hello from texas & deep plaid! man you took the words right out of my mouth. thanks so much for all your kind words. we seem to be on the same page. you have been there. 65-70 hrs. on that lot in burning 100 degree plus weather! missing the kids ball games. and wife wondering where the heck you been.
people who have never done this for a living would never know how it is. commission auto sales can be punishing. though it seems we all have a deep respect & regard for those of us who have joined and are in this club called the “car sales fraternity”. the job can also be rewarding! one day chicken! one day feathers! as an old boss of mine once put it. i don’t think some customers understand we didn’t get paid by the hour. and get yelled at alot in sales meetings on monday mornings too.
yes, make that salesperson your “best buddy” going in with an abrasive attitude will get you no where! the next time you walk onto a lot, remember the person waiting on you has feelings, and a family to feed too. if treat him with respect, and you’d be surprised… i’ll bet most salespeople will treat you the same exact way!
thanks,
dre2k1
best wishes,
thanks for you q&a & your kind comments
sincerely,
deep plaid
Deep Plaid:
I am about to pull my hair out with a GMC dealer in TX. I purchased a 2007 Yukon XL in Nov of '06. Since then I have had it in the shop SEVEN times. That’s right SEVEN. With the same reoccurring problem. The stability tack, traction control and ABS brake light come on for no reason at all. They have changed everything that can be changed and now have placed a black round thing with a red button on it in my car attached to the engine. It’s called a snapshot. When the car’s lights come on unexpectedly, I am to press the button and record the functions of the car. Anyway, we have contacted GMC consumer relations to try and get them to help us out. She asked me “what do you want to happen?” I said I wanted a new car. I don’t trust this one and feel very unsafe driving it. My question is (after all this mumbo jumbo). How willing is a sales dept going to work with someone on getting them into a new car. I paid A LOT of money for mine and I am upsidedown on it b/c I have only had it a yr and half. They agent at GMC consumer realtions said buy backs rarely happen. I don’t want them to buy it back and give me a new one. I just want a fair deal on a new one and get out of this one. Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much.
That definitely sounds like a lemon law right there.
http://www.lemonlawamerica.com/state_laws/index.htm
are the tires and wheels, all orig equip mfg. (OEM) from factory ??? not aftermarket.???tires or wheels??
does the light come on and stay on? in dry weather? on hwy? or rough road, bumpy or wet driving coditions?? what type of road conditions when this occurs??
ok-it was bought new right? if so, then lemon law may apply. go to the ftc (federal trade comm)
web site and read up on the “lemon law” this only applies to new a vehicle. however, iv’e only seen incidents where vehicles were actually replaced 2 times in 25 years. he’s right-it’s very rare for the mfg. to do a replacment! do not get discouraged. stay calm. have you spoken to the dealer principal? or the actual dealership owner? remember-you’ll get more flies with “honey” than vinegar.
set an appointment with him only. stay calm …be polite, and try and reach a suitable agreement. the black box is just routine, they are trying to diagnose the problem, isolate it so they can repair it. that is pretty much normal procedure. have you visited the (ntsb) nat trans & safety board’s web site? to see if their are any recalls on your unit? brakes and abs are safety concerns, they take all these serious. that dealer could also call on his regional service rep for advice too. remember…even though it’s warranty, make them give you a repair ticket each time you have had it in. dont take no for an answer.
you’ll need these if you go to court. the dealer knows a lemon law deal is very remote, so he’s playing you. be firm but polite, start asking for all your warranty repair tickets. past and present. this will
send a signal to them your not playing. read up all you can on the lemon laws. ftc web site is the place
for that. keep writing me, i’ll read your posts and stay in touch.has gmc cust. relations issued a file number on your case? if not, then get one. start speaking to a supervisor with gmc. just stay in touch
and wrie in o’ll watch your posts… let me know how it goes ok.
thanks-best of luck
deep plaid
Thanks bscar. We are trying to work with the dealer b/c we hear that it is time consuming and you have to take whatever offer they give you and it is not always in your favor. I am sill checking all my options. Thank
I replied but I can’t find it. Did you get it?
hi- s.o. bear, it’s deep-plaid…
anyway have you read the fed trade comm. web site about lemon laws.
yes it’s time consuming. not many people
get a new car
this is very important! …
also be sure they (the factory- gmc or the dealer)- or both
gives you a warranty waiver on all anti-lock brakes, sensors, abs warning lights etc, etc, & related…
this problem , in writing -so after you pass the warranty expiration date your dealer will still honor your warranty on all this stuff you have in arbitration about.
