' rear differential appears to be leaking over the exhsost and rear sway bar (enough to notice a drip on the sway bar).
More to come; I have an appointment for the seat trim thing Monday, but asking them if I can bring it in Friday due to this newly discovered issue, and I need this car tip top come early April.
Is that a warranty issue?
It darn well better be! If' Audi thinks they can put all "gaskets" or something or other relating to leaks of fluid/oil into the wear and tear 1 year 12,000 mile warranty category, they are going to have a fight on their hands. I doubt it'll come to that
.
It will be interesting to see how Audi treats this one.
I am just hoping for the day when I get an email or call telling me they have a special on, and I tell them too bad you didn't honor the warranty for the clutch, or I may have considered one.
If the day ever comes when I want an Audi again I am going to get an additional $1200 off or forget it.
Go back and read my post about how to get that 1200 bucks back.
You don't have to take that deal when it's offered but it nice to have it in your hip pocket if you ever change your mind.
This is what happens when you blow off my posts novels. :@
jmonroe
Give me the short version and maybe I will look at it. (My time is valuable - unless you want to pay me $80 an hour to read your posts) You're the guy who told me I spent $200 too much for the C250 that I probably would have lost if I tried to hold out for another $200 bucks. Since I didn't whine like a little baby about my prepaid service they gave it to me free....you probably would have whined about that and lost it too. :@
I don't whine. I just get even. It's a lot more fun that way.
BTW, I'm not going to discount that novel I wrote. You just gotta read it; start to finish.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
All this talk about health stuff got me to thinking...If I knew I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself. No sense in worrying about it now.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
I had to drive this puppy today to get it warmed up for a customer- a tough job, but someone has to do it...
I like that BMW 3....guessing an M3. Is it black or graphite? My wife wouldn't allow me to get it in either color, but she would probably allow almost anything else....white or red would be good.
It's a BMW Individual color- Tanzanite Blue. This picture displays the color better:
Nice! Great color and nice looking car. If I was considering a C Class I would compare it to that one....I like the large windows and high roofline..
I happened to talk to a guy who stops for coffee each morning with a CTS that I thought was about the same age as GG's. He loves it. It's actually a '14 with the 3.6 L. Great car and drives great.
His previous car was an Audi. A TTS. Solid black and beautiful. I remember it!
Well, Sears is just about gone as an Icon in Americana. They can no longer do business after another huge loss last year - over $2 billion in total losses. So I would imagine they will be selling off properties and merchandise pretty soon.
What an awful shame. Stores like Walmart, Target, Costco, Sam's Club and the like was Sears's Achilles Heel. When I think back on the days when I owned houses, my first stop when shopping was Sears - hoses, tools, mowers, appliances, carpeting and bedding - always shopped Sears first.
When Sears purchased K-Mart, I think it was the straw that broke the camel's back. Sayonara, Sears, it's been an honor to shop with you!
While competition and changes in the way people buy things certainly played a major role, the biggest part of Sears problems came from the boardroom. The top management culture there in recent years under the current ownership has been atrocious and any money they invested - which wasn't enough in the first place - went into all the wrong things.
Business has always been tough. Disosaurs have to adapt, or die.
Don't forget, way back when, sears helped sweep in a massive change in how shopping happened, and likely put a ton of small local stores out of business. In the process, saving customers time and money.
abacomike, There is an acceptable increase in the liver tests that are okay. When the increase is 3 times the normal range, then that is a problem. Sometimes you have to take a lower dose of the medication and the liver tests will no go up as much.
Well, Sears is just about gone as an Icon in Americana. They can no longer do business after another huge loss last year - over $2 billion in total losses. So I would imagine they will be selling off properties and merchandise pretty soon.
What an awful shame. Stores like Walmart, Target, Costco, Sam's Club and the like was Sears's Achilles Heel. When I think back on the days when I owned houses, my first stop when shopping was Sears - hoses, tools, mowers, appliances, carpeting and bedding - always shopped Sears first.
When Sears purchased K-Mart, I think it was the straw that broke the camel's back. Sayonara, Sears, it's been an honor to shop with you!
That is a shame that a LARGE iconic store like Sears could not compete in this new world of how you have to do business today.
