Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

thebean

28firefighter said:

corvette said:

So here is my issue. VW Corporate said they are willing to entertain that conversation at any time. However, my concern is that they'll argue that since they can't reproduce the issue, it doesn't exist and does not qualify for buyback. Thoughts?  I'm an Attorney by training but don't see any definition either way. 

Lemon law is 2 years/24k miles in WA, so I'm inclined to give it another couple weeks. 

Thoughts?

GoPro video reproducing the issue (don't give them the opportunity to fix it once you've made the video), and/or some sort of seismograph recording any vibration that's occurring? There are lemon law expert witnesses who may be able to give more specific advice, and one used to post here on Edmunds. In my case, an affidavit from the dealer documenting the problem and the number of service visits was helpful. But, that dealer had been terminated as a result of GM's bankruptcy, and was at that point vindictive towards GM, so your mileage may vary.

I was thinking about a GoPro but I'd have to run it all the time because I can't predict when it'll happen. 

I also would need to buy a GoPro. 

Not to mention borrowing a seismograph from a friendly geologist.  

andres3

sandman_6472 said:

Besides that starter wire issue, my Golf has been flawless and the A3, again...flawless. We both like the experience and at this point, will go for the extended warranty once I hit 24K. The Mini Cooper I like, but it's a bit on the pricey side and on those, I'd want new. Plus, others have told me the ride ain't that great and I'd be sorry.
One vehicle I'm starting to like is the Acura ILX, like the looks and it smacks of being uber reliable. A no drama vehicle which I'd have no problem owning. But I also like the Hyundai/Kia 2.4 4 cylinder engines like in the Sonata and Optima, a lot! Drove a few at work this week and very seemless and smooth up the power band. Will have to try the new Elantra and Forte and see if they have refined that engine this generation. But if told to buy a new vehicle right now, the ILX would probably be the one.

The Sandman

couple of comments:

1) Hard for any car to be any more uber reliable than your Golf and Wife's A3 have been.

2) Are you sure you like the Hyundai/Kia 2.4, or is it the advanced high quality 6-speed auto you like? I drove that Optima FE model with the 2.4 and it couldn't go up a hill without making a lot of noise, huffing, and puffing, but little forward motivation despite all that. Maybe there are no hills in Florida where you are at.

3) The 1.6T is Kia's best effort I think. The 7-speed dual clutch shows they are trying to be good; not just cheap.

andres3

qbrozen said:

The ILX has a DSG? Didn't know Honda finally upped their transmission game.

Well, you have to get an Acura to get a DSG from Honda. And are they still using a torque converter to smooth it out? Seems like that would mechanically ruin any efficiency gains in performance or economy that a DSG is meant to provide.

xwesx

qbrozen said:

Maybe just some coats of clearcoat?

I tried posting earlier, but the site didn't want to cooperate. There are a few products intended for this (I think many of them are similar to a clearcoat). Examples I found were Sharkhide, Eastwood Metal Protectant, and ShineSeal.

Overall, and particularly given the fact that the areas are difficult to reach and coated in oil (from the drilling), I don't think I'm going to mess with it. It's good to know and consider, though. Thanks for mentioning it.

xwesx

Yay! Finally able to post. For hours, no luck, even while others posting. I even got blocked as a spammer for a bit. Too bad I couldn't get any of those "spam" posts to actually post! LOL

stever

That's really weird; if the software thinks someone is spamming their posts just get dumped into a spam queue and the mods can remove or post them from there. At least that's how it's supposed to work.

ab348

I think the software needs a tuneup, new plugs and points, that sort of thing. It seems to be bucking and backfiring today.

xwesx

stever said:

That's really weird; if the software thinks someone is spamming their posts just get dumped into a spam queue and the mods can remove or post them from there. At least that's how it's supposed to work.

Well, it just brought up a little box in the lower left corner that said something like, "Post comment was not successful. Please try again." So, I did, several times, and then a red box came up over the comment entry area that says my account is locked due to too many posts within sixty seconds, please wait for 120 seconds. Rinse and repeat a few times over as many hours.

Sandman6472

To 28 and NY...ditto about tomorrow!

The Sandman

imidazol97

ab348 said:

I think the software needs a tuneup, new plugs and points, that sort of thing. It seems to be bucking and backfiring today.

