Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

qbrozen

I think we’ve crossed up discussions.

Anyway, a dealer not far from me has an ‘04 Impreza TS wagon with very low miles for $3k. I really thought I’d never own a Subaru again but those baby wagons always appeal to me and maybe the low miles and intended use will keep away the head gasket demon. They also have an ‘07 SX4 with 109k. Very pricey at $5k, however. But maybe a visit will at least net me seat time in each.

stickguy

Is the Impreza a manual or an AT? I would take a stick version of that. And hope the gaskets were either done, or would be OK for the 2-3K tops I would put on it a year!

sda

qbrozen said:

I think we’ve crossed up discussions.

Anyway, a dealer not far from me has an ‘04 Impreza TS wagon with very low miles for $3k. I really thought I’d never own a Subaru again but those baby wagons always appeal to me and maybe the low miles and intended use will keep away the head gasket demon. They also have an ‘07 SX4 with 109k. Very pricey at $5k, however. But maybe a visit will at least net me seat time in each.

With your mechanical ability, if it needs head gaskets, would you be up to buying it cheap and repairing it yourself?

ab348

Speaking of Subarus, I mentioned a couple of weeks ago an acquaintance who bought a new Outback a year or so back and has since proclaimed it as the most troublesome new car he has ever owned. Now he has a new problem and this one is getting juicy.

He has encountered phantom braking by the Eyesight system. It apparently is detecting hazards that are not there and will suddenly apply the brakes without warning while driving. He has taken it back to the dealer a few times with the complaint, and they are responding with the usual "cannot duplicate", and the GM of the dealership denies any knowledge of similar issues in other Subaru vehicles.

Then he discovered that there are many cases of a similar nature being investigated by the NHSTA in the US, along with many stories of customer experiences with the same thing happening at a class-action site. So he had a conversation with an investigator from Transport Canada and filed a complaint with them on the issue. I suspect a big part of his problem is the local dealer, who are part of the worst dealer group in the region and have a long series of poor customer treatment after the sale. It will be interesting to see where this goes.

28firefighter

@ab348 said:
Speaking of Subarus, I mentioned a couple of weeks ago an acquaintance who bought a new Outback a year or so back and has since proclaimed it as the most troublesome new car he has ever owned. Now he has a new problem and this one is getting juicy.

He has encountered phantom braking by the Eyesight system. It apparently is detecting hazards that are not there and will suddenly apply the brakes without warning while driving. He has taken it back to the dealer a few times with the complaint, and they are responding with the usual "cannot duplicate", and the GM of the dealership denies any knowledge of similar issues in other Subaru vehicles.

Then he discovered that there are many cases of a similar nature being investigated by the NHSTA in the US, along with many stories of customer experiences with the same thing happening at a class-action site. So he had a conversation with an investigator from Transport Canada and filed a complaint with them on the issue. I suspect a big part of his problem is the local dealer, who are part of the worst dealer group in the region and have a long series of poor customer treatment after the sale. It will be interesting to see where this goes.

This is my number one fear with collision avoidance systems and why I turn them off where possible.

qbrozen

28firefighter said:

This is my number one fear with collision avoidance systems and why I turn them off where possible.

And why I don't even want them in the first place

qbrozen

sda said:

With your mechanical ability, if it needs head gaskets, would you be up to buying it cheap and repairing it yourself?

No. I have enough going on.
If I did want to do such a thing, I'd talk to my brother about the Legacy wagon that's been sitting in his driveway for a few years now because he started a head gasket job and never finished it.

qbrozen

OH yeah, speaking of unfinished projects, the mechanic with the Benz called last night. He checked my timing and said it was spot on. He then checked the intake manifold and found some loose bolts (I never touched it). So he took it off and found it was filled with dirt and oil. It hadn't sucked any into the engine, because that was clean, but it was impeding airflow, causing the oil leak in the back of the engine, and causing a vacuum leak. Some pieces of it have broken/rotted away. He priced a new one and found they are $3k! So he asked if I'd prefer he clean this one and patch it up with new metal. Uhhhh... yeah, that's what I would do! Said he'll call me back in a couple of days to let me know how he makes out.