& make them put it in writing! no oral stuff. do not fall for that. at this point…
your way beyond hand shakes and taking peoples word for stuff now.
so, get it in writing! everything. & it would really be better if gmc did it from detroit.
(in a letter) did you purchase an extended warranty? what kind? brand, miles, term, deduct? etc. etc.
if not i’d probably try & buy a “G.M. Major Guard” extended service contract -no other ,
Before your factory warranty expires. buy it at the dealer where you bought the yukon too.
they have all the paperwork and the maintaince records right there!
that way g.m. will have to cover it. and if you sell it or trade it, you can get a refund on the unused portion of your extended service contract. but only buy the gm major guard. they are the highest! i wont lie…but they’re the best. bar-none. oh-by the way where in texas???
which gmc dealer?? let me know-ok
stay in touch, ok - best of luck
deep plaid
hey deep plaid-
I have an extended warranty. 100,000 mile. It was part of an incentive at time of purchase. I got the truck at James Wood in Denton, TX.
How willing are they going to work with me if i trade in? Am i going to get taken to the cleaners since the car is only a yr and half?
thanks,
Sillyobear
hi there s.o. bear:
deep plaid here-
yes, i know the place well. j.wood -he has 2 stores. been there several times.
it’s about 110 miles north of my home.
boy howdy-
Denton has sure grown since the late 60’s 2 of my buddies played football at N…T.S.U w / “mean green”
in early 70’s. anyway…
but j.wood has a beautiful place in denton.
i used to do dealer trades with them alot.
bear-sure you’ll lose some $$ & you’ll always take a “hickey” on the miles you’ve driven it.
(on any car) a bit less with g.m. & a bit less w/ g.m. suv’s but,
and with gas at about 3.50 a gallon, well suburbans & yukons aren’t the “pick of the litter” for consumers right now, and used car dealers are careful what they put in a yuk or sub
#1 because that market is so “wishy-washy” and fuel prices have a lot to to with it too!
the g.m. plant in arlington, tx. has temp closed or will close for about 3 weeks due to lack of orders on those models & tahoes & it’s fuel prices that are a direct cause of that!
but, the yuks & subs are still the safest and most versatile and super comfy! and can pull large trailer safely if needed. and haul 6-7 adults. their the safest ride on the road.
my daughter has a new “sub” LT same as yours only a chevrolet, 2 kids one 8, & one 13, -soccer, football, baseball, basketball, games, practice all that stuff…she loves it, even though fuel is high, he’s a contractor, they only buy the big g.m. vehicles.they love em. anyway…you sound like you
& i detect- just have a hint of buyers remorse here… could that be?
it sound like if they fixed the brake & abs light & stuff -you still want out of it…
am i right? is this your first yukon? is it 4x4? what color? how many miles? leather/cloth? seating ?? quads?? engine? etc. etc.
has it been smoked in? what did you own before the yukon.
ive still got some new car dealer contacts scattered all over north and central texas,
i just might be able to direct you in the right direction. actually,
i think you’d better give up on the lemon law deal. try get it fixed. sell or trade it, take your hickey & go on, is it an 07 or 08?? you never answered me about the after market tires & wheels. that’s an important question. have they ever been changed? check with a chevy service dept. in your area…
maybe they have encountered the same prob with a chev suburban? (same year) just a thought.
were you aware…chevy dealers can do warranty work on yours too.
