Car Problems: What Would You Do?

On the road again. Drive it like you rented it. Oh wait you did rent it.

Do you expect to drive non stop back to Ohio? If so when you are done with your trip, just act surprised when the car will not back into the rent a car parking space. If your plans include a stop on the way to Ohio, call the RAC company and arrange to have a replacement car waiting at your choice of hotels.

So here's what I did. I called the roadsise assist number and told them the issue. They wanted me to drive defective car to nearest airport.

I declined./

They wanted me to stay with the car until they could get there 3-4 hours perhaps, I declined.

I told them to bring me a replacement car, I would leave keys and copy of contract with hotel desk clerk.

They said theyd have car to me by 2 am; They dropped of toyota corolla at 7:30 am.

Drive back uneventful.

I negotiated for no additional hours charged ( because of late start) based on the car trouble.

I was surprised noone said Check transmission fluid (i Did it was ok).

When I turned Toyota in rental agent said that he didn;t understand what could have happened, but he did note that the HHR had beenn washed by the customer before turning it in... The HHR was a 2008.

So Thanks to all.

The rental company did satisfactorily resolve the issue of the crappy HHR.

milo

Hello Milo,

"HOW ABOUT THAT"! A cooler head prevailed again. Parking out on the expressway can get you killed, "not such a good idea." Driving with a malfunctioning transmission, "When you know it is broken", and do not have too, "just begging for more trouble". Was the reverse option in the transmission working when you picked up the car? If not, who checked the car in from the last rental. That person has a problem too, as the rental company will go after his bank acct., If it was performing ok, what did you run over ????? Something as small as a "Jesus clip" could have been loosened at a car wash while on the rack, fell off later and the linkage to the shifter finally came out of position. You are not responsible for the repair, but if a lift was available, you might have had someone look at it, but that would have been unlikely a 10:00 pm.

All in all, everything worked out, as you were not left standing on the freeway or at a rest stop for hours, but the rental company should have offered a significant discount. Advertisement by word of mouth can be great for future business but for sure many of the folks that you tell about this adventure will shop else where.

TMF

Drive a rent-a-car to the car wash? What medications have you been taking? I certainly hope that you do not drive a car in this condition.

I have an old 1988 jeep Cherokee that I drive to the farm everyday. I think that the only time it was ever washed was by rain. I have had to vacuum it a few times. Milo brought up the idea about the car wash, I just referred to the possibility of damage happening there, if it was one of those types that drag the car through as it is being cleaned. As for the medications, what ever my wife puts in the little cup seems to be working. but it works better with a hi-ball.

TMF

Around these here parts a lot of car rental companies will give you car wash tickets so if you want a clean car you can get it done on them. I know because I had a rental for a month while my ride was getting some body work done. Ed from New Joisey USA

Go to the nearist freeway park on the side...call them and tell them your plite and that you refuse to drive an unsafe viehicle and if they refuse to bring a replacement get the individuals name and ask to speak to a manager in charge, then inform the manager whos name you also get the the next phone call will be to your attorney and then the state police to confiscate the car as being a hazzard on a state Hwy...

Good luck and have a safe trip....

I would drive it and plan my parking. But I would also call and tell them to deliver the new rental to my meeting place. But try to park so you can get out just in case. I would get a big discount on the rental if they dodn't deliver one.

My thoughts on cars are mixed..However i do utilize a 2005 buick century,also a gm product,and have noticed locally that it seems to becoming the cab of choice for several local taxi firms..Also i've read in various sources that this model is the best selling car in China..where value must mean something.My observations may be slanted and the media tid-bits sticking in my mind probably are firmly entrenched as support for my purchase but over all, outside of power window switch diffiuclties ,it has been a great,virtually service free/excellent fuel economy vehical for its first 208 thousand kilometers of use..Simple answer ...rent a buick century next time ps i'm also a bit over 6 feet tall and find it a very comfortable fit.

Marty W

So it's not just Ford with window switch problems and not just 2008 or newer! Seems to me that at one time window switches, even going way way back when they were luxury as opposed to nuisance items (I think I even remember them in our 1955 Cadillac Fleetwood (with trunk AC)) just didn't die young. Now, if my Ford (so called Flagship) Taurus 500 is any example, the MTBF has gone from weeks or months (i.e., decades +/-) to minutes (a few years or less). Now, with a taxi, I supposed it doesn't matter much when any one switch fails because you have 4-glass switch redundancy. Maybe it's that redundancy that mfr's switch suppliers nowadays take into account when calculating individual switch reliability requirements: or switches would cost near $320 as opposed to around $80.

....not sure if all that misses or hits the target--your Buick doesn't seem to have anything else "you" would want to "do" anything about.

But, a little off topic, as to Chinese car preferences, I am not inclined to believe it has much to do with technical aspects--most of Asia still prefers Japanese by far..., I would suppose, given the cultural (and national) hesitancy respecting ostentatious individualism, that it is its comparatively non-descript styling, and price (but not nuclear family size), that makes Buick a brand of (group think) choice. Then there's also the national interest & trade nexus aspect: sending cash in oversupply for transportation commodity in undersupply, so the US keeps getting hard cash with which to keep making payments on all those bonds that China keeps buying.

dump the hire car and go to a different hire company now and in the future!

And tell someone very senior in the company exactly what your doing they might just do something about it then!

preferably a blues tune about the chevy with no reverse....hahaha

Heehee...."one way or no way blues"...........!!!

several options are available but you have to consider that you did not make note of the vehicle being unable to reverse at time of rental from hertz. they too have to prove the vehicle was fit for use intended at time of delivery moot points but have to be bought up.

next consider time elapsed for your inconvenience of not having the car. at 110/hr service rate bill them for each hour lost after you leave it not on a interstate but just about blocking the exit of a nearby federal agencys' office driveway preferably after 15:00 or so. they will get rid of the car for you, the agent on duty will have to testify the vehicle was incapable of reversing and harryshappytitowitall had to be called. what better witness than that in small claims ? follow the crumbs the cookie is there rover.

