Mixed day today checking out my DGM
 

I got a call yesterday (5/28) that my BRZ arrived at the dealership and would be ready for pickup on Wednesday (5/30). I begged them to try to have it ready today, the 29th, since it's my birthday. I decided to drive over to the dealership today to, at the very least, take a look at the car. I also hoped that by hanging around the dealership I could hurry them along and maybe take the car home.

I got to the dealership around 3pm or so and spotted the car in service. Excuse the very quick and dirty pic:

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u...carservice.jpg

Car in general looks great in pics, but I have to say it looks even better, much better in person...very impressive.

I stayed at the dealership while the car was in service, and once it was drivable, they let me drive it with the dealer to gas up the car...and do a very short test-drive. My main concern, coming from being a Mustang guy, was the low TQ number. I have to say, my worries quickly disappeared. Regardless of the numbers, the car has some beefy pick up...certainly more than adequate IMO. It was difficult trying to keep the car under 4k rpm, and I could tell that this was right around where it would start to get really fun. Even after the short drive, much of which was in traffic, I felt confident that this was the car for me...my car!

I finally left the dealership at around 6pm because they had to send the car for detailing. I was told to return around 8pm. When I was about 4 minutes from returning to the dealership, all ready to take her home, I received a phone call: the detailers found a scratch in the paint above the rear passenger wheel! NOOoooooooooooo!!!! They took me over to see the car. Here she is at the detailer (again, please excuse the quick crappy pic):

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u...o/detailer.jpg

And here's a close-up of the scratch, which has a couple small chips in it, with some wax smudged over it (the actual scratch is that small lighter colored zigzag shape):

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u...photo/chip.jpg

Very very depressing. They say they need a couple more days and will fix it so it looks perfect. They also said they will do something to make up for the inconvenience, but I'm not sure what exactly they have in mind.

Overall, I just feel very disappointed about the whole experience. I really do hope they can fix it completely, but I do feel a bit mixed about buying a new car that's already had touch-up work. This is my first new car purchase, so I just don't know if this is simply a normal thing. I'm assuming/hoping that something like this shouldn't be a dealbreaker. The car was soooo close to being mine and at home in the garage right now!

TBH I think this is actually a positive post :)
The dealer was happy to have you hanging around while they prepped your car and take it for a spin.
Then they called you to let you know about the scratch and that there are going to do their best to sort it out for you.
Yes getting a mark this early is annoying, but it sounds like you bought from a class dealer and soon enough you'll be enjoying your new car:w00t:

Yes, I did tell them repeatedly that I appreciated the fact that they let me know about the scratch right away and didn't try to sweep this under the rug. They definitely have dealt with this so far in the best way possible.

I'm just disappointed because I was so excited to take the car home and now I need to wait another couple days. Oh well, I guess another two sleepless nights of tossing and turning won't be too bad. :sigh:

-------

Oh also, I forgot to mention that I initially was worried about how many miles would be on the car. I was pleasantly surprised to see 6 miles on the odometer when I first got in.

^+1 Sounds like a good dealership.

Damn, well it's good to know they're honest. I ordered my car from the same dealer as Phaedrus and they have been nothing but honest, up front, and professional.

Phaedrus, now I have to bust Dan's balls about not screwing my car up :) it sucks but like everyone said they're being honest and up front. You'll have it sooner than me still!! Happy Birthday!!

Oh forgot to mention: DAMN that DGM looks sexy all shined up.

This is a non-problem kind of problem. For all you know, this somehow happened on your test drive, and you should feel happy they are going to professionally fix it without question.

I think this is pretty normal, happened with my Legacy.

At least you don't have to be nervous about getting your first scratch!

Damage happens a lot eg on the boat, at the docks etc but at least you've seen it , unlike most !

Sounds like your dealer is playing it straight.

That has to be worth some goodies from the accessory list :)

Sounds like a careless detailer, similar story happened to me years ago with a new Celica. Their answer was to repaint the front bumper, but it did not look like factory quality. I just about blew up in the dealership I was so pissed. They had to replace the entire front bumper until it was done right. CHECK OUT THE CAR WITH A FINE TOOTH COMB!!! Look all around the fender for any over spray(DGM color on stuff that shouldnt have that color) or any possible peeling. Definitely get a life time warranty on the work, becuase I can almost guarantee you it will peel down the road. No repaint is ever the same as factory done, sorry to say.

