Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

oldfarmer50 · November 2020

qbrozen said:
T&C is finally home! Didn’t realize how badly it needed those lower control arms. Never even noticed they had gone bad. Just thought it was the van loosening up with age. It feels SO MUCH tighter now.

For FCA dragging their feet, and probably because I never once called him or gave him grief, the SA comped the oil change. With the $100 ded, $29 tire rotation, and tax, we paid $137 and FCA coughed up $3500. The timing chain cover leak is common on the 3.6, he told me, so they always look for it, and replacing that means the valve covers and intake also come out, so new gaskets there, too. Then we have the new driver’s seat frame and controls, passenger seatbelt, speed sensor, and those lower control arms.

In speaking with him about my rental, he explained that I had the Voyager, and he is of the opinion the Pacifica feels like an entirely different vehicle. Better suspension, parts quality, etc.

I agree with the SA, just drove a Pacifica for 600 miles today and it’s very comfortable. My co pilot plugged her phone into the dash and made it do all sorts of fancy things.

One question, what was wrong with the seat frame and how much would that have cost if you didn’t have coverage?

oldfarmer50 · November 2020

stickguy said:
He has actually confirmed that the channel pays for all the cars coming and going. Freddy's must pay for his regular living expenses!

Just saw the latest episode where he actually picked up 4 hoopties the weezard had finished, and all total, the bill was $7,500. Though that seemed low because one of them was the Bentley that was there for 6 months.

I bet the Wizard gives him a promotional discount because of the business it drives to his shop. I’m sure customers are clamoring to get their car fixed by the Weezard.

Heck, even low rent hooptie fleet owners like me get a discount on parts at our go to guy shop because of volume.

qbrozen · November 2020

oldfarmer50 said:

qbrozen said:
T&C is finally home! Didn’t realize how badly it needed those lower control arms. Never even noticed they had gone bad. Just thought it was the van loosening up with age. It feels SO MUCH tighter now.

For FCA dragging their feet, and probably because I never once called him or gave him grief, the SA comped the oil change. With the $100 ded, $29 tire rotation, and tax, we paid $137 and FCA coughed up $3500. The timing chain cover leak is common on the 3.6, he told me, so they always look for it, and replacing that means the valve covers and intake also come out, so new gaskets there, too. Then we have the new driver’s seat frame and controls, passenger seatbelt, speed sensor, and those lower control arms.

In speaking with him about my rental, he explained that I had the Voyager, and he is of the opinion the Pacifica feels like an entirely different vehicle. Better suspension, parts quality, etc.
I agree with the SA, just drove a Pacifica for 600 miles today and it’s very comfortable. My co pilot plugged her phone into the dash and made it do all sorts of fancy things.

One question, what was wrong with the seat frame and how much would that have cost if you didn’t have coverage?

I have no idea. The bill has all blanks for the costs.

And I'm not sure what they were saying was wrong. I have a feeling they were just covering their bases and/or padding the bill.

oldfarmer50 · November 2020

Sandman6472 said:
The Golf has been behaving and am very happy I fixed what needed to be fixed. Still nothing out there that I really want at this point. Would like to drive the new Seltos a some point but think it might be a bit too long for my needs. The more I've read, the new GTI and Taos will probably be the best ones to fill my need going forward. Luckily with the little driving I am doing now, it's very possible that I could wait till 2022 and then get something newer. Since I'll most likely be putting less than 5K on each year, a good bet that it'll have maybe 75K by that time. Time will tell and am willng to wait at this point.

Sandy, you may get a kick out of this.

Today we had to deliver cars to another district about 6 hours away. One of the guys decided to go his own way and ended up about a half hour behind us. We tried to give him directions to rejoin the group but he insisted on figuring it out himself.

A few hours later we called him and he told us that his GPS had failed and he was heading to the Canadian border 5 hours away.

Needless to say the boss wasn’t pleased, although he started laughing when I told him.

