Date:         Fri, 6 Sep 2002 21:22:52 -0400
Reply-To:     Stu Schwartz <sschwartz@OS2BBS.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Stu Schwartz <sschwartz@OS2BBS.COM>
Subject:      New muffler and stuff...
In-Reply-To:  <200209061945378.SM01840@gerry.vanagon.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

>I expect I will need a new muffler soon. Assuming they do good work, why
>shouldn't I use a place like Midas. There is one near me that has done
>excellent "emergency" service on my van (replaced hoses, replaced belts).
>I like the idea of a lifetiime warranty. What are the
>negatives...especailly if they are cheaper.

I bought a car brand new in 1984. When the time came to replace the
muffler, I thought "hey, I am gonna keep this thing, might as well pay for
a new, lifetime warranty" Last month, I failed safety inspection due to a
hole in the muffler. No problem, I am covered!

Midas never could manage to find the right part. Its on order, it will be
here tomorrow, the wrong one showed up, there isn't one in the whole state
of Utah, and on and on. I told them to just put one on that fit but they
refused to put any other muffler on the car in place of the warranty part
unless I paid full price.

I ended up at a local muffler shop and had to pay for their new muffler.
Cost me around $90, when I could have sworn I had a lifetime warranty.. :(

Their warranty is only good for as long as they decide to care, and in my
case, they didn't care. You see, when you show up with an older vehicle
and need a new, basically free muffler, they will blow you off in favor of
all those other cars that need parts that the customer has to pay for.

If you have time and the desire to deal with morons, then go for it, but
when the car needs to be inspected in by a set date, there is no time for
hassles, small claims court, and all the other stuff that can be required.
I had no time for all that. I wrote to the shop manager and explained what
happened, and never did get a reply of any kind.

I mentioned it to the local shop as I picked up the car, and the gentleman
told me that he was the owner of the shop, and could ill afford to piss
off any customers, whereas the large, franchised companies have no owner
within 1000 miles, and the people actually working in the shop are not
interested in customer satisfaction, but instead have to answer the bottom
line every month to corporate, so they do whatever it takes to make money
as fast as they can. I tend to agree.

Of course, that is just capitalism at its finest, right! :-)

Do a google search for Midas and read the complaints that are out there,
and then decide. I would not ever let those clowns near something like my
vanagon. I cannot imagine how badly they would screw that job up.


I appreciate your apprehension...as I said I have had at least 2 good experiences (yes I realize
it was on simple stuff),,,and my wife actually had a muffler replaced via warranty (2 years) on her 1991
Hundai (just last week).

But that is why I was asking...is the muffler on the vanagon a challenge like it seems most of the other
parts are?




--peace--
   stu and ginger and jasmine
   Arlington, VA
   1991 Westy (MZ MAGIC)