Right now, I'm considering this good news.

nyccarguy

qbrozen said:

OH yeah, speaking of unfinished projects, the mechanic with the Benz called last night. He checked my timing and said it was spot on. He then checked the intake manifold and found some loose bolts (I never touched it). So he took it off and found it was filled with dirt and oil. It hadn't sucked any into the engine, because that was clean, but it was impeding airflow, causing the oil leak in the back of the engine, and causing a vacuum leak. Some pieces of it have broken/rotted away. He priced a new one and found they are $3k! So he asked if I'd prefer he clean this one and patch it up with new metal. Uhhhh... yeah, that's what I would do! Said he'll call me back in a couple of days to let me know how he makes out.

Right now, I'm considering this good news.

That's fantastic news!

nyccarguy

28firefighter said:

@ab348 said:

Speaking of Subarus, I mentioned a couple of weeks ago an acquaintance who bought a new Outback a year or so back and has since proclaimed it as the most troublesome new car he has ever owned. Now he has a new problem and this one is getting juicy.

He has encountered phantom braking by the Eyesight system. It apparently is detecting hazards that are not there and will suddenly apply the brakes without warning while driving. He has taken it back to the dealer a few times with the complaint, and they are responding with the usual "cannot duplicate", and the GM of the dealership denies any knowledge of similar issues in other Subaru vehicles.

Then he discovered that there are many cases of a similar nature being investigated by the NHSTA in the US, along with many stories of customer experiences with the same thing happening at a class-action site. So he had a conversation with an investigator from Transport Canada and filed a complaint with them on the issue. I suspect a big part of his problem is the local dealer, who are part of the worst dealer group in the region and have a long series of poor customer treatment after the sale. It will be interesting to see where this goes.

This is my number one fear with collision avoidance systems and why I turn them off where possible.

A salesman I deal with bought a new Infiniti QX50 (The Rogue with the Turbo Engine & Infiniti badge) about 2 years ago. He had the same problem. The thing would start braking on its own while he was on an empty highway going straight. It took a LONG time to resolve. Multiple dealer visits & software updates didn't work. One day he brought it in and got a loaner (QX60 - The Pathfinder) and they called him back and said the car was done. He said OK, so are 100% positive that the car is fixed and it won't start braking on its own again? "Well sir, not 100%." He said, OK, then the car isn't fixed. Call me when it is. He kept the loaner and opened a case with Infiniti corporate. This guy does A LOT of driving, close to or over 30K per year. He had the car for about 6 months and the loaner for close to 2 months. Infiniti bought it back from him and refunded every penny.

jmonroe1

nyccarguy said:

28firefighter said:

@ab348 said:

Speaking of Subarus, I mentioned a couple of weeks ago an acquaintance who bought a new Outback a year or so back and has since proclaimed it as the most troublesome new car he has ever owned. Now he has a new problem and this one is getting juicy.

He has encountered phantom braking by the Eyesight system. It apparently is detecting hazards that are not there and will suddenly apply the brakes without warning while driving. He has taken it back to the dealer a few times with the complaint, and they are responding with the usual "cannot duplicate", and the GM of the dealership denies any knowledge of similar issues in other Subaru vehicles.

Then he discovered that there are many cases of a similar nature being investigated by the NHSTA in the US, along with many stories of customer experiences with the same thing happening at a class-action site. So he had a conversation with an investigator from Transport Canada and filed a complaint with them on the issue. I suspect a big part of his problem is the local dealer, who are part of the worst dealer group in the region and have a long series of poor customer treatment after the sale. It will be interesting to see where this goes.

This is my number one fear with collision avoidance systems and why I turn them off where possible.

