I Purchased my RX-8 on April 27th. By mid day on April 28th I had two door dings over my passenger side rear wheel. I can handle that, but then things got really bad...

The following Sunday (May 1st), I drove into work without any problems. However, when I went to leave several hours later, my car wouldn't start. Engine didn't turn over, nothing. Monday morning I got the car towed to the nearest dealer. I finally got the car back on Friday the 7th. At that point, I discovered that the dealer had damaged the car around the driver side rear wheel (something was run into it as far as I can tell). Fortunately, the dealer didn't give me a hard time about the damage (they admitted it wasn't there when the vehicle came in).

I droppped off the car this morning and this afternoon I'm told that it will take through the week to get the damage fixed.

I'm disgusted. For the first three weeks I've owned the car, I've been able to drive it 7 days.

I'm so mad I can't even think straight about it right now. I'm so 'glad' I got rid of a Mercedes for this hassle.

Note, when I actually have the car, it is a great ride, lots of fun, even in Chicago traffic.

 

Same here--I've driven my car 7 days and got it 2-weeks ago the dealer cannot find where the rattle is coming from on acceleration--I just keep telling myself that its the first year of the car--luckily I haven't sold my Millenia yet.

 

I feel your pain, bro. Sorry about all of the damage.

Not that it will help but back when I had my Z3, my dealer almost routinely damaged it. At one point, I returned to the dealer to pick up my car from its service and found that the idiot who tried to install an accessory in the trunk almost put several screws through the trunk lid. How did I know? Because there were 'pimples' all over the trunk that matched the locations of the screwheads inside. On top of oil on the carpets, missing parts, parts left on the seats, etc...this dealer was horrific. Oh yeah, I'm not a big fan of BMW of Darien in CT if anyone's curious.

Many dealers suck. Try to find one who takes as much pride in the product as you do.

-Eric

 

Eric - that totally sucks and I am sorry to hear it ... hopefuilly everything will get better from there . . . what was the problem with your car that it wouldn't start ?


Jonny- I used to bring my cars to the dealer when they weren't 'perfect' but it took away the enjoyment of the car from stressing over these little things ... I decided that most issues like rattles I will either live with and use the car for what it is meant to be used for - to drive it !!

Don't let these little thigs take away from your enjoyment ...

 

Yes, I feel your pain its been 3 days with a scratch on my rear left quarter panel. I cant stop looking out the window.


P.S. Im also lcated in Chicago, if you want to meet, up give a page, same goes for ay other chicago rotor heads.

 

Apparently the 'main fuse' was blown. The service guy said that all of the fuses and relays were loose in the fusebox (at first I think he was hinting that I had been in there, but he backed off when he found out just how new the car was!). So they replaced the main fuse and all was good on that front. It took so long to fix because their RX-8 certified guy was out at training or something.

 

Sry to hear of all the troubles, nothing can really be said to relax you but we can try to help, just think once it is all fixed up you can start enjoying it, to me a little wait to keep the car in near perfect condition is worth it. Little set backs like this is trying to the owners patients but IMO its worth it, you might agree with me when you get back in the drivers seat start it up and head down the road. Everytime you get in the car you will always notice something new about it that makes it a better car to you. Good luck with the car and getting it fixed.

 

Do your rattles happen only on excelleration or is when you listen to music kinda loud with some base as well? Is it coming from the doors? If so you can look it up with the search functionl. My dealer ok'd for me to have dynomat put in the doors to rid it of the squeeks and rattles. Took all of one morning and wallah it's all taken care of.

 

The damage was to my Z3. I actually spoke to people at the BMW factory in Spartanburg, SC about BMW of Darien's atrocious behavior and they couldn't get over the stories.

Unfortunately, I'm still in a holding pattern on the RX8...which will probably be an early 2005 purchase. It's still in the cards and my top choice over the 530i my wife wants me to get but I'm sticking with my TT until a baby is more imminent. lol

-Eric

 

I think the worst I-can't-drive-my-car story I ever heard was on a local consumer radio program. The guy called in, he had leased a '03 (or an '02 - it was one of the first of that year's model in the US at that time) VW Jetta. About a week into his lease he put it in the shop for major engine repair. Six weeks into it they were still waiting on a wrench to arrive from Germany. While the car waited for a wrench, absolutely nothing else was done to it. They got the wrench in and then discovered something else that it was projected to take 4 to 6 weeks to get a part for. The net was that this guy had made 4, $700 lease payments and had driven the POS VW for all of about seven days out of that 4 months. He was distressed to say the least. So, if there's a moral, I guess it's "it could be worse!"

 

That story about the VW is extremely dubious.

There's nothing so "new" about the '02 or '03 Jetta from the prior year that would require a specialty tool...and, a wrench? C'mon...sounds like someone pissed at VW or some idiot that just doesn't like VW causing trouble. Moreover, if the guy's story was even remotely true the car would have been easily lemoned under any state's lemon law.

-Eric

 

Sue, wrenchs are hard to come by outside of Germany.

 

i feel your pain man. when i first got my car, i had this auto starter put in and it blew three fuses, each time after i had it fixed the time before. the car was towed twice and this was all in the first week and half.

 

who would make $700 lease payments on a VW?? fishy sounding story.....

 

I think he meant $700 over a few months but I still agree that the story is questionable.

-Eric

 

the first day i got my car i realized that they didnt put the insulation pad in my center console and it was BURNING hot so the next day i had to take it in. they gave me a gay ford escort. i was pissed that i couldnt drive my 8 as soon as i got it . point of the story? probably none but it sucks when you know you dont have your baby.

 

The $700 a month was probably the guy exagerating - either that or my memory is playing tricks on me; given that I heard this story in passing on the radio about a year ago. The part about over a month waiting on a special tool (I think it was a wrench) and the dealership doing nothing in way of seeing what would happen after they received the tool, and the part about that imposing added delays, was reasonably accurate. At least based on what I heard. For all I know, the guy could have made the whole thing up but he was calling the consumer show trying to see if he could sue them for hijacking his car for so long.

You're right $700 a month does seem absurd for a lease payment for a VW. I hadn't thought about it till now....

 

I can also relate...Took my "black stallion" in for cd skipping, rear aero flare loose and the M flash...When I got it back the goofballs forgot to hook up my right speakers and dropped the engine cover grommet in the engine...I had to fish the grommet out myself...suffice to say the service manager was very helpful and apologetic and did not hesitate to accomadate me...Driving a mazda 6 and it really isn't that bad...pick up my 8 tommorow just in time for my date with a hot Colombian chick!!!!!!!!..Boy do they have great hips!!!!!! forget brasil, Colombia has the hottest women in the world!!!!!!!!

 

eric, im sorry to hear about the first few weeks of mayhem... although im guessing if you wouldnt have encountered these problems, you would be glad to be driving the 8 instead of a mercedes!

 

markiev - I got stuck with a Chevy Aveo! It's no Mazda 6!

Todd - No doubt - the Mercedes was not a 'drivers' car.

We will see how it goes - I'm going to pick up my car now. Keep your fingers crossed that everything is cool with it, and I don't smash it up in these thunderstorms that we're having!

 

The good news is that the car appears to be (finally) perfect. Let's hope I can begin a long love affair with the thing!

 

dealers blow