We all screw up now and then but this was a huge [non-permissible content removed]. Anything like that happen to your crew?

stickguy · November 2020

If Sandy ended up at the Canadian border, that is one heck of a wrong turn!

stickguy · November 2020

Sandy, one thing with the GTI. They aren't supposed to arrive stateside until late in 2021. So you have some time to kill anyway. Not sure when the Taos arrives.

oldfarmer50 · November 2020

stickguy said:
If Sandy ended up at the Canadian border, that is one heck of a wrong turn!

Just so you know, the Edmunds algorithm removed permissible content.

28firefighter · November 2020

The broker on lease hacker has 4Runner TRD off-road premiums for the low 400s all in...always wanted one of those...

Sandman6472 · November 2020

It happened when I was working at my West Palm Beach gig back in 2014. The new guy didn't speak English and got confused about which direction Orlando was. So, we're all sitting at the Orlando airport and find out that he went south instead of north! Once he got into the upper Keys did he realize his error. So, we had to wait almost two hours for him to get up to Orlando. Let's just say that we never saw his butt after that Sunday!

Sandman6472 · November 2020

I really do like the Pacifica but for that matter, have never had an issue driving the Town & Country's or the Dodge Caravans. They drive just fine and hold the road nicely. So when most others pass on them, have no problem driving them. I'm not to picky about what I get to be honest and my one lead felt terrible the time we had to move a few Chevy Sparks and I volunteered to do them all. He felt that they were a penalty box while I found them just fine. I had to convince him that I really do prefer a smaller vehicle over a larger one. He finally understood when I reminded him of what I have as my d d.
Really, there are only a few vehicles that I ask to drive but most times, I just take whatever as as long as it's got a/c and a decent audio system, I'm cool! I dislike the bigger 13 and 15 packs but have to drive them now that we use them as our chase vehicles. Prefer the Ford Transit ones over the Chevy counterpart as they seem to hold the road much better. Just wish that we'd have those longer trips but not that many lately though we did have to drive up to Sebastian and then down to downtown Miami last Friday. It was the only trip we did that day as we started in West Palm Beach and first went to Vero Beach. Once there, were told the vehicles were up in Sebastian, about 20 miles north. On the way down, had to stop for lunch and then getting to Brickell Ave. in downtown Miami was a real trip. Took the whole day basically.
Now that daylight savings time is over, gets dark about 5:45 which just is a real pain in the butt!!

Sandman6472 · November 2020

Stick, as long as the Golf behaves, have all the time in the world really. Right now, some weeks, not even putting 40 miles on it. Work is so close to the house and any errands I have to do are also close to home. We have to go to Orlando next month for the newlyweds reception but looks like we're taking the Accent since she's only got 4K on it after 11 months. Hard to believe that we brought it back to her place last December 15th. And it's been absolutely flawless! She did hit a curb though and bent the bolt on hub cap but my guy at Tires Plus was able to bend it back out so it's not noticeable. And since just 3 of us will be going up to Orlando, just makes sense to take the newest vehicle. I'm already over 65K and the A3 is approaching 58K. Just feel better leaving them both at home for the weekend. Was thinking of renting since we do get a very good discount but might as well just take the Accent.

xwesx · November 2020

While on the topic of vehicles behaving.... I was having more issues with my Q7's battery. If you'll recall, I just put a new battery in it a little less than a year ago, and that turned out to be the third battery in it (three batteries in seven years... not so wonderful!). So, fast forward to this year, and here I am having more issues. It seemed likely that the car simply wasn't charging the battery effectively, so, over time, it was getting drained. With enough of that repeated weak charging, it was just leading the battery to an early grave.

I started with putting a charger on the battery every Sunday so that it would get a good charge once a week, but, a couple weeks ago, the car started having trouble starting after several days. So, I charged it more frequently... and it got to where it failed to start the day after I charged it. Finally, on Monday morning, it wouldn't start at all, even though the battery was fully charged. Okay, fine... writing on the wall!

