Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

imidazol97

ab348 said:

Sandman6472 said:

She's supposed to go try a Buick Encore GX Sunday but doubt she'll like it. Dealer is on the other side of town which isn't the best but again, it's all up to her. Tech wise, not as good as the Kona and it looks like an old person's vehicle.

Sandy, if she’s interested in the Encore, she might be interested in the new 2024 Chevy Trax which is pretty much the same vehicle under the skin and looks very modern. It is also about $10K less. Not prestigious of course, but it gets great reviews - Car & Driver rates it #2 in that category behind only the Mazda CX30. Who knows, maybe she’d like it.

The Trax and the Encore were based on the Gamma II chassis.

Now the Trax and Trailblazer are based on the VSS-F chassis. Wiki sys the Trax and Envista are
related, and are both on VSS-F.

That's along with the Buick Encore-GX, on VSS-F.

I'm curious to see how the Buick Envista and Encore-GX compare.

All those on 3-cylinder Turbo power plants (in the US).

au1994

nyccarguy said:

corvette said:

Sandy, that sounds extremely expensive for a turbo replacement. It appears from a quick Google search that the cost of the part may only be around $1,000. But, if she's decided it's time for a new car, it sounds like its days are numbered.

Yes, but it is an Audi #1, They live in South Florida #2, lord knows what they have to rip out in order to get to the turbo #3...

Kinda what I was thinking. 1) It’s a dealer quote. Audi at that 2) A3 is small and that engine bay is tight. I would not be surprised if the whole front fascia and cooling system has to come out to do the job.

An indy would be cheaper no doubt but I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s still a 3k job.

Sounds like its a moot point anyway.

jmonroe1

tjc78 said:

The engine, transmission, rear etc should all be the same or more reliable in a luxury brand…. It’s all the complex systems these days that will be the demise of many high end cars.

In 50 years how will someone restoring a “classic” ever find parts or have access to dealer service tools to fix all the sensors, modules, etc.

————————————————
In 50 years all you’ll have to do is drop a pill in the battery and everything will be fixed.

jmonroe

jmonroe1

roadburner said:

I also think that it sounds high. How did the shop determine the turbo needs to be replaced? I've owned turbocharged cars from BMW, Ford, Jeep, Mazda, Mercedes, and Volvo; the only time I've replaced a turbo was on my MS3, and that was a warranty fix due to a bad batch that Mazda received.
I'm very skeptical.

————————————————
I agree. A look/see by a trusted indie shop should be done. Maybe easier said than done but that’s the way to do it.

A second opinion for major surgery is always recommended before laying down on the table.

jmonroe

roadburner

I did a little checking and that motor apparently has a wastegate pivot shaft that can seize up; it is integral with the turbo so the usual Audi fix is to R&R the turbo- at a cost of around $2k-$3k. It seems some dealers and indie shops can free up the shaft for around $500. The problem is also apparently related to driving the car too gently- if the wastegate isn't moved though its entire range of travel (no full throttle runs) the shaft is more prone to stick.

au1994

roadburner said:

I did a little checking and that motor apparently has a wastegate pivot shaft that can seize up; it is integral with the turbo so the usual Audi fix is to R&R the turbo- at a cost of around $2k-$3k. It seems some dealers and indie shops can free up the shaft for around $500. The problem is also apparently related to driving the car too gently- if the wastegate isn't moved though its entire range of travel (no full throttle runs) the shaft is more prone to stick.

So you’re saying it needs the Italian tune up?

:
I gotta get this thing up to 95, uh, check out the fluorocarbon output.

28firefighter

au1994 said:

roadburner said:

I did a little checking and that motor apparently has a wastegate pivot shaft that can seize up; it is integral with the turbo so the usual Audi fix is to R&R the turbo- at a cost of around $2k-$3k. It seems some dealers and indie shops can free up the shaft for around $500. The problem is also apparently related to driving the car too gently- if the wastegate isn't moved though its entire range of travel (no full throttle runs) the shaft is more prone to stick.

So you’re saying it needs the Italian tune up?

:
I gotta get this thing up to 95, uh, check out the fluorocarbon output.

