I have a 2013 Kia Sorento. The compressor makes a sort of grinding, growling like sound when turned on. When the proper amount of freon is in the system. It cools fine. However, about every 2 years, it requires Freon to be added. Currently, I will be replacing the compressor, condenser/accumulator, expansion valve and all O rings. Is there any additional components that need to be replaced? Like any of the AC lines to ensure there are no metal filings in the system?

There are a few different ways you can go.

Why A/C Compressors Fail, and What Can Happen When They Do

A/C compressors typically fail because of a worn bearing. Bearings will wear naturally over time, but they will wear out faster if they’re poorly lubricated, if they’re under an unusual amount of strain (say, because there’s a coolant leak), or if there are contaminants in the system. Usually, when a compressor fails, it will make some noise to tell you failure is imminent.

However, sometimes A/C compressors fail in dramatic fashion. The compressor turbine will explode, sending metal shrapnel into the coolant flow. These metal bits will then deposit themselves in the condenser, expansion valve, and anywhere else there’s a good place for metal pieces to sit. If a compressor fails in this manner, most of the A/C system needs to be replaced, as there’s no reliable way to make sure all the metal pieces are removed otherwise.

When an A/C compressor fails, many shops will recommend replacing the entire system for the reason above. However, it’s not always necessary to replace the entire system.

What To Do When It’s Time To Replace An A/C Compressor

Historically, A/C compressors have been very costly to replace ($1000+). If this is the case for your vehicle, you want to replace the entire A/C system when you replace your compressor. However, for most vehicles, there’s a likely very inexpensive ($200) compressor available aftermarket.

These cheap aftermarket compressors aren’t great, but they should work OK for a few years. And because they’re so cheap, it can sometimes make sense to just replace the compressor only. The thinking is:

• Most of the time, compressor failure doesn’t result in metal contamination in the system
• If/when there are metal contaminants, they’re not guarantied to cause another compressor failure
• By replacing the compressor only, you can save hundreds of dollars in parts costs and at least that much in labor

So our recommendation here would be:

1. If a replacement compressor is very costly, OR if there’s definitely metal in the A/C system, replace the whole system
2. If you’re doing the repair yourself and/or your shop will warranty a compressor replacement only, just do the compressor
3. If you do the compressor only and there’s a chance of metal contamination, get a cheap one. That way, you’re not out a big investment if the new compressor fails.
4. If you’ve already tried doing the compressor only and it’s broken after a few weeks of use, you need to do the whole system

Finally, anytime you replace any component in the A/C system, be sure to have the system flushed. This will remove contaminants that can lead to failure.

More Info:

• MAHLE—Practical Tips For Replacing the A/C compressor and Flushing the A/C system
• Main Causes of A/C Compressor Failure – DENSO
• Delphi’s overview of compressors, which has some good background info for people who want to know more about the different types of compressors

The post Ask AAA: Should I Replace My Entire A/C System When I Replace My Compressor? appeared first on Accurate Auto Advice.

We had an appointment with the car salesman after emailing back and forth about a specific vehicle at the dealership. We had everything set up, but then the salesman told us that the car we wanted was sold just a day before our appointment.

This has happened to us quite a few times now. We’ve even gotten to the dealership just as someone else is making a deal on the same car we wanted. It’s been crazy.

Is this some kind of sales tactic?

Short answer: Probably not. Selling a car before a customer gets to the dealership is a good way to make people mad and convince them to buy elsewhere. Unless a salesperson is trying to waste your time to inflict emotional pain, this is probably just bad luck.

Salespeople Will Lie About Availability, But Only If Your Question Is Vague

Lying about whether or not a vehicle is available is a sales tactic. Sometimes, if a customer asks a vague question like “Do you have any used CR-Vs?” or “Do you have a new Camry Hybrid I can test drive?”, some salespeople reflexively say yes. They do this because it’s an easy lie to explain away.

If a salesperson lies about having used CR-Vs or a new Camry Hybrid, it’s pretty easy to walk it back with a “Oh, sorry, I was thinking about a different car,” or “We just sold it.” A customer may be annoyed by this lie, but because the question is vaguely worded, usually customers aren’t too upset.

If the question is very specific, on the other hand – something like “Do you have any used 2015 Honda CR-V’s with a power liftgate?” – it’s pretty hard to lie about that. A person asking that question is looking for something very specific, and lying to them is a good way to get in trouble with a manager.

So, as long as you’re asking specific questions, you’ll almost always get truthful answers.

Sometimes Salespeople Like To Torment Customers, But Usually It’s Just That The Car Is Sold

I have seen salespeople lie about having a car a customer wanted, waste the customer’s time working out details, and then call the customer at the last minute to say “Oops – the car sold!” The customer is disappointed, the salesperson has a laugh, and then they move on. However, it’s not common, as most salespeople are too lazy or too busy to bother with this sort of prank.

So, if you take the time to work out a specific deal, and the salesperson calls you to let you know the car isn’t available after all that work has been done, they’re probably telling the truth. They just don’t have much to gain by spending time with a customer they know they aren’t going to sell.

How To Keep Someone Else From Buying A Car Before You Can

If you’re trying to buy a vehicle and people keep buying what you want before you, there are some things you can do:

1. Get a pre-approval from your credit union. Most credit unions will give you a letter of credit for a specific dollar amount, with some rules about vehicle age and mileage. The letter gives you the security to make an offer on a car before all the financing is worked out, and can help you move more quickly.
2. Offer to put down a refundable deposit. Most dealerships won’t accept a refundable deposit, but it doesn’t hurt to ask. Just make sure the terms of the deposit explicitly say your payment is refundable…and then be sure to use a credit card to make the deposit, so you can dispute it if the dealership tries to keep your money.
3. Don’t hesitate. If you find a car that checks all your boxes, don’t wait until the weekend to go look at it. Take the kids, leave work early, whatever you have to do to get down there.
4. Don’t forget to get an inspection (used vehicles only). If you’re buying a used vehicle, you really want to get an inspection. You might skip this step if you’re buying a factory certified used car, and/or a car that’s still under the original factory warranty, but that’s taking a chance. Find a shop close to the dealership that’s willing to do a quick check-out, or hire one of the many used car inspection services.

Good luck!

The post Ask AAA: Is Lying About A Vehicle’s Availability Some Kind Of Sales Tactic? appeared first on Accurate Auto Advice.

Most automotive service contract companies (aka extended warranty companies) refuse to pay claims until you make a big stink. However, the way you go about making a big stink is important…you need to start with re-submitting your claim, then reach out to the selling dealership, and then work on the dealership’s general manager (GM). I explain all of this in detail below.

NOTE: I’m going to call an extended warranty a service contract in this article. That’s technically what they’re called in almost all cases.

