Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

breld

@sda - that’s a nice surprise. I had the same thing on a 2011 A5 - I had no idea until I brought it in for its first service.

BMW changed up their included maintenance to 3/36 a few years ago, and made it applicable to the original owner only. They don’t advertise it, but there is the $100 refresh option for a new owner.

breld

Michaell said:

breld said:

graphicguy said:

breld said:

Is it just me or does this seem like a really good deal?

https://www.bmwofdenverdowntown.com/certified/BMW/2018-BMW-440i-near+denver+co-0b9feb6d0a0d0c1442b7e98ef2b6ec83.htm

Maybe it’s NOT an AWD car sitting at a dealer in Denver? Or, did I miss that in the listing? I do agree.....seems like a mighty good price. Color is dubious IMHO, though.

That was my first thought, since the listing states “440i.” But it is indeed an xdrive.

I have to keep reminding myself that just because a car is a good deal and I like it...I don’t HAVE to buy it.

That’s how we ended up with a Leaf in the driveway that my wife isn’t exactly thrilled about.

My wife is starting a new job on Monday, and will be taking the Outback every day for the next couple of weeks. I'd be happy to relieve you of the Leaf, if it's clogging up your driveway.

It’s certainly here if you need it.

mjfloyd1

sda said:

After we bought the Q5 I found out that the pre-paid maintenance that the original owner purchased stayed with the car. I would have thought the owner was due a pro-rated refund. We didn't have to pay any transfer fee. I have an appointment next Friday for the 45k service (though the Q5 has 41k ). The pre-paid expires in Feb so don't want to let it get away. Like so many, we have not driven much these past months. I am a little wary what the service dept will try to upsell.

My Audi dealer always tries to sell BG product “upgrades “. I always reply that I just want the included Audicare service

stickguy

I thought BMW made you get the transfer signed off on by the prior owner? I watched a TFL piece not long ago where they got a used i3 and ran into this (I think it was maintenance, maybe it was warranty? There was something). Dealer wanted them to pay OOP until they could track down the prior person to approve the transfer.

one nice thing about Acura. Normal maintenance (actually probably more frequent oil changes) but dealers are all quick, efficient and reasonable. Most don't even require an appointment. And the cars are mostly the same mechanically, so not a bit concern about not getting the right esoteric oil.

I used to take the old RDX to the further away dealer (down near TJC) but had the TLX at the one nearer to me and liked them. Also where I bought the new RDX so will be taking it up there. Probably in a couple weeks if we use the car much. Still surprised that I might hit the service now notice before 12 months. either that, or it is tracking days in service too but down to 0% (wrench icon comes on at 15% to tell you to get it done soon).

Actually, this might be right on time. If it starts counting when it is manufactured (our car was actually very fresh on the lot so probably right about 1 YO now if you count the day it was born, not sold to us!)

28firefighter

BMW's included factory maintenance no longer is included once a vehicle is sold/lease transferred. I do not believe there is a way to refresh or change that. If you paid for UltimateCare+, it can be transferred with sign-off by the PO.

nyccarguy

breld said:

My X3 will be due for its 20k mile service soon enough.

I need to find out what the cost of that is...I believe I can pay a $100 fee to “refresh” the included maintenance into my name. We did that for my wife’s JCW, but for a 2020 with only 1,600 miles, that was a no brainer. But for the X3, it’d basically be for this one service, as it hits 3 years old in April. At least that’s how I think it all works.

Service? C'mon! You don't need service! It might be time for an @breld blockbuster mega trade. Trade in the X3 & the Supra for The Orange 340xi & a Miata RF.

28firefighter

But he just modified the X3 with those fancy glossy parts. Can’t do that.

stickguy

why? The paint isn't dry on them yet?

I kinda want that Orange BMW. Maybe when it is finally time for me to get something, I will be feeling rich. Probably not, but one can always hope.

ab348

qbrozen said:

@roadburner , just curious, did you ever try on a CTS-V, ATS-V, or even CTS Vsport?

I belong to a couple of ATS-centric FB groups. Now that the first of those cars are 8 model years old they are transitioning from mostly "bought new" members to a mix of that and new members (mostly younger) who bought older ones used.