Did they change the software to one of those trendy CVT or DSG versions? How 'bout the good old 6-speed automatic version?

stever

Someone did say something about a power flush a couple of weeks ago....

corvette

stever said:

Someone did say something about a power flush a couple of weeks ago....

I hear you can power flush a server with water just like you can an engine...

stickguy

well, in the spirit of looking at every option, I just stumbled upon this one. Hadn't thought of it as an option before, but, hey, 6 speed? power seat? Moonroof? Apple car play? Lanewatch (not BLIS, but close)? Good stuff. And price is not all that bad really for what street price probably is, and what you get.

http://www.hondaofturnersville.com/detail-2017-honda-accord_coupe-ex_manual-new-15505008.html

Sandman6472

Sat in a brand new Hyundai Elantra SE today at work and was impressed with it, a mini Sonata. Personally, I'd get a Limited model so the sunroof/moonroof would be part of the extra goodies. As much as I really like the new Civic, think I'd go with a Elantra to be honest. They did have a 5 door Civic hatch which I did like also, am a real sucker for any hatchback vehicle. The extra hauling room comes in very handy at times. Put about 100 miles on a Civic LX yesterday just picking up customers and besides that annoying drone sound when accelerating, a very good vehicle though the outside styling is a little to out there for my conservative tastes. I can see why Honda sells so many, lowering the price has helped also!

The Sandman

Sandman6472

Very bummed that my kids bed frame fell and scratched the paint on the passenger side front quarter panel, hard to see with the blue color but a dumb [non-permissible content removed] move on my part for not having the movers take it apart last month. Once I mentioned it to my daughter, came home yesterday and it was in pieces and put away properly. My bad there and have no one to blame but myself on this one. Scratched the clearcoat but not down to the metal so I cleaned it and put a coat of wax on it for the time being. Hate to have it repainted for such a small issue because am afraid that it won't get blended properly. But next time I'm at the Honda store, will get an estimate on how much it'll coast to repair it. The first ding is always the hardest to swallow especially when it was all my fault.
Had the warranty talk with Mrs. Sandman last night and she seems to think that I'm going to repeat what I did with the Tucson and bail soon. Think she'll swap out of her A3 way before I do to be honest, she thinks I'm gonna want any new technology that comes out. But tried to convince her that as long as the vehicle behaves and any issues will be covered by the extended warranty, nothing out there I have to have right now. As long as I keep my Sirius/XM subscription, nothing else I really want.
The CLA 250 is the top contender for my retirement vehicle but it will have to be a CPO unit and to be honest, I like to be the first owner of my vehicle truth be told. And since I've already taken the initial depreciation hit on the Golf, just don't want to give it away. Knowing that I did purchase the extended warranty I think will make me keep it till the end of the plan I eventually choose. I know I'll eventually need new sneakers and brakes, but that's just the part of ownership. I probably should of leased it to be honest and probably could of gone with a 12k/year plan and would've had to watch my driving.

The Sandman

Sandman6472

Been using Mapquest on my cellphone and it's not let me down yet. I like that it talks the directions to me but also allowing me to read the directions at the same time. Since I'm not to familiar with the area where I work, it's been a lifesaver. My postal training also comes in handy when given numbered streets since most of South Florida is laid out in a grid pattern. Once I know where 0 street and 0 avenue intersect, I can basically figure things out. named streets is the big challenge but again, using the number helps to get me in the general area most times. I probably will pick up a map of that area of town and study it a bit but so far, I've found every address except one and that one was a new street not even on any map yet. With new construction, it can sometimes be hit or miss but I was pretty close that one time, again using my postal knowledge.
I much prefer staying with the group but every Tuesday is my day to stay at the dealership and be their driver. Luckily it's closer to my house so I usually go there first thing with my own vehicle as it makes no sense to leave mine at the office, pick up a rental and have to return it later in the day. Adds almost another 1/2 hour to my commute home which is plain dumb! Some of the others even go back to the office for lunch, stretching the 1/2 hour lunch break into at least 45 minutes or so. I just take that whole time and stay close to the Honda store and no one has mentioned it yet. Just hate wasting time like that, plus the wasted petrol.

