Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

au1994

nyccarguy said:

So I drove the Jeep to the beach on Long Island yesterday. Not on the beach, just to the beach. Roof was open all day, it was perfect. When I got home last night, I plugged it in and got an error message. Service charging system. Huh?

Ugh…any update?

tifighter

andres3 said:

corvette said:

Had the lease end inspection on the Tundra this afternoon. They are supposed to email me a report within a couple of days, but the inspector said everything looked good. He also left my passenger window rolled down, so I am glad I went outside to check the truck after he left.

Did you have to show him BOTH KEY FOB's?

nyccarguy

@au1994 said:
Ugh…any update?

Made an appointment to bring it in for service on Tuesday. They said if the CEL is on, it is ok to drive. If it starts flashing then it isn’t safe to drive. I’ll keep everyone updated.

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

Definitely see why people like a PU in the fleet. Took another big load of donations to goodwill. So much easier to pile it in the bed than to crawl around in the CUV to make it fit. Plus anything dirty or stinky stays outside. And don’t lose the backseat.

Will definitely be keeping one around, even if eventually it becomes an old beater instead to go along with a nice fun car for good weather.

It’s funny you mention that. The other day I was counting the number of people on my road who had a truck of some sort in their driveway. Out of maybe 50 houses I think there was only one who didn’t.

corvette

andres3 said:

Did you have to show him BOTH KEY FOB's?

I'm not sure whether I had to... the instructions said to have all keys available, so I put both fobs plus the mechanical emergency key on a ring and handed it over to him. Shockingly, he did not make off with any of them. I will be sure to photograph the lot of them when I turn the truck in at lease end.

henryn

jmonroe1 said:

henryn said:

corvette said:

Had the lease end inspection on the Tundra this afternoon. They are supposed to email me a report within a couple of days, but the inspector said everything looked good. He also left my passenger window rolled down, so I am glad I went outside to check the truck after he left.

8 or 9 years back, I had an A/C checkup for my house in the spring. The weather was nice, the house was open (all windows, all rooms). The guy did a quick check, everything good, and left. That night, in the middle of the night, I noticed a soft roaring sound. I got up to check, and the heater was on, blowing hot air into a wide open house. I had a few unkind works for that A/C guy, and switched to a different company.

————————————————-
Why would an A/C check require that all windows be opened?

jmonroe

It didn't. The windows were opened by me, well before the A/C guy came around. And the central heat / AC was most definitely turned off when he arrived. He turned on first the AC, then the heat, to check operation. And he left the thermostat on, turned to heat, so in the middle of the night when it got cooler the heat came on. And the house was still open, because that's the way I like it when the weather's nice.

jmonroe1

oldfarmer50 said:

stickguy said:

Definitely see why people like a PU in the fleet. Took another big load of donations to goodwill. So much easier to pile it in the bed than to crawl around in the CUV to make it fit. Plus anything dirty or stinky stays outside. And don’t lose the backseat.

Will definitely be keeping one around, even if eventually it becomes an old beater instead to go along with a nice fun car for good weather.

It’s funny you mention that. The other day I was counting the number of people on my road who had a truck of some sort in their driveway. Out of maybe 50 houses I think there was only one who didn’t.

————————————————-
If I didn’t know better I’d say you lived in southern New York.

jmonroe

jmonroe1

henryn said:

jmonroe1 said:

henryn said:

corvette said:

Had the lease end inspection on the Tundra this afternoon. They are supposed to email me a report within a couple of days, but the inspector said everything looked good. He also left my passenger window rolled down, so I am glad I went outside to check the truck after he left.

8 or 9 years back, I had an A/C checkup for my house in the spring. The weather was nice, the house was open (all windows, all rooms). The guy did a quick check, everything good, and left. That night, in the middle of the night, I noticed a soft roaring sound. I got up to check, and the heater was on, blowing hot air into a wide open house. I had a few unkind works for that A/C guy, and switched to a different company.

————————————————-
Why would an A/C check require that all windows be opened?

jmonroe

It didn't. The windows were opened by me, well before the A/C guy came around. And the central heat / AC was most definitely turned off when he arrived. He turned on first the AC, then the heat, to check operation. And he left the thermostat on, turned to heat, so in the middle of the night when it got cooler the heat came on. And the house was still open, because that's the way I like it when the weather's nice.