(im glad you bought the 100,000 mile extended warranty)
anyway…keep writing & stay in touch. i’ll try & help you-ok?
with yukon / sub sales so light & gas high…there may be a huge rebate incentive program on the horizon
for those yuks & subs models, you might hold your breath until later this summer & get a huge break on a remaining 08 yuk , right before production stops in about june.
thanks-stay in touch
deep-plaid
hey deep plaid-
I am not having buyers remorse. This is my 3rd yukon. I had one in the 90s, early 2000, and now. I have had an avalanche in between. My husband is on his 3rd gmc pick up. 2 Have been diesel. We are a gm buyers. Always have and always will be. The price of gas is not a factor for me, safety is why I have always bought suvs and trucks. I am just VERY unhappy with this '07 Yukon XL. I have never had these kinds of problems with any of my other gm truck or suvs. You are right that if they fix or what the call fix, I still want out. They have told me in the past that it has been fixed before and it was not. Yesterday when I started it up, all the light(stability track, traction control, abs)came on for a second or two and then off. My suv is 2wd 1500 full loaded. The only thing it doesn’t have is the nav system. I got every bell and whistle there was. All leather with captain chairs in 2nd row. Entertainment system. And it has the original tires on it. I have only had them balanced and rotated. Never smoked in it. Just a happy meal or two. My children are 9 and 3 and that is one of the main reasons I feel unsafe in the car. I have at least one with me all the time. I am worried that I could be driving and all of a sudden the brake lock up. Causing me to be in an accident. I traded my avalanche in on the Yukon Xl b/c I had driven it for 5 yrs and with kids I need something more family. I have done some research and have not found this problem to be very common. I looked on the internet and I asked the head of the service dept at Mac Haik in Houston. He hasn’t had any of this problem coming in. I didn’t know they were going to shut down in June in Arlington. Waiting until summer (when gas could be close to $4/gallon) may be a good idea. In the past we have always bought our cars in Nov. I just don’t know if I want to wait that long.
Thanks for all your help. It is soooooo appreciated. It’s just nice to talk to someone and get some answers.
sillyobear
Deep Plaid, it’s so great of you to do this! Thank you. I think this question may be pretty important for many folks.
If I will be paying cash (bank check, no loan), is there any reason to give my social security number to the dealership at any point? Do they need it to fill out paperwork, or register/title my car, etc.?
[Since my credit card number was stolen, I’ve become totally paranoid.]
hi s.o.bear: i see, your just scared that its not fixed. valid point.
(oem) tires & wheels, that’s great! well that rules out one problem i was thinking it might be.
how many miles on it? if im not mistaken all those dash lights come on at start up & will stay for just a few seconds that’s pretty normal, but if their are any g.m. cert. techs or
service experts reading our threads -please jump in here!
bear: please try and describe what it does in depth…ok? what are the symptoms:
when does it trigger? you still haven’t told me (us) when and how often this abs tracking light come on. & when it does, how long it stays on, has it done it since they installed the diagnostic box to it?
what does your owners book say about that light? have you read it? have the roads been wet or “rain slick”
when it lights up? has the “yuk” always been in motion when it comes on ?? so many scenerios but think as much as you can about when its come on. gravel road? rough pavment? uneven surface?
wet or dry conditions?? all those things will help isolate whether or not it’s working properly.
i think it will trigger if any one of the four tires “hydro-planes”
read up on that section of your owner manual too.
hey bear tell ya what…
send an email to tom & ray, & say you just love the deep plaid segment on car talk- (lol!!) just kidding,
seriously …tell them to forward me your letter & w/ your email address,
that way i can contact you by email personally.
i’ll try my best & help you.
sincerely
deep plaid
hello whitmore:
in Texas the Texas dept of trans.& motor vehicle division,
does require a s.s.# for any buyer/owner that is named on the title application.
they are printed or typed on the title application whether it’s cash sale or financed.
in Texas, our respective county tax-assessor-collectors finalize all the dealers title work,collect the fees, issuse the various license tags, & stickers and over-see the entire automobile sales tax collection process. if their are co-buyers/owners then both s.s#'s are required on the title application. i cannot remember when this requirement started, although i think it was prior to 911. i think it was implemented to curtail “money laundering” their are some exceptions,
and you may apply for an exemption in Texas -but it better be a good one here in texas, otherwise, your out-of-luck! but Texas will require you to fill out possibly notarize, an exemption affadavit form that swears you do not have a ss number or card. in Texas their are huge fines, & serious criminal penalties for this type of fraud, if you get caught lying and making statments, signing your name.other states may also impose fines as well. check with the state , or county office where you re-new your license plates each year for those guide lines. i cannot tell you about other states laws regarding this,
maybe others reading this thread will “chime in” here with some advice & info -and shed some light on this subject.great question!
hope this helps.
thanks,
deep plaid
Thanks so much, it does help, a lot. I’m not trying to commit fraud, promise. Just trying to avoid it. I’m in CT, and I’ve found all sorts of conflicting info in the web. It’s not the dealer I distrust, it’s the computer he’ll be punching my ssn into and hackers.