There are two mains issues with the ATS: the CUE system fails and is not inexpensive to replace, although GM has been pretty good in covering early ones that are otherwise out of warranty. The other issue is with the 2.0T engine, which blows up with great regularity among those who have installed an aftermarket tune or have otherwise played with the boost and advance.

The only issue with the ATS-V has been the occasional one getting crashed by a driver who got in over their head while hooning around. Otherwise, they are held in very high esteem if not actual reverence. They seem quite robust and perform remarkably well

As for the dealer commentary, I suspect given the posting history that there is only one dealer that would not garner snide comments from that member. And that's all I'm gonna say about that.. :@

xwesx

Michaell said:

My wife is starting a new job on Monday, and will be taking the Outback every day for the next couple of weeks. I'd be happy to relieve you of the Leaf, if it's clogging up your driveway.

Leaves tend to do that... they'll clog up any type of drainage, but they absolutely love gutters and driveways!

roadburner

ab348 said:

qbrozen said:

@roadburner , just curious, did you ever try on a CTS-V, ATS-V, or even CTS Vsport?

I belong to a couple of ATS-centric FB groups. Now that the first of those cars are 8 model years old they are transitioning from mostly "bought new" members to a mix of that and new members (mostly younger) who bought older ones used.

There are two mains issues with the ATS: the CUE system fails and is not inexpensive to replace, although GM has been pretty good in covering early ones that are otherwise out of warranty. The other issue is with the 2.0T engine, which blows up with great regularity among those who have installed an aftermarket tune or have otherwise played with the boost and advance.

The only issue with the ATS-V has been the occasional one getting crashed by a driver who got in over their head while hooning around. Otherwise, they are held in very high esteem if not actual reverence. They seem quite robust and perform remarkably well

As for the dealer commentary, I suspect given the posting history that there is only one dealer that would not garner snide comments from that member. And that's all I'm gonna say about that.. :@

Actually, I have nothing bad to say about a couple of Mazda dealers that I’ve used. Ditto for a couple of Jeep dealers. I also liked the Fiat and Mini dealers in Louisville before they closed.
But yes, Courtesy Cadillac is a joke.

28firefighter

It doesn’t matter. The car will be sold now because no one wants to look at it.

andres3

mjfloyd1 said:

I forgot to add the most important picture

Smoke and mirrors. Photoshopped! Prove me wrong. - signed - Kia Financial.

graphicguy

breld said:

graphicguy said:

breld said:

Is it just me or does this seem like a really good deal?

https://www.bmwofdenverdowntown.com/certified/BMW/2018-BMW-440i-near+denver+co-0b9feb6d0a0d0c1442b7e98ef2b6ec83.htm

Maybe it’s NOT an AWD car sitting at a dealer in Denver? Or, did I miss that in the listing? I do agree.....seems like a mighty good price. Color is dubious IMHO, though.

That was my first thought, since the listing states “440i.” But it is indeed an xdrive.

I have to keep reminding myself that just because a car is a good deal and I like it...I don’t HAVE to buy it.

That’s how we ended up with a Leaf in the driveway that my wife isn’t exactly thrilled about.

Yeah....but where's the fun in that? LOL!

andres3

roadburner said:

mjfloyd1 said:

I guess you would have to verify that they have the correct oil and filter prior to going in for service

Yes, some dealers don’t care and just use whatever oil is on hand.
Nice.

Miramar Audi has since been bought out by new ownership and changed names to Audi of San Diego. Back in the day, Miramar Audi used cheap Castrol Syntec 5W-30 oil that may or may not have been fully synthetic. It certainly didn't meet the higher VW/Audi oil spec recommended for the new 2.0T at the time (2006+).

The spec basically ensures the oil your using will out-hot and out-cold any oil not meeting the spec. Miramar Audi said they used the less than recommended oil because, and I quote "San Diego has a mild climate."
Of course, the owner's manual insists you use 5W-40 or 0W-40 full synthetic oil meeting the higher VW/Audi specification standards. Only in a "pinch" should you use 5W-30. Castrol Syntec's 5W-40 did meet the higher spec of course, but they weren't using it. Things have changed in the past 15 years, but that happened.

explorerx4

@andres3,
On the Insensitivity Meter of 1 to 10, you're a 20. Congrats.

