Got a new car...

[TH3M B0N3Z]

No pics... I know... kinda pointless to even talk about a new car without having pics! lol. I will get some, though.

So I had a 2007 Mazda3 that was rusting on all 4 doors, but it was concealed. I only found out about the rust when my car was being taken apart during a visit to the body shop.

I finally traded it in on 2013 Scion tC. It's silver, and I originally didn't dig that color, but in person, silver looks nice and clean and has nice gloss. The Toyota dealer gave me $8,000 for my Mazda3!! I couldn't believe it. Guess all that hard work detailing it to death really paid off. They said it was immaculate and originally gave me $7,500, but then bumped it up another $500, so I couldn't complain. I did get road hazard insurance which protects my tires and wheels for 5 years and up to $5,000 just in case I get any flats, bent wheels, etc. That's an important thing to have, I think. And I also financed an extended warranty that lasts 8 years/100,000 miles, $0 deductible, which means I can have free repairs done to my car for the life of the warranty... AWESOME. Basically, the A/C can go out once a year for 8 years and I'll be covered. And just think... when does everything break? AFTER the warranty expires, lol. So I'm covered for 8 years.

I took delivery of the car last night in all it's dirty ass glory. I didn't want them to wash it... they thought that was strange, lol.

Just today I washed it, clayed the paint, glazed the paint with CG EZ Creme and sealed it with Menzerna Power Lock. Next wash, it'll get another coat of MPL.

Also, for those of you who are in Florida, I went to Sun Toyota, and they told me if I refer anyone there, they'll send me a $100 check for each referral. My name is Nick Greco, lol, so keep that name in mind so they can send me some mulah! :xyxthumbs:

I'll have pics soon, I hope.

 

[WAXOFF]

Congrats. nothing better than that new car smell. My Jeep is silver. Easy to take care of. It doesn't jump out like my previous red one but it doesn't show the dust as much.

 

[rmagnus]

Too funny sounds like it all worked out for you. Congrats. Hope you have before and after pics.

 

[TH3M B0N3Z]

Thanks for the kind words, guys. This car actually doesn't smell too much like a new car. It had 31 miles after I test drove it, but I'm glad the new car smell is not around. I was in a rental car for 3 weeks, a Dodge Dart, and man... the new car smell was making me sick for the first few days, maybe even a week. The new car smell is not missed, lol. I need to get some pics for real. I got it really nice and cleaned up today, the paint is super slick. It's about time I invest in a damn camera, lol.

 

[TH3M B0N3Z]

Congrats. nothing better than that new car smell. My Jeep is silver. Easy to take care of. It doesn't jump out like my previous red one but it doesn't show the dust as much.

I had a silver Tacoma for a while, it was my dad's, and that truck hardly ever looked dirty. I originally wanted Magnetic Gray, which is actually a lot darker than the Mazda3's paint, and when I saw it on other cars at the dealer, it kinda freaked me out because it's very close to being black.

On another note, the carpet mats in my tC are for another Scion model, not sure how that happened, but I took the mats back and they're going to ship me some all-weather mats now. Got wheel locks today, too. Gonna get some 1F7 touch-up paint tomorrow and start looking into getting a sun shield. Tint is coming soon, as well. There's a place called Divine Sounds that does Llumar brand computer-cut tint and it has a lifetime warranty, so if it bubbles or gets scratched or anything, they replace it for free, no problems. And they computer-cut means they won't take any razor blades to my precious, lol.

Also, before I bought the car, the finance guy told me that changing the oil and doing any other DIY maintenance voids the warranty. I smell BS. I've always changed my oil and rotated my tires and have done anything else I can actually attempt and not screw up. Maybe they wanted me to buy a service plan or something.

I'm happy with the tC, though. Happy to be in the Toyota family and I work at Toyota, so I get discounts on everything.

Once I drove away in the tC, I didn't even bother to look back at my old Mazda, lol. I'm finally rid of that car. If it wasn't rusting away slowly, I would have kept it. That will be my first and last Mazda, to be honest. Could have been a bad apple, but Mazda wouldn't even review my claim for the rust even when the car was still in warranty and they were dicks about it, too. Toyota has warranted Tundra frames for rusting when they were long past warranty. My parts manager told me all about it. He said Toyota covered every single Tundra that had a rusty frame even when the warranty was well expired. Toyota seems to be a stand-up company all the way around.

 

[KenR]

Congratulations on your new car. It's always exciting when you go to pick it up that first time. Take good care of it.


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[mbkite]

Good luck sound like a nice car..

 

[m249saw]

Sun Toyota on 19 and 54? My fire station is right around the corner.

Congratulations on the new car. Ive pondered the TC myself once or twice.

They also cant void your warranty for changing your own oil. Its called the Magnusson-Moss warranty act. They cant void your warranty unless they provide the parts for free. Just use the recommended oil, factory filter amd save receipts.

