warranty confirmed!

[citroen]

why is it that the canadians get a 48 mo80k kilo warranty and we get 24?

[jwight]

I won't go into the rant over this warranty except to point out again that you can buy Chrysler products with lifetime powertrain warranties for not much more than a smart (and Chrysler didn't raise prices when they went to the new warranty), Hyundais with 10 yr/10K warranties at less cost (dealer discounts) than a smart and the Chevy Aveo 4 seater at the same price with a 5 yr/50K warranty. If those companies can do it so can smart - they apparently choose not to. Good incentive to lease the car for 2 years, turn it in and walk away or get a new one. The resale value on a 2 year old car with no warranty is zilch.

[spdickey]

smart in the UK offers service plans on used smarts. There is no telling how resale on this car will be two years down the road. Depends on availability. PT Cruisers used to be expensive, now they aren't.

Its all about choice, long or short service plan, you decide.

[MicroNut]

Originally Posted by spdickey

America's cheapest car. Buy what you want.

Not even close.

The Chevy Aveo, Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio and Toyota Yaris all come cheaper, and not a one of them has a standard warranty less than 3/36 base plus 5/60 drivetrain.

[mr_Cash]

1) the first deal killer, was premium gas.
they cut the compression ratio back, from 11 to 10:1, to allow a greater range of quality of fuel to be used, even though its still premium recommended. but at lleast its not premium required. (i presume there is a distinction here, but im not sure. i could be wrong) so, i let this pass for the time being.

2) the second deal killer, still pending. the lack of good attachment around the rear window and roof to tridion convertible seal, leaving vulnerability to water leaks, wind noise, and vandalism.

3) the third deal killer, the first sub 3 year, 36,000 warranty in a very long while. on a new unproven vehicle, new model first year, new engine, new transmission, etc. that no one in the usa has experience repairing.

three stikes and ?

as much as the car is cute, it would be imprudent to ignore these obvious, clear warnings, of unpleasant experiences waiting to happen.

4) a fourth deal killer, that i also let slide for the moment, was the actual test drive. the perceived intuitive 'feel' of a lack of long term likely reliability of the smart vehicle. at the event, i have to be honest, the vehicle felt like a loose bucket of bolts, weak parts being overly stressed, as though they may snap/break with normal short term use. maybe the new fangled transmission, or the bump-ti-bump ride of the very short wheel base, contributed to the flimsiness, the un-solid feel. i don't know.

but that lack of solid feel, the lack of the feel you get when the car feels like it will go 200,000 or more miles with few if any problems, certainly was wasn't there.

and today,

5) deal killer number five, we hear of a mechanic, that has noted an internal clutch seal on the 450/451 going bad at 50,000 miles. that may be a $1000 or more repair, for a $10 or so part gone bad? or a huge nightmare job for a novice do-it-yourself-er.

the warning signs are all there. one can not later say, there were not sufficient clues as possible adversity that may unfortunately, come later.

this is a clear high risk consumer automobile purchase venture. if a purchaser decides to go forward, enter it with eyes wide open, and aware of the facts and likely untypical repair scenarios, so as to not be too upset, if difficulties arise later.

and if the purchase does still go forward, keep in mind, rough treatment, jack rabbit starts, off or rough road use, etc., may time accelerate potential problems to come, more so that the average vehicle.

i know a little about fixing cars. but, i stress the word, 'little'. i have rebuilt an engine. one. not two, or ten. or a hundred. just one.

frankly, as much as i like the smart vehicle new look, and new type, its making be very nervous about the repair outlook. i can tend to hang on to some cars for 20 years, or more. and while fixing ones own auto repairs is self rewarding to some extent, net net, if the car is solid and didn't need the repair, i would just assume spend my time, doing something else besides getting greasy and making necessary repairs.

but then, theres the mechanic, that has likely rebuilt many engines, who was at the smart event.

6) deal killer number six.
when hearing smart had the mitsubishi engine, you could see a light bulb go off. he had no indecision, no pondering. his words were from repair trials experience, 'mitsubishi engines don't last long. this is not for me.' he took his wifes hand, and walked away.

the decision for him, an experienced pro, was clear, immediate.


7) and, deal killer number seven.
years ago, an honest, good, senior mechanic, now passed on, stated clearly, never to buy a car in its first year of the new model changeover.

he said, there are too many bugs to work out, too many variables that can be hidden, that will arise in problems later. a second, or later year vehicle, gives the company time to get first year product out the door, then refocus on refining and tweaking the vehicle, at least partially based on real field repair feedback, for the things that were near impossible to get to, or discover, in the first year launch.

he didn't ponder on this decision. it was clear, definite. without any question, no hesitation. one does not buy a first year vehicle, period.

one has to think back, on times when they intuitively felt risk ahead, and they went forward anyway, only to experience their risk perception come true, and intuition to be correct, later. i have. too often.

all the signs are clear.
what will i do?
i don't know.

[spdickey]

Sorry to see you get out of line, next!.

[eqwalker]

I'll take the chance. I, on the other hand, have heard quite the opposite from a well established mechanic on Mitsubishi engines. He is about retired, but made the comment that
"you don't have to worry about that engine. We (the big three) could take some lessons on engines from the Japanese manufactures. Especially since Mitsubishi has been around so long. They just last."

So, I guess it is just who you ask. Half a dozen, one to another.

[Fredvon4]

Mr. Cash

I search like a mad man on four different Brit sites for the Trany oil seal problems and did find numerous posts about it--- relating to early 450 series Smart cars... Gen1?? ( I am not sure how they define the different 450 generations yet)

I did not find any other reference to the 451 having this problem except the mention by a SmartsRus guy about it being common problem to both series

If there was a design or part reliability problem with the 450 series I would hope that it is one of a long list of things MB has redesigned or fixed in some way on the 451s

[JetJazz]

beware of after market "third party" extended warranties. I bought one for my vette. It was highly recommended by the folks on a Corvette forum. Shortly after I bought it the company went out of business. The company is now in liquidation and I haven't seen a penny.

[rerruf]

The short warranty is troublesome to me. The only way a short warranty saves a manufacturer money is if they do not have to pay warranty claims they otherwise would have had to pay. In other words, if they had inside knowledge and knew this vehicle would be problem free they would know they would never have to pay claims thus a longer warranty would not cost them. On the other hand, if they know the Smart will not hold up they would try and avoid the liability a longer warranty would subject them to. Hyundai never offered a longer warranty until after they improved the quality which initally was terrible.