Well. It needed an italian tune-up. Now it needs a german repair.

qbrozen

How is a coolant leak covered but a turbo not? That seems backwards to me.

mjfloyd1

qbrozen said:

How is a coolant leak covered but a turbo not? That seems backwards to me.

Maybe because it has been in before with the same complaint - perhaps when it was still under warranty or perhaps there was a recall that covered that specific problem

stickguy

Michaell said:

stickguy said:

Seems to me that when you bed a car is actually the right time to buy one. Just take the Kona and be done with it.

I would not repair it since she is done with the car. Cut and run.

Pricey quote but expect that at the dealer. An Indy if you can find one should be cheaper. Just hope they know what they are doing.

That engine I think is known for turbo issues. That alone is pricey but at that mileage odds are there is plenty of ancillary “while you are in there” items too it needs.

8k actually seems reasonable.

This is the same engine that is found in VW's of that same vintage? My nephew has a 2015 Jetta with that engine, with over 100K on the clock.

And, the $8K quote was before the engine problems - not sure what it would be worth as a trade, now.

I think that is a FWD A3, so it does have the 1.8t. I think.

and the Hyundai dealer does not have to know! Besides, the Audi dealer may be scamming them a bit.

corvette

roadburner said:

I did a little checking and that motor apparently has a wastegate pivot shaft that can seize up... It seems some dealers and indie shops can free up the shaft for around $500.

Sell it to one of the car YouTubers and try not to feel too bad when they post a video bragging that they fixed it FOR FREE!

Sandman6472

As of tonight, she's done! She called me from St. Augustine and paid the bill online and told me a Lyft was on it's way to get me. We live less then 2 miles from the Audi store, so I was home within a half hour. "EPC" light still on but after re-starting the car, it went away. I think for around town these next few weeks, she'll be fine but at this point, she just wants to get her stuff out & hand over her keys. And yes, it does have a 1.8 turbo like my Golf does though hers never had the turbo lag like I continue to have.
We did talk about my indie guy fixing it but then she said, when do we stop repairing things? A good question actually but I think that time has come. She'll tell me more when they come home tomorrow. Curious what the Audi guy offered her against that 2023 CPO unit they have for sale? Personally, I'd say good-bye to Germany & get the Hyundai. Trade the A3 in and since we already own a Hyundai, think there's some loyalty money coming our way like I got on the Tucson. I think once she gets used to things, she'll love the Kona and all the new tech it has. Tired of these vehicle issues already and having her under Hyundai's great basic warranty is a good thing. ANd hopefully, they'll have some good financing if she goes that route.

kyfdx

Just trade the car in.. Right now, you have no idea if it actually needs a turbo, or not. You aren't a mechanic.

tjc78

I can’t imagine her being happy long term going from an A3 to a Kona. I don’t think you’d be happy either coming from the Golf.

tjc78

I also don’t know why as you get older you would plunk down a huge amount of cash on a car. I’d want as much liquid as possible and finance it or lease something.

My mom is 70 and is going to lease until she can’t drive anymore. She doesn’t want to touch her investments and also wants something fairly new all the time.

stickguy

tjc78 said:

I can’t imagine her being happy long term going from an A3 to a Kona. I don’t think you’d be happy either coming from the Golf.

She does not sound like a gearhead so I would not anticipate any problem. Not like a FWD A3 was something exotic. The Kona looks more like a modern MB now than that A3 did!

nyccarguy

Must be something going on with coolant leaks and turbos. A friend I do business with has a 2015 X5. He bought it as a BMW CPO vehicle and has had zero issues with it. He doesn’t do a whole lot of driving, but the driving he does is very hard on the car. Currently he has 94,000 miles on the SUV. He also owns a plumbing supply, but has a much bigger operation than my place. He imports a lot of things directly from the factory and sells to plumbers, contractors, building management companies, hardware stores, & even other plumbing supplies. Between the traffic he sits in, the constant stop & go city driving, the condition of our roads here in NYC, & the weight he puts in it surely takes a toll on his X5.