 

[TH3M B0N3Z]

Congratulations on your new car. It's always exciting when you go to pick it up that first time. Take good care of it.


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Don't have to tell me twice! lol. It got pampered today for quite a few hours. Spent damn near all my day off just getting the car and then spent my other day off cleaning her up.

Guys at work say it's a girly car, but my Mazda3 was a little more girly, lol. Either way, I never cared. This Scion is now like my Ferrari.

 

[TH3M B0N3Z]

Sun Toyota on 19 and 54? My fire station is right around the corner.

Congratulations on the new car. Ive pondered the TC myself once or twice.

Yep, that's the one. My grandmother lives off of Moog, too. Wanted to stop by and visit, but me and my dad spent ALL DAY at the dealer. That was the only crappy part. They always seem to keep you there forever.

 

[bugguy67]

Actually the sales guy is kinda right about diy oil changes in the since that if anything ever happens to that shiny new engine like a rod starting to knock and you think your covered under warranty , you will be in a world of shock when you walk in with only reciets for oil and filters and your gentlmans word that you actually put the oil and filter in said car at the correct intervals!!... another words they want proof in as a invoice from a third party shop that verified milage and work was performed...thay will not take your word fir it! And they will void your warranty

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[TH3M B0N3Z]

Actually the sales guy is kinda right about diy oil changes in the since that if anything ever happens to that shiny new engine like a rod starting to knock and you think your covered under warranty , you will be in a world of shock when you walk in with only reciets for oil and filters and your gentlmans word that you actually put the oil and filter in said car at the correct intervals!!... another words they want proof in as a invoice from a third party shop that verified milage and work was performed...thay will not take your word fir it! And they will void your warranty

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I started doing a little research about that and most people said to just keep receipts for oil and filters and to record the mileage and date when the oil changes were done. I changed my oil every 5,000 miles on my Mazda3 and drove that car just over 66,000 miles and never had an issue. My thinking is that if some other guy with a Scion tC and then my tC, our engines blow out, we take them to the dealer and said we always changed the oil and filter religiously, well they'll open my engine up and it's nice and clean... the other... not so much. That's evidence there. I think I'll continue to perform my own service and I'll just keep the receipts. I feel proud to say I know how to change my oil and rotate my tires and other guys just look like, "HUH??" lol.

 

[dsg03gt]

Actually the sales guy is kinda right about diy oil changes in the since that if anything ever happens to that shiny new engine like a rod starting to knock and you think your covered under warranty , you will be in a world of shock when you walk in with only reciets for oil and filters and your gentlmans word that you actually put the oil and filter in said car at the correct intervals!!... another words they want proof in as a invoice from a third party shop that verified milage and work was performed...thay will not take your word fir it! And they will void your warranty

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Never heard of voiding your warranty for doing your own oil changes in the years I worked at Ford. The only time I saw a problem was with some kid in a focus that he put nitrous on and blew the motor. Every other claim was approved.

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[Anthony@zerboautoworks]

I'm in the Tampa area but not in the search for a new car. How do you have rust on your car if you live in Florida, it couldnt have been that bad.

 

[TH3M B0N3Z]

I'm in the Tampa area but not in the search for a new car. How do you have rust on your car if you live in Florida, it couldnt have been that bad.

I honestly have no clue. I wish I knew the answer to the rust. But it was definitely there. There was bad rust under my mirrors where they bolted on to the car and the rear doors have little bits of rust. A cousin of mine has a 2007 Mazda3, same model and color as I had, and she had TERRIBLE rust on the passenger side door jamb. I don't know, man. Mazda wouldn't cover it one bit. I had the car 6 years and took so great care of it. I got good money for it because I took such good care of it.

 

[rmagnus]

I'm in the Tampa area but not in the search for a new car. How do you have rust on your car if you live in Florida, it couldnt have been that bad.

Unprotected metal, mositure and oxygen equals rust in any state.

 

[cardaddy]

Nick,

Great to hear about your new “precious”. I’m sure you are very relieved. Knowing how bad that ‘rust bucket’ was getting on your nerves I’m happy for you indeed.

I think I’ve had one extended warranty in my life. That one was actually a Ford factory warranty that they GAVE to me trying to keep me from walking away. On their price sheet it was a $2495 sale, just not one that I paid a dime for. (I didn’t even buy the truck from that dealership, Ford gave me the warranty. Photos in a thread I started a while back “worst vehicle you ever owned”.)

Something tells me if your AC goes out more than ONCE in 3 years you're going to have a fit, can't see 8 times in 8 years. FYI, the Lemon Law lets them fix ONE thing a total of 3 times and that's it. Anything more than that and they have to buy the car back.

