"Trading up" at the dealership, does it work like this?
 

So I have a 2013 BRZ that has given me some issues so far. They're all issues that i believe warranty should cover but the dealerships seem hesistant since the leak I'm having is just seepage, the pressure plate clanking doesn't affect driveability and the possible DI seal issue doesn't show a CEL.

While I'd love to keep my '13, I'm thinking about trading up to the '17. I was thinking would it be an incentive for the dealership to fix these issues while it's still under customer warranty if they knew I made a deposit on a '17 (refundable)? This way they can have SOA reimburse them for the warranty work. I'm going under the impression that dealerships don't get reimbursed unless a customer brings a vehicle in.

And when the 17 comes out, if the car is really nice I"ll upgrade but if not, I'll just keep my 13 and have had the issues fixed.

Hypothetical and coming from someone not in the automotive field :P

Call Toyota first if they refusing.

I have a Subaru BRZ :/ I hear Toyota dealerships are more up to date and receptive to fixing these types of issues though with more TSBs.

Some are some aren't.
They should be fixing your issues under warranty whether you order a new car or not. They are all known problems and they would be paid for all of them. Take it back and be firm but professional. If they still try to give you the brush off then call SOA and register a complaint.

Shouldnt matter, BRZ HQ [SUbaru?] should be doing them no problem. Try your dealer manager first. If no good, move up the ladder.

They need to fix your car. You paid for a service agreement. If they agree to provide service then you need to push back.

Is your car completely stock?

Here's the short version how trading "up" or "in" at a dealership works..

The dealership makes money.
You lose money.

Only you can decide whether the amount of money you lose is worth the happiness or whatever other good feelings you gain by having a newer or "better" car. The most cost efficient car, for almost all practical purposes, is the car you currently own (assuming you have it paid off).

I second/third/fourth all of the other posters who've suggested you firmly, professionally, and politely require the dealership to fix your problems under warranty.

I've had multiple issues with multiple Subaru dealers. This is what I've learned:

Calm down, call Subaru, explain problem, identify dealership. Then wait for the dealership to call you and make things right.

Trade it up for a 2017 Toyota 86 and hopefully the Toyota dealerships will treat you right with less problems.

Some dealerships have a tendency to refuse warranty work due to the lower hourly reimbursement rates that can be claimed from the car maker where an insurance company is actually doing the payout. The dealer makes more money doing out of warranty work by being able to charge a higher labor rate.

I'd bet the service staff doesn't give two shits what the sales staff does and vice versa.

Make the threat, they'll shrug. Follow through and sell them the car: they'll hose it off and slap a sticker on it for >$2k what they paid you for it without touching it, and they will happily sell it to someone else without correcting any issues unless it becomes apparent that those issues are what's preventing a sale.

You're giving dealerships too much credit, in most cases the relationship between mechanics and salespeople encompasses the extent to which they share a break room, and sometimes not even that.

Good luck.

Pretty much. At the end of the day, everyone at the dealership is only concerned about making/saving as much money as possible. If they can get away with brushing off something as not covered by the warranty they will definitely do so. I bet if OP were to go in and say he'd be willing to pay for the repairs there would be no questions asked.

This is why my main recommendation is to just find a local mechanic, befriend him/her, and get good service for reasonable prices.

This is completely accurate^^^^


There are a couple of dealers in town here where the sales floor and service department are not even in the same building. You could not force me to buy a car from a dealership that thinks that set up is OK and working.

This is actually quite common in Hong Kong, where the service dept could be half way across the island from the showroom.

Also for example with VW, TSB or warranty work could only claim something like $35 an hour, whereas their standard hourly labor rate for out of warranty service is priced at $80+. The dealer also got to ship the "defective" part back to the car maker in order to claim that money.

I've seen repeatedly quite a bit of drama with a customer and the service manager along with the regional warranty adjuster at the dealership, all the while I'm just there to buy parts from the counter lol!

The traded in car most often just end up at the daily car auction with nothing fixed. When my previous car was traded in, the dealer sold it to an used car dealer thru an online auction within the hour.