What are you paying for 04s these days. Please read and respond.

[MonsterD]

I am still dealing with the nightmare that is my MM.
In the shop 46 days, still cant figure out what is wrong with the tranny after replacing the valve body, then completely rebuilding the tranny.
Ferd wants me trade me a DTR 04 MM with a window sticker of $33, which they will drop down to $27. My 03 MM which I paid $33 has a payout of $25, 300.......just had a Pontiac dealer tell me that book value on my 03 is $19,500 and they would only give me $15 for it. What a way to retain value.

Anyway, My question is for all those guys claiming they only paid $22 for their non sunroofed 04 MMs, how did they get down there........the break down on discounts and rebates. And they said book price on an 04 with less than a hundred miles on it would still only be about $23 with a trade in value of $19.

At this point I dont know if its better to roll the dice and go to arbitration and hope for a buy back, or take their trade for the 04 at $27 and pay a $4000 usage fee on my 03. The only reason it doesnt sound like a deal is that my payments are based off a $33 loan, and the DTR including the $4000 rolled into the deal would only be $31.

I am soooo tired of Ferd.........the damn car still doesnt run right. Its still hesitates between 1000-1500 rpm and now I even have been getting a battery light at low speeds......What the heck is that all about. And Did I mention that when they rebuilt the tranny they dropped the hoist on the car. They repainted it, but did a crappy job, you can see the sanding strokes and a drip mark on the paint.

[Bradley G]

If you stick to your guns you may get more money out of Ford, through arbitration.I have seen this take a very long time. If you are considering an 'o4 you may want to turn up the heat or take the dealers offer. Have you shopped another L/M dealer how many miles are on the '03? Good luck

Bradley G

[CBT]

46 days in the shop and still has problems?! I guess if you really are attatched to the car it may be worth hanging onto. But, damaged goods is how I would see it, and I'd bite the price difference and take the DTR. And then find a different place to take it for any service.

Or, make them take the car back, then find a decent one on e-bay (for less) and swing a deal that way. I am happy to say that is how I acquired mine. Either way, let us all know the outcome, brother.

[CRUZTAKER]

If you stick to your guns you may get more money out of Ford, through arbitration.I have seen this take a very long time. If you are considering an 'o4 you may want to turn up the heat or take the dealers offer. Have you shopped another L/M dealer how many miles are on the '03? Good luck

Bradley G
Ditto...you've lasted this long, now fight a little longer.

[wchain]

I am still dealing with the nightmare that is my MM.
In the shop 46 days, still cant figure out what is wrong with the tranny after replacing the valve body, then completely rebuilding the tranny.
Ferd wants me trade me a DTR 04 MM with a window sticker of $33, which they will drop down to $27. My 03 MM which I paid $33 has a payout of $25, 300.......just had a Pontiac dealer tell me that book value on my 03 is $19,500 and they would only give me $15 for it. What a way to retain value.

Anyway, My question is for all those guys claiming they only paid $22 for their non sunroofed 04 MMs, how did they get down there........the break down on discounts and rebates. And they said book price on an 04 with less than a hundred miles on it would still only be about $23 with a trade in value of $19.

At this point I dont know if its better to roll the dice and go to arbitration and hope for a buy back, or take their trade for the 04 at $27 and pay a $4000 usage fee on my 03. The only reason it doesnt sound like a deal is that my payments are based off a $33 loan, and the DTR including the $4000 rolled into the deal would only be $31.

I am soooo tired of Ferd.........the damn car still doesnt run right. Its still hesitates between 1000-1500 rpm and now I even have been getting a battery light at low speeds......What the heck is that all about. And Did I mention that when they rebuilt the tranny they dropped the hoist on the car. They repainted it, but did a crappy job, you can see the sanding strokes and a drip mark on the paint.


I paid less than 24 for my 04 DTR with Roof, Changer, Dealer Installed Spoiler, Pin Striping and Tint.

BTW, theres a 4000 factory Rebate, and if you finance with FMCC an addl 1000 bucks. TUrn around the next day and get it refinanced with your credit union. I did it.

[Vortex]

If you want a new 04, you'd better jump now. I bet there are very few left.

[rayjay]

From my buying experience and what I've read here, the big discounts are mostly available at dealers that have multiple MMs they are trying to sell. I paid more than I should have last summer, but I wanted a DTR and the dealer had to find me one. Read up on your lemon laws. With 46 days in the shop you may be getting close.

[Sactown]

Is the $27 for the 04 out the door including the sales tax?

[cyclone03]

How many of the 46 days was because of the damage the DEALER caused?
I think most of your trouble is dealer related not Ford.

Funney thing to me from reading your above,the first thing I thought of was the old wire chaf problem some have had on the early cars.

The problem I have with these buy back,trade deals is,I've had my car this long,and paid my car down to this $$ now your making me a deal for a higher priced car with higher payments.I don't see the DEAL.

