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Stories from the Sales Frontlines
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I looked at the listing and I didn't get past "New 8 mi total, salvage, needs work" before I knew it's a bad deal. Maybe if I could get my mechanic to look at it and tell me whats needed and I could get a price that reflects the work needed and then just maybe.
This has "run away and call in an air strike" written all over it.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
All kidding aside, could you share with us more about your island habitat - sounds very posh-posh as well as adventurous.
Ha Ha. I don't own a private Island, but there are a few around here for sale. I live in the Town of South Hero, which is on the Island of Grand Isle in the middle of Lake Champlain. There is a causeway bridge to the VT mainland or we can take a ferry to the NY side of the lake to Plattsburgh.
Our retirement business is a small summer vacation cottage rental business. (My wife claims we work harder in retirement, but that's only her story!!) Do a Google search for Tree Tops Cottages in South Hero and you will find me and can map it.
2025 Toyota Crown Signia Hybrid, 2022 Ram 2500 Laramie 6.4 Hemi, 2007 Mazda MX-5 Miata PRHT
@GG
The Infiniti looks like it is in CT now unless the NAV is all out of whack.
>
Isn't there some sort of VIN look up that can tell your friend the history of the car? I agree that with this sort of car less than total candor on the seller's part is a huge red flag.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Sounds like a beautiful place. Winters must be brutal, but summers must be like returning to the Garden of Eden.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
I could not help but notice the pet surcharge. Does that surcharge include meals as well? This is a beautiful and tranquil place on Lake Champlain, spending a week there could increase a person's life expectancy by a few years.
@graphicguy
I have a customer who owns a used car lot. Most of his vehicles are 100K mile plus mini vans. Whenever he pulls up, I always joke with him & say: "low miles, extra clean, right Julio?" So he pulls up one day in this pickup I've never seen. Before I can say anything he waves to me to check out what's in the bed. He tells me it's a motor from a 2012 Civic Si with 3 miles on it. Car was parked on a ramp, face down, and the dealership's basement flooded. The nose of the car was submerged in water. He paid $3K for the car, is having a machine shop take apart & rebuild the engine, and once its done plans to sell the car for $14K. He told me he'll bring the car by when its done so I can check it out.
The thing I don't like about this Infiniti is the fact that there was water in the car & the guy tried to tinker with it (fuse box, radio) to try and fix it cheaply. He failed and is now trying to unload his project. Run!
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
This has "run away and call in an air strike" written all over it.
Not sure where the car came from. I did get the impression the seller was somewhere East.
The seller also said he replaced the radio (with some used unit, same with radiator fans). Sounds like he tried to use junk yard parts to get the car fully functional.
If the windows won't work, and there are airbag faults, I'm thinking the water was high enough to perhaps get into the engine via the exhaust. At the very least the ECU is fried.
All that along with salvage title, it's a parts car...a nice parts car...but still a parts car.
Even worse is the Lexus "big mouth bass sucking a lemon" design.
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
I knew a guy in Alaska who had a VW bug. He told me he put a camp stove under the engine on really cold winter days to keep the oil warm and let it start.
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
We had a new '74 Maverick, same car, with the 250 CID "big six" and in addition to all its other woes it hated serious cold weather. Many a time it would not even turn over. We went through batteries and even bought a plug-in "battery blanket" to keep it warm, with little success. After we got rid of it I read that Ford had a recall on numerous 6-cylinder engines of the type it had for some sort of problem that caused it to not spin properly in the cold. It wasn't the batteries after all.
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
Looks nice, I will keep it in mind as she who must be obeyed wants to go to New England sometime.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
>
The dealer and the insurance company that unloaded it to this guy didn't really want to handle it.
If you don't get it going it would make a nice sculpture for your garage, or would be nice to sit in and make believe you have a new Lexus. Or, just tell your friends you have a nice new 2013 Lexus...which is true, you just can't drive it anywhere.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Earlier today, I posted my Fusion service experience over in Mid Size Sedans.
It was supposed to be a simple oil change/tire rotation.
I got there a few minutes early for my appointment. The SA said they were backed up and it would take a bit longer than usual, but I made the appointment with that in mind, so it wasn't a big deal.
SA came to get me from the customer lounge and says service is done, but there is a problem. Brings me over to the car and the back bumper is damaged from backing into something.