I myself bought many Craftsman tools over the years and still have them. The reason I bought those tools were because they were good quality and guaranteed forever. I rarely had to take a tool back and when I did it was because I put a pipe on a wrench. It didn't matter to them, if it said Craftsman it was replaced, no questions asked. I even stepped on a 25 foot tape measure and broke the blade, they took that back too and a guy at the register is the one who told me to do it.
Got appliances there too, carpeting once, pants, shirts, shoes and even underwear.
Now what do I do with all of my Craftsman tools? Well, for one thing, I guess I better put my pipes away now.
If they were a bigger outfit maybe the government wouldn't have left them fail. Hard to believe but I guess politicians think cars are more important than skivvies.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Ima - I think the guy with the Caddy points out to one area where GM still may have problems - consistency between owner experiences. Some are great, some are problems. Don't understand that in today's advanced QC world?
K-Mart was screwed up years ago to me. Didn't help Sears, but I don't understand how a company that basically dominated catalogs failed so miserably in Internet? Oh wait, venture capitalist stripping it clean like a pack of hyena's. The real sad part about brick and mortar is that as it falls, online will become dominant and probably eventually lead to higher prices because of the fallen competition. It's America these days - the middle class gets screwed over and over again while Washington and Wall Street get rich.
Well, Sears is just about gone as an Icon in Americana. They can no longer do business after another huge loss last year - over $2 billion in total losses. So I would imagine they will be selling off properties and merchandise pretty soon.
What an awful shame. Stores like Walmart, Target, Costco, Sam's Club and the like was Sears's Achilles Heel. When I think back on the days when I owned houses, my first stop when shopping was Sears - hoses, tools, mowers, appliances, carpeting and bedding - always shopped Sears first.
When Sears purchased K-Mart, I think it was the straw that broke the camel's back. Sayonara, Sears, it's been an honor to shop with you!
Got appliances there too, carpeting once, pants, shirts, shoes and even underwear.
Now what do I do with all of my Craftsman tools? Well, for one thing, I guess I better put my pipes away now.
If they were a bigger outfit maybe the government wouldn't have left them fail. Hard to believe but I guess politicians think cars are more important than skivvies.
Ima - I think the guy with the Caddy points out to one area where GM still may have problems - consistency between owner experiences. Some are great, some are problems. Don't understand that in today's advanced QC world?
Yes, if one looks hard enough, you can even find the odd-ball happy Neon owner. The unicorn happy Neon owner does nothing to dissuade me about Chrysler. I viewed far too many Neons that had the exact same defects mine did. I think I'd of been happier if I could have written mine off as the "bad one."
'18 Porsche Macan Turbo, '16 Audi TTS, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
Gregg I think is doing a BK and shutting many but not all stores. We almost went stove shopping last month, and likely would have bought there. Might hav dodged a bullet!
Well, Sears is just about gone as an Icon in Americana. They can no longer do business after another huge loss last year - over $2 billion in total losses. So I would imagine they will be selling off properties and merchandise pretty soon.
What an awful shame. Stores like Walmart, Target, Costco, Sam's Club and the like was Sears's Achilles Heel. When I think back on the days when I owned houses, my first stop when shopping was Sears - hoses, tools, mowers, appliances, carpeting and bedding - always shopped Sears first.
When Sears purchased K-Mart, I think it was the straw that broke the camel's back. Sayonara, Sears, it's been an honor to shop with you!
Actually Kmart bought Sears in a deal I always thought was shady. Kmart goes bust stiffing a ton of vendors. Then out from under bankruptcy recapitalizes and does a leveraged buyout of Sears.
To me it sounded like a smoke and mirrors kind of thing that couldn't end well.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Don't forget about Home Depot & Lowe's and Best Buy really hurting Sears. I worked at Sears back in the 70's and on Saturday men crowded the hardware dept while their wives looked at the appliances. Today, those men mostly go to Home Depot while Sears is deserted.
Thanks, all! Appreciate the support....I read all the private messages sent. You guys really are friends. Thanks, again.
I needed to step back for a couple of days before I said something I would have regretted. I'm calm(er) now.
