2007 XLR V on ebay

[dennis93coupe]

IMHO Good Buy

Had I been about 6 months patient, and got a picture of that underhood sticker, I might have been ln the sky headed down there with my check book to look at that XLR. If it is in as good of shape as mine at 12k miles, then I definately think it was a good buy. It would be interesting to know the service history, hopefully nothing wrong with it. There is little to compare 12k to a new car. By the time it gets that many miles, what might be wrong with the car will have shown up. Not saying problems won't pop up, I had a tire pressure sensor fail last week. Congrats to the new owner.

 

[tom88ci]

Not so Happy Sunday

Thanks to everyone for my welcome to the forum! I expected to give a full report on the V today, but the transport company, recommended by the dealer, was two days late picking up the car and will be two days late on delivery. I will post after delivery and inspection.

I paid $45k for the car Rod. I won't know for certain how good of a deal it was until it gets here. I hate myself for not going there myself to pick it up and trusting third party sources.

As far as car values, I trust in Kelly Blue Book and NADA buying guides. I fell within those values despite how rare the V's are becoming.

Keep you posted.

 

[hawkeye372]

Tom could you tell us how much you actually paid for it?

I'm trying to find a good one like that but I don't know what a fair price would be so I've been hesitant to make any offers.

Thanks a lot.

Rod

Cool rod I saw this 05 crimson pearl just down the street here in still augustine fl.

If you want I can find out a little more about it. But the windshield sticker probable says it all


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[tom88ci]

A few surprises

I said I would post after the vehicle was delivered. I was surprised at the condition of the car when it arrived at 10PM Sunday night. The car was filthy as it was on an open carrier that drove through lots of rain on its 1000 mile trip. The 1st surprise was a split in the trunk fiberglass paint (see photo) that had not been described by the dealer. After some exchanges with dealer they have stepped up to repair that damage to an otherwise very clean low mileage XLR-V.

The second surprise was that there was no sound coming from the speakers in the car. This may have happened when the car was jump started when the battery died before it was picked up. The car is at a local dealer for inspection and I will post further details when I have them. If any one has a thought on that sound issue please share - I feel there may be an issue with the amplifier.

That aside, the car is very clean as you would expect for 13,500 miles. I drove it for about 100 mile today and it seems perfect and I was very pleased with the ride.

 

[dennis93coupe]

Assuming you got the owners manual that should be kept in the glove box, should tell you where the fuses are located. Under the carpet on passenger side front floor board, and also passenger side under the hood. There should be a label under the cover identifying fuses. Just guessing on the cracked body part, that looks like your rear section of the roof piece but you are zoomed in too much. Maybe another picture back away can better show it's location. It's possible there was an obstruction when the top was put down. It would be very beneficial to have a tech or somebody knowledgable show you the correct procedures and operation of your car. The guy I bought mine from spent over 3 hours showing me everything he felt I should know.

Just took another look at that picture, passenger side at the very front of the trunk lid. Seems very unusual place for that to happen.

 

[tom88ci]

Thanks for the advice

Dennis

The owners manual was not in the car but I have had the PDF version for over a week now. The local dealer will have figured out the problem before I get it back today. I hope it is the fuse.

The split in the paint is at the passenger side trunk lid just below the quarter window where the trunk lid lays on the body. It may have been an obstruction that over flexed that point and caused the split. It will be repaired Monday.

 

[BusaMan]

Dennis

The owners manual was not in the car but I have had the PDF version for over a week now. The local dealer will have figured out the problem before I get it back today. I hope it is the fuse.

The split in the paint is at the passenger side trunk lid just below the quarter window where the trunk lid lays on the body. It may have been an obstruction that over flexed that point and caused the split. It will be repaired Monday.

First off, it's a nice looking car, and I hope the trunk fix turns out well.

Second, it's disgusting that a material defect, in your case the trunk lid damage, was not mentioned in the eBay listing. I'd get back to eBay on it, since these things are (purportedly) guaranteed. At the very least, the review of the seller should be very negative, and include the fact that the car was misrepresented. If you have seller information, it'd be helpful to the rest of us to know who it was.

