I COMPLETELY feel your pain. COMPLETELY. Right now I'm driving a 2000 Pontiac Sunfire...not a bad little car, but lately I've poured SO much money into this car that it makes me sick. I expect to only get about $1000 - $1500 for the Sunfire, and I've put over $3000 into it in the past 10 months. Plus I'm down in central Texas, and my air conditioning went out last June. I never got it fixed because I didn't want to put any more money in it since I knew I was going to get a new vehicle soon. Now it's a year later and still no air conditioning (and we're already in the mid 90's here..its HOT).

Finally got the loan pre approved and the down payment and ordered the new Patriot back on April 12. (Woohoo!) Since then I've been praying that nothing goes wrong with my Sunfire. Well in May, one day my car decided it just didn't want to start. I let it sit for a while, tried again, and it started. This kept happening for a few days. I thought to myself...I can just keep hoping it starts until my Patriot gets here...right? I had been lucky that it only happened when I was at home (and I'm a 10 minute walk from work). But one day when I was leaving the grocery store, it wouldn't start. And it never did. So it ended up that it needed a new starter motor. I got one for a few hundred bucks. That's life right?

Then about 2 weeks ago, I get a nail...in TWO different tires. Luckily, I found a tire place that fixed the tires for free. And then 2 days ago, my "Check Engine" light came on. I wanted to drive the car off a cliff. I put some coolant in (my low coolant light was coming on) and that didn't fix the problem. So I'm driving to the car shop to have them look at it, thinking that I'm going to have to spend a fortune on fixing it, and the light just turns off. Hasn't come back on since. Fingers are crossed that it won't.

Now I'm waiting for a call from the dealer any day now telling me my Patriot is in. It left the plant 11 days ago...so it should be getting close. I just HOPE HOPE HOPE that my Sunfire makes it until then!!!

So I feel your pain! But just hang in there! Not too much longer!

 

Gee demolaysgirl, it sounds like your car luck is almost as bad as mine. At the moment I'm driving a Ford Festiva (essentially just a humiliation on wheels ) that is supposed to carry me until Fall of 2008, when I plan on getting a Patriot. On April 27 some kid in a big GMC truck rear-ended me. There was no one in front of me, but when he pushed my car forward it moved to the left, and of course there was a big Ford truck to my left. So the end result was big dents in the rear and all along the left side. Now the car is more of an embarrassment than ever! Also, I injured my foot badly enough that I must cancel all my planned hiking trips this summer.

I'm trying to look on the bright side, though. I'm hoping that the extra wait time will reward me with the option of an orange Patriot (it is supposedly going to be a color choice for '08) and maybe the 10/100K warranty; both things that I really would like in the Patriot.

 

I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one with "bad car luck" out there.

Waiting for the Pat will hopefully have benefits...maybe I can snag a deal on the financing...maybe that awesome warranty will be in place. Perhaps they'll add heated mirrors?

On a side note, I received notice inthe mail yesterday that my personalized plates that I've ordered in preparation for my Pat are in. They'll grace the granny wagon, and hopefully raise the "coolness factor" up a notch, until I have my Pat. We shall see.

 

My bad luck car was a 2003 Olds Alero. Funny car, loved it too death. My first almost new car. It came from Avis rental to the dealership. Had 13,500 miles. I walked off the lot owing about $10,000. Six months after owning it, had it parked outside our apartment which was downstairs basement apartment that my brother in law and his wife had below their house. Across the street was the City Hall and behind it is police department. The officer came out, and smashed into my car. Did $6040 in damage. Had his boss and two county officers out. Our niece who was two was the witness. Aunties car broke. I had to drive a 2003 Nissan Sentra that the cities insurance company rented me. THEN back in March of this year. I was taking a family friends daughter to take her senior pictures. So I went to fill the car up before I went and got her. I was behind this pickup and in fronto of him was a car. Well he decided to back up and right into me. Brand new hood. I went home, told my hubby "that's it we're getting an SUV!" He said okay. I started a search of used SUV's Wasn't happy with what I was finding. Finally hubby said your getting a jeep and I found the patriot. He said sell your car and you can have it. sold the car and now it's on order. We decided it wasn't the car per sa it was the color. I don't miss the car. Those two times I got hit, I have came close to being side swiped in that car also

 

I have had a recent expierience simular to others...

