Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

stever

My wife must be related to @Michaell's - never could get her much interested in a Honda either.

iluvmysephia1

Hey, sandman. I bought a Motorola Moto G and it's a great 3G phone. $100 phone new. Great for surfing, not the fastest but it does have a Quad Core Processor so it's by no means slow at all. No problems, great Gorilla glass screen so it doesn't get scratched. I'm only paying $40 a month with no contract through Boost Mobile.

Hey, stever - iluv and Mrs. iluv, a 6 year old female Akita Chow, a 10 year old Pomeranian, a 8 year old rescue grey tabby cat and a 8 year old orange rescue tabby are all moving to Moses Lake, WA. I scored a similar Sleep Tech. job with a private Company in eastern Washington. Plenty of work, pay is a bit more, benefits for me are totally paid we'll just have ta pick up some Obama Care for Mrs. iluv up there.

Totally stoked ta be headin' back ta Washington state. I have developed over the past year or so severe homesickness. Couldn't drive it outta my head in the 2011 Kia Soul Base 5-speed. So I'll just take my soul and the Kia Soul up north. We'll be about 15 minutes east of the Gorge at George, WA, for rock shows. Spokane is about an hour and a half east of us, Coeur d'Alene, ID, is only two hours east. Seattle is 180 miles west. I could go score Mariner tickets and see a mlb game. My heart has been broke by the Super Bowl, but life goes on. BTW-I stand by Pete Carroll for calling that RW pass play. Russell put it right in the chest of the receiver, the defender just defended it like Earl Thomas or Richard Sherman would. Great play by NE.

Anyhoo- wanted ta give an update. Of course I'll stay in touch on here.

roadburner

Michaell said:

stickguy said:

That turbo engine was a bit of a guzzler. I thought about an NA cx7 a few times but not that hard.

I've seen up to 25-26 MPG on the highway a few times on trips to NM and AZ. Generally, though, it gets 20-21 is a mix of driving, so right on the EPA estimates.

Yeah, the last couple of model years they offered the 2.5i in the CX-7 as the "base" engine.

Need to find out if the 3.6 in the Outback takes regular or premium - I only put Shell V-Power 91 into the CX-7, so saving a bit of money on fuel would also be nice. Not that it would compensate for a new car, mind you.

I guess it's the weight but the MS3 averages 26-28 mpg and can top 30 mpg on the road. The MS3 weighs around 3100 pounds, so I'm guessing the CX-7 is another 1000-1500 pounds?

Also, the MS3 boards I follow haven't mentioned sludge issues at all. Again, methinks it is due to penny-pinchers running conventional oil for extended intervals. A look under the oil filler cap of my car doesn't even reveal a hint of varnish, never mind "sludge."

stever

@iluvmysephia1, guess I'll have to go visit my BIL in Seattle if we're ever going to hook up for that coffee. Your Soul will fit right in with the windsurfing crowd down in the Gorge too. Congrats on the move!

xwesx

Moses Lake is an interesting area. It is very near a dramatic portion of the Channeled Scablands that is always worth a visit. There's just something about those massive boulders of basalt strewn about the landscape that fires up the imagination.

fintail

I lived in ML for a number of years when I was a little kid. It's A LOT different now.

Two car buyer stories in my network, one good, one not. First the good - my Prius friend signed the papers on a 15 MKZ, takes delivery today or tomorrow. The bad - my brother loaned his beloved 1983 Toyota pickup (with new wave stripe package) to a friend, who put it in a ditch on an icy road. Destroyed. Apparently he's getting a good insurance payment for it, though. So he'll be buying soon.

breld

Just got back from a business trip in Atlanta. Had a pretty nice rental car. Like it Sandy?

breld

@Michaell‌ the Golf R is supposed to be released sometime soon, and with the DSG this time around.

Or more reasonably, the golf sport wagon should also be out within a few months, reportedly with AWD as an option.

And we still need to get together for a coffee or lunch some time.

Michaell

breld said:

@Michaell‌ the Golf R is supposed to be released sometime soon, and with the DSG this time around.

