12 to 18 month wait for new vehicle!!

[Bearsixty7]

I miss the "good ole days" when you could brouse the dealership lot and point to a car and say, "I want that one". Then drive it home or pick it up the next day after makeready. I would never buy a new car I had to wait over a year to own. Unless they discounted it by about 20-25% due to loss of value in a model year. That's just plain silly. Who wants to buy new car that's a year old or more? I guess I won't be buying any more new vehicles.

Yeah, They don't want a full lot because then they think we lose the bargaining edge, And during covid, that was true, now it's just a tactic and as you can see by the Ford ads, Bargaining can be done.
We almost traded vehicles back in November. We test drove a really nice Limited Explorer 4wd at the local Dealership where I've purchased 2 vehicle over the last several years and they had decent rebates and incentives and 0.9% financing and we were ready to deal but then they lowballed the wife's 2015 Jeep JK trade-in so bad it ticked her off and that was the end of that. I checked their inventory weekly and that Explorer didn't sell until last week after they increased the rebates even more.

If you wait that long, usually it's the current (next)year model. You have to remember most all auto manufacturers shutdown for a 1-2 months every year to retool/make changes for the next model year.

 

[coldsteelva]

I struggle with that as well.

Someone mentioned earlier the rebates on '22 model F150s. Did those trucks sit on a huge parking lot somewhere for a year waiting on a computer chip?

overszd: They absolutely have sat. They kept their employees working by running the lines, but had no chips to complete them for sale. The 'runner's had to take the ignition PCMs from one truck to the next to move them and then park them.

Read this: Satellite photos reveal hundreds of abandoned trucks visible from SPACE

 

[ovrszd]

overszd: They absolutely have sat. They kept their employees working by running the lines, but had no chips to complete them for sale. The 'runner's had to take the ignition PCMs from one truck to the next to move them and then park them.

Read this: Satellite photos reveal hundreds of abandoned trucks visible from SPACE

My concern with that would be the deterioration caused by constant sunlight on a non ventilated interior.

 

[Bearsixty7]

overszd: They absolutely have sat. They kept their employees working by running the lines, but had no chips to complete them for sale. The 'runner's had to take the ignition PCMs from one truck to the next to move them and then park them.

Read this: Satellite photos reveal hundreds of abandoned trucks visible from SPACE

Toyota's must have been doing the same as we were looking at a Highlander and a couple local Toyota dealers were getting new ones in every week into early January and they were displayed as 2022 models. Now I'm starting to see more 2023 models listed.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Back in the summer my son suggested I consider a Rav4 Prime vs a Model Y since I owned a Blazer for many years. The area dealer had none and could not even order one so i bought a highly bruised 103K mile 2015 Prius C to start learning about the company and technology. After putting 5K on it I am impressed and it does not use any oil.

In 2017 Toyota peaked and has been selling about a million fewer each year since. They have missed the EV trend in China and Europe and plan to do the same in North America it seems.

My health suffered due to the Pandemic but I never expected a world wide recession and for Toyota to be surpassed by GM. With the effective $20K drop yesterday I plan to just go with dual motor 330 mile range Model Y I expect a very long wait. With the 150 mile range Leaf and Prius C and 4 gasses we are OK. With 4 in college I like to have a couple spares ready at all times.

I was planning on the Tesla by my 75th birthday but that was before in my case ICE/EV parity occurred yesterday. 2023 is 50 years since I bought my one and only new car a Datsun 1200 Coupe that I drove 200K miles. I want FSD for safety of others and myself so I can pay for it by the month to see how I like it.

Congratulations on your expanding family'

 

[RSKY]

Hal says a noticeable percentage of his clients are in the dealership getting a "major" repair done, could be as small as $1K. They end up killing time in the showroom. He's not a vulture, lets them come to him. Many times he'll trade them into a new vehicle while theirs is being repaired. All based on the monthly payment.

Not throwing stones here. This is one of many things that our society fails at. No plan to ever be financially independent. Those same people go into retirement worried about whether their retirement funds will make the monthly payments.