I pulled the battery (from under the seat... a real PITA to access, even when it is not -20F outside) and took it to the store where I bought it last year. They tested it as bad (shocker) and replaced it under the free 12-month replacement warranty, so that was good. I put the new one in... and then I noticed that there is this little wire that attaches to some sort of sensor/contraption on the negative battery terminal. I thought maybe this has something to do with the "smart charging" system in the car, so I unplugged it to see what would happen.... The car started and ran just fine, with 13.75 volts to the battery. I then plugged in the wire, and the battery voltage instantly dropped to 13.2V. However, in either arrangement, the current at the hood terminals for the battery read 13.75. Clearly, this system was limiting the charge to the battery. As such, and since such a system is idiotic (batteries last for 10+ years in my other vehicles with no such systems on them at all), I just left the wire unplugged. I shall see how this new battery fares. So far, I'm four days into the new battery's life, and it is functioning beautifully.

xwesx · November 2020

Oh, and while I was at all of this, I went ahead and did a permanent install of a trickle charger in the car so that I can just plug it in from the bumper when needed rather than popping the hood, etc. While I was under the car, I confirmed that, yes, the car really does have an oil leak coming through the bottom of the bell housing, so now I get to take it back to the dealer for them to fix what they should have fixed back in August. I swear these guys will do anything to avoid warranty claims sometimes.

nyccarguy · November 2020

xwesx said:
Oh, and while I was at all of this, I went ahead and did a permanent install of a trickle charger in the car so that I can just plug it in from the bumper when needed rather than popping the hood, etc. While I was under the car, I confirmed that, yes, the car really does have an oil leak coming through the bottom of the bell housing, so now I get to take it back to the dealer for them to fix what they should have fixed back in August. I swear these guys will do anything to avoid warranty claims sometimes.

A customer of mine has a 2014 or 2015 Cayenne Diesel. He has close to 180K miles on it. He has noticed a very small oil leak which has gotten worse over the last year. The dealer’s diagnosis was that all the seals on the bottom of the engine are bad and need to be replaced. The dealer told him it is an “engine out” procedure that will cost him upwards of $12,000.

kyfdx · November 2020

nyccarguy said:

xwesx said:
Oh, and while I was at all of this, I went ahead and did a permanent install of a trickle charger in the car so that I can just plug it in from the bumper when needed rather than popping the hood, etc. While I was under the car, I confirmed that, yes, the car really does have an oil leak coming through the bottom of the bell housing, so now I get to take it back to the dealer for them to fix what they should have fixed back in August. I swear these guys will do anything to avoid warranty claims sometimes.
A customer of mine has a 2014 or 2015 Cayenne Diesel. He has close to 180K miles on it. He has noticed a very small oil leak which has gotten worse over the last year. The dealer’s diagnosis was that all the seals on the bottom of the engine are bad and need to be replaced. The dealer told him it is an “engine out” procedure that will cost him upwards of $12,000.

@xwesx could fix those seals in his driveway.

au1994 · November 2020

Michaell said:

au1994 said:

xwesx said:
Range Rover... RETURN IT!
Ditto
Feel free to jump over there and let the OP know...and why.

Done

ab348 · November 2020

explorerx4 said:
@corvette,
My take on JR's truck is that it was a 'deleted' diesel, so Ford wouldn't cover it.
Carmax screwed up selling it, but made it right.

Not having followed the saga, I'm in the dark. What do you mean by a "deleted diesel"?

corvette · November 2020

corvette said:
7-pin ~~hitch~~

Trailer wiring connector, I meant! D'oh!

explorerx4 · November 2020

@ab438,
'Deleted' means emissions system disabled. It voids the warranty. I know some people who have done this.

qbrozen · November 2020

xwesx said:

I pulled the battery (from under the seat... a real PITA to access, even when it is not -20F outside)

I need to know: what seat?? On an SUV? That seems very odd.

qbrozen · November 2020

ab348 said:

explorerx4 said:
@corvette,
My take on JR's truck is that it was a 'deleted' diesel, so Ford wouldn't cover it.
Carmax screwed up selling it, but made it right.
Not having followed the saga, I'm in the dark. What do you mean by a "deleted diesel"?