The Sandman

qbrozen

sandman_6472 said:

Been using Mapquest on my cellphone and it's not let me down yet. I like that it talks the directions to me but also allowing me to read the directions at the same time. Since I'm not to familiar with the area where I work, it's been a lifesaver. My postal training also comes in handy when given numbered streets since most of South Florida is laid out in a grid pattern. Once I know where 0 street and 0 avenue intersect, I can basically figure things out. named streets is the big challenge but again, using the number helps to get me in the general area most times. I probably will pick up a map of that area of town and study it a bit but so far, I've found every address except one and that one was a new street not even on any map yet. With new construction, it can sometimes be hit or miss but I was pretty close that one time, again using my postal knowledge. I much prefer staying with the group but every Tuesday is my day to stay at the dealership and be their driver. Luckily it's closer to my house so I usually go there first thing with my own vehicle as it makes no sense to leave mine at the office, pick up a rental and have to return it later in the day. Adds almost another 1/2 hour to my commute home which is plain dumb! Some of the others even go back to the office for lunch, stretching the 1/2 hour lunch break into at least 45 minutes or so. I just take that whole time and stay close to the Honda store and no one has mentioned it yet. Just hate wasting time like that, plus the wasted petrol. The Sandman

I suggest trying Waze. It does a great job of avoiding traffic plus, my favorite part, alerts you to police, construction, road debris, and other things ahead.

qbrozen

Is this even legal here?

kyfdx

Wow

qbrozen

peruse his website if you want to see some interesting stuff. Gotta be the largest collection of Prowlers around. His prices are generally pretty nuts, though.

Mr_Shiftright

qbrozen said:

Is this even legal here?

Car came out of Canada.

ab348

Mr_Shiftright said:

qbrozen said:

Is this even legal here?

Car came out of Canada.

There were a couple of them on a somewhat questionable roadside used car lot up here a couple of years ago. No idea why or how they came to be there. Good luck to anyone who bought one.

Mr_Shiftright

Yeah you'd want to be very careful buying one of those. All you need is DMV to ask "Vere are your papers?"

andres3

qbrozen said:

sandman_6472 said:

Been using Mapquest on my cellphone and it's not let me down yet. I like that it talks the directions to me but also allowing me to read the directions at the same time. Since I'm not to familiar with the area where I work, it's been a lifesaver. My postal training also comes in handy when given numbered streets since most of South Florida is laid out in a grid pattern. Once I know where 0 street and 0 avenue intersect, I can basically figure things out. named streets is the big challenge but again, using the number helps to get me in the general area most times. I probably will pick up a map of that area of town and study it a bit but so far, I've found every address except one and that one was a new street not even on any map yet. With new construction, it can sometimes be hit or miss but I was pretty close that one time, again using my postal knowledge.
I much prefer staying with the group but every Tuesday is my day to stay at the dealership and be their driver. Luckily it's closer to my house so I usually go there first thing with my own vehicle as it makes no sense to leave mine at the office, pick up a rental and have to return it later in the day. Adds almost another 1/2 hour to my commute home which is plain dumb! Some of the others even go back to the office for lunch, stretching the 1/2 hour lunch break into at least 45 minutes or so. I just take that whole time and stay close to the Honda store and no one has mentioned it yet. Just hate wasting time like that, plus the wasted petrol.

The Sandman

I suggest trying Waze. It does a great job of avoiding traffic plus, my favorite part, alerts you to police, construction, road debris, and other things ahead.

WAZE sounds a lot like the Escort App, although I don't think they have a category for road debris, but the biggest benefit is everyone that owns a Beltronics/Escort radar and is using the App now powers your radar detection range. It also tells you how many minutes old that blip of radar was. Under 15 minutes is red, 15-45 minutes is orange, and 45 minutes to 1 hour is yellow; these settings are user adjustable though.

I've been driving radar detection-less most of this year, and have been lucky so far. Of course, I've been driving around without a license plate for most of the year too. Lastly, not having a license plate may have subconsciously factored into my getting a red light ticket because there was a live cop at the intersection; well, that, and being caught by a short yellow. All it takes is one time though.

