My car arrived today, but it's damaged...

[SuperDave]

My car was finally delivered to my dealership tonight, but when they got it they saw that one of the rear quarter panels was damaged. I posted a full UPDATE on my site:

http://superdave369.home.comcast.net/300C/300C.html

I am thoroughly disappointed!! :cry:

[fluxanimator]

:cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

What caused the damage? You must be horribly dissapointed. My condolences.

[SuperDave]

:cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

What caused the damage? You must be horribly dissapointed. My condolences.

All I know so far is that the damage was done while it was on a train. Not much to go on yet. I'll be updating my site with details as I get them.

Thank you for the sympathy!

Dave

[BlackMagnum]

I read your site. I would say don't take the car unless you're 100% sure you're going to be happy with it. That said, I'm sure they'll be able to fix it flawlessly - it's amazing what a good bodyshop can do. I also think you could find another deal somewhere, possibly in another state and have it shipped to you in no time, or go pick it up out-of-state, like I'm doing. You'll likely have to special ORDER another one, as you said, since you (like me) don't want a sunroof.


:cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

What caused the damage? You must be horribly dissapointed. My condolences.

All I know so far is that the damage was done while it was on a train. Not much to go on yet. I'll be updating my site with details as I get them.

Thank you for the sympathy!

Dave

[300C on 22's]

I AM SO SORRY SUPER DAVE! :( Good luck with everything! You have a great website, I can't tell you how many people I showed that video to :!:

[dodgeatheart]

Sorry to hear, Dave. I personally wouldn't take the car without a substantial discount and even then I don't think I would take it. I guess I'm a perfectionist when it comes to cars - I even tend to sell them if my car is in an accident.

[DMAG]

Oh man Dave! I'm so sorry to hear about that! :cry:

I'm sure you will do what's right for you. If it means getting another car, don't let a few weeks without a C get in the way. Tell the dealer since its a company goof up, that you should get first dibs on anything that comes INTO the lot. (Of course, will it be optioned exactly how you want it?)

Good luck Dave.

[TehKing]

You'd be amazed at how many new cars are damaged during transport and/or delivery, fixed and then sold without the new owner knowing a thing about it. I wish I could find the thread on another board detailing the BMW delivery center in California, where some brand new, but damaged during transport cars have had entire front or rear clips replaced, and no own would have ever guessed.

This is going to be an unpopular opinion, buy if it was my car, I wouldn't ask for a substantial discount, its not the dealer's fault the car was damaged, so why should they lose money over it? I would go directly to corporate and work something out with them.

[E8502]

Oh man, that's too very bad!!

Just make sure your dealer does everything possible to fix the car and/or get you a new one.

Tomorrow is the big night...I'm hoping I get to see mine...Then I'll decide if I take that car, or wait for the AWD.

[E55 KEV]

Dave, Sorry to read about your damaged 300C. You have a big decision to make and I don't envy you. I would not take the car without a huge discount. I would not pay over invoice for it. I have already seen discounts up to $2700 on 300C and that does not include the $1k Loyalty Rebate. I'd ask for the "reported" 'Chrysler Advantage' Daimler-Chrysler Employee discount of 4.5% below invoice.

[dodgeatheart]

This is going to be an unpopular opinion, buy if it was my car, I wouldn't ask for a substantial discount, its not the dealer's fault the car was damaged, so why should they lose money over it? I would go directly to corporate and work something out with them.

I do agree that it is not the dealership's fault, however, the dealership is the final sales representative. I would think that it would be up to the dealership to work a discount with corporate, not the purchaser. The dealership should be willing to do anything within reason to satisfy the customer.

Perhaps they can REPAIR the vehicle, discount it to invoice (plus $1000 loyalty) and then provide a lifetime warranty on the paint and body work, including rental vehicles in case your car needed to be repaired. A stipulation would be, however, fully replaced parts, NOT BONDO.

[go6car]

All that WAITING!!!!!!!!! ARGGGGGGG!!!! Hang in there!!!

