Oh dealers can and will refuse a trade. Some will outright tell you no thanks. The rest will basically make it so it's not worth your while to trade it in but telling you they'll take it but give a ridiculously low number.
Hey it's a business and they reserve the right to refuse a trade.
Customer had a wife and kid, and needed a minivan. This was around the time that the MB R Class came out but he didn't want to blow $100k on a R Class. So he bought a Honda.
His SL had a $13k hit on it (fixed of course) but we took it in, and gave hime a Touring Odyssey and a huge cheque equal to the price of the Odyssey. I think the ACV on that benz was $93k.
On another note, friend of a friend came to me and said he wanted a used Civic, and that he was going to trade his Ferrari in for it :confuse: :confuse: :confuse:
I said are you nuts?
The story was that this guy drives a SL500, MDX, Porsche, and a 91 Ferrari 348. He wanted a car for his mother, but she didn't want anything fancy, and since he never drives the Ferrari he wanted to get rid of it.
Well, he was upside down on it and even though we had his Ferrari for a few days for an appraisal we never did the deal).
I agree and would not get in a twist if I took a 78 Dodge to the BMW dealership to trade on a new 5 Series and was told "no thanks". I probalby would not even get the chance as I doubt I would get waited on if I showed up in that. :P
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Limited Velvet Red over Wicker Beige
2024 Audi Q5 Premium Plus Daytona Gray over Beige
2017 BMW X1 Jet Black over Mocha
On more than one occasion I have given people 1.00 for their trade in. One was an old Taurus with a bad transmission and I remember an old 1976 Impala with bad brakes and extensive body damage.
We had a junkyard tow them away. They were worth the price of the towing and nothing more. Some cars, the wrecking yards don't even want.
I can't find the old "Questions for a Car Dealer" board, so I had a quick lease question if someone will humor me I'd appreciate it.
I have about 2-3 months before I have to throw the wife's Explorer back at her Ford dealer, and there are some, uh, problems with it.
1. Black scuff marks all over the front bumper and sides. 2. Hole about the size of a quarter punched out of one of the rear brake lenses. 3. General food crumbs and nastiness from the toddler. 4. Scratch down the side through to the primer about 1' (yes, that's 1 foot) long.
My question is, how much of this should I "fix" before turning it in? Are any of these items something that I'm going to get killed on? I know they have to detail the thing before they sell it anyway, so I don't want to spend unnecessary money. We're definately not buying another Ford, so I don't foresee getting any breaks.
Since the Exploder you're leasing is upside down in value it's whole life, chances are they'll ding you for most if not all of that so that they don't get stuck with the costs, as the vehicle is not worth more than the buyout.
Let's see in CDN $$
Tailight lens/housing: $300 ($150 at a junkyard) Black scuff marks: probably polishable: $200 Interior vacuum/shampoo/detail: $100 Paint scratch: $300
You will probably be better off returning the car in as best shape possible so that they don't charge you some absurd figure for the repairs/detailing.
The only way to avoid this is if you have a good relationship/friendship with your lease manager or if you are getting another Ford.
Back when my wife and I were just dating, she was driving a 10 year old Ford Tempo with close to 100K on the odometer. She took a new job that required about a 15 mile (one way) commute, and wanted to get a new car.
We ended up leasing a Ford Escort, but the dealer didn't really want the trade. Can't say that I blame him - my wife didn't have a lot of money the last few years she owned the car to do much in the way of maintenance, so it was pretty ratty looking.
We ended up selling the car to her sister for $400 - even though she didn't have a drivers license. That $400 paid for the tires we put on it before selling it to her.
So, to convert to US Dollars, do we just drop a zero at the end of all of those figures?
:P :P
Sorry, couldn't resist. Who else has names like "loonie" and "toonie" for their money?
If I'm not mistaken, perna's wife has her heart set on a Saturn Outlook, so he won't be getting another Ford. Therefore, I concur with you that Ford Motor Credit will nickel and dime him to death on the damages.
I agree with the suggestions posted above - make a bit of effort to correct the damage, but don't overspend to do so.
Dealers want cars that they can sell. If you are at a Ford dealership, it is hard to sell a Saturn. If you are at a luxury dealership, it is hard to sell a stripped-down econo-sedan and the like.
Just because the car will not move at Isell's Honda dealership does not mean that there is not a market for the vehicle at a different dealership.
Just wait for the inspection!!! Don't do anything until the 3rd party inspector looks over the vehicle and tells you how much you owe. Almost every lease has an excessive wear and tear clause which allows you a certain dollar amount in the kind of wear that you are describing. My lease has a $500 clause, which means anything over $500 I have to take care of.