Or more reasonably, the golf sport wagon should also be out within a few months, reportedly with AWD as an option.

And we still need to get together for a coffee or lunch some time.

I always thought if the Jetta wagon was available with AWD it might be a perfect fit. Which is why I like the V60 so much, but at $45K optioned out the way we like, its just too expensive.

Tuesdays and Thursdays work best for me.

sb55

Michaell said:

breld said:

@Michaell‌ the Golf R is supposed to be released sometime soon, and with the DSG this time around.

Or more reasonably, the golf sport wagon should also be out within a few months, reportedly with AWD as an option.

And we still need to get together for a coffee or lunch some time.

I always thought if the Jetta wagon was available with AWD it might be a perfect fit. Which is why I like the V60 so much, but at $45K optioned out the way we like, its just too expensive.

Tuesdays and Thursdays work best for me.

I think that the wagon you (and I) want is coming.

http://www.automobilemag.com/features/news/1411-awd-confirmed-for-volkswagen-golf-wagon-expected-to-outsell-hatchback/

Michaell

sb55 said:

Michaell said:

breld said:

@Michaell‌ the Golf R is supposed to be released sometime soon, and with the DSG this time around.

Or more reasonably, the golf sport wagon should also be out within a few months, reportedly with AWD as an option.

And we still need to get together for a coffee or lunch some time.

I always thought if the Jetta wagon was available with AWD it might be a perfect fit. Which is why I like the V60 so much, but at $45K optioned out the way we like, its just too expensive.

Tuesdays and Thursdays work best for me.

I think that the wagon you (and I) want is coming.

http://www.automobilemag.com/features/news/1411-awd-confirmed-for-volkswagen-golf-wagon-expected-to-outsell-hatchback/

Interesting article, but I take issue with the fact that the VW NA President thinks the wagon will outsell the Golf hatch. I don't think there are that many wagon fanbois in the country.

Wonder if they'll put the 2.0L turbo engine from the GTI into it? Not sure the 170HP 1.8T will be enough for wifey.

au1994

Michaell said:

sb55 said:

Michaell said:

breld said:

@Michaell‌ the Golf R is supposed to be released sometime soon, and with the DSG this time around.

Or more reasonably, the golf sport wagon should also be out within a few months, reportedly with AWD as an option.

And we still need to get together for a coffee or lunch some time.

I always thought if the Jetta wagon was available with AWD it might be a perfect fit. Which is why I like the V60 so much, but at $45K optioned out the way we like, its just too expensive.

Tuesdays and Thursdays work best for me.

I think that the wagon you (and I) want is coming.

http://www.automobilemag.com/features/news/1411-awd-confirmed-for-volkswagen-golf-wagon-expected-to-outsell-hatchback/

Interesting article, but I take issue with the fact that the VW NA President thinks the wagon will outsell the Golf hatch. I don't think there are that many wagon fanbois in the country.

Wonder if they'll put the 2.0L turbo engine from the GTI into it? Not sure the 170HP 1.8T will be enough for wifey.

That would be awesome. A factory GTI/GLI wagon would tick a lot of boxes for some people. Probably not a large enough number to make production feasible.

Michaell

au1994 said:

Michaell said:

sb55 said:

Michaell said:

breld said:

@Michaell‌ the Golf R is supposed to be released sometime soon, and with the DSG this time around.

Or more reasonably, the golf sport wagon should also be out within a few months, reportedly with AWD as an option.

And we still need to get together for a coffee or lunch some time.

I always thought if the Jetta wagon was available with AWD it might be a perfect fit. Which is why I like the V60 so much, but at $45K optioned out the way we like, its just too expensive.

Tuesdays and Thursdays work best for me.

I think that the wagon you (and I) want is coming.

http://www.automobilemag.com/features/news/1411-awd-confirmed-for-volkswagen-golf-wagon-expected-to-outsell-hatchback/

Interesting article, but I take issue with the fact that the VW NA President thinks the wagon will outsell the Golf hatch. I don't think there are that many wagon fanbois in the country.

Wonder if they'll put the 2.0L turbo engine from the GTI into it? Not sure the 170HP 1.8T will be enough for wifey.