Welcome to the forum!!! Enjoy that wonderful car.

Tim

 

[tom88ci]

Help with the amplifier

Thanks Tim.

When I finally have all the issues taken care I will give a full run down with details.

The local dealer said the amplifier is bad and the estimate he gave me at the time was very high - So I thought. The dealer price on that amp is very high at $785. Has anyone replaced one on an 07?

Where is it?

Any help is appreciated. I could not find anything in the forum or on YouTube that was helpful.

 

[tom88ci]

We have sound!

The replacement amplifier showed up today and I just had to install it so I could put my mind at ease.

That Bose amplifier was the problem, I had no sound from any speaker and a faint clicking noise coming from the door speakers.
The dealer refused to cover it saying - "As far as the radio/amplifier on the XLR-V it was working and at some point it stopped.". I could not find any pictures on the forums or on the internet showing the location. Thanks to Dennis who pointed me in the right direction and the online Chilton DIY service manual, I was able to diagnose and repair the problem. I have included a picture here for the next person who needs one.

I will finish this thread this weekend with a detailed list of the dealer experience.

.

 

[XLRATING]

The dealer refused to cover it saying - "As far as the radio/amplifier on the XLR-V it was working and at some point it stopped."

That's a helpful answer! Glad you were able to figure it out so it can now be working at this point. Thanks for offering to share the info too.

 

[mtrocket]

The dealer refused to cover it saying - "As far as the radio/amplifier on the XLR-V it was working and at some point it stopped.". .

I think I would have said, "DUH. No Sh**, Sherlock..."

 

[tom88ci]

The XLR story - I promised to share - learn from my mistakes.

So I wanted a new roadster to replace my Cobra. I didn’t know enough about the XLR but was doing my homework. It came down to a decision between the BMW Z4M, Porsche Carrera, or the XLR. In the process of doing my research I discovered the V and I was hooked. It took me three weeks to find two candidate cars that were low mileage and very clean. Of course both cars were overpriced even having very few miles they were well above the average asking prices and above KBB and NADA values. The car I liked better is the one I have because of the color and it was at a dealership versus a private party or fly by night car lot. My thought was that buying from a Cadillac dealer should be better and the days of false representations were long gone. I have included the eBay link below so you can see the original ad yourself. The car was listed several times and started at $49,999.00.

I made an offer through eBay and the listed sales manager emailed me back directly, not through eBay though. He had my email through an early request for information. He countered my first offer and I sent him a list of questions about the car. The first question was, are there any scratches, swirls, or blemishes in the paint and what is the condition of the paint on a scale of 1 - 10. His reply (in writing) was “no blemishes, scratches, or swirls, the car was garage kept and the paint is a perfect 10”. I also asked about the interior, wheels, and the navigation, specifically if the CD was there and was it up to date.So all the answers were that the car was mint and with their 100% money backguarantee and lifetime powertrain warranty – I could not go wrong.

So believing all of this was my first mistake. The second mistake was not flying to Florida to inspect the car myself –but with the 100% money back guarantee –how could I go wrong? The dealer recommended a hauler that brought the car to Maryland on an open trailer through the rain so it got real dirty on the trip.The hauler was late picking the car up and didn’t arrive in Maryland until 10PM on Sunday night when it was dark. As he unloaded the car I could see all the advertising stickers were still in the window and that the car was very dirty. A short trip into my garage and I started to go over the car and noticed a split in the paint on the trunk lid as mentioned in an earlier post (with picture) that was actually cracked. I also noticed four major scratches, several swirls, and a few chips. I looked at the haulers inspection report and he had noted multiple scratches and marks on the car when he loaded it too. I emailed the salesman right then, it was late and I didn’t expect a reply. This post is already getting long so I will spare a lot of the fight details.

The dealer agreed to only repair the cracked trunk lid at $810.00 saying they missed that, and after I informed them I wanted to exercise the money back guarantee for their misrepresentation. They told me that they would take the car back but the dealer’s fees were not refundable. The dealer fee as indicated on the listing says $199.00 but when they write up the buyers contract they adjust the selling price to reflect a $595.00 dealer fee, a $20.00 electronic filing fee (nothing was filed electronically) and $1.50 battery fee (YES, a battery fee for the dead battery they sent me) So at this point I would lose the $616.50 plus the cost to transport the car both ways.