Please don't do anything to the vehicle until you've seen what the inspector says. Then, you maybe able to have your insurance take care of it all and you just pay your deductible. Any other money spent, even on a detail is a waste until they tell you what needs to be done.
I don't know if anyone remembers the scam discussion that I was expressing incredulity at, but one of the sales guys at the dealership brought it up. The exact same scenario came up with the relay operator speaking to him and then the credit card mumbo jumbo and shipping for $1,500.
I took over and I'm stringing them along right now. Pretty funny.
If I'm not mistaken, perna's wife has her heart set on a Saturn Outlook, so he won't be getting another Ford. Therefore, I concur with you that Ford Motor Credit will nickel and dime him to death on the damages.
Correct - Ford has absolutely zero right now that interests her. We do need something with a third row. The Freestyle has a bizarre center stack that cuts right below my kneecap, the minivan is dead, and we definately do not want another SUV. Did it once, made an oil tycoon richer, never again.
Thanks all for the advice. The tail light lens is the big concern; the scuff marks and scratch I can put some lipstick on that pig, but there's no getting around the hole.
Ironically, I opted to lease the Explorer specifically because I knew this was one of wifey's flights of fancy, and she'd want out of it in a few years. And then she'd want to roll 5k+ in neg equity into a new ride - no thanks. So, while I'm sure I will take it up the tailpipe to some extent on the lease turn-in, it will pale by comparison to the resale on that hoss. It's a 2004 base XLT, and the residual on it is roughly 16.5k. And that's A-plan pricing, folks.
Our only ace-in-the-hole is a Ford salesman acquaintance who works at the dealership; we leased the Explorer from him. However, I suspect he won't have much pull at all with Ford if we're not buying another one. And no, I'm not giving up my Maxima for a Fusion. :sick:
Just wait for the inspection!!! Don't do anything until the 3rd party inspector looks over the vehicle and tells you how much you owe.
Thanks madman. I took a break from Edmunds for about 6 months or so, and while catching up I enjoyed your stories quite a bit.
The damage to the Explorer was caused by the wife being, frankly, a terrible driver. About six months after buying her (new) Cavalier, the wheel covers looked like a labrador had used them as chew toys. Needless to say, she gets minimal seat time in the Maxima, what with the $500/per factory alloys. :sick:
The hole in the taillight was caused by her backing into the garage. You should see the damage to the garage. It's not quite bad enough where I've bothered to get it fixed, but it still annoys me.
I have no idea where all the black scuff marks are from. They are literally all over both bumpers and down the sides of the car. The scratch might be from her scraping up against the garage door track. The Saturn is about 1-2 inches wider than the Explorer, and that scares the hell out of me.
If it were strictly up to me (we make almost identical yearly incomes, so sadly I have no basis for an argument here :P ), she'd be driving a 1998 Pontiac Montana with $7 AutoZone wheel covers.
I forgot to mention this earlier, but there is also a large needle-sized hole in the front bumper. I can't begin to fathom where that is from.
Thanks madman. I took a break from Edmunds for about 6 months or so, and while catching up I enjoyed your stories quite a bit.
Thanks, perna. The stories were meant to humor and I'm glad I did just that.
Per the lease turn-in, check your lease papers and see what the clause is and again, wait for the inspection. I hate seeing money spent where it isn't needed.
Good luck with the Explorer return and the Saturn purchase. Do you qualify for the GM Supplier discount? I do, and it's been hard to figure out exactly what the numbers are supposed to be -- and that's after 3 Saturn purchases.
I have to admit that I have resembled your wife upon occasion. Many years ago, I was backing out of the garage in our Isuzu Trooper and somehow was dim-witted enough to hit the garage door remote. This ripped off the 'spoiler' that was attached above the rear hatch. My mom was in the car with me at the time and freaked out with the noise.
Ironically, I sold that car not too long afterward, and bought a replacement part and gave it to the new owner.
Good luck with the Explorer return and the Saturn purchase. Do you qualify for the GM Supplier discount? I do, and it's been hard to figure out exactly what the numbers are supposed to be -- and that's after 3 Saturn purchases.
Yep - wife's father has a job which nets him GMS, A-plan, and whatever Chrysler's employee discount is called. The numbers are pretty easy, in fact I THINK you can get them right on GM's website. If not, I know that the dealers have the exact numbers for each of the employee/supplier plans.
I know that specifically in the case of the Outlook, the salesman told us that GMS was an avg. of $3-4k off MSRP. Which, for a Saturn, is shockingly good considering the small gap between invoice and sticker on those things.
