New owner of CTS-V.....dealer rant and advice! LONG

REDEVIL · #1 (**permalink**) 01-26-08, 06:18 PM

Hello everyone, I just bought a 2007 V (used with 11K miles) from a dealer in Southern California last week. I submitted this thread earlier this week about the issues I've been having with the Asanti wheels that came on the car.

http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums...-question.html

Overall, I LOVE the car and it's a blast to drive. I have been looking for one for about 4 months now and finally found this 07 with low miles.

Now, for the bad.
The car is Cadillac Certified, which means Cadillac went through the entire car with there 100+ point check to determine if the car is fit to be sold in "new" condition. Well, that was a major selling point for me to purchase the car, plus the 6 year/100K warranty. Well, after having the car only a few days, things started to unravel. I had to take the vehicle into a local CAddy dealer for service (not the one that I bought it from) for the following repairs (mind you this car was "certified").

1. major rear end leak (dealer replaced seal)
2. Nav buttons peeling bad (dealer replaced entire Nav unit)
3. Hard intermittent starts (dealer replaced battery)
4. Tire pressure sensors non-functional (dealer determined they are not installed)
5. Front fenders damaged because wheels do not fit car correctly
6. Missing owner's manual (my salesman told me to go buy one.

)

Now, these are all issues that would have been easily found if someone had actually done the certification checks. To me this seems to be a bunch of BS. So, I get the car back and everything seems to be fine until I try to refill the washer fluid and as I'm refilling it, it's leaking all over my garage floor...somehow the reservoir is damaged????? on a new car? so, now I have to take it in AGAIN. Mind you, they were supposed to top off all fluids after certification, and they would have realized that something was wrong. I'm sure Cadillac would like to know that this dealer seems to be Certifying cars without actually performing the steps.

They are dodging me at the dealership about the wheel issue and are supposedly trying to track down the original wheels. They (the salesman and the sales manager) have been very rude to me over the phone and not what I expected from America's luxury line. This is very disheartening. I can guarantee you, this would not fly at a BMW dealer.

I talked to an Asanti dealer and they say it will cost about $1300 to fix the front wheels for the correct offset.

I am an American car guy throughout and have been looking into getting a CTS-V for quite some time, and this whole process has left a sour taste in my mouth. I sold my 1990 Corvette to buy this car, and I had less problems with that in the 3 years I owned it than the V after 1 week. I also have a 1999 Corvette that is my baby and I have owned it for over 5 years. I love having the V next to the C5 in the garage...they are quite a pair! I just want these issues resolved, because the V is just a bad aZZ American sedan.

Thank you for listening to my rant!

I had to get that off my chest!

Any advice on what to do next would be great. I want my front fenders to be fixed, new wheels for my car (with TPS that work), and a full certification inspection performed again.

**heavymetals** · #2 (**permalink**) 01-26-08, 06:41 PM

You bought a used car with an extended warranty.

I wouldn't warranty anything that has to do with the tires or wheels or fenders as that was changed and not factory equipment.

You complicate the problem by trying to get another dealer to be responsible for a car you didn't buy from them.

good luck.

urbanski · #3 (**permalink**) 01-26-08, 06:47 PM

For 4 and 5, asanti and their wheels are to blame, not GM and the dealer. you saw the wheels when you bought the car. i cannot believe ANY dealer would certify aftermarket wheels. but yes, 1-3 could have been picked up by a tech....but then again, you did buy the car in this shape. all are quite fixable.

rand49er · #4 (**permalink**) 01-26-08, 06:56 PM

I'm a little confused ... How does the warranty apply to 4), 5), and 6)? I may be wrong, but I wouldn't expect a warranty to cover, for example, my headers or any other aftermarket part.

As far as the washer fluid bottle, they may well have filled it, and it leaked out and went unnoticed. Same thing happened to me when I hit a tire tread last August and the bottle was broken. The body shop missed it, so I took it back to the shop, and they replaced it ... no problem.

I really hope you do get past these teething issues and get to a point where you can just plain old enjoy the car. It'll happen. Might take a little more perseverance, but it'll happen.

REDEVIL · #5 (**permalink**) 01-26-08, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by heavymetals

You bought a used car with an extended warranty.

I wouldn't warranty anything that has to do with the tires or wheels or fenders as that was changed and not factory equipment.

You complicate the problem by trying to get another dealer to be responsible for a car you didn't buy from them.

good luck.

That was my point. It was certified by Cadillac with these wheels, so when I bought it I figured it would be OK. I didn't notice the damage or the incorrect fitment until I got home.

The reason I took it to another dealer for the service, is that the dealer that I bought it from is too far away for me. This was not a big deal because the issues they fixed were all under warranty anyway.

I have since spoke with the sales manager and he is going to get to the bottom of all of this. He sounds like a good guy and is not giving me the run around like some others have.

REDEVIL · #6 (**permalink**) 01-26-08, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by urbanski

For 4 and 5, asanti and their wheels are to blame, not GM and the dealer. you saw the wheels when you bought the car. i cannot believe ANY dealer would certify aftermarket wheels. but yes, 1-3 could have been picked up by a tech....but then again, you did buy the car in this shape. all are quite fixable.

The dealer is trying to track down from the previous owner where he purchased the wheels and if he still has the stockers. I would imagine these wheels come with some sort of warranty (I think they are only a few months old) and maybe the shop where they were purchased can help make them right.

**heavymetals** · #7 (**permalink**) 01-26-08, 07:21 PM

You better read your fine print.

I know of NO factory warranty that covers aftermarket parts or damage caused by same.

my $.02?

Keep very good notes of who you speak to and when.