That would be awesome. A factory GTI/GLI wagon would tick a lot of boxes for some people. Probably not a large enough number to make production feasible.

I'd have to agree with you. Heck, how many brown diesel manual Jetta wagons have VW sold in the past year? Seems like it should be 10,000 or so if you read the comments on a lot of auto enthusiast web sites.

stickguy

Michael, give the 1.8t a chance. It us a strong motor. Though an AWD wagon might be a bit of a porker!

kyfdx

Take any cool car.. and make it a wagon with a stick... and, I am in..

breld

Well, the model they showed at the NY Auto Show last year was a TDI 4motion. If that made it over here, that would be compelling for many. With gas prices so low, maybe not so much for the fuel economy, but certainly for the torque.

Michael - I could meet up next Tuesday, or the Thursday the next week.

stever

Here's a poll for y'all:

What stage of the car buying process are you in right now?

(There's a choice for "next few days" but not one for "next few hours" - but y'all can wing it).

Michaell

breld said:

Well, the model they showed at the NY Auto Show last year was a TDI 4motion. If that made it over here, that would be compelling for many. With gas prices so low, maybe not so much for the fuel economy, but certainly for the torque.

Michael - I could meet up next Tuesday, or the Thursday the next week.

So ... the 10th or the 19th ... what time works best for you?

breld

Michaell said:

breld said:

Well, the model they showed at the NY Auto Show last year was a TDI 4motion. If that made it over here, that would be compelling for many. With gas prices so low, maybe not so much for the fuel economy, but certainly for the torque.

Michael - I could meet up next Tuesday, or the Thursday the next week.

So ... the 10th or the 19th ... what time works best for you?

If you're up for meeting for a lunch, maybe 11:30, or if you want to meet earlier for coffee, I'm pretty open both days. Anywhere down south is fine with me, since I'll be in the Tech Center at work. Overall, I'm really flexible those days.

Michaell

breld said:

Michaell said:

breld said:

Well, the model they showed at the NY Auto Show last year was a TDI 4motion. If that made it over here, that would be compelling for many. With gas prices so low, maybe not so much for the fuel economy, but certainly for the torque.

Michael - I could meet up next Tuesday, or the Thursday the next week.

So ... the 10th or the 19th ... what time works best for you?

If you're up for meeting for a lunch, maybe 11:30, or if you want to meet earlier for coffee, I'm pretty open both days. Anywhere down south is fine with me, since I'll be in the Tech Center at work. Overall, I'm really flexible those days.

Looking at my calendar, the 10th seems to work better ... 11:30 it is, for lunch. Where?

breld

Michaell said:

breld said:

Michaell said:

breld said:

Well, the model they showed at the NY Auto Show last year was a TDI 4motion. If that made it over here, that would be compelling for many. With gas prices so low, maybe not so much for the fuel economy, but certainly for the torque.

Michael - I could meet up next Tuesday, or the Thursday the next week.

So ... the 10th or the 19th ... what time works best for you?

If you're up for meeting for a lunch, maybe 11:30, or if you want to meet earlier for coffee, I'm pretty open both days. Anywhere down south is fine with me, since I'll be in the Tech Center at work. Overall, I'm really flexible those days.

Looking at my calendar, the 10th seems to work better ... 11:30 it is, for lunch. Where?

Well, plenty of choices off Arapahoe, if that works for you - BBQ (Dickey's), Sandwiches (Schlotsky's), Red Robin? I'm up for anything.

Michaell

breld said:

Michaell said:

breld said:

Michaell said:

breld said:

Well, the model they showed at the NY Auto Show last year was a TDI 4motion. If that made it over here, that would be compelling for many. With gas prices so low, maybe not so much for the fuel economy, but certainly for the torque.

Michael - I could meet up next Tuesday, or the Thursday the next week.

So ... the 10th or the 19th ... what time works best for you?

If you're up for meeting for a lunch, maybe 11:30, or if you want to meet earlier for coffee, I'm pretty open both days. Anywhere down south is fine with me, since I'll be in the Tech Center at work. Overall, I'm really flexible those days.