At the last factory I worked at when the announcement was made that the plant was closing two shifts of supervisors were sitting in the planning area and were talking about what they were going to do after the closure. I was 56 and more than half were older than me. I was also the outsider being there about four years when most of the others were 30+ year men. They were all talking about taking money from their 401Ks and paying off their houses and 'making do' for retirement. I said something like 'holy ****, y'all don't have your homes paid off'. they looked at me like I was crazy. Was asked if I had mine paid off and I said yes, in my early forties. I was the only one out of about fifteen that didn't owe money on my home. They also couldn't believe I paid cash for my little Kioti.

Then I tried to convince them not to drain their 401Ks to pay off their mortgages. Put it on a spread sheet and still didn't convince them. I also had a simple spread sheet I had used to figure out when I could retire and I showed it to a couple guys with all my data erased. By the end of the next week it seemed like every salaried person in the plant was using a copy. None of them had ever sat down and put on paper what they had, what they owed, how much they needed to pay monthly bills, and how well they could survive after loosing their jobs.

Kinda sad.

RSKY

 

[RSKY]

There is another option. Stop drinking the Toyota kool-aid and go buy another brand, which in my experience will likely be a better vehicle anyhow, have lower insurance rates, have lower future repair costs, and will be less expensive to purchase up front.

I see Jeep Wagoneers and Chevy Tahoes at every corner. No shortages.

P.S. I love Possum Trot and Calvert City. What an interesting place. Almost married a girl from there after college. That's a long story

They are on their second Toyota with no problems. I believe I posted earlier that they were on their third but this is their second. They had a Mercury for a while and it stayed in the shop more than they drove it. I believe the longest was for six weeks. I have always had great service with Ford products but that one vehicle soured my son in law on the brand. At my suggestion they are going to look at an Expedition next week. She originally wanted a Tahoe but their car dealer friend told her to stay away from the larger GM SUVs. Don't know why but apparently some people are having many problems with their new vehicles. Told her that in a year or so they would be okay but right now he wouldn't buy a late model at auction. SIL's dad had good luck with Chrysler products and they will look at them too.

But the Sequoia checked every box for all the requirements she had. And as far as the Toyota Kool-Aid how come they cannot produce enough to fulfill demand while the brands you mention have many vehicles sitting on the lots? Hmmmm?

Also a lot of the American brand name vehicles are now made in Mexico, India, and other countries. The Sequoia is made in Texas.

RSKY

 

[Jstpssng]

She originally wanted a Tahoe but their car dealer friend told her to stay away from the larger GM SUVs. Don't know why but apparently some people are having many problems with their new vehicles.

The transmissions seem to be weak, for one thing. That's not a new problem though... ever since my '98 GMC I've expected to have a transmission job done at around 120-130K miles.

 

[Dftodd]

I'm still trying to figure out the "advantage" of Nitrogen. From everything I've read, it's just another way for somebody to take more of your money.

That's been the source of a few separate arguments with my wife and I.

She'll call me in a panic saying her tire pressure sensors say one of her tires is low.

I bring up the point to stop at the newer gas station on her way home and top up the tire pressure.

She starts going off about what some tater head at the tire shop said about nitrogen in the tires.

I point out that it doesn't matter, and I would rather her check the bloody tire pressure and top them up versus taking the chance of getting stranded and ruining a rim or tire

About a month ago, we had the same flipping discussion. I'm at work, and she's fixing to leave for work. I told her to flip the switch on the air compressor in the garage and adjust all 4 of her tires to what the tag on the inside of her door states. I leave the compressor plugged in with a tire gauge/ inflator hooked to the air hose for that exact reason. All you have to do is flip the switch to turn it on.

 

[RSKY]

Back in the summer my son suggested I consider a Rav4 Prime vs a Model Y since I owned a Blazer for many years. The area dealer had none and could not even order one so i bought a highly bruised 103K mile 2015 Prius C to start learning about the company and technology. After putting 5K on it I am impressed and it does not use any oil.

