Replaced my beater, wish I had it back

[RPM217]

Alright, on Wednesday, made up my mind to replace the 1997 Subaru Legacy GT Wagon with 92,000 miles on it. I use it in the winter, my daughter uses it in the summer (home from college). So yesterday afternoon, I go to pick up the 2004 Outback Legacy Wagon, real pretty. I've done business at the dealership before, sent them lots of referrals, got a good price on the new one, and a fair trade in on the old one. I dealt with the manager and we did all the negotiations etc. and he gave the sale and paperwork over to one of his salesmen. I warn the salesman to check the car carefully, I don't want to find anything that he's not aware of, in otherwords check carefully, I've got a good eye (ask Bailey). Well, I should have walked away from the car when I found a door ding, but I didn't and the manager said no worry, the "Ding Dr" would come to my office on Monday and take care of it. This morning I got up (by the way, the wife liked the car, I hadn't told her I was doing this), and spent time waxing it before the new snowstorm on it's way hits. Car looked great, now I'm on the way to the office and the check engine light goes on and stays on, and the cruise control switch is blinking on and off. I drive by the dealership, nobody qualified to work on the car there today, I leave it with 30 miles on it, and now I'm driving a Focus (not SVT) and I'm pissed. Sorry for the length of this story, just had to vent to some sympathetic fellow car nuts. Can't drive the NSX, can't drive the Outback

 

[matteni]

Sorry to hear about your troubles. Hard to spend that much money on a new car and not have it perfect.

I had my one and only new car in 91' when I graduated. It was an Eagle Talon and was perfect. I lost at least one girlfriend for spilling stuff in the car and some friends who got tired of walking 3 blocks to every thing we went to. I became depressed with every ding, paint problem, etc. I decided after 2 years of this that I couldn't ever have a new car again. I just went crazy with every ding, scratch, blemish, and when I see the depreciation - I just want to faint. When I got my 6 year old NSX I was happy it wasn't perfect and I could be calm and just enjoy it. My wife is amazed how well I handle the little stuff that happens when you enjoy a car as mostly a daily driver - vs a new car that you feel you have to keep perfect.

Reading your post brings it all back to me and I think my personality is such I would get the old one back and tell the dealer to "keep it" then continue down the path you are on.

Good luck - hope it works out to your satisfaction.

 

[RP-Motorsports]

I bought a Focus for a beater, drove it for 2 weeks, and put it up for sale. (it sucked!)

Anyway I too am anal about new vehicles. I actually think about selling them the instant I see the first scratch, ding etc. I guess I am a lease type!!! If it makes it through the lease term and remains perfect, I could buy it. If it turns out to receive a scratch or two, I just give it back, and get a diff "new" car!

The NSX I can be less anal about because of its age, and I have it engraved in my mind that it will be a track car and not a show car.

 

[RP-Motorsports]

I lost at least one girlfriend for spilling stuff in the car

So picture this..... I owned my NSX for literally 48 hours and my wife and I are about to embark on our first road trip to meet up with 15 other NSX'ers for brunch in Lake Geneva. I am in the car and out of the house comes my wife with a coffee mug filled 1/16" from the top with no cover. I look at her and say "your kidding right?" She says "what? I won't spill" There began a 10 minute fight!!! She got a $25 s.s. Starbucks coffee travel mug for x-mas with a locking cover!

 

[NSX/MR2]

I don't think I will miss the DD MR2 that much once it's gone. I will get something much easier on insurance and gas, say: an auto integra.

 

[4AU4LIFE]

I had a '89 Escort GT that I bought new. First new car so don't laugh. Anyway, that was the best car to me. It never broke down and was a faithful companion during my days as a pizza delivery driver. I finally got the car paid off and then felt like I needed to get rid of it so I could have a new something with payments again. I ended up selling for $1500. Totally regret it.
Now I am thinking of getting another car and some people are trying to tell me to trade in my Integra on it. NO WAY !!! That won't happen to me again. I just paid it off about 6-9 mos ago and it is all mine. I wouldn't think of trading or selling it for just about anything. Way to dependable.
Now if only the same could be said about the a/c in my NSX.

 

[RPM217]

Just spoke with the dealer

The ding has been fixed, the check engine light has been extinguished. Apparently they just had to reset the error code and all is ok. I'll pick the car back up in a few hours, just on time for the impending blizzard that we're expecting over the next few days. Latest forecast is for up to a foot of snow. I guess the NSX will sit under the blanket for awhile longer!!

 

[steveny]

So picture this..... I owned my NSX for literally 48 hours and my wife and I are about to embark on our first road trip to meet up with 15 other NSX'ers for brunch in Lake Geneva. I am in the car and out of the house comes my wife with a coffee mug filled 1/16" from the top with no cover. I look at her and say "your kidding right?" She says "what? I won't spill" There began a 10 minute fight!!! She got a $25 s.s. Starbucks coffee travel mug for x-mas with a locking cover!

I would say....
Do you know why you won't spill it? Because I will have to drive like an old lady so you won't spill it, and that is not how I envisioned this trip.

 

[steveny]

Now if only the same could be said about the a/c in my NSX.