Looking at my calendar, the 10th seems to work better ... 11:30 it is, for lunch. Where?

Well, plenty of choices off Arapahoe, if that works for you - BBQ (Dickey's), Sandwiches (Schlotsky's), Red Robin? I'm up for anything.

Red Robin works for me.

breld

Michaell said:

breld said:

Michaell said:

breld said:

Michaell said:

breld said:

Well, the model they showed at the NY Auto Show last year was a TDI 4motion. If that made it over here, that would be compelling for many. With gas prices so low, maybe not so much for the fuel economy, but certainly for the torque.

Michael - I could meet up next Tuesday, or the Thursday the next week.

So ... the 10th or the 19th ... what time works best for you?

If you're up for meeting for a lunch, maybe 11:30, or if you want to meet earlier for coffee, I'm pretty open both days. Anywhere down south is fine with me, since I'll be in the Tech Center at work. Overall, I'm really flexible those days.

Looking at my calendar, the 10th seems to work better ... 11:30 it is, for lunch. Where?

Well, plenty of choices off Arapahoe, if that works for you - BBQ (Dickey's), Sandwiches (Schlotsky's), Red Robin? I'm up for anything.

Red Robin works for me.

Alright, see you there next Tuesday at 11:30.

laurasdada

I'm at Red Robin almost every Sunday with my son. They can't keep the fries coming fast enough for him. Oh, to have the metabolism of a 16 year old swimmer!

xwesx

Well, shoot. Here I am thinking that I just may sell my Fiesta and find an 08/09 Outback XT to tool around in for the next few years, and Michael breaks news about a 4motion SportWagen. LOL

I already promised myself that I wouldn't buy a new car until I have a garage in which to park it, so I'm gonna hold fast to that. What are people's thoughts on the XT... anyone have any experience with them?

Michaell

xwesx said:

Well, shoot. Here I am thinking that I just may sell my Fiesta and find an 08/09 Outback XT to tool around in for the next few years, and Michael breaks news about a 4motion SportWagen. LOL

I already promised myself that I wouldn't buy a new car until I have a garage in which to park it, so I'm gonna hold fast to that. What are people's thoughts on the XT... anyone have any experience with them?

We test drove the Outback XT when it was new. We drove it immediately after test driving the NA 2.5i. Wife preferred the giddy-up of the turbo. Which is why we'd lean towards the 3.6 if we decide to get a new Outback.

xwesx

Yeah, I've ridden in a couple of '05 Legacy GTs (wagons, of course!), but never an Outback XT. I had both an '07 and '08 Outback for short periods, and both were fun cars. They aren't even in the same universe as 2010+ Outbacks, both in driving dynamics (09 and lower were FAR superior) and space (10+ wins this one).

While I don't have any problems at all with the power of the EJ25, I am not considering this car as a matter of practicality (well, not entirely). The 3.6 falls out of consideration due to the lack of manual. But, if I fall off the wagon and actually consider an auto tranny, I'd put that one back on the list of possibles.

stickguy

Big day tomorrow. The ultimate test of willpower. Going to the Philly auto show in the morning.

breld

@stickguy you're going with your son, right? Test of willpower for both of you!

I did a couple more back to back test drives over lunch - Mazda3s and WRX. Recognizing these aren't exactly direct competitors until the Mazdaspeed version comes out, there's clearly no contest from a performance perspective. And not only based on acceleration, but the WRX understandably feels more planted and "purposeful."

But from an overall, day-to-day drivability perspective, I think I still prefer the Mazda. It's "easier" to drive, if that makes sense. You can be aggressive with the throttle for acceleration, and you get a nice linear pull, whereas the Subaru has almost silly power. The clutch operation and shifting in the Mazda became second nature pretty quickly, while the Subaru seemed a bit more of a chore.

All that is to say the Subaru is a very engaging drive - by design. But the Mazda is a more comfortable, relaxing drive, with a dose of fun from the slick-shifting manual.

Again, very different cars I know. And I went from the Mazda to the Subaru feeling the WRX would be the way to go. But there just seems to be some inherent "goodness" in the Mazda that I'm finding very compelling.