The problem I have with an extended warranty is that it’s a lot of money to throw onto a loan. Same thing with road hazard damage warranties. By and large they are nothing more than pure profit for the finance guy sitting there on the other side of the desk!

We went to school with a guy that ended up at one of the local Honda dealerships as their finance guy way back when. We went in knowing what we would pay, what our trade (a 12 month old Jetta) was worth and were not falling for their games. They kept saying they’d have to ‘wholesale’ our car and it had like 4400 miles on it and was in perfect shape. They called several buyers (supposedly) saying they were trying to get us the most they could, blah blah blah. I opened both the NADA book and the Black book and put it on the Sales Manager’s desk and said, “THIS, this is what you are going to give me!” Then they get to Scotchguard, paint sealant, ad nauseam. Again, I told them what the number was, take it or leave it. Finally it got around that we knew Billy (the finance guy…. Which btw we hadn’t seen in 10 years) and I acted like we cooked out every weekend together! :laughing: By that time they just wanted us to sign the check and get out of there. We sat down with Billy and he started looking at all the stuff they NORMALLY sell for a lot of money that I got for ‘free’ and he just shook his head and laughed. He finally looked up and said “JESUS do you know you just cut a $241 deal?”, to which I replied “Well I told your boss he could make $500 on me but that is ALL HE IS GONNA’ GET.” :laughing:

While this might not help you right now I thought I’d add it just because;

The thing about extended warranties being sold when the car is new that bothers me is this. Most vehicles don’t start having problems till after the factory warranty has expired. If it does have problems along the way, they generally all get worked out LONG before the bumper-to-bumper is over. Which these days with 7/70 and even 7/100 warranties that is some 6 or even 7 years down the road (on average).

By taking the money that a typical dealer warranty costs and making yourself a “fix it fund” at your bank you would likely come out ahead. Open an interest bearing savings account (or purchase CD’s) and each and every month stick $50 in it (remember it’s added in your payments so you have the money for it otherwise). For the duration of the payments, say 60 months keep adding and you’ll have over $3000 sitting there when your car is paid off! Once the payments are over its time to bump that payment up, hit it at $100 a month (which is a lot less than the payments and insurance you have been making for the last 5 years). Remember, most costly problems don’t happen till the car is over 6 or 7 years old and by then you’ll end up with over $5,000 in your “fix it fund” and no worries about warranty deductibles, coverage limitations and such.

If you need it for a repair it’s there, if not it’s a great down payment on the next car.

If of course you want to purchase a warranty either right after the payments are over, (or just before) that is possible as well. By that time you’ll be able to pay cash for it from your “fix it fund” and not have to make any payments.

Remember, you do not need to purchase your extended warranty from the dealership! If your dealer tells you that you cannot obtain financing without buying an extended warranty or that you can only buy an extended warranty when you purchase the car, it's time to find a new dealer!!! Whatever you do, DO NOT base your purchase decision on a sales brochure -- make sure you see the actual contract. If the dealership or aftermarket company you are dealing with will not supply a copy of the contract, do not buy their warranty!

The truth is that you can buy an extended warranty at any time, even after the factory warranty has expired. Another truth is it’s not a warranty at all, it’s an Insurance Policy. Aftermarket warranties are often as good as, or better than “factory backed” ones. Dealerships often sell a number of products, not just “factory” warranties and this is where if you're going to buy an extended warranty, take the time to shop around and find the best coverage and the best price.

Yes, dealerships offer the convenience of rolling the price of the warranty into your car payment, but what you are buying can almost always be bought at a fraction of the price the dealership sells it for. Unless it is a “factory backed” contract which of course would ONLY be sold AND SERVICED at brand name (insert the name of your manufacturer here) dealerships. The advantage of these is acceptance at MOST of their dealerships MOST of the time. They also have added incentive to provide good customer service on products that are factory backed (but not on aftermarket paper). However, factory warranties tend to be much more expensive, and prices can vary wildly from dealership to dealership. Shop around and let them know you’ll take your business elsewhere.

This part is VERY important: Dealerships DO NOT under any circumstance have to honor a factory warranty, bumper-to-bumper, extended or otherwise. Caveat Emptor there and I assure you, if your dealership decided tomorrow they didn’t want to work on your car, they won’t. I had TWO different Ford dealerships stop accepting the FACTORY 36/36 warranty on a brand new truck because it cost them to much money to try and maintain. (Which is why Ford gave me the warranty I mentioned earlier, but what good is it when nobody will work on the darned thing!)

Dollar for dollar it is much better to shop outside a dealership for this type of policy! Prices, for the same or better coverage are always less and can be underwritten by the very same company to begin with.

Before you buy any extended warranty...

An extended warranty should not be a rush purchase! As I mentioned earlier read the contract carefully before you sign anything. Be sure you understand what is and what is not covered, where you can have your car repaired, and any deductibles or limits on your coverage. If at all possible, go over any exclusion list with someone you trust to work on your car.

