Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

boomchek

nyccarguy said:

Ha! You guys are funny! That was sitting on the showroom floor at the Chevy dealer 2 weeks ago when I brought my Dad's 2015 Tahoe in for warranty work. Red/Black/Black Wheels, Red Brake Calipers, 7 Speed Manual, Magnetic Ride Control, LT3 package - not a bad way to spend $75K.

Dad's Tahoe was delivered without working Navigation. Dealer diagnosed (1st trip) it as a faulty Antenna. Brought it back (2nd trip) when they called and said the antenna was in and painted. They installed the new Antenna and the car was throwing 3 fault codes. They could only clear 2 of them. GM told them the truck has a faulty OnStar Module. That was ordered and I made an appointment to have it installed next week (3rd trip). The service adviser is great. He said this should NEVER have happened. He's petitioning GM to credit Dad a lease payment for my time ($927).

How does your dad like the Tahoe? My good friend just ordered a 2015 Yukon Denali, and he's trading in his top of the line 2014 BMW X5 5.0 for it (he had a 2014 MB GL diesel before that, and a 2012 Durango Citadel before that one). If I were in his spot I'd keep the X5, but he likes to switch cars quite often.

He said he drove a new Suburban when he rented one on holidays and liked the feel and size of it. I drove his X5 few times and it's a sports car in SUV clothing. I just don't think the Yukon will retain value as well as an X5 would.

stickguy

28, I would certain talk about lemon law, but if you are seeing that as a likely winner, or don't want to deal with it, dump it. I can guarantee if my wife's car acted up like that she would hand me the keys, tell me she won't ever ride in it again, and that I need to make it disappear. Plus, I have now taken a slightly used Focus off my potential kid's care replacement list!

Michael, I thought of the Santa Fe (I was trying to get my wife to consider it when we bought but she was hooked on the Acura) for you, but you said she was looking for something that wasn't a CUV this time. But, if that is on the list, it is really nice. loaded with all the goodies, pretty quick, drives well, for a reasonable price. the Equinox, well, I looked at them but was not at all impressed. But if you want something cheaper, well, there you go.

the Santa Fe and Outback are both very nice. But quite a bit different from each other. would be interesting to do a test drive back to back on them.

stickguy

so, went to the car show this morning. Tiring walking around. and lots and lots of people there by the time we left. quick impressions:

they had my new car there. As in, the exact same model and color. Kind of freaky. I did talk to a nice couple that was looking at them while I was there!

I really like small hatchbacks. There was a mazda CX3 on display (behind ropes). I loved it. also had a Honda HRV that you could go up to, but was locked. also very interesting looking. The Renegade, flat our weird.

I still love the Golf. should have just gone small and gotten one of them. Oh well.

The new MB C class was nice. still don't like the CLA at all. The E class was very nice. roomy and comfortable, and very well designed.

I am too darned old and creaky at this point to deal with something really low. A few of the sports cars just weren't working at all. I would have to rent a hoist to get me out. At least I fit in the current Miata now. as long as I don't need to get out!

The Mecan was really nice. Also liked the Caddys. Good interiors.

I still find the Lexus ES to be incredibly comfy and well designed. And not too big. The IS, still has that massive differential goiter where you right leg needs to go. I can't believe anyone would actually buy that car.

German cars are really expensive. My son is in love with the S3, even though it stickered for 50K. The Jetta GLI loaded up for 31K is a much better deal if you can live without AWD. Even an A3 is over 40 grand.

a BMW 4 series GT has zero visibility out the back.

Acura still has some of the best interiors. Well designed, very comfy seats. They only had the 2015 ILX, but I still liked it. the 2016 with more features, and 200HP should be very nice, and rival the TLX (which is also nicely done inside).

the new Volvo XC90 looks very nice. But I didn't get to go inside. Painted an odd matte baby blue. Not sure why they picked that color for the only one at the car show!

The Mini 4 door has a surprising amount of room for passengers. even the back seat is usable.

boomchek

I'm not a fan of the CLA either. Just looks odd to me. I agree about the Golf, probably one of the nicest compacts on the market today. I remember when the Jetta was redesigned in 99/00 and I saw a fully loaded one at the local auto show, it stickered for a whopping $40+k CDN up here, and that was 15 years ago!