How you do that with reverse sensors and a wide angle rear view camera is beyond me.
We will work next week on getting it fixed. At least they owned up to it.
Then, I noticed they put he wrong oil in the car, so I waited while they changed it again.
It looks like the just overwrote the 2 in 5w20 on the reminder sticker with a 3.
Not feeling too confident.
When I got home, I decided I should check the oil life indicator and of course it was not reset. After the car cooled off, I checked the tire pressures. I had set them all last weekend.
The front 2 were over inflated and the other 2 were each a different pressure.
It just keeps on getting better and better.
"Earlier today, I posted my Fusion experience over in Mid Size Sedans."
Couple of comments, explorer:
*I would make them replace the entire rear bumper - no filler and no repaint!
*i would have taken the car right back to them when you noticed they had not reset the service interval and that the tires were wrongly inflated.
*If you suspect you will sustain a "loss of value" because of the damage, make sure you get them to give you a check!
When you bring your car in for an oil change or 10,000 mile inspection, they assign the work to new and/or inexperienced apprentices because a master mechanic does not do that kind of maintenance. So, it always pays to double check everything. I have experienced situations where the mechanic did not tighten the drain plug and I lost all my oil before I got home. I demanded and got a new car from the dealer rather than rebuilding or replacing the short block due to terminal engine damage.
This is why many people refuse to take their cars to the dealership for dimple maintenance items.
If it were me, explorer, I would have demanded to speak to the GM of the dealership - no excuse for the rear end damage!
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Explorer....what a day you had! I hate it when things like that go wrong but that was like a horror story. I would go for a new bumper too.....though they can probably fix it so no one would know. I guess they should be told about the other stuff but all you can hope for is to get things corrected. They actually used 5W20 oil.........what does your manual call for? That might void the warranty.
I would really consider trying the service department at another Ford dealer...these guys are hopeless. (sound like Keystone mechanics).
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I don't know if you remember my posts about my 2013 White E 350 sport sedan - when it wouldn't restart after 20-30 minutes after running it and then parking it - and how it would stall continually - but only within 20-30 minutes of driving it. If it sat for 45 minutes, it was fine on restart.
It took them 3 times to figure out it was the injectors. Then when they replaced the injectors, it would idle rough and stall every so often. It took them 3 more times to figure out that the mechanic had not reconnected the fuel lines and vacuum hoses correctly and corrected the problem.
All that because they did not put their master mechanics on the job until the end. It took the master mechanic 5 minutes to diagnose the problems just by listening to the engine.
They were very apologetic of course and presented me with a $500 gift card for gasoline. But just because these employees work in the service department doesn't mean they are mechanics.
How they can back a car into something with parking sensors and a rear view camera is mind boggling to me as well, explorer.
Just make sure they do exactly what you want go the car - and remember decreased value due to an accident is essential to collect for ASAP or it will be too late once it is returned to you repaired.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Almost the same thing happened to me at a Buick dealership. After they handed the car over to me both the oil life and tire pressure values were exactly the same as when I drove in. I brought to the service manager's attention and he said that neither service was performed and that he was sorry for the mix up and the next regular service would be free.
Well, I never got that free service because the service manager was fired and there was no report of the incident.
I've found my Buick dealer, as well as the Hyundai dealer next store (same owners, Stickguy knows the place) are excellent. I've (luckily) never had a problem with any routine maintenance there.
@bwia: I've also found out this week just how great a winter car the LaCrosse is. It heats up scarily fast and all the systems keep everything clear of ice/snow etc really well. I suspect an AWD model with snow tires would be an awesome car in the snow belt.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
That brings to mind something that happened to me this week.
It was another below zero morning. My Lincoln started and drove to work fine. After my morning run I drove it a mile to get coffee. When I came out about 45 minutes later it would crank but wouldn't start. I had to get back to work so I just left it in the parking lot. For the next two hours I ran the possible scenarios through my head--fuel pump, injectors, coil etc.
When I returned about 2 hours later it started up just fine. Hasn't had a problem since. Very puzzling. Any thoughts?
Explorerx4 should also get a promise from the dealer to not report any repairs to CarFax.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
oldfarmer....re your Lincoln. Could it possibly be some dirt that actually went through the injector(s). Coincidentally, the last time you cranked it, and the time you came back for it, the dirt settled somewhere else?
If a coil, wire or plug is bad, they won't magically "cure" themselves.
