First trip

[monepit]

We took the Monepit to tampa last week for the first of many trips. We drove 837 miles from 23 degrees to 82. First day there I pushed the top button and it went half way and stuck. 4 days 2 cadillac dealers and about $1000 and the top works again. What a nightmare. I love the car but I can't say I am inpressed with the complicated top. The 2 caddy dealers didn't impress me much either. I thought a dealer in florida would know the top well but 4 days 3 sensors and a control module, thats crazy. It was going to be more money but I complained enough that GM pitched in. I still love the car but this better be all the top problems for a while.

 

[Lola's Mom]

This is such a hit and miss thing ... some cars seem to have a consistent top problem and some never do.

I can say that my technician has told me that he hates top problems if it's due to alignment because they are such a precise fit. He told me that cars that have been in any sort of collision can be an absolute nightmare ....

What was the final "fix" for your top? And what dealership finally got the right diagnosis?

You know .... you have the best XLR technician ever in Indianapolis. Just ask anyone on this forum .... our own Cadillac Tech, Bruce. I think ANY problem would be worth the drive to have him work on your car.

 

[HOMEGAMEROOM]

You know .... you have the best XLR technician ever in Indianapolis. Just ask anyone on this forum .... our own Cadillac Tech, Bruce. I think ANY problem would be worth the drive to have him work on your car.

AMEN to that! Bruce is worth a trip even if you aren't having problems! But seriously, he's a great technician and knows, lives, and breathes XLR's.

I hope your problems are fixed and behind you. I've never had a top problem, but I still sometimes hold my breath when it opens or closes..... Like many owners, I store the car for the winter, but I always try to "exercise" the top occasionally.

 

[cubby558]

We took the Monepit to tampa last week for the first of many trips. We drove 837 miles from 23 degrees to 82. First day there I pushed the top button and it went half way and stuck. 4 days 2 cadillac dealers and about $1000 and the top works again. What a nightmare. I love the car but I can't say I am inpressed with the complicated top. The 2 caddy dealers didn't impress me much either. I thought a dealer in florida would know the top well but 4 days 3 sensors and a control module, thats crazy. It was going to be more money but I complained enough that GM pitched in. I still love the car but this better be all the top problems for a while.

I would seriously consider a GMPP extended warranty if you can still get one for your car. That will take care of the hihg bills when things go wrong.

 

[standby-V]

I hate to punch holes in what your tech said but you remember me loosing my V around a corner and slamming into the curb and and jumping onto the sidewalk, crushing both rims on one side and breaking a couple of rods attached to the underneath? I put up the top while sitting in this awkward position and have never had any problems with the top. (knock on wood) and I hit hard to bounce a car up onto the sidewalk.

This is such a hit and miss thing ... some cars seem to have a consistent top problem and some never do.

I can say that my technician has told me that he hates top problems if it's due to alignment because they are such a precise fit. He told me that cars that have been in any sort of collision can be an absolute nightmare ....

What was the final "fix" for your top? And what dealership finally got the right diagnosis?

You know .... you have the best XLR technician ever in Indianapolis. Just ask anyone on this forum .... our own Cadillac Tech, Bruce. I think ANY problem would be worth the drive to have him work on your car.

 

[mswaim]

Come on Bob - fess up; you know there was a waitress in the car at the time..................


Waitress + Hand on Bob's Knee = XLR-V on Curb!!!!!!!

 

[Lola's Mom]

Monepit .... you never said what the repair was ... what did they do to fix the problem?


Standby .... sounds like you were pretty lucky considering .... I don't think my tech meant every little bump and bruise would cause a problem. Sorry if I came across that way in my post - I think our discussion was geared more to a collision type hit .... and "in general", certainly not a 100% diagnosis.

 

[monepit]

They replaced the sensor on the top, trunk, the little flip up door behind the seats, and the top module next to the pump. Like I said I really think the were just replacing parts till it worked. I really wish I could have just taken it to Bruce but I figured a dealership in Fl. would see alot of XLR's and have alot of expierance, I guess I was wrong. I hope there is not a next time but if there is It will make a trip to Indy.

 

[Lola's Mom]

I am glad that you got your top fixed ....
but ..... having said that ... the way it was fixed just isn't right. Did they charge you for each separate component .... ? Surely not ALL of them were bad at once? So, are you saying the dealership just kept charging you for the wrong diagnosis/part each time? Obviously it was the LAST component they replaced that was bad?
I would think there would be tester for each of those things to know if it's bad or not ...
Excuse the rant ... But that is just the worst case of fix I have ever heard. 'Glad to hear that GM shared some of the cost for you .... but for that kind of inconvenience and frustration, the $$ wouldn't have made me feel much better.

 

[Little Woman]

They replaced the sensor on the top, trunk, the little flip up door behind the seats, and the top module next to the pump. Like I said I really think the were just replacing parts till it worked. I really wish I could have just taken it to Bruce but I figured a dealership in Fl. would see alot of XLR's and have alot of expierance, I guess I was wrong. I hope there is not a next time but if there is It will make a trip to Indy.

It will be well worth the trip to go to Indy and get Bruce to work on it. He is the best Tech.

 

[monepit]

What bugged me the most is that I got it there at 1 oclock on friday. at 2:30 she said it was the roof sensor and it would be $355. I said fix it. At 5 the were ready to close and she said I would have to pay if I wanted to take the car even though it didn't work and they were closed saturday and sunday. I am on vacation so I am not going to rent a car and leave mine for two days so after some argueing I paid $440. 355 plus tax plus $44 shop fee's. I left it sunday night and rented a car. They still hadn't looked at it on monday at 5. They finally started tuesday ay 12. What a way to do business.