The major league bummer is that I've had $2,200 in GM points sitting around since before my wife and I married. The GMS discount is so deep, it's actually better to use the discount than go "outside" the discount and use my points. The credit card hasn't been used in 6 years, but I keep it around in case one of my family members wants a GM vehicle.
You said you didn't want another SUV because of its propensity to guzzle gas, but what with the Outlook weighing close to 5,000 pounds, I don't think it's going to do much better.
The credit card hasn't been used in 6 years, but I keep it around in case one of my family members wants a GM vehicle.
Six years and you haven't been able to find a taker yet for that GM iron? Sounds like you come from a pretty savvy family.
I agree with you about keeping it around, if for nothing else other than a reminder of what happens when one of the greatest American corporations decides that quality is no longer important to the American car buyer. :sick:
BTW, don't let the Mrs. see what you have said about her driving habits on this board or your next hiatus from this board might be forever. We can't afford to loose posters because of loose lips :surprise:
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
BTW, don't let the Mrs. see what you have said about her driving habits on this board or your next hiatus from this board might be forever. We can't afford to loose posters because of loose lips
Fortunately, my Mrs. doesn't know my user name, so I'm okay unless she catches me typing!
Re: scraping alloy wheels -- I'm pretty paranoid about mine. I've scraped up enough of those chintzy plastic wheel covers to know the potential for great damage.
So, when I got a nice set of alloys + 16-inch tires from an Avalon, I put them on the Camry I drive. Originally I was going to put them on the Camry she drives (the newer car).
And before my son came home for Christmas, I put back on the original 15-in steelies with their plastic hubcaps.
I would do a home detail of some sort to eliminate what I could. At least a good wash and scrub, and do the insides. If for no other reason than they wouldn't think I didn't take care of my cars! Kind of like cleaning the house before the cleaning lady comes..,.
You might be able to scrub/buff out the bumpers, and touch up piant for the scratch. Probably have to bite the bullet on the lens, so that I might just let ride..
Funny but my wife came back in this morning after she started to leave for work (I saw her out the window in the driveway looking at the front of the van). Somehow, she managed to scrape the front corner (mostly plastic fascia, but a little metal fender) against the side of the garage door frame. There is now a considerable amount of yellow paint on the light blue Honda. Thankfully, it looks like it should mostly wash off (witha little persuasion). Needless to say, she was a bit afraid to tell me..
Of course, I took the high road, and told her that if she really wanted a yellow car, we could trade in the honda and get one!
seem to take a beating, since they are large, and unfortuneately, many women don't seem to pay too much attention. My wife won't even park in the far reaches of a parking lot to stay away from every other car door! SHe jams into any tiny spot she can find! How inconsiderate.
Combine that with the wear/tear from the kids, and the way vans seem to loosen up as they age, and I think in the future the family truckster becomes a lease, since I am tired of it after 3 years!
Oh and Perna, I looked at an outlook today, and that thing is huge. If she is beating up an Exploder, she is going to trash the heck out of the front of that baby.
to be fair, yo uhave to line it up just right to get in the door frame. Only a couple of inches to spare on each side of the mirror tips.
What I don't understand is how she scraped the side of the bumper, without ripping off the mirror. Must have started cutting the wheel for some reason (maybe she was going out crooked) befor the front edge cleared the doorway.
And of course, we are finally having winter weather so I can't get it outside to work on! At least it is her car, so I just try to ignore the various scrapes and little door dings, etc.
Man, can I sympathize with you. My wife had an '02 Hyundai Elantra when we got married with steel wheels and hub caps. She managed to destroy 2 of the factory hubcaps, so I went to the store and bought 2 sets of replaceent hubcaps (that were identical). This way, when she would scratch or break one, I had a whole set of replacements I could replace the damaged one with.
We ended up buying her a new Honda Element last year with alloy wheels. I had the "you have to be careful, these are wheels and not hubcaps discussion" with her when we bought the Element. I must say she is doing much better with her driving now, and the Element still looks perfect (knock on wood) after owning it for a year now.
We kept the Elantra as a 3rd car, and I am driving it to work, and we use it for running errands. I took it for new tires last fall, and when I went to pick it up, my tire guy said, "Did you know 3 of your 4 steel wheels have slight bends in them?". All I could do was roll my eyes, and tell him that we could thank my wife for that.
seem to take a beating, since they are large, and unfortuneately, many women don't seem to pay too much attention.