———————————————
You didn’t say that you created the opportunity for the problem.

jmonroe

Sandman6472

I'm assuming here that the Tundra is going back to Toyota when the lease ends. For some reason, I thought you were going to buy it at the residual price. Those are nice trucks though a bit too big for my tastes.

Sandman6472

Picked up 4 new 2022 Honda Pilot's today at a local dealer. Drove really nice but they are awfully big vehicles. Not something I'd be comfortable driving on a daily basis. While upstairs in their parking garage to get our vehicles, saw a brand new 2023 HR-V and it definitely is a bigger vehicle. Prefer the previous generation's size and wonder what will slot into that size platform. Toyota has their new Corolla Cross so will be interested in seeing what Honda plans to do here. As much as I like the C C, it's still a Corolla underneath it all and without the JBL sound system that's an option, no way will I get one I suspect. I could live without the moon roof option if I have to but need the better audio system or it'll be a no sale for me.

corvette

Sandman6472 said:

I'm assuming here that the Tundra is going back to Toyota when the lease ends. For some reason, I thought you were going to buy it at the residual price. Those are nice trucks though a bit too big for my tastes.

Yes, will get dropped at a Toyota dealer and returned to US Bank, the leasing company. I could probably make a little bit by buying it out at the residual and reselling it, but there's the risk that the market changes during the (hopefully few) months I'd keep it.

xwesx

Well, another AMW has come and gone. It was a bit of mixed bag overall. Unfortunately, I was unable to finish the list of maintenance items. However, the good side is that what I did get done went well enough, and I didn't get hurt (at all) doing it! Heck, I didn't even smash a knuckle, and that simply must be a first.

Out of six vehicles, though, I only got to four:

76 F250 plow: Oil change, topped off brake fluid, hunted for why the fluid level dropped again, and discovered that I have a line to a rear tire that was torn off by the chains last winter (future project, I guess). I replaced the cab lighting (yellow flashy lights for plowing), adjusted the timing, washed it, and called it a day on that one.

69 Econoline: Oil change, topped off the transmission fluid, replaced the rear shocks, put a new battery in it, and fixed the washer fluid hose because it had a split in it. My son still hasn't finished the wiring project he started on it nearly two years ago now, but I've moved into nag mode. I think he knows I'm serious now....

2013 Forester: Oil change, cleaned engine air filter, replaced cabin filter, replaced all the front lighting with LED units (experimenting here), new wiper blades all around, and conditioned the belts and door gaskets and whatnot.

2018 Crosstrek: Pretty much same as the Forester, except I used conventional lighting on it. Also replaced the shocks with Bilstein B6 and King springs all around.

Man, that Crosstrek definitely came from New York. We bought it with 37,000 miles on it (it has 58,000 now), and I am shocked at the amount of corrosion on the suspension of that car... even in places that leave me scratching my head as to how it could even get there! Needless to add, it was a complete PITA replacing all this stuff on it due to the corrosion. I ended up just cutting the sway bar end links off the front end because they were so hopelessly corroded that there was no way humanly possible to remove them based on their design. Now, I have everything done on it except a completely disconnected sway bar on the front end: Makes me greatly appreciate the function of sway bars!

I had to order a pair of end links, and I hope they will come in before the weekend. I set up the Q7 for the next phase. I need to do all the same stuff as with the Forester, plus I need to tear the top end of the engine down to address the coolant leak that has been persistently, but ever so slowly, getting worse for the last year or two.

jmonroe1

xwesx said:

Well, another AMW has come and gone. It was a bit of mixed bag overall. Unfortunately, I was unable to finish the list of maintenance items. However, the good side is that what I did get done went well enough, and I didn't get hurt (at all) doing it! Heck, I didn't even smash a knuckle, and that simply must be a first.

Out of six vehicles, though, I only got to four:

76 F250 plow: Oil change, topped off brake fluid, hunted for why the fluid level dropped again, and discovered that I have a line to a rear tire that was torn off by the chains last winter (future project, I guess). I replaced the cab lighting (yellow flashy lights for plowing), adjusted the timing, washed it, and called it a day on that one.

