Brand New Car that is 2.5 years old!

Maintenance/Repairs
101

How can the dealership guarantee warranty coverage from GM?

If the sales staff are really desperate to sell this dog that nobody else wants, they might be willing to put almost anything in writing, but they cannot speak for the vehicle’s manufacturer. And, if the OP is thinking that the dealership will provide their own warranty coverage–what happens if (when) that dealership goes belly-up?

Of course, the dealership might be willing to throw in one of those worthless Third Party warranties from companies that spring up like mushrooms after a rainstorm, and then disappear shortly thereafter. Extended warranties from anyone other than the vehicle’s manufacturer somehow manage to disallow virtually every claim.

I might take this vehicle if it was free, but I would even have to give that deal some thought before accepting it.

102

VDCdriver:

Maybe you missed it above, but with all my discounts and their 50% off price, my bottom line cost for this vehicle COULD be $11k (or $20k off sticker) - that’s if I’m able to apply all my GM dollars! So C’mon - it might not be the best van on the planet, but $11k for an untitled vehicle with 600 miles on it is a really good deal (as long as the vehicle checks out OK). And I don’t think you can (now) say it’s a vehicle that “nobody else wanted for 2.5 years”. As I said, they had 5 of these vans last summer. This one was apparently designated the “demo” because (according to GM) its status changed to “PUT INTO SERVICE” one month after it appeared on their lot. So they sold the other 4 vans because those actually were “NEW”. And I can tell you that I made offers on these vans last summer and the counter-offer on this very “demo” van came back $25,500 (or thereabouts). And I find this interesting now because if the van had been “PUT INTO SERVICE” immediately after delivery, how were they expecting to get $25k for a discontinued van with only half of its warranty coverage still in effect (at that time)??

As I said above, the original price was $16k, then when I tried to use my GM dollars they dropped the price to $14k (pretending to give me a little more than half my dollars). If a typical warranty package is worth $1500, I would think I could close the deal for $13,000 without even touching my GM dollars (instead of #12250 using them). I also have additional rebates which would bring the bottom line cost to $11,750. Still very good, but still no warranty coverage.

So I’m going to have to work the warranty angle a bit to see what I can get. A dealer warranty is out of the question because I don’t live anywhere near this dealer. In some ways a 3rd party warranty might be best because GM could very well be out of business before a GM warranty expires (or they could be either going through or emerging from bankruptcy where warranty coverage might be voided.

Lastly let me add that I’m not afraid of this vehicle. I’ve driven it and it drives very well. I haven’t taken it out on the interstate, but that’ll happen on the 2nd (and last) visit. I’m not like the typical buyer who worries about the cost of major repairs to their cars because it’s never happened to me. And I’m pretty sure now that the reason it’s never happened to me is because I do all the maintenance on my cars (20+ years) myself and my cars are never touched by “professional” mechanics.

I’ll stop here because I don’t want to go off on a tangent …

103

jimjarvis:

First of all, the brand and model have been revealed. Gsn_Fan finally figured it out (amazed me it took so long). And I might have mentioned earlier that I “don’t need this vehicle”, but let me explain. I don’t NEED the vehicle in the sense that I have two sedan cars that are running well enough without any major problems.

But:

1.) My older car ('97 Taurus) has 170k on it and needs some front-end work (maybe even some laborious gasket work). Having a 3rd car would give me more time to do that instead of having to rush it over a weekend like I’ve always done.

2.) I’ve got “purchase dollars” expiring on me right now. The longer I wait, the more I lose.

3.) I will need a full-time 3rd vehicle by the end of 2010 anyway.

4.) This IS the prime time of the year to pick up a leftover vehicle (which is what I always buy)

5.) Assuming this van checks out OK, I probably won’t come across a deal like this next year.

Now, I COULD wait until next year at this same time and go through the whole process all over again, but at that point I will have lost a fair amount of “purchase dollars”, plus who knows what the rebates will be or what the inventories will look like then.