Although I'm not a huge fan of modern Volvos I will admit they have some of the comfiest seats on the market.

fezo

28 - Best of luck and I'd go with lawyer and/or dumping.

Your experience with Ford corporate exactly mirrors my experience with the dreaded Windstall in 98.

fintail

Went and took a look at my friend's new MKZ today. He's happy with it. It's a hybrid, with every option save for pano, I think - it has things like illuminated sill plates, massage seats, radar cruise control, parking aid, etc. He feels like he's in a Bentley compared to the Prius. Says his insurance only went up $20/month, too.

breld

Wife and I went all around looking and driving. Nothing really new, so I'll be brief.

• Mazda3 - she was pretty impressed with it, as I have been, but wonders if I will quickly want something more upscale. She drives more aggressively than I do, so she really wrung out that 2.5l and got a lot out of it. Made me realize it has plenty of usable power.
  
• VW - took out a GTI Performance Pack manual and, not surprisingly, liked it. No doubt she wishes she went the manual route with her GTI, but she also likes her DSG for the commute. No GLIs at all at this dealership, so didn't get a chance to look at that.
  
• Audi - drove two manual shifting Audis - an A4 and an A5. Obviously they drove the same, but the A5 sure is sleeker looking than its sedan counterpart. And does indeed have a usable back seat and trunk. Overall, I liked both, as they offered the fun of a stick shift, but the comfort and quietness of a luxury car. Just think I might actually prefer something more raw.
  
• Subaru - closed out the evening with another look at the WRX. Surprisingly, this is my wife's favorite (as she's not fond of Subarus). I keep going back and forth, but I do like the performance of the WRX - not the acceleration so much as the planted, solid feel of its drive.
  
  Honestly, I want the sportiness of the WRX with the nicer interior and features of the Mazda. Which means....can I really wait for the Mazdaspeed3?
  

stickguy

I would bet that you would get over the 3 pretty quick. No surprise there of course.

Did you look at the Fords? The Fiesta was a cool little piece. sat in that at the car show. The Focus was more more expensive but neat too. And you can get the fancy Recaros, assuming you are skinny and plan to stay that way.

I really liked the WRX we sat in. would like to drive one at some point.

the VWs were of course sweet. They had a GLI. One thing though is the Jetta GLI is still on the "old" platform. I believe at some point they are updating the GLI to match the GTI.

The Mini was interesting. not quite my cup of tea. But, small, sporty and different.

tifighter

@breld was your previous A5 an automatic? Can't remember...

breld

Yeah, going back and forth on the 3 on whether it'd be "enough" - even for the relatively short term I generally go for. Still one of my favorites - but certainly need to put some thought into it.

Haven't looked at Fords yet - would consider the Focus ST; the Fiesta seems like it may be a bit too small.

Still want to look at a 2015 GLI.

WRX may have risen, at least temporarily, to the top of the list.

roadburner

I stopped by the Subie dealer and sat in a WRX Premium as well as an STi. The WRX interior was only just OK- no improvement over the MS3, and the seats felt hard and thin. The STi had much better seating as well as the way-kewl knobs and switches to adjust the center diff- but you pay an extra $9k for those upgrades. I told the salesman point-blank that I instructed at HPDEs and that my car would see the track several times per year- and that I didn't want any warranty hassles. He was pretty evasive- basically telling me that I'd be OK if nobody found out I was tracking the car. Well screw that- my BMW dealer and Mazda dealer knew I tracked my cars and never gave me the slightest bit of trouble.

corvette

fezo said:

28 - Best of luck and I'd go with lawyer and/or dumping.

That was my experience with GM when I had my Pontiac G6 with the transmission issue. If the lemon law route didn't work, I was prepared to trade it on an Accord or similar.

I returned a humidifier to Target the other day after I had thrown the box away. Just showed them the receipt and had no hassles. Seems to work really well for small ticket items.

It's odd that the GLI is uncommon. Although I would prefer a hatchback, the GLI is priced a little less expensively to account for the lack of real leather seats. I'm way in the minority on this, but I wish they offered an ivory interior.

stickguy

funny thing on the GLI. my son really prefers that over the GTI. and one reason was the "image" sometimes associated with the GTI owner.

28firefighter

Thanks for the feedback all. The primary issue here is that because the car is technically over two years old from original purchase date, I am fighting an uphill battle as far as lemon law.  Not impossible, but more challenging.  