But there were many other issues that they refused to address. Some of these to me were not important as the car is seven years old and I didn’t expect it would be as if the car was new. The car was just not what they represented it to be.The biggest issue to me after the paint was the radio. When I called to ask what the trick was to getting sound out of the car their response was that the battery must have died and the car was jump started and this would cause the radio not to work. So I tested the battery and sure enough it was bad. I thought at this point I needed to take the car to my local Cadillac dealer and have them inspect the car because I felt like everything the Florida dealer had said was a lie. The short story here was the local dealer believed the amplifier or the BCM was bad and the estimate to repair it was $781.00 for the part and $275.00 for the labor if it was the amplifier. All the other issues
the dealer pointed out were minor.

I have already posted the response from the dealer about the amplifier which I replaced. I also posted the details about the paint defect and crack with a picture.

These were the other issues:

KeyFob 1 – was DOA and was eating a battery in five days – I purchased a new one.
Car Battery – I purchased a new battery.
Hood insulation was in bad shape (see picture below) – I replaced the hood insulation and the missing retainers.
Driver’s door speaker grille has a busted tab – Have not tackled this one yet.
Trunk divider retaining tabs were missing, causing the top not to function correctly– installed new retainers.
Owner’s manual was not in the car – I purchased a new one from Helm.
The center console has eight small dents in the top – I will live with this for now.
The aftermarket floor mats that were in the car were stained on the driver’s side –I will replace.
Four deep scratches required paint
Two rub marks required paint also – I paid the body shop to fix these when they repaired the trunk.
Multiple swirls were also buffed out by the body shop. – Yes I paid for these too.

So at 49 years old I did something I would never have done – trusted a car Salesman!

I thought OE dealers were held to a higher standard and the days of the bait and switch were gone. If I had completed the transaction through eBay instead of directly with them, as the dealer suggested, I would have had some protection. Had I flown to Florida and inspected the car myself I most likely would have not purchased it and at minimum would not have paid what I feel was full retail. I have taken care of most of the issues now and I am happy with the car. It is almost the car I thought I had purchased. I am interested in anyone’s thoughts. I feel at minimum the dealer owes me for the amplifier. What would you have done? What would you do now?


Or maybe my expectations were too high.

Link:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/07-V-ONLY-13K-MILES-VERY-CLEAN-LOADED-SUPERCHARGED-WELL-MAINTAINED-2008-2009-/161356293684?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140211132617%26meid%3D8407440087764303329%26pid%3D100085%26prg%3D20140211132617%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D4%26sd%3D281365047933%26clkid%3D8407441895223560353&_trksid=p2047675.l2557&_qi=RTM1562571&nma=true&si=DgSX9Mxj6weJj5By%252FKBRnaAFD9Q%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

Just a few pics of the problems with my perfect 10

 

[XLRATING]

WOW! What a nightmare, don't want to see what they sell that's < a 10. Not quite at all what I would have expected either.

I think eBay has some rules about going "off eBay" as they suggested you do to buy the car. Might want to check into that. BBB complaint might be another option. Finally, don't know the corporate connection between Coral Preowned & Coral Cadillac, but perhaps complaining up the GM food chain would help. Since it's "just another used car" (albeit a nice & not cheap one) it might be hard to get very much out of anyone. Maybe check out your options, then politely call the dealership & inform them of your plans but you'd like to give them a chance to address the problem first. Being polite about it (even though that's the last thing I'd want to do!) will make you seem reasonable & not just written off as crazy.

Your experience makes me feel really lucky about our long distance sight-unseen buy - we used a local dealer as basically an agent, he put on a very minor mark up & then was "on the hook." Our dealer had an inspector look at the mechanics of the car while it was out of state before the deal was final, & any repairs over a certain amount for things he missed would be covered. No inspection of paint/appearance was available though. We also pulled service records, felt like we did all we could to protect ourselves, but there were still a couple of issues & we would NEVER buy again without seeing a car in person. Really, overall it turned out ok & the car has been great but was a learning experience.