Service Contract Companies Usually Deny Claims The First Time

In my years of working in the car business, I saw the exact same thing over and over:

• Person has an extended warranty/service contract on their car
• The car breaks, and the repair shop says it’s a problem that should be covered under the warranty/contract
• The service contract provider (aka extended warranty company) says they can’t cover the repair

When it comes to service contracts, denying claims is standard procedure. Service contract companies deny nearly every claim they see, because they know some people will hear no and give up.

So, the first thing to remember is this: Just because they denied your claim, don’t assume it’s over. Often times your denied claim will magically be approved once you re-submit and prove you’re going to be difficult to brush off.

Read Your Contract, and Then Check Your Claim Paperwork

Even if you’re certain that the repair you need is covered by the service contract, it’s important to read the agreement and make sure you understand what is and is not covered. When you’re arguing with the people that work at the service contract company, it’s helpful to be able to quote the relevant sections of the agreement to them. It’s also good to know what the service contract says about appealing denied claims, cancellation of the service contract, and refunds.

NOTE: If the agreement doesn’t cover your repair, or the agreement is vague, you’ve got your work cut out for you. But even if the agreement probably doesn’t cover the repair, it’s worth your time to try. Even a partial payment on a typical repair is going to be hundreds of dollars in your pocket.

Next, after you read your agreement, it’s a good idea to check the claim paperwork that you or your repair shop submitted. It may be that the repair shop didn’t submit enough supporting documentation, or that they weren’t specific enough as to the cause of your vehicle problems and the repairs needed.

Re-Submit Your Claim Along With A Letter

When you submit your claim again, you want to attach a letter to the claim explaining why you believe your claim was incorrectly denied:

• Be sure to explain what component failed and why it’s covered.
• State that you expect the repair to be covered in full, and that you intend to appeal anything less than full repair coverage.

Be sure to attach all required documentation to your letter, make a copy of everything, and then physically mail the letter to the contract company. If you can, scan a copy of all the paperwork so you can email it to anyone that requests it too.

Follow-Up On Your Re-Submitted Claim Daily

Once your letter is sent, it’s time to start calling the service contract company. Call them every day until they verify that they’ve received your letter. Then, call them everyday until they respond to your claim. Whenever you speak with someone, keep a record of that person’s name as well as the day and time of your call.

The only rule here is to be courteous when you call. Most of the people that work at these service contract companies are underpaid and overworked, and most of them get yelled at a lot. So, being nice to the people who answer the phone is good strategy. They’re much more likely to remember someone nice than to remember someone rude, and often times they can make sure your claim gets seen by the right person.

If Your Claim Is Denied Again, Talk To The Selling Dealer

If your claim is denied for a second time, it’s a good idea to contact the dealership that sold you the car and the service contract. Ask for the finance manager (that’s the person that sells service agreements in most dealerships), and explain to them that you’re having problems getting the claim covered. Be sure to give them all the details – how expensive the repair is, how difficult it’s going to be to pay, how hard it’s going to be for your family – lay it on thick.

Then, start asking questions:

• Does the service contract company usually deny claims? If they say no, ask them who they would recommend calling. If they say “I don’t know” or “I’m not sure,” ask them why they sold you the service contract in the first place.
• If they haven’t given you the info already, ask the finance manager for the name and phone number of someone working at the company. If they just give you the 1-800 number, ask them to give you a real point of contact instead.
• Ask the finance manager if the warranty can be cancelled and refunded.
• Ask the finance manager if they think you’d have more luck with your claim at the dealership’s repair shop, or another shop they recommend.

When you get off the phone, make notes about all the finance manager’s answers, as well as the date and time of your call. Hopefully, the finance manager gave you the contact information of a person at the service contract company that can actually help you. If so, call that person, explain your problem to them, and ask them to see if they can help.

But even if the finance manager didn’t give you a name and number, they gave you notes you can use down the line. Just remember to be courteous and calm at every step along the way. The dealership finance manager can help you, as can the person that they tell you to call. Be nice to these people so they feel compelled to help you.

Follow the Claim Appeal Process, Then Try The Dealership Again

If you still don’t have your claim approved, it’s time to follow the appeal process as laid out in the agreement. Appeals can work, so you should follow the process in detail.

If the appeal doesn’t work, you should call the selling dealer and ask to talk to the finance manager again. Explain to them that they sold you a service agreement that isn’t being honored, and that you need them to do the right thing. If they can’t or won’t help you, ask to speak to the dealership’s general manager.

When you get the general manager on the phone, start at the beginning. Explain what went wrong with your car and how the shop determined it was covered. Explain that your claim was denied, and that you re-submitted. List off all the times you called and the people you talked to. Tell the general manager that you called the finance manager who sold you the service agreement, and who they said to call.

You have three goals when you talk to the dealership GM:

1. You want them to know that you’ve been dragged thru the mud, and you want them to sympathize with you
2. You need to ask them if they have the power to make things right. If they say yes, great! If they say no, ask them why they’re selling a service contract that they don’t have any control over?
3. Ask the GM if the dealership can give you a full refund of the service agreement, unless they can get the repair covered

If this call goes well, the GM will probably try to do something on your behalf. Dealership GM’s have pull with the service agreement company, so be nice to the GM and make them your friend.

If you can go and see the selling dealership GM face to face, even better.

If That Doesn’t Work, Talk To A Consumer Protection Lawyer (Or Three)

At this point, you’ve done everything by the book. You should have a detailed account of everything you’ve said and done, what the service agreement company has said and done, and what the dealership has said and done. Now is a good time to speak with a couple of attorneys that specialize in consumer protection.

Most attorneys will give you a free consultation, and you’d be smart to call a few lawyers and get free consultations from each of them. Beware any lawyers that want a big retainer, or lawyers that promise you that they can get your claim covered.

But if you have a really good case, all the lawyers you talk to should be willing to work with you and open to doing something simple (like sending a letter) for a small fee. If you can’t afford the fee, or if all the lawyers all tell you it will be hard to win, than you’re probably “stuck.” But that doesn’t mean you can’t cause some trouble for the dealership and the service contract provider…

Reach Out To Local Media

Try sending an email to all the local TV news reporters that specialize in troubleshooting/consumer issues. Every TV station has a reporter that specializes in this kind of story, and local TV news is always looking for stories about car dealers that aren’t doing right by their customers.

When you call or email the reporter, keep it simple:

• You bought a car from a local dealership (tell them the name)
• The dealer sold you a bogus extended warranty
• The repair shop says your warranty should cover the repair
• The dealership is refusing to help you
• You have records of everything and you’re happy to share

If you can explain all of the above to a TV reporter in less than 60 seconds, there’s a chance they’ll ask for your records. If your records are compelling, there’s a chance they’ll call the dealership for comment. If the dealership cares at all about their reputation with the local news, they’ll contact you and try to make things right.

Remember: Reporters are busy, and they talk to a lot of crazy people. Be succinct and straightforward when you tell them your story. If you do a good job on the phone, you’ll probably be a good interview in front of a camera.