@stickguy‌ - we probably crossed paths at the auto show today. It was absolutely jam packed by the time we got there. Really liked the CR-V, GTI and the Porsche Macan. Agree with the comments about the XC90 - why they chose that exterior color for the show is beyond me. But, I sat in it with my Dad and the new infotainment system is very impressive.

stickguy

we arrived a little before 10, and stayed until about 1 to head to Oscar's for some grease. It was packed by then (the show, not the bar!)

I will stop in the Volvo dealer next time I am in the area to check one out in a more peaceful environment.

I actually think the Mazda CX3 was one of the most interesting vehicles there. Too bad couldn't get into it. Something to check out in the summer. And the HRV Honda I think is out sooner. Lots of competition in that baby class. Even the Trax was respectable. I thought the Renegade was odd, but was shocked by how big the cargo area was. The advantage of the box shape!

benjaminh

28firefighter said:

It looks like my sister may be in the market here in short order. She has been having ongoing transmission issues with her 2013 Ford Focus since this past fall. It all came to a head last week when she ended up stranded on the San Francisco Bay Bridge not once, but twice after separate dealer repairs. To date, Ford has done the following:

Fall 2014 - Car is taking 5-10 seconds to get moving from a dead stop after pressing the accelerator. Ford reprograms TCM, replaces gasket seals, and sends it on its way. 

January 29, 2015 - Transmission overheats and car shuts off on the Bay Bridge. Ford replaced the TCM and gave it back to my sister. 

January 30, 2015 - 24 hours after last fix, car overheats on the Bay Bridge again and strands her. Ford is currently going to replace the clutch now. They've had it now for over a week and are waiting on parts. 

I opened a case with Ford corporate and they are a broken record of "we do everything to fix it and do not offer buyback or repurchase for this issue."  Methinks we are not the only ones with this problem.  Everything I am reading says that clutch replacement is only a temporary fix. Question is what to do next?

Sister is terrified of driving the car now, which is understandable. Exploring replacement options but deciding how much noise I want to make with Ford either with an Attorney or otherwise before we just cut our losses and flip it.

Thoughts?  Suggestions?

Wow. What a nightmare. I had a bad experience with a new Ford Focus 15 years ago. Looks like not much has changed. I eventually traded in my Ford on a Honda, which was the best automotive decision I ever made. Have been driving Hondas ever since. Your problems, however, seem even more severe than mine. So sorry your sister had to go through that. But, bottom line for me would be: if you can't get Ford to buy it back, trade it in for something more reliable and move on. Honda Civic?

Mr_Shiftright

What is that "image" exactly?

stickguy said:

funny thing on the GLI. my son really prefers that over the GTI. and one reason was the "image" sometimes associated with the GTI owner.

fintail

Kind of like a WRX owner. 20-something male, loud, flat brimmed hat, club stickers, somewhat abusive to the car, maybe more likely to drive properly than an M or S car driver, but not much.

Michaell

Another discussion with the wife about the possibility of a new car.

I think we've landed on the Subaru. 3.6R Limited, with Nav/Eyesight/etc. package.

Wilderness Green with Ivory leather interior.

Next, it's all about the trade value. Gotta get to CarMax and get a number from them.

roadburner

Mr_Shiftright said:

What is that "image" exactly?

stickguy said:

funny thing on the GLI. my son really prefers that over the GTI. and one reason was the "image" sometimes associated with the GTI owner.

The GTI and Golf R are the only VWs I'd consider- everything else leaves me totally cold.

corvette

I had lunch at the Irish Rover yesterday, which reminded me, whatever happened to British Rover? I seem to remember he went to work for a non-Lane Rover dealer, not sure whether he changed his handle.

rayainsw

This just in:
I did NOT test drive any new vehicles this weekend !!!
- Ray\
Still quite content with The Dodge...

stickguy

the image? What Fin said I think. No, of course not every owner fits. But enough do that an early 20s guy driving one can be "tainted" by it.

He did not specify though when he made the comment. I do know one though. Kid in the neighborhood that my son played with when they were little ended up not graduating HS. He did get a number of tats, ear spacers, menial jobs and a pot habit. And is on his 2nd GTI with the current one being slightly slammed with a few other mods.

nyccarguy

roadburner said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

What is that "image" exactly?

stickguy said:

funny thing on the GLI. my son really prefers that over the GTI. and one reason was the "image" sometimes associated with the GTI owner.

