Overhaulin'

Dealership driving my car across the state?

Yesterday, my local dealer ordered a new Ford Edge for me from a dealer in another state. I wanted a particular color and there were no dealers near me that had it in stock. I signed all the paperwork today and got the bill of sale. The salesman told me 3 different times of when the vehicle would be delivered. I just found out that the dealership is having someone drive my new vehicle here. That is over 300 miles away. The salesman said that it was typical and that all dealers do that. I had no idea. I assumed it would be carried on a trailer or something. This makes me mad that my brand new vehicle will have all that mileage already. Is this right? Do the dealer do that? Is there anyway I can refuse the vehicle after it gets here even after I signed paperwork? What if there is highway damage to it? Please help! Thank you for your help.

Public Comments

1. Bad choice
2. Yes it's true, Dealers will swap another of the same type but different color to get the one you want. Just make sure that when you receive the car if it has a 100,00 mile waranty for example, that you waranty states that it will run out in 100,000 and and 300 miles. Whatever the waranty milage is, just make sure the dealer puts it in writting that it is plus 300 miles.
3. I hear this more and more often now. Mainly because as fuel economy has improved it is now cheaper for two people to drive two vehicles, drop one off and then return in the other. It used to be that dealers would send a truck and trailer that got 10 mpg empty and 8 mpg loaded get your new vehicle. So the truck used (300/10) 30 gallons to get there and (300/8) 37.5 gallons to get back for a total of 67.5 gallons of fuel. So the fuel alone at $3.50 per gallon would cost $236.25. The truck driver was probably paid 30 cents per mile so that adds another (.30x300x2) $180.00 for a total of $416.25. On the other hand, your Edge gets 23 mpg on the highway and the chase car is probably a Ford Focus that gets 34 mpg. So the Edge uses (300/24) 12.5 gallons and the Focus uses 8.8 gallons each direction. So both cars there and back will use 30.1 gallons. The gas would cost $105.51. The drivers are a couple guys that the dealership pays $6.25 per hour and it takes them 6 hours each direction. So $150 to cover both drivers for a total of $255.51. So it saves them over $160 to drive them. If a customer complains about the mileage the worst they will be out is to extend the warranty for the 300 miles that put on the car. It's not likely the owner will have anything major happen in that extra 300 miles so they are really not out anything. If you really don't want the miles on the car you could pay the difference for them to pick it up on a trailer. Press them to extend the warranty but realize that it won't make that much of a difference.
4. Yes. It happens all the time. The guys driving the cars....at least at all the dealerships I have worked for in my years in the business...are usually retired and will probably take better care of your car than you will. If it has damage, yes, you should be able to refuse it. Although, if you signed the papers with the correct VIN#, you may not be able to. A reputable dealership will let you refuse the car. The only way to get one without having miles on it was to take one of the lot. BUT you wanted a specific color. Why did you sign the papers without seeing the vehicle? This happens every day so go get your new car and quit worrying about it. 300 miles in the grand scheme of things is nothing. It is still a new car. Trailering a vehicle costs way too much money. I'm sure they could have trailered it, but it would have been at your expense. From your friendly Toyota Salesperson :)
5. Dealerships do drive vehicles, but your warranty should start at time of delivery, which means you take posession of the vehicle. If there is any damage to it, the selling dealership should assume the costs of repairing it, but you have to make sure you note it before driving off the lot so there is no discrepancy. They shouldn't have a problem, especially if they want to keep the sale.