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02-21-2018, 02:33 AM   #1
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Trials and Tribulations in seeking to buy a newer or even new car.

I currently have a 1994 Honda Civic LX with 135,000 miles. My wife and I are retired and really enjoy getting out on trips to enjoy this beautiful country of ours. Recently I have been interested in going to Mt. Rushmore to visit the four former U.S. Presidents. Then I figured with the two of us having older cars with a ton of miles, I would look around for something newer or possibly even new.

Oh My God!! This has been the most distasteful car buying experience I have ever endured. There was a time I would take glee in dealing with new and used car sellers, but now, I just do not believe they make as much Valium as one would need to deal with all the stress involved. First, a buyer would have to be willing to contend with the daunting task of trying successfully in deciphering all the double talk. In all this time (about two weeks now) it is next to impossible to get a straight answer. In my frustration,
I decided it was best to do the research on my own. (it gets worse).

Now I find that new car and used car warranties are in fact useless. Many owner/reviewers write that they have experienced a plethora of problems with a particular transmission. The transmission quits while driving on the highway and in the middle of traffic. The vehicle had to be towed to the dealership that sold the vehicle. The technician checked out the car and stated: "Well, that's just the way these transmissions are." Ahhhh, What???? They refused to fix it and the vehicle had less than 800 miles on it.

The sad thing is, there is not very much one can do about it. Consumer Protection Agencies (FED AND STATE) are so overloaded, they cannot see straight. It seems my only recourse is to purchase from a private party. In that case, I would advise the seller that if we agree to a purchase price, I will have my trusted mechanic perform a pre-purchase inspection and if I am given the green light, make the purchase. For anyone going through this hellish process, you have both my sympathy and blessings.

Very Sad In Beaverton, Oregon. ((

Thanks for reading,

Tonytee


Last edited by Tonytee; 02-21-2018 at 02:36 AM. Reason: Grammar Correction.
02-21-2018, 03:23 AM   #2
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The Internet is a bad place to assess the reliability of a particular brand of vehicle. The people who post tend to be those who got a lemon and are pretty disgruntled --either with the company or with the dealer that sold them the care or both.

Most new cars do come with a longer power train warranty and a shorter warranty that covers everything from bumper to bumper. I think Buick covers power train for 70,000 miles and the electrical systems and everything else for 50,000 miles, for example. My experience has been good with those sorts of warranties. After market warranties aren't so great, usually have some sort of deductible and lots of exclusions.

Good luck, hope you find something that fits your needs.
02-21-2018, 03:28 AM - 2 Likes   #3
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QuoteOriginally posted by Tonytee Quote
Many owner/reviewers write that they have experienced a plethora of problems with a particular transmission. The transmission quits while driving on the highway and in the middle of traffic. The vehicle had to be towed to the dealership that sold the vehicle. The technician checked out the car and stated: "Well, that's just the way these transmissions are." Ahhhh, What???? They refused to fix it and the vehicle had less than 800 miles on it.
Which transmission? And what possible reason would a dealer have for refusing to honor a warranty after 800 miles?

Here's a thought Tony. Your Honda is only just run in. It will probably do another 200,000 miles. Get an AAA membership (take the Premium option) and enjoy your trip.
02-21-2018, 03:34 AM   #4
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I would expect most reputable auto dealerships to stand up to the details of a written warranty

I am not talking about the extended warranty - service contact - sold by 3rd parties through the dealership

The key is understanding what the warranty covers and never rely on " yeah, that is covered "

If it isn’t written in the agreement it isn't covered

Now a days you need to get a reputable written report on the car's history, too many flooded cars get shipped cross country and sold without warning

Finally, if you can afford to, consider buying a car with remaining original warranty remaining

Good luck

02-21-2018, 03:56 AM   #5
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I bought a pre-registered diesel car from a dealer 9 months ago, it is now coming up to 15 months old. The diesel "cheat" software scandal seemed to have rocked the "new" car market a bit and I purchased a nearly new £22k list car with 22 miles on the clock for over £6k under the list price. It is my 2nd model of this car, updated a bit, slightly more power and room inside for 5 adults. I have had no problems with it and it's predecessor, during the 3 year warranty had a couple of problems fixed under that warranty with alacrity by the dealer.
Just to indicate that some people feel they have been lucky, so far anyway! Some of my friends suggest that I should have just bought a succession of bangers instead and saved some money but the piece of mind provided by a dealer warranty is a good thing.
Best of luck to you.
02-21-2018, 04:17 AM   #6
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buy another Civic LX - we have the '17 model and love it...
02-21-2018, 04:31 AM   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by MarkJerling Quote
Which transmission? And what possible reason would a dealer have for refusing to honor a warranty after 800 miles?

Here's a thought Tony. Your Honda is only just run in. It will probably do another 200,000 miles. Get an AAA membership (take the Premium option) and enjoy your trip.
The transmission is the CVT Transmissions. I am told that when I look at a sticker price even on a new vehicle, and I see it has a CVT tranny, just turn and run. They are a lot of trouble. The reason the dealership refuses to honor the warranty is because of cost. They may receive a reimbursement from the manufacturer which may take months to receive and so they do not want to pull a technician off of a repair job that pays as soon as it is completed.

You are correct about my Honda Civic having a long life ahead of it. However, my wife and I are not seventeen anymore so at our ages, being bounced around in a vehicle that is 24 years old, can and will take its toll on extended road trips. Better to ride in something more supportive and comfortable.

Thanks so much for responding.