So, I don’t need “a grip”. I know exactly what I’m doing. Part of my profession forces me to “consider everything”, and this mental process has bled into my everyday life. But I don’t mind it at all. I really get a kick out of analyzing all conceivable angles and weighing the pros and cons of each possible path. Sometimes it can be somewhat paralyzing (and family members have been know to become exasperated with me), but I find that the vast majority of the time it’s beneficial to everyone.

104

Wikipedia puts Dealer list at $28,110,and private party Blue book in excellent condition (I inputed 1000 miles and accepted standard configuration,but gave it a few options,CD and such) is around $13,400. Really it can’t be worse than the previous U-vans could it? Does it look worse in person?

105

Waterboy:

I agree with VDCdriver. The dealer is not going to put anything in writing regarding a warranty. They’ll just say that they’ve already marked down the vehicle sufficiently to provide enough of a “hedge” against future repairs.

I mentioned above that I wouldn’t accept a dealership warranty because I don’t live anywhere near this dealership.

And as I also mentioned above, I don’t believe (now) that this is a vehicle that “nobody else wants”. 4 other vans sold at this dealership last year and this is just the last one (and it was apparently designated as a “demo” early on, which further explains why it has remained). PLUS, something I didn’t mention above - this dealer is located in a very isolated area. You really have to go out of your way to get to this place, so I would imagine that if they don’t sell a vehicle locally, it’s very hard for them to get rid of unpopular models such as this one.

VDCdriver:

I think you’re going overboard a bit when you say you’d only take this vehicle if it was free. I guarantee you that if you saw this van inside and out and drove it, you’d have a pretty good feeling about it (even if you didn’t like vans). And if someone then told you you could buy it for $11k, you’d end up giving this vehicle serious consideration.

I really don’t put a lot of faith in what publications like Consumer Reports say. But unfortunately, this is where too many people get their information. In my opinion, American cars are inferior to Japanese cars, but only in the sense that they are more crude/less refined. They do have issues, but they are manageable ones. Unfortunately, the service industry takes advantage of these issues, which costs the manufacturer and their customers money, and results in negative feedback to publications like Consumer Reports (which many people read and accept as gospel).

106

oldschool:

It came with a %31k sticker. It’s almost fully loaded (everything except the leather seat package and the built-in dash NAV system). Here’s some of the features: 3.9L engine, Driver information center, 6-way power driver’s seat, captain’s chairs in the center row, dual power sliding doors, remote start, rear parking assist, overhead rail system w/DVD entertainment system w/2 infrared headphones, brushed chrome roof rack, 17" aluminum wheels, cargo convenience center in rear, 120 volt outlet in rear, console between front seats, 4 wheel disc brakes, power mirrors w/defrost, leather-wrapped steering wheel w/radio controls, visor mirrors, rear A/C and heating, AM/FM/MP3/6-disc CD player, Universal home remote, Power Windows and Locks, Power rear quarter windows, cruise control. Hope I didn’t leave anything out.

One of the concerns I have with this vehicle is that it has too many power features! I NEVER buy a vehicle with a power driver’s seat, for example, because with the height disparity between me and my wife, the seat will just end up going back and forth all the time (until it ultimately fails). Also, I’d really prefer manual sliding doors (or just manual doors - NOT sliding) because I KNOW the motors will end up failing on me at the worst possible time. But - it’s 50% off sticker and it has the features it has.

I’d say these vans are better than the previous generation Ventures/Silouettes/Montanas from a safety standpoint. At least they pass the IIHS offset frontal crash test. The Ventures/Silouettes/Montanas used to fold up like a house of cards, cutting the dummy’s legs off at the knees!

In person this van actually looks very nice. The wife didn’t want a van at first, but when she saw it and drove it she ended up liking it a lot. It’s not a big and bulky as, say, the Odyssey or Sienna. It’s narrower, but I’d say a lot less attractive, too. The back end is especially ugly. Very pedestrian. The taillights are too small (like those old 70’s model cars) and the overall shape is just not exciting at all. But it’s a van. It’s bought to serve a purpose, not to turn heads!