Sandman6472

Explorerx4, is a 4 cylinder engine gonna have enough power to move that vehicle? Won't it be under powered? The Explorer looks to be a heavy vehicle. I'd think a 6 would be the better way to go though.

mjfloyd1

andres3 said:

28firefighter said:

From what i can gather,he lost control of it pushing it out of the garage. It was on a slight incline and he tried to stop it from hitting a tree and crushed his hand.

It might be too early to joke about, but did his crushed hand at least absorb a lot of the impact and save the car some? I bet he wishes he could do that one over.

Not even remotely funny, now or ever. The man almost lost his hand and is waiting for physical therapy.

Please ban this idiot!

andres3

mjfloyd1 said:

explorerx4 said:

@andres3,
On the Insensitivity Meter of 1 to 10, you're a 20. Congrats.

Total d@ckhead quote @andres3

This qualifies for a ban, I hope

A ban? really? pushing criminally fraudulent financial companies schema with propaganda and positive advertisements from @mjfloyd1 should qualify as spam!

mjfloyd1

Where have you sued Kia and won?

I posted my two keyfobs...from a different company

andres3

mjfloyd1 said:

Where have you sued Kia and won?

I posted my two keyfobs...from a different company

I've opted to remove Kia from my life rather than entertain a lawsuit. If my best friend was a lawyer things might be different.

mjfloyd1

So they are criminally fraudulent and your credit score was trashed and...word salad

andres3

mjfloyd1 said:

So they are criminally fraudulent and your credit score was trashed and...word salad

According to Credit Wise I'm back up to 697 and on the verge of cresting at and over 700 again. Slowly but surely. You seem overly concerned about FICO scores.

mjfloyd1

Had you taken the simple and obvious steps of either taking a picture showing two Kia keyfobs (with a time stamp) or asking for a receipt, then you would be in a different position

You came on here and said Kia was "criminally fraudulent " with approximately zero evidence.

Look in the mirror and you may get a glimpse of the problem

andres3

mjfloyd1 said:

Had you taken the simple and obvious steps of either taking a picture showing two Kia keyfobs (with a time stamp) or asking for a receipt, then you would be in a different position

You came on here and said Kia was "criminally fraudulent " with approximately zero evidence.

Look in the mirror and you may get a glimpse of the problem

Saying I have "zero evidence" is fraudulent Plenty of circumstantial evidence, including the fact I sold the Alltrack to Carvana with two Key FOB's, I sold the A4 to Vroom with 2 key FOB's, I traded in my previous S4 with 2 Key Fob's, and we currently have 2 key Fob's for each of the 3 vehicles we currently own. In fact, I'm certain every vehicle I've ever traded in or sold had 2 keys. There's only two variables different than with all my other vehicles, and those are:

1) Kia Finance being involved along with Kia of El Cajon.
2) Lease deal

mjfloyd1

Seriously?

Where is your evidence that you gave two key fobs back to Kia when you returned the Kia?

This has nothing to do with any other transaction.

I guess if you use your evidence criteria, then I am completely healthy because I was once healthy

Michaell

I’m gonna count to three...

Time to move on.

mjfloyd1

I truly believe that @andres3 owes @28firefighter an apology.

That was so far over the line that it is ridiculous. Completely and totally insensitive

xwesx

mjfloyd1 said:

andres3 said:

28firefighter said:

From what i can gather,he lost control of it pushing it out of the garage. It was on a slight incline and he tried to stop it from hitting a tree and crushed his hand.

It might be too early to joke about, but did his crushed hand at least absorb a lot of the impact and save the car some? I bet he wishes he could do that one over.

Not even remotely funny, now or ever. The man almost lost his hand and is waiting for physical therapy.

Please ban this idiot!

Oh, come on. There's funny in every situation, even if not in the outcomes. One a scale of one to ten, this one was pretty damned funny.

Many years ago, my father blew out his finger (in a literal sense... it was truly disgusting) attempting what later proved to be a moron move to "fix" some farm equipment he was using. Even in the early tellings of what happened that fateful day, we would all laugh about his shenanigans right up to the grisly ending, at which point we cringed.

If you must live with the scars, you might as well get the benefit of a laugh.