TT

---------- Post added 02-21-18 at 04:50 AM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by Aslyfox Quote
I would expect most reputable auto dealerships to stand up to the details of a written warranty

I am not talking about the extended warranty - service contact - sold by 3rd parties through the dealership

The key is understanding what the warranty covers and never rely on " yeah, that is covered "

If it isn’t written in the agreement it isn't covered

Now a days you need to get a reputable written report on the car's history, too many flooded cars get shipped cross country and sold without warning

Finally, if you can afford to, consider buying a car with remaining original warranty remaining

Good luck

Here is a great example of what I am saying. A couple of years ago one of my wife's friends purchased a brand new Ford Fusion. Beautiful looking vehicle. Right at 5,000 miles she was stopped at an intersection. When the light turned green, she pushed down on the gas, got almost half way across the intersection, heard a loud bang and the car stopped dead. Had to have the car towed to the dealership where she purchased the vehicle. They checked out the engine and discovered that the crankshaft cracked in half and of course totally ruined the entire engine. The dealership told her they would not affect repairs because it "Costs too much money." Well she had no choice but to call the Attorney General's office of the State of Oregon's Consumer Protection Agency and filed a complaint. It took nearly six months of fighting, wrangling and a lot stress before the problem was solved. Eventually they ended up putting a new engine in the vehicle. All these businesses are concerned about is the bottom line and to hell with customers who pay their salaries and bills for them. Sad state of affairs in this country anymore.

Thanks for your well wishes.

TT

---------- Post added 02-21-18 at 04:55 AM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by pepperberry farm Quote
buy another Civic LX - we have the '17 model and love it...
Yes, of course that is a viable option. However, I really need a larger more comfortable riding vehicle. Normally, I would not hesitate to get into a new Accord, but they all have the CVTs. I could go with a 5 or 6 speed manual, but I am spoiled. It looks as though a new or later model Camry should fit the bill.

Thanks for your help.

TT

02-21-2018, 05:06 AM   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by Tonytee Quote
. . .


Here is a great example of what I am saying. A couple of years ago one of my wife's friends purchased a brand new Ford Fusion. Beautiful looking vehicle. Right at 5,000 miles she was stopped at an intersection. When the light turned green, she pushed down on the gas, got almost half way across the intersection, heard a loud bang and the car stopped dead. Had to have the car towed to the dealership where she purchased the vehicle. They checked out the engine and discovered that the crankshaft cracked in half and of course totally ruined the entire engine. The dealership told her they would not affect repairs because it "Costs too much money." Well she had no choice but to call the Attorney General's office of the State of Oregon's Consumer Protection Agency and filed a complaint. It took nearly six months of fighting, wrangling and a lot stress before the problem was solved. Eventually they ended up putting a new engine in the vehicle. All these businesses are concerned about is the bottom line and to hell with customers who pay their salaries and bills for them. Sad state of affairs in this country anymore.

Thanks for your well wishes.
. . . .

TT
I would have done my best to make sure the public knew what happened

and try to drive that business out of town

Since I am such a nice guy

Phone calls to the owner, frequent contacts with Ford all the way to the top, etc, etc, etc

Would that work, who knows

But I would have done that

Last edited by aslyfox; 02-21-2018 at 05:11 AM.
02-21-2018, 05:38 AM   #9
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Here is a link that I am sure will give a good view into the business acumen we now have to contend with.

2016 Ford Fusion Complaints

Thnx, Tony
02-21-2018, 07:14 AM - 1 Like   #10
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Get a Mazda 6. Real transmission (no cvt), sporty but comfortable ride. Super reliable, great gas mileage. I truly love ours. If you want SUV style, the CX5 Mazda is also nice.
02-21-2018, 07:50 AM   #11
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My experience with Nissan has been very positive, but stay away from their CVT transmissions, as they are simply not as reliable as they should be.
02-21-2018, 07:53 AM   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by Tonytee Quote
The transmission quits while driving on the highway and in the middle of traffic. The vehicle had to be towed to the dealership that sold the vehicle. The technician checked out the car and stated: "Well, that's just the way these transmissions are." Ahhhh, What????
That sure sounds like a certain American brand of car ... just like I had recently ... However, there was a "recall" and it has been "fixed" . Dealer said the same thing :"That's the way those transmissions are built" (some sort of a so-called automatic/manual tranny).

Seems like car dealers are all the same these days (also here in Canada):
"That's "normal" for this type of car."
"First time we see this sort of problem." (yeah .. right)
etc ...

Hope you will find a decent car for your trip. I hear that the Civic has quite a good reputation even with high mileage.
Best of luck!

Cheers!
02-21-2018, 10:47 AM - 3 Likes   #13
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CVT transmissions did have a lot of problem when introduced. Most manufacturers seem to have ironed out the problems with them. You can still get a Subaru Forester with a manual transmission. My wife is a big Subaru fan. Been driving them for 18 years now. She got a new Outback last April. Before that two Foresters. The Subaru AWD is probably the best on the market. They have been at it for a long time. I am a big fan of it.
02-21-2018, 10:59 AM - 1 Like   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by gaweidert Quote
CVT transmissions did have a lot of problem when introduced. Most manufacturers seem to have ironed out the problems with them. You can still get a Subaru Forester with a manual transmission. My wife is a big Subaru fan. Been driving them for 18 years now. She got a new Outback last April. Before that two Foresters. The Subaru AWD is probably the best on the market. They have been at it for a long time. I am a big fan of it.
You said it !
02-21-2018, 12:03 PM   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by Kozlok Quote
Get a Mazda 6. Real transmission (no cvt), sporty but comfortable ride. Super reliable, great gas mileage. I truly love ours. If you want SUV style, the CX5 Mazda is also nice.
Actually, I have been giving a lot of consideration in purchasing a Mazda Mazda 6. There appear to be only high praise for the new Mazda line up. Their autos seem a bit pricey, but then again, what isn't these days. Also, the 2016 Mazda Mazda 6 has the most reliable automatic transmission (non cvt) out there.

Thanks very much.

TT
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