Subaru Dealer Holds BRZ Hostage After Facebook-Stalking The Owner's Track Day Photos

[Extreme Dimensions]

You would think an owner like Natalie is exactly the sort of person Subaru would want for the BRZ. She clearly adores the car, and hers is modified, personalized and prominent on her social media accounts. Plus, it’s actually used in the way it was designed to be used. So why did her dealer attempt to hold her 2015 Subaru BRZ for ransom?

The answer is actually pretty complicated, and I’m not sure either side is completely in the right or wrong, either. Natalie’s tale (which she shared on Reddit, to a lot of attention, though she asked me not to use her surname here) does show some very questionable dealership practices and the confusing, often difficult ownership and warranty issues that come from using a sports car as we often advocate, on a track.

Natalie’s BRZ has a number of performance and aesthetic enhancements and personalizations, like a big wing and a custom full-car illustration wrap of her trademark fierce panda. It’s very cool.

you can read the rest of the article here but what do you guys think?




http://jalopnik.com/subaru-dealer-ho...ium=socialflow

[8RZ]

I always thought that the dealership had to prove that a mod/part caused the certain failure. How can they claim "track use" voided her entire warranty?

Stealorships gonna steal.

[ericwudi0830]

It seems really sketchy on the part of the dealer. They pretty much mess up repairs and blame her for it. Social media stalking is definitely a red flag too

[Impureclient]

Is it ethical to check a customer’s social media account for pictures of their car being used in ways that violate a warranty? I don’t think so at all. I know that pictures can be misleading, and a car parked on a track is not evidence that car did anything else on that track. Also, it’s just creepy, and I think a customer has some right to privacy when they bring their car in for work. Natalie’s Facebook pictures aren’t exactly public, either.

Sorry but not sorry, I call complete horseshit. If you are posting your business online for the entire world to see, then don't complain when it doesn't go your way. The poor excuse people make of:

One thing i wanted to say about the track days is it was never racing; as it was never timed. I only do lapping days to improve drivers skills, the car hasn’t been to a time attack or a race or anything like that; just to be technical.

is even more weapons grade bullshit. Just because there isn't a 1st , 2nd, etc place doesn't mean you aren't racing the car. I mean they even posted up her on a track with a helmet and the car leaning in a corner with another car racing behind her. Don't play dumb when it's clear what the car is being used for.

It is situations like this that will make sure everybody else gets punished for a few people pushing the limit of dealer warranty. We all shouldn't be surprised if the manufacturers warranties start specifically stating that if the car leaves public roads and enters a track that the car completely loses it's factory warranty. We all know that the warranty implicitly does not want us racing the car around if we intend to keep our warranties intact. She is most definitely racing the car and shouldn't expect 100% compliancy when things go wrong.
When I drove in with several parts change out on my car and wanted the fuel pump TSB done, I fully expected them to decline the warranty work and was alright with taking that responsibility because of changes I did to the car. They did the work anyway and I am grateful for them for doing so. We all have been hosed or know somebody else who has been taken advantage of by the dealer and this girl is not one of them. How many times do we hear about people swapping back in the original parts or told to do so when they go back to a dealer for warranty work...countless times. The only way the dealer was in the wrong here is when they repaired the car without telling her she would be responsible. It sounds like they took care of her either way at the end of this though so she should feel lucky they even did that.
We all know why this is even news here with her own jalopnik article out of all the dealership horror stories in the first place.... because she is a pretty girl.

Damage Caused Due to Use of Vehicle in Competitive Events

These warranties do not cover damage to any component that is the result of operating the vehicle in any competition or racing event.

"competition or racing event" = no speed limit/road signs/traffic/etc You know places where we are allowed to do anything we want with our cars and police can't arrest us for it.

And I’m not sure Natalie driving her car on the track for her own enjoyment—or even participating in an autocross—qualifies as a real “competition” or “racing” event. It’s pleasure driving, hobby driving, whatever you want to call it, but she’s not doing anything that would really be considered racing, though who knows what a court would decide there.

Really..."pleasure/hobby driving".....

[DandoX]

Originally Posted by Impureclient

Sorry but not sorry, I call complete horseshit. If you are posting your business online for the entire world to see, then don't complain when it doesn't go your way. The poor excuse people make of: is even more weapons grade bullshit. Just because there isn't a 1st , 2nd, etc place doesn't mean you aren't racing the car. I mean they even posted up her on a track with a helmet and the car leaning in a corner with another car racing behind her. Don't play dumb when it's clear what the car is being used for.