Glad at least you are now happy with the car! (By the way, the console dents are pretty common & not very fixable).

 

[Stella]

Sorry to hear. My 2 cents, if you first made your offer through ebay than the dealer went outside ebay for the transaction. I would report them to ebay and give them a detailed report of the misrepresentation of the vehicle. You paid good money for a car trusting the word of a greasy salesman. Their 100% liable for all the repairs in my eye. Those problems with the paint are deep and that crack? Then on top of it the hood liner, amp,floor mats,manual,battery,etc.
I would contact the salesman with your final tally of repairs and let him make the decision on you contacting ebay, or your lawyer. I know ebay won't like not getting their cut of the sale price.
When I purchased mine in 2012 I flew across the country to Oregon. I had also asked the salesman before going to take pictures of any and every flaw on the car no matter how small. At the time she only had 4500 miles on her. He did take pictures of the whole car and anywhere I wanted him too. Long story short I flew out it was everything he stated and we fell in love. If I didn't like it I would have had a nice night in town and flew back. Rather be out acouple hundred on a flight than be second guessing a purchase. I would just tried to get reimbursed for ever dime you had to put into it to get to the condition of how it was listed. Their great cars and you'll enjoy her but its just terrible what others will do to deceive. Good luck!

 

[tom88ci]

Update - HAPPY NEW YEAR!

It has been quite some time since I posted about the V. This continues to be a popular thread with over 2400 views. I thought I would give an update on the car and the experience. For those who are wondering, Coral Cadillac never made it right, never responded to my calls or emails, and grossly misrepresented the car. The car had a few more hidden secrets to tell. The left side of the car had been repainted, and not very well I might add. If you look at the gas filler door in earlier pictures you will notice what looks like white wax buildup in the recess for the filler door. This was also in the driver side mirror on the bottom below the glass - it was primer over spray. Who ever painted the car only put a very thin layer of clear over the color which in the right light stood out like a soar thumb. The entire drivers side door had been repainted - so much for the perfect ten! I made another trip to the paint shop to have this fixed.

A few days after getting the bodywork done I noticed a clunking in the rear when I would backup. This immediately made my heart sink as I believed another major problem had materialized that Coral knew about. A review of the Chilton online service bulletins showed this was a common problem that required a fluid change. This was an easy fix that actually worked as I have not had the problem since.

The drivers side A pillar had the typical bubbling under the vinyl (probably from being garage kept as indicated by the dealer )- I have purchased a replacement pillar which is real easy to change because the entire cover clips on. I was able to get the GM training materials for the top, XLR systems, and diagnostics, this was a huge help as I am confident I could handle some repairs myself. I adjusted the front tonneau panel which was misaligned on the passenger side. Also, I purchased a tech2 from Craigslist, and its a clone- it works fine.

The car is now in the condition it should be in for less than 15000 miles. I don't get to drive it as often as I like but spring is coming so there will be more opportunities. The car runs and drives great and there are no more issues that need to be addressed. The paint is eight years old but with the touch ups and the cleaning it looks great.

I did not seek legal action against the dealer because of the costs involved - the costs would have out weighed the cost to make the repairs. I have told anyone who will listen about my experience with them. I have been in West Palm Beach several times since the purchase and shared my story on each visit.

 

[pure zen]

Nightmare purchase > Yikes!

