Irwin Motors

[Eagle]

SA, when this happened I had to buy a replacement tire on PEI. Since they didn't have run-flats I bought a regular tire which I am still using. The mechanic at the tire shop where I bought the tire told me that the bad tire had a damaged bead which was done at a previous service. I could not bring the damaged tire back with me because I simply did not have enough room in the vehicle. We were on vacation.

I think most people know that removing a tire and reinstalling it has to be done with great care to avoid damage. Obviously, care was not used in the removal and reinstallation.

Irwin could have simply replaced the tire they damaged but they didn't care.

[sa meredith]

Originally Posted by Eagle

SA, when this happened I had to buy a replacement tire on PEI. Since they didn't have run-flats I bought a regular tire which I am still using. The mechanic at the tire shop where I bought the tire told me that the bad tire had a damaged bead which was done at a previous service. I could not bring the damaged tire back with me because I simply did not have enough room in the vehicle. We were on vacation.

I think most people know that removing a tire and reinstalling it has to be done with great care to avoid damage. Obviously, care was not used in the removal and reinstallation.

Irwin could have simply replaced the tire they damaged but they didn't care.

Eagle..I understand, and am inclined to believe everything you say...
However, I'm sorry. Not trying to get you fired up here. But to expect the dealer to simply give you a new tire at their expense...with no chance of seeing the old tire, or inspecting the potentially shoddy work done by one of their employees...just take your word for it, and say, "well, yep, here's a new tire now."...is a bit unreasonable.
It is simply something they see every day...a customer wanting re-imbursement after the fact...and 9 out of 10 times it is a scam.
It's like this....every single year, when winter came, and we had the first sleet, freezing rain over night, we would get a pool going, as too how many poeple would either show up or phone in that morning saying..."hey, my windshield wipers just stopped working"...as if our technicians had know way of telling that what really happened was the customer turned on the wipers while they were still frozen to the windshield and blow the wiper motor (sometimes just the fuse) and we would never know. Just lie and lie and lie..because, hey, they're a big dumb dealer...they have the money.
Your frustration over the tire is understandable. But I would think any dealer or shop in the country would want the chance to inspect the damage, and then take responsibilty.Especially with "run flats"!!!! HUGE MONEY!
I would also bet I was right about the amount you got for your trade in???
It's all good. PEI is a great place.Lucky to have a place up there.

[Argie's Wife]

Pepper - I am glad you had a good experience and like your Edge. I've been looking at them; looks like a nice car!

However, like Eagle, we also had a negative experience with a vehicle we purchased at Irwin and a repair that was needed just days after we drove it home. We experienced the exhaust pipe and muffler - over 5' long - dropping off a RAV-4 we'd bought just five days prior to the incident.

The RAV-4 had less than 40K miles on it and was just two years old. We got it back to Irwins and thought we'd have some warrantee or something on it. No such luck. It was as if we'd made a private purchase. I would have expected some cost, perhaps, maybe parts or something? The exhaust was badly corroded and someone should have noted that when it was inspected by Service. We were not impressed and won't darken that door again.

[robmac]

AW,you did and do have recourse. That is a NH inspection item and state law is clear you can't even put a 20 day plate on a vehicle that has inspection issues. It should have been a covered repair.

[Argie's Wife]

I wish we had known that then... we bit the bullet and paid for the repairs. The timing was horrible - just put a down payment on a house and a kid on the way. There's a country music song in here somewhere, isn't there?

[robmac]

If it wasn't long ago you still have recourse and any smart business owner ( or one with the fear of litigation from the state ) will try and work something out.

[sa meredith]

Originally Posted by robmac

If it wasn't long ago you still have recourse and any smart business owner ( or one with the fear of litigation from the state ) will try and work something out.

Robmac...be carefull about giving out info unless you know for certain of what you speak.
In MA...every vehicle sold for over $799 must have a 30 day lemon law warranty, and be inspectable. The consumer does not have the right to waive this warranty, even if both buyer and seller enter into such agrrement (to waive the warranty)...either in writing, or a simple gentleman's agrrement...it does not matter. The law does not care. In MA, the consumer cannot waive their warranty.
However...you are speaking about Irwin Motors, which is in "Live Free or Die" NH. NH law is quite different. If a bargained upon price of a used vehicle in NH is agreed upon by both the buyer and seller, to be an "As Is" sale, the state or NH is fine with it. If the paperwork is in order, the consumer does not have a leg to stand on. The car can break into two pieces when it leaves the lot and you now own 2 cars. The paperwork actually states, "I realize the car I am buying is being sold 'as is' and may be uninspectable and therefore unsafe" etc etc. I'm not saying this is the case here, but if AW made the purchase and entered into an "as is" agreement, then there is not responsibilty on the part of Irwin...nor should there be.
Otherwise, you are right, and the repair should have been covered.

[robmac]

SA,I have and am in that business and it's next to imposible for a retail customer to go into a franchised dealer and buy as is. If they put a 20 day temp on any vehicle it MUST pass inspection,not a guess but the law.

[NoRegrets]

I read your posts and can not disagree with any of them. What ever happened to a deal based on a hand shake? It is a shame that open communication and the spirit of commerce has been relagated to lawyers and contracts. My first new car I bought (1982 Olds Toronado) just got out of warrenty and the transmission failed. I had the car towed back to the dealer and needed to rent a car for the time it was going to take to fix it. At the end of the week the car was repaired so I went down to the dealership with my checkbook to pay. The owner pulled me aside and apoligized for the problem and did not let me pay anything.

Are we making progress or letting scammers and unscrupulious businesses ruin events that should be exciting like major purchases.

Irwin's is one of the old established historical businesses in the area and there are bound to be a few mistakes. I bet the percentage of happy customers is much higher than the few problems they had. Of course if the problem happened to me.....

[sa meredith]

Originally Posted by robmac

SA,I have and am in that business and it's next to imposible for a retail customer to go into a franchised dealer and buy as is. If they put a 20 day temp on any vehicle it MUST pass inspection,not a guess but the law.

I guessed I missed the part where she said Irwin plated and inspected the car. My bad. If they put the sticker on it, something does not add up.

[BroadHopper]

Many folks had good luck with Irwin Motors and they do a lot of repeat business. I enjoy doing business with them but Ford products do not live up to my expectations. And when contacted, Ford Motor Company just give you a run around.

I bought a '79 Ford LTD from Irwins and three years later the rear wheel wells were comepletely rotted out and will not past inspection. I bondo the wheel wells and sold the car shortly after I was able to past inspection.

Fool me, I gave Ford another chance and bought an '94 Ford Bronco. At first I was blowing head gaskets like crazy until a factory rep suggested that the motor be replaced after I had sent an angry letter to Ford. Then I started having electrical problems and Ford extended the warrantee to 4 years bumper to bumper. Funny thing the Bronco lasted 4 years and the front seat fell through the floor! Ford refuse to pay for a new floor even tho I had a bumper to bumper warrantee. I ended up replacing the floor with sheet metal, hide the repair with the rug and traded it in for a Dodge. The Dakota is still with me and I have not had one trouble with it.

Poor Irwin Motors, they did their best to please me but their hands were tied because of defective products. I wish them well.

[SAMIAM]

Don't get me started......I was dumb enough to buy a Dodge truck.

[Argie's Wife]

Originally Posted by sa meredith

I guessed I missed the part where she said Irwin plated and inspected the car. My bad. If they put the sticker on it, something does not add up.

They did inspect it and give us our temporary plates. I am quite certain there was an "as is" clause on it but it was several years ago and three cars ago for Argie.

We traded it for a Land Rover - huge mistake. Count your blessings, those of you with problems with your Dodges or Fords - that you've never had a Land Rover.

Argie now has a Jeep Liberty and loves it. We got it from AutoServ in Tilton. I've heard a mixed bag of opinions that others have had about them but we had a good experience, overall.

[Irish mist]

I must have the luck of the Irish I purchased a Ford Taurus wagon new in 1988 & ran it 16 years. Got a 2004 Taurus wagon & have not been in the shop yet. Sad thing is they stopped making them in 2005

[jmen24]

Originally Posted by Argie's Wife

They did inspect it and give us our temporary plates. I am quite certain there was an "as is" clause on it but it was several years ago and three cars ago for Argie.

We traded it for a Land Rover - huge mistake. Count your blessings, those of you with problems with your Dodges or Fords - that you've never had a Land Rover.

Argie now has a Jeep Liberty and loves it. We got it from AutoServ in Tilton. I've heard a mixed bag of opinions that others have had about them but we had a good experience, overall.

AW, you are not even kidding regarding Land Rover. The one we had was only 2 years old and was in for repairs every month ($$$$$). We had that rig for 6 months and the wife traded for a Saab (lost just shy of 9K on that deal) and that was 4 years ago. Granted the Saab has had its issues as well, but everything was under warranty and handled without issue.

[Lakesrider]

I didn't think you could get an inspection sticker with a temp plate.
When I bought my new truck last year they told me to come back within ten days of registering it and they would give me a sticker. I thought the sticker was based on the registration and in the State computer system that way...
Goes to show how often I buy a new car eh?

[sa meredith]

Originally Posted by jmen24

AW, you are not even kidding regarding Land Rover. The one we had was only 2 years old and was in for repairs every month ($$$$$). We had that rig for 6 months and the wife traded for a Saab (lost just shy of 9K on that deal) and that was 4 years ago. Granted the Saab has had its issues as well, but everything was under warranty and handled without issue.

It's funny you would write that...a Saab and a Range Rover.
At the domestic dealer I worked at for many many years, we would take neither in trade... Saab? No thanks. Range Rover? yeah, you'll have to sell that one yourself...
Wholesalers never ever wanted them...at any price. Too problems...issue after issue after issue. But, worse than the amount of problem, was the cost to repair them. They are both pretty much "dealership only" when it comes to repairs, and the parts alone are just plain foolish.
At one time we actually did take a fairly new Saab in trade...5, maybe 6 years old. Well, while it was still under our used vehicle waranty to the next buyer, the A/C went, and the digital display on the climate control went with it. We sent it out to a Saab dealer...and it set us back $3800..OUR COST...DEALER TO DEALER. Retail would have been close to 5K, for A/C!
Very few non- Saab dealers will take a Saab in trade. They just don't want to deal with it.

[jmen24]

SA, I will not disagree with you regarding the Saab, its my wife's car, she likes it and "A happy wife, is a happy life, and a happy life for Me". The Rover was complete garbage and to boot she traded our 2000 Jeep XJ limited for it, which was the best vehicle we ever owned, no issues at all with that one and completely bulletproof for a Chrystler product. That was before they really messed up that brand. Still do not understand why you would discontinue making the best selling model of that brands history (XJ that is, Wranglers change every few years so its is essentially starting over) with models that do not live up to the name, but most look like the XJ, so they must be realizing the mistake they made.

I bought my 09 Tacoma new from Irwin's and was happy overall with the deal, other than the amount of time spent at the dealership. Traded an 02 Silverado for it (second best vehicle I have owned) and like DPG did so because the chevy and ford dealers would not move away from sticker price and I would not survive very long without a pick-up in the stable, so Honda is out for me, I do like the cars though.

[Happy Gourmand]

Honda has the highest rated pickup....Ridgeline...

[jmen24]

Originally Posted by The Phantom Gourmand

Honda has the highest rated pickup....Ridgeline...

Not for me, thanks.

[sa meredith]

Originally Posted by The Phantom Gourmand

Honda has the highest rated pickup....Ridgeline...

Not going to get into a debate here, because this thread has already turned WAY away from it's intent, but Phantom, a Ridgeline, although possibly a handsome, reliable automobile is in no way a pick up truck. Not really a truck a all. It is an SUV/Crossover. Much like a Ford Sp Trac, or Chevy Avalanche. These vehicles can in no way be considered trucks, and if a contracter/ plumber/ mason tried to use one as such, any of them would last a very short time.
Strictly built to used as SUVs with light capicity to carry or tow (small amounts) from time to time.
Let me know the next time you pass a constuction site, and see a laborer emptying the cargo of a Ridgeline.

One more note...to anyone who was looking at a Chevy or Ford last year....when the business completly died two years back (gas 4.25/gal), and the economy tanked, both domestic manufacturers cut way back on invetory. Stopped building completely for a while.
Then, last year, the government came out with the cash for clunkers program...which was without a doubt the best deal for a consumer I had ever see in my 22 years in the business. People with old gas guzzlers worth 200/300 were getting $3500/$4500 real money for them from the government.
Just insane...and when the program caught on, we (dealers) quickly realized that our supply of vehciles would fall way short of the demand. Peope started to realize that the program was legit, and flocked fom dealer to dealer looking for what they wanted...but inventory ran out quickly. During this time, most dealers stopped offering discounts of any kind, as they were going to sell out anyway. I remember the last weekend of the program, having 5 or 6 vehicles left, as opposed to a normal 250/300. So, if you shopped last year, odds are a domestic dealer offered you little or no discount. It is just what the market dictated.
Even now as things are coming back a bit...the days of each dealer undercutting each other are going away. The days of the 3000/4000 rebate/discount are gone. Inventories are tightly controlled, and the market will never again be flooded.

[NoRegrets]

Thanks for the inside perspective on the business drivers at the dealer level. No inventory - If the economy was better last year they could have had bidding wars!

[MAXUM]

The Ford and Chevy mentioned at least have full frames under them, the Ridgeline has a unibody like a passenger car. So put any weight in that bed it'll fold in half. The drive train on those I'm not familiar with but my guess is probably retrofitted from one of their car platforms.

It may look like a truck but it's far from it.

[Argie's Wife]

Originally Posted by sa meredith

Just insane...and when the program caught on, we (dealers) quickly realized that our supply of vehciles would fall way short of the demand. Peope started to realize that the program was legit, and flocked fom dealer to dealer looking for what they wanted...but inventory ran out quickly. During this time, most dealers stopped offering discounts of any kind, as they were going to sell out anyway. I remember the last weekend of the program, having 5 or 6 vehicles left, as opposed to a normal 250/300.

Now I'm wondering if there's a 'cash for clunkers' included in the new healthcare bill by the same administration you mentioned...

[BroadHopper]

I read in the Wall Street Journal that the govt is going over the paperwork and found a number of discrepancies. Dealers may not get paid. Also there are folks going into bankruptcy as they took out loans for new cars that they can not afford. On the long run, this program will cost the taxpayers even more money.

[corollaman]

I've only had a problem with their body shop, the paint didn't come out smooth, it was all orange-peel effect. I had them re-do it free of charge, and it still didn't look quite right, but I just left it. I didn't want to have my car tied up another 2 days. I've never had a problem with their mechanic shop though. They found bad engine mounts and I looked at them myself, and they were indeed shot, so I replaced them myself, but at least I know they weren't trying to sell me something I didn't need, but I knew how to do the job myself, so I saved money that way. It was in for just an oil change when they saw the rubber separating from them during their 32 point safety and drive ability check.

[dpg]

Do what I did last year, buy a Honda. Seriously, everyone has their issues but when I was looking Chevy wouldn't budge on their Malibu. They were offering 0% financing and because of that wanted to take only 400.00 off the sticker. Granted I only looked at one Chevy dealer and didn't try others. Got my Honda at 5,250.00 off the sticker and financing well below 2%. I don't care what the financing is but (almost nothing) off of a 30,000 sticker is insane.