 

[Lola's Mom]

You paid $440 to get your own car out of the shop and it wasn't even repaired? Okay - I can see your predicament - but that doesn't make it right. All of that is so wrong.

 

[First Robin]

I feel you need to post the names of the dealers you delt with in Florida and the locations of these dealers. You should also be calling Cadillac Consumer Relations and lodgeing complaints. You can fax copies of the invoices and a letter explaining how you were treated and the fact of the time delays in getting your XLR into the service bay to be worked on. In all my years of driving Cadillacs I have had only one big problem and that was when I made the dealer take back my Allante and replace it with an STS and of course I had already been in contact with Cadillac Consumer Relations and had everything set in motion prior to my taking the Allante in for yet another problem so when the GM at my insistance phoned Consumer Relations you wouldn't believe how RED his face turned and then he almost bent over to kiss my you know what and I was treated with great respect and got the STS off the showroom floor. The other members of this forum need to know where these dealers are so we can avoid them. First Robin

 

[Little Woman]

I agree with FIrst Robin you need to post that dealer's name. That is crazy, you had to pay to get your own car and they didn't even do the work yet. What was their reasoning for doing that to you? I would complain to Cadillac. Maybe I'm dumb, but I haven't ever had to pay for work a dealership hasn't even done yet in order to get my car back.

 

[monepit]

It get's even better. I got a call from Autoway Cadillac in Port Richey Florida today. I did call Cadillac the last day of the repair feasco. So Autoway called me today and said Cadillac would be contacting me to see it I was satisfied with there service. She said they really wanted a 'compleatlly sadisfied" marked on the survey. I said are you kidding! She said she would sure have the service manager call me and see what he could do to make it right. I told her he knows me well as does the dealership manager, He was the one the service manager took me to when I was told I had to pay them even though They told me it would be fixed for 355 and it still didnt work. I was also told it would be another $49 diagnosis fee when I bring it back even though the First diagnosis cost me a total of $440 and it was wrong. It was the dealership manager that told me he wouldnt budge on the $440 For the repair that didn't fix it. I cant wait for Cadillac to contact me, If they really do.

 

[Lola's Mom]

Whoa ..... keep us posted on this .... it's sort of like a soap opera now ...

 

[XLR-V Lover]

It get's even better. I got a call from Autoway Cadillac in Port Richey Florida today. I did call Cadillac the last day of the repair feasco. So Autoway called me today and said Cadillac would be contacting me to see it I was satisfied with there service. She said they really wanted a 'compleatlly sadisfied" marked on the survey. I said are you kidding! She said she would sure have the service manager call me and see what he could do to make it right. I told her he knows me well as does the dealership manager, He was the one the service manager took me to when I was told I had to pay them even though They told me it would be fixed for 355 and it still didnt work. I was also told it would be another $49 diagnosis fee when I bring it back even though the First diagnosis cost me a total of $440 and it was wrong. It was the dealership manager that told me he wouldnt budge on the $440 For the repair that didn't fix it. I cant wait for Cadillac to contact me, If they really do.

Autoway Cadillac in Port Richey, Florida is the dealership I have used for over three years. I purchased my first XLR there and now take my "V" there for service and I must say I'm extremely surprised to read of your experience with them. We have almost become friends, and they have a really great XLR mechanic, Rich is his name. Jeff is my service writer.

I'll have to get nosey the next time I go there and see what they have to say.

I guess things may be different when a car is out of warranty.

Hope it all works out for you.

Floyd (BB)

 

[First Robin]

Autoway Cadillac in Port Richey, Florida is the dealership I have used for over three years. I purchased my first XLR there and now take my "V" there for service and I must say I'm extremely surprised to read of your experience with them. We have almost become friends, and they have a really great XLR mechanic, Rich is his name. Jeff is my service writer.

I'll have to get nosey the next time I go there and see what they have to say.

I guess things may be different when a car is out of warranty.

Hope it all works out for you.

Floyd (BB)

Things also get different when you have out of state license plates. I had an experience back in 1970 when I phoned the dealer and told them the car wouldn't start. It needed a new starter and had just gone out of warranty. They quoted a price over the phone, when they towed the car into the garage and they saw the Colordo plates the price went up a few hundred dollars. This was in Illinois. I told the service manager I would have to talk to Glen (the owner) and he just about fell through the floor. I talked to Glen and he called the service manager in and fired him on the spot. My father had built Glen's house in 1947 but this service manager didn't know about that. Glen told me he had been trying to catch him scaming the customers as he had heard about it but had trouble catching him. One rotten apple can destroy the reputation of a good dealer, hope Cadillac will step in and do something about this. First Robin

 

[monepit]

As far as I'm concerned it all worked out. I dont like the way it went but it works and I'm not broke so I can live with it. I will have to say Ronnie put up with a lot of c**p from me and kept a pleasent attitude. There XLR mechanic may have been on vacation that week also.

 

[Lola's Mom]

Setting aside the $$ -
and the frustration (priceless) -
it's the customer service part that just reeks.

That's "Ronnie's" job to "put up" with you - but I would think that you were probably a pretty reasonable customer, expecting reasonable service and repairs, and there shouldn't have been any reason for you to give him any "cr#p" or even get to that point. Unless a dealership has a certified XLR tech, no one else is supposed to repair your car .... because a dealership can't even sell XLR's unless they can service it. Replacing parts until they get it right is WRONG - It's great that $$ isn't an issue for you .... but it's so not about just that.

Geez, it's a good thing you didn't go to a doctor/hospital with the same attitude. How many body parts could they remove from you before you would think maybe someone was incompetent?

Okay ... off of my soapbox for now.