A salesman I deal with bought a new Infiniti QX50 (The Rogue with the Turbo Engine & Infiniti badge) about 2 years ago. He had the same problem. The thing would start braking on its own while he was on an empty highway going straight. It took a LONG time to resolve. Multiple dealer visits & software updates didn't work. One day he brought it in and got a loaner (QX60 - The Pathfinder) and they called him back and said the car was done. He said OK, so are 100% positive that the car is fixed and it won't start braking on its own again? "Well sir, not 100%." He said, OK, then the car isn't fixed. Call me when it is. He kept the loaner and opened a case with Infiniti corporate. This guy does A LOT of driving, close to or over 30K per year. He had the car for about 6 months and the loaner for close to 2 months. Infiniti bought it back from him and refunded every penny.

The good aspect of this is that Infinity bought back the car and the owner wasn’t out any money but the bad part is they simply threw up there hands and admitted defeat. A real car company would want to find out how to solve the problem.

jmonroe

stickguy

In theory they do it for goodwill (and to avoid legal action), and will take the car back to HQ to try and figure out the issue.

More likely, they just flipped it at auction.

au1994

The Crosstrek had Eyesight. Never malfunctioned but would shut off during a heavy rain, IE when you could probably use it. Then about 6 months before I got rid of it I got a notice that the insurance was going up. No wrecks or tickets so I called the agent. Seems Allstate decided to increase the rate on it since Eyesight was expensive to repair and even a simple windshield replacement required a trip to the dealer.

stickguy

Speaking of cars, I went shopping today at lunch. Stopped at another Ford dealer since the Maverick site reported they had one on the lot Tuesday. And they did, but just for 1 day for dealer training. So did not see one. But the sales guy said it was wonderful! Took my info and will call when one of his orders (he has 2 noted as built, in transit) comes in so I can at least see and sit, if not drive. Maybe soon, but who knows.

They did have a 4 door Bronco, I think available since somebody was test driving it. Big looking beast, but good looking. Dark blue, looked good on it. Fabric top of course (I think the replacement hard tops are just starting to be released). Can see why they are popular.

stickguy

Also stopped at a newly opened used car place (they have other stores in the area). Very nice inventory of upscale stuff. Stopped to see a 2019 BRZ. Seemed comparable to a Maverick. Pretty neat looking. Definitely low, but much easier to get in and out of than my Miata. Seemed about the same as my old integra. Pretty roomy once inside though the seat was raised a bit so windshield frame cut off some vision. Otherwise could see out OK. Comfy seats.

Took it for a drive. Probably my first time driving a stick in 3 years. But proud that I did not stall once, or make bad noises. Clutch did engage quite high though, making it harder to be smooth. Fun to drive. Great handling and Miata snicky gearbox. It’s a real sports car.

And like the Miata, felt and sounded like you were going much faster than really doing. Proving you can have lots of fun at 45!

I’d like to see the redesign. Supposed to be nicer in every way and much more modern, but still just as much fun (and considerably faster). I could live with one as my car, serving as the spare in the family. Just have to see if the wife can get in, and if do, fit in the seat or get out!

A real throwback though. Like a modern antique. No real nannies, and you definitely had to drive it, and felt what was happening.

corvette

In 20,000 miles, the forward collision warning has only activated once in the Tundra. Just a beeping noise without applying the brakes. There was nothing in front of me, so I'm not sure what caused it. The radar cruise will often deactivate if you're driving in rain for a long period of time. I think if you press and hold the off/on button for the cruise control, it will revert to conventional operation without the radar.

xwesx

fintail said:

Unfortunately, it will be used as an excuse to increase prices, as profit margins mostly reaped by a small few must retain growth. Spending power may not exactly pace wages via this inflation, but it might increase a little, and anything helps.

I definitely saw that on our trip this year. I couldn't believe how expensive it was in some areas where I used to not believe how cheap it was. Granted, none were as expensive as here, but I don't think I made it out of any restaurant for under $50.

On the car front, it's starting to get cold here (below freezing throughout the day), and I'm *really* anticipating my appointment for the Q7 at the alignment shop next week!

breld

stickguy said:

And like the Miata, felt and sounded like you were going much faster than really doing. Proving you can have lots of fun at 45!

years old or mph?

breld

I like the Volvo (and Polestar) systems the best out of the cars I've owned...no issues on the highway. But if I back up too close to the shrub on the side of my driveway, the Polestar will stop like I hit a brick wall.

tifighter

I enjoyed my 86. It made every trip an adventure. But, to add to the internet pitchforks, it really does need more power. I'd like to take a drive in the new one.

stickguy

breld said:

stickguy said:

And like the Miata, felt and sounded like you were going much faster than really doing. Proving you can have lots of fun at 45!

years old or mph?