I had a similar experience. When I picked up the car I was told they found an issue with one of the buttons and already had a replacement on order. I can't tell which one was scratched, but they caught it before I even arrived and the part will be here Thursday.

Considering what these cars go through between Japan and the dealership, I'm surprised there aren't more issues.

Hrmmm...if they do offer me some accessories I'm not sure what to ask for. Don't really need/want the chrome fender trim. I don't really need/want the mirrors with options. The armrest or a car cover would be nice, but I don't think those are available yet. Any thoughts on what you'd ask for?

I think you may be right, as I didn't see the scratch before the car was sent to the detailer. OK, your post has me worried. I'll try to look over the car as carefully as possible, but I worry I might miss something in the lighting or that the scratch might be temporarily hidden or something. Oh well...they did tell me that the work would have a lifetime warranty, which is reassuring. Again, they are certainly dealing with this whole thing in an admirable way, it's just a bit disappointing is all.

Dealers can't control everything that happens to the cars. I've seen a few Audis come in from the port and they have minor scratches on them; and this is how they're covered!

http://audinorwell.com/user_files/im...ls/newcars.jpg

vs. this:

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8017/7...394070c715.jpg

The fact that they noted the problem and are correcting it for you as quickly as possible is pretty honorable in my book. They could've just tried to buff it and send you on your way, hoping you wouldn't notice.

If they offer any factory accessories, I would grab the underspoiler and rear spoiler.

Also might want to check if they can give you SPT bucks, i'm sure down the road there will be plenty of nice SPT parts for the car.

All this post did was make me jealous that you got to see your DGM BRZ! :) Still waiting for that, "She's arrived" moment!

BTW: Agree with the other comments that your dealer sounds like a great one. Hopefully they come through with great compensation for the scratch issue!

Yup, I hear ya. I did post that it was a "mixed" day heh. It was great to get to see the car and drive it briefly. The biggest thing for me was to realize that yes, 100%, I do want this car!

Hopefully tomorrow I'll be posting lots of pics of the car at home and happy comments. Although, I may be too busy driving around to take pics or log onto ft86club. :burnrubber:

:word: Look forward to seeing the car after you get some miles on her! Sorry to hear you have a delay after seeing her, but congrats bro! :thumbup:

I still hate you for getting your BRZ before me....LOL Just kidding!

I'm sorry I don't mean to make you nervous over this becuase this should be such a momentus day for you! It really comes down to the paint freshness they use and how good the painter is. I have seen some dealers do amazing work , but I have seen the opposite too. I used to be a manager for Enterprise so I saw before and after car damage all the time. All you can do is inspect it as close as possible and if its not perfect, DONT SETTLE! Take it back 10 times if necessary, dealerships and insurance companies bank on you giving up. Good luck!

OK, I certainly won't settle.

So no one is suggesting that this little scratch is grounds for walking away from the deal? I haven't signed anything yet....

Again, this is my first new car, so I'm not sure what the norm is. The car will be driven...so of course it will get dings. I just feel weird buying a $30k new car that has had touch-up work already.

Personally, I think your gut reaction above is spot on and if it were me, I would back out, as I would not spend 30k on a damaged car.

Or at least have them get a new one in and let them sell the other.

That's just me though.

I hate to say it, but I gotta agree. $30,000 is a a lot of money and you should not have any doubt in your mind if your going to part with this much cash. Express your concern to the dealer and tell them your not completely satisfied with the transaction. You might have to deal with the waiting game again, but whats a couple months compared to years of enjoyment. my2cents

I hate to say it, but I agree with the above posters. Once the factory paint is damaged it is not usually going to be the same again. Does seem like your dealer is on the up and up letting you know about it and working with you.

Maybe I'm in the minority that think this is not a big deal. Yes it's a unfortunate that your new car had a scratch that was repaired, but one can only wonder how many scratches appear on cars when they get to the dealer, who fix it up before it even hits the lot. The fact is that once you start driving the car you are bound to get a scratch here and there, and then you will resort to using just touch-up paint.