28firefighter

Agree. But it happened a week ago, my Dad can’t drive, and he can’t work. So no, we aren’t laughing about it right now.

mjfloyd1

I suspect that @28firefighter and his dad are not laughing. They want the car gone so that they don’t re-live the trauma.

It was an error in judgment with a horrible outcome.

Kirstie_H

Yo. This thread is about 2 more comments from being shut down entirely. Cut the hostility and aggressive behavior. This is a COURTESY thread. It's not in the main mission of Edmunds. If it turns uncivil, I have no problem eliminating it.

corvette

So, on a different note, here is the email reply from my service advisor:

[corvette],



Unfortunately I wasn’t here when you picked up for me to go over it all with you and I apologize that the advisor handling it for me did not do so correctly. The $12 difference is a shop charge that goes on all customer py [sic] tickets. The concerns that you came in for were unable to be duplicated when the tech drove the vehicle and yes typically they do only drive them for a mile or 2 unless the customer states that you hve [sic] to drive it further to duplicate a concern. As far as the multi-point inspections not being filled out is very dis-heartening [sic] and will be addressed with my service manager and technicians and I appriciate [sic] you bringing it to my attention.

Picking this apart, we have an apology for the poor communication and undisclosed charge, followed by poor grammar/spelling (which is further poor communication), and an apology for inspection forms not being filled out. Over half of the issues I mentioned were not addressed at all. The fact that the warranty concerns were not fixed correctly the first time did not merit a mention.

As someone who sometimes deals with customer service issues, when we receive a written concern, we make sure to address every single issue raised by the person expressing the concern, no matter how insignificant they might seem. It appears he haphazardly banged out an email reply as soon as he sat down at his desk the next morning.

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

I thought BMW made you get the transfer signed off on by the prior owner? I watched a TFL piece not long ago where they got a used i3 and ran into this (I think it was maintenance, maybe it was warranty? There was something). Dealer wanted them to pay OOP until they could track down the prior person to approve the transfer.

one nice thing about Acura. Normal maintenance (actually probably more frequent oil changes) but dealers are all quick, efficient and reasonable. Most don't even require an appointment. And the cars are mostly the same mechanically, so not a bit concern about not getting the right esoteric oil.

I used to take the old RDX to the further away dealer (down near TJC) but had the TLX at the one nearer to me and liked them. Also where I bought the new RDX so will be taking it up there. Probably in a couple weeks if we use the car much. Still surprised that I might hit the service now notice before 12 months. either that, or it is tracking days in service too but down to 0% (wrench icon comes on at 15% to tell you to get it done soon).

Actually, this might be right on time. If it starts counting when it is manufactured (our car was actually very fresh on the lot so probably right about 1 YO now if you count the day it was born, not sold to us!)

I was behind an Acura today that had a custom plate that said 1SLOWTLX. Was he disappointed in the performance?

oldfarmer50

Sandman6472 said:

Explorerx4, is a 4 cylinder engine gonna have enough power to move that vehicle? Won't it be under powered? The Explorer looks to be a heavy vehicle. I'd think a 6 would be the better way to go though.

He whose name must not be mentioned has some strong opinions on putting little 4cyl.turbos in heavy vehicles. Says they won’t last as long as a bigger engine.

I can relate to that. My son’s 3500 lb. 2010 Fusion has a 3.0L NA 6 cyl. While some of the newer models have little 1.5L turbos. I can’t imagine his engine won’t outlast those small stressed out motors.

But what choice did the car companies have to meet gas mileage standards?

xwesx

corvette said:

As someone who sometimes deals with customer service issues, when we receive a written concern, we make sure to address every single issue raised by the person expressing the concern, no matter how insignificant they might seem. It appears he haphazardly banged out an email reply as soon as he sat down at his desk the next morning.

What is your plan for follow up on this? I think I would maybe give the SA a chance to get his snuff together, then elevate if the poor customer service persists.

28firefighter

@corvette with that kind of response I’m not sure I’d trust them to repair a kid’s power wheels...

roadburner

corvette said:

So, on a different note, here is the email reply from my service advisor:

[corvette],



Unfortunately I wasn’t here when you picked up for me to go over it all with you and I apologize that the advisor handling it for me did not do so correctly. The $12 difference is a shop charge that goes on all customer py [sic] tickets. The concerns that you came in for were unable to be duplicated when the tech drove the vehicle and yes typically they do only drive them for a mile or 2 unless the customer states that you hve [sic] to drive it further to duplicate a concern. As far as the multi-point inspections not being filled out is very dis-heartening [sic] and will be addressed with my service manager and technicians and I appriciate [sic] you bringing it to my attention.