Strange indeed!
Driver....I told my buddy it should be a dead giveaway that the car was a dud when the seller said he tried to replace the fuse box with one from a 5 year old Infiniti. He's trying to "cheap out" on the repair. Plus, unless I'm mistaken, as pristine as the seller says the car is, if the fuse box went bad, then it probably was water logged. Not sure where the fuse box in an Infiniti is, but if it's where most cars have theirs, it's either close to the front of the interior kick panel on the driver's side, in which case there was more than just a little bit of water logged carpets. The water had to come in over the seat motors, up to about 12-18 inches inside the car.
If it's under the hood, then that's even worse. The water came in above the top of the wheels.
My friend asked how much I would offer for it. I told him it's a parts car. It at least needs to be rewired. It's quite possible the engine is seized. The dash guages may all be bad. It probably needs a new ECU. Insurance companies don't just total these cars because they're easily fixable. $5K max would be my offer, but even then, it would take him a year or two to part it out. And, to my knowledge, that's inadmissible in his neighborhood.
He seems hot to buy this heap. I almost want him buy it, just to see how he gets it running and on the road.
That Infiniti will be an electrical nightmare... It's more than one computer, there are several for (HVAC, lighting, infotainment, safety systems, etc) any or all could be bad. I'd also bet there are three or four fuse boxes.
@oldfarmer. Don't you just love intermittent problems? My 04 Merc has just recently begun to have a problem with the blower motor for the HVAC. It works when it wants to. From my research, I know what it is (speed controller) but it's in a crappy spot right under two coolant hoses near the firewall. It's going in this week, even if that's not the problem from all reports it fails sooner or later anyway. It's a $50 part.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
I recall a phone call to the Overbeck car repair show after the flood in Nashville. Someone visiting at the Opry Mills hotel had their car flooded, but they were able to drive it home to Cincinnati. But strange things were happening with the car. IIRC Overbeck said to contact insurance company and the prospect wasn't good for a satisfactory, lasting repair due to the water damage that would keep showing up.
Weren't there cars from the Sandy Hurricane that were moved to the rest of the country after water damage?
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
The key to the diagnosis of one or more leaking injectors is that if you shut the engine down and try to restart 35-45 minutes later, it will stall or just won't start - and once it does start, it runs rough for the first minute or two. However, if you start the car up again after 5-20 minutes, it starts right up - and the same if you wait an hour or so. The leaking injector's overflow of fuel needs to evaporate - once it evaporates, it's fine.
First, if the car is quite old, it could be anything. If the problem is repetitive then I would point to the injectors. If it is not repetitive, then it isn't the injectors. My car would always stall, then stall, then run rough whenever I started the car between 25-45 minutes after shutting it down. That is the telltale sign of a leaking injector. The problem is that they were unable to identify which injector it was, so they had to replace all of them.
Otherwise, it could be almost anything with the Lincoln.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
WHAT I LEARNED ABOUT INFINITI'S FROM WORKING AT AN INFINITI DEALER
When I was a sales manager at the Infiniti dealership where we sold about 225 new vehicles per month, I must admit that it was very rare indeed to find a problem with any of them. You all know that I am a devoted Mercedes Benz fan; I shy away from Lexus (bad previous experiences); I shy away from Audi (bad previous experiences); I run hot and cold in regard to BMW (2-2008 535's were lemons); but I am fairly neutral when it comes to just about anything else. But Infiniti vehicles, from my 4 years experience, come from the factory with few, if any, problems. I don't know about the recent past (2009-2014) and their quality and reliability, but when I was there, they were outstanding vehicles.
They are certainly not known for their fuel economy (except the Hybrid I would imagine), but their engines are outstanding for delivering high horsepower from 6 cylinder engines along with good torque.
My dad owned a 2005 M56 and a 2007 M35 - I owned a 2004 G35. All three cars were completely trouble-free - had outstanding engine response and handled very well.
Would I buy an Infiniti at this point in time? Only if they offered a car that was similar to the Q45's - roomy, powerful, great handling, trouble-free. I sure wish they would bring back that great sedan - it was one of the best luxury sedans available and competed well with the Lexus LS series.