I guess years too, not that I can remember (and want to totally forget age 46!). But of course I meant MPH. If you don’t get on a track, really more engaging to drive a slow fun car than a highly powered car that you can utilize the limits.

qbrozen

stickguy said:

Is the Impreza a manual or an AT? I would take a stick version of that. And hope the gaskets were either done, or would be OK for the 2-3K tops I would put on it a year!

AT. If I get a stick, my wife won't be able to drive it, and then defeats some of its purpose.

stickguy

I think the RDX only has a warning system, and maybe some pre-engage brake assist. If I’m coming up fast BRAKE flashes on the dash and I think it beeps. But won’t stop on it’s own.

That seems like a good system. Driver still has to drive, but can’t hurt to have an extra set of eyes. Same with BLIS. It’s just and extra data point, but if you want to plow into a stopped car, or sideswipe one in the next lane, entirely up to you.

And if my wife’s in the car, that’s one more (loud) data point warning me of impending doom.

stickguy

Nice in red. From all the reviews I watched, the new version with bigger motor took care of the power (especially torque) issue. Quite a bit quicker and sounds much nicer.

breld

So, a couple weekends ago, I shared how we had put an offer on that cool mid-century modern home with the huge garage, only to be beat out by an all-cash quick-close competing offer.

Well...that wasn't the end of the story. The seller did end up making a counteroffer to us at a higher purchase price. After scoffing at it that night, we woke up the next morning realizing how unique the opportunity was and decided to accept their counter.

But I was holding off sharing that in case the marketing of our current house didn't go well.

As of today, it looks to be going well, with 2 offers in hand and likely 1-2 more before the end of the day. So we expect to close on the new house in two weeks.

xwesx

au1994 said:

The Crosstrek had Eyesight. Never malfunctioned but would shut off during a heavy rain, IE when you could probably use it. Then about 6 months before I got rid of it I got a notice that the insurance was going up. No wrecks or tickets so I called the agent. Seems Allstate decided to increase the rate on it since Eyesight was expensive to repair and even a simple windshield replacement required a trip to the dealer.

This is the primary reason I think these systems are so foolish. They don't work during inclement weather at all, and, in many cases, make the vehicle more difficult to drive at the same time. In addition, drivers start to rely on them more and more (Adaptive Cruise, anyone?), and, as a result, they unconsciously start allowing themselves to be more and more distracted while they should be driving.

I don't recall if Eyesight was optional on the 2018 Crosstrek or not, but I'm very happy that they still offer a stick on those (for now - Eyesight and manual transmission are incompatible).

nyccarguy

@tifighter I completely forgot you had that car. What year was yours? How many miles did you put on it? Did you get rid of it for the Z4?

corvette

@breld - congrats! That's a really neat home and I'm sure you will be happy there.

corvette

I called US Bank about extending the lease on the Tundra. They indicated that they still offer a six month extension, and I should call back in December or January so they can initiate the paperwork. So, that will kick the can down the road on needing to find a replacement.

xwesx

breld said:

So, a couple weekends ago, I shared how we had put an offer on that cool mid-century modern home with the huge garage, only to be beat out by an all-cash quick-close competing offer.

Well...that wasn't the end of the story. The seller did end up making a counteroffer to us at a higher purchase price. After scoffing at it that night, we woke up the next morning realizing how unique the opportunity was and decided to accept their counter.

But I was holding off sharing that in case the marketing of our current house didn't go well.

As of today, it looks to be going well, with 2 offers in hand and likely 1-2 more before the end of the day. So we expect to close on the new house in two weeks.

If you were the only data point, a first time home-buyer would have no idea that moving a household is a royal pain in the rear.

