What to do.....car problems
 

Here's the story...
Went to start my car yesterday afternoon and it was "deader than a doornail" thought it was because the temp was at zero and the battery was dead, but after trying to jump start it...nothing. Had it towed to the garage I bought it at in July and where my stepson is a salesman (the "HUGE" place :p ), it started when they took it off the flat bed and later hooked it up to a computer where it said that a sesnor in the transmission may be bad and would have to be replaced. The cost...$600, lot of labor involved. This same thing happened about 20 years ago with the first car I had to make payments on, had that one 3 months and the transmission went on that one. Had to "bite the bullet" because at the time, there were no lemon laws in N.Y. state and my grandmother was the co-signer on the loan. It's cost me over $800 then, just my luck the same thing happens two decades later. Made 5 payments with 67 to go! :( They don't think it's under warranty anymore, so guess what.....
Anybody got any ideas or is a mechanic here? Do I just let it go and take my chances or fix it. I probably should get a second opinion or even get rid of it. This is the first car payment I've made in almost ten years....just drove "clunkers" but decided to get a "trustworthy" car.....see what happens!

If the car is under warranty that sensor should be covered...Otherwise, i would just fix the darn thing.

What is year/make/model of the vehicle? mileage?

2004 Chevy Impala...40,000 no problems til now

You are probably SOL then on the warranty, just barely.

I don't really understand your options though, do you really want to be stranded in the middle of nowhere because of a sensor?

Yeah, I guess you're right.....I'm pissed though, thought I was getting a reliable car for what I paid for it. Oh, well!

Dude, it is a car, it isn't like any of them are reliable, you could hit a bump wrong and blow out your whole assembly going 5mph. **** happens, especially with sensors, I have blown more o2 sensors that I care to talk about, just happens

First thing is no matter what, you have to fix it. Because no matter where you drive, local or even worse far away, you will be wondering if and when it is going to happen. That is a very unesay feeling. If you bought this car used, sometimes the lot gives some sort of warrenty. If not, maybe your stepson could pull some strings or call in a favor for you. But outside of that, it seems that your options are limited. Mechanics are one of those services that if you do not know one, you always think you are being screwed. Just ask around, maybe someone knows a mechanic or is happy with some work they had done by one. I would think that if your stepson is in the car buisness he could refer a good one to you also. Good Luck.

Finding a trust-worthy mechanic is a difficult proposition, but not impossible. You definitely need to get it fixed, then you can consider trading it in later if it continues to give you trouble, and starting the process all over again. I'm driving a 2002 Toyota Corolla with 172,000 miles on it. Just had to get it fixed (spark plugs, manifold gasket, $400) today.

Japanese

agreed.

Triple H.... Does the car have theft coverage on it ? I know a few guys from south philly who could do a Magic Trick with it ! :D :D

real japanese, or made in america japanese??

a sensor MAY be bad? i'd want more info before shelling out $600 that MAY fix a sensor that MAY be bad.

i used to know a couple guys on LI that could do the same magic.

made in america japanese limited edition bill belicheck model.

goes zero to 16 in 17 weeks?

as an aside....

guy forgets his wifes birthday.
he wakes and finds a note. 'you better make it up to me this afternoon. i want something that goes from 0 to 200 in six seconds'.
he arrives home that afternoon, and tells his wife her present is in the drive. she runs outside, only to find a scale on the pavement...

his funeral is later today.

HHH,

First tact is to take the stand that this American car has less than 50K and should be covered. Complain to a regional service rep.for Chevy. Ask where he is and call and bitch, bitch, bitch. They can, sometimes make something warrantee when it's not. Especially when they think you're giong to tell the world chevys are crap.

As someone else mentioned, maybe bad? Have someone else look at it. Quite odd that a sensor all of a sudden goes bad.

stupid as it sounds to some....but buy the extended warrantee next time....I used to have a nissan and when it was 8 years old the alternater died (in the middle of an intersection no less)....the car only had 70,000 miles on it so the whole thing was covered (about $800) by the extended warantee (even though it was 8 years old)....saved my ass at the time, since I was flat broke at the time and needed the car to get to work.

Toyota....
If your car is out of warranty...dont go to a dealer to get it fixed...you will get robbed every time.

Vintage.

67 payments to go...
You got your loan
from the place you
bought the car I'll bet.

These guys frikkin...
arrr... they rip people
with these loans.

Bank would never
have done it this way
for a very good reason.
Makin payments on a
item that is worthless
later on. 67 payments...
Default.