Whoa there!! My lovely wife would beg to differ. Our almost 7 YO Odyssey doesn't have a dent or ding on it and the alloys are perfect. Any scratches are pretty light and on a white van are almost impossible to see.
The only time she had an issue was when she turned tightly and drove over a granite curb with the RF tire. She scraped and broke the plastic trim between the wheel wells at the bottom of the van. $75 later it was fine. She was super upset but mistakes happen and she's ultra careful.
You're not kidding that is the way to buy them! This car was pristine clean and even had Sirius Sattelite radio built in. Peppy engine and my friend is very happy with her purchase.
...many women don't seem to pay too much attention.
Whoa there!! My lovely wife would beg to differ.
Well, stickguy did say "many", not "all" and I have to agree with him. My high school-aged daughter works part-time at a women's clothing store, so I get to observe driving behavior in a predominantly women's parking lot when I drop her off or pick her up. It's really very interesting.
1) There is a nearly complete disregard for traffic markers, such as double yellow lines and stop signs.
2) Many of the vehicles are large SUVs. The owners appear to have chosen vehicles beyond the driver's ability to handle. Regardless of size of vehicle, many drivers have difficulty navigating into and out of parking spaces.
3) Many of the drivers get on the cell phone as soon as they start the motor and are inattentive to traffic, both pedestrian and automotive.
4) Many of the drivers assume the right-of-way in every situation.
Let me disclaim that I observe men to drive badly too, but the pattern is different. I observe men driving badly by tailgating, speeding, weaving in traffic and other aggressive behavior. My observations, and generalizations, are confirmed by reports I have read recently that women's accidents tend to be caused by inattentive driving, while men's accidents tend to be caused by aggressive driving.
In any case, I like to park in front of the nearby electronics store and walk on the sidewalk to meet my daughter. I feel safer.
I don't sell Fords but I did see your e-mail. Manufactures have little to do with there finance houses. The idea that buying within the brand keeps you from having extra charges on a lease turn in in is crazy. In your case FMC will probably waive the disposition fee if you stay with them, but they won't know that until after they have looked at your vehicle and received a confirmation from you via mail that you have purchased a new model through them.
Here are some tips to keep in mind when doing so: 1. Know your residual value, the is what the lender says the vehicle will be worth at the end of the lease. 2. Know your rate or money factor. 3. Get a sale price, just because its a lease doesn't mean you can't negotiate just like a purchase. 4. Know your terms, how long it? how many miles do you get? How much is the excess mileage charge? Is your lease flexible if you have a change in lifestyle? 5. Finally don't go longer that 39 months this is a max term for a lease after that it is cheaper and more cost effective to purchase.
I will also note that if you want to save on turn in expenses, clean your car before turn-in, change any tires that are way past their prime, make sure you have all the keys and books that came with it. Have tears and major spills cleaned properly on the inside. If you have a dent larger than a quarter or a scratch for that matter have it fixed or a least get an appraisal of it.
Here is way if they bill you they will always take a settlement on an account to close it. I had a bill for one of my customer of $486 because of scratch3s in the bumper and quarter panel. They wanted to bill for a new bumper I got a appraisal for a re-paint and settled for $167 that is a big difference.
I can't emphasize this enough. Just wait on the inspector. There is zero sense in spending money based on what YOU think might be wrong. After the inspector looks it over, then you can go from there with an exact idea of what you need to take care of.
Td has posted a number of things to know about. I don't know how much of it applies to your lease turn-in. It doesn't matter how much your residual is, it doesn't matter what your money factor is. You're turning in your lease, not RE-LEASING it.
I don't know why this is irritating me so much, lol.
I had my Honda van inspected on Monday. The inspector signed a report that contains no additional charges. However, there are some cosmetic problems with the van, like a small hole from a license plate screw in the rear bumper, from when my wife was rear ended. There are a few scratches and dings also. The inspector noticed these things and took a picture of them, but he didn’t mention anything on the report that we both signed.
My question is, if the inspector says they are no additional charges, does he have the final word, or Honda or dealer can still go after me when I turn the van in?
Honda is the best at lease turn in... If you got the printout from the inspector noting no extra charges, then that won't change..
Depending on when you started your lease, Honda Finance includes up to $1500 in "wear and tear" coverage, with no one item exceeding $500. It is possible that the inspector took pictures of those items, as they are forgiven under that plan.
I've leased four vehicles through Honda Finance.. never a problem.
The inspector has the final word. When you goto your local dealership to turn in the vehicle, you will sign an odomoter statement and hand over keys. Simple as that.
Manufacturers hire 3rd party inspectors to take care of all the problems and charges needed.