[FStephenMasek]

I am sorry to see the damage. I suggest that you reject the car, as factory paint is better than any touch up.

If it makes you feel better (it probably won't), my brother, one sister and me ordered a 1979 Trans Am WS6 4-speed. It took four months to arrive due to problems with the new rear disc brake parts.

When it came, the hood decal was missing, the hood was the wrong shade of gold, the right front fender was yet another wrong shade of gold, the right door had a basket-ball sized dent, and it had the Chevy wheels!

[Babyboomer 1949]

Sorry you have too deal with this damage to your car. Hopefully one of the options allows you to reorder to your specifications or as mentioned in another reply REPAIR the vehicle to your satisfaction and provide a discount.

[SuperDave]

Thank you for the support and opinions. Misery certainly loves company... :)

I talked to my dealership quite a few times today and told them I was leaning towards a replacement for the damaged car. After many phone calls they were granted permission to ORDER another if that's what I demanded. They are a small dealership and only had one 300C allocated to them for the time being, so to get another took some effort. They were told that the replacement would take four to six weeks, but being a realist I believe it would be somewhere between two and three months. The car is being repaired now and is supposed to be ready by 04/30/2004.

I suggested a discount would certainly help sway me to accept the current car, but that was quickly shot down by my dealer's rep. They could easily paint it and sell it for MSRP or higher so they aren't terribly interested in discounting it.

For the record, I am getting my car through Chrysler's Friends and Family plan (1% under invoice) and am getting the $1,000.00 Loyalty Rebate. Add to that the fact that I am using another $1,000.00 of rebates that I have earned through using my Chrysler Credit Card over the past few years and a $75.00 Visa Gift card I earned by test driving a Pacifica a few months ago and that puts me *well* under invoice already. I suppose I can't complain too loudly about the price at this point...

So, my current thought process has me leasing the repaired car IF they make it impossible to see the damage. That will put the car in my hands at least a month before the replacement might be here. The fact that it is leased means that I don't have to worry about the resale value being degraded at all, so that helps too. I'd love to hear more opinions about this plan. Feel free to voice yours here on via Email.

Thanks for the support. You guys are great!

Dave

[BlackMagnum]

Excellent plan. If you have a friend who knows bodywork, bring him along to inspect the car after the repair. It takes a trained eye to determine the quality of the repair. I think your patience will be rewarded in this case. :)

Thank you for the support and opinions. Misery certainly loves company... :)

I talked to my dealership quite a few times today and told them I was leaning towards a replacement for the damaged car. After many phone calls they were granted permission to ORDER another if that's what I demanded. They are a small dealership and only had one 300C allocated to them for the time being, so to get another took some effort. They were told that the replacement would take four to six weeks, but being a realist I believe it would be somewhere between two and three months. The car is being repaired now and is supposed to be ready by 04/30/2004.

I suggested a discount would certainly help sway me to accept the current car, but that was quickly shot down by my dealer's rep. They could easily paint it and sell it for MSRP or higher so they aren't terribly interested in discounting it.

For the record, I am getting my car through Chrysler's Friends and Family plan (1% under invoice) and am getting the $1,000.00 Loyalty Rebate. Add to that the fact that I am using another $1,000.00 of rebates that I have earned through using my Chrysler Credit Card over the past few years and a $75.00 Visa Gift card I earned by test driving a Pacifica a few months ago and that puts me *well* under invoice already. I suppose I can't complain too loudly about the price at this point...

So, my current thought process has me leasing the repaired car IF they make it impossible to see the damage. That will put the car in my hands at least a month before the replacement might be here. The fact that it is leased means that I don't have to worry about the resale value being degraded at all, so that helps too. I'd love to hear more opinions about this plan. Feel free to voice yours here on via Email.

Thanks for the support. You guys are great!

Dave

[DMAG]

Dave, would you rather own or lease a 300C? If it boils down to the fact you'd lease because of the resale of a damaged car, I'd wait the month or two and get a new car if that's what you really want.

I know you've waited so long for this car, make sure you get what you want!

[SuperDave]

Dave, would you rather own or lease a 300C?