The GTI and Golf R are the only VWs I'd consider- everything else leaves me totally cold.

I do like both the Golf R & GTi. The Golf R is basically a cheaper version of the Audi S3. The GTI is cool. We parked next to one at my son's hockey game yesterday. Both my boys were checking it out as I was unloading the gear from the trunk. It looked the an "S" with DSG & lighting. They really liked the plaid seats & red interior accents. They liked how it matched the outside of the car.

My big problem. VW gives you hot seats & the cool plaid seats on the base model with the Xenon & Automatic option. If you want a backup camera (like I do), you've got to cough up extra money for leather seats & a sunroof. I'd probably have to really dislike the WRX at that price point;)

stickguy

From testing the golf, this is one car where the knack if the back up camera is really not a big issue.

fezo

My only problem with the GTI is I keep telling myself it's a Volkswagen. Maybe a nice tow to three year car because they do hold value. Of course if I optioned it the way I'd like it I couldn't afford it.

roadburner

All I'd want is the base GTI S with the Lighting Package and Performance Pack,; I think that would come in just under $30k. I'd like the upgraded audio in the SE but I don't want to lose the plaid seats and gain a hole in the roof.

nyccarguy

roadburner said:

All I'd want is the base GTI S with the Lighting Package and Performance Pack,; I think that would be just under $30k. Id like the upgraded audio in the SE but I don't want to lose the plaid seats and gain a hole in the roof.

Not that I'd need it (my 175 hp Legacy has humbled me), but I didn't see any Performance Pack option on the VW website, just Lighting Package & Driver Assistance Package. I've read about the performance pack of course.

roadburner

Yes, the VW site is not helpful at all. The PP didn't become available until late last year. I've only seen a few cars equipped with it.

breld

roadburner said:

All I'd want is the base GTI S with the Lighting Package and Performance Pack,; I think that would come in just under $30k. I'd like the upgraded audio in the SE but I don't want to lose the plaid seats and gain a hole in the roof.

That's exactly what I drove on Saturday - I believe the MSRP was around $28.5k.

I saw how they got the extra hp with the performance pack - it has red GTI badges.

Mr_Shiftright

A backup camera on a small car seems like overkill to me. I mean, this isn't a '58 Buick or an Escalade. It's a little Golf.

Mr_Shiftright

Fun and Games with Out of Warranty, Complex German Luxury Cars

qbrozen

Mr_Shiftright said:

A backup camera on a small car seems like overkill to me. I mean, this isn't a '58 Buick or an Escalade. It's a little Golf.

I agree, although since my Fit has it, I have kind of gotten used to it. But, if it didn't have it, I certainly wouldn't have a problem backing up. Hell, my 350Z didn't have any such device and I managed in that, so I don't know what all the fuss is.

Mr_Shiftright

If you hit something while backing up in a Golf, you really need to see the optometrist.

qbrozen

Mr_Shiftright said:

Fun and Games with Out of Warranty, Complex German Luxury Cars

That's shocking.

au1994

qbrozen said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

Fun and Games with Out of Warranty, Complex German Luxury Cars

That's shocking.

Yeah, I'll stick with something nice and reliable like a BMW 750iL

Mr_Shiftright

24 spark plugs? That must be fun.

laurasdada

A road trip from Boston to Brooklyn this weekend, a wedding. I95, nice enough road through southern MA, my former home state of CT (Bridgeport remains "unattractive" from 95), cross into the happy hunting grounds of Fairfield, Southport, Westport and Norwalk of my youth. Stamford, the Sheraton is now a Hilton, remember to wave to Bradd (although I believe he lives closer to the Merritt?) and into Greenwich where I had a lovely time at the Greenwich Concours d'Elegance this past summer. I love the smell of fabulous wealth in the morning.

Cross into New York, and instantly 95 becomes more Beirut-like. Suddenly, hidden by a crease/lip in the road, is the Grand Canyon....pothole. Boom! I stare at the dash, awaiting the TPMS to do it's Snoopy Christmas tree imitation. Relief, nothing. Pull over for a visual, all seems well. Woohoo, Continental!