I'm a native of Cincinnati now living in Atlanta. Reading that post brought back memories. I actually went to school with Jake Sweeney's Junior's sons (twins, but I can't remember their names). It was Annunication grade school on Clifton...ahhh such horrible Catholic grade school memories.
Anyway, back then it was "Jake says, 'Get better deals at Jake Sweeney Chevrolet!'" I always figured those boys would end up working at the dealership one day. According to their Web site, it's still "family owned."
my wife leased a saab. she got in accident which took out the front bumper, headlights, grille, and underbelly pan. it was fixed before we turned the car in. before that it was hit in the rear(bumper cover replacement). the inspector seemed pretty thorough in his inspection. i was kind of sweating it out. he said the the car looked immaculate and i told him i had it detailed a few months earlier(it was when the accident damage was fixed). i took great care of it on a regular basis anyway. he gave me a report(no excess charges). i was worried a bit about the tread on the tires. i drove it right over to the dealer to turn it in(a bit early), showed them the papers, paid the turn in fee, gave them the keys, and walked back to work. that walk was a big relief. the buyout on the car was 19,200. i called corporate to see if they would negotiate, but no deal. a few months later i got a letter that it was sold for 15,300.
2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
According to their Web site, it's still "family owned."
Well if its on the web it must be true. There was a dealership he that used to advertise the family angle. Seems the owners daughter would do the commercials. The woman changed about every 14-18 months, but still had the same name.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Comments
Hey it's a business and they reserve the right to refuse a trade.
His SL had a $13k hit on it (fixed of course) but we took it in, and gave hime a Touring Odyssey and a huge cheque equal to the price of the Odyssey. I think the ACV on that benz was $93k.
On another note, friend of a friend came to me and said he wanted a used Civic, and that he was going to trade his Ferrari in for it :confuse: :confuse: :confuse:
I said are you nuts?
The story was that this guy drives a SL500, MDX, Porsche, and a 91 Ferrari 348. He wanted a car for his mother, but she didn't want anything fancy, and since he never drives the Ferrari he wanted to get rid of it.
Well, he was upside down on it and even though we had his Ferrari for a few days for an appraisal we never did the deal).
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
There are just cars we have learned either are mechanical nightmares or slow sellers. We wholesale these cars.
If you think your PT Cruiser sucks gas, how about a nice Durango with the big V-8 engine?
You did the smart thing by buying your PT Cruiser a year old!
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Limited Velvet Red over Wicker Beige
2024 Audi Q5 Premium Plus Daytona Gray over Beige
2017 BMW X1 Jet Black over Mocha
We had a junkyard tow them away. They were worth the price of the towing and nothing more. Some cars, the wrecking yards don't even want.
When we decide to keep one they are near impossible to sell.
Some cars, like Saabs we can't trade for because we can't get a buy bid out here.
So we just hit those cars really low.
I have about 2-3 months before I have to throw the wife's Explorer back at her Ford dealer, and there are some, uh, problems with it.
1. Black scuff marks all over the front bumper and sides.
2. Hole about the size of a quarter punched out of one of the rear brake lenses.
3. General food crumbs and nastiness from the toddler.
4. Scratch down the side through to the primer about 1' (yes, that's 1 foot) long.
My question is, how much of this should I "fix" before turning it in? Are any of these items something that I'm going to get killed on? I know they have to detail the thing before they sell it anyway, so I don't want to spend unnecessary money. We're definately not buying another Ford, so I don't foresee getting any breaks.
Thanks!
1) I'd spend a Satuday with some rubbing compound/paint and see if you can fix these, unless its down to the plastic underneath.
2) Try a salvage yard and DIY.
3) Either pay for a good detail job or break out the shop vac and rags and hit it hard.
4) oh boy...no good answer for this ine. At least not one you are going to want to hear.
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Limited Velvet Red over Wicker Beige
2024 Audi Q5 Premium Plus Daytona Gray over Beige
2017 BMW X1 Jet Black over Mocha
Let's see in CDN $$
Tailight lens/housing: $300 ($150 at a junkyard)
Black scuff marks: probably polishable: $200
Interior vacuum/shampoo/detail: $100
Paint scratch: $300
You will probably be better off returning the car in as best shape possible so that they don't charge you some absurd figure for the repairs/detailing.
The only way to avoid this is if you have a good relationship/friendship with your lease manager or if you are getting another Ford.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
We ended up leasing a Ford Escort, but the dealer didn't really want the trade. Can't say that I blame him - my wife didn't have a lot of money the last few years she owned the car to do much in the way of maintenance, so it was pretty ratty looking.