He brought the vehicle to an indie BMW mechanic. It needs a new Turbocharger, oil change, valve cover gasket, radiator reserve tank. That adds up to about $6,500 plus tax. Then there is the suspension work he needs new front struts, new front control arm bushings, an alignment which is about $4K. He loves the X5 and wants to keep it another 2 years, so he's having the work done. He's a small business owner supporting another small business owner.

tjc78

@stickguy said:
She does not sound like a gearhead so I would not anticipate any problem. Not like a FWD A3 was something exotic. The Kona looks more like a modern MB now than that A3 did!

I’m sure the tech and features are light years ahead that’s for sure.

oldfarmer50

jmonroe1 said:

tjc78 said:

The engine, transmission, rear etc should all be the same or more reliable in a luxury brand…. It’s all the complex systems these days that will be the demise of many high end cars.

In 50 years how will someone restoring a “classic” ever find parts or have access to dealer service tools to fix all the sensors, modules, etc.

————————————————
In 50 years all you’ll have to do is drop a pill in the battery and everything will be fixed.

jmonroe

Haha, that’s cute that you think in 50 years we’ll still be allowed to own a car.🥵

oldfarmer50

kyfdx said:

Just trade the car in.. Right now, you have no idea if it actually needs a turbo, or not. You aren't a mechanic.

The question to ask is if repairing the turbo will increase the value equal to the repair cost. An Audi with a busted turbo would scare most people off and give a dealer an edge in low balling it as a trade.

qbrozen

@nyccarguy said:
Must be something going on with coolant leaks and turbos. A friend I do business with has a 2015 X5. He bought it as a BMW CPO vehicle and has had zero issues with it. He doesn’t do a whole lot of driving, but the driving he does is very hard on the car. Currently he has 94,000 miles on the SUV. He also owns a plumbing supply, but has a much bigger operation than my place. He imports a lot of things directly from the factory and sells to plumbers, contractors, building management companies, hardware stores, & even other plumbing supplies. Between the traffic he sits in, the constant stop & go city driving, the condition of our roads here in NYC, & the weight he puts in it surely takes a toll on his X5.

He brought the vehicle to an indie BMW mechanic. It needs a new Turbocharger, oil change, valve cover gasket, radiator reserve tank. That adds up to about $6,500 plus tax. Then there is the suspension work he needs new front struts, new front control arm bushings, an alignment which is about $4K. He loves the X5 and wants to keep it another 2 years, so he's having the work done. He's a small business owner supporting another small business owner.

I feel like this is a typical story. People who claim a vehicle has been reliable and “only needed oil changes,” or some wording similar to that, have actually just neglected the vehicle and piled up the repairs into one huge bill or the junkyard.

qbrozen

Ugh. Time and time again, I hear how awful Audis are and yet fanatics defend them vehemently and ignore the fact that cars from manufacturers such as Chrysler are far superior.

Mwuhahahaha!

oldfarmer50

tjc78 said:

I also don’t know why as you get older you would plunk down a huge amount of cash on a car. I’d want as much liquid as possible and finance it or lease something.

My mom is 70 and is going to lease until she can’t drive anymore. She doesn’t want to touch her investments and also wants something fairly new all the time.

I work with a guy who buys new every few years because he wants to drive a new car all the time. I never understood the need to do that but I’m glad he feels that way as I plan on buying his car when he has suffered the major early years depreciation.

greg128

Honda is recalling 250,000 vehicles for possible engine damage.
https://www.motor1.com/news/696845/honda-recalls-250000-cars-over-engine-problem/

According to the article the engines have to be disassembled to some degree in order to inspect them.
With a total of around 1300 Honda and Acura dealers in the US that comes to an average of around 200 engines per dealer. I wonder how long that will take.

kyfdx

oldfarmer50 said:

kyfdx said:

Just trade the car in.. Right now, you have no idea if it actually needs a turbo, or not. You aren't a mechanic.

The question to ask is if repairing the turbo will increase the value equal to the repair cost. An Audi with a busted turbo would scare most people off and give a dealer an edge in low balling it as a trade.

Who says it has a busted turbo? 😉

ab348

greg128 said:

Honda is recalling 250,000 vehicles for possible engine damage.
https://www.motor1.com/news/696845/honda-recalls-250000-cars-over-engine-problem/

According to the article the engines have to be disassembled to some degree in order to inspect them.
With a total of around 1300 Honda and Acura dealers in the US that comes to an average of around 200 engines per dealer. I wonder how long that will take.