Picking this apart, we have an apology for the poor communication and undisclosed charge, followed by poor grammar/spelling (which is further poor communication), and an apology for inspection forms not being filled out. Over half of the issues I mentioned were not addressed at all. The fact that the warranty concerns were not fixed correctly the first time did not merit a mention.

As someone who sometimes deals with customer service issues, when we receive a written concern, we make sure to address every single issue raised by the person expressing the concern, no matter how insignificant they might seem. It appears he haphazardly banged out an email reply as soon as he sat down at his desk the next morning.

Well that is even more encouraging.
Maybe I’ll be in the market for a white belt and shoes after all...

cdnpinhead

explorerx4 said:

On the Insensitivity Meter of 1 to 10, you're a 20. Congrats.

I'm pretty high on the [non-permissible content removed] scale on here, but even I thought he'd gone over the line.

sda

roadburner said:

corvette said:

So, on a different note, here is the email reply from my service advisor:

[corvette],



Unfortunately I wasn’t here when you picked up for me to go over it all with you and I apologize that the advisor handling it for me did not do so correctly. The $12 difference is a shop charge that goes on all customer py [sic] tickets. The concerns that you came in for were unable to be duplicated when the tech drove the vehicle and yes typically they do only drive them for a mile or 2 unless the customer states that you hve [sic] to drive it further to duplicate a concern. As far as the multi-point inspections not being filled out is very dis-heartening [sic] and will be addressed with my service manager and technicians and I appriciate [sic] you bringing it to my attention.

Picking this apart, we have an apology for the poor communication and undisclosed charge, followed by poor grammar/spelling (which is further poor communication), and an apology for inspection forms not being filled out. Over half of the issues I mentioned were not addressed at all. The fact that the warranty concerns were not fixed correctly the first time did not merit a mention.

As someone who sometimes deals with customer service issues, when we receive a written concern, we make sure to address every single issue raised by the person expressing the concern, no matter how insignificant they might seem. It appears he haphazardly banged out an email reply as soon as he sat down at his desk the next morning.

Well that is even more encouraging.
Maybe I’ll be in the market for a white belt and shoes after all...

Cadillac, Cadillac, Cadillac style...oops forgot what year it is

corvette

xwesx said:

corvette said:

As someone who sometimes deals with customer service issues, when we receive a written concern, we make sure to address every single issue raised by the person expressing the concern, no matter how insignificant they might seem. It appears he haphazardly banged out an email reply as soon as he sat down at his desk the next morning.

What is your plan for follow up on this? I think I would maybe give the SA a chance to get his snuff together, then elevate if the poor customer service persists.

My understanding of the bonus structure with satisfaction surveys from Toyota, BMW, etc., is that any imperfect survey is considered a failing result, but they are allowed a certain percentage of failing scores before it starts to affect the dealership's bonus. So, I guess it boils down to a calculation on their part of whether this service visit is a "write-off" in terms of trying to salvage a good survey out of it or not.

I reached out to provide them the opportunity, and they bungled it yet again. I don't think it's on me to elevate it to a manager. The SA needs to have the sense and the skills to do that on his own, as it should have been obvious that I was displeased and they needed to do something to make it right.

roadburner

I remember delivering a 4 Series and it was obvious that the PDI was haphazard at best. The customer really didn’t notice anything amiss as I was able to correct most of the issues as I delivered it. I mentioned it to my NCM who told the GM; he was furious and a tech’s head rolled that same day.

stickguy

maybe they sandbag it and you never actually get a survey?

corvette

stickguy said:

maybe they sandbag it and you never actually get a survey?

Possible, or I get a fake one that’s already predetermined not to count. If I don’t get one at all, I will probably follow up with Toyota corporate.

oldfarmer50

corvette said:

xwesx said:

corvette said:

As someone who sometimes deals with customer service issues, when we receive a written concern, we make sure to address every single issue raised by the person expressing the concern, no matter how insignificant they might seem. It appears he haphazardly banged out an email reply as soon as he sat down at his desk the next morning.