I'm not opposed to either as both have their good points. I have been considering both all along, the latest happenings just make me lean more towards leasing. I won't love the car any less and it will still be parked in my driveway, so it is basically the same thing to me. At the end of the lease I can buy a new one. A supercharged 6.1liter HEMI with AWD would certainly be enticing... :wink:

Thanks for the comments, I appreciate it!

[E55 KEV]

For the record, I am getting my car through Chrysler's Friends and Family plan (1% under invoice) and am getting the $1,000.00 Loyalty Rebate.

Dave, How does one get the "Chrysler Friends & Family" 1% under invoice plan? Thanks.

[E8502]

For the record, I am getting my car through Chrysler's Friends and Family plan (1% under invoice) and am getting the $1,000.00 Loyalty Rebate.

Dave, How does one get the "Chrysler Friends & Family" 1% under invoice plan? Thanks.
A DC employee can give you a 'number,' they get 4 pre year to give away... Unfortunately, not all dealerships will participate in this program (mine wouldn't). :(

[E55 KEV]

What is difference in Chrysler Friends & Family and Chrysler Advantage program? Some posted that CA is 4.5% off invoice.

[dodgeatheart]

I work for a large company that purchases a lot of GM and DCX products. We have, through our company, the 1% below invoice price on both manufacturers.

To get it, we call a 1-800#, get a control #, then take the control # to our local dealership. I didn't think that a dealership had a choice in the matter. Every one I've been to so far has had no problem catering to me, or my co-workers.

[DSMLVR]

Personally , I would have them ORDER me a new one. I am not saying that they can't fix it to look like new, but YOUR peace of mind and satisfaction is what is important. ONCE you take delievery, YOU own it. :oops:

[SuperDave]

I plan to CHECK out the REPAIR job next Saturday. If it looks brand new I'll drive it home, but if it's not close I'll have to ORDER another. I'll post my finding next weekend...

I have heard quite a few stories FROM people that have cars on ORDER that are just sitting around for one reason or another. I'll guess it would take 2-3 months to get another car in, and I just can't wait that long again!

Thanks for the comments. I appreicate it!

Dave

[DSMLVR]

Good Luck Dave.

I had my Pacifica for 3 months (got it Dec. 5th) when (on March 14th) a guy towing a car trailer took the WHOLE (every panel including the mirror and door handles and front and rear facia) right side of my car out , at 50 mph. It goes in on Tuesday to be repaired ( $5-7,000). He is at fault and his insurance company is paying for it, BUT it will NEVER be new again. :cry:
Good Luck to you.

Rich

[SuperDave]

I'm sorry to hear that! My wife's Volvo was recently rear-ended and was crushed in quite a bit, but after the REPAIR it looks almost like new. There are a few small flaws, but you'd never find them unless you knew where to look.

Good luck to you!!

[SuperDave]

I picked up my car this morning! The REPAIR job was flawless so I drove it home. I'm thrilled! I put a little text and a bunch of pictures of the car on my site tonight and I'll post more tomorrow.

However, my trip wasn't without a fairly close call. About two hours after I left my dealership they received some pretty bad hail. I'm glad that waited until after I left, but I hate the fact that the rest of their cars were damaged. The BMW 740I I traded in was also damaged in the hail storm. :(

Regardless, I love my car! I'll post more comments about the car this weekend. I can't wait to drive it more!

Dave

[OBT]

I picked up my car this morning! The REPAIR job was flawless so I drove it home. I'm thrilled! I put a little text and a bunch of pictures of the car on my site tonight and I'll post more tomorrow.

However, my trip wasn't without a fairly close call. About two hours after I left my dealership they received some pretty bad hail. I'm glad that waited until after I left, but I hate the fact that the rest of their cars were damaged. The BMW 740I I traded in was also damaged in the hail storm. :(

Regardless, I love my car! I'll post more comments about the car this weekend. I can't wait to drive it more!