We ended up selling the car to her sister for $400 - even though she didn't have a drivers license. That $400 paid for the tires we put on it before selling it to her.
:P :P
Sorry, couldn't resist. Who else has names like "loonie" and "toonie" for their money?
If I'm not mistaken, perna's wife has her heart set on a Saturn Outlook, so he won't be getting another Ford. Therefore, I concur with you that Ford Motor Credit will nickel and dime him to death on the damages.
I agree with the suggestions posted above - make a bit of effort to correct the damage, but don't overspend to do so.
Just because the car will not move at Isell's Honda dealership does not mean that there is not a market for the vehicle at a different dealership.
Please don't do anything to the vehicle until you've seen what the inspector says. Then, you maybe able to have your insurance take care of it all and you just pay your deductible. Any other money spent, even on a detail is a waste until they tell you what needs to be done.
Hope that helped!
-Moo
I took over and I'm stringing them along right now. Pretty funny.
-Moo
Correct - Ford has absolutely zero right now that interests her. We do need something with a third row. The Freestyle has a bizarre center stack that cuts right below my kneecap, the minivan is dead, and we definately do not want another SUV. Did it once, made an oil tycoon richer, never again.
Thanks all for the advice. The tail light lens is the big concern; the scuff marks and scratch I can put some lipstick on that pig, but there's no getting around the hole.
Ironically, I opted to lease the Explorer specifically because I knew this was one of wifey's flights of fancy, and she'd want out of it in a few years. And then she'd want to roll 5k+ in neg equity into a new ride - no thanks. So, while I'm sure I will take it up the tailpipe to some extent on the lease turn-in, it will pale by comparison to the resale on that hoss. It's a 2004 base XLT, and the residual on it is roughly 16.5k. And that's A-plan pricing, folks.
Our only ace-in-the-hole is a Ford salesman acquaintance who works at the dealership; we leased the Explorer from him. However, I suspect he won't have much pull at all with Ford if we're not buying another one. And no, I'm not giving up my Maxima for a Fusion. :sick:
Thanks madman. I took a break from Edmunds for about 6 months or so, and while catching up I enjoyed your stories quite a bit.
The damage to the Explorer was caused by the wife being, frankly, a terrible driver. About six months after buying her (new) Cavalier, the wheel covers looked like a labrador had used them as chew toys. Needless to say, she gets minimal seat time in the Maxima, what with the $500/per factory alloys. :sick:
The hole in the taillight was caused by her backing into the garage. You should see the damage to the garage. It's not quite bad enough where I've bothered to get it fixed, but it still annoys me.
I have no idea where all the black scuff marks are from. They are literally all over both bumpers and down the sides of the car. The scratch might be from her scraping up against the garage door track. The Saturn is about 1-2 inches wider than the Explorer, and that scares the hell out of me.
If it were strictly up to me (we make almost identical yearly incomes, so sadly I have no basis for an argument here :P ), she'd be driving a 1998 Pontiac Montana with $7 AutoZone wheel covers.
I forgot to mention this earlier, but there is also a large needle-sized hole in the front bumper. I can't begin to fathom where that is from.
Thanks, perna. The stories were meant to humor and I'm glad I did just that.
Per the lease turn-in, check your lease papers and see what the clause is and again, wait for the inspection. I hate seeing money spent where it isn't needed.
-Moo
I have to admit that I have resembled your wife upon occasion. Many years ago, I was backing out of the garage in our Isuzu Trooper and somehow was dim-witted enough to hit the garage door remote. This ripped off the 'spoiler' that was attached above the rear hatch. My mom was in the car with me at the time and freaked out with the noise.
Ironically, I sold that car not too long afterward, and bought a replacement part and gave it to the new owner.
Yep - wife's father has a job which nets him GMS, A-plan, and whatever Chrysler's employee discount is called. The numbers are pretty easy, in fact I THINK you can get them right on GM's website. If not, I know that the dealers have the exact numbers for each of the employee/supplier plans.
I know that specifically in the case of the Outlook, the salesman told us that GMS was an avg. of $3-4k off MSRP. Which, for a Saturn, is shockingly good considering the small gap between invoice and sticker on those things.
The major league bummer is that I've had $2,200 in GM points sitting around since before my wife and I married. The GMS discount is so deep, it's actually better to use the discount than go "outside" the discount and use my points. The credit card hasn't been used in 6 years, but I keep it around in case one of my family members wants a GM vehicle.
Six years and you haven't been able to find a taker yet for that GM iron? Sounds like you come from a pretty savvy family.