69 Econoline: Oil change, topped off the transmission fluid, replaced the rear shocks, put a new battery in it, and fixed the washer fluid hose because it had a split in it. My son still hasn't finished the wiring project he started on it nearly two years ago now, but I've moved into nag mode. I think he knows I'm serious now....

2013 Forester: Oil change, cleaned engine air filter, replaced cabin filter, replaced all the front lighting with LED units (experimenting here), new wiper blades all around, and conditioned the belts and door gaskets and whatnot.

2018 Crosstrek: Pretty much same as the Forester, except I used conventional lighting on it. Also replaced the shocks with Bilstein B6 and King springs all around.

Man, that Crosstrek definitely came from New York. We bought it with 37,000 miles on it (it has 58,000 now), and I am shocked at the amount of corrosion on the suspension of that car... even in places that leave me scratching my head as to how it could even get there! Needless to add, it was a complete PITA replacing all this stuff on it due to the corrosion. I ended up just cutting the sway bar end links off the front end because they were so hopelessly corroded that there was no way humanly possible to remove them based on their design. Now, I have everything done on it except a completely disconnected sway bar on the front end: Makes me greatly appreciate the function of sway bars!

I had to order a pair of end links, and I hope they will come in before the weekend. I set up the Q7 for the next phase. I need to do all the same stuff as with the Forester, plus I need to tear the top end of the engine down to address the coolant leak that has been persistently, but ever so slowly, getting worse for the last year or two.

____________________________________________________________________
YIKES, I'm tired from just reading all of that. Since work doesn't seem to bother you, the next time you make a trip to Ohio give me a call. We could always use another body at the flip. Hell, I might just take that week off.

jmonroe

oldfarmer50

corvette said:

Sandman6472 said:

I'm assuming here that the Tundra is going back to Toyota when the lease ends. For some reason, I thought you were going to buy it at the residual price. Those are nice trucks though a bit too big for my tastes.

Yes, will get dropped at a Toyota dealer and returned to US Bank, the leasing company. I could probably make a little bit by buying it out at the residual and reselling it, but there's the risk that the market changes during the (hopefully few) months I'd keep it.

Have you checked the buy out vs. what someplace like Carvana will offer?

Ford seems to be doing better these days with a 32% sales increase in June. I didn’t know they had a fire at one of their chip suppliers but getting it back on line must have helped.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/fords-u-s-sales-increase-32-in-june-outpacing-broader-industry-11657034435

qbrozen

@xwesx said:
Man, that Crosstrek definitely came from New York. We bought it with 37,000 miles on it (it has 58,000 now), and I am shocked at the amount of corrosion on the suspension of that car... even in places that leave me scratching my head as to how it could even get there! Needless to add, it was a complete PITA replacing all this stuff on it due to the corrosion. I ended up just cutting the sway bar end links off the front end because they were so hopelessly corroded that there was no way humanly possible to remove them based on their design. Now, I have everything done on it except a completely disconnected sway bar on the front end: Makes me greatly appreciate the function of sway bars!

On a 2018? Geesh! They must have never washed it.

corvette

oldfarmer50 said:

Have you checked the buy out vs. what someplace like Carvana will offer?

Yes. Buyout is right at $39,000 plus about $2,340 in sales tax. Carvana offered me $42,841.

mjfloyd1

You might see what driveway.com will give you for the Tundra (unless you have already tried)

corvette

$40,745.

henryn

oldfarmer50 said:

corvette said:

Sandman6472 said:

I'm assuming here that the Tundra is going back to Toyota when the lease ends. For some reason, I thought you were going to buy it at the residual price. Those are nice trucks though a bit too big for my tastes.

Yes, will get dropped at a Toyota dealer and returned to US Bank, the leasing company. I could probably make a little bit by buying it out at the residual and reselling it, but there's the risk that the market changes during the (hopefully few) months I'd keep it.

Have you checked the buy out vs. what someplace like Carvana will offer?

