Any Questions for a Car Dealer?

zueslewis · March 2003

I haven't seen ANY of the new Altimas at all. I do get a fair share of Nissan cases - I have 4 I'm working on now, 2 Xterras, a Pathfinder and a 2000 Maxima - all with electrical and engine management problems and one of the Xterras needed a transmission (auto).

As a whole, I don't see any more Nissan cases than I do Toyota or Honda, both if which are relatively low in numbers.

suvshopper4 · March 2003

If you treat the abbreviated portion of lanzz problem (the one I posted, up to just before the threat of a bad survey) as a hypothetical situation, what would have been the best way for the car owner to handle it reasonably, in order to get the situation resolved satisfactorily?

Situations like this occur, whether or not you believe lanzz' particular post. So, hypothetically, what might have worked?

It would be good for this consumer to hear how it should best be handled from you, or anyone with insider service department experience.

Thanks.

masspector · March 2003

thanks for the info...it backed up what I had heard from other sources

audia8q · March 2003

Some of the posters in this thread are wrong more than they are right and they are not car dealers...This thread was created to answer consumers direct questions by a auto dealer. For some reason the uninformed non-car dealers want to play games and try answer questions without knowing the inner working of a dealership or anything else about the business....maybe they play a car dealer on TV.

So any consumer who would like to ask a dealer a question....plz don't hesitate ask, we are here to help...Ignore the ones who are not here to help but just make noise about things they have little or no factual information.

kyfdx · March 2003

I'm not a car dealer, but I play one on Edmunds.com?

landru2 · March 2003

:^)

grandtotal · March 2003

I too am interested to hear a dealer's perspective on what to do about the situation posed in suvshopper4's post. I ask this because although I think I'm unlikely to get into this sort of situation with either of the dealerships I deal with, you never know. If it should ever happen to me I'd like to know how best to handle it without going ballistic.

crkeehn · March 2003

A local Ford dealer at one time didn't allow appointments, everything was walk in only. At one time my wifes Ford Escort was blowing taillight bulbs regularly. I took it to the dealer that didn't allow appointments and was told to come back the following morning early. I got in the conga line early the next morning, had the service writer write me up and asked if they would be finishing it that day. I was told "Oh No, we can't get to it for the next 2 or 3 days."

Needless to say I got my taillight problem taken care of at the local gas station.

Since then, the dealership makes AND HONORS appointments.

Just an aside. It seems to me that there are a couple of people on this board who are more interested in hair splitting rather than sharing information or learning, which is what I believe this board is about.

yaman · March 2003

I agree that a few people just seem to want to argue.Regarding appointments,I always make them.In fact if a dealer said it was first come first serve,I'd find another dealer.

Benefit of an appointment is you know your car will get looked at and serviced the day of your appointment.

zueslewis · March 2003

Good point:

"Just an aside. It seems to me that there are a couple of people on this board who are more interested in hair splitting rather than sharing information or learning, which is what I believe this board is about."

vikd · March 2003

...a brand new '02??!! I can't believe there would be any of those left...imagine the immediate depreceation on that puppy!? OUCH! Course, like you said, they'll prolly give you a hefty discount.

All right perna, I'll stop by Grand Rapids on my way to shop Lou Fusz in St Looie; man that'd be one heck of a drive... btw, I believe it would technically be "over" or "across" as we are prolly at the same LAT.

crkeehn--- I completely agree with your last paragraph. I'll admit, I don't really have much of anything of substance to share as I am not overly mechanically inclined nor do I have relevant car biz insider knowledge. However, I do enjoy/value reading and learning from those here that do; and quite frequently what I learn is extremely useful. Like Landru implied, arguing semantics in an information swapping board is just plain a waste of time...and boring besides...

Regards... Vikd

bobst · March 2003

Didn't you say that you are having some sort of trouble getting the dealer to fix your new PT Cruiser? Could you please tell us about it?

bigorange30 · March 2003

because he didn't have an appointment. You have to have them down in Texas you know.