Complain To The Government

If you’ve tried everything you can think of and you’re not satisfied, you should file a complaint with the following entities:

• Your state attorney general
• Your state consumer affairs board (sometimes, this is also the attorney general’s office)
• Your state auto dealer licensing entity or dealership regulator
• Your state insurance regulator
• The federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

Odds are, these complaints won’t get you what you want. But you never know…a few state attorney generals have sued service contract companies, and they usually win:

• Here’s the attorney general in Minnesota suing a car warranty company
• The attorney general in Massachusetts sued a group of dealerships for selling “unhelpful warranties”
• The Missouri state attorney general sued a service contract company and got them to create a restitution fund as part of a settlement

And, even if the complaints don’t help you, they might make life a little harder for the dealership and the service agreement company.

Good luck!

The post What to Do When a Car Warranty Company Refuses to Pay a Claim appeared first on Accurate Auto Advice.

• A/C Service – Often, this is nothing more than a visual inspection of the air conditioning system, a temperature test, and maybe a vacuum test.
• Wheel Alignment – If you need a wheel alignment, you usually know…your car doesn’t drive in a straight line. There’s very little reason to do an alignment unless and until you notice an issue.

Generally speaking, no one should pay for either of these maintenance items unless they notice a problem.

And now, we can add “Injector Service” to the list of largely unnecessary maintenance.

What Is An Injector Service, Anyways?

If your vehicle runs on diesel or gasoline, it has fuel injectors. These are complicated little devices that spray a precise amount of fuel into your air intake (or, on some newer cars, directly into the cylinder). This fuel mixes with air, and then a spark is added and BOOM, combustion.

An “injector service” is nothing more than running some cleaning fluid (called “fuel injector cleaner”) thru your injectors. The fluid that dealerships will use is the same stuff you can buy yourself and your local auto parts store.

Is There Ever A Good Reason To Pay For An Injector Service?

Probably not. A clogged injector is not common, but also not rare. If you have a clogged fuel injector (or injectors), these are some of the issues you’ll notice:

1. Your vehicle is hesitating under acceleration, or
2. Your vehicle feels like it’s slower than normal, or
3. You’ve had an issue with your vehicle stalling

If you’ve noticed these problems, than cleaning your injectors is a good idea…but you can clean your injectors yourself! It’s super easy, in fact.

Step 1 is to Go to your local Wal-Mart or Target and buy a bottle of fuel injector cleaner (any brand will due).

Step 2 is to go to the gas station. Pour the bottle of cleaner into your fuel tank when you get there, and then fill up the tank with fuel.

Step 3 is to drive around until your gas tank is almost empty. You can do this over several days – the fuel injector cleaner is effective for weeks.

If your problems are a result of a clogged injector, your vehicle will start driving better within a few days. And, if it doesn’t, you can certainly try repeating the process with another bottle of fuel injector cleaner.

What If The DIY Fuel Injection Cleaning Doesn’t Solve My Problem?

If you’ve tried pouring a bottle of fuel injector cleaner into your gas tank a couple of times and it hasn’t worked, you may not have a dirty injector. The fuel injector cleaner you can buy at the store works pretty well, and it’s unlikely that the “pro” cleaner will do any better.

Unfortunately, the same symptoms that are associated with a clogged injector are also associated with a clogged fuel filter, a failing fuel pump, a failed injector, or even something as simple as contaminated fuel. So, if your DIY fuel injection cleaning doesn’t work, my advice is to take your vehicle to your local shop. Tell the shop about your vehicle’s symptoms, let them know you tried a couple of bottles of fuel injector cleaner, and let them figure it out.

Summing Up

Don’t pay for a fuel injection service. Instead, if you suspect a problem with a dirty injector, just buy a bottle of fuel injector cleaner at Wal-Mart and pour it in the tank.

And, if you’d like to clean the injectors just because, feel free to do so. Pouring a bottle of fuel injector cleaner into your car every few months probably isn’t necessary, but it’s also not going to hurt anything eiterh.

The post Fuel Injector Service Is Unnecessary Maintenance appeared first on Accurate Auto Advice.

“Increase your gas mileage 20-90% by adding a supplemental hydrogen generator to your car! A supplemental hydrogen generator works simply enough – you put distilled water in a special canister in your car, and electricity from your car’s battery is used to separate that water into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen is added to your car’s fuel because hydrogen burns very well (hydrogen is a very combustible gas), and it reduces the amount of gas you use! The oxygen is added to the air your car breathes in. Oxygen is needed for combustion, and more of it makes your car more efficient. One gallon of water is enough to provide oxygen and hydrogen for hundreds of miles!”

While there is some science to support adding hydrogen to fuel to improve combustion, the people selling these devices are usually full of…beans. Here’s more information about hydrogenated fuels, how they can work, and some advice about spotting a scam.

Adding Hydrogen To Fuel Can Boost Fuel Economy

When fuel and air are mixed together in the cylinder of your engine, you get combustion. Combustion – which is a fancy word for “controlled explosion” – generates force to move a piston, as well as heat. Of course, different types of fuel combust differently, and this means that altering the chemical composition of fuel can have a pretty big impact on the combustion process.

If we’re talking about a diesel combustion process that uses diesel fuel, than there’s quite a bit of evidence that adding hydrogen to this fuel can improve diesel fuel economy:

• DynaCERT, which makes fuel hydrogenation devices for commercial diesel trucks, has provided documentation that their devices save fuel
• Popular Mechanics has reported similar claims from another device company HyTech Power

Both DynaCERT and Popular Mechanics explain that, because hydrogen combusts more quickly than diesel, adding hydrogen to diesel fuel can improve engine efficiency. The fast-burning hydrogen additive ensures more complete combustion, to the point that fuel economy can improve as much as 20%.

While there’s a dearth of research to support these claims (I challenge anyone to find a paper about this technology on SAE.org), it’s hard to argue with performance guarantees or 3rd party testing lab results. There’s every reason in the world to take these companies at their word.

But for every company like DynaCERT or HyTech Power, there’s at least one charlatan hawking “HHO Kits” that promise to turn water into fuel, with fantastic promises about fuel economy improvements (like the 90% promised in the copy at the top of this article). It’s impossible to believe.

Why Adding Hydrogen To Gasoline Probably Won’t Help You

While there is research to suggest that adding hydrogen to gasoline can boost flame speed and enhance combustion (see this paper, this paper, or this paper from way back in 1936), it’s unlikely that anyone with a modern gas powered car would see much benefit from hydrogenated fuel. This is because modern gasoline engines are designed to keep combustion temperatures down, thus negating a lot of the hydrogenation benefit.

If you study the three papers linked to above, you’ll learn that hydrogen has the following impacts:

1. The amount of heat from the combustion process increases
2. This additional heat makes the process more efficient, but it increases the amount of NOx formed during combustion (NOx is nitrogen oxide, a pollutant)

Because NOx is a pollutant, most modern car engines are designed to stop it from forming. This is done with EGR (exhaust gas recirculation), which pumps exhaust gases into the engine cylinder before combustion. These exhaust gases reduce power, intentionally reducing the amount of fuel and air in the cylinder in order to keep temperatures down.