Cross your fingers. It took near 5k to fix mine.

I bought a new Ford Lightning and was hit head on after only a week of ownership. That was a bummer.

My brother-in-law just bought a new Chevy Silverado one ton dually, before he picked it up he had a supercharger installed, dvd, ps2, alarm, auto starter, huge sterol, 3 T.V. screens, a ton of other stuff. He had the truck ONE hour and someone smashed into and fled the screen while it was parked in the parking lot at the police station. If it weren't for bad luck he would have no luck at all.
When he showed up to drop off his trade at the dealer with the last new truck he bought he backed into the guide wire for a light pole. This snapped the pole off and it landed on the cab of his trade crushing it in. The insurance had already been switched over to his new truck. He was unable to make a claim.

 

[matteni]

Cross your fingers. It took near 5k to fix mine.

Yes - they told me that too. I had a pin hole leak in the evaporator. I told them forget it, converted the system over to R232, bought a can of stuff that supposedly helps seal holes and fills the unit, and bought a gauge to monitor how much pressure I was loosing over time.

That was 2 years ago and still blowing ice cold in the summer (when my damn climate control works - that is!).

Anyway - fyi as I figured out - even if I had to use 1 $5 can per summer month it would be like 100 years until I matched the dealer's estimate for the fix.

 

[Brian2by2]

I got all of you beat I think...

I recently bought a 2002 Chevy S-10 Xtreme single cab fleetside.

I bought it in order to pull my 1500lb detailing trailer. Made it perfectly clear to the salesperson several times that I was starting a detailing business and he even told me he had sold another S-10 to a guy who had a detail trailer.

Well, a week later I goto have a hitch put on and the guy tells me "There is no hitch for the Xtreme...it can't tow." "what do you mean 'it can't tow'?" He meant it can't tow...towing with the Xtreme is not allowed and it will void my warranty!!

WTF!!!

Now, I look through all my papers and find out a few other things

A) the truck never had floormats, and when I requested a set, they gave me dirty, unmatching floormats out of a Trail Blazer.

B) They charged me for Lo-Jack...still don't have it on my truck, almost 3 months later!!

C) They charged me $1800 for extended warranty, which I clearly waivered!!

D) they sold me a truck that doesn't meet my spec's, which I made known to them.

I took it back 2 weeks later and wanted to trade it for a Blazer Xtreme (same price) and they wouldn't do it!! They wanted to give me $11,000 trade for it! I had financed $18000!!!! They wanted me to take a $7000 hit because of THEIR mistake!!!

Now, they've decided to give me $150 credit towards "helper springs". They cost way more than that! And it took them 3 weeks to come up with this and refused to give me a rental truck so I could operate one of my trailers with it.

I make about $600 a week per trailer...thats $1800 they've cost me thus far!

Granted, I now have got my attorney involved. I also am planning a protest outside their dealership until they cooperate with me.

By the way, it was Ed Morse Chevy/Cadillac for those of you in Florida.

 

[PHOEN$X]

That sucks, Brian. There was a story on Dateline last month about shady dealer tricks:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3660557/

You might want to watch the video on that page too. Anyway, during the original airing they talked about how Florida had gone after some of these dealers. However, the state wouldn't reveal the amount or terms of the settlement, and none of the money went back to the consumers. It left enough of a bitter taste for me to never want to buy a car from a dealer again.

EDIT: Maybe you could contact Dateline and/or Florida to see if they can help you out with your case. Good luck.

 

[4AU4LIFE]

Well lucky for me for now. Nabil of First Class Automotive evacuated my a/c system and we determined I was about 4oz low on freon. Shouldn't cause the system to not work almost entirely but it seemed to be. Anyway, he recharged it and now I am a cool cucumber.

 

[NSX_Dreamer]

I think it's safe to conclude:

1) never buy new
2) never buy from a GM dealer
3) never buy new & from a GM dealer
4) never buy from a GM dealer
5) never buy from a GM dealer.

 

[4AU4LIFE]

I think it's safe to conclude:

1) never buy new
2) never buy from a GM dealer
3) never buy new & from a GM dealer
4) never buy from a GM dealer
5) never buy from a GM dealer.

harsh conclusion.

 

[NSX_Dreamer]

harsh conclusion.

I know. But I absolutely despise GM vehicles.

Sorry.

 

[Acura NsX Pilot]

Alright, on Wednesday, made up my mind to replace the 1997 Subaru Legacy GT Wagon with 92,000 miles on it. I use it in the winter, my daughter uses it in the summer (home from college). So yesterday afternoon, I go to pick up the 2004 Outback Legacy Wagon, real pretty. I've done business at the dealership before, sent them lots of referrals, got a good price on the new one, and a fair trade in on the old one. I dealt with the manager and we did all the negotiations etc. and he gave the sale and paperwork over to one of his salesmen. I warn the salesman to check the car carefully, I don't want to find anything that he's not aware of, in otherwords check carefully, I've got a good eye (ask Bailey). Well, I should have walked away from the car when I found a door ding, but I didn't and the manager said no worry, the "Ding Dr" would come to my office on Monday and take care of it. This morning I got up (by the way, the wife liked the car, I hadn't told her I was doing this), and spent time waxing it before the new snowstorm on it's way hits. Car looked great, now I'm on the way to the office and the check engine light goes on and stays on, and the cruise control switch is blinking on and off. I drive by the dealership, nobody qualified to work on the car there today, I leave it with 30 miles on it, and now I'm driving a Focus (not SVT) and I'm pissed. Sorry for the length of this story, just had to vent to some sympathetic fellow car nuts. Can't drive the NSX, can't drive the Outback

How u been ... someone said they saw a yellow at coop city near the stop n shop i think and i said i know whos car it was .....so was it you ?