GOOD LUCK

type911 · #8 (**permalink**) 01-27-08, 01:22 AM

If you purchased a cadillac certified vehicle you need to speak with the dealer you purchased it from. They are who your complaints should be with. They know what certified means. It is on them to make the car work as it just came out of the factory. Talk with them.

tmwfla · #9 (**permalink**) 01-27-08, 01:36 AM

I'm surprised at the perceived (mind you, this is only MY perception) defense of the dealership he bought the car from. I understand the argument that no warranty will cover aftermarket items and damage caused by them, etc. and YES, he saw the aftermarket wheels before buying it. What I'm getting from his post, other than a general sense of frustration (which I admit I'd have as well, in the same position), is that the dealership STILL CERTIFIED IT. They saw the aftermarket wheels as well, THEY supposedly inspected it (i.e. LOOK at it and pay SPECIAL attention to any possible issues, even the not-so-significant ones) and brought it back to "new". The dealership, had they really wanted to "certify" it, should have put stockers back on it, fixed the leaks (that I'm only assuming can be seen easily since he's only had it for a week or so), etc. THEN certified it and earned the markup on the car for it being "certified". In my own opinion, it's practices like this that will continue to kill a brand. When someone decides to "come back" to American cars (boo me all you want here) to give them another shot, if they have an experience like this, how many people do you think that person is going to tell about their experience and what they did about it (took their money to Europe or Asia for their next car, and the 6 after). He said he's always been an American car guy, BUT he goes on to mention a European brand anyway. If he's not already, my guess is he'll be on the fence before too long, as far as where his money will be going.
My rant is over now.

REDEVIL · #10 (**permalink**) 01-27-08, 02:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by type911

If you purchased a cadillac certified vehicle you need to speak with the dealer you purchased it from. They are who your complaints should be with. They know what certified means. It is on them to make the car work as it just came out of the factory. Talk with them.

Maybe I wasn't clear on this, but all of my complaints are with the dealer that I purchased the car from. The other dealer just made a few repairs in the mean time while I wasn't able to drive my car the extra mileage to the purchasing dealer. Sorry for the confusion.

REDEVIL · #11 (**permalink**) 01-27-08, 02:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tmwfla

I'm surprised at the perceived (mind you, this is only MY perception) defense of the dealership he bought the car from. I understand the argument that no warranty will cover aftermarket items and damage caused by them, etc. and YES, he saw the aftermarket wheels before buying it. What I'm getting from his post, other than a general sense of frustration (which I admit I'd have as well, in the same position), is that the dealership STILL CERTIFIED IT. They saw the aftermarket wheels as well, THEY supposedly inspected it (i.e. LOOK at it and pay SPECIAL attention to any possible issues, even the not-so-significant ones) and brought it back to "new". The dealership, had they really wanted to "certify" it, should have put stockers back on it, fixed the leaks (that I'm only assuming can be seen easily since he's only had it for a week or so), etc. THEN certified it and earned the markup on the car for it being "certified". In my own opinion, it's practices like this that will continue to kill a brand. When someone decides to "come back" to American cars (boo me all you want here) to give them another shot, if they have an experience like this, how many people do you think that person is going to tell about their experience and what they did about it (took their money to Europe or Asia for their next car, and the 6 after). He said he's always been an American car guy, BUT he goes on to mention a European brand anyway. If he's not already, my guess is he'll be on the fence before too long, as far as where his money will be going.
My rant is over now.

tmwfla, You hit it right on the head with this post! I couldn't agree with you more. My biggest gripe is that they certified the car with the wheels and the things that were wrong with the car. Yet, they tell me these things can't be fixed because they are aftermarket. Therefore, they should have fixed these issues...even returned the stock wheels to the car before certifying it selling it. Then they treat me horribly when I try to bring these things to their attention. Mind you, I do not lose my temper very easily and I have been calm with them through this entire thing. They were the ones who were getting short with me.

but like I said, the sales manager spoke with me this afternoon and he seems like a good guy and he will make it right.

As for the foreign car thing. I bought my wife a Honda Accord last year and it was the best car buying experience I had ever had. No price haggling, no bs, and very curtious. I think the big 3 could learn a few things from them. This coming from a guy who's 11 cars in his life have all been American.

**heavymetals** · #12 (**permalink**) 01-27-08, 02:25 AM

Did you request a vin check?

Post it and I would be curious to see the record.

Your right, your complaint is gonna be with the dealer.

I bet a set of stock wheels with TPS's is gonna cost more then your warranty did.

REDEVIL · #13 (**permalink**) 01-27-08, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by heavymetals

Did you request a vin check?

Post it and I would be curious to see the record.

Your right, your complaint is gonna be with the dealer.

I bet a set of stock wheels with TPS's is gonna cost more then your warranty did.

I ran a carfax and the VIN when I bought the car and it was fine. In fact, it had never been in for service. It was a 1-owner car.

the results for the VIN check can be seen in the VIN check thread.

REDEVIL · #14 (**permalink**) 01-27-08, 03:34 PM

I just pulled the front wheel off to measure the offset. It came out to be 24 mm. Stock is supposed to be 42mm. So, the difference of 18 mm (almost 3/4") is the problem. I wonder if Asanti would stand behind these wheels and make them right? Each wheel is made specifically for each car.

REDEVIL · #15 (**permalink**) 01-28-08, 03:28 PM

I spoke with the dealer this morning and they have agreed to give me a set of stock wheels and repair the damaged fenders. That's all I want. I'll just be happy to get this situated so I can start enjoying my car!

Lessons learned here about aftermarket parts. I had a textralia clutch in my '99 Corvette, and it caused nothing but problems. After 2 different textralias, and alot of time, I ended up going to an LS6 clutch and it has been bullet proof since. I am very leary of aftermarket parts now, and I just didn't have a good feeling about the V having these wheels from the beginning. Oh well.