In ref to your discussion with sillyobear, I had a problem with the airbag warning light. Sure enough, researched the web last week and a recall is about to be issued (NHTSA) - manufacturer has known about the problem since 2005 (SIB). Who’da thunk?
Thanks again! Guarding our identity info is getting to be quite something.
Hey,
you are doing a great job to help me. Thanks so much.
My “yuk” has 34500 miles on it roughly. Yes you are right all the lights are suppose to come on the dash but in the display window under the odometer(sp?)it will display “stability track off”, “traction control off”, and the ABS light stays on. After that it displays " service satibilty trac", “service traction control”, and the abs light stays on. This has happen when the “yuk” is dead still at a stop light, turn slowly at an intersection, and in normal around town traffic. It has never happened in the rain or wet roads. Nothing really triggers it. It is VERY random. The lights will only go off if you kill the “yuk” and start it back up again. I will email this to Tom and Ray and tell them how much I appreciate all you have done and what a great job you are doing. ;).
Thanks,
sillyobear
no, really i know your an honest person, it’s just the law. but quit searching on the web and go directly
to your county’s or state’s agency who takes care of all the licensed dealer’s paperwork , taxes, license fees, tags, license renewals & automobile transfers & records auto sales the title applications. that is your last word. they will be the definitive source for all your information regarding the use of your s.s.numbers and if they are required to be given to the dealer. in all my years i have never had a problem with mis-use of someone’s s.s number. most dealers & f&i mgrs know that identity theft is a serious crime, serious stuff and very sensitive data. a dealer or his employees will not compromise any of that stuff.
the bottom line whitmore …
(unless) you are buying and signing the documents on a purchase, and closing the deal…at the dealer’s f&i office and once you have handed them you’re check or draft- never ever give anyone at a dealership your s.s.number or your d.o.b. (never) ever!!! no one!
especially a salesman or anyone other than the F&I mgr. & only then…
right at the time of closing just before taking delivery. but contact your county or state officials who handle the auto registrations about requirements first.
you might not even need to furnish a bonafide dealer with that info even at point of sale.
if you are paying cash, or you are using your own financing source, like a bank, credit union,
ask your auto loan officer ahead of time, what your own county or state requires in regard to this.
he or she will know all about the guidelines in your specific area. then you will feel more at ease & won’t worry so much about it.
great question…
thanks
deep plaid
hey also check with nhtsa (national hwy transportation safety adm.)
a great source of info (i think i mis spelled that in an earlier).
about recalls for your unit. you’ll need your (vin) veh. i.d.#
handy when you contact them too! they may have a web site as well,
to find out if their are safety recalls on your “yuk” maybe their is a recall
that gmc is missing or does not have parts available for at the moment.
if so, you need to know this.
thanks.
deep plaid
it could be but you’d better check the (FTC) web site and get a clear definition on their guidlines first. do that that first. because, getting one classified as a “lemon” well, hummmm…
it’s pretty tuff to get a mfg. to “fork over” a new vehicle unless the customer ha crossed all the i’s & dotted all the t’s first. i’ve not seen it but twice in twenty something years in my career.
thanks,
deep plaid
actually i do not know what the reason is…i just know it’s a requirement if you want to get your
car registered or a change of ownership done then you must comply with state requirements
in the state of texas. i don’t know about other states.
thanks
deep plaid
My father was running a construction project a few years ago and the engine on his work truck blew. He was on the site with no transportation. He called several local dealers to bring out a truck that he could see. The only salesman that brought out a truck rode back to the dealership with the check in his hand. It wasn’t the truck my dad wanted, but like he said “I need it now”. Of course the dealership lost out on the financing because he paid cash (check) but they did make a sale. Later the salesman called dad and thanked him for his business. That’s class. Of course, he said he wasn’t busy at the time he drove it over, but still, he was the only one that did.