I have a 1992 Nissan NX which now has 143,000 miles, within months of me ordering my Patriot, I have had to have the brakes done, water pump 2 clutch cables and thermostat.. the car did leave me stuck (luckily at home) two times.

I finally got my Patriot after sinking about $1000.00 bucks on the nissan, I gave the car to my father and I will help him by getting the clutch replaced soon.
My wait was 8 weeks and even though the nissan gave me trouble, it held together well considering the many miles it has. Parts wear out from normal use this is something we cannot avoid. This was the big factor in my ordering my jeep.
Another factor is that the company I worked for allolwed me to be hired in a better position recently, the only problem is that I have to travel a lot farther than before. Being that I have to drive farther I needed a more reliable more comfortable car that has A/C.
Thank goodness I now finnaly have my new Jeep.

 

Oh Gosh, I feel all your pains! Right now our cars are doing fine, but we once owned a Plymouth valiant that became possessed. We towed a camping trailer so I had the 302 V8 and HD suspension. We had it a week and a guy came shooting out of a bank parking lot and hit the car while my wife was driving. She had the children in the back and thank God nobody was injured, but the guy ran! Then she was crossing with the green and a guy in a Caddy ran the light and hit her again! After that strange things started happening, I think our car got pissed off and took things out on us! Ice cubes flew out of the airconditioner! The windows fell into the doors! The starter kept blowing. We finally had to give up and sold it wholesale. I plan on ordering my Patriot by mid summer or early fall, once I can get some additional money in. I'll be giving my 11 year old Subaru Outback to my son-in-law. That car has NEVER had any problems, but the Subaru dealer here is very poor, so I will not buy from him. In any case I feel your pain! Been there, done that. I am making a wish that you all can get your Patriots soon and they all will run fine for you. Hang in there, there's light at the end of that tunnel.

 

Funny thing now thinking about it. My first car was an 1984 VW Rabbit. Always broke down in front of the house. Bought it in 1996 for college. So many things went wrong. Paid $1000 my mom and dad put over $2000 in it to keep it running. It Died for good, sold it. Then the summer of 1998 I worked and bought an 88' Ford Tempo, loved that car. Had very little work done never broke down. (no lie). Got married, in 2003 made some good money, saved, started talking about new cars, The Aveo's were coming out. Wanted to buy one. Test drove one, didn't get one, I was turned away because the one I test drove wouldn't go into park. Went back to the dealership and got that Alero the one up above that was a "Target", I'm hoping with the brand new off the truck Patriot, all is good from here on out. Can't get any worse been there already.

 

I'm just so happy to finally get rid of my Ford Escort - don't laugh! Not getting much for it, but then didn't expect to. After all, it is a Ford. We have ordered a Patriot that is coming in, in the next 10 days. Can't sleep, since I am so excited. Fully loaded Limited 'cept the Nav. system. She's a beaut!

 

Hey demolaysgirl,at least you have a plan.When you do get your Jeep,you'll appreciate it that much more.I am going back to the desert in Sept and thats when we plan to ordering ours.My wife will have it all to herself till I get back.

 

My prayers are with you Charlie, get home safe.

 

Yes, Charlie. Best of luck to you and yours and hope you make it home safe.

Only just over a month to go before my Hubby is back again. This is his second tour...first one as a soldier, this one as a civilian. Hopefully he doesn't find himself over there again, but you never know.

 

Thank you very much.This is going to be my third trip going back to 2000.I volunteered for this one so I aint complaining.One thing I noticed at least where I was is there are no Jeeps to be seen.I think I saw one Grand Cherokee.Hey, Happy Canada Day and 4th Of July to all.

 

Okay...now I know the Automotive Gods are toying with my emotions.

I was at work today, and walked my dog outside. As we were passing by my car, I caught a glint from something on one of my tires. I walked up closer to find that I had driven over a screw!

AAAArrrgh again!

I immediately drove my granny wagon to Sears, afraid of the tire flattening on me, or having a blowout on the freeway. I figured I'd get the tire plugged and be done with it.

Turns out the screw was only stuck in the treads, and didn't actually penetrate the tire. So Sears called me to pick up the car with no charge...since they only pulled the screw out, nothing else.

To think...if I hadn't hit that screw just right...

Whew!

And I've got a guy driving out to my workplace Thursday to check on whether or not he can repair the ding in my windshield. Hopefully he can, and I don't have to do a full replacement.

Socloseto2008...socloseto2008...

 

Ya see?Your luck has changed already