Ford seems to be doing better these days with a 32% sales increase in June. I didn’t know they had a fire at one of their chip suppliers but getting it back on line must have helped.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/fords-u-s-sales-increase-32-in-june-outpacing-broader-industry-11657034435

And then there is the war in Ukraine ...

Ukraine's car parts industry, which supplies many vehicle manufacturers in western European, has taken a battering since the Russian invasion one month ago.

The country's proximity to the European Union, its skilled workers and low labour costs have attracted a string of Western manufacturers, particularly from German groups like Bosch, Kostal and Prettl.

By 2021, they were employing 60,000 workers in 38 Ukrainian plants, according to government figures.
The factories produce electronic components, car seats and, crucially, electric cables.

A maze of cables known as a wire harness runs through every vehicle and constitutes its central nervous system. A large SUV like the Porsche Panamera contains several kilometres (miles) of these cables.
Before the Russian invasion on February 24, Ukraine was one of Europe's biggest manufacturers of electric cable.

mjfloyd1

@corvette said:
$40,745.

Bummer. So weird how different prices are from different companies

explorerx4

It could be company A has enough of that model and doesn't want any more.
It doesn't help that the last gen Tundra is pretty much the biggest fuel guzzler among it's peers.
Unfortunately, that is just the current circumstances with fuel prices the way they are.
When I sold my pickup to Vroom, there was about a 5k+ spread among the quotes I got.

explorerx4

Last time I asked about a closing date on the new house, builder said August 1.
Now he says July 20th.
We were in OH over the holiday and walked through to see the progress. A lot of stuff is done.
We paid for a bunch of dimmer switches but none were installed so those will have to be retrofitted.
Also, just about all the plumbing fixtures were the wrong finish. They will all have to be swapped out.
July 20 is in about 2 weeks. Yikes!

tjc78

@explorerx4 said:
Last time I asked about a closing date on the new house, builder said August 1.
Now he says July 20th.
We were in OH over the holiday and walked through to see the progress. A lot of stuff is done.
We paid for a bunch of dimmer switches but none were installed so those will have to be retrofitted.
Also, just about all the plumbing fixtures were the wrong finish. They will all have to be swapped out.
July 20 is in about 2 weeks. Yikes!

You would be amazed how they kick into gear when a settlement date ($$$) is coming.

I know my GCs on the corporate side always seem to pull it together when they want their progress payments.

jmonroe1

explorerx4 said:

Last time I asked about a closing date on the new house, builder said August 1.
Now he says July 20th.
We were in OH over the holiday and walked through to see the progress. A lot of stuff is done.
We paid for a bunch of dimmer switches but none were installed so those will have to be retrofitted.
Also, just about all the plumbing fixtures were the wrong finish. They will all have to be swapped out.
July 20 is in about 2 weeks. Yikes!

——————————————
White, off white, bone white, almost white what’s the difference. They’re probably waiting to see how much you’re going to dig in about this. Happens all the time.

Those are the joys of building new that I didn’t want to get into when we moved to SC. Turns out the builder I had was terrific about everything. Which is why when we moved back to the Burgh I didn’t want to build new again. I got lucky and I knew that couldn’t happen again. You gotta know when to quit when you’re ahead and I did.

If you’re not in a hurry you should get what you want. Good luck.

jmonroe

explorerx4

@tjc78,
Maybe that's it, I just got an email(not read yet) from the mortgage bank with the word maturity in the title.

sda

Maturity is overrated!

explorerx4

@jmonroe1,
By plumbing fixtures I meant faucets, etc...
Builder said no problem to swap them.

corvette

Interesting Maverick tidbit from the guy who does the Long McArthur Ford YouTube videos. Supposedly there is only a three day shutdown between the end of 2022 production and the start of 2023, which is far shorter than normal and suggests few or no physical changes that would require retooling of the production line (I definitely still expect to see some changes with regard to option availability and bundling).

explorerx4

@qbrozen,
Asked for shipping quotes from Shiply.
Some shippers have already dropped their price quotes since earlier this afternoon.
One shipper dropped it a dollar. HA HA.

explorerx4

That Steve guy is still around.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dq45I-e974s

xwesx

qbrozen said:

On a 2018? Geesh! They must have never washed it.