I'm just now reading this entire thread for the first time,,,and I can only say Tom that you got ripped a new azz on this purchase from a Cadillac dealer, and I almost can feel your pain and resentment. Sounds to me like this car had more of a problematic history than represented by the selling dealer,, did you run a CARFAX report on the car first? The only car I've ever bought out-of-state was a Viper with 1,900 miles on it (private owner), yet I had two Viper owners check the car out first before I went forward. I flew to get the car and drove it 1000 miles back home. Open transporters over a long distance, generally are a bad idea. Companies like Reliable Carriers, etc. with enclosed units are acceptable if one can't drive the car back. The first 'red flag' for me would have been the BS 'Dealer fees' (also known as Doc Fee). Doc Fee is a extra profit added to the sale profit.....just tell them you want the vehicle's title and you will do the leg work for the title change and registration in your state. Sales tax, if applicable, is the only thing the dealer is required to collect to my knowledge. Anyway, this ordeal sounded like a nightmare for you. I can only now hope you can enjoy the car after all of the problems involved,,but personally I'd sell it a.s.a.p. and forget I ever bought it. JMO Currently, I only buy cars from local private owners, shooting for face to face contact, examine the car myself, and checking out past history of the vehicle before making a decision. Other's opinions may differ.

We Learn as We Go!

p z

 

[tom88ci]

Pre-Purchase due diligence

PZ

Check the link in the thread to the original eBay ad where you can see some of this. I did get the CarFax report which was clean, it did not show any accident damage. I believe given the absence of body filler in the door that they were trying to cover up the scratches that can still be seen in earlier posted pictures. I sent the dealer six separate emails asking specific questions about the condition, here is one of the earlier emails with his replies:
1. Does the interior smell like smoke or have any odors?
NON SMOKING CAR NO ODORS
2. Does the paint have any scratches, swirls, or blemishes?
PAINT IS A 10 THE CAR WAS GARAGED
3. Are there any dents or dings on the car?
NO DINGS IN THE CAR
4. Are there any stains on the interior of the car?
NO STAINS IN THE INTERIOR
5. Are there any scratches or scuff marks on the wheels?
WHEELS ARE SCUFF FREE

The ad and the salesman were very convincing that there was a 100% money back guarantee. (it is more like 75%)
Selling the car is not an option now as I would not get close to what I have in it. Besides - now its a great car and the lesson the &$%@!! taught me was priceless. I just want to try and prevent the next guy from falling into their false representations.

Thanks for your comments.

 

[pure zen]

ENJOY your XLR,,,

quote: "I just want to try and prevent the next guy from falling into their false representations. Thanks for your comments."


I was thinking the same thing with my post,,,,,,just trying to help others. Thank you Tom for posting your experience. Most people will not post a bad experience purchasing a vehicle, so I applaud your willingness with a full report.

 

[BusaMan]

Dealer Board?

I don't know how Florida deals with their motor vehicle dealers, but I have direct experience by virtue of having been a dealer in Colorado.

CO has a State Motor Vehicle Dealer Board that meets monthly to deal with customer complaints against flaky/incompetent dealers. They have a "take no prisoners" view on fraudulent claims and misrepresentations by dealers and deal out $50,000 fines at the drop of a hat. I seem to recall that they also fine the bad dealers for damages to rectify the customers' issues. This goes a long way to ensuring that most dealers are reputable and honest. Good dealers get painted by the same brush as the bad ones, so the caring dealer wants the bad ones punished.

Filing a complaint with the FL Board likely would be the best way to guard against future customers being "ripped off" by that awful dealer.

FWIW

Tim

 

[XLRATING]

I don't know how Florida deals with their motor vehicle dealers, but I have direct experience by virtue of having been a dealer in Colorado.

CO has a State Motor Vehicle Dealer Board that meets monthly to deal with customer complaints against flaky/incompetent dealers. They have a "take no prisoners" view on fraudulent claims and misrepresentations by dealers and deal out $50,000 fines at the drop of a hat. I seem to recall that they also fine the bad dealers for damages to rectify the customers' issues. This goes a long way to ensuring that most dealers are reputable and honest. Good dealers get painted by the same brush as the bad ones, so the caring dealer wants the bad ones punished.

Filing a complaint with the FL Board likely would be the best way to guard against future customers being "ripped off" by that awful dealer.

FWIW

Tim

That reminds me & gives me an idea - try calling the Florida Attorney General's Office (or the equivalent if they use a different name) & asking about your options. I did something like that & filed a complaint with my state's Attorney General, consumer affairs division about some "charity fund raisers" who tried to rip off my mom. They ran them out of business without me having to lift a finger.

Good luck & fire away!