I remember a time where we had to charge the Garmin so the radar detector got unplugged by the wife, and that is exactly when I got nailed by Nevada Highway Patrol on a ludicrously underposted section of Highway 50. The radar detector would have clearly saved me on this crest of a hill, and it was a radar speeding ticket. Almost got divorced over that

Solutionn was to buy a 2 plug from 1 plug car adapter from Radio Shack. I barely ever used it. Escorts next generation power cord had a built-in USB port so you could plug the Garmin in with the radar detector.

qbrozen

This could be really interesting... if I thought there was ANY chance of it being reliable.

houdini1

28firefighter said:

Yes. They "fixed" it last week, I took it home and it acted right up that night. I brought it back in the morning and they have not been able to reproduce it since. 

28firefighter said:

Yes. They "fixed" it last week, I took it home and it acted right up that night. I brought it back in the morning and they have not been able to reproduce it since. 

Any chance the dealer would give you a super deal on a different car?

corvette

qbrozen said:

This could be really interesting... if I thought there was ANY chance of it being reliable.

No feedback in 12 months but they list a lot of cars. Looks like they just use eBay as advertising and not to complete the sale. 

qbrozen

corvette said:

qbrozen said:

This could be really interesting... if I thought there was ANY chance of it being reliable.

No feedback in 12 months but they list a lot of cars. Looks like they just use eBay as advertising and not to complete the sale. 

I'd say that is probably fairly normal to avoid the final transaction fees.

28firefighter

houdini1 said:

Yes. They "fixed" it last week, I took it home and it acted right up that night. I brought it back in the morning and they have not been able to reproduce it since. 

Yes. They "fixed" it last week, I took it home and it acted right up that night. I brought it back in the morning and they have not been able to reproduce it since. 

Any chance the dealer would give you a super deal on a different car?

Unlikely. And I'm not willing to take any loss on it one year in.  So, unless it's an even swap, I'm not interested. 

Sandman6472

Have been using Waze since 2104 and it's great but it sucks up the power and the phone really heats up. Still use them both but on different occasions.

The Sandman

sda

Honda is showing off the new '17 CRV. Most versions will have a 190hp 1.5 turbo with CVT. From first glance it looks sharp. I wonder if the 1.5 turbo will also be in the new Accord when it comes out.

stickguy

That sounds interesting. Will be many new options by the time I need a car in Q4 2017.

henryn

With that weight loss and the new powertrains, the CR-V should see a notable improvement in performance. The 2.4-liter direct-injected four-cylinder essentially carries over from last year with 184-horsepower and 180 lb.-ft. of torque for the base LX trim. The EX, EX-L and Touring get a higher output version of the 1.5-liter turbo four that debuted last year in the Civic. In the CR-V, the 1.5-liter will generate 190-hp and 179 lb.-ft. of torque. The big benefit of the turbocharged engine is that the peak torque is available everywhere between 2,000 and 5,000 rpm which should make for great driveability. As with most current Hondas, a CVT will be de rigueur on all 2017 CR-Vs.

I really, really like turbocharged engines, and the low rpm torque. Makes for a greatly improved driving experience, at least in my opinion.

sda

stickguy said:

That sounds interesting. Will be many new options by the time I need a car in Q4 2017.

Motor Trend posted over 50 pictures of the new CRV

stickguy

I actually found the MT article when I googled. looks nice. Plus some good interior and dynamics upgrades it sounds like. plus a little more room.

at this point, could make a good alternative to the RDX.

kyfdx

The CVT just kills it for me. I'd rather drive a stick, but if it's an automatic, I'll take a "normal" one.

breld

I'm really interested in driving one of the new turbo Hondas to see how they compare to the competition (namely, VW).

breld

C&D, only half-jokingly, touts the return of the volume knob for this newest Honda.

28firefighter

Welp. The GTI is back at the dealer, albeit a new one, per VW corporate's suggestion. No transmission slipping this weekend, but it started getting down on power again in first/second gear and I started getting a quirky flash on the screen when I was starting the car about the car needing to be in Park to start (which it was).

Took it to the new dealer and the service advisor brought out a VCDS to scan codes - which it found 3. It found two emissions control system codes and one transmission lever fault code. All three were "intermittent" which isn't surprising, but he saved and recorded them and car is going to be spending the night AGAIN.

