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Chevrolet Cobalt

2240 messages,  Last post on Dec 23, 2012 at 7:37 PM

You are in the Chevrolet Cobalt Forum.

What is this discussion about? Chevrolet Cobalt, Coupe, Sedan

Messages Page 122 of 224

#1211 of 2240 Re: 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt/Pontiac Pursuit [frustrated8] by ron_m

Jul 06, 2005 (7:00 am)

Replying to: frustrated8 (Jul 04, 2005 12:19 pm)
frustrated8,
 
Actually, no, I did not attempt to enforce the Lemon Law. I probably should have though. The regional GM rep was a hard nut to crack regarding a buyback. About the best I could get out of him without hiring an attorney was a "free 100,000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranty". Which to me wasn't a satisfactory solution, because I would still have had to spend way too much time taking the vehicle to the dealership--leading to lost time from work, having to drive crappy rental cars, etc. The whole experience was a major drain! This particular SUV did meet my state's Lemon Law criteria, because I had to take it in three different times for a faulty rear pinion seal that lead to fluid leaking on my then new, concrete driveway. And I am the one that had to end up diagnosing the problem, because the dealership said that they "positively cannot spot any leaks".
 
Admittedly, part of the problems that I experienced were due to a lame dealership. I ended up taking it to a different dealership that was much more courteous in nature regarding the average employee's attitude towards customer service. However, their service techs' expertise wasn't really that much better than the first dealership's. If they corrected one issue, they would screw something else up in the process.
 
For me, the ultimate resolution was that I traded it in on another brand of vehicle. It has been three years now since I traded, and I have yet to experience a single problem with the replacement vehicle. In fact, nothing even remotely resembling a mechanical, electrical or trim/finish issue has occurred thus far. I'd better knock on wood, but so far, so good!
 
I'd start out by discussing your vehicle with the regional rep. Make sure you have formal, detailed documentation of all the problems that you have encountered thus far--dates included. Some states provide free Lemon Law legal representation. I'd pursue that through your home state and see what they can do for you there. I believe that you can also pursue a Lemon Law or buyback case through your attorney general's office. It's that way in my home state.
 
Once again, best of luck to you. Please let us know how you come out on this deal.
 
Regards,
 
Ron M.

#1212 of 2240 Re: That most definately will not work... [tazereli] by sleukem

Jul 06, 2005 (1:43 pm)

Replying to: tazereli (Jul 05, 2005 6:34 pm)
The dealership I was negotiating the deal with refused to sell me the car!!!
 
I was all set to buy it when they told me I HAD to finance it through them or they couldn't sell me the car! I told them I already had financing. They said they would match the rate from my bank. I told them they would have to do better than that to make me give up my prearranged financing. They told me that they couldn't. They told me those were the terms and if I didn't like them I could buy the car somewhere else. I told them I would give my business to a dealership that wanted to sell cars!!!
 
I know they wanted to make money on the financing since they aren't making anything on the car due to the employee discount. But NO ONE tells me where I have to finance my money!!!!

#1213 of 2240 Re: That most definately will not work... [sleukem] by micweb

Jul 06, 2005 (3:20 pm)

Replying to: sleukem (Jul 06, 2005 1:43 pm)
You said, in part:
 
I know they wanted to make money on the financing since they aren't making anything on the car due to the employee discount.
 
Not true - GM slipped another 5% discount to the dealer to make up for the below invoice pricing.
 
Sometimes the F&I (finance and insurance) people are a separate department from sales. I would take the issue back to the sales manager next time. The last time I bought a car they offered to give me 5 days to refinance through my own company. Sometimes they want you to fill out a credit information in case your financing falls through. That much is reasonable. I have heard of people having to fill out finance applications when they were paying cash (certified check) for the same reason, in case the check didn't clear!

#1214 of 2240 Re: That most definately will not work... [micweb] by sleukem

Jul 07, 2005 (5:52 am)

Replying to: micweb (Jul 06, 2005 3:20 pm)
Not true - GM slipped another 5% discount to the dealer to make up for the below invoice pricing.
 
I was not aware of this. Thank you for the information. I was going on what the sales manager told me. He told me the car was being sold at cost. The sales manager also told me that the dealership would not make anything on the car unless I financed through them. I had already filled out credit information the day before I went to buy the car but told them I was talking to my own bank. There was nothing said at that time about how I had to finance through them.
 