Bandits I tell ya.

Most componenets of the power train including transmission are covered for 75,000 miles. My wifes trans went at 74,000 on a trip down south and Ford fixed it!

if the motor is strong you should fix it ..look for a re man trans..front wheel dr im sure thats what costs ..

HHH, i think i'd take it to a chevy dealer and have them find exactly whats wrong and go from there. let the dealer go all over with their computer. might cost you more now but you should have a better piece of mind later.

Latest update:
Heard back from my stepson, the dealer is going to see if it's still covered over warranty, had a six month, 6,000 one when I bought it....so it's close. The part cost only $150, it's the labor that's a "killer" could be up six hours to tear it apart and put it back together. If it's not covered, he think's they'll try to help me out so it isn't too much. Got no choice, fix it or get stuck. Well, what I saved when I bought it (got it at Josh's price) now will make up the difference....thanks to all here with your help....will keep you updated.

bad thing about some areas of a car, it's the labor that is intensive, and VERY expensive.

good luck hickory!

btw, $800 for an alternator?! that sounds pretty high to me....

GOD DANG CARS! Mine broke down on me yesterday. Had the car since 2003 and NEVER had a problem with it. (It was my hubby's car but I got it when he got a new truck. NEVER BUY AN IZUZU. Not because of the car because it normally runs like a champ and never gives us problems, and my brother actually has a 1999 Rodeo and has Never had an issue with it.

PROBLEM YOU ASK? The friggen parts are the hardest friggen things to get in South Florida. One dealer in all of Palm Beach, Martin, Broward and Dade County. TAKES FOUR FRIGGEN DAYS TO GET A NEW COMPUTER CHIP TO PUT IN MY CAR IN ORDER FOR THE FRIGGEN THING TO RUN. So off to a car rental place I went. Had to rent a car for a week. So add another 200 to the already 700 for the repair.

2008 is going as well as 2007 ended.

Hickory,
You *have* to fix it. You have to have something reliable to drive. (to the track!!) Even if you decide to unload it, you probably will still have to fix it, or it won't start when you try to trade it in. I would throw a huge fit and see if you can get it paid for by someone's warranty. Or at least part of it. Get whatever you can get. Maybe it was just a fluke and the car will be fine now, or maybe you bought a lemon. If I really liked the car I would probably keep it. But if I was having major second thoughts,,,,I would unload it.

Good luck,
Suzanne(Cars are a biotch)(thats why I drives a truck!!)

i had some car trouble today as well...my son hit a parked car. joy.

now my premium will go up.

oh, did i mention he's 16?

my car has very minor damage to the bumper..wish i could say the same about the one he hit.

I guess I wasn't alone.....sorry!

you're never alone--always others in the same boat as you!

we talked to our insurance company today. had to report the fender bender of my youngest, who having just turned 16 was not yet on the policy. you have to add him she said. the wreck is covered, since he had our permission to drive the other day...but, he has to go on now she told us. we have four vehicles, two with liability only. one mark has in VA, the other my daughter uses. only one youth per liability, so she said we would have to put eric on a full coverage vehicle--1500 every six months just for him. why?!?! cause they said so, that's why. either that or exclude him, which means if he does drive again, and wrecks, they won't cover.

so guess who won't be driving again, as it was 100 to add kelly every three months, and 750 to add eric. sorry eric.

dammed ins co's. and she has the gall to remind us that they're there to pay a claim---which we pay thru the nose for! 5000 yearly for cars and house x's 12 years. i can do the math, can she?

What does "one youth per liablity" mean?

Do you think $5,000/year for 4 cars and a house is a lot?

Auto/home insurance not my racket but if you've been with the same ins carrier for a long time the biggest thing to think about is to make sure the replacement value assumption used on your house is current. It costs a lot more to rebuild a home today than 12 years ago.

one youth on a liability only car. mark is 21, but still considered a youth for ins purposes (of course he is, so they can charge more). so since i have three youths, and only two cars with liability coverage, one of the three has to go on a car with full coverage.

and as for the five k per year, two of the four cars are 17 and 18 years old...so the coverage on those two is minimal.
the house has some good and some bad going for it--brick exterior which helps the cost, but a volunteer fire dept as first responder, and no fire hydrants near by is a negative.

we supposedly are well covered house wise. we checked after katrina/rita to make sure we were well covered.
as for whether we pay more or less than others, i don't know. but i do know the ratio of premiums paid to claims filed is tilted quite a bit in the ins co's favor!