So, basically, pumping hydrogenated gasoline into your engine might* increase combustion temperatures. But if it does, the EGR system on a modern car is going to respond by putting more exhaust gases into the cylinder.

*Might is the key word here, because there’s no proof of this actually occurring. Modern engines are carefully designed and tuned to maximize efficiency while keeping combustion temperatures low, so it may be that adding hydrogen to a carefully designed engine has very little impact.

So, Are Hydrogen Kits A Scam?

The short answer is maybe.

• If it’s a device sold by a reputable company with supporting third party research and/or some sort of performance guarantee? If so, it’s probably legit. DynaCERT, for example, has ample evidence to support it’s claims.
• If it’s a device offered by “some guy” on Amazon or eBay, with absolutely no supporting third party research? You can throw it in the scam bucket and move on.
• If the kit seller promises 90% improvement in fuel economy? Forget about it. DynaCERT, for example, says that 20% is the most they’ve seen. Research suggests the average benefit is closer to a single digit percentage. So, somewhere between 5% and 20% is within reason. Anything beyond that is just beans.

Suffice to say, if you’re looking at a hydrogen kit for your car, truck, SUV, or Peterbilt, it’s a very good idea to ask for documentation, find out what the refund policy is, and check all the sources they provide.

And if the company claims more than 20% improvement in fuel economy, it’s probably a scam.

NOTE: This article was initially published in 2008. However, after speaking with a representative from DynaCERT, as well as some additional reading I’ve done over the last 10 years, I’ve updated this article. If you have questions or comments about this post, feel free to contact me.

The post Adding Hydrogen To Your Fuel MIGHT Save You Money – And It Might Be A Scam appeared first on Accurate Auto Advice.

Q. I read your article about how much a new car should cost, and I checked pricing on TrueCar and the True Market Value pricing on Edmunds.com. Are these prices really accurate? How do I know that these prices aren’t inflated? If most people are bad at negotiating, these prices are too high, right?

Short answer: Both Edmunds and TrueCar have generally accurate information about car pricing. Still, it’s a good idea to evaluate the prices they provide and do your own comparison shopping.

TrueCar and Edmunds True Market Value Pricing – Where The Data Comes From

Both TrueCar and Edmunds.com provide pricing data to the general public on their websites. According to both companies, the pricing information they provide is based on transaction data. But where does this transaction data come from?

According to TrueCar, the data is collected via ‘aggregators’ – from their FAQ page:

TrueCar obtains and processes data from well-known data aggregators within the automotive space to ensure that we present the most accurate pricing information available.

Edmunds.com has a press release about TMV that explains the data comes from ‘private parties’ that seem to include dealerships.

In my opinion, these statements are corporate speak for “we grab data from dealerships that do business with us and use that to determine price estimates.”

To be clear, this is not a bad way to get data. Most of the information about vehicle pricing comes from dealership transaction data. However, because of the way the data is sourced, it’s important to think about sample size.

Sample Size – More Transaction Data Leads To More Accuracy

In statistics, a larger sample size leads to a more certain result. If we’re wondering how often a coin flip will come up heads, we can flip the coin twice (2 samples), or we can flip it 100 times (100 samples). Sampling 100 coin flips will probably show a 50-50 chance of coming up heads. But sampling 2 coin flips? That could give us some bogus data.

To bring this back to cars, consider the 2018 Honda Civic Type R. This is a relatively rare car – Honda will only make a few thousand of them this year. If we check the price for a new Type R Civic on TrueCar, here’s what we see (as of August 2018):

I’d like to draw your attention to the lower part of the screenshot above, where the red arrow points to the number of transactions in the national database for this particular vehicle.

Now, let’s take a look at the pricing data for a Civic LX sedan and see how many samples TrueCar has:

Quite a difference, eh? More than 1,000 samples, according to the screenshot.

To be clear, I am NOT saying that TrueCar data isn’t useful. As a matter of fact, I’m a big fan of TrueCar and don’t hesitate to recommend them (as well as Edmunds). And even with just 61 transactions in the data sample, I’d say the Civic Type R price estimate is very reasonable. But that price estimate is definitely not as trustworthy as the 1,000+ samples they have for Civic LX sedan pricing.

So Is TrueCar and/or Edmunds True Market Value Data Accurate?

Is TrueCar and/or Edmunds True Market Value data accurate? Yes, but it’s no substitute for due diligence. If you’re thinking about buying a new car, you definitely want to check and see what TrueCar and Edmunds True Market Value say. You also definitely want to contact your local dealers and request purchase quotes.

You also want to lookup dealer invoice for the vehicle you want to buy, and base your purchase offer on all of the information you gather.

Is TrueCar or Edmunds TMV Pricing Inflated Because Most People Are Bad Negotiators?

One of the more interesting questions I’ve been asked recently was something along the lines of “Am I sucker to pay TrueCar when I know most people pay too much for a new car?” The answer is no, and here’s why: Car dealers reference TrueCar and Edmunds TMV data too.

Imagine you’re a sales manager at a dealership, and a customer offers you $36,500 for a new Civic Type R. According to the data referenced above, the average consumer is paying almost $1400 more than this customer is offering. As a sales manager, you probably say no to that offer, right?

The more data that TrueCar and Edmunds TMV accumulate, the more accurate it becomes. It’s sort of a circular relationship, in fact.

Summing Up

As I’ve said, I’m a fan of both TrueCar and Edmunds TMV. They’re excellent tools, particularly because they’re free. However, there are some things to keep in mind when using these tools:

1. If you’re looking at a rare or limited availability vehicle, the data is less likely to be accurate
2. Pricing data is ‘backward looking,’ meaning it doesn’t reflect new rebates, dealer cash, etc.
3. Your local new car dealers are a great resource for figuring out the best price. Ask five or ten of them for a price quote, and odds are you’ll get a good price from one of them.

When I personally shop for cars – or help a friend buy a car – I start by checking TrueCar and Edmunds TMV. But I don’t stop there, and neither should you.

The post Is TrueCar or Edmunds True Market Value Pricing Data Accurate? Ask AAA appeared first on Accurate Auto Advice.

Q. I bought a new car, but I’ve changed my mind. It’s only been a couple of days – is there anything I can do to get out of the deal?

Short answer: Probably not. But, still there are some things you can try.

Disclaimer: Contracts are for lawyers.

Before we get started with this topic, please know that I am not a lawyer. I’m a guy that worked in dealerships for a decade or so, and the process I’ve outlined below is based on things that I’ve seen people do to successfully get out of a car deal. However, none of it is legal advice.

Generally speaking, if you’re trying to get out of a deal, you want a lawyer. Weaseling out of agreements is what a lot of lawyers do for a living, and some of them are quite good at it. Even better, many lawyers will offer you a free consultation, so there’s really no reason not to call one.

