Hi,
I am Steve. My 97 eldo convertible (coach builder's) has 50k miles and is immaculate except for a door ding being fixed. I am just informed by Caddy that it has a leaky lower engine seal and a bad water pump to the tune of $5000+ and pulling the engine. This is just after a different Caddy dealer inspection and major tune at 48,000 miles and them saying it is perfect.
My problem:
I asked Caddy to pay for it as an extended warranty. They said they sometimes do, and looked to see if I qualify. Their criterea was if I was 'loyal' and bought a new Caddy in 6 years, and/or that I was meticulous Caddy-wise with this one. Then they denied my extension because they said I was neither loyal, or regular with my car, not having it checked by Caddy when I bought it used at 31k last June 2004, and not getting work done by Caddy as needed.....
My story:
My father was one of the greatest Caddy salesmen of all time in the 1970's. Caddy sent him all over the world on vacation to thank him. My cousin is the top GMC salesman in 7 states, if not the US right now. The rest of my family, 8 in all, myself included, have sold and/or fixed about 250,000 autos in 77 years. I grew up in a Caddy dealership in the 70's, and sold them and drove them since. I am now a chiropractor. I birddog customers to Caddy dealerships all over the country when my friends ask me for a new car. I ask for and take ZERO money from Caddilac, just passing great deals to my friends while doing Caddy a favor. For old times sake. Eldo's were discontinued, but I bought one because my dad and I love Eldo converts together. They fit me, they are fun. He's passed on, but he lives in my heart and I take hime driving often. SO MUCH FOR THE 'LOYALTY' PART.
THE DAY I BOUGHT the car the Eldo was at the original Dallas Caddy garage for inspection and oil change. It was purchased new in Dallas, trucked to Gainsville, Fla for the chop top, and driven back as a vacation by the original owner -- who purchases a new Caddy every 2 years, except this drop top. My kind of guy. He meticulously maintained the car AT Caddy, every oil change, every anything, including a little door repair. The back seat had been sat in 2 x's before he sold it to me, and 10 x's since.
WITHIN 2-4000 MILES the Eldo was in Martin Caddilac in Los Angeles for an oil problem and a full inspection for extended warranty -- where they said it was perfect and didn't recommend a warranty.
THE OIL WAS CHANGED meticulously at Firestone by my school every 2500 to 3500 miles, even if the computer said it was still good oil life.
AT 48,200 MILES the Eldo was in Fuocco Caddilac in Grand Junction, CO for a major tune and oil change and inspection for extended warranty. They said it should not need a tune-up till 100k, but I asked them to pull a spark plug. They did, and were amazed how much the car needed a new set of plugs and a complete tune-up, wires and all. I asked them to give it the 'works' for belts and wires and hoses, and they did -- finding it needed only new wires and belts. Advising me that no warranty should be needed as it was impeccable. They are old friends in my Caddy family.
NOW AT 50,200 MILES the Eldo is in Martin Caddilac for a 'theft system' melt down, and I asked them to check a coolant smell that appeared just after Fuocco's adjustments. They inform me the entire coolant system hoses are corroded and need a change, the water pump is bad, the engine mount is bad, and that oil is all over the underside, indicating a blown lower seal....all for $5000+. I ask if Fuocco's should or could have seen any of this coming 2 months and 2200 miles ago, and they said they should have found ALL of it, as none of it looks 'new'.
I don't know how I could have been any more 'Caddy savvy' than to be at a CCaddy dealership 3 x's in 18,000 miles and at the same Firestone I go to for years 4-5 times in 17 months. Plus I have taken 3 different customers to Martin Caddy to buy new cars in the last few months.
The original gal at Caddy Customer Service who helped me was nice and all, but no help, and based her 'no' upon not getting it checked out when I bought it -- which the owner did for me THAT day, and not buying a new Caddy in 6 years, which Eldos are not made anymore, and I'd like to drive one 'loyally' to my father and Caddy until they are made again, or these are dead. Her supervisor, Dom, was an arrogant pri.. from the start and claimed his whole reason for 'no' was loyalty.
I will bet the job that Dom doesn't even drive a Caddy, and that his decision could be the most expensive miscall about loyalty he will ever make in his Caddy career. I await your response as soon as you can, as I will not fix the car at my expense, and you are one of my last hopes.
Sincerely yours, Steve
atantrayogi@yahoo.com
PS, for any non-Caddy executive and forum participant. Please do not respond to this email for any reason, other than advice as to whom to contact at Caddy for a chance to hear my case. Thank you for your respect.
Caddy exec needed ASAP 