WOW....just catching up on all the posts over lunch. Lots happens over the course of a couple of days.
To all of you who are ill or have had career setbacks, I sincerely hope tomorrow is a better day.
OK....the main attraction......arbitration. It's probably an understatement to say that it was interesting and tense.
BBB has some NICE offices. Cadillac must be paying them well. They are downtown Cincinnati in an old, but historic building. For you locals, it's in the old Provident Bank Building....they have the whole 6th floor.
We were supposed to disclose whether we were bringing legal representation. Cadillac said they'd have a representative call in, but would be remote (not sure if it was going to be a laywer or not). Given that, I decided to forego any legal representation. Not sure why I trusted them, but they did indeed have a Cadillac representative present, although I'm not so sure he was a lawyer. In addition, they had another Cadillac representative call in via con call (NYC HQ, I think).
There was me, the BBB co-ordinator, who did little more than swear all parties in, which made me think there was an air of legal drama that would be involved. In addition, the arbitraitor was introduced with his littany of qualifications. Of those I remember, he wasn't a lawyer, but was an exprienced automotive arbitrator. I do remember some sort of mechanical engineering certifications that were mentioned, but was unfamiliar with. The impression I got was he had been an arbitratior for a while, and it was, at least in recent years, his only profession. I could not ascertain whether he knew anyone from Cadillac's side.
Feeling like I was a bit ambushed by having the Cadillac representative there, after they said they wouldn't have anyone present, I stayed keenly aware of any sort of familiarity clues between the arbitrator and the Cadillac Rep.
So, we had the 4 of us (BBB, arbitrator, Caddy rep, me) in a conference room, and another Caddy rep on the phone.
I had to prove my ownership of the car (via title), proof of insurance (not sure what that had to do with the case), and a valid driver's license. Cadillac had to provide.....well.....nothng!
I came prepared.....all days the car was out of service (closing in on 3 months). What out of pocket expenses I had (purchase price, taxes, license, fees, time spent getting to and from dealership, as well as time spent waiting while at the dealership, and some miscelanneous other expenses....including alternate transportation I required after the loaner car was returned).
The arbitrator asked me for a brief description of the issue. I outlined the problem as a manufacturer defect from the factory....the infamous incorrect wiring harness routing. This was a defect that was inherent in the car from the day it rolled off the factory floor and delivered to the dealer. It was not discovered during the PPI process at the dealership, either. The fix for the issue took 2 months. I showed him the dealership work order and the dealership provided corrective action process (including pulling the drivetrain). The shorting and the melting of the wiring were the result of the defect. I re-emphasized that it took over two months to fix the car.
Arbitrator (AB) asked me how that made me feel about the car (all of a sudden I had the urge to ask for a box of kleenex before proceeding . In short, I told him I no longer had faith that the car would be reliable and felt the rest of the engineering of the repair was questionable at best. This would result in continued issues with the car as time wore on.
As a point of interest, I pointed to the 3 weeks it took to replace a faulty exhaust system in the car. He said he'd make note of that, but that that was not part of the original complaint. Tricky on Cadillac's part. I didn't get the paperwork from the dealership on replacing the exhaust system until earlier this week......too late to be part of the complaint.
Next came the Cadillac rep (CR) who was in the room....arbitrator asked him for his comments. AB asked him how many cars were affected. I was shocked by the answer....3! That's right, a total of 3-2016 CTSs were affected in the entire production run. What I'd really like to know was how did those 3 actually have bad wiring? It wasn't a production personnel issue, given they had to reengineer parts to fix them. AB asked how long it took to fix the other 2 cars. One was a few days, the other was two weeks. Mine was the only one that took 2 months. Not sure if this helped or hurt their cause. If it was wider spread, perhaps the AB would think it would take longer to get a solution. But, since so few cars were affected, would the AB think I was the only one with an issue? Can't worry about that, though.
Next, it was the Cadillac HQ rep's (HQ) turn. She was clearly reading from a prepared statement.....one I've heard dozens of times from Cadillac. (Paraphrasing) "We apologize to Mr GG about the issues he's had. We made an offer to compensate him (remember the $500 they offered?), but he refused it. Cadillac produces some of the most well regarded vehicles world wide and stand behind our products. We will continue to offer the warranty we've always offered for any defects, but we deny Mr GG's claim and resolution request."