And that's my 2 cents worth about Infiniti.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Was the tachometer giving a zero while cranking. Might be no spark caused by whatever the spark control system is on that engine or a crankshaft position sensor. Next time take off plug wire and have someone crank while looking for spark to ground, if possible.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Yeah, when it started right up I ruled out the coil. I guess I should throw some injector bug juice in the tank but I worry that an old, low mile car like that may have sat for long periods and if I put cleaner in the tank I could break loose some real bad news.
What to do, what to do.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
fun at my place (and not car stuff, or anything close to the technical definition of "fun")
Noticed last night at bedtime that seemed chilly. did some checking, and determined that the furnace was dead. And darn, when it is going down to the low teens, heat comes in handy.
as background, and on me, the system started getting noisy this past week, and our outside power venter (what passed for a chimney when you don't have one) was sounding sickly. So, I called an HVAC place thursday, said they will come Friday AM. But didn't. and never responded to my follow-up call. But, by then, the hideous noise abated, so I figured it was related to cold/ice maybe, and was not a crisis, so planned to get a different company out Monday. So much for plans.
so thankfully I was able to get someone out quick (called at 9, arrived before 11). Nice guy, did a thorough debugging. Determined that there were a couple of failed and failing components, which added together meant it couldn't produce enough exhaust pressure to kick on the furnace. Also generally crappy, rust (old AC issue related), inefficient (20+ YO tract builder quality). Priced out the immediate repairs, and it is a ridiculous amount of money. With parts that have to be sourced anyway.
so putting all the pieces together, it makes a ton more sense to just bite the bullet and replace it all (the AC is also 20+ YO, and has had leak issues, and looks really nasty).
So, getting the "salesguy" out this afternoon, and if they are at all reasonable will violate all common sense and sign up for a system, assuming they can get it in Monday or Tuesday at the latest. because the temps Tuesday/Wednesday are supposed to be about 15/5 H/L. And the space heater my son is borrowing from a friend probably isn't covering the whole 2500SF house in that!
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
oh yeah, really not looking forward to finding out how much a new HE furnace and AC is going to cost installed. But when the alternative is freezing to death, not much in the way of options.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
GG, my guess is you are spot on with the insurance company selling it for $5k. That's probably what the hustler paid for it and he will be happy to double his money on it...he'll probably let it go for $10k
As you will remember we were in the book biz.Once a train overturned. The insurance company went in and paid for the merchandise....and we bought up all the new release paperbacks - paid $1 a book for books that would sell for $8 to $10. I think you are right though, the hustler tried to fix it quickly and cheaply, but is finding it more difficult than he thought.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Ask the mechanic guy....should be right down his alley. (except I just checked a Mechanic's Life and I don't know if that know-it-all guy is still around).
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Good luck stick....they always breakdown at the worst possible times. Logically, I guess that makes sense since it is working at the limits. I think 20 years means you got your use from it.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
"ask the mechanic guy..."
I visited that site a few times and couldn't take the fighting. That guy may know his stuff but it seems he talks down to people and what should be a technical discussion goes off the rails.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
I agree...but that Cardoc guy knows his stuff....or at least makes it sound like he does. It is worth just it to see what he says, though Cardoc doesn't seem to be around lately. I just checked and they only have 14 posts so far for January so they need your contribution. It will give him something to show-off about.
** To be fair, things seem to have quietened down over there and Cardoc did reply to my 2 questions in a nice informative way......but, I have seen it get ugly over there...not nice and civilized like us.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
stick, I'd fix what needs fixed for now. I had an entirely new heat pump unit installed last year (only $8k) and they had doors, vents and attic access open for an entire day. Good springtime project, not middle of winter. just my 2 cents.
2013 Mustang GT, 2001 GMC Yukon Denali
I visited that site a few times and couldn't take the fighting. That guy may know his stuff but it seems he talks down to people and what should be a technical discussion goes off the rails.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I'll be doing the same thing this year, hopefully in the fall. Hopefully the old one can limp along for a bit.
I mentioned in a previous post that I started watching "Duck Dynasty" religiously about 2 or 3 weeks ago. I have become totally addicted to this reality show. It is hysterical!
I originally thought it was about a bunch of hillbillies - but I was incorrect. It is about a family patriarch (Phil Robertson) who patented a duck call device and started a multi-million-dollar business. His sons now run the company along with an uncle.
Continuing with the premis, even though they are exceedingly wealthy, they maintain their life styles and way of life (with some exceptions) and do not flaunt their wealth.