Honda pulling a Hyundai move! A bit of a black eye for a company fabled for their smooth-running engines. Hopefully the seizing the article mentions is only if you ignore other less serious symptoms.

nyccarguy

qbrozen said:

@nyccarguy said:

Must be something going on with coolant leaks and turbos. A friend I do business with has a 2015 X5. He bought it as a BMW CPO vehicle and has had zero issues with it. He doesn’t do a whole lot of driving, but the driving he does is very hard on the car. Currently he has 94,000 miles on the SUV. He also owns a plumbing supply, but has a much bigger operation than my place. He imports a lot of things directly from the factory and sells to plumbers, contractors, building management companies, hardware stores, & even other plumbing supplies. Between the traffic he sits in, the constant stop & go city driving, the condition of our roads here in NYC, & the weight he puts in it surely takes a toll on his X5.

He brought the vehicle to an indie BMW mechanic. It needs a new Turbocharger, oil change, valve cover gasket, radiator reserve tank. That adds up to about $6,500 plus tax. Then there is the suspension work he needs new front struts, new front control arm bushings, an alignment which is about $4K. He loves the X5 and wants to keep it another 2 years, so he's having the work done. He's a small business owner supporting another small business owner.

I feel like this is a typical story. People who claim a vehicle has been reliable and “only needed oil changes,” or some wording similar to that, have actually just neglected the vehicle and piled up the repairs into one huge bill or the junkyard.

I didn't ask if he has ever had the coolant flushed, transmission fluid changed, brake fluid flushed...

tjc78

@qbrozen said:
Ugh. Time and time again, I hear how awful Audis are and yet fanatics defend them vehemently and ignore the fact that cars from manufacturers such as Chrysler are far superior.

Mwuhahahaha!

I would take any current vehicle Chrysler makes and roll the dice for reliability against an Audi

tjc78

@oldfarmer50 said:
I work with a guy who buys new every few years because he wants to drive a new car all the time. I never understood the need to do that but I’m glad he feels that way as I plan on buying his car when he has suffered the major early years depreciation.

After two years I am getting bored. One of the main reasons I lease. I’m not keeping anything long term anyway

Sandman6472

Decision has been made, the A3 is being cut from the herd! She doesn't trust it anymore which is fine. We usually don't finance our vehicles but this time, whenever that will be, I plan to finance as I don't want to disturb the portfolio. I last financed back in 1981 and after we got home from the honeymoon, the balance was paid off. She doesn't like to finance a depreciating asset. So, I'm assuming she'll just write a check and be done with it. I don't ask...she doesn't tell! After so long, it's really no big deal anymore.
She just needs a small appliance as a vehicle is just that to her. She's not like the rest of us in here who love automobiles. And she's no speed demon so she just needs something with enough power to merge onto the expressway so think a Kona or even a new A3 will be just fine. At this point, she's still away so we haven't really gotten down to details on what she'd like to do. They'll be home later today. Then I'll listen to what she wants to do. Have already started a list of different vehicles with just width & length and will fill in the rest later on.
Have a rental starting Tuesday for a week as I want to leave the Golf home and rent something a bit bigger to fit what's left. The Accent is staying at our kids house in Orlando and our oldest is driving the girls home. Seemed silly to bring the Accent back down here when the oldest was coming down for the weekend anyways. Her husband is staying home with the cat it seems. We'll leave here on Thursday morning and spend Thanksgiving there. And we'll come home from St. Augustine either next Saturday or Sunday depending on what the girls decide. I'm still out of work for a couple more weeks anyways so doesn't matter to me but I will have physical therapy on that Monday, the 27th.

oldfarmer50

kyfdx said:

oldfarmer50 said:

kyfdx said:

Just trade the car in.. Right now, you have no idea if it actually needs a turbo, or not. You aren't a mechanic.

The question to ask is if repairing the turbo will increase the value equal to the repair cost. An Audi with a busted turbo would scare most people off and give a dealer an edge in low balling it as a trade.

Who says it has a busted turbo? 😉

Sandy’s Audi dealer, I thought.

stickguy

oldfarmer50 said:

kyfdx said:

Just trade the car in.. Right now, you have no idea if it actually needs a turbo, or not. You aren't a mechanic.