What is your plan for follow up on this? I think I would maybe give the SA a chance to get his snuff together, then elevate if the poor customer service persists.

My understanding of the bonus structure with satisfaction surveys from Toyota, BMW, etc., is that any imperfect survey is considered a failing result, but they are allowed a certain percentage of failing scores before it starts to affect the dealership's bonus. So, I guess it boils down to a calculation on their part of whether this service visit is a "write-off" in terms of trying to salvage a good survey out of it or not.

I reached out to provide them the opportunity, and they bungled it yet again. I don't think it's on me to elevate it to a manager. The SA needs to have the sense and the skills to do that on his own, as it should have been obvious that I was displeased and they needed to do something to make it right.

Funny, I’ve never received a satisfaction survey for ANY dealer interaction. How do they normally transmit them, by text, email, phone, pony express?

xwesx

oldfarmer50 said:

Funny, I’ve never received a satisfaction survey for ANY dealer interaction. How do they normally transmit them, by text, email, phone, pony express?

I get them via email for both Audi and Subaru (both Kendall corporate dealerships). The Audi dealership harasses me about it, though. I am still getting emails to complete the survey for service that occurred six months ago!

xwesx

The latest one, nine days ago:

Hello -WES-,

Several days ago, you should have received an email survey regarding your recent service experience at Audi Anchorage with your Audi Q7. If you have completed the survey, please disregard this message.

If you have not had a chance to answer, we invite you to complete this three-minute survey.

*Begin Survey*

We value your feedback to help improve our service and look forward to hearing from you.

Warm Regards,

JD
Senior VP, Product Quality/Technical Service & Aftersales
and the Audi Anchorage team

tjc78

sda said:

roadburner said:

corvette said:

So, on a different note, here is the email reply from my service advisor:

[corvette],



Unfortunately I wasn’t here when you picked up for me to go over it all with you and I apologize that the advisor handling it for me did not do so correctly. The $12 difference is a shop charge that goes on all customer py [sic] tickets. The concerns that you came in for were unable to be duplicated when the tech drove the vehicle and yes typically they do only drive them for a mile or 2 unless the customer states that you hve [sic] to drive it further to duplicate a concern. As far as the multi-point inspections not being filled out is very dis-heartening [sic] and will be addressed with my service manager and technicians and I appriciate [sic] you bringing it to my attention.

Picking this apart, we have an apology for the poor communication and undisclosed charge, followed by poor grammar/spelling (which is further poor communication), and an apology for inspection forms not being filled out. Over half of the issues I mentioned were not addressed at all. The fact that the warranty concerns were not fixed correctly the first time did not merit a mention.

As someone who sometimes deals with customer service issues, when we receive a written concern, we make sure to address every single issue raised by the person expressing the concern, no matter how insignificant they might seem. It appears he haphazardly banged out an email reply as soon as he sat down at his desk the next morning.

Well that is even more encouraging.
Maybe I’ll be in the market for a white belt and shoes after all...

Cadillac, Cadillac, Cadillac style...oops forgot what year it is

Ah the 80s!

qbrozen

Hey, @stickguy , you can get a Leaf SV Tech In NJ, 24/10k, for $137 with $137 DAS. Just thought I’d share.

Sandman6472

That supposed $12 fee should be noted on every receipt to be honest so every customer can see that the numbers in fact do add up to 100%. It's a bit shady of this dealership to not even mention it until someone complains about the overcharge. I'd be a bit unhappy just like you were because all fees should be spelled out up front, transparent if you will. The worst part is that he didn't even want to address all your other issues which makes zero sense. I'll agree, there's nothing more annoying then to have to ring a vehicle back multiple times for issues they just don't fix. I feel that after the first try, they're just wasting my time and they really have no right to do that. Luckily, we've now found a new mechanic through word of mouth that seems to know what he's doing and am very pleased. I know with my oil leak in the Golf last year, took Tires Plus three times to finally diagnose/fix the problem correctly. Wasn't very happy as it took time away from my life and I missed an important meeting at my job which delayed my resuming work after being on furlough. I was real unhappy due to this mistake on their part and it cost me $ at work.
Hopefully you'll find another dealer that can solve your issues the first time without any bullsh-t!