107

Forgot to mention:

6.) GM could be headed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection - possibly very soon. If that happens, my GM Dollars would almost certainly be wiped out - another reason to buy something this year even if it it might be a year earlier than I really NEED to…

108

What is the apprasial on the 3.9 engine? I have never heard any thing about it. It is listed as a “preminum” crossover not a van not a SUV.

109

We won’t know till he tries. I really don’t think it that unlikely of a prospect. He can always check with the GM site he found to make sure it was done. It is all computerized and computers only do what they are told if you know the right buttons to push. :slight_smile:

110

We’re coming into the home stretch on this now: Two things I need to do:

1.) Call GM again to verify the warranty situation.

2.) Call the GM Redemption Center to see if GM dollars can be used on a “demo”.

Right now, I’m thinking the warranty will be history with no chance of re-instatement. If that’s the case, I’m going in with an ultra-low dollar amount: $10k. If it turns out the dollars DO apply, they’ve got $13,800 for the van, otherwise if they don’t, well - they’ve got a ‘new’ dealership service vehicle for the next 4-5 years!

111

Answers to the above:

1.) Warranty will expire in approx 6 months and cannot be “reset”

2.) GM dollars CAN be used on a “demo” if it has less than 7500 miles on it.

112

Thanks for the followup, too bad the warranty is not there for you.

113

This post really got my interest-I am now a member-anyway-one thing to consider is the vehicles actual value-since it is a 2006, even with the low miles- the trade in value (per Edmunds with EVERY option (CX version) including nav system, top of line engine, 6 miles on odometer, etc.) is $8218, the private retail is $10,070 and the dealer retail is $11,467. So it doesn’t sound like that great of a deal since it depreciated so much. Hasn’t anyone else thought of this? And that new price you quoted that was back in 2006, and that was the list price which who would pay that on this type of vehicle?

114

The dealer now claims they sold the van. By the tone of their voice and choice of words, I’m not believing this - but it’s too long a drive to verify it. The claim was that someone (in the last 10 days) simply walked in and bought it.

As Ripley would say: Believe it … Or NOT!

115

infinitidriver:

It was a 2007 model (built in Fall of 2006). I think your numbers are based on the wrong model year. You might want to look that up again …

116

Oh, thanks for the clarification- so obviously one year makes a big difference-here are the new numbers (buy) $10,505 $12,632 $14,237 . I am in the Midwest, I think the numbers vary by region. Too bad it was sold if you really wanted it, I wonder if the Car Talk discussion made someone look for this vehicle. It wasn’t me!

117

I think I just got caught up in the “deal” that it appeared to be. I was looking at a $31k van for $11k ($20k off the sticker price), so how can you go wrong with that?

But it was a van, and a lowly-rated one at that. Plus it wasn’t a vehicle that I would’ve been able to drive my requisite “10 years or 200k - whichever comes LAST”. To do that, I would’ve had to drive it around empty for 4 years or so - which I don’t think I could’ve done.

There were definitely some drawbacks to it.

Now on to the 2010 Equinox! Looks pretty cool to me …

118

The dealer now claims they sold the van.

Just guessing here, but I’d bet those “GM Dollars” you wanted to use don’t get paid back to the dealer at full value. That may have been the deal breaker for them.

119

I definitely see how you perceived this, and I have done that analysis many times. For me, I would usually want to buy anything from GM new, especially for a lower rated vehicles, even with the current situation as Obama might keep the warranties from voiding. I just haven’t had much luck with used GM, but in this case it was an apportunity to buy a new car at a used price so to speak. So if you bought it and kept it a while the initial value wouldn’t be as much a concern, if you could love it long enough to keep it to make it worth while. When you buy a new current car, the depreciation hits is quick as well, I was just thinking of the reality of what the car really is-a car that has depreciated som much just two years ago was twice the price! Well with GM’s current situation there may be lots more of these 2 year old cars left-that are new- anyone else had an opportunity like this I wonder.

120

Oh well, are you going to try again to get the van? Or are you getting a new one? Chevy Uplanders are about the same price.