Dave


Congrats Dave,

Glad everything turned out ok in the end for you (and that you got out of there just before tragedy struck again!!!)
Dennis

[E8502]

Super, Dave!! (no pun intended)

Post those pictures, I can't wait to see your car!

[DMAG]

Great news! I'm glad you are happy with the job they did on the car. :wink:

[Babyboomer 1949]

Dave , it's good to hear that the damage to your car was resolved in a timely manner and that Chrysler values customer satisfaction.

[SuperDave]

Super, Dave!! (no pun intended)

Post those pictures, I can't wait to see your car!

You can find pictures here:

My Pictures Page (http://superdave369.home.comcast.net/300C/300CPics.html)

Dave

[DSMLVR]

Your car came out great. Congrats Dave

[DMAG]

Wow! It looks GREAT!!!

It looks HOT in black!

Congrats Dave!

[E8502]

Dave,

THAT'S AWESOME!!!

Now I need to figue out what I'm doing...

[OBT]

Dave,

THAT'S AWESOME!!!

Now I need to figue out what I'm doing...

Dave, That REPAIR job looks great. Glad you're happy with it.

Chris, I'm surprised you haven't been down to Herb Chambers yet. Remember I told you the service manager told me they were going to have the Ram SRT10 down there? Well he called me Saturday to let me know they had it and I was welcome to come over and see it. Said they had two "bids" on it so far. I said "Guess it's not going for MSRP huh?" and he just chuckled. Wonder what the markup on those toys is :wink:

[E8502]

Dave,

THAT'S AWESOME!!!

Now I need to figue out what I'm doing...

Dave, That REPAIR job looks great. Glad you're happy with it.

Chris, I'm surprised you haven't been down to Herb Chambers yet. Remember I told you the service manager told me they were going to have the Ram SRT10 down there? Well he called me Saturday to let me know they had it and I was welcome to come over and see it. Said they had two "bids" on it so far. I said "Guess it's not going for MSRP huh?" and he just chuckled. Wonder what the markup on those toys is :wink:
I know, I've been meaning to get down there, just been real busy with house stuff the past few weeks. Maybe sometime later this week...

Also, I need to decide what I'm doing about the 300C. :o

[OBT]

>Also, I need to decide what I'm doing about the 300C.

What do you mean by that Chris? You referring to the one Bancroft may have on ORDER for you? Do you have a deposit on it?

[SuperDave]

Thanks for the comments! This car is definitely a hoot to drive. I have 220+ miles on it so far and I'm loving every minute of it! Some of my favorite things about the car so far:

- It's *way* too easy to break the tires loose with ESP off
- The ride is wonderfully smooth
- It out-handles my BMW 740I IMHO
- The seats are very comfortable
- It gets a lot of attention on the road
- It's just plain fun to drive!

E8502: Good luck to you! Please let us know what you end up doing!

Dave

[OBT]

Hey Dave,

You've been so much help I hate to ask you another favor, but...............

Since you obviously have a VIN for your 300C, could you DROP over to the Brampton section of the forum and try your luck with the Allpar VIN decoder? I tried the VIN I got FROM the Customer Service line and it sure didn't seem to work for me - came back as a Plymouth hatchback MPV. oesn't sound like a Magnum RT to me??

Then you can take your 300C out for a midnight cruise :P

Thanks,

Dennis

[SuperDave]

Hey Dave,

You've been so much help I hate to ask you another favor, but...............

No problem! I actually ran my VIN there yesterday and was amused to see the results. I'd be pretty dissapointed if my car had the engine listed below. It's obviously just not updated for the 2005 model yet, don't be too worried about it!

My results:

Country : Canada
Make : Chrysler
Type : Passenger Car
Model Year : 2005
Safety System : Dual Air Bag; Active Restraints
Body : Body not in database!
Series : Special/Sport
Style : Style not in database!
Engine : Chrysler: 2.5L V6 SOHC MFI 168hp@5800rpm
Check Digit : X
Plant : Bramalea, Ontario, Canada
Serial Number : 125150

[DMAG]

Hey Dave...have you looked under the hood yet? :lol: :lol: :lol:

Hey Dave,

You've been so much help I hate to ask you another favor, but...............