'da ber

Brilliant! I'm going to remember that one.

"Barfnagler" what shall you do when the "Federallies" take a gander at your mug that shows up all over their video. Your name address and two credit cards are all over the contract that you signed at the rental agency. By the time you get home secrete service agents will be holding your family hostage and enjoying your snacks and beer while waiting for you to arrive. Further you will now be placed amongst their list of possible terrorists, your mug posted on interpol for the world to admire and your employer calls you into the office and informs you that your courageous act of defiance has earned you a trip to the unemployment office as you have voluntairly switched from being an asset to becoming a liability for the company your work for. Oh and by the way the bonus that you were going to receive for the last contract that you were negotiating so successfully while in Connecticutt will not be forthcoming as it cancelled. And "GOOD LUCK FINDING ANOTHER JOB ANY TIME SOON" as the nation is teetering on the edge between recession and out right depression. Getting revenge is better when you can smile about it, and no one can prove that you released the skunk in the office on your way out last evening!

TMF

well it is like this before one can be convicted of a criminal act one must be proven to have without a doubt intended to commit the crimnal act. so, before the federales can sieze my beer and onions they have to have some form of proof to suppport thier claims, just how well they sqeal ouch as the verdict for unjust prosecution is read as in the appellants favour will be a interesting sound. that said the anti terroist act is in comparison to the canadian government version of the british anti terror laws a bit short of being effective. in the u.s. the accused can expect to get something that looks like a trial just as the accused would have in england but up in canada the law is based on something called a act for repression of a apprehended insurection. some clown named turdo (not sure if the spelling is right he is french) came a cross a copy of it in the 60's or 70's using what it says he came close to setting up a military court system that allowed no trial but immediate execution when the charge was being read to the person accused. this is enough to make g.b.'s face go red with jealousy, the charge doesn't even have to be proven.

just to prove a point about how well this is law concealed from the canadians look up the book whiskey and ice and read how their president used mounties to put down a factory plumbers strike back in the early 1900's. it is my guess that the same sytem was used to put the last high speed great lakes rum runners out of business in the 1930's, who knows, i don't.

'da ber

What ever it was that you were trying to say about laws that protect the public is "OK" with me. However these laws don't really prevent the Federal versions of law enforcement from investigating your "innersanctum" All they need to lawfully invade your home is a warrant signed by a Judge who is likely to be easily convinced that you are a possibly dangerous to society "wacko"/"terrorist" that must be checked out. If you were aggressive enough to park your rented vehicle in a government drive way, You are clearly missing something up-stairs. "Remember Timothy McVey"! "The Law" permits that you may be held for 72 hours and not be charged before being required to be released. "Unfortunately" parking the rented car that you are responsible for in the driveway of a public building, may be construed as "Tresspassing" as you were not driving it, and "threatening" if it is un attended, "as in it could be a car bomb".

That you are trying to draw attention to your self because of a problem rented vehicle, ain't exactly going to make you popular with law enforcement of any level of GOVT.. Expect to share your beer and pretzels with arragant folks who just didn't find your conduct humorous. You will have qualified as a suspect and your mug will be made known world wide.

TMF

interesting how you arrived at the conclusiosn you have in your comment on my post so i will ask you if

please read it a few more times and think about what i wrote before you decide to post another reply in the context content which you have chosen to use..

'da ber

From the training class at the security office. " If it looks suspicious to you , it is suspicious. Treat it as such."

There are a lot of people that I assure you will not like your protest action. I would suggest that you pick a fight that you can win.

As you have been slow to respond Mr. Guest, maybe you should slow down just a bit more and attack the correct party.

Maybe you should refer your remark to barfnagle. I am not the idiot that suggests that someone display his frustration with a problem car and park it in a driveway to a Federal Property. Mr. Turtle, you can bet your sweet ass that in this day and time that car would likely have been entered and searched for explosives, and the driver would have been taken into custody and at least caused to explain his actions. I'm certain that Milo is much smarter than that. Ultimately what he did was the better thing to do.

TMF

I know this is a moot point by now, but, think of the worst case scenerios of driving without reverse - you start to pull out into an intersection and you fail to see an on coming vehicle and you can't back up....you're sitting at an intersection and you see a truck veering of course in your direction and you can't back out of the way.

It's kinda like driving without a starter. I had a Plymouth Voyager (another possible rant) with a 5 speed stick. One morning the starter shorted out and took out much of the wiring. Until I got the local trade school to fix it, I drove it a time or two by coasting it to start. As I was driving, I started thinking - what would happen if the engine died at this busy intersection and I'm the first in line? How embarassing it would be to explain to a cop the situation, especially if someone got hurt as a result.

One more thing, maybe off topic a little, but after having two GM V6 equipped cars in my driveway, both with failed lower intake manifold gaskets, and one with only 70k miles, I have all Toyotas in my driveway. One says Pontiac on it (Vibe), but it is a Toyota underneath. My '95 Truck is pushing 300k on the original clutch and AC and uses very little 10W-30 oil.

Are you admitting that you are a car bomber? Better to take it to a shredder.

TMF

Hello Milo,

I think my posts all refer to your using a opportunity to sleep on it, meaning the transmission issue and then make a decision that helps to preserve your " Degrees Of Freedom".

Later Gator, TMF