I would hate to live in Texas with dictator car dealers.

prodigalsun · March 2003

Sure, immediate depreciation would be a witch with a capital b, but only if you're not planning on keeping it for a while. I bet they're just dying to get it off their lot.

ramped1 · March 2003

would have worked for the guy with the pine needles in his A/C unit.

Instead of threatening a bad survey since the problem wasn't being addressed to his satisfaction, what if he had said, "Look, I know you guys are backed up, but if you squeeze me in this afternoon I'll ace your survey, write a nice letter to your boss and send roses to your wife":-)

P.S. to Vikd: Already buying the house, furniture and the car by the end of the month, huh? Boy, wish I could move as fast as you. Still have four months of construction on my palace before I can think about new horsepower. By the way, there are three 6 spd. Maxes, all 2002s, at Lakeland Nissan down here in broiling Florida. Great time for a spring break (bring the sun tan lotion. Been in the 90s the past three days.)

zueslewis · March 2003

bummer, too because I did some fairly good writing.

BO, you're officially now the only one arguing. Have a nice evening, I'm done.

rivertown · March 2003

"what would have been the best way for the car owner to handle it reasonably, in order to get the situation resolved satisfactorily?"
Maybe the answer to that question is, "There's nothing more the owner can do to get the situation resolved more satisfactorily." Maybe that's as good as it gets with those dealerships, as poor as it is, short of tipping the service guy like Ramped suggested.

Sometimes it really is GIGO - garbage in, garbage out. Sometimes it really is AIGO - anything in, garbage out.

zueslewis · March 2003

chile96 · March 2003

Having been told that I cannot purchase a second extended warranty from my Dealership (GM Major Guard - Yukon w/ 66K miles), what has been your experience w/ online extended warranty companies and how they operate from your point of view. Have been told that they usually try and "crawfish" there way out of paying. I am specifically looking at warranty gold and 1source auto warranty. Thanks in advance.

zueslewis · March 2003

aftermarket extended warranties for several reasons.

1) The manufacturer has no real liability, other than "implied warranty of merchantability", which is hard to prove.

2) Private warranty companies are no more than insurance agents and use outside evaluators to certify the need for repairs - usually involves inspections and photos - biggest issue there is a 1-2 week delay in repairing your vehicle. Factory backed warranties have no such delay.

3) Many service departments (most) aren't set up to direct-bill a private warranty company, unless their sales department sells that particular warranty. That means you pay the bill to replace your transmission and get reimbursed, hopefully, in 6-8 weeks.

You'd save money by taking what you'll spend on a private warranty and put it in the bank to draw interest, using it for repairs if necessary.

ateixeira · March 2003

On the other hand, we got a Subaru Gold warranty direct from the manufacturer, and it's almost the opposite, you get:

* roadside assistance so they come to you
* free towing to nearest dealer
* guaranteed loaner while they work on it
* no deductible (in my case)
* no money out-of-pocket at any point in the process

I didn't get one for me, but we got one for my wife. Her last car was rated reliable but we still spent $2500 in repairs over the 7 years that our current warranty covers.

You never know, Murphy's Law dictates this will be the most reliable car ever built!

-juice

zueslewis · March 2003

and most other manufacturer's warranty programs.

This guy explained that he can't buy a GMPP - I don't understand that, though, because I sold GMPP, DCC and Ford ESP programs to many folks on a walk-in basis.

Regardless, aftermarket is NOT the way to go.

ateixeira · March 2003

I say go to a different dealer. It may cost more, especially since you're outside of the B2B warranty.

Look at it from their point of view, you're probably trying to buy a GMPP because you expect to have problems, so they probably expect it to cost them more, too.

-juice

sonjaab · March 2003

You can only get a GMPP extended warranty anytime before the mfrs. original new car warranty expires.........Not after.
The aftermarket guys don't care.........geo

zueslewis · March 2003

I've sold plenty of GMPPs to folks who walk in off the street - if we didn't know the vehicle (not one our regular service vehicles), we'd have the shop do a quick checkover so we're not causing problems for GM right out of the gate.

And you're certainly right about the aftermarket guys - they aren't true "warranties", as the law describes - they're insurance policies, subject to adjuster's approval and declination of repairs.

careercarguy · March 2003

GMPP MajorGuard can be purchased after the factory warranty expires.