No problem! I actually ran my VIN there yesterday and was amused to see the results. I'd be pretty dissapointed if my car had the engine listed below. It's obviously just not updated for the 2005 model yet, don't be too worried about it!

My results:

Country : Canada
Make : Chrysler
Type : Passenger Car
Model Year : 2005
Safety System : Dual Air Bag; Active Restraints
Body : Body not in database!
Series : Special/Sport
Style : Style not in database!
Engine : Chrysler: 2.5L V6 SOHC MFI 168hp@5800rpm
Check Digit : X
Plant : Bramalea, Ontario, Canada
Serial Number : 125150

[SuperDave]

Yes I have, and that's what made the VIn results amusing!! :lol:

http://superdave369.home.comcast.net/300C/300CGraham10.jpg

[BlackMagnum]

Little does Dave know, that under all that fancy plastic beats a Chrysler: 2.5L V6 SOHC MFI 168hp@5800rpm.

;)

Yes I have, and that's what made the VIn results amusing!! :lol:

[SuperDave]

Little does Dave know, that under all that fancy plastic beats a Chrysler: 2.5L V6 SOHC MFI 168hp@5800rpm.

;)


Based on the squeals of delight FROM the back seat and the chastising in my right ear when I slid around a corner this morning on a short drive with my family, I'm fairly certain that it's a HEMI... :D

[BlackMagnum]

That's funny. A friend of mine got ratted out by his two year old daughter. Whenever it was decided he would drive, the little girl would say, "Daddy! Weeeeee!"

Little does Dave know, that under all that fancy plastic beats a Chrysler: 2.5L V6 SOHC MFI 168hp@5800rpm.

;)


Based on the squeals of delight FROM the back seat and the chastising in my right ear when I slid around a corner this morning on a short drive with my family, I'm fairly certain that it's a HEMI... :D

[DSMLVR]

when I slid around a corner this morning on a short drive with my family,

Driving in the RAIN does not count. :lol:

[OBT]

Hey Dave,

You've been so much help I hate to ask you another favor, but...............

No problem! I actually ran my VIN there yesterday and was amused to see the results. I'd be pretty dissapointed if my car had the engine listed below. It's obviously just not updated for the 2005 model yet, don't be too worried about it!

My results:

Country : Canada
Make : Chrysler
Type : Passenger Car
Model Year : 2005
Safety System : Dual Air Bag; Active Restraints
Body : Body not in database!
Series : Special/Sport
Style : Style not in database!
Engine : Chrysler: 2.5L V6 SOHC MFI 168hp@5800rpm
Check Digit : X
Plant : Bramalea, Ontario, Canada
Serial Number : 125150


Thanks for doing that Dave. I feel a little better now. So anyone know who's in charge of the magic VIN decoder database?

[E8502]

Hey Dave,

You've been so much help I hate to ask you another favor, but...............

No problem! I actually ran my VIN there yesterday and was amused to see the results. I'd be pretty dissapointed if my car had the engine listed below. It's obviously just not updated for the 2005 model yet, don't be too worried about it!

My results:

Country : Canada
Make : Chrysler
Type : Passenger Car
Model Year : 2005
Safety System : Dual Air Bag; Active Restraints
Body : Body not in database!
Series : Special/Sport
Style : Style not in database!
Engine : Chrysler: 2.5L V6 SOHC MFI 168hp@5800rpm
Check Digit : X
Plant : Bramalea, Ontario, Canada
Serial Number : 125150


Thanks for doing that Dave. I feel a little better now. So anyone know who's in charge of the magic VIN decoder database?
Yes, I do. I'll tell him and see if he can fix it. :)

[JD]

I recently retired FROM 34 years in the car business. Fifteen percent used to be the amount of cars, damaged in shipment. Just talked to a guy a couple of days ago, his was damaged taking it off the truck. I have an 06 300C on order, hope they don't damage it!
JD

[melikemagnum]

delete

[67alecto]

Wow, this thread is old :lol: