I'd like to tell you all about the nightmare I just went through with the new used car I bought. I got a 00 SS Vert that I have been looking for many months for. It is a GM certified vehicle but that obviously means they certify the price and never look at the car at all. It was bought at a certain dealership in West Hartford, Ct, that has a very good reputation (on New Park Ave, but I wont mention any names...). The day after I picked it up I noticed the tranny was especially hard to shift and 4th ground a little when shifted at any angle and speed. Then I actaully drove it with the top up and heard all kinds of noise coming form the rear end (my bad for not testing it with the top up), and was shocked. I called the dealership and talked to the sales manager and he blew me off. He said all the trannys are different and the noise in the rear was the tires. The 3rd brake light was broken too. So I brought it in and 3 days later they told me everything was fine and they replaced the light. They did nothing for the tranny or rear end. So the next day I went there and got into it with the sales manager again. He said they'd fix it. I said "great, but I didn't buy a certified vehicle to have in the shop for stuff that supposedly had been done before selling it". I never would have bought the car if I thought it hadn't been made like new as the advertising stated on the car. He got angry with me and made a scene so I asked him what a certified vehicle was and if it meant they certified the price before they immediatly put the car on the lot. He was none too happy. So finally after calling the owner of this dealership and 5 others in CT. many times and telling him of the situation I got results. They took the car and in 5 days replaced everything inside the rear end and the transmission. Funny how that tranny was "different" than others but now is the same as my 99 SS was.... I am sad to learn that a certified vehicle means nothing at all except they'll fix whatever YOU find wrong with it. I paid 20g for a car that should not have even been for sale and I feel robbed now. The day I dropped it off, it took them 2 hours to get me a ride home and they actually had to rent me a car for me to get home. I am less than impressed with this dealership and it's a shame because so many told me how good these guys are. It took them 8 days total to make the car right with jobs I have done in 1 day flat not withstanding parts (which can be had in 1 day delivered). I know this is not a long time but the car should have been as it was promised when delivered. I will have a car "certified" by a real mechanic next time before I do anything with a dealer. Sorry to have taken up so much room here but I had to warn you guys. This particular dealer sells Chevys and Hummers too. He has about 15 Vettes there but he won't be selling me one, that's for sure.

 

My 98 LS1 was a certified used car as well. Trust me, it doesn't mean anything.

I am really starting to hate GM. I am so impressed with my new Ford the GM dealership will be the last place I check out next time I want a new vehicle.

 

my grandfather worked for GM for 35 years designing corvettes, he has gotten me out of situations like that more itmes than I care to remember, I hope everything stays in tact, good luck

 

Sorry, but on that TA you have nobody to blame but yourself. You bought an ENGINEERING CAR and the proceeded to beat the **** out of it, it broke and you were upset with GM?

I had 38K on my Trans Am and 11K on my Camaro and neither had any serious issues.


As far as dealers go, all are very different. Some will bend over backwards to make you happy, others won't.

Mike, your dealer sells SVT's, of which they have to PAY Ford to be a dealer for those. You SHOULD expect better service from them. I have a feeling that if you bought a base Focus, your experience's might be different.

 

I dont have any problems with the service of any dealers I have been to. I have an issue with the products that they sell.

I bought a 98 Trans-Am that was a certified used car. It was NEVER disclosed to me that it was an "Engineering car" or a pre-production car. Any non auto enthusats that would have purchased that car would never have known anything. I have only learned that it was an early build car and I did that with my own homework. If I called the dealer a week after I found that out do you think they would have taken it back? Hell no!! They should have never sold me that car.

I don't think I beat the **** out of that car, my TTA saw 1000X the abuse the LS1 took. The first night I had it a bolt fell out of the rear control arm.

Take a look at the fine print on a certified used car. It means they check the fluids and brakes basically. Big deal.

I know more people that have had problems with LS1s than have not.

 

The group of 6 people with LS1's that I hang around with have NEVER had a problem with there F-body's.Figured I'd share that

 

I think a lot of guys(girls too...) beat the crap out of the car and eventually the tranny and /or rear end wears and goes. Some do and it holds up fine. But I hear a lot of people with these same problems as I had. I know it's a very powerful modern musclecar but I think GM cheaped out on the tranny and rear end to make it affordable. I accept this and know that if I beat on it then eventually it will wear and break. My 99 SS had the exact same problems at the same miles. I don't mind this, I just wish such a reputable dealer would actually go through these high performance vehicles before selling them to people who will probably drive it like a musclecar. I almost returned it but they're very hard to find so I'm keeping it-and I love it

 

The Motor is awesome, no doubt about that. The rest of the car is a complete hunk of crap. My Stepdads Cobra is 10X the car my Trans-Am is, its just not as fast.

Its no suprise they quit making them, they need a complete Revamp. I hope when they bring back the Camaro its a totally new platform. I mean the 02 F-body is essentially the same POS that came out in 82 with a few upgrades.