It's much like a situation comedy and I hate to admit it, but I love this show on A&E network. I recommend that you watch several shows before making your decision to not watch any more - it grows on you.
I'd be interested to hear your opinions.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Really...where do you guys find dealerships like that? You must be the worlds most unfortunate car owners.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
"Really...where do you guys find dealerships like that? You must be the worlds most unfortunate car owners."
I guess I'm just attracted to incompetence and trouble - it's the story of my life!
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
I would have done that if it was quick and relatively cheap, but the it was going to probably run toward $1500, and require ripping apart part of my basement ceiling, and no guarantee it was going to last that long (the rest of the system was getting raddedy). Decided not to pour that much money into something that may have been a lost cause.
Also quicker to put new stuff in, since they keep that stocked, and the parts I needed would have to be sourced. and frankly, right now, getting up and running was job 1!.
Our AC unit was 21 YO now anyway, and has a freon leak. So decent chance when we fire it up in the spring, it was needing replacement anyway. So just made more sense to do the inevitable, and get it all done now. \
I look at it like having an old car, where you know the engine is on it's last legs, but you put in a new tranny to get another couple of months out of it. Maybe.
Man, being really cold sucks. I wish I had put in a fireplace when we were thinking about it. At least a couple of rooms would be warmish!
Just bummed that my plan of getting a nicer "fun" car in the summer probably just went up in flames. At this point, I will be selling the Volvo to pay for heat, and keeping the TL as the 2nd car.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
oh, with very little choice or flexibility (meaning pretty sure I am way overpaying, but desperate times, right?) we decided to go with a higher-end Lennox system, with a dual-stage furnace, better AC, fancy high tech touch screen wifi thermostat, and fancy air filter unit. May be overkill, or overpriced, but damn we aren't missing anything. Hopefully the fantastic energy savings come through.
we went with the dual stage because we have always had problems with upstairs and downstairs being out of sync. Freezing on first floor, hot on 2nd in the summer. Etc. This set up is supposed to cure that.
just decided on go big if going at all, and I hope to never do this again. If I don't think about it I won't get depressed on how much it cost. though to be fair, we were way overtime on the power vent system (new HE unit does not need one), and the AC unit is about 111 in people years. So even if I decided to move in the next couple of years, was gonna have to replace it all to hope to sell, so we might as well get some use out of it.
still, can't help feeling like the guy that limps into a car dealer just before closing with his car pouring smoke, with no way to get home unless he buys. talk about no leverage. Would have lived with the cold if upcoming weather was reasonably temperate, but since tuesday-Wednesday prediction is high in the teens and low need zero, no way I am screwing around longer than possible.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
I seem to recall you had a Hyundai dealership that wasn't very cooperative.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
"Would have lived with the cold if upcoming weather was reasonably temperate, but since tuesday-Wednesday prediction is high in the teens and low need zero, no way I am screwing around longer than possible."
From what you said and the thought processes you implemented, it sounds to me that you made the right decision - especially the dual stage system. I had one of those for my 2-story house - one system for upstairs and another system for the basement and 1st floor. I really noticed the difference during the summers with a/c.
Good luck with the new system!
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Truth be told being in a dealership doesn't make a mechanic competent.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
being low man on the totem pole at an indy shop doesn't make him competent either really. And being at a quick lube place doesn't make one incompetent.
I like the dealership for the Acura for a couple of reasons. 1 is warranty. If they do all the required stuff, when the wrench comes on, I am going to be covered pretty well (I hope!) if something bad happens Plus, no worries about using the correct fluids They also are very competitive on price, are quick (no appointment, 1 hour or less turnaround), do a nice inspection report, etc. Generally IMO as good a shot as I have of getting a good job down for a fair price, with a paper trail.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Was that me? Oh yeah it was me. I thought only my Hyundai dealer was like that. Very coincidental that the dealer did the last oil change on Mrs. j's '05 XG350 and 500 miles later the engine blows up. Probably had nothing to do with them putting in 5W20 while it called for 10W30.
Hey 'explore'... I'd be willing to put my first born on the fact that the lug nuts were not torqued properly either. Yeah, I trust them to do the simple stuff like oil changes and tire rotation.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Not to worry. As far as my Will is concerned, you have as good a chance as Fezo.
Richard
LOL! Are you kidding? Driver would never take that opportunity.
Richard