 

[PHOEN$X]

I know. But I absolutely despise GM vehicles.

 

[gheba_nsx]

It is not just GM.

More and more makers start selling "beta tested" cars and let the first model year's buyers do the rest of the debugging.

It happened with my sister's Mini in 2001 and with my friend's RX8 last Fall. Both went several times to the dealereships in the first months odf ownership...

 

[RPM217]

Re: Re: Replaced my beater, wish I had it back

How u been ... someone said they saw a yellow at coop city near the stop n shop i think and i said i know whos car it was .....so was it you ?

No, not me, car hasn't been out from under the blanket for weeks!!!

 

[RPM217]

AAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!

On the way to work this morning the check engine light came on again, the car now has 137 miles on it. I just called the dealer and told them that I wanted a loaner that's also AWD, I have to wait until the General Manager gets in. I've done business with this dealer for years, sent them dozens of referrals that have resulted in sales for them, I've started to fill in the log on the NYS Lemon Law Guide. this is strike # 2, 4 strikes and they're out. I'm really sorry I got rid of my 7 year old car, I was afraid that is was going to start costing me $$, this one is all aggravation!!

 

[RPM217]

Still chasing my car

I had to call the dealer 2x yesterday, finally spoke with the service manager at 4:30pm, they've decided that it's a faulty Oxygen sensor, and they hope to have the part in today, and maybe even return the car to me today. I've been driving a Ford Taurus since Friday. Let's see, I've had my "new car" for a grand total of 3 days, and the dealer has had it for 8 days. I can't wait to send a letter to the owner of the dealership. I've been a "customer" since 1992, and have referred them to a number of friends and relatives who have purchased a dozen cars from them in the past years.

 

[RPM217]

I got it back, will it be fixed correctly?

They replaced the oxygen sensors, and told me that they road tested it extensively (38 miles), thankfully, it wasn't the NSX. I told them that I hoped that they planned on tanking up the car (no answer). When I got there, they had washed the car (not normal procedure at Subaru dealer) and gave me a voucher to tank up the car (squeaky wheel theory works). I have a meeting in Atlantic City on Thursday and am planning on taking the car there (hopefully I can make it there and back without incident). If I have time I plan on writing a rather extensive letter to the owner of the dealership and a copy to Subaru Customer Service that will not be too flattering. I've received a letter from the owner thanking me for my recent purchase and asking me to fill out the survey when I receive it, do you think he'll be pleased with how I fill it out? Hopefully, this is the last post on this "topic" as I'm already sick of it!!

 

[matteni]

Re: I got it back, will it be fixed correctly?

They replaced the oxygen sensors, and told me that they road tested it extensively (38 miles), thankfully, it wasn't the NSX. I told them that I hoped that they planned on tanking up the car (no answer). When I got there, they had washed the car (not normal procedure at Subaru dealer) and gave me a voucher to tank up the car (squeaky wheel theory works). I have a meeting in Atlantic City on Thursday and am planning on taking the car there (hopefully I can make it there and back without incident). If I have time I plan on writing a rather extensive letter to the owner of the dealership and a copy to Subaru Customer Service that will not be too flattering. I've received a letter from the owner thanking me for my recent purchase and asking me to fill out the survey when I receive it, do you think he'll be pleased with how I fill it out? Hopefully, this is the last post on this "topic" as I'm already sick of it!!

Have a safe trip / good luck with the car.

Thank you for reminding me why I don't deal with dealerships or buy new cars anymore!

 

[Meeyatch1]

I had my one and only new car in 91' when I graduated. It was an Eagle Talon and was perfect. I lost at least one girlfriend for spilling stuff in the car and some friends who got tired of walking 3 blocks to every thing we went to. I became depressed with every ding, paint problem, etc. I decided after 2 years of this that I couldn't ever have a new car again. I just went crazy with every ding, scratch, blemish, and when I see the depreciation - I just want to faint....

My first *new* car was a 1996 Acura Integra GSR. I traded in my '93 Eagle Talon TSi AWD on the Integra and am ultra-protective of it. Everyone who knows me knows that the Integra is my baby, and gets treated accordingly. It currently has just over 42,980 miles and most of those are from the first 3 years of ownership. Last year I drove it about 639 miles total. The year before that it was about 900 miles. The year before that was a big year with around 1,200 miles. While usually I drive my cars as much as possible, and do not like garage queens, when it comes down to it, I would rather be driving the NSX's instead.