AB asked the CR rep why it took so long to fix the car. CR said that Cadillac considered it a safety issue (first time Cadillac admitted it was a safety issue...dealership did, but Cadillac wouldn't). He said they wanted to make sure the fix was right the first time (it wasn't) and that extra care had to be given to make sure the parts and fix were correct (they weren't). CR shot himself in the foot on this point. Safety defects are dealt with much harsher in Ohio when it comes to Lemon Law, and the requirements to be successful in invoking Lemon Law are easier with safety issues.
CR honed in on the fact that it was a recall that Caddy moved to rectify immediately. I rebutted that a)....they didn't rectify it immediately given the car was delivered to me by the dealer and it took months for the wiring to arc and melt before anything was done ( and put my saftety at risk), and b)....it still took Caddy 2 months for a solution. He repeated that the amount of time that had passed for diagnosis and repair had no correlation to how long the defect existed.
I rebutted that the defect didn't manifest itself overnight, but over a long period of time, and that I was lucky that a more far reaching consequence (as in an entire engine bay fire) didn't occur.
AB asked if the car were performing OK right now. I replied that yes, while driving it to the hearing, it was fine. But, I only had it back for a few days because they had the car for 3 additional weeks to replace the exhaust.
He started questioning some of the verbiage the (now gone) service writer entered on the service receipts. I was a bit confused by this. But, as I explained, I'm not a mechanic. And, I had no control over what the service writer entered into their closed service system.
AB said he needed to inspect the car, but given it had performed OK on the way to the hearing, he did not have to drive it. We went to the car (about two blocks from the BBB) and the AB gave it a cursory look. He asked me if it had been in any accidents......no! He asked if I had made any modifications.......no! He recorded the VIN# and the mileage.
We then went back to the BBB conference room for closing statements. Maybe I'm too much of a skeptic, but the AB and the CR walked in front of me and seemed from the "chit chat" to be more than just passing acquaintances. Not much I could do about that, though.
First up, Caddy HQ, who reiterated the same thing she said before, and repeated the denial of my requests. CR did the same, and repeated the safety issue being the cause of the repair delay.
I was a bit more verbose in my closing statement, but again, paraphrasing, I said....
"This decision really has no grey area. The State of Ohio has taken the subjective part of this decision and specifically defined it. That is, if a car has to be out of the owner's possession for 30 days or more for a defect in the first year of ownership, it's a Lemon. Not sort of a Lemon, not partially a Lemon, it's a Lemon. By Mr CR's own admission, the car's defect was a safety issue, which makes this issue even clearer that the car is a Lemon All the good intentions, the talk of my safety being of their concern and nice apologies don't change any of that. That car is defined, by law, as a Lemon. So, the only ruling to be made is for my full restitution."
The AB said he'd render a decision to the BBB no later than next Tuesday. I'm feeling cautiously optimistic. I don't see how they can possibly see it any other way. But, you never know.
Interestingly, not sure how much BBB is paid by GM, or how much Cadillac had to pay the rep to be there, or what the Caddy HQ person is paid, but with travel time, this was a 3 hour chunk out of our day. I took a day vacation time to do this. So, BBB money, + CR money, + HQ money.......it makes no financial sense for them to irritate (and lose) a customer this way.
While competition and changes in the way people buy things certainly played a major role, the biggest part of Sears problems came from the boardroom. The top management culture there in recent years under the current ownership has been atrocious and any money they invested - which wasn't enough in the first place - went into all the wrong things.
It's like when IBM' board decided in the early 1980s "Hey, who wants a computer in their house..."
Comments
Since then, technology is so much better so most things are very easy to get done. One just needs to be positive about it all and things will be fine. Good luck with it all!
The Sandman
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2025 VW GTI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
It darn well better be! If' Audi thinks they can put all "gaskets" or something or other relating to leaks of fluid/oil into the wear and tear 1 year 12,000 mile warranty category, they are going to have a fight on their hands. I doubt it'll come to that.
