adrian_turtle (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
adrian_turtle) wrote2008-06-13 07:37 pm
adrian_turtle) wrote2008-06-13 07:37 pm
suspension
Last week, my car started limping. It lurched when I turned sharply, or turned when backing up. It made disturbing crunching noises when I went too abruptly to the left. My shoulder hurt even more than has become usual, every time I parked. I thought wistfully of all the money I had spent in January to repair the power steering, and made an appointment with the Ford dealer near my new job. (Technically, they're a Mercury dealer, but the service center has all the right parts.) Oil change, state inspection sticker, and "oh, by the way, could you take a look at?"
I took the car in this morning and walked 2 blocks to work. Someone from the service center called me around midmorning with good news. The steering was fine. The suspension was broken--two springs in front had sprung.
"Don't worry, it's covered under Ford's extended warranty."
"I didn't buy the extended warranty plan."
"Ford knows about this problem, so they extended the warranty plan to cover it."
"Do you have the parts in stock to fix it today."
"Oh, of course. It's a very common problem. As soon as you authorize the repair, we can fix it, and you can have it before the end of the day."
"How much will it cost?"
"There's no charge. I said it's covered under the extended warranty plan."
She probably thinks I'm an idiot, but that's much less important than getting the new springs installed for free. At the end of the day, I went to retrieve the car. I just paid for the oil change and the inspection sticker. No more lurches. No more disturbing crunching noises. Unfortunately, my newly sprung car made me much more carsick than before.
I don't like this tradeoff at all. Every time I shop for a car (well, ok. BOTH times I've shopped for a car) the most important factor in my decision has been the quality of the suspension. I don't care about how "responsive" it is, how well it hugs the road, or how fuel-saving it might be. I want a suspension that minimizes my carsickness. I want it back.
I took the car in this morning and walked 2 blocks to work. Someone from the service center called me around midmorning with good news. The steering was fine. The suspension was broken--two springs in front had sprung.
"Don't worry, it's covered under Ford's extended warranty."
"I didn't buy the extended warranty plan."
"Ford knows about this problem, so they extended the warranty plan to cover it."
"Do you have the parts in stock to fix it today."
"Oh, of course. It's a very common problem. As soon as you authorize the repair, we can fix it, and you can have it before the end of the day."
"How much will it cost?"
"There's no charge. I said it's covered under the extended warranty plan."
She probably thinks I'm an idiot, but that's much less important than getting the new springs installed for free. At the end of the day, I went to retrieve the car. I just paid for the oil change and the inspection sticker. No more lurches. No more disturbing crunching noises. Unfortunately, my newly sprung car made me much more carsick than before.
I don't like this tradeoff at all. Every time I shop for a car (well, ok. BOTH times I've shopped for a car) the most important factor in my decision has been the quality of the suspension. I don't care about how "responsive" it is, how well it hugs the road, or how fuel-saving it might be. I want a suspension that minimizes my carsickness. I want it back.