In 2017 Toyota peaked and has been selling about a million fewer each year since. They have missed the EV trend in China and Europe and plan to do the same in North America it seems.

My health suffered due to the Pandemic but I never expected a world wide recession and for Toyota to be surpassed by GM. With the effective $20K drop yesterday I plan to just go with dual motor 330 mile range Model Y I expect a very long wait. With the 150 mile range Leaf and Prius C and 4 gasses we are OK. With 4 in college I like to have a couple spares ready at all times.

I was planning on the Tesla by my 75th birthday but that was before in my case ICE/EV parity occurred yesterday. 2023 is 50 years since I bought my one and only new car a Datsun 1200 Coupe that I drove 200K miles. I want FSD for safety of others and myself so I can pay for it by the month to see how I like it.

Congratulations on your expanding family'

Hey Gale, long time no talk.

My son-in-law has the Model Y. He leaves it for me to drive when he borrows my truck. Wife is afraid I'm gonna kill myself in that thing. His is the dual motor performance model and it will scare the heck out of a passenger that has never ridden in one. I have a spot on 464 coming out of Mayfield that I try vehicles out on. Stop on a culvert and floor it. Slight dog leg at 1/4 mile and bridge a little less than 1/2 mile. My 07 RAV4 V6 would do 95 at the bridge, 2003 Mazda 6 V6 105 at the bridge. In the Tesla I glanced at the speed before the dogleg and was at 92 and still pressing us back in the seats. I had to back off. Scared myself silly. Son in law was with me and didn't leave it for me to drive for months after that. I think I scared him too.

RSKY

 

[RSKY]

The transmissions seem to be weak, for one thing. That's not a new problem though... ever since my '98 GMC I've expected to have a transmission job done at around 120-130K miles.

I believe it was just the larger models from the last couple or three years. Especially low milage ones. His mother has an Acadia and it has been trouble free. She says the best vehicle she has ever owned. Dependable, comfortable, and easy on gas.

RSKY

 

[Jstpssng]

I believe it was just the larger models from the last couple or three years. Especially low milage ones. His mother has an Acadia and it has been trouble free. She says the best vehicle she has ever owned. Dependable, comfortable, and easy on gas.

RSKY

And I'm actually talking about pickups, but I believe they have the same transmission.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Hey Gale, long time no talk.

My son-in-law has the Model Y. He leaves it for me to drive when he borrows my truck. Wife is afraid I'm gonna kill myself in that thing. His is the dual motor performance model and it will scare the heck out of a passenger that has never ridden in one. I have a spot on 464 coming out of Mayfield that I try vehicles out on. Stop on a culvert and floor it. Slight dog leg at 1/4 mile and bridge a little less than 1/2 mile. My 07 RAV4 V6 would do 95 at the bridge, 2003 Mazda 6 V6 105 at the bridge. In the Tesla I glanced at the speed before the dogleg and was at 92 and still pressing us back in the seats. I had to back off. Scared myself silly. Son in law was with me and didn't leave it for me to drive for months after that. I think I scared him too.

RSKY

Great to hear from you. I was out 58 and 131 by the airport this week. I went that way to Benton to stop by my retiring tractor guys shop but they really do a lot of rebuilding out there I noticed on 131 all over Mayfield.

When I get the model Y dual motor long range (330 mi range) it will be the first car that I will never test the high end. I went to the web and the top speed for the Model Y long range is 135 mph. The top end on our Leaf is 94 .

Next month I turn 72 so its time to make that my top speed. It can be dangerous when the body is approaching 100 and the brain still thinks you're 16.

 

[spitter]

In 1985 I ordered a new diesel f 250 hd [no 350's with 4wd out yet] went down the list and got every option available lariat etc. With the x plan I paid $14,500.00. I just got a price on a F350 cc dually lariat basic as little options as I could get was $70,000.00.
That is MSRP that means the dealer wants to make between 10 and 15 k on a truck that all he is doing is filling out paperwork for. That's the same as the 85 cost me. Obviously, I told him to F.O.

 

[mikester]

There aren’t any used vehicles?