I suggest you go to another dealer and ask if they will sell it to you. You may be required to have an inspection done on the vehicle before they issue the warranty though.

As previously mentioned plenty of people come in to dealerships and purchase warranties for cars they bought elswhere.

zueslewis · March 2003

chile96 · March 2003

My truck is running beautifully but am just nervous about some ill fated breakdown at a time when money is not available (am getting married, buying house,etc..) Would wholeheartedly agree that they should inspect it first but 2 separate dealers said they can't sell me another warranty since I already purchased one at the time of sale. I unfortunately bought a 5yr/100K mile but didn't even come close to the mileage aspect. Would be nervous that some dealer agree to sell me the GM warranty, pay for it, then come to find out that they won't honor it when a breakdown does happen because of the previous warranty issue.

I have learned to just say,"No" - to internet warranties! Thanks guys.

careercarguy · March 2003

They may be right, I just checked GMPP website and I found this in the FAQ's:Can I renew or extend a GM Protection Plan?
Major Guard, Value Guard, Basic Guard and Smart Protection / Smart Protection Plus and MRP Certified cannot be renewed. Smart Care and Smart Care Plus can be renewed, so long as vehicle eligibility requirements are made.

I received the information from here: http://www.gmprotectionplan.com/

audia8q · March 2003

Whenever we have a situation where the customer is beyond the factory or extended service plan we still can ask the mfg for help....but the mfg will always ask two questions...1. did they have an extended service plan? 2. did they do all or most of the routine maintnance at the dealership.

If the answer is "yes" to both the mfg will almost always stretch for the customer...in many cases big time too. They look at it as a two way street. The consumer is loyal to the mfg and dealer the benefits can be substantial.

We just had a case were the mfg replaced an engine that was 9000 miles out of all warranties at no charge to the consumer.

zueslewis · March 2003

weren't you talking about trading or selling that rig anyway?

chile96 · March 2003

I would like/love to keep it but am worried about future probs I might encounter. Since I can't seem to get another warranty, I'll probably hold my breath and keep for another 15-20K miles. If I could get a warranty, I would keep it for the longest warranty I could buy. The truck is a dream but now I don't have the peace of mind that one has with a warranty.

I have had ALL my warranty work done at GM dealerships depending on what city I've been in (Houston, San Antonio, and Corpus Christi) and really no big claims - largest was for seal on intake manifold ~ $400 I believe. Do you think I have a shot about getting another GM warranty based upon loyalty?

I might just list it in paper for ~$17-18K and see if I get any takers then will check out the 2003/04 tahoe/suburbans. Who knows!

bigorange30 · March 2003

that it won't run much further without significant repairs? It seems like you should be able to get another 100K out of that thing before major repair bills come in. If it were me, I would keep it for another 50-100K and not worry about buying an extra warranty. They are mostly a waste of money unless the truck is a real lemon and has had over $1000 of repairs already. If it has had that much trouble, you might should check and see if them lemon law applies. I am not too familiar with those laws but they might not reach to that kind of age or mileage. I would say either get rid of it or keep it but don't worry about an expensive warranty.

zueslewis · March 2003

when maintained properly - try the continued driving, but make a half-way effort to sell it - that way you're not desparate.

vikd · March 2003

...not moving TOO fast. I've been shopping/researching for a new veh for some time now but I am still going to wait until after (maybe a while after) we close on our house. The wife just recently went back to work so we have the added income but I think the smart move is to acclimate to the new housing costs before jumping in to the new horsepower...but I still can't stop looking/researching. BTW, where are all these '02's coming from? Havent seen an '02 round these parts in 6 months at the least...

Chile--- keep the truck, and stop worrying about what may or may not happen some unidentified time down the road. If it runs "beautifully", don't sweat it.

Regards... Vikd

im_brentwood · March 2003

I get busy and miss all the good stuff!

Agreed that certain people seem to know a lot less than they think they do.

Bill

chile96 · March 2003

After looking back at all these posts, do you think I'm doing the smart thing by posting an ad at the high end and seeing if anybody wants it? If not, I get to keep my truck; if someone wants it, I get a good deal and move on. Thanks.