Progress...

stickguy

that was a featured point by MT also. Hopefully if I get one of the Civics next year, it will also have a knob!

actually not a big deal to me. I always use the controls on the steering wheel anyway. Just useful to my wife when riding shotgun.

nyccarguy

Emission control codes? Transmission lever fault code? That can't be good.

henryn

kyfdx said:

The CVT just kills it for me. I'd rather drive a stick, but if it's an automatic, I'll take a "normal" one.

If you drove in the traffic I drive in, you would not say "rather drive a stick".

stickguy

actually, on the GTI, it probably is good. Now, they have something to look at.

could be a simple sensor problem maybe. All those systems are so interrelated now, one dumb piece could cause really bad symptoms.

28firefighter

nyccarguy said:

Emission control codes? Transmission lever fault code? That can't be good.

No - I'd have felt better if it seemed at all related to the slipping issues I was feeling a couple weeks ago.

stickguy said:

actually, on the GTI, it probably is good. Now, they have something to look at.

could be a simple sensor problem maybe. All those systems are so interrelated now, one dumb piece could cause really bad symptoms.

Yes - but since these are new issues and not old ones, per se, I'm starting to lose faith.

Sandman6472

Yay for the return of the knob!! Dumb [non-permissible content removed] move to get rid of them in the first place. Hope the HR-V gets them back to because for some crazy reason, I really really like them, especially in EX-L trim. Haven't driven one yet and holding off until the mid cycle refresh comes out. Hopefully, they'll have worked on the drivetrain issues and add the knobs back. Might even have to wait for the next generation HR-V since I am planning on getting the extended warranty for my Golf. Seems it's backed by Fidelity and my indie guy says Fidelity is the best aftermarket warranty company out there and they accept them. Yay! Their shop is so close I could walk to it if I was feeling good. They finally got in my new wipers and their on the vehicle now, work great.
He agreed that if kept, a warranty is a great idea and I tend to agree. Not in the mood to spend anywhere near the $10K or so it'll take to get me into a new vehicle this year or next because I'm not sure if we will be putting the house on the market between now and then. A decent chance that we might be relocating to the west coast of Florida after I retire the end of 2017. But hopefully things will be very good with both the Golf and A3 in the next few years.

The Sandman

Sandman6472

While at the Honda store the other day, sat in a bunch of used vehicles and was rather impressed with the Acura SUV's. Loved the RDX size but liked the MDX interior a bit better though both seem very similar. Seating surfaces still looked and felt very soft, one was a 2014 and the other a 2015. Felt very much at home in either though preferred the smaller RDX. Really liked the 2015MB GLX better than the 2015 MB MLX(?), the latter seemed much larger than the smaller GLX though the interior felt nicer in the larger vehicle. Could live with any of these if needed such a vehicle.
Down south here, we have an outfit called "OffleaseOnly.com" and they sell late model off lease vehicles at fabulous prices. Locations in Miami, West Palm, Orlando and soon, Ft. Lauderdale. One sees their vehicles all over the roads and by their prices, I see why...really really great prices on low mileage, late model vehicles. Next time, I will look here just to see if I could get what I want at a great price with not that much mileage. It's fun just to check in every so often to see the current inventory.

The Sandman

nyccarguy

(Almost) 2 year old leftovers anyone?

http://www.garavelchryslerjeepdodgeram.com/new-inventory/index.htm?year=2015&make=Dodge&model=Challenger&referrer=/new-inventory/index.htm&reset=InventoryListing&lastFacetInteracted=

2015 Challenger R/T Plus
Automatic
Super Track Pack

roadburner

nyccarguy said:

(Almost) 2 year old leftovers anyone?

http://www.garavelchryslerjeepdodgeram.com/new-inventory/index.htm?year=2015&make=Dodge&model=Challenger&referrer=/new-inventory/index.htm&reset=InventoryListing&lastFacetInteracted=

2015 Challenger R/T Plus
Automatic
Super Track Pack

No way would I pay $42k for a car that only runs the quarter in the high thirteens- but $35k? I'd at least consider it.

nyccarguy

@roadburner - what happened to the lease you were going to take over? Even if it didn't materialize, we want details!

corvette

2017 CR-V - looks like a nice small CUV. Volume knob isn't a big deal to me, as I use the controls on the steering wheel 99% of the time. I haven't seen all 50 photos, but the wood trim seems like a bit much in a mainstream CUV--maybe save it for the RDX? I'm not terribly fond of wood trim, regardless.