[MonsterD]

I didnt include the time they took to "fix" the body damage. They didnt sand down the bumber very good, so you can still see the damage under the new paint, and on the passenger rear quarter, there is a run stain that, they tried to color sand out but you can still see where the run used to be.
i
what is the wire chaff problem?
it normally just hesitates, but lately while its hesitating, I have seen the battery light flickering.

I really have no clue what the final deal will be, they call it a equity e xchange, so the $11000 I have spent in down and payments will go towards new car. Or actually they are just changing the vin on the loan.
I have been dealing with dealer since ferd hasnt called me not even once. I dont really want DTR, its pretty, but I love the stealth looking black beauty.

I think I should be able to have ferd search for a black 04 with a sunroof. That shouldnt be too much to ask.

I might drop the MM off on monday to have the paint fixed again, and give them another shot at the tranny.

[studio460]

At this point I dont know if its better to roll the dice and go to arbitration and hope for a buy back, or take their trade for the 04 at $27 and pay a $4000 usage fee on my 03.MonsterD:

Sorry to hear about your problems with your Marauder. I don't know if I'm reading you correctly, but if all I had to do to trade my '03 for an '04 was to give someone $4,000, I'd do it in a nanosecond.

You may have a good shot at dealing with Ford corporate, but it will take time and a lot of effort on your part. I whined and whined and whined about my paint and other mechanical QA issues, and after a while I did finally get Ford to "do something" (which I was actually surprised at). But it took A LOT of effort! Remember, only Ford CORPORATE can really do anything, the dealer is totally out of the loop on all this and has zero interest in spending more money on keeping you happy.

Again, if all I had to do to trade my '03 for an '04 was give someone $4,000, I'd do it in a nanosecond.

[bugsys03]

MonsterD:

Again, if all I had to do to trade my '03 for an '04 was give someone $4,000, I'd do it in a nanosecond.


I agree. With your past and current problems with that particular car and dealer, make the swap and change dealers. :burnout:

[AzMarauder]

If you want a new 04, you'd better jump now. I bet there are very few left.
There are about 10 '04s sitting at Highland Park Lincoln Mercury in Illinois.

The rebates on them disappear 3 January.

[Bradley G]

This same dealer had 30+ several months ago.
Bradley G
There are about 10 '04s sitting at Highland Park Lincoln Mercury in Illinois.

The rebates on them disappear 3 January.

[AzMarauder]

This same dealer had 30+ several months ago.
Bradley G
They did indicate that they had worked hard to gather a whole bunch of them in one place. :)

They even had one that they took a dealer transfer. Apparently they can get them sold. We couldn't come to agreement on workable numbers. Pity, cause now I have to drive to Vermont. :alone:

Everyone pray for no snow from next weds thru sunday.

:cool:

[drwhy]

They did indicate that they had worked hard to gather a whole bunch of them in one place. :)

They even had one that they took a dealer transfer. Apparently they can get them sold. We couldn't come to agreement on workable numbers. Pity, cause now I have to drive to Vermont. :alone:

Everyone pray for no snow from next weds thru sunday.

:cool:
Can you say how much they offered you off of sticker? Were you using the $1000 Ford Motor Credit bonus cash?

Tom

[Bradley G]

I was told by dealer principle (owner) ,that Mercury offered as many Marauders as they wanted.This was just prior to the Buildout (end of production) The dealer I worked and purchaced from,did not do well with the Marauders,the most they ever had in stock was six.They did not order much other than black.Since all the dealers pay the same, It's too bad someone closer won't bargain with you.If you want my help PM me and I'll make a call to see If I can save you some time and $.I worked with a guy that works there!

Bradley G


This same dealer had 30+ several months ago.
Bradley G

[CRUZTAKER]

Everyone pray for no snow from next weds thru sunday.

:cool:
You mean the week of the 3rd?

If so, it looks good around here. Unusually warm today...53 degrees...supposed to be wet and in the 40's through next weekend, and back up to thhe 50's by Sunday. What the hell happened to winter....:dunno:

OUR WEATHER IN NE OHIO HERE (http://www.intellicast.com/Local/USLocalStd.asp?loc=usohct3051&seg=LocalWeather&prodgrp=Forecasts&product=Forecast&prodnav=none)

[AzMarauder]

Can you say how much they offered you off of sticker? Were you using the $1000 Ford Motor Credit bonus cash?

Tom
Tom,

I was trying to do a trade as well... so that muddies the water up a bit.

Until Jan 03 there are two Ford incentives. $4k or 0.0% for 60 months. An additional $1k if you finance with Ford Motor Credit.

So a total of $5k. This was being taken off the MSRP.