If you don’t hire a lawyer, or don’t like what the lawyer has to say and you decide to take a “DIY” approach, this process is for you.

But whatever you do, understand this process is not legal advice, and may in fact be stupid advice. Use it at your own risk!

And now, let’s continue…

There Are Risks With Canceling A Car Deal

Canceling a car deal is hard. No one should expect to take a car off a dealer’s lot, drive it around for a little while, and then give it back to the dealership without consequence. Here’s what you can expect to happen when you try to cancel a deal:

• If you manage to cancel the deal, you could be asked to pay a fee for the use of the vehicle
• If you manage to cancel the deal, the dealer may try to keep your down payment and/or trade-in
• Whether you manage to cancel or not, the dealer could sue you for any of the things you say or do
• If you don’t manage to cancel the deal, you could be forced to keep a car you don’t really want

Because canceling a car deal is hard, it’s a good idea to be open to a compromise. If you start the process outlined below and the dealer offers to reduce your payments, that’s a win. If the dealer offers to let you exchange the car you bought for a different one, that’s a win too.

How To Try and Cancel A Car Deal By Yourself

If you want to cancel a car deal and you can not or will not get a lawyer’s help, you can try the steps outlined below. In my experience, each step can be effective.

First, before you do anything, review each aspect of the deal you’ve made. Generally, every car deal has four aspects:

1. Both sides have to agree to terms (price, equipment, and accessories) on a specific vehicle to buy/sell
2. Both sides have to agree to terms on a trade – and potentially paying off that trade – if applicable
3. Unless you’re paying cash, you or the dealer has agreed to arrange financing, and your deal may be contingent upon financing
4. Both sides sign a series of legal documents that record the sale with the state, the bank, and so on

A mistake or problem with any one of these aspects of the deal can potentially invalidate the entire deal. At the very least, a problem or mistake can give you leverage to try and rescind or rework a deal.

Step 1 – Review All Your Docs

First, read all your documents. There’s a section somewhere pertaining to cancellation. Be sure to read that section and understand it so you know what to expect when you ask the dealer to cancel the deal.

Second, look for paperwork errors. If the dealership has made a mistake somehow – the wrong VIN, the wrong mileage on the buyer’s order, a forgotten signature or initial somewhere – that can become leverage:

• If the dealership forgot to have you sign something, the dealership may need you to sign new paperwork. You can refuse until they change your deal.
• If the dealership’s paperwork has the wrong VIN, the wrong color, the wrong mileage, the wrong name, it probably needs to be corrected. You can refuse to sign corrected documents and until they change your deal.
• If the dealership underestimated your vehicle payoff, they may try to collect more money from you. You can refuse to pay and demand a change to your deal.

And so on. Doing any of these things could make you liable for a lawsuit (I have not idea), but in my experience I can’t say I’ve ever heard of a dealer suing a customer for demanding a better deal in exchange for signing new paperwork.

The fact is, paperwork errors are quite common in the car business. If you look hard enough, you can probably find an error somewhere.

Step 2 – Figure Out Who Your State Regulators Are

Every state has some entity that regulates car dealerships. In some states, there’s a licensing board for dealers. In others, there’s a consumer affairs or consumer protection office. Every state has an attorney general too.

The key here is to figure out what entity you would complain to in your state about the dealership. Make sure you know the correct name of the entity, and how to file a complaint with this entity. You don’t actually want to complain at this point, you just want to know the details so you can start pulling together documentation.

Step 3 – Return the Car To The Dealer’s Lot

Bringing the car back to the dealership is important. While parking the car on the dealer’s lot isn’t actually enough to cancel deal, it is enough to get the dealer’s attention.

To return the car:

• You can park the car in the dealer’s parking lot and then drop the keys off at the front desk or with whichever sales manager is around.
• If the dealership manager refuses to take your car keys, place the keys in an envelope and drop them in the “night drop” box after hours. Be sure to include a note/letter that you are returning the car, and that you believe the keys are the dealer’s property.
• Send an email to the sales manager at the dealership explaining that you have returned the car, where you parked it, and where the keys can be found. Be sure to send this same email to the salesperson you worked with, the finance manager, and anyone else at the dealership you have an email address for.
• Be sure to explain that you do not believe the deal is valid, and that you are therefore returning the dealer’s property to them.

To be clear: This is not enough to cancel a deal, and it does come with some risk. The dealership could decide your vehicle has been abandoned, and have it towed away and impounded at your expense. It’s up to you to determine how serious this (or other similar threats) may be. I do not know of any dealer doing this, but I have heard stories…so proceed at your own risk.

Still, if you genuinely believe that your car deal is invalid, returning the car to the dealership makes sense.

Step 4 – Ask To Talk to The Dealership’s General Manager

In all but the largest dealerships, the general manager (GM) is the only person empowered to cancel a car deal. Everyone else – salespeople, finance managers, sales managers, and even general sales managers – can’t cancel a deal without the GM’s approval. So, don’t bother talking to anyone else.

When the dealership realizes you’ve brought the car back, someone is going to call you. Unless that person is the GM, explain that you need to talk to the GM and that no one else will do.

When you get the GM on the phone, be sure to follow these rules:

• Be polite. The GM is one of the only people in the world who can snap their fingers and solve your problem…so be nice, stay calm, and explain your situation as best you can.
• Ask for the dealership to cancel the deal. Explain that you believe the deal may not be valid, and that even if it is valid, you no longer desire the car.
• If you’re open to buying a different car on the dealer’s lot instead, say as much. An ‘exchange’ is easier for a dealership than a ‘return.’
• If your life or financial situation has changed substantially – you or your spouse has lost a job, been diagnosed with a serious illness, etc – say so. These facts can sway most GMs, in my experience.
• Do not make threats. Threats do not change facts, and they aren’t usually taken seriously.

At this point, the dealership’s general manager just might surprise you. Dealerships are a lot more concerned about customer satisfaction than they used to be, and many dealers are sympathetic to consumers who have a good reason for wanting out of a deal.

However, if the general manager does not offer a satisfactory compromise, there’s a couple of things you can try.

• Say that you believe you’ve found a serious error in the paperwork, but that you’re not ready to elaborate until you speak with your attorney. Be as vague as possible here – do not say what the paperwork error is, and be sure to say that you “believe” you’ve found an error.
• Explain that you’re making notes of every interaction with the dealership and that you’re “building a file.” Explain that you’ve reviewed the complaint procedures with the state regulator, but that you have not filed a complaint in the hope that you can work things out.
• At the end of the conversation, thank the GM for their time and verify that they have your contact info.

If the conversation has gone well and you’ve found a way to cancel your deal – or if the GM has offered some compromise you can live with – congratulations.

If the conversation has gone poorly, don’t give up. You’ve planted the notion that there’s an error in the dealer’s paperwork, and the dealership is going to spend several hours looking for that error. Even if you didn’t find an error, the dealership may realize they made a mistake and change their position accordingly.