I agree with you about keeping it around, if for nothing else other than a reminder of what happens when one of the greatest American corporations decides that quality is no longer important to the American car buyer. :sick:
BTW, don't let the Mrs. see what you have said about her driving habits on this board or your next hiatus from this board might be forever. We can't afford to loose posters because of loose lips :surprise:
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Fortunately, my Mrs. doesn't know my user name, so I'm okay unless she catches me typing!
Re: scraping alloy wheels -- I'm pretty paranoid about mine. I've scraped up enough of those chintzy plastic wheel covers to know the potential for great damage.
So, when I got a nice set of alloys + 16-inch tires from an Avalon, I put them on the Camry I drive. Originally I was going to put them on the Camry she drives (the newer car).
And before my son came home for Christmas, I put back on the original 15-in steelies with their plastic hubcaps.
Please define "dead cost".
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
You might be able to scrub/buff out the bumpers, and touch up piant for the scratch. Probably have to bite the bullet on the lens, so that I might just let ride..
Funny but my wife came back in this morning after she started to leave for work (I saw her out the window in the driveway looking at the front of the van). Somehow, she managed to scrape the front corner (mostly plastic fascia, but a little metal fender) against the side of the garage door frame. There is now a considerable amount of yellow paint on the light blue Honda. Thankfully, it looks like it should mostly wash off (witha little persuasion). Needless to say, she was a bit afraid to tell me..
Of course, I took the high road, and told her that if she really wanted a yellow car, we could trade in the honda and get one!
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Combine that with the wear/tear from the kids, and the way vans seem to loosen up as they age, and I think in the future the family truckster becomes a lease, since I am tired of it after 3 years!
Oh and Perna, I looked at an outlook today, and that thing is huge. If she is beating up an Exploder, she is going to trash the heck out of the front of that baby.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
har har har :P
Actually the CDN $$ is rising up so the difference is not what it used to be before.
A lot of Canadians are shopping south of the boerder because it's so much cheaper to buy a high end car right now.
And perma: take some pics of your Exploder and post them uphere or on your CarSpace so we can assess the damage.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
>Somehow, she managed to scrape the front corner (mostly plastic fascia, but a little metal fender) against the side of the garage door frame.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
What I don't understand is how she scraped the side of the bumper, without ripping off the mirror. Must have started cutting the wheel for some reason (maybe she was going out crooked) befor the front edge cleared the doorway.
And of course, we are finally having winter weather so I can't get it outside to work on! At least it is her car, so I just try to ignore the various scrapes and little door dings, etc.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Man, can I sympathize with you. My wife had an '02 Hyundai Elantra when we got married with steel wheels and hub caps. She managed to destroy 2 of the factory hubcaps, so I went to the store and bought 2 sets of replaceent hubcaps (that were identical). This way, when she would scratch or break one, I had a whole set of replacements I could replace the damaged one with.
We ended up buying her a new Honda Element last year with alloy wheels. I had the "you have to be careful, these are wheels and not hubcaps discussion" with her when we bought the Element. I must say she is doing much better with her driving now, and the Element still looks perfect (knock on wood) after owning it for a year now.
We kept the Elantra as a 3rd car, and I am driving it to work, and we use it for running errands. I took it for new tires last fall, and when I went to pick it up, my tire guy said, "Did you know 3 of your 4 steel wheels have slight bends in them?". All I could do was roll my eyes, and tell him that we could thank my wife for that.
Whoa there!! My lovely wife would beg to differ. Our almost 7 YO Odyssey doesn't have a dent or ding on it and the alloys are perfect. Any scratches are pretty light and on a white van are almost impossible to see.
The only time she had an issue was when she turned tightly and drove over a granite curb with the RF tire. She scraped and broke the plastic trim between the wheel wells at the bottom of the van. $75 later it was fine. She was super upset but mistakes happen and she's ultra careful.
You're not kidding that is the way to buy them! This car was pristine clean and even had Sirius Sattelite radio built in. Peppy engine and my friend is very happy with her purchase.
Whoa there!! My lovely wife would beg to differ.
Well, stickguy did say "many", not "all" and I have to agree with him. My high school-aged daughter works part-time at a women's clothing store, so I get to observe driving behavior in a predominantly women's parking lot when I drop her off or pick her up. It's really very interesting.
1) There is a nearly complete disregard for traffic markers, such as double yellow lines and stop signs.
2) Many of the vehicles are large SUVs. The owners appear to have chosen vehicles beyond the driver's ability to handle. Regardless of size of vehicle, many drivers have difficulty navigating into and out of parking spaces.