Congrats!

ab348

stickguy said:

Stopped to see a 2019 BRZ. Seemed comparable to a Maverick.

Now I'm confused. :@

jmonroe1

stickguy said:

In theory they do it for goodwill (and to avoid legal action), and will take the car back to HQ to try and figure out the issue.

More likely, they just flipped it at auction.

I also thought about it going back to Nissan but the dealer had 2 months to get it fixed but obviously they couldn’t even after they surely contacted Nissan at some point to get their input without success. It’s possible that Nissan needed more time to find the fix ergo the buy back.

Now, if they flipped it at auction, the problem is passed onto another buyer. Again, a real company would want to solve the problem.

jmonroe

xwesx

ab348 said:

stickguy said:

Stopped to see a 2019 BRZ. Seemed comparable to a Maverick.

Now I'm confused. :@

I thought so too, but then remembered that this is @stickguy, and that's just humor for you.

stickguy

It was a joke son, a joke!

Like I told the sales lady (who was glad I would drive from the parking area up to the building, since she couldn’t drive manual) buying a sports car just gives me an excuse to buy a beater truck too at some point.

stickguy

jmonroe1 said:

stickguy said:

In theory they do it for goodwill (and to avoid legal action), and will take the car back to HQ to try and figure out the issue.

More likely, they just flipped it at auction.

I also thought about it going back to Nissan but the dealer had 2 months to get it fixed but obviously they couldn’t even after they surely contacted Nissan at some point to get their input without success. It’s possible that Nissan needed more time to find the fix ergo the buy back.

Now, if they flipped it at auction, the problem is passed onto another buyer. Again, a real company would want to solve the problem.

jmonroe

Often they get the corporate engineers involved, but I assume it’s a lot easier to rip into it back at the home office instead of long distance. And probably don’t want dealer going to crazy on a customer car.

jmonroe1

breld said:

So, a couple weekends ago, I shared how we had put an offer on that cool mid-century modern home with the huge garage, only to be beat out by an all-cash quick-close competing offer.

Well...that wasn't the end of the story. The seller did end up making a counteroffer to us at a higher purchase price. After scoffing at it that night, we woke up the next morning realizing how unique the opportunity was and decided to accept their counter.

But I was holding off sharing that in case the marketing of our current house didn't go well.

As of today, it looks to be going well, with 2 offers in hand and likely 1-2 more before the end of the day. So we expect to close on the new house in two weeks.

So, Thanksgiving dinner is back on the table (no pun intended).

Thanks for the invite.

jmonroe

au1994

jmonroe1 said:

stickguy said:

In theory they do it for goodwill (and to avoid legal action), and will take the car back to HQ to try and figure out the issue.

More likely, they just flipped it at auction.

I also thought about it going back to Nissan but the dealer had 2 months to get it fixed but obviously they couldn’t even after they surely contacted Nissan at some point to get their input without success. It’s possible that Nissan needed more time to find the fix ergo the buy back.

Now, if they flipped it at auction, the problem is passed onto another buyer. Again, a real company would want to solve the problem.

jmonroe

Its things like this that are why my dad never bought used. His motto was ‘why would I want someone else’s problems?”. Granted he was buying in the prime malaise era and was a GM fan at that.

stickguy

My wife says that too. But more because she doesn’t want a seat someone else sat in. Also why if we buy a resale house, I need to replace the thrones before we move in!

For my car, she doesn’t care really, but her car will always be bought new.

[Deleted User]

Congrats @breld, hoping you have some great offers to consider. We'd love to help you move but unfortunately we're busy that weekend!

corvette

@dad23 said:
We'd love to help you move but unfortunately we're busy that weekend!

Not so fast, I don’t think he said which weekend!

jmonroe1

au1994 said:

jmonroe1 said:

stickguy said:

In theory they do it for goodwill (and to avoid legal action), and will take the car back to HQ to try and figure out the issue.

More likely, they just flipped it at auction.

I also thought about it going back to Nissan but the dealer had 2 months to get it fixed but obviously they couldn’t even after they surely contacted Nissan at some point to get their input without success. It’s possible that Nissan needed more time to find the fix ergo the buy back.

