Depending on what the missing component was, many have been or are being sold with the part missing and if it comes available later it could be added for a set price. Namely things like wireless chargers, heated mirrors and stuff. Some adaptive cruise control radars are in the same boat. Things like gauge clusters, that may never be resolved and a lot of vehicles could be scrapped for salvage.
The Heritage Foundation representatives on the Supreme Court are preparing to do just that. No more pesky regulations interfering with honest American businessmen.
I read somewhere that FoMoCo is looking at taking the dealer out of the equation (and I hope it’s true). Why shouldn’t we be able to order a new vehicle built to order (with the options we want and more importantly, without the crap we don’t want) via the internet, without the middleman and his substantial cut of my fixed income and have it delivered to my home?
I recently learned my lesson when the dealer I’ve purchased four new vehicles from in the past dozen years screwed me on a warranty claim. I hope ALL these stealerships go belly up.
All OEMS have been trying to do this for years. However, the dealers in a number of States were smart and there are laws on the books requiring dealerships. (I don’t have the exact language, lets just say it makes it different to operate with a direct sales model.) It remains to be seen how it works. You’ll see a direct model in Europe where there are no laws to have to repeal before you see it in the USA.
Reminds me of the Chicken Tax.
I ordered a Truck at the PX in Germany, made a hefty down payment along with two additional payments.
I was assured my new GMC Truck would be on the ground as soon as I got there.
I ordered every bell and whistle, I thought I had the best Truck ever.
The truck arrived before I did and the dealership sold it to someone else. I complained to GM, wasn’t a lot the could do…
The dealership was owned by a politically connected family and they had been number one in sales for several years in a row.
They wanted to know if I wanted to reorder.
I bought a Toyota.
Thanks GM.
That’s the last of my money GM or that dealership ever saw. I pretty regularly had Soldiers that had problems with them.
Eventually they lost the dealership, it changed names and I don’t believe that politically connected family is in the car business anymore.
Years ago, I had an issue with a Ford and Corporate’s attitude was the dealer was their customer, not me. Latest screwing was from Ram so between your experience and mine that pretty much sums up the Big 3.
This is why I say I’d rather buy a used and take it back to the body shop down the street where I’ve known those guys since I was a kid, and have them do a full teardown to bare frame and rebuild from the ground up, retrofitting modern conveniences.
That actually makes pretty good sense. I’m done buying new anyway and if I live that long that’s probably what I’ll have done to my truck.