I certainly could be wrong, but I’m thinking it means the expensive-to-replace particulate filter was removed from the exhaust, which should void the factory warranty.

tjc78 · November 2020

Still working some options for the Enclave replacement. Last payment is made!

Have a deal for an MDX tech at 520/520 DAS

Broker on LH has a 59K ish XC90 (2020) for 617/617 DAS (399 broker fee, so $628 effective). He hasn't given me the colors yet so I'm getting a little agitated.

The dealer I bought my S60 has no 2020's and only one loaner but it's a T5. I'm not so sure I want the XC90 without the T6. Thoughts?

qbrozen · November 2020

I agree. T5 is too little power for something that big and heavy. Kind of surprised you can even get a T5 AWD in the 90. Ever thought about a 4runner? Still decent leases there. I know it is a very old design, but I believe it at least has carplay.

tjc78 · November 2020

Wife refuses a Toyota. I'm not fighting that battle.

So the plot thickens, the XC from the broker is Ice white over Blonde which is exactly what she wants (more or less a copy of my S60) and he is reducing the broker fee to $349. It's at a dealer about two hours from home

9% discount plus $3250 in rebates. I really feel the T6 MOM is the sweet spot in the XC lineup. You get real leather and a lot of nice upgrades over the T5. Need to talk to the wife, but I know she is going to throw a fit having to drive 2 hours to get it.

oldfarmer50 · November 2020

nyccarguy said:

xwesx said:
Oh, and while I was at all of this, I went ahead and did a permanent install of a trickle charger in the car so that I can just plug it in from the bumper when needed rather than popping the hood, etc. While I was under the car, I confirmed that, yes, the car really does have an oil leak coming through the bottom of the bell housing, so now I get to take it back to the dealer for them to fix what they should have fixed back in August. I swear these guys will do anything to avoid warranty claims sometimes.
A customer of mine has a 2014 or 2015 Cayenne Diesel. He has close to 180K miles on it. He has noticed a very small oil leak which has gotten worse over the last year. The dealer’s diagnosis was that all the seals on the bottom of the engine are bad and need to be replaced. The dealer told him it is an “engine out” procedure that will cost him upwards of $12,000.

He should take it to the”Weezird”.

sda · November 2020

I've been receiving solicitations from the local Audi dealer to have the battery checked in the Q5, 15% off replacement. I have no idea if the battery is original and the car is 4+ years old. So far the battery seems fine but it really hasn't been cold yet. I guess I should have it tested. Thankfully the battery is located under the floor of the cargo area and not under the front seat like the Q7. I replaced the battery in the TL less than a month ago.

nyccarguy · November 2020

oldfarmer50 said:

nyccarguy said:

xwesx said:
Oh, and while I was at all of this, I went ahead and did a permanent install of a trickle charger in the car so that I can just plug it in from the bumper when needed rather than popping the hood, etc. While I was under the car, I confirmed that, yes, the car really does have an oil leak coming through the bottom of the bell housing, so now I get to take it back to the dealer for them to fix what they should have fixed back in August. I swear these guys will do anything to avoid warranty claims sometimes.
A customer of mine has a 2014 or 2015 Cayenne Diesel. He has close to 180K miles on it. He has noticed a very small oil leak which has gotten worse over the last year. The dealer’s diagnosis was that all the seals on the bottom of the engine are bad and need to be replaced. The dealer told him it is an “engine out” procedure that will cost him upwards of $12,000.
He should take it to the”Weezird”.