It is situations like this that will make sure everybody else gets punished for a few people pushing the limit of dealer warranty. We all shouldn't be surprised if the manufacturers warranties start specifically stating that if the car leaves public roads and enters a track that the car completely loses it's factory warranty. We all know that the warranty implicitly does not want us racing the car around if we intend to keep our warranties intact. She is most definitely racing the car and shouldn't expect 100% compliancy when things go wrong.
When I drove in with several parts change out on my car and wanted the fuel pump TSB done, I fully expected them to decline the warranty work and was alright with taking that responsibility because of changes I did to the car. They did the work anyway and I am grateful for them for doing so. We all have been hosed or know somebody else who has been taken advantage of by the dealer and this girl is not one of them. How many times do we hear about people swapping back in the original parts or told to do so when they go back to a dealer for warranty work...countless times. The only way the dealer was in the wrong here is when they repaired the car without telling her she would be responsible. It sounds like they took care of her either way at the end of this though so she should feel lucky they even did that.
We all know why this is even news here with her own jalopnik article out of all the dealership horror stories in the first place.... because she is a pretty girl.


"competition or racing event" = no speed limit/road signs/traffic/etc You know places where we are allowed to do anything we want with our cars and police can't arrest us for it.


Really..."pleasure/hobby driving".....

I agree also, the whole thing with her "selling her brand" is totally suspect, this article is just to promote her side business. She clearly violated the warranty and broke something, that's not the dealerships or manufacturers fault. The dealership is also in the wrong with the not authorized repairs but still covered everything. Situations like this hurt the average owner who doesn't track the car and need actual warranty work. You break it at the track it's only right you pay to fix it.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by ericwudi0830

It seems really sketchy on the part of the dealer. They pretty much mess up repairs and blame her for it. Social media stalking is definitely a red flag too

Who said they were "stalking"? They went looking for particular information and found it. Somebody simply typed her name and hit search which is not "stalking" anybody.


As much as I dislike that any dealer would resort to such tactics the info is posted for the world to see and is not private in anyway. People need to be careful of what they post.

[kakacarrotcake]

The real question is, is she here? If so does she care to comment? This information could help others.

[mav1178]

Originally Posted by Extreme Dimensions

You would think an owner like Natalie is exactly the sort of person Subaru would want for the BRZ. She clearly adores the car, and hers is modified, personalized and prominent on her social media accounts. Plus, it’s actually used in the way it was designed to be used. So why did her dealer attempt to hold her 2015 Subaru BRZ for ransom?

The answer is actually pretty complicated, and I’m not sure either side is completely in the right or wrong, either. Natalie’s tale (which she shared on Reddit, to a lot of attention, though she asked me not to use her surname here) does show some very questionable dealership practices and the confusing, often difficult ownership and warranty issues that come from using a sports car as we often advocate, on a track.

Natalie’s BRZ has a number of performance and aesthetic enhancements and personalizations, like a big wing and a custom full-car illustration wrap of her trademark fierce panda. It’s very cool.

you can read the rest of the article here but what do you guys think?

I suggest you quote or cite the source more carefully next time.

The way it's presented above makes it seem like you wrote all that stuff, when in reality you only wrote the last line and copied the first 3 paragraphs from the article.

Given the way you've posted other stuff in the past, it almost makes me not want to take anything you write seriously...

[Swift]

Wow guys,...yes she is tracking and racing. yes she is promoting her business.


However:

1) They didn't prove that broke part...and frankly lied about how if you read the article.

2) They have shit mechanics working for them who screwed up multiple times..under warranty...Subaru corporate is probably asking questions...so this is how they tried getting money for their labor.


Next article about shitty dealership please.

PS-Bought a new Subaru with 100k pre-owned certified ...all things looked over right? ....coolant reservoir was completely 100% empty. Oil overfilled.

[Cole]

Originally Posted by mav1178

I suggest you quote or cite the source more carefully next time.

The way it's presented above makes it seem like you wrote all that stuff, when in reality you only wrote the last line and copied the first 3 paragraphs from the article.

Given the way you've posted other stuff in the past, it almost makes me not want to take anything you write seriously...

I guess ripping off parts to make a living translates well to plagiarism for entertainment?

[Impureclient]

Originally Posted by kakacarrotcake

The real question is, is she here? If so does she care to comment? This information could help others.

Yes, like the pertinent information we are all really wondering. Is she single?

[murdoc]

So...did tracking the car cause the damage or should the dealer honor the warranty?

Also why would they do work without customer approval? I wouldn't even change wiper blades on a car without checking with the customer.

[Andrew025]

Originally Posted by kakacarrotcake

The real question is, is she here? If so does she care to comment? This information could help others.

She's in the FT86 Facebook group and left a few comments on it.

[Twinz]

I think this varies from dealer to dealer.

The Nissan dealer that sold me my 350Z knew I autocrossed the car and still replaced the throttle body when it threw a code and the transmission when the 5th gear synchro started giving me problems.

*edit* The Subaru dealer tried to claim a rumble strip broke the fuel pump? Seriously?

These warranties do not cover damage to any component that is the result of operating the vehicle in any competition or racing event.

I guess they had to make some sort of claim do cover their @$$ but they should have put a little more thought into their excuse. Particularly since the underside of the car in question shows no signs of impact with anything, much less something that would damage the fuel pump.