Thanks for all the helpful info. guys... This car is really testing my sanity. I got the call from the General Sales Manager today that my car was ready to be picked up after the hail repair. At the time I hadn't gotten a chance to read all of the good feedback that you guys had given. Since the call came in around 4 p.m. I wasn't able to make it down to the dealership to pick up the car. I guess I'll go see how it look on Sat. (later today). I don't think they replaced the hood. I think they just fixed the dented areas. Not happy about that but I'll just have to take a look at it.

I think since I've had soooo many problems with the dealership as well as the service I'll either sell the Z and buy another one from a different dealership or take the advice given and request another Z through this dealership. I just don't feel good about keeping a brand new car with which I've already had sooo many issues. I'd dreamed and waited for this car over 8 months and I'm not at all happy with the way things have turned out. I don't think I can ever be happy with this current car. In order for me to be truly happy I think I'll have to have another new Z. I'll see if I can set up a meeting with the General Sales Manger & Owner of the dealership. I'll try and be as nice as possible (that can be quite hard considering).

The general sales manager has been very nice about everything concerning my issues. Hopefully he'll continue to be nice if I request a new Z. I'm sure they are just as tired of me as I am of having to see them and complain all the time. Just to think, all this could have been avoided if they'd just 'not' drilled the holes in my bumper..... At this point I'd be willing to wait a few months for a new flawless Z. At least I'd know what to expect when it arrives.

Art Ponce (with the goatee) is the 'internet' sales manager. Rene' is the General Sales Manager.....

Thanks guys for all the support... I really needed it

 

Man, sorry to hear all the terrible luck. Yes, I would definitely recommend politely requesting that the manager take your Z as a trade towards another Z when it arrives. You may have to take a slight loss of $500-1000(if the dealer takes care of you) or so for mileage on the Z in order to do this but its the best way to take care of the problem and you'll be happier in the end, especially if you plan on keeping it for years to come. On the other hand, if they didn't have to paint the hood to remove the dents and it looks perfect, maybe your luck will change for the better but at least attempt to get another Z from the dealer. I think that the best remedie for your probelm is that you just need a good dose of Z! Take a good drive on a few winding roads at moderate speeds with a little acceleration coming out of the corners and everyhting will feel a bit better in the end.

 

Glen,

Sorry to hear about this latest problem. If you are not 100% satisfied with the results of the repair, don't settle for it. You may not be able to tell for sure if the repair worked perfectly on first sight. You should ask for a day or two to inspect the finish. If you have concerns request the meeting as mentioned earlier. Don't forget you also have the option of bringing NNA for some possible help.

Good luck!

JD

 

JD,

Things seems to have turned out well with the repair. I can't tell that it ever had hail damage. I'll keep a close eye on it to see if anything starts to look weird. I'm undecided about keeping the car but I'll give it a few more days then decide if I want to trade it in on another one. I think I'll stick with the same color (PPW) but go with the 'Track' model if I decided to trade in.... Might just be more cost effective to buy some used Track wheels.

I actually had two cars to get hail damage that same night. My Lexus SC400 really got it bad (cracked windshield and dented from front to back). I'm thinking about having my Lexus fixed by the same guy who fixed my Z. Don't know just yet..... Thanks for all the feedback guys....

Gmoneyr1

 

They stopped drilling holes in the fromt bumper after your incident.
when i recieved mine they asked if i wanted the front plate on before doing it, I SAID NO WAY!
I think most would agree, dont drill any holes.

 

Glen,

I have a friend that can fix hail damage. He works on exotic cars mostly, He is good, and not too expensive. You might let him give you a price on your Lexus SC400.
I trusted him with my BMW M3, afterwards i could not find where the dents were!

 

Give me his phone number and I'll give him a call. I'm looking to get it done as well & cheap as possible. If he can do it for a few hundred bucks I'll give him a call.. I've already had the front window replaced. It was all cracked up... Just let me know.

 

Glen,

Hail Repair Guy Info

His name is Mark.
845-5865

His prices can start as low as 55 for a couple of dings.
I talked with him about your car, he said he would have to see it but his price will start at about 100.

I think you could hold him below 200.

My expedition had alot of damage on the hood, roof, doors, & he only charged 255.

See you at Baby A's on Friday.

 

Thanks Jan,

If your buddy Mark is able to fix my car for $200 I'd have him do it in a heart beat. Just ask him if he'd be able to get to my car next week. My car really doesn't have a lot of dents. There may be about 30 or so dents. Thanks buddy.. I'll see you at Baby A's around 6:00 p.m. Friday. What color Z's do we have showing up? I may even get there early because I'll be in the area around 5:00 p.m. See ya..

Glen

 

Chances are slim to none that this will happen. Car dealers run on a very slim profit margin, despite what most people think. Volume is all they care about in most cases. Doesn't really apply to small town dealers.

You can make all the demands you want. Bottom line is this: They don't owe you SQUAT in legal terms. Just hope you are dealing with decent people. Otherwise, all you will be left with is your ability to complain to a large audience. Us. Might be worth something - it's up to you.

Dead

 

I guess I was dealing with decent people because the fixed all the issues with my car. No charge! They even offered to fix my Lexus (it received hail damamge also) for next to nothing... Sometime you have to make business decisions for long term service and sales. Bad word or mouth goes a long way. Maybe they understand that better than most dealership therefore they wanted me to be happy. At any rate, I'm happy now and I'd recommend them to anyone.

 

The unfortunate reality with a repaint job, is that you may not be able to tell if they did it right for quite a while. It can look ok, but if they didn't do the prep work correctly, the paint job may not hold up very well over the next months or years. A friend had a similar experience where his Maxima needed to have the hood repaired because it came unlatched and flew up on a freeway and molded itself over the windshield of the car. The dealer repainted it for free and the paint later peeled. We think that they sprayed it right over the old clear coat. Good luck my friend.

 

I just wanted to jump in and say how impressed I am with how you handled the whole situation.

As mad as you were, you still gave them the chance to fix it. You showed faith by taking the time to clearly write up the situation and give the General Manager a chance to respond and try and make it right.

And after they did, you were kind enough to make sure they got the credit.

It says a lot about someone. .

I manage in a Call Center, and stuff happens occasionally and we will make a mistake. Unfortunately, most people want to throw temper tantrums rather then let me fix what needs to be fixed. I wish I dealt with people like you more often.