Step 5 – Escalate To The Dealership Owner(s)

Most car dealerships are owned by some corporation somewhere. Your job is to figure out the name of the company that owns the dealership, and then email someone important at that company and make a complaint.

• You can figure out who owns a dealership by reading your paperwork or checking the dealership website. A lot of corporate dealers will have the corporation’s name listed on the ‘about’ page, or the corporate will be named on the website’s “terms and conditions” or “privacy policy” pages.
• Once you figure out the corporation that owns the dealership, search for that company on LinkedIn. You can find the President, COO, VPs, etc. Send an email outlining your problem to every senior level person you find.
• If you can’t figure out the email address, try calling the corporate office and asking to speak with each of these people, or asking if you can send one of these people an email instead of leaving a voicemail.

If the dealer is part of a national chain, a complaint email sent to a few corporate officers will get attention. If the dealership is owned by an individual and you can get word to them about your problem, they may ask the GM to follow-up and make it go away. If the dealership’s GM is also the owner, bummer. But at least now you know.

When someone from the owner’s office contacts you – or when the GM reaches out – stick to the same story:

1. You believe you have found a serious error, and you do not believe the deal is valid.
2. Even if the error is not serious, you do not want the car.
3. Ask for the dealer to cancel the deal.

If the dealer offers a compromise you can accept, strongly consider taking the offer.

Step 6 – Escalate to the Manufacturer (New Car Dealers Only)

If you’re not getting the level of attention you deserve, you may want to get the manufacturer involved. Most of the time, this won’t have a huge effect…most manufacturers don’t really care about complaints about dealers. In many cases, they just refer the complaint right back to the dealership.

However, complaining to the manufacturer shows that you’re not going away. The dealership may have someone contact you within a day or two of your complaint. When someone from the dealership contacts you, stick to your story: There’s an error in the paperwork, you do not believe the car deal is valid, and you don’t want the car anyways.

Step 7 – Escalate To State Regulators

If you’ve done all of the above and you’re not getting anywhere, it’s time to file a complaint with the state regulator. Contact your state’s dealer licensing board, state consumer affairs bureau, or state Attorney General’s office. The complaint doesn’t have to be relevant to your desire to return the car – it just has to be a valid complaint:

• Did the salesperson misrepresent the car somehow?
• Did the salesperson or finance manager fill out your credit application for you?
• Did the finance manager ask you to sign any blank documents?
• Is there a paperwork error?
• Did the dealer forget to document something that they promised?
• Did anyone at the dealership pressure you?

If you think about the transaction, you can probably find a few things to complain about. List all the items in your complaint. Document as much as possible, as clinically as possible. Be sure to mention that you have spoken with the GM at the dealership, and include them by name in your complaint. You’re probably going to want to put all of the complaints into a letter or email, and you’re welcome to send a carbon copy to everyone at the dealership and at the owner’s offices too.

Step 8 – Follow-Up With The General Manager One Last Time

Before you go to the media in an attempt to apply maximum pressure, it’s a good idea to try the dealership’s general manager one last time. Explain that you do not believe your deal is valid. Explain that you do not want the car. Explain that you’ve filed a complaint with the dealership owner(s), the manufacturer, and/or the state regulators. Explain that you will take your story to the media, and that in light of all the complaints you’ve made, you believe the media will take your problem seriously.

Most GMs will offer you some sort of compromise at this point. If you can accept the compromise, strongly consider doing so, as there is no guarantee the media will be interested in your story.

Step 9 – Contact The Local Media

The easiest way to get local media to cover your story is to go to your local TV stations – preferably the designated investigative reporter at each station. Send them an email or place a phone call and keep it simple:

My name is [insert name], and I’ve had a major problem with [dealership].  I have complained to the dealership’s General Manager, I have complained to the owner of the dealership, I have complained to the manufacturer, and I have filed a complaint with the [state regulator].

I am happy to tell my story on camera. My phone number is [number] and I am available to talk any time. I can also put you in contact with the dealership’s general manager so you can verify my story.

This email is short and doesn’t go into much detail, because you want them to respond. Don’t dump your whole story into a massive email, as they won’t read it.

Once you get the reporter (or their producer) on the phone, explain that you had a bad experience with the dealership, that you’ve filed a complaint with everyone you can think of, and that the dealership doesn’t care. If the reporter thinks they have a good story, they will take the GM’s contact info and follow-up.

Also, if you’re emailing the reporter, there’s no reason not to cc everyone at the dealership you have an email address for, everyone at the corporate office, etc. and so on. There’s no reason not to, assuming your complaint is factual and you’re not saying anything untrue.

Step 10 – Complain To The Feds

A complaint to the federal government (either the FTC or the CFPB) often takes weeks or months to process. Odds are good that everyone will have moved on by the time the federal government gets around to responding to your complaint.

Still, if you are down to your last shot, you can contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) or Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Both entities have online complaint forms, so it’s pretty easy to fire off a complaint and see what happens. And, just like before, feel free to send a few emails about the fact that you’ve filed a complaint with federal government. The local news might be interested, not to mention the people that own the dealership, the dealership staff, etc.

Know When To Compromise, and Don’t Do Anything Stupid

People get emotional when they’re fighting to get out of a car deal. It’s easy to say or do something stupid. Here are some suggestions based on things I’ve seen or that have happened to me personally:

• Don’t threaten to harm anyone. This happened a few times in my career, and we called the cops most of those times.
• Don’t break windows at the dealership. This happened a couple of times in my career, and we called the cops.
• Don’t call people names or insult them. It’s hard to get what you want when people hate you.
• Don’t threaten to sue. If it’s a corporate dealership, the lawsuit threat means the GM can wash his or her hands of your situation and let the corporate attorney handle the whole thing. That’s not what you want.
• Don’t damage or vandalize the car. You might have to keep it, after all.
• Don’t refuse to make payments. It’s only your credit rating that will suffer if you refuse to make payments – the dealer gets paid by the bank as soon as the paperwork is accepted.

Last but not least, don’t let your pride get in the way of making a compromise. The process outlined above is mostly about making a big stink, and hoping that the dealership determines you’re more trouble than you’re worth. Make a stink in the kindest, nicest way possible, and someone at the dealership might be convinced to see things your way.

The post How Can I Get A Dealership To Cancel A Car Deal? appeared first on Accurate Auto Advice.

• They won’t agree to fix your car under warranty
• They won’t make a repair to a car you bought from them
• They won’t honor previously agreed to financing or payment terms
• They won’t honor a trade-in valuation, a previously quoted price

This article is for you. While we have articles on each of these specific issues, this general article is a good guide for any dealership customer service problem. Follow the process below, and I guarantee you’ll make progress with the dealership.

Step 1 – Ask For The Department Manager

If you’re having a problem with a sales person, you need to speak to the sales manager. If you’re having a problem with service, you need to speak to the service manager. Say “I’m sorry, but I think I need to speak to the person in charge of your department. Who is that person, and can I talk to them right now?”

When you speak with the manager:

• Ask if they’re in charge of the department. If they aren’t, ask if that person is available.
• Get their business card, if for no other reason than to prove that you spoke to them and to mention them by name later.

Then, do your best to explain what it is that you want, why the dealership needs to give you what you want, etc.

Step 2 – Be Patient and Polite

Dealership managers get yelled at A LOT – it’s one of the worst things about working in the car business. Every dealership manager has been yelled at more times than they can count, and most of them don’t react to it well. Some managers intentionally obstruct customers that yell at them (that’s what I did when I was a manager – yelling at me was a great way to get nothing), others respond to yelling and threats by yelling back.

Either way, if you want the dealership manager to solve your problem, you need them to like you. You do that by being patient and polite. It works because most people aren’t patient or polite, and you’ll stand out to them (in a good way) if you act this way.

Now don’t get me wrong – patient doesn’t mean giving them days to get back to you, and polite doesn’t mean going with whatever they want – it just means that you treat them with respect and acknowledge that you aren’t their only customer.

Step 3 – Say What You Want, Keep It Simple, and Don’t Accuse

If you’re mad at the dealership because they didn’t wash your car after changing the oil, than you say “I’m mad because my car wasn’t washed after it was serviced, and I thought someone was going to do that. I’d like it washed as soon as possible.” Here’s why:

• It’s short and to the point. You’re not trying to explain all the little things that made you mad, all the things people said to you earlier to try and make you happy, etc. You’re just giving them the essentials.
• You’re saying what you want. If you tell the manager you’re speaking to what you want right up front, odds are very good they’ll just say “OK” if it’s something they can do.
• You’re not using the word “YOU”. You is a bad word here – “you” assigns blame. Blame makes people defensive. Defensive people don’t help you. So, don’t use the word “you.”

Step 4 – Ask For The General Manager

If you’re not getting anywhere with the manager you’re speaking to, you need to speak to the dealership’s GM. They are empowered to do just about anything, and they understand that anyone who asks for them needs to be heard. When you speak to them:

• Tell them what you want, keep it simple, and don’t accuse
• Explain that you’ve already spoken to manager X, manager Y, etc. (this is why you want to grab business cards from everyone you speak with)
• Tell them that you know they’re busy, that you understand they have a business to run, but that you thought this warranted their attention

Almost all of the time, the GM is going to try and work out a compromise with you. It may not be what you want, but hear them out…they’re usually the person most likely to give you want you want beyond a lower level manager.

If the GM isn’t doing what you want them to do, you need to leave them with this:

“I appreciate your time today. Please understand that I’m not going to let this go. I intend to contact the dealership owner, and if that isn’t satisfactory I’m going to try and take my complaint further. However, I’d really like to work this out with you. Is there anything else you can do for me?”

This is literally the last thing you say, and if the GM was thinking that maybe you’d forget it and move on, this will convince them you’re serious. They’ll make you their very best “offer” at this point, or just reiterate what they’ve already offered. Either way, you should seriously consider what they’re offering, because it usually doesn’t get better.

Step 5 – Try and Speak With The Dealership Owner

Dealership owners (aka dealer principals) are hard to get in touch with. Sometimes, they’re big faceless corporations. Other times, they’re family owned businesses where the owner is the GM.

If you’re working with a dealership owned by a corporation like AutoNation, Penske, Group 1, Sonic, etc., you just need to find their corporate website, call them up, and talk to someone in customer service. It’s probably not going to make a huge difference to talk to this person, but it might help. Some corporations track the number of complaints about dealerships they own, and use that to evaluate GM.

If the dealership is a small family business and you’ve already spoken to the owner because he or she is the GM, than you’re out of luck here.

Step 6 – Contact The Auto Manufacturer

If you’re dealing with a dealer that is a franchise (eg they sell brand new cars), you can contact the automaker’s customer service line and complain. Usually, these complaints go right back to the dealership manager, but sometimes they don’t.

Step 7 – Contact Your Local State Regulators

In some states (like Colorado, where I live), there is a dealer board or dealership regulatory authority that you can file a complaint with. In other states, the only entity you can complain to is the state Attorney General or the state consumer protection bureau. You can search on Google to figure out what you have in your state, and then follow their complaint process.

If you have to file paperwork to complain, be sure to send a copy to the dealership’s general manager. If nothing else, it will show them that you’re not going away.

Step 8 – Complain To Local Media

Last but not least, if you STILL don’t have a satisfactory resolution to your problem, you can complain to local media. Just understand that this is the “scorched earth” approach, and that a lot of dealerships will completely disengage with you once you’ve gone this route.

So, before you call up the local news TV stations (that’s your best bet – they often need stories to fill hours of programming), understand that this is usually just about getting even rather than getting what you want.

Still, if it’s a pound of flesh that you’re after, local TV is a good bet. Do your best to come across as reasonable and responsible, and provide them with details and documentation (copies of emails, copies of notes, etc.) so that they can feel comfortable reporting your story without being accused of defamation later.

Summing Up

If you’re having a customer service problem with your local car dealer, here’s what you need to do:

• Ask for the manager
• Be respectful (patient and polite)
• Say what you want and keep it simple
• Ask for the GM (assuming you didn’t already get what you wanted)
• Understand that if the GM can’t help you, your odds of getting what you want are low

Finally, my personal opinion is that most dealership GMs are pretty smart when it comes to addressing customer complaints. If they’re not giving you what you want, there’s a better than 50% chance that what you want isn’t reasonable.

Good luck!

The post Car Dealership Customer Service Tips appeared first on Accurate Auto Advice.

My car had a breakdown last week, and it was towed to a reputable repair shop where I regularly service my car. They fixed the problem and emailed the invoice to my warranty company for reimbursement. However, my claim was declined because – according to the warranty company – I didn’t seek their approval before submitting a reimbursement claim. Can they do this?

Short answer: Yes, but that doesn’t mean you won’t eventually get paid.

Most Service Contract Claims Are Denied The First Time Around

Generally speaking, if you buy a service contract for your vehicle that isn’t affiliated with an automaker, any claims you submit will be denied as a matter of course. Most of the companies that sell service contracts assume that either:

1. They’re never going to have to pay claims (because vehicles don’t break very much) or,
2. They can deny claims and no one will call them on their BS

#2 is surprisingly common. In fact, I’ve been told point blank by people working at more than one service agreement company that they’re trained to deny every claim they receive. Every. Single. One.

So, basically, don’t believe that a denial is firm. Every denial should absolutely be appealed.

NOTE: Service contracts sold by automakers like Ford, Toyota, etc. are not at all like most service contracts. When you buy an official service contract from an automaker, they understand that their reputation is on the line. While they will deny claims from time to time, it’s a fairly rare occurrence. So, if you buy a service contract (aka extended warranty), be sure to get the official plan available directly from the automaker.

How To Appeal A Denied Service Contract Claim

If you file a claim with an extended warranty provider and they deny the claim, that’s just the first round in what could be a 12 round fight. Here’s a good plan of attack:

1. Follow-up any denied claims with a phone call. Write down when you called, who you spoke with, and then ask them to review and approve the claim.
2. If the person you start with can’t approve your claim, ask to speak to a supervisor. Be sure to write down names and phone numbers for everyone you speak with. If they have email, get that. If not, get their mailing address for all correspondence.
3. If your claim is still denied, ask the supervisor to explain why the claim was denied specifically. If possible, ask for this explanation to be given to you by email. If they won’t give you an email, take notes as best you can and then send a letter (via certified mail) documenting the phone call and what you understood.
4. If the claim was denied for mechanical reasons, ask your mechanic about it. If the mechanic feels the explanation is bogus, ask them if they will write a letter (or sign a letter you write for them) challenging the warranty company’s explanation. Then, get this letter to the supervisor you spoke with and ask for an appeal.
5. If the claim was denied for non-mechanical reasons, ask if the claim would have been approved otherwise. If the answer is yes, document this via email and/or certified mail.
6. Ask for the warranty company’s official name of record with the state that you live in. If you’re going to file a claim against this company with your state’s regulators, you need this info. Ask for a copy of their state business license or documentation proving that they are licensed in your state (they may not provide it, but it’s worth asking for).
7. Ask about the formal appeal process, and then follow it to the letter. Use certified mail for any written correspondence.
8. If the formal appeal process fails, consider filing a complaint with state regulators. Many states have some sort of regulatory authority that deals with service contracts/warranties, and you can file a complaint with them that can trigger yet another review of your claim.
9. File a claim in small claims court. If you’ve got documentation and you can argue that the warranty company is being difficult and/or refusing to pay a covered claim, you’ve got a good chance of winning in small claims court. Just make sure you have documentation of everything you’ve done (this is where the phone call notes pay off), all the messages you’ve sent and received, etc. Then, take them to court! This article is a good starting point.

Odds are good, however, that you won’t have to go to court to win. Warranty companies understand that the squeaky wheel needs to be taken care of, so if you follow the process as outlined, you’ll likely get offered some sort of compromise at some point. Sometimes, they’ll offer to pay for parts, or to pay for half, or to pay the claim and cancel the policy – whatever. If the offer is reasonable, take it.

Finally, Remember the Golden Rule

The greedy, unscrupulous people that own or run most of the 3rd party warranty companies are not deserving of anyone’s respect, in my opinion. Most of these people are severely lacking in morals. A good dressing-down is all that these people deserve.

However, the people that process and review claims are not the same people that own or manage the company. Odds are good that the person who you call and talk to is just as sick of the company they work for as you are, and if you’re nice to that person, they’re far more likely to reverse a denial.

So, be nice to the people you talk to. Unless you somehow manage to get the President of the company on the phone, it’s a good idea to be polite. Again, having spoken to many people that have worked at these types of companies over the years, I can tell you that most of them hate their jobs after just a few months. They’re often looking for someone to make an exception for just to “stick it” to the boss, so make it easy for them. Be nice, be charming, and don’t give up.

Good luck!

OBLIGATORY LEGAL ADVICE NOTE: Certified mail is legal correspondence. I use it for any interactions with companies as described above. However, I’m no lawyer, and an actual lawyer might not advise the use of certified mail in all circumstances. So, this is a disclaimer to say that if you’re going to use certified mail, there’s a risk you’ll say the wrong thing and undermine your position. If you’re concerned about these risks, talk to a lawyer.

The post Ask AAA: Can My Warranty Company Deny A Repair Claim Because I Didn’t Get Prior Approval? appeared first on Accurate Auto Advice.

Looking at purchasing a 2001 Dodge Stratus R/T; it has the 3.0 V6 engine and manual transmission, with 92k miles. I’ve had a Chrysler Sebring in the past and remember how much of a pain that car was, but know that it was a completely different motor. Just want to know if y’all have an idea of the vehicle in question’s reliability.

With all due respect to Chrylser/Dodge/Jeep/RAM fans and workers, there’s no such thing as a “reliable” Chrysler product from the early 2000’s, excluding a couple of Jeeps. In fact, there’s really no such thing as a reliable Chrysler product from most of the 80s, 90s, and 2000s. Only recently have Chrysler products started to meet or exceed average reliability ratings.

Why Aren’t Chrysler Products From the 80’s, 90’s, and 2000’s Reliable?

A lot of people don’t realize this, but the Chrysler company (which is the parent of the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and RAM brands) was in dire financial straits during most of the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s. There wasn’t much money to spend on perfecting designs or making sure assembly was perfect. There also weren’t a lot of dollars to be spent on top-quality parts. As a result, most of Chrysler’s parts were poorly designed, poorly assembled, and prone to problems – at least compared to other brands from the same era.

This is not to suggest that Chrysler engineers didn’t know what they were doing, or that Chrysler’s assembly workers weren’t doing their jobs – quite the opposite. Considering the company’s meager resources and chronic mismanagement, it’s a testament to Chrysler employees that the company survived at all.

But, if you look at JD Power ratings, Consumer Reports ratings, or the very clever reliability ratings from Dashboard Light, you can see quite clearly that Chrysler family products are almost always below average in terms of reliability. The reason is that Chrysler simply didn’t have the money to invest in quality from the outset.

The lone exception would be some Jeep family products, particularly the Wrangler. For a few reasons, Jeep managed to build some good quality vehicles during the 80’s, 90’s, and 2000’s. However, not all Jeep products are good from this time period. We’d point people to the XJ (Jeep Cherokee), TJ and JK (Wrangler), and certain versions of the Grand Cherokee.

So, About That 2001 Stratus…

If you take a look at the long-term reliability ratings on Dashboard Light – as just one data point – you’ll see that the Stratus has an atrocious reliability rating. This is also clear from some of the reports about the Stratus on CarComplaints.com (which, while not as accurate as JD Power or Consumer Reports, is still helpful). This information is not a surprise, these low quality ratings are typical of the brand.

What About Newer Chrysler Products?

After Chrysler collapsed and filed bankruptcy in 2009, it was merged into Fiat’s operations. While Fiat is not a brand known for quality (not in the US, and not in Europe either), Chrysler’s quality has improved substantially since the Fiat merger. While we always recommend checking a brand’s ratings with Consumer Reports and JD Power to see for yourself, most of Chrysler’s products (which includes Dodge, RAM, Jeep, and Fiat) offer average quality as of 2018.

Suffice to say, if you’re looking at buying a car built before 2012, it probably shouldn’t be a Chrysler brand product. If it is, make sure you can afford to spend money fixing it.

The post Ask AAA: Should I Buy A 2000’s Era Dodge? appeared first on Accurate Auto Advice.