The question to ask is if repairing the turbo will increase the value equal to the repair cost. An Audi with a busted turbo would scare most people off and give a dealer an edge in low balling it as a trade.

the car seems to still run fine. Might be using some oil, but swapping out the turbo will likely not be noticeable to an owner, or buyer. Could probably go a long time as is. So I would just trade it in and be done with it. For that kind of money, you will get about 0% ROI if it runs now.

stickguy

oldfarmer50 said:

kyfdx said:

oldfarmer50 said:

kyfdx said:

Just trade the car in.. Right now, you have no idea if it actually needs a turbo, or not. You aren't a mechanic.

The question to ask is if repairing the turbo will increase the value equal to the repair cost. An Audi with a busted turbo would scare most people off and give a dealer an edge in low balling it as a trade.

Who says it has a busted turbo? 😉

Sandy’s Audi dealer, I thought.

they said they wanted to charge $5,000 for a new one. Not that the current one was broken, or had to be replaced. they often recommend nice to have but not essential repairs like that, to make it perfect instead of good enough.

stickguy

Honda situation seems logical to do it as an indefinite extended powertrain warranty, and instructions to bring it in if any of those signs noted. Maybe have the 1st step be take it to the dealer for a non-invasive evaluation (check oil for any sparkly bits, test drive to listen for noises) and only go further if something is found. Seems silly to tear engines down not showing any problems (the 99% that are fine!) and if it was mine, I would not want them doing all that just to put it back together with nothing replaced. I would happily take the extended warranty though!

roadburner

My Club Sport is still on its original springs and shocks at 28 years and 150k miles. Aside from the 1973 Bavaria I've only put shocks on 2 BMWs- rear shocks on the E28 535is and front struts on the E39 528i

jmonroe1

roadburner said:

My Club Sport is still on its original springs and shocks at 28 years and 150k miles. Aside from the 1973 Bavaria I've only put shocks on 2 BMWs- rear shocks on the E28 535is and front struts on the E39 528i

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I’m surprised you’re allowed on this site with a 28 year old car. Next time buy something reliable.

jmonroe

kyfdx

Put all new struts on my '06 330Ci at 75K miles.

Worth every penny

roadburner

This goes entirely against the CCBA charter, but 28 years ago today my wife, son and I were in Chicago picking up the Club Sport.

Then:


Now:

laurasdada

Great pix, great memories.

jmonroe1

roadburner said:

This goes entirely against the CCBA charter, but 28 years ago today my wife, son and I were in Chicago picking up the Club Sport.

Then:


Now:

————————————————
Some folks age well. Others not so much.

jmonroe

roadburner

laurasdada said:

Great pix, great memories.

Yes; I've taken it on multiple vacations, BMW CCA Oktoberfests, and to several track events.
It's a part of the family now.

venture

stickguy said:

Honda situation seems logical to do it as an indefinite extended powertrain warranty, and instructions to bring it in if any of those signs noted. Maybe have the 1st step be take it to the dealer for a non-invasive evaluation (check oil for any sparkly bits, test drive to listen for noises) and only go further if something is found. Seems silly to tear engines down not showing any problems (the 99% that are fine!) and if it was mine, I would not want them doing all that just to put it back together with nothing replaced. I would happily take the extended warranty though!

That sounds something like what I read they are going to do.

I know nothing about Honda engines, but I am assuming they can't get at the rod bearings from the sump.

breld

So here’s the curveball that happened today. Crazy, but just got swept up and went for it!

corvette

Wow! New or used?

stickguy

nice doggie!

breld

New 2024 2LT, nicely equipped. Ordered by the dealership and not claimed by anyone. MSRP.

2 for 1 - traded the 840i and the Lexus that we hardly drove.

Michaell

You do realize how much space this leaves in the garage?

corvette

Wow! The 840i made it three months and the Lexus almost made it six!

jmonroe1

Michaell said:

You do realize how much space this leaves in the garage?

————————————————
There are still plenty of days left in the year for @corvette to record another punch for him.

jmonroe

breld

corvette said:

Wow! The 840i made it three months and the Lexus almost made it six!

There’s no reason to make a point of it!