Plus, as many others have experienced here, I'm becoming spoiled by the tech goodies and safety features in the new Kia, and I like that the Mazda has all those as well.

iluvmysephia1

stever - yeah, let me know if you do head to Seattle and we'll meet either there, Wenatchee or Moses Lake for java. This whole deal of procuring a job in Washington state, getting a rental house, turning off and on utilities, contacting family living in Washington, finishing up work here, etc., has been a long, arduous process.

Wenatchee Kia has a 2015 Kia Soul for a bit over $14,000 but I should just keep my '11 and run it and enjoy it. I just love the new bodystyle that is based on the Kia Trackster so much that it may eventually need ta happen. Maybe in 2016 sometime.

jayrider

stickguy said:

Big day tomorrow. The ultimate test of willpower. Going to the Philly auto show in the morning.

Leave your checkbook and credit cards at home. Make it harder to leave a deposit.

Sandman6472

Breld, that's my car and those were the first set of rims that I had though they were the 16" ones instead of the 17" ones that I've got now. My new ones are 17" ones that came off a Jetta they had for sale...they had given me a choice of 2 different Jetta wheels. The ones I really wanted are in the brochure. Contacted corporate about getting me the wheels I really want but they've basically ignored me so will just keep what I've got now. The car does look good though!!

The Sandman

stickguy

you can't actually buy at the show. Maybe the exotic corral has people to talk to! This is all about checking out the goods. But, a lot of makers let you enter your email address for an auto show discount too. that, and spam mail. though in the past, some have offered a gift card if you sign up there then go take a test drive. Works for me!

the kid is more likely to buy than me. But he is being good for now, and planning to keep the Jetta 2 more years until the lease runs out. But he is already planning out how much he can save to put down, and how expensive a car he can afford (along with what payment). Was mentioning an S3, but that is likely to be out of range. A GLI, that is still his fascination, though if he still lives up in snow country, may just go with AWD.

oldbearcat

Michaell said:

jayrider said:

Michaell said:

Uh, oh.

stick and ab may have been right. Talked to the wife tonight; she isn't as enamored of the Mazda as she once was. Her and the kid are up in Greeley this week, about 100 miles from home. They had a few inches of snow. Mazda didn't handle it well. Wife commented that the MINI has never lost control like that.

Told her I didn't want to influence her decision. She's not into research; that's my job, apparently. She's more of an impulse buyer.

Her desired list of features & attributes:

AWD
Wagon or Hatch
Lower to the ground
Decent power
Lots of tech

The short list:

Outback (probably the 3.6)
Countryman S
CrossTrek (I know, not enough power, but she likes the looks of it)

She doesn't want a luxury brand, so the Audi allroad, 3-series wagon, Lexus NX, etc, are out.

Am I missing anything?

There have been issues with the CX 7. You may be on the right track to cash out and get something else. I definitely would wait to do all that service until you are sure you want to keep it.

I've been following closely those issues ... sludge, VVT issues, engines lunching themselves. Seems prevalent on the early model years (2007-8), but I've been diligent about oil changes with semi-synth and only running Shell V-Power 91 as preventative measures.

Looks like a fully loaded 3.6R sells for around $35K - this includes Eyesight, voice activated nav, sunroof, all the bells and whistles.

stever

iluvmysephia1 said:

I just love the new bodystyle that is based on the Kia Trackster so much that it may eventually need ta happen.

Too bad the Trail'ster concept is unlikely to make it. Wouldn't buy one but it'd be fun to see them around.

oldbearcat

My son, who does a lot of auto repair work as a side job, recently discovered an issue with Subaru 2.5 liter engines. As they mile up, apparently a lot of these engines have the keyway and key that locate the timing gear and harmonic balancer on the crank fail. The repair is either replace the crank or replace the engine with a lower mileage used one. My son had a time finding a decent used engine for his customer, with quite a few parts yards confirming that they were aware of the problem with this engine. I think he was working on a 2000 model with about 150K miles on it when it destroyed itself.

