A Bad Week of Car
It started off very well. I bought my first new car -- 2004 Subaru Legacy SE (Red) on Monday. It drove off the floor like a great extension of self -- tight on the road with brakes that did what I told them, which is not a small feat on snow. But on Thursday night, after a late on-campus lecture, I hopped in, to find that it would turn over, but not start. It was -20 C (-4 F), and all the other cars were gone. I knew that batteries worked poorly in the cold, gas doesn't vaporize as well..... Okay, maybe there was a problem with the cold weather. I had reading to do, so I left the car on campus, and took a cab home.

Friday, about the time I was done with work, I called Subaru's much touted 24 hour road-side service (salesman: "You can get rid of your CAA membership"). 'Oh, well, yes, we can give you a jump, but we aren't sure we can get there - sometime between 6pm and midnight. There's a cold snap, and everybody's calling in.' Subaru had failed to explain to me that "24-hour" roadside service meant they would be there in 24 hours. This was not an option that night, as I had a dinner at 7pm, so, again, abandon the car and took a cab. About this time, it occurred to me that I did not buy a car to take cabs.

On Saturday, I called Subaru's service at 7:30am, to get my request in early. They could be at campus between 3 and 12 hours from now. Really far from optimal, I thought, but I'm at home, so I need them to call me 15 minutes before they get there (it was, after all, -20 C outside). They promise to do so.

At 11:30a, I took a break from my reading, and call in to check on progress. "Oh, we had a guy out there at 9:30, and he tried to call you cell, but the call didn't go through, so they left a note on your car." Ummm...... Notes on my car were not what I was after, and my cell is working just fine, thank you. The service is unacceptable, and I would not get off the phone until they gave me a time to meet them at the car. "One hour" was the reply -- and indeed, this time, they met me. However, it wasn't clear to the road-side guy whether the problem was the battery (which by then was entirely dead) or the electrical system.

Car dealers in Quebec are closed Saturday and Sunday, so no help from my guy this weekend, it seems.

I drove for an hour to recharge my battery, and now it's in my garage, and I'm afraid to take it out for fear of stopping someplace -- like a parking space -- where I *can't* leave it for 3 days. Which ain't the kind of convenience I was thinking I would get from buying a car.

I'm beginning to wish I had decided to stick with taxis.
- posted by Unknown @ 1/11/2004 04:58:00 AM