He's going to drive it until it drops, then order himself a new Cayenne S coupe.

tjc78 · November 2020

Slow day at work. Pretty sure I've narrowed the Broker's car down. It should be this one.

https://www.darcarsvolvocars.com/new/Volvo/2020-Volvo-XC90-Rockville+MD-777634550a0e0adf45cbab02dbe463bb.htm?ddcref=T1_INVDET&model=XC90&year=2020

qbrozen · November 2020

Enterprise emailed me the rental receipt. Another $940 coughed up by the warranty. Wow.

coldinohio · November 2020

nice volvo

Michaell · November 2020

tjc78 said:
Slow day at work. Pretty sure I've narrowed the Broker's car down. It should be this one.

https://www.darcarsvolvocars.com/new/Volvo/2020-Volvo-XC90-Rockville+MD-777634550a0e0adf45cbab02dbe463bb.htm?ddcref=T1_INVDET&model=XC90&year=2020

That's sharp, inside and out.

How does that work with the kids?

pensfan83 · November 2020

sda said:
I've been receiving solicitations from the local Audi dealer to have the battery checked in the Q5, 15% off replacement. I have no idea if the battery is original and the car is 4+ years old. So far the battery seems fine but it really hasn't been cold yet. I guess I should have it tested. Thankfully the battery is located under the floor of the cargo area and not under the front seat like the Q7. I replaced the battery in the TL less than a month ago.

I've received a few solicitations direct from BMW they would come to the house to complete the airbag recall. It was already done but I probably would have taken advantage seeing as my preferred dealer isn't all that close and don't offer loaners if a car is over a certain age. A stance I found out through survey feedback wasn't entirely accurate.

tifighter · November 2020

qbrozen said:

In speaking with him about my rental, he explained that I had the Voyager, and he is of the opinion the Pacifica feels like an entirely different vehicle. Better suspension, parts quality, etc.

I drove a Pacifica rental from LA to SEA earlier this year. It is a very good road trip car - quiet, decent power, comfortable. I was pretty impressed. One of the new AWD ones with the stow and go would be a super versatile ride.

stickguy · November 2020

tjc78 said:
Still working some options for the Enclave replacement. Last payment is made!

Have a deal for an MDX tech at 520/520 DAS

Broker on LH has a 59K ish XC90 (2020) for 617/617 DAS (399 broker fee, so $628 effective). He hasn't given me the colors yet so I'm getting a little agitated.

The dealer I bought my S60 has no 2020's and only one loaner but it's a T5. I'm not so sure I want the XC90 without the T6. Thoughts?

Rodo has that MDX at 521/521, 36/10,000. FWIW

tjc78 · November 2020

Michaell said:

tjc78 said:
Slow day at work. Pretty sure I've narrowed the Broker's car down. It should be this one.

https://www.darcarsvolvocars.com/new/Volvo/2020-Volvo-XC90-Rockville+MD-777634550a0e0adf45cbab02dbe463bb.htm?ddcref=T1_INVDET&model=XC90&year=2020
That's sharp, inside and out.

How does that work with the kids?

They don’t eat in the car and the carpets are dark so it actually cleans up well.

Steering wheel is a little tough to keep but not bad if you keep up on it.

Wife is thinking it over. Not sure if she wants the payment leap.

stickguy · November 2020

Nice looking 90. My next door neighbor has one just like it. Looks sharp. She seems to like it.

Steep monthly nut, especially on top of the other Volvo. I couldn’t go there on a lease. Maybe a buy for a special car, but my mental cap is $499/month.

tjc78 · November 2020

It’s a $100 leap from the Enclave (10K MSRP hike too). With some of the leases I’ve seen on Explorers and such I think it’s a good deal for the money. Surely a far cry from the $847 Enclave.

carnaught · November 2020

Where are these XC90’s manufactured? It doesn’t say on the inner door sticker.

nyccarguy · November 2020

Michaell said:

tjc78 said:
Slow day at work. Pretty sure I've narrowed the Broker's car down. It should be this one.

https://www.darcarsvolvocars.com/new/Volvo/2020-Volvo-XC90-Rockville+MD-777634550a0e0adf45cbab02dbe463bb.htm?ddcref=T1_INVDET&model=XC90&year=2020
That's sharp, inside and out.

How does that work with the kids?

+1

nyccarguy · November 2020

carnaught said:
Where are these XC90’s manufactured? It doesn’t say on the inner door sticker.