I say keep it, as long as it looks good after it's been repaired and they honor their warranty, there's no reason not to keep it.

inspect the car under proper lighting and decide if you wanna purchase it.

a few years back we bought a fully loaded accord coupe 6MT and the day we brought it home a random bbq grill fell over and left a nasty gash in the front bumper. dealer wouldn't fix it since we had taken deliver and put over a 100 miles on it. at that time i would have been thrilled if it that gash was predelivery and taken care of :(

my point is that things like this happen and as long as you're satisfied after the inspection you shouldn't hesitate in picking up the car. I've heard of cars getting touch ups at the ports and i doubt those are covered by a dealer warranty.

but if you're not satisfied then by all means walk. just decide after you inspect it

Talk about a tough decision! Do you think that they will stand behind their warranty? How badly do you want this exact car, right now?

I think of this car being less about concours perfection and more about the driving experience, but I'm not sure what I would do.

If they could touch up the gouge and make it look good that might not be too bad, but I would be worried about how a full panel repaint would age.

Anyhow, I feel for ya!

:word:

See this makes no sense to me.
It is OK for them to sell it to someone else and for someone else to want it, but not the person the car is originally intended for? :iono:

everyone's threshold will be different.

in the end, it's your money and you should be happy with your purchase.

Yes. They can disclose the damage and sell it for less or whatever someone wants to pay. I'm not suggesting selling to someone without disclosing what happened, that would be wrong. Also, it's not like I would be canceling my order, rather just waiting til the next one comes in that is undamaged.
Sorry you do not agree with my thought process and / or threshold, but just because it was intended for me, does not mean I have to pay 30k for a damaged car. Pretty straightforward.

Go look at it after they fix it. If its up to your standards and you'll be happy with it take it home. If not, politely let them know that you are not comfortable taking a new car that's been repaired and would like to order another one. Sounds like you're dealing with a pretty good dealership so I'm sure they'd understand.

But don't let us tell u what to do. Look at it after and go with what you think will make u happy.

If this car is as popular as this site seems to make it then the dealer should easily sell it to someone else. If it is bothering this much already be prepared to walk away. Contractual obligations differ depending on the jurisdiction so be sure of your legal rights.

I also agree that touchup work, even good work will not be like a new car. It took three years for me to get a scratch on my new car but then I did get a nail in my tire within the first 3 days. Its luck of the draw with these things.

Your first new car will always be memorable for you. Try not to have nagging issues in the back of your mind to take away from the enjoyment. Ultimately it is your own choice. I am with others that you should check it over after repair before deciding.

Lastly I would save that pic with the scratch for record purposes. If that area develop paint problems within the waranty period bring it back to the dealership.

OK fair enough :)
If it is fixed to a high standard I would accept it and maybe they throw in a free service or something for the additional trouble and there is no indication they will not fix it to a high standard.

I think we differ on what constitutes damage, had someone dropped something on the hood and dented it, then yes there is damage, but for me a fixed scratch isn't in the same category.

i wonder if the dealer has to report this to their insurance agency, and thus show up on a carfax report.

doesn't seem likely but you never know.

I agree that the expectation would be that they would do everything to fix it to a high standard, and so I would certainly give them the opportunity to fix to to my liking, however, I would also be very clear of my intentions if it was not. So we basically agree....less our threshold of what is considered damage on a brand new car.

^Bingo :thumbsup:

Congrats and good luck!

If it looks like new and I couldnt tell there was ever an issue I would buy it with a "Thanks a ton, now let me get some freebies". If I can see ANY indication of repair I would just be truthful and say "Sorry I cant buy a new car in this condition, but I would like to keep my business with your honest establishment for the next DGM you recieve."

Thanks
 

Thanks for all the helpful comments. Check this out!!

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u...photo/brz1.jpg

More to come!

The short of it is I went and looked today and the paint looked perfect and they gave me a lifetime warranty on the paint on that panel and a $250 gas card because of the issue. Classy dealership IMO.

Dealer emailed me afterward to say that he's never seen someone with a bigger smile pulling off the lot hahah. More comments and nicer pics to come tomorrow! Again, thanks for the help with this tricky decision.

wow! and that's awesome that they did a good job on that! and good get for picking it up!

i didn't realize how amazing the lighting color is on those halos :)