Raynine
Diamond Member
- Oct 28, 2023
- 1,088
- 1,663
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I leased a vehicle, a Jeep Cherokee, in 2020. When the lease was up during Covid, I wanted to turn the vehicle in and get another lease. I found this impossible because the only cars available were electric and gas/electric hybrids that had price tags of about ten thousand dollars more than regular gas-powered rides. I went to four dealerships and got the same results. So, I made the decision to buy the vehicle and get a service contract which jacked up the payments. It is a good thing I got that service contract because I have used it twice for about three thousand dollars' worth of covered repairs.
I am a cyclist that rides a conventional racing bicycle 300 miles a week in season, so I don’t put a lot of mileage on my vehicles. But cars today are built to save weight among other things, so components are fashioned out of materials that do not last well under driving conditions with engine heat and vibration. One part failed a year ago but was covered under the service agreement—all good there. Now the car is leaking oil because the oil filter housing unit is plastic and cracked. The replacement part is aluminum.
The oil filter housing unit is a continuing problem with many vehicles and should have triggered a recall but for some reason it has not been issued. My service contract will pay for it, but it haggles with the dealership about fluid replacement, and it is going to cost me about $350 out of pocket. I got that service contact to avoid that, but it is what it is.
When I was 25, I could work on my Ford Mustang and throw three-dollar retreads on it, but those days are long gone. With all the sensors and high technology on cars today I can’t fix problems myself. That technology is expensive to replace, which is why I was leasing vehicles. I have about 18 months left on the service contract and the car has less than 40,000 miles on it. But the clock is ticking and all the problems that exist with modern vehicles are still there. The engine has been well cared for, broken in, and is running sweet, but that only goes so far nowadays.
When I drive my car home, I know I am still faced with the same issues that caused me to lease in the first place. I will lease again because in my situation as an 80-year-old citizen, it makes sense. I am going to write to Jeep and ask them to reimburse me the cost of the work because they knew or should have known that plastic parts would not hold up under actual driving conditions. I have nothing to lose if they decline. I will ask them for a good faith solution to a problem they should have foreseen.
I am a cyclist that rides a conventional racing bicycle 300 miles a week in season, so I don’t put a lot of mileage on my vehicles. But cars today are built to save weight among other things, so components are fashioned out of materials that do not last well under driving conditions with engine heat and vibration. One part failed a year ago but was covered under the service agreement—all good there. Now the car is leaking oil because the oil filter housing unit is plastic and cracked. The replacement part is aluminum.
The oil filter housing unit is a continuing problem with many vehicles and should have triggered a recall but for some reason it has not been issued. My service contract will pay for it, but it haggles with the dealership about fluid replacement, and it is going to cost me about $350 out of pocket. I got that service contact to avoid that, but it is what it is.
When I was 25, I could work on my Ford Mustang and throw three-dollar retreads on it, but those days are long gone. With all the sensors and high technology on cars today I can’t fix problems myself. That technology is expensive to replace, which is why I was leasing vehicles. I have about 18 months left on the service contract and the car has less than 40,000 miles on it. But the clock is ticking and all the problems that exist with modern vehicles are still there. The engine has been well cared for, broken in, and is running sweet, but that only goes so far nowadays.
When I drive my car home, I know I am still faced with the same issues that caused me to lease in the first place. I will lease again because in my situation as an 80-year-old citizen, it makes sense. I am going to write to Jeep and ask them to reimburse me the cost of the work because they knew or should have known that plastic parts would not hold up under actual driving conditions. I have nothing to lose if they decline. I will ask them for a good faith solution to a problem they should have foreseen.