BTW - where's the best place to post an ad........newspaper? online & which one?

Thanks again guys for all your help - feel like I should pay you a referral fee!

maxappeal · March 2003

I've noticed several dealerships with showroom models that have aftermarket wheels. Do those actually sell? The wheels are marked up about 50% above retail on the dealer added access section. Does this make it esier to get consumers overcome sticker shock when shown a model w/ stock wheels?

Here's a link to my brother's RX customized with 20's, Alpine DVD, etc.

http://www.cardomain.com/member_pages/view_page.pl?page_id=239240- &make_type_query=make%3DLexus&model_brand_query=model%3DR- - - X-Series&tree=Lexus%20RX-Series

Let me know what you think. I had the car customized by 310 Motoring. All dealers and other aftermarket spots told me an aftermaket stereo was impossible to install. When there's a will, there's a way!

ramped1 · March 2003

Bill lives right up the road from me in Orlando, so I'm sure he can tell you why there are 02 6 spd Maxes sitting around here. The traffic is unbelievable, especially this time of year when the spring breakers and spring training fans are among us. You have to have a left leg like Arnie S. to handle the stop and go. They say it's a down year for tourism, but try to drive I-4 or International Drive right now. Sorry for wandering off topic. Back to the war and basketball games on the tube.

mark156 · March 2003

Just got back from Cuba a couple a weeks ago, and talk about "inconsiderate dealerships". If want a new car, which most folks cannot afford (communist/socialist country), you can only buy a new or used car from the government and when you want to sell it, you have to sell it back to the government. The only cars that can be sold without the government being involved are the old American cars. And believe me, there are a lot of them rolling around on the island of eleven million cubans. Most have Russian engines and drive trains now. The newest American car that I saw was a 1960 Impala. There were an abundant amount of cars from 1955 and 1956.

Mark

masspector · March 2003

Do any of the salesmen here get customers that try to negotiate a lower price by offering a perfect CSI score?

raybear · March 2003

Sure, plenty of times.

Of course, the one time I "agreed" to it, the customer trashed my score.

zueslewis · March 2003

CSI got trashed because one of the pamphlets was missing out of the owner's manual pack. Seriously.

raybear · March 2003

...the customer who says you never contacted them after the sale?

I send a thank-you card, call both home and office until I reach them, before I call in my telecash from Subaru.

I still get hit for not calling or contacting the customer.

Had a guy trash me once for not having the gas tank filled past the brim.

Then again, I had a lady who absolutely should have given me a poor score on several points, it was stuff that I should have caught, and she gave me a perfect score! I called and thanked her profusely.

zueslewis · March 2003

but I'm sure he wouldn't mind the drive!!

chile96 · March 2003

Any suggestions as to which online company I should try and post an ad to sell my car? Or should I just stick with the local newspaper? Thanks.

zueslewis · March 2003

especially there in Houston, have on-line departments. Most offer a dual ad deal where you place the ad in print and on-line for "one low price".

I've seen cars.com used quite frequently and just used that service in buying my son's Toyota MR2.

Also, autotrader is available on-line.

careercarguy · March 2003

careercarguy · March 2003

better marketing and is more widely used by the general public because of its user friendly search engines.

I also agree with zeus in cars.com

Whatever service you use make sure you can post a pic of the car and a price rather than "make offer". Most services will put your listing at the end of the category if no price is listed.

Good luck

bigorange30 · March 2003

http://www.autobytel.com/

http://www.cars.com/carsapp/national/?srv=adlocator&act=popul- ate&ft=1&tf=quick_usedforsale-default.tmpl&page=used&- amp;rn=7&zc=&rd=30

http://www.autotrader.com/

and I had good success. You can list on any of these for about $30 including a "run it till it sells" feature. I was just about to advertise in the paper at $71 for 1 month when it sold. I would not recommend the paper as they are SO expensive compared to what you can get from the internet. However, it may take a little time. If you are in a hurry, I would include the paper. It took me about 3 months but I got a good price for mine.

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