Car Problems, Part...I don't even know what number we're on.

[tabbiewolf]

I have chronic depression. I've been clinically diagnosed. So actually getting dressed and leaving the house takes a rather extreme amount of effort, much more than the average human being.

Today, I decided I would like to go for a drive. It took me around three hours to convince myself that pants were a good idea, and I put on my jacket and started the car.

So I turn on Harvey Danger, pull out of the driveway, and then...and then the battery light came on, and there was a burning smell. So I got all of 500 feet outside the driveway before I turned around and came back.

Let's count the issues this car has had in the 6 months I've owned it:

• Front charger plug does not work (not a huge issue, just a mild annoyance)
• Vacuum pump leaks ($700+ repair cost, not fixed yet due to not NEEDING it entirely)
• Battery died. This would be normal, as I'm suspecting it was never changed and the car is five years old which is the life of a battery, except it died in a spectacular fashion involving a severe amount of corrosion which is extremely dangerous. Also ruined the battery cables. $450 repair cost, had to be done to actually drive the car.

And now, I'm guessing from the battery warning lights along with the burning smell, it appears to have an alternator issue.

Talking to the manager at the dealer last time, I swore that I would be finding a new car if it had an alternator issue. Well. Looks like that's happening.

I expected these issues with my 20-year old car. A 5-year old car that I bought from an official dealer? Not so much.

I think that if I get another car, it probably will not be a Volvo.

Comments

[fenris-lorsrai.livejournal.com]

Depending on when stuff failed, it might be covered under CT lemon laws for used cars. summary (http://www.cga.ct.gov/2005/rpt/2005-r-0871.htm)

How long they had to cover it varies by price and mileage. The most recent thing would be beyond the time period for even the lowest mileage ones, but the two earlier issues might fall in that window.

[tabbiewolf.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, since I bought it used, lemon laws don't apply. God, if this was happening with a NEW car I'd be even MORE pissed off!

But I bought it from a dealer -- knowing fully well dealers charge more than buying it off the guy down the street -- figuring it'd be a relatively reliable car. But it's actually been LESS reliable than my other Volvo, which was 15 years old and purchased from not-a-dealer for significantly less money.

I'm really lucky I quit my job; we're in a position where we don't NEED a second car. But damn, it's disappointing.

[fenris-lorsrai.livejournal.com]

CT does have some laws that apply specifically to used cars bought from dealers, but its a very short window. That's what I linked up above. Now whether the stuff fell in that short window... that's an entirely different question.

[tabbiewolf.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately it didn't. I'd put 3,000 miles on the car pretty quickly, thanks to the commute I was driving for my former job.

And Volvos are designed to be driven all the time anyway. The fact that this one is just as bad as my old one with the "Will it start today?" is really, really disappointing.

[fenris-lorsrai.livejournal.com]

Jenn and I had the same make and model of Saturn at one point. the only difference, I had sedan, she had the coupe. Other than body styling, mechanically the same car with different shell.

Her car was constantly in the shop. and mine ticked along with only one major problem for near ten years. (and that was anticipated. the clutch does need replacing EVENTUALLY) One of the times she took it in to be serviced, the maintenance guys manage to load wrong software update so it had Blue Screen of Death, Car Edition. just constantly had things wrong with it.

We came to the conclusion that the car was CURSED. this was the only explanation. clearly your volvo was also cursed. Keep it away from Steven King novels before it gets IDEAS.

[chaysefox.livejournal.com]

It's good to know you're seeing someone about the depression. Not much more to add to that.

I had battery problems with my old Buick. Two batteries later I came to find out that my alternator had failed (I had a later hunch that it was ruining my battery). That was pretty much a repair I had made myself with the help of an old Chilton manual. Mainly because I couldn't afford the shop costs.

[tabbiewolf.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the alternator thing was a huge issue with my older Volvo station wagon (a 240; one of the boxy ones). It kept dying; I replaced it something like 4 times over the course of a year (fortunately the place that replaced it guaranteed the part, so it only cost me once; sadly, it kept dying, so I kept not having a car). That's when I decided it was time to seek a newer mode of transportation.

If the newer Volvo (it's a 2008) ALSO has an alternator issue, I might cry.

Also, unfortunately for do-it-yourselfers, newer cars have engines that are harder and harder to modify & maintain yourself without buying really specific tools...and for the costs of those, you may as well get it fixed at the dealer.

[stokerbramwell.livejournal.com]

I hear you about severe depression. I spend whole days, sometimes a week, barely leaving the house. If my car broke down I would be so screwed.

[tabbiewolf.livejournal.com]

It's REALLY ANNOYING when you finally get up the motivation to leave the house, finally convince yourself to put on pants, finally convince yourself that leaving the house would be productive and that's something you can consider an accomplishment...only to find that you actually physically CAN'T.

And to have the issue be something that happened to your 20-year old, been-to-hell-and-back station wagon, happening to the 5-year old, just bought from a dealer 6 months ago car? Yeaaaaah. That's like rubbing salt in the wound.

To quote a great philosopher: "The whole fucking world's against us, man, swear to God."

[stokerbramwell.livejournal.com]

Hell, sometimes it's just putting on the pants ALONE that feels like too much of a hassle. Or getting showered or...ugh, depression sucks so hard.

I can't believe this is happening to such a new car, and that there's so little you can do about it. :/

[thppbt.livejournal.com]

At least the battery light came on while you were still close to home. Better than being stranded miles from home.

I'm a glass half full kind of guy.

[tabbiewolf.livejournal.com]

Well, now I'm worried that that's gonna happen =p I've actually been worried about that since the vacuum pump incident, where we were just fortunate enough to be near an AutoZone and could refill the oil (it was a long, slow leak...I suspect they should've known about this problem before they sold us the car, since it hasn't been an issue since and we haven't gotten the pump fixed since technically it's not NECESSARY and also it costs $700+). Had we been anywhere farther from one, we'd have been stuck; I'm pretty sure Volvos are designed so the engine doesn't seize up/burn out/whatever happens when it runs out of oil, but that just means it'd have shut off in the middle of driving somewhere.

But at least I work from home and don't technically NEED a car right now.

And we're financially stable enough to be able to afford a car that doesn't actually run (though it feels kind of moronic).

It's just frustrating as all hell. I bought a newer car to avoid these kind of problems *grumpy face*