I'm seeing 1-2 year old electric/hybrid vehicles advertised as selling for 10-20K more than brand new at stealerships right now. Gas guzzlers are available on the lots but I'd rather stand on the street handing out $5 bills. I'm speculating there will be a recession and prices will drop when the covid brain fog disappears.

 

[Hay Dude]

In 1985 I ordered a new diesel f 250 hd [no 350's with 4wd out yet] went down the list and got every option available lariat etc. With the x plan I paid $14,500.00. I just got a price on a F350 cc dually lariat basic as little options as I could get was $70,000.00.
That is MSRP that means the dealer wants to make between 10 and 15 k on a truck that all he is doing is filling out paperwork for. That's the same as the 85 cost me. Obviously, I told him to F.O.

It wouldn’t be as much of an issue if wages were keeping up. I made about 1/2 what I make now in the mid 80’s, which is pathetic, but that’s another story. Trucks are 4-5 times what they were in the mid 80’s. I paid $19,000 for a ‘91 F-350 4WD diesel with a ZF manual, AC, PW, PDL reg cab.

And I don’t want to hear the crap about how much better they are.….
First, they SHOULD be BETTER. Thats called progress.
Second, they cost 5 times as much for parts and to fix.

They are pricing average income earner buyers out of existence.

 

[ovrszd]

Next month I turn 72 so its time to make that my top speed. It can be dangerous when the body is approaching 100 and the brain still thinks you're 16.

I'm too young to be this old.

 

[Jstpssng]

In 1985 I ordered a new diesel f 250 hd [no 350's with 4wd out yet] went down the list and got every option available lariat etc. With the x plan I paid $14,500.00. I just got a price on a F350 cc dually lariat basic as little options as I could get was $70,000.00.
That is MSRP that means the dealer wants to make between 10 and 15 k on a truck that all he is doing is filling out paperwork for. That's the same as the 85 cost me. Obviously, I told him to F.O.

I pay more in taxes now than I made with an associate's degree and 5 years in the workplace, in 1985 .

 

[bmg88201]

They are on their second Toyota with no problems. I believe I posted earlier that they were on their third but this is their second. They had a Mercury for a while and it stayed in the shop more than they drove it. I believe the longest was for six weeks. I have always had great service with Ford products but that one vehicle soured my son in law on the brand. At my suggestion they are going to look at an Expedition next week. She originally wanted a Tahoe but their car dealer friend told her to stay away from the larger GM SUVs. Don't know why but apparently some people are having many problems with their new vehicles. Told her that in a year or so they would be okay but right now he wouldn't buy a late model at auction. SIL's dad had good luck with Chrysler products and they will look at them too.

But the Sequoia checked every box for all the requirements she had. And as far as the Toyota Kool-Aid how come they cannot produce enough to fulfill demand while the brands you mention have many vehicles sitting on the lots? Hmmmm?

Also a lot of the American brand name vehicles are now made in Mexico, India, and other countries. The Sequoia is made in Texas.

RSKY

My new Tacoma was made in San Antonio TX. I’ve been a GM man most of my life but didn’t want one now cause their engines have Active Fuel Management which shuts down cylinders. They are having terrible problems with that. I think Ford finally stopped putting auto shut off in their trucks from too many complaints. So I guess I did drink the Toyota kool-aid. I wouldn’t want one of those F150’s that’s been sitting for over a year and hasn’t been started parked at the Kentucky speedway waiting on chips. Go to google maps and you can see acres of trucks parked their. It’s probably a mice haven now. as far as getting a good deal on my truck, I could have driven all over creation looking and looking and looking. I found one I liked and I bought it. I just retired and am debt free, no mortgage, no car payment, no credit card debt.

 

[groundcover]

I was talking to a guy at the Ford dealership a year or so ago that was looking to by a new work truck , he said all those trucks that were sitting wait for chips were destroyed. He claimed that was true for all the manufacturers. They wrote them off, didn't have to discount anything, and didn't have to lose new sales to year old discounted ones. Makes sense.