Hit the Bruckner, there is apparently a friendly NYC greeter using the Expressway as a sidewalk. He is walking against traffic in the middle of the road, chatting away on his cell phone. Not being a New Yorker, I swerve to avoid him and wish him well with the rest of his walkabout. I begin to note that in NY, the left lane apparently is for slower traffic, all passing to be done to the right.

Arrive at the Brooklyn Bridge Marriott, get all fancied up and catch a car to the Liberty Warehouse for a lovely wedding. Possibly the most handsome gathering of people I've seen in one place in quite some time. Hi, my name is Sore Thumb, a pleasure to be ignored by you! Great view of lower Manhattan and Lady Liberty. Much celebrating and surprisingly good food, cab back to the hotel, breath caught and sleep sought.

Next morning, nice, informal brunch in the top floor suite of the parents of the bride. Lovely people and conversation. The bride and groom make an appearance, she as lovely as the night before, but changed into casual attire. He, in the same tux as the night before, looking just a tad more worn. But, both happy and excited to be heading to Tahiti.

Time to head back to the land of the past, current and future Super Bowl champion New England Patriots. Quick glance at the tire, all seems well. No pinball game on the dash and off I go, ready to play gymkhana on I278 and I95. Uneventful ride home, the snowpocalypse begins shortly after I enter the Commonwealth. I arrive home, take a final look at the right front tire, and, sure enough, a PC mouse shaped bubble has arisen. Likely missed it in earlier inspections? But, it got me home and a new shoe is on order for Tuesday (bloody expensive OEM Contis!!!! Basically doubled the cost of my road trip).

So, do I actually re-shoe the XF or is it time for a new car!!!

au1994

"So, do I actually re-shoe the XF or is it time for a new car!!! "

Do we even need to answer that question?

rayainsw

new car
new car
new car

fezo

roadburner - I'd take that combo in a minute but I rather like holes in the roof.

xwesx

So, the guy selling the XT I was considering says he sold it. I'm wondering, given the timing, if he did or he was just scared off by the set of interview questions I sent him regarding the car. LOL

I should probably just stop looking at them, but now I have "that idea" in my head. /sigh

breld

xwesx said:

So, the guy selling the XT I was considering says he sold it. I'm wondering, given the timing, if he did or he was just scared off by the set of interview questions I sent him regarding the car. LOL

I should probably just stop looking at them, but now I have "that idea" in my head. /sigh

Yup - once you have "that idea" in your head, it's usually all over.

Funny, how after a day of testing driving Mazda3s and WRXs, my nice, quiet, comfortable, 535i suddenly seems like a boat.

au1994

"Yup - once you have "that idea" in your head, it's usually all over. "

Forgive me if I have posted this here before but my Dad has a saying 'there are 2 things that you can never 'just go look at'" One is a new puppy and one is a new car. You are coming home with one of them.

stever

Oh man, the animal shelters should all put a kiosk up in the dealerships.

28firefighter

Just as a quick update regarding the Focus situation. The Regional Ford Manager has continued to state that Ford will seek to repair the car and are not going to buy it back or replace it.

I've decided to go around her and reached out to a social media representative on another site in the hopes that they realize I am savvy with public forums and have no problem airing the issues we've had to others. From that site, it seems pretty common to have these cars go non-responsive on busy roads at inopportune times, including supporting videos of it happening. It seems Ford has not taken action in those situations, either, so I am not super optimistic.

I'm fairly confident that we have, at minimum, a Breach of Warranty claim and at most a standard lemon law claim. Even though I'm an Attorney, I have never practiced (I do consulting) and therefore would need to hire legal counsel if it gets that far...

corvette

Check the appropriate state's consumer protection laws as well. 

stickguy

there is a problem though with trying to fight through the legal process. She wants a car that she is not terrified of to drive every day. I can see the easiest way to quickly resolve is let them fix it (try to?) one more time, and just bite the bullet and trade it in on a different brand. I assume that this is one big reason for the stonewall (besides of course not wanting to pay for recourse!): they know eventually people dump the car and move on.

28firefighter

I agree with you. I'm just not ready to let Ford off the hook that easily. Not to mention, I'll never buy another Ford product if they don't take some steps to make it right - I realize I'm only one customer to them, but still.

carnaught

28firefighter said:

I agree with you. I'm just not ready to let Ford off the hook that easily. Not to mention, I'll never buy another Ford product if they don't take some steps to make it right - I realize I'm only one customer to them, but still.

You're one customer with multiple others listening.