Regards:
Oldbearcat

nyccarguy

rayainsw

Soooooo - did you test drive it?
- Ray
Ex-Corvette driver.....

jpp75

@nyccarguy‌

Thinking about upgrading the Prelude?

nyccarguy

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).

fezo

GTI wagon AWD - I am so there,

jpp75

@nyccarguy‌

Wow, sorry to hear about all the troubles with your Dad's new Tahoe. Hopefully they'll do something to credit you all for all the time you've spent there.

That's not a bad way to spend $75K, I wonder if they've sorted out the engine problems? I know several people had trouble with them. I'm also interested to see how Magnetic Ride Control holds up over time. It gets phenomenal reviews, including several tried and true posters here but I can see that getting expensive down the road if problems arise, like air suspension systems of the past.

graphicguy

GM.....when they get it right, no one can beat them. When they get it wrong, everyone can.

imidazol97

jpp5862 said:

I'm also interested to see how Magnetic Ride Control holds up over time. It gets phenomenal reviews, including several tried and true posters here but I can see that getting expensive down the road if problems arise, like air suspension systems of the past.

GM has used it since 93 in the Park Avenues, IIRC. They've had a lot of experience in the systems. The main postings seemed to be about the cost of replacing with OE. Many just went to standard struts/shocks on Bonnevilles that had it.

Michaell

Still doing research for the wife's next car.

I remembered last night my GM Card has been topped off to $2000, so I thought why not an Equinox? Available V6 and I'm interested in seeing if GM has remained competitive in this segment, feature wise.

We'll never know .... the configurator on the web site doesn't want to cooperate. Can't even pick the trim level or FWD vs. AWD. Grrr.

Next, I started to drill down into the feature list for the Outback. Two items not available that the wife would really like - heated steering wheel and ventilated front seats. Hmm.

Then, I remembered I took a look at the Santa Fe Sport a few months ago. 2.0T engine, lots of amenities. Built one on the website and, lo and behold, heated steering wheel and ventilated seats. All for a price similar to the Outback - $35K, give or take.

At this point, I'll present the data, then it's up to her to decide if she wants to take this to the next level and head to the dealer(s). Fortunately, the Hyundai and Subaru dealers are next door to one another.

28firefighter

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?

roadburner

jpp5862 said:

@nyccarguy‌

Wow, sorry to hear about all the troubles with your Dad's new Tahoe. Hopefully they'll do something to credit you all for all the time you've spent there.

That's not a bad way to spend $75K, I wonder if they've sorted out the engine problems? I know several people had trouble with them. I'm also interested to see how Magnetic Ride Control holds up over time. It gets phenomenal reviews, including several tried and true posters here but I can see that getting expensive down the road if problems arise, like air suspension systems of the past.

I believe I mentioned that I have a friend who recently bought a new Corvette and had the engine go south. On top of that the salesman told him the car had MRC when in fact it did not. He had a calm discussion with the salesman and the sales manager and ended up with a new Corvette equipped like he wanted for only a minimal upcharge.

roadburner

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?

The dual clutch gearbox in those cars have apparently been quite trouble-prone ever since their introduction. And that's really inexcusable; the Audi/VW and BMW units are a delight to use and-on the BMW side at least-have not suffered from a lot of issues. To put it in the vernacular, Ford is peeing on your leg and telling you that it's raining- I'd start gearing up to go the Lemon Law route...

corvette

Unlike some of the small crossovers, on the Equinox, the curb weight is so high you need the V6 to make it accelerate decently. The Prices Paid forum is not very active on that model, so it's hard to tell what they're going for after incentives.

henryn

roadburner said:

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?

The dual clutch gearbox in those cars have apparently been quite trouble-prone ever since their introduction. And that's really inexcusable; the Audi/VW and BMW units are a delight to use and-on the BMW side at least-have not suffered from a lot of issues. To put it in the vernacular, Ford is peeing on your leg and telling you that it's raining- I'd start gearing up to go the Lemon Law route...

I have to agree. I would call the dealer and Ford one last time. Give them a set amount of time (like one week) to get back to you with a serious offer. Tell them if they don't settle in that period of time, you are going to an attorney who specializes in the lemon-law.