In a message dated 4/29/2004 5:14:47 AM Mountain Daylight Time,
toyman@digitex.net writes:
Similar here. Good friend at work, his mother in law goes in to get her oil
changed in her new Town Car. She leaves, and about 15 miles from the place,
the
car goes to clattering real bad. She drives it back, rattling the whole way,
and
gives it back to the dealer. She calls my friend to come get her. 30 minutes
later, the dealer calls "car is ready, all is fine". My friend is the
maintenance supervisor, he knows a line of lies when he hears it,
.
Ironic. My office manager took her Ford Windstar in for work last week The
service engine light was on and they could feel a small "thunk" when they
started moving forward or back. Her husband left town right after the van went
in
the shop so I helped her field the service managers call. He said the
"thunk" was fairly normal and not worth fixing, that the van would go for years
without a problem. He then said it needed a new power steering pump and a
flush
of the power steering system. He also said the oxygen sensor needed replacing.
I told her that all sounded reasonable so she proceeded. She got the van
back and drove it home ok. When she pulled out the next morning, she notices
some oil spots on the drive way, and barely made it to work. They towed the
van
back to the dealership and now it needs a transmission rebuild to the tune of
$2500.00!
The van only has 50K miles on it, and they only had two more payments left.
Now they have to decide whether to spend $2500 on a repair, or $25,000.00 on a
new van. Sounds simple, but this is the only "new" car they have and it
needs to be reliable.
Her husband is due back in today and they are going to the dealership. I
told her to ask to see the owner (he offices at the dealership). I told her
they
should at least help pay for the transmission repair, if that's what they
want to do, and if they buy new, they should get full trade in allowance on the
old van, with no deduction for the repair.
I let the list know how they come out.
Robert Houston
Texan in New Mexico
Check out the Declaration of Independence! You think it promises happiness?
No no no, it talks about the "pursuit of happiness." The PURSUIT! We've become
a nation of wimps! We think we're entitled to everything, we want to legislate
ourselves into some cozy little cocoon. Well, forget it, Nature Boy. There
are no guarantees. Life is nasty, brutish, and short.Jeff Melvoin, Northern
Exposure, Bolt from the Blue, 1994
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