Here’s a question that wasn’t answered yet . . . and maybe not even asked
Did OP get a fair deal on the car that he in fact signed off on . . . the Exploder with the V6 and no parking assist . . . ?
If so, I might be tempted to just live with the car for a few years, and he’ll probably find it to be quite comfortable. As said earlier, the V6 may very well prove to be more reliable in the long run. And I’ll bet you lunch that the turbo 4 doesn’t even get the fuel economy that Ford claims it does.
Even if OP finds a sympathetic jury (I.e. one that I, or the majority of the C/T participants, aren’t on)…what does OP stand to gain? I think he said the optional engine went for $995 over what he got…maybe 2 grand for everything. All OP gets is the amount he was “harmed,” which would be the differences in MSRP. And that’s IF a court finds the signed agreement does NOT take precedence, which I feel most likely.
If the dealer was willing to correct their mistake concerning the window sticker they would calculate the depreciated value of both vehicles and credit you the difference. Unfortunately I doubt they will.
Gee, YOU threw down five figures on a car and couldn't count the number of spark plugs. I do not believe you're in any position to lecture ANYone on "being a car person." ;-)
This thread started with statements that did not make me sympathetic to the OP. Foam engine cover-get serious. Listed parking assist and did not ask to be shown it actually works? Salesman said the car drove great as if he is going to come back and say it drove like garbage. Now the OP comes back here and tells someone they must not be a car person ( read the book on How to Win Friends and Influence People ).
I do not believe the OP is really interested in anything other than sympathy. A couple of posters, myself included, had their questions go unanswered. Anyone actually interested in ideas on how to approach the issue would have taken the time to address those questions rather than posting a lengthy manifesto against the dissenting opinions presented in this thread…
I’m in agreement with Twin Turbo and others about the OP appearing to denigrate posters on this forum.
Odds are the OP is not looking for advice as much as they’re looking for a pat on the back and some go get 'em Tiger backing.
I also agree with db4690 that the turbo 4 will not likely get the fuel mileage claimed unless someone keeps it out of the boost. That would mean driving around constantly with a featherweight touch on the accelerator pedal.
Once “normal” driving begins the boost starts rising and the mileage starts dropping.
I'm in agreement with Twin Turbo and others about the OP appearing to denigrate posters on this forum.
I just looked back over this thread and noticed sCARed neg-repped almost each and every poster who didn't agree with his POV. Seriously?
@sCARed , you got nowhere with the AG’s office because YOU HAVE NO CASE. You are getting a majority of opinions, here, that say YOU HAVE NO CASE. We are doing you a FAVOR by alerting you to this fact, so that you may cut your losses! I’m sorry that we gave you our (brutally?) honest opinion, when you apparently wanted to have “yes men” enable your ongoing delusion…
In the future, consider the ADVERSARIAL nature of the buyer/seller relationship, and understand how foolhardy it is to expect “goodwill” from someone who stands to gain where you lose!
Looking at recent events, it may not be possible to have a contrary opinion anymore so I am refunding the payment I received for my adverse opinion in the matter. I would encourage others to also do the same.
What I don’t get is…( and after 67 posts ! )
WHY is the OP making such a big stink ?
I’VE already told youall how this kind of thing happens in a busy used car lot.
The ‘‘lot lizard’’…aka wash boy…is given many window stickers to apply on the eight or dozen used vehicles he just prepped for the lot.
and…
stuck a wrong sticker on that car.
THAT’S ALL…NO BIGGIE…
AND…
Unless the OP has grossly over paid for the vehicle he ended up with ?
I think you’re 100% correct. At this point, I am fine with the vehicle, the options, the engine, the gas mileage, etc. All of them are just fine.
The real rub is that I negotiated a price upon some features which turned out not to be present.
It’s not that I want the features, which is why I only checked the operation of the most important ones, such as cruise control, AC, nav, etc. It’s that I calculated the price sever times over with different resources based upon those features being present ONLY because the dealer STATED THEY WERE PRESENT.
All in all, it comes down to the fact that I attempted to get this straightened out directly with multiple sales managers and directly with the GSM via the AG’s office once nobody would admit that they made a mistake, that they were liable, etc. And, they are liable. It will classify as a “switch and bait”. I work in bigger (than cars) ticket sales as well, and even if i SAID something incorrect in the course of a deal, much less committed it to paper, it would with 100% certainty be rectified. And that’s really what I expect here - a mea culpa, stating that you’re the customer and we screwed up and we’d like to make it right.
However, this dealership has some pretty trashy, semi-literate folks handling their customer relations, and it’s a shame. I don’t expect that they’d be able to understand the issue at hand.
Again, the question is, if the salesman and the used vehicle sticker are listing features that are not present upon the vehicle, are they liable for the discrepancy?
Again, this would merely be a small claims court issue if the dealer doesn’t want to work with me for the $1500-2000 difference.
The newer ones do take into account low-mileage/long-change intervals, and the Ford systems automatically show 0% oil life if it’s been a year. Really, without laboratory analysis (or having visible metal particulate or oxidation of the oil) you are not going to be be able to be more accurate via the eyeball method than you will be if following the OLM, which calculates average GVWR, ambient temperatures, and general driving habits against the miles driven since last change.
In general, the only reason to look at an oil dipstick is to check for oil level.
Again, the question is, if the salesman and the used vehicle sticker are listing features that are not present upon the vehicle, are they liable for the discrepancy?
"
Verbal agreements are theoretically binding, but good luck proving what was said! All the dealer has to do is point to the signed agreement and you’ve got a Herculean task to overcome it.
You have a LOT of heavy lifting to do…to MAYBE have a 10% shot at $1500. Your expected hourly rate would be better flipping burgers. Pick your battles wisely–this ain’t a wise battle. There is a good reason why the AG’s office wasn’t interested. They know a LOT more about law that you or I.
You would do well to start considering auto sales as an adversarial game of brinkmanship. Your naivete cost you, and will again, should you not toughen up!
Regarding that OLM system there are other factors that it does not account for and that includes time, moisture, dust, proper combustion, etc. Note the term “in practice” in the link to Ford.
There is also a reason why lab testing is not the final answer either. The sample drained may be fairly clean but if oil change intervals have been lax or not as often as needed any sludging won’t show up in the sample. Why? Because it’s stuck to the inside of the engine…
“”, I monkeyed around for 5 minutes to remove the engine cover without ruining it, and finally saw the Duramax V6 stamp on the engine. (The 2.0 and v6 engine oil filters are completely incompatible.) "
I’m not going to take the time to wade through 8 pages, so excuse me if this has been covered:
I suggest the OP sue in small claims court. Most small claims courts don’t require a lawyer for the plaintiff, but you need to check. What is interesting is that some states require a business to be represented by a lawyer, but not an individual. That gives an individual an advantage.
What needs to happen in court is the OP would present documents showing that the sticker didn’t have certain options, and what the value is of those missing options are. That should be the amount being sued for.
The risk here is that the judge will go with “You should have known if those options are present or not before you signed the papers; Case dismissed.” - but at least the OP would have closure. There is always the possibility that the judge would side with the plaintiff.
Often Times The Receipt Of A Notice To Appear In Small Claims Court Will Trigger A Negotiation. Many Civil Court Cases Settle “Out Of Court”.
I represented, in small claims court, a car dealer that I worked for. We sued an individual for stopping payment on a credit card for some electrical parts that the person used and felt he should be able to return. I did my homework, had my ducks in a row, was very polite, and I won. CSA