Now, if they flipped it at auction, the problem is passed onto another buyer. Again, a real company would want to solve the problem.

jmonroe

Its things like this that are why my dad never bought used. His motto was ‘why would I want someone else’s problems?”. Granted he was buying in the prime malaise era and was a GM fan at that.

Interesting that you mentioned how your dad didn’t want to buy used because of the “could be” problems.

Back in the day when I was raising a family I thought I couldn’t afford to buy new cars so I only bought used and FWIW, I only bought GM cars. However, looking back at my financial situation I may have just been cheap but then again I may have wanted to convince myself of my wrenching skills. In either case I can live with that.

Scuffed knuckles never killed anyone. I can show you lots of proof of that.

jmonroe

jmonroe1

corvette said:

@dad23 said:

We'd love to help you move but unfortunately we're busy that weekend!

Not so fast, I don’t think he said which weekend!

Does it really matter?

jmonroe

tifighter

breld said:

So, a couple weekends ago, I shared how we had put an offer on that cool mid-century modern home with the huge garage, only to be beat out by an all-cash quick-close competing offer.

Well...that wasn't the end of the story. The seller did end up making a counteroffer to us at a higher purchase price. After scoffing at it that night, we woke up the next morning realizing how unique the opportunity was and decided to accept their counter.

But I was holding off sharing that in case the marketing of our current house didn't go well.

As of today, it looks to be going well, with 2 offers in hand and likely 1-2 more before the end of the day. So we expect to close on the new house in two weeks.

Congrats!

Can I have one of your garage spots?

tifighter

nyccarguy said:

@tifighter I completely forgot you had that car. What year was yours? How many miles did you put on it? Did you get rid of it for the Z4?

Me too. That was way back in 2017. Replaced by it's natural competitor, an E350 Cab.

tifighter

tifighter said:

Curious to see how this auction plays out-

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2009-bmw-z4-roadster-sdrive-3-0-6-speed-manual/

Well, the BaT Z4 closed today, and I'd say it went well for the seller.

mjfloyd1

@breld said:
So, a couple weekends ago, I shared how we had put an offer on that cool mid-century modern home with the huge garage, only to be beat out by an all-cash quick-close competing offer.

Well...that wasn't the end of the story. The seller did end up making a counteroffer to us at a higher purchase price. After scoffing at it that night, we woke up the next morning realizing how unique the opportunity was and decided to accept their counter.

But I was holding off sharing that in case the marketing of our current house didn't go well.

As of today, it looks to be going well, with 2 offers in hand and likely 1-2 more before the end of the day. So we expect to close on the new house in two weeks.

I would expect nothing less from the @breld family

Looks like we need to keep a running house count as well as a running vehicle count

Michaell

mjfloyd1 said:

@breld said:

So, a couple weekends ago, I shared how we had put an offer on that cool mid-century modern home with the huge garage, only to be beat out by an all-cash quick-close competing offer.

Well...that wasn't the end of the story. The seller did end up making a counteroffer to us at a higher purchase price. After scoffing at it that night, we woke up the next morning realizing how unique the opportunity was and decided to accept their counter.

But I was holding off sharing that in case the marketing of our current house didn't go well.

As of today, it looks to be going well, with 2 offers in hand and likely 1-2 more before the end of the day. So we expect to close on the new house in two weeks.

I would expect nothing less from the @breld family

Looks like we need to keep a running house count as well as a running vehicle count

This is #4 since I’ve known them.

mjfloyd1

@Michaell said:
This is #4 since I’ve known them.

Over how many years?

corvette

tifighter said:

Well, the BaT Z4 closed today, and I'd say it went well for the seller.

Yours has a much better color scheme.

Michaell

mjfloyd1 said:

@Michaell said:

This is #4 since I’ve known them.

Over how many years?

Oh, goodness. I think we’ve been friends for 6 or 7 years. I have to date it to what he was driving the first time we met up - it was the 5-series. The one that got swapped for the Mazda 3.