There are literally dozens of third-party warranty companies selling online, but it's important to do your research… some companies are more reputable than others. Some are CROOKS as well! Homework, homework, homework! Look for companies that offer low per-visit (as opposed to per-repair) deductibles, (NOT per repair) money-back guarantees, and also that allow you to read the entire contract before you purchase. By doing some digging first it’s possible to save thousands on the best coverage offered and not having to even purchase it till the factory warranty is either about to, or already has expired.

OK, enough of that.

Send us some pics of that new ride! :dblthumb2:

 

[cardaddy]

Also, before I bought the car, the finance guy told me that changing the oil and doing any other DIY maintenance voids the warranty. I smell BS. I've always changed my oil and rotated my tires and have done anything else I can actually attempt and not screw up. Maybe they wanted me to buy a service plan or something...

Ya' THINK! :laughing:

Finance guys are typically D_BAGS who's only purpose in life is to milk people out of money they don't have.

Hey, let's get you our special unobtainium alloyferric ceramicalized hydrostatic coated paint protection, it's normally $995 but for YOU if you buy it NOW it's only $599 and you get to have it 'renewed' every other month for $19.95! And how about floor mats, and cold AC with special salt water freon.... you'll need round tires with AIR too! YUP.....

Actually the sales guy is kinda right about diy oil changes in the since that if anything ever happens to that shiny new engine like a rod starting to knock and you think your covered under warranty , you will be in a world of shock when you walk in with only reciets for oil and filters and your gentlmans word that you actually put the oil and filter in said car at the correct intervals!!... another words they want proof in as a invoice from a third party shop that verified milage and work was performed...thay will not take your word fir it! And they will void your warranty

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Not in the real world!
As long as there is oil in the engine when and IF it ever has any internal problem it is up to the dealership (and manufacturer by extension) to PROVE that the failure was oil related. They cannont claim nor assume oil changes, or the lack therof, had anything to do with an internal failure until a complete teardown and inspection of internal parts as well as oil spectrometer analysis has been performed.

The four leading causes of engine failure are:
Abrasive Grit
Lack of Lubrication
Overheating
Over Speeding

For instance;
Abrasive grit will likely be tracked down to the air cleaner. It an enter the engine at speeds over 25 miles per hour and will show as excessive wear at the intake valve.

Lack of lubrication will show internally as discolored parts from higher than normal heat. Such as main bearings, piston wrist pins, crankshaft journals, connecting rods at the wrist pins, etc.

Overheating, well that's going to be more like in the cylinder area, around the exhaust valves, top of the piston, and if bad enough the bottom of the crankcase where the oil will thicken like tar.

And of course Overspeeding will show with broken parts, warped or bent valves or rods, cracked crankshafts, even twisted (or exploded) flywheels.

However even if the internals look in one area like lack of lubrication may be at fault, it takes a thorough inspection as you'll need to verify multiple bearings and wear surfaces have been damaged due to the oil rather than a component failure.

That not withstanding, as has been mentioned the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act is very clear as to prohibiting dealers and manufacturers from such outragous claims.

• Buy your oil at the same place in bulk. (when on sale)
• Buy GOOD filters, not the cheapest you can find.
• Keep your receipts!
• Keep GOOD records -
• Write Date AND Mileage down every time
• Writing the changes in the back of your owners manual is BY FAR the best way to keep track. Plus it provides a way for your dealer to see the records.
• Recycle responsibly - which if you buy at your local parts store you can take your used oil there for free!

 

[TH3M B0N3Z]

I did contact the dealer about cancelling the extended warranty. While that won't lower my monthly payments, it will take my total payments from 75 (I had it drawn out that long for a reason) to 67.5, lol. But I'll basically say nearly $1,800 overall on the car.

A friend at work suggested I cancel the extended warranty and then before the 3 years/36,000 miles warranty ends, buy an extended warranty for much cheaper from somewhere else.

So now I'm considering to keep the 8 year/100,000 miles B to B warranty or to cancel it and lower the amount of payments I make.

I gotta take care of it this week, preferably within another day or two.

 

[flyinion]

Thanks for the kind words, guys. This car actually doesn't smell too much like a new car. It had 31 miles after I test drove it, but I'm glad the new car smell is not around. I was in a rental car for 3 weeks, a Dodge Dart, and man... the new car smell was making me sick for the first few days, maybe even a week. The new car smell is not missed, lol. I need to get some pics for real. I got it really nice and cleaned up today, the paint is super slick. It's about time I invest in a damn camera, lol.

LOL you got lucky. I took delivery of my Jeep literally a week and a half after it rolled off the line (ordered it). The new car smell was literally pretty sickening. I couldn't wait for it to tone down lol. Oh yeah, my sales guy thought I was nuts as well for telling them not to wash it.