It looks like you have some rain today...better get that thing dried off before your customer see's it like that.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
It will be interesting to see how Audi treats this one.
I am just hoping for the day when I get an email or call telling me they have a special on, and I tell them too bad you didn't honor the warranty for the clutch, or I may have considered one.
If the day ever comes when I want an Audi again I am going to get an additional $1200 off or forget it.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I know what you mean and I do that myself, sometimes torturing the English language. At any rate, I am glad your son is doing well and many people are still alive today through the miracle of modern science. Best wishes for the wedding and a very happy future.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I am just hoping for the day when I get an email or call telling me they have a special on, and I tell them too bad you didn't honor the warranty for the clutch, or I may have considered one.
If the day ever comes when I want an Audi again I am going to get an additional $1200 off or forget it.
Go back and read my post about how to get that 1200 bucks back.
You don't have to take that deal when it's offered but it nice to have it in your hip pocket if you ever change your mind.
This is what happens when you blow off my
postsnovels. :@jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
You don't have to take that deal when it's offered but it nice to have it in your hip pocket if you ever change your mind.
This is what happens when you blow off my
postsnovels. :@jmonroe
Give me the short version and maybe I will look at it. (My time is valuable - unless you want to pay me $80 an hour to read your posts)
You're the guy who told me I spent $200 too much for the C250 that I probably would have lost if I tried to hold out for another $200 bucks.
Since I didn't whine like a little baby about my prepaid service they gave it to me free....you probably would have whined about that and lost it too. :@
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
http://news10.com/2017/03/20/local-classic-car-thief-sent-to-jail-again/
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
They must have taken that into account and decided it was worth it to take the statins. Sounds crazy to us laymen, but I am sure they took liver function into consideration.
Not making light of your issues at all, you have fought your way back many times.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Last year I had some weird feelings - palpitations, shortness of breath, faintness. I was at work, and drove myself to the ER. They did an EKG and some other tests, found nothing, told me I was fine. About a month later it happened again, went back to the ER, they did more tests, nothing - and sent me to a cardiologist. He ordered bloodwork, did the treadmill and heart X-ray (I forget the name), and found nothing serious. Cholesterol and BP were fine (cardiologist even called them "enviable" for someone not quite as young as I used to be), nothing was detected by their machines, nothing looked off about my heart. I jog 4-5x per week and have gradually been cutting back on sugar, but I haven't been able to give up all less than healthy food, and could stand to lose a few pounds. The cardiologist said it was either an occasional (likely) benign palpitation, or maybe anxiety - although I try to live pretty laid back. I felt a little off a few months ago and went back (non-ER), he says the feelings don't appear to be a serious issue. That peace of mind has made me feel better since. Now that 40 is in reach, time for a yearly physical.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
You're the guy who told me I spent $200 too much for the C250 that I probably would have lost if I tried to hold out for another $200 bucks.
Since I didn't whine like a little baby about my prepaid service they gave it to me free....you probably would have whined about that and lost it too. :@
I don't whine. I just get even. It's a lot more fun that way.
BTW, I'm not going to discount that novel I wrote. You just gotta read it; start to finish.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
His previous car was an Audi. A TTS. Solid black and beautiful. I remember it!
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
What an awful shame. Stores like Walmart, Target, Costco, Sam's Club and the like was Sears's Achilles Heel. When I think back on the days when I owned houses, my first stop when shopping was Sears - hoses, tools, mowers, appliances, carpeting and bedding - always shopped Sears first.
When Sears purchased K-Mart, I think it was the straw that broke the camel's back. Sayonara, Sears, it's been an honor to shop with you!
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
Don't forget, way back when, sears helped sweep in a massive change in how shopping happened, and likely put a ton of small local stores out of business. In the process, saving customers time and money.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
There is an acceptable increase in the liver tests that are okay. When the increase is 3 times the normal range, then that is a problem. Sometimes you have to take a lower dose of the medication and the liver tests will no go up as much.
I myself bought many Craftsman tools over the years and still have them. The reason I bought those tools were because they were good quality and guaranteed forever. I rarely had to take a tool back and when I did it was because I put a pipe on a wrench. It didn't matter to them, if it said Craftsman it was replaced, no questions asked. I even stepped on a 25 foot tape measure and broke the blade, they took that back too and a guy at the register is the one who told me to do it.