Exactly! I couldn't believe it. I mean, overall, the car cleaned up nicely, but the dealer (or the place that took in the lease return) must have done a heckuva job on it. I keep envisioning the owner having one of those little work tunnels under their garage floor (from the days before lifts were so commonplace) and just spending hours down there cackling and finely misting a saltwater solution on the underside.

xwesx

tjc78 said:

You would be amazed how they kick into gear when a settlement date ($$$) is coming.

I know my GCs on the corporate side always seem to pull it together when they want their progress payments.

Yeah, but as you found out, @explorerx4 , just make sure they aren't cutting any corners to get there. Some corners are more significant than others; those details matter (especially the ones you cannot see).

xwesx

sda said:

Maturity is overrated!

Yeah, when it comes to maturity, people tend to be way too serious.

stickguy

I am betting that they are making very minor changes too. Packages for sure will be reconfigured. Maybe a new color or 2. some minor upgrades of plug and play stuff maybe (or taking stuff from a higher trim and pushing it down to a lower one).

I heard back from my dealer today, confirming that on the 2nd they will reach out to every unscheduled order (based on when they were submitted, so might not happen on the 2nd). I assume will be quick process. Just confirm I still want it, and tell them any big changes (like adding a luxury package) and they will submit it.

I believe you will have time after that to make tweaks without losing your place in line (you could this year) so taking off or adding an accessory of option should not be a problem. I will just probably change colors, just for the heck of it, and bump up to a Lariat instead of XLT, with the luxury package. And of course the moonroof. everything else pretty much is standard.

corvette

I might bump up to an XLT, and might also switch to a hybrid if it's allowed (doubt it will be).

oldfarmer50

corvette said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Have you checked the buy out vs. what someplace like Carvana will offer?

Yes. Buyout is right at $39,000 plus about $2,340 in sales tax. Carvana offered me $42,841.

How did that happen? I thought all the people on here were flipping buyouts for big bucks. At that price you ought to buy it out and keep it because I can’t imagine the dealer is going to give you a break on a replacement.

They’re predicting market disruptions into 2024 now. I’m sick of it.

stickguy

corvette said:

I might bump up to an XLT, and might also switch to a hybrid if it's allowed (doubt it will be).

you can change anything. Not clear if anything will cause you to lose your place in line though. I was already waiting on a hybrid so would just be changing trim level.

stickguy

oldfarmer50 said:

corvette said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Have you checked the buy out vs. what someplace like Carvana will offer?

Yes. Buyout is right at $39,000 plus about $2,340 in sales tax. Carvana offered me $42,841.

How did that happen? I thought all the people on here were flipping buyouts for big bucks. At that price you ought to buy it out and keep it because I can’t imagine the dealer is going to give you a break on a replacement.

They’re predicting market disruptions into 2024 now. I’m sick of it.

Nobody knows for sure. also have to "follow the money" to see what the source of the prediction is.

jmonroe1

corvette said:

Interesting Maverick tidbit from the guy who does the Long McArthur Ford YouTube videos. Supposedly there is only a three day shutdown between the end of 2022 production and the start of 2023, which is far shorter than normal and suggests few or no physical changes that would require retooling of the production line (I definitely still expect to see some changes with regard to option availability and bundling).

———————————————-
3 days? Most car production lines can’t change their skivvies in a week. I guess you’ll be getting a 2022 with a 2023 badge.

jmonroe

au1994

oldfarmer50 said:

corvette said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Have you checked the buy out vs. what someplace like Carvana will offer?

Yes. Buyout is right at $39,000 plus about $2,340 in sales tax. Carvana offered me $42,841.

How did that happen? I thought all the people on here were flipping buyouts for big bucks. At that price you ought to buy it out and keep it because I can’t imagine the dealer is going to give you a break on a replacement.

They’re predicting market disruptions into 2024 now. I’m sick of it.

I am too. My wife is rightfully getting tired of the X1 but we both agree, it just doesn’t make any sense to do anything at this point.