The VIN starts with a "Y" which denotes Sweden or Finland. I ran it through an online VIN DECODER and it says: TORSLANDA, SWEDEN

corvette · November 2020

qbrozen said:
Enterprise emailed me the rental receipt. Another $940 coughed up by the warranty. Wow.

Doug DeMuro should've bought a T&C and vlogged about his experiences.

andres3 · November 2020

I may have a punch pending from the Blue State of Arizona!

Approx. $31,000 + $600 in dealership fees + tax + $500 for shipping to San Diego.

2015 S4 Prestige in Misano Red.

By the way, for you experts out there, it is normal for dealerships to "pretend" at the finance office that the price is higher than what you negotiated in sales? Seems like that's happened 3 times in a row.

andres3 · November 2020

If all of you are real true CCBA's, you should all be all over these; what's not to like:

https://carsandbids.com/auctions/rxY2jpDQ/2019-ford-mustang-bullitt beautiful green and the enthusiasts Mustang.

https://carsandbids.com/auctions/3olN8gkE/2016-bmw-m235i-coupe A not so soft BMW.

https://carsandbids.com/auctions/3R0pGMNv/2015-bmw-m5-30-jahre-edition expensive, but I imagine it has the SMG transmission?

https://carsandbids.com/auctions/r4ZqDzkV/1994-toyota-supra-turbo I think these are prettier than the new ones.

https://carsandbids.com/auctions/r4B8L1ok/2005-mercedes-benz-e500-4matic-wagon A V8 wagon in a great color combo. How could you possibly go wrong?

stickguy · November 2020

Top line? I’ve seen it, where they show a higher sales price but offset by a higher trade in.

But as a wise man once said, “the only difference, is the difference”.

andres3 · November 2020

stickguy said:
Top line? I’ve seen it, where they show a higher sales price but offset by a higher trade in.

But as a wise man once said, “the only difference, is the difference”.

No, bottom line "Out the Door" number. Could be "innocent" mistakes.

carnaught · November 2020

andres3 said:

stickguy said:
Top line? I’ve seen it, where they show a higher sales price but offset by a higher trade in.

But as a wise man once said, “the only difference, is the difference”.
No, bottom line "Out the Door" number. Could be "innocent" mistakes.

Yes, in the finance office, on occasion, the OTD price was higher than negotiated. Since I made it clear that the OTD price was my final one, I said the deal was off unless corrected, and it was.

andres3 · November 2020

carnaught said:

andres3 said:

stickguy said:
Top line? I’ve seen it, where they show a higher sales price but offset by a higher trade in.

But as a wise man once said, “the only difference, is the difference”.
No, bottom line "Out the Door" number. Could be "innocent" mistakes.

Yes, in the finance office, on occasion, the OTD price was higher than negotiated. Since I made it clear that the OTD price was my final one, I said the deal was off unless corrected, and it was.

Yes, never had a situation where it wasn't corrected, but it has happened enough lately and in my lifetime that I feel the mistake might not be so "innocent."

stickguy · November 2020

That could just be the sales side not being able to calculate tax and DMV fees exactly right. I think OTD prices screw them up, since they have to back into a sales price. But if you have an OTD price agreed to in writing, And they honor it, no big deal.

carnaught · November 2020

I as a skeptic believe it is usually intentional. If I made a verbal agreement and it is not adhered to, the deal is off.

andres3 · November 2020

stickguy said:
That could just be the sales side not being able to calculate tax and DMV fees exactly right. I think OTD prices screw them up, since they have to back into a sales price. But if you have an OTD price agreed to in writing, And they honor it, no big deal.

This will be my first deal through Docusign. They corrected the dollar amount.
Just waiting on them to add to the "We Owe" sheet, which happens to be the 2nd to last sheet of 30 you have to sign..

The "We Owe" sheet should state "Shipping to San Diego" since they didn't charge me a single buck on the retail sheet/contract. No mention of it; the "We Owe" sheet is appropriate for that.

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