It wasn't until I actually went to the dealership to buy the car that they said I had to finance through them or buy the car elsewhere.

#1215 of 2240 Re: That most definately will not work... [sleukem] by richards38

Jul 07, 2005 (3:21 pm)

Replying to: sleukem (Jul 07, 2005 5:52 am)
I'd go elsewhere--the dealer is a pig.
 
Unless there's a special financing rate that beats your bank, it's best to deal with the people at the bank where you're known and where your auto loan might qualify you for better or less costly banking services generally.
 
The Cobalt is so new that extra discounts at such an early stage show how hard it is to convince buyers that GM is making a competitive compact car now.
 
The Cavalier stayed around so long and became so awful relative to competitors that GM has to undo the damage it did........Richard

#1216 of 2240 Re: That most definately will not work... [richards38] by poncho167

Jul 08, 2005 (5:51 am)

Replying to: richards38 (Jul 07, 2005 3:21 pm)
What was so awful about the Cavalier? I have never owned one but have known many who have and they swear by them, not at them.
 
Other than it's long between styling changes, the cars drive train was mechanically sound.

#1217 of 2240 Re: That most definately will not work... [poncho167] by sleukem

Jul 08, 2005 (6:03 am)

Replying to: poncho167 (Jul 08, 2005 5:51 am)
I am not trying to put words in richards38's mouth but I don't think he is saying the Cavalier is mechanically unsound. I think what he is trying to say is that GM did not keep the Cavalier within the same caliber as the competition.
 
I can definitely attest to the Cavalier's mechanical soundness. I currently own a 2001 Cavalier with 123,000 miles. I bought it privately in 2001 with 4,000 miles on it. Outside of normal oil changes, I have put new tires, front brakes and replaced the thermostat. The car is still driving strong!

#1218 of 2240 Re: That most definately will not work... [sleukem] by richards38

Jul 08, 2005 (1:46 pm)

Replying to: sleukem (Jul 08, 2005 6:03 am)
Sleukem:
You are correct and I didn't question the Cavalier's reliability at all. The last Cavalier I drove was a rented 2001 sedan that was less than a year old. It was decidedly inferior to the '91 Mazda Protege DX I owned at that time and didn't compare with a Toyota Corolla I'd rented back in '96, either.
 
The Cavalier felt old and loose--maybe it was a good car for the money if priced low enough.
 
I had a '85 Pontiac Sunbird when it was new, and it was similar to the Chevy Cavalier. I liked it except that when the air conditioning was turned on, it felt like it was heading straight uphill; that car was REALLY slow when using the A/C. It was adequately powered with the A/C off, but there was no passing power--just adequate acceleration.
 
The newer Cavlier seemed to be improved in that respect but it lacked the solid feel of its competitors. The Cobalt (it's the same car as the Opel Astra) is a much better car from everything I've read about it. I haven't yet driven one.............Richard

#1219 of 2240 i dont understand by montecobaltfan

Jul 12, 2005 (7:31 am)

im so upste that the cobalt didnt but more into it, i likw how exterior looks, and i like how it comes with the new accessories, however,
 
it still doesnt compete that much, I can think of one car in particular that is better than the cobalt, that is the Dodge SRT-4 why would someone pay an extra couple thousand for a car that doesnt beat out a car that is a couple thousand less
srt- HP kills, its Liters And when u hear a SRT-4 comming down the road, u knnow it, it is loud like a muscle car,, the cobalt is just a pretty little girl, i am very upset because i would rather have the cobalt but knowing that chevy had a chance to make it better than a Car that already existed b4 the cobalt is upsetting.
 
now i want to feats my eyes on the 2006 Monte, or hell, even the SS malibu looks tight with a atpup/tap down shifter the only upside to the Cobalt is Looks handling, but the truth is, how r gonna really tell a difference in handling when u spend most of ur car life in traffic, cutting people off, your not going to be spinning in circles and going through cones, uggggg
SS Malibu or SS monte cobalt ur hott but nothing there
JJ

#1220 of 2240 man by montecobaltfan

Jul 12, 2005 (7:33 am)

sorry for the spelling

Messages Page 122 of 224

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