Got appliances there too, carpeting once, pants, shirts, shoes and even underwear.
Now what do I do with all of my Craftsman tools? Well, for one thing, I guess I better put my pipes away now.
If they were a bigger outfit maybe the government wouldn't have left them fail. Hard to believe but I guess politicians think cars are more important than skivvies.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Isn't HH Gregg going under too?
THIS POOR GUY PAID $4900 FOR APPLIANCES, THEY AREN'T COMING, and THEY CAN ONLY RETURN ABOUT HALF HIS MONEY
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
To me it sounded like a smoke and mirrors kind of thing that couldn't end well.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
I needed to step back for a couple of days before I said something I would have regretted. I'm calm(er) now.
WOW....just catching up on all the posts over lunch. Lots happens over the course of a couple of days.
To all of you who are ill or have had career setbacks, I sincerely hope tomorrow is a better day.
OK....the main attraction......arbitration. It's probably an understatement to say that it was interesting and tense.
BBB has some NICE offices. Cadillac must be paying them well. They are downtown Cincinnati in an old, but historic building. For you locals, it's in the old Provident Bank Building....they have the whole 6th floor.
We were supposed to disclose whether we were bringing legal representation. Cadillac said they'd have a representative call in, but would be remote (not sure if it was going to be a laywer or not). Given that, I decided to forego any legal representation. Not sure why I trusted them, but they did indeed have a Cadillac representative present, although I'm not so sure he was a lawyer. In addition, they had another Cadillac representative call in via con call (NYC HQ, I think).
There was me, the BBB co-ordinator, who did little more than swear all parties in, which made me think there was an air of legal drama that would be involved. In addition, the arbitraitor was introduced with his littany of qualifications. Of those I remember, he wasn't a lawyer, but was an exprienced automotive arbitrator. I do remember some sort of mechanical engineering certifications that were mentioned, but was unfamiliar with. The impression I got was he had been an arbitratior for a while, and it was, at least in recent years, his only profession. I could not ascertain whether he knew anyone from Cadillac's side.
Feeling like I was a bit ambushed by having the Cadillac representative there, after they said they wouldn't have anyone present, I stayed keenly aware of any sort of familiarity clues between the arbitrator and the Cadillac Rep.
So, we had the 4 of us (BBB, arbitrator, Caddy rep, me) in a conference room, and another Caddy rep on the phone.
Testimony coming up.......
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
I had to prove my ownership of the car (via title), proof of insurance (not sure what that had to do with the case), and a valid driver's license. Cadillac had to provide.....well.....nothng!
I came prepared.....all days the car was out of service (closing in on 3 months). What out of pocket expenses I had (purchase price, taxes, license, fees, time spent getting to and from dealership, as well as time spent waiting while at the dealership, and some miscelanneous other expenses....including alternate transportation I required after the loaner car was returned).
The arbitrator asked me for a brief description of the issue. I outlined the problem as a manufacturer defect from the factory....the infamous incorrect wiring harness routing. This was a defect that was inherent in the car from the day it rolled off the factory floor and delivered to the dealer. It was not discovered during the PPI process at the dealership, either. The fix for the issue took 2 months. I showed him the dealership work order and the dealership provided corrective action process (including pulling the drivetrain). The shorting and the melting of the wiring were the result of the defect. I re-emphasized that it took over two months to fix the car.
Arbitrator (AB) asked me how that made me feel about the car (all of a sudden I had the urge to ask for a box of kleenex before proceeding
As a point of interest, I pointed to the 3 weeks it took to replace a faulty exhaust system in the car. He said he'd make note of that, but that that was not part of the original complaint. Tricky on Cadillac's part. I didn't get the paperwork from the dealership on replacing the exhaust system until earlier this week......too late to be part of the complaint.
Next came the Cadillac rep (CR) who was in the room....arbitrator asked him for his comments. AB asked him how many cars were affected. I was shocked by the answer....3! That's right, a total of 3-2016 CTSs were affected in the entire production run. What I'd really like to know was how did those 3 actually have bad wiring? It wasn't a production personnel issue, given they had to reengineer parts to fix them. AB asked how long it took to fix the other 2 cars. One was a few days, the other was two weeks. Mine was the only one that took 2 months. Not sure if this helped or hurt their cause. If it was wider spread, perhaps the AB would think it would take longer to get a solution. But, since so few cars were affected, would the AB think I was the only one with an issue? Can't worry about that, though.
Next, it was the Cadillac HQ rep's (HQ) turn. She was clearly reading from a prepared statement.....one I've heard dozens of times from Cadillac. (Paraphrasing) "We apologize to Mr GG about the issues he's had. We made an offer to compensate him (remember the $500 they offered?), but he refused it. Cadillac produces some of the most well regarded vehicles world wide and stand behind our products. We will continue to offer the warranty we've always offered for any defects, but we deny Mr GG's claim and resolution request."
AB asked the CR rep why it took so long to fix the car. CR said that Cadillac considered it a safety issue (first time Cadillac admitted it was a safety issue...dealership did, but Cadillac wouldn't). He said they wanted to make sure the fix was right the first time (it wasn't) and that extra care had to be given to make sure the parts and fix were correct (they weren't). CR shot himself in the foot on this point. Safety defects are dealt with much harsher in Ohio when it comes to Lemon Law, and the requirements to be successful in invoking Lemon Law are easier with safety issues.
to be continued......
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
CR honed in on the fact that it was a recall that Caddy moved to rectify immediately. I rebutted that a)....they didn't rectify it immediately given the car was delivered to me by the dealer and it took months for the wiring to arc and melt before anything was done ( and put my saftety at risk), and b)....it still took Caddy 2 months for a solution. He repeated that the amount of time that had passed for diagnosis and repair had no correlation to how long the defect existed.
I rebutted that the defect didn't manifest itself overnight, but over a long period of time, and that I was lucky that a more far reaching consequence (as in an entire engine bay fire) didn't occur.
AB asked if the car were performing OK right now. I replied that yes, while driving it to the hearing, it was fine. But, I only had it back for a few days because they had the car for 3 additional weeks to replace the exhaust.
He started questioning some of the verbiage the (now gone) service writer entered on the service receipts. I was a bit confused by this. But, as I explained, I'm not a mechanic. And, I had no control over what the service writer entered into their closed service system.
AB said he needed to inspect the car, but given it had performed OK on the way to the hearing, he did not have to drive it. We went to the car (about two blocks from the BBB) and the AB gave it a cursory look. He asked me if it had been in any accidents......no! He asked if I had made any modifications.......no! He recorded the VIN# and the mileage.
We then went back to the BBB conference room for closing statements. Maybe I'm too much of a skeptic, but the AB and the CR walked in front of me and seemed from the "chit chat" to be more than just passing acquaintances. Not much I could do about that, though.
First up, Caddy HQ, who reiterated the same thing she said before, and repeated the denial of my requests. CR did the same, and repeated the safety issue being the cause of the repair delay.
I was a bit more verbose in my closing statement, but again, paraphrasing, I said....
"This decision really has no grey area. The State of Ohio has taken the subjective part of this decision and specifically defined it. That is, if a car has to be out of the owner's possession for 30 days or more for a defect in the first year of ownership, it's a Lemon. Not sort of a Lemon, not partially a Lemon, it's a Lemon. By Mr CR's own admission, the car's defect was a safety issue, which makes this issue even clearer that the car is a Lemon All the good intentions, the talk of my safety being of their concern and nice apologies don't change any of that. That car is defined, by law, as a Lemon. So, the only ruling to be made is for my full restitution."
The AB said he'd render a decision to the BBB no later than next Tuesday. I'm feeling cautiously optimistic. I don't see how they can possibly see it any other way. But, you never know.
Interestingly, not sure how much BBB is paid by GM, or how much Cadillac had to pay the rep to be there, or what the Caddy HQ person is paid, but with travel time, this was a 3 hour chunk out of our day. I took a day vacation time to do this. So, BBB money, + CR money, + HQ money.......it makes no financial sense for them to irritate (and lose) a customer this way.