28firefighter

This has to be the lowest mile grandma car I've ever seen posted - and I'm not convinced it's a good thing.

https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/d/lynnwood-volkswagen-jetta-extremely-low/7503978402.html

corvette

Ah, yes, the old two point slow engine. Something like 115 HP of glory in a ~3,000 pound car paired with a four speed automatic. The timing belt is way overdue, if it hasn't been done. 0-60 likely takes over ten seconds. Everyone thought the 2.0 normally aspirated engine was, mercifully, forever gone from the North American market when VW made the standard engine on the MKV Jetta/Golf the 2.5 liter inline 5. But wait, there's more! They brought it back in the sixth generation Jetta.

corvette

stickguy said:

you can change anything. Not clear if anything will cause you to lose your place in line though. I was already waiting on a hybrid so would just be changing trim level.

Right, I meant I'd be willing to consider changes which wouldn't cost me my priority as a 2022 order holder. If the contemplated change will move you to the back of the line, probably better to keep the existing config as a 2023 order and then do a second order for the other config.

qbrozen

Never mind.

stickguy

corvette said:

stickguy said:

you can change anything. Not clear if anything will cause you to lose your place in line though. I was already waiting on a hybrid so would just be changing trim level.

Right, I meant I'd be willing to consider changes which wouldn't cost me my priority as a 2022 order holder. If the contemplated change will move you to the back of the line, probably better to keep the existing config as a 2023 order and then do a second order for the other config.

yup. some people are changing their carry over order to a low constraint build to get something quicker, and doing a 2nd order with the goodies they really want that should arrive "someday". then they trade in the first one.

I have zero clue when my updated order will finally arrive. or what all the market conditions will be then to figure out what I do about it.

oldfarmer50

28firefighter said:

This has to be the lowest mile grandma car I've ever seen posted - and I'm not convinced it's a good thing.

https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/d/lynnwood-volkswagen-jetta-extremely-low/7503978402.html

Yeah, that could be too low. Maybe grandma has been in a nursing home since 2004.it must have been stored for extensive periods.

The car we’ve been babysitting for over 2 years has started having numerous problems like rusted rotors, stuck gear shifts and problems starting. I don’t know how much longer we can keep running it on that old gas. We start it every few weeks but I don’t know how long it will keep going.

corvette

@oldfarmer50 - if the gas is two years old, probably time to run it to empty or drain the tank and refill it. It sounds like it needs to be driven more rather than just started.

andres3

corvette said:

Ah, yes, the old two point slow engine. Something like 115 HP of glory in a ~3,000 pound car paired with a four speed automatic. The timing belt is way overdue, if it hasn't been done. 0-60 likely takes over ten seconds. Everyone thought the 2.0 normally aspirated engine was, mercifully, forever gone from the North American market when VW made the standard engine on the MKV Jetta/Golf the 2.5 liter inline 5. But wait, there's more! They brought it back in the sixth generation Jetta.

Put some massive twin turbos on it and it might be fun. Looks like it's in good shape.

The 2.5 was not very good either.

The 1.8T or 3.0/3.2 VR6 was the way to go back then.

andres3

corvette said:

Ah, yes, the old two point slow engine. Something like 115 HP of glory in a ~3,000 pound car paired with a four speed automatic. The timing belt is way overdue, if it hasn't been done. 0-60 likely takes over ten seconds. Everyone thought the 2.0 normally aspirated engine was, mercifully, forever gone from the North American market when VW made the standard engine on the MKV Jetta/Golf the 2.5 liter inline 5. But wait, there's more! They brought it back in the sixth generation Jetta.

Put some massive twin turbos on it and it might be fun. Looks like it's in good shape.

The 2.5 was not very good either.

The 1.8T or 3.0/3.2 VR6 was the way to go back then.

tjc78

Lease end Inspection scheduled for next week on the S60. Last payment in about a week. As soon as that payment posts it is getting turned in. Someone is going to get a clean car with less than 16K miles.

Thought about keeping it but with a 31K buyout plus tax it just doesn’t make sense to me.

I haven’t even driven it for about a month, it’s home and we have been down the shore since mid-June. I hope the battery isn’t dead. The Volvo app said it is on standby. Never seen that before.