3) Many of the drivers get on the cell phone as soon as they start the motor and are inattentive to traffic, both pedestrian and automotive.
4) Many of the drivers assume the right-of-way in every situation.
Let me disclaim that I observe men to drive badly too, but the pattern is different. I observe men driving badly by tailgating, speeding, weaving in traffic and other aggressive behavior. My observations, and generalizations, are confirmed by reports I have read recently that women's accidents tend to be caused by inattentive driving, while men's accidents tend to be caused by aggressive driving.
In any case, I like to park in front of the nearby electronics store and walk on the sidewalk to meet my daughter. I feel safer.
That wasn't really a disclaimer. However, all of the behaviors you described I have seen in abundance by many drivers - irrespective of gender!
tidester, host
Here are some tips to keep in mind when doing so:
1. Know your residual value, the is what the lender says the vehicle will be worth at the end of the lease.
2. Know your rate or money factor.
3. Get a sale price, just because its a lease doesn't mean you can't negotiate just like a purchase.
4. Know your terms, how long it? how many miles do you get? How much is the excess mileage charge? Is your lease flexible if you have a change in lifestyle?
5. Finally don't go longer that 39 months this is a max term for a lease after that it is cheaper and more cost effective to purchase.
I will also note that if you want to save on turn in expenses, clean your car before turn-in, change any tires that are way past their prime, make sure you have all the keys and books that came with it. Have tears and major spills cleaned properly on the inside. If you have a dent larger than a quarter or a scratch for that matter have it fixed or a least get an appraisal of it.
Here is way if they bill you they will always take a settlement on an account to close it. I had a bill for one of my customer of $486 because of scratch3s in the bumper and quarter panel. They wanted to bill for a new bumper I got a appraisal for a re-paint and settled for $167 that is a big difference.
Use my tips and you will save money I promise.
I can't emphasize this enough. Just wait on the inspector. There is zero sense in spending money based on what YOU think might be wrong. After the inspector looks it over, then you can go from there with an exact idea of what you need to take care of.
Td has posted a number of things to know about. I don't know how much of it applies to your lease turn-in. It doesn't matter how much your residual is, it doesn't matter what your money factor is. You're turning in your lease, not RE-LEASING it.
I don't know why this is irritating me so much, lol.
-Moo
I had my Honda van inspected on Monday. The inspector signed a report that contains no additional charges. However, there are some cosmetic problems with the van, like a small hole from a license plate screw in the rear bumper, from when my wife was rear ended. There are a few scratches and dings also. The inspector noticed these things and took a picture of them, but he didn’t mention anything on the report that we both signed.
My question is, if the inspector says they are no additional charges, does he have the final word, or Honda or dealer can still go after me when I turn the van in?
Depending on when you started your lease, Honda Finance includes up to $1500 in "wear and tear" coverage, with no one item exceeding $500. It is possible that the inspector took pictures of those items, as they are forgiven under that plan.
I've leased four vehicles through Honda Finance.. never a problem.
regards,
kyfdx
(not the host here)
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Thanks
the captives do, but alot of the banks don't.
Manufacturers hire 3rd party inspectors to take care of all the problems and charges needed.
Rest easy, you're doing great!
-Moo
-Moo
He just makes out the report for the lease co.
The lease co has the final say in all wear and tear matters.
I stand corrected on that point.
However, all of the behaviors you described I have seen in abundance by many drivers - irrespective of gender!
I agree. Regretably, I did not retain the source of the statistics describing predominant causes of accidents by men vs. women.
Anyway, back then it was "Jake says, 'Get better deals at Jake Sweeney Chevrolet!'" I always figured those boys would end up working at the dealership one day. According to their Web site, it's still "family owned."
Small world!
it was fixed before we turned the car in. before that it was hit in the rear(bumper cover replacement).
the inspector seemed pretty thorough in his inspection. i was kind of sweating it out. he said the the car looked immaculate and i told him i had it detailed a few months earlier(it was when the accident damage was fixed).
i took great care of it on a regular basis anyway.
he gave me a report(no excess charges). i was worried a bit about the tread on the tires. i drove it right over to the dealer to turn it in(a bit early), showed them the papers, paid the turn in fee, gave them the keys, and walked back to work.
that walk was a big relief.
the buyout on the car was 19,200. i called corporate to see if they would negotiate, but no deal. a few months later i got a letter that it was sold for 15,300.
Well if its on the web it must be true. There was a dealership he that used to advertise the family angle. Seems the owners daughter would do the commercials. The woman changed about every 14-18 months, but still had the same name.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D