Again with a trade in the mix it isn't easy to see where they are juggling their money. On a straight cash deal I would have let them start at MSRP and do the $5k and then asked them what they were going to kick in. The $5k is between me and Ford.... I want to see what they, the dealership are going to discount. Using MSRP as a start point on a left over car ......:bs:

[AzMarauder]

I was told by dealer principle (owner) ,that Mercury offered as many Marauders as they wanted.This was just prior to the Buildout (end of production) The dealer I worked and purchaced from,did not do well with the Marauders,the most they ever had in stock was six.They did not order much other than black.Since all the dealers pay the same, It's too bad someone closer won't bargain with you.If you want my help PM me and I'll make a call to see If I can save you some time and $.I worked with a guy that works there!

Bradley G
Bradley,

Thanks... but I am committed to buy a 2003 leftover. What I wanted to get done wasn't possible with my 2003 Cobra as a trade... at least not on a 2004. I worked with about 5 dealerships and give or take a $1000 they were all pretty close. The "new" 2003 worked perfectly tho.

Just the unfortunate part is I need to travel up into the teeth of winter to get it. Still stressing over that part.

:alone:

[AzMarauder]

You mean the week of the 3rd?

If so, it looks good around here. Unusually warm today...53 degrees...supposed to be wet and in the 40's through next weekend, and back up to thhe 50's by Sunday. What the hell happened to winter....:dunno:

OUR WEATHER IN NE OHIO HERE (http://www.intellicast.com/Local/USLocalStd.asp?loc=usohct3051&seg=LocalWeather&prodgrp=Forecasts&product=Forecast&prodnav=none)
Yup... talking leaving Arizona (where it is raining this morning) on the evening of the 4th (Tues) and should be in your neck of the woods on the 6th. I hope to make St. Albans by early afternoon on the 7th. Weather.com forecasts mixed rain / snow for the 6th... clear on the 7th.... snow etc. on the 8th. (for Buffalo, St. Albans, etc.)


As far as I am concerned you guys can wait another week or so.. then have all the winter you can stand ! :)

[CRUZTAKER]

Like I said, if you need to camp for a day while the weather clears, my place is about your last resort before you enter the path of no return.

I really think the weather is gonna hold for you. Like I said, the lake effect is what is gonna really hurt you. Spitting rain and mix is controllable around here.

[AzMarauder]

Like I said, if you need to camp for a day while the weather clears, my place is about your last resort before you enter the path of no return.

I really think the weather is gonna hold for you. Like I said, the lake effect is what is gonna really hurt you. Spitting rain and mix is controllable around here.
I sent you an email, did you get it? I would like to get phone numbers etc. from you. I am still playing with my trip program etc. I will lock in your address and see how it falls. Depending on the timeline or weather I may take you up on your kind offer. Do you have validated parking for either a Cobra or MM?

[Bradley G]

I hear ya,AZM.

I hope you have a safe and uneventful trip!Except for the possible stop @ Barry's place and your new Aquisition!
Bradley G

Bradley,

Thanks... but I am committed to buy a 2003 leftover. What I wanted to get done wasn't possible with my 2003 Cobra as a trade... at least not on a 2004. I worked with about 5 dealerships and give or take a $1000 they were all pretty close. The "new" 2003 worked perfectly tho.

Just the unfortunate part is I need to travel up into the teeth of winter to get it. Still stressing over that part.

:alone:

[wchain]

Bradley,

Thanks... but I am committed to buy a 2003 leftover. What I wanted to get done wasn't possible with my 2003 Cobra as a trade... at least not on a 2004. I worked with about 5 dealerships and give or take a $1000 they were all pretty close. The "new" 2003 worked perfectly tho.

Just the unfortunate part is I need to travel up into the teeth of winter to get it. Still stressing over that part.

:alone:

WHOA! How did u find a leftover 2003??? I figured they would have to move them all out by now! Hope its a 300A!

:banana:

[AzMarauder]

WHOA! How did u find a leftover 2003??? I figured they would have to move them all out by now! Hope its a 300A!

:banana:
They have two of them.... one of them is mine. :coolman:

It is a family owned business that owned a couple of dealerships. Apparently they sold one but something went amiss in the deal. So they sued the folks who bought the dealership and all the assets got "frozen". These cars were part of that.

[djv5150]

If you are considering the DTR the dealer is still sitting on approx. $4000 in hidden dealer cash $27K now $23K ask them for all the dealer incentive $$

[AzMarauder]

If you are considering the DTR the dealer is still sitting on approx. $4000 in hidden dealer cash $27K now $23K ask them for all the dealer incentive $$
That is why I turned them down. They were very up front with the money that Ford has publicized but they weren't moving an inch on their profit margin.

[Bradley G]

You may see more of this cause they are getting scarce!

Bradley G


That is why I turned them down. They were very up front with the money that Ford has publicized but they weren't moving an inch on their profit margin.