Wow! My car's value dropped like a rock... what to do? Help!
- Thread starter MPGFeelsSoGood
- Start date
IndigoBlueWagon
TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
So Thailand, Not Indonesia. But not Italy, either. And the Ram is absolutely a V.M. Motori diesel. Most days there's one in our parking lot, and we've been sourcing parts for it for the past year or so.
16vjohn
Vendor , w/Business number
Never did I say that the RAM 1500 wasn't VM. Obviously both are. And VM, regardless of where they are made, absolutely failed at their first attempt in North America. I'm just skeptical, that's all. The Land Rover engine destined for the F150 is a solid proven design sans a Land Rover chassis. Could be good. Colorado could be good, but I don't expect it to be.
Random_Vibration
Veteran Member
Yet being angry accomplishes what? It doesn't drive the value up back up. It doesn't make the cars any more compliant to EPA and CARB requirements. It won't keep someone from hitting your car. If someone totals your car and your insurance reimbursement is poor, that is a good time to be angry. There's no need to be angry over hypothetical situations. Real life keeps me busy enough.
I don't understand how someone can express your level of dissatisfaction and still consider possibly buying another VW. If I felt like you, I would be done. I would get whatever settlement I could and move forward the best way possible.
Worries and anger about things outside your control accomplish what? You're tired; so what are you going to do about it?
You get real tired of "It's the same car today as the one you bought X years ago! Just drive it and quit complaining!" What is the alternative? Complain at TDI Club and that somehow makes the reality any different? Maybe you feel better venting your frustration? I've had several months to vent so there's no pressure anymore.
This isn't a personal attack. I just don't know how unfocused anger is going to change the situation in any material way. If the value you lost buying this car is that critical to you, you've already put too much into the car.
I lost out just like you. Yes, it makes me unhappy but I really don't give it much thought because it's already done and there isn't anything I can do today to change things beyond writing those who control the outcome (VW, EPA, CARB, and your legislators), join a class action lawsuit, or hire an attorney myself. Like you, I am waiting for the outcome. Regardless of how angry or calm I wait, I'm waiting. I can wait angrily or I can enjoy the days as they pass by. I haven't been invited at the negotiation table and what I want to happen is just one opinion out of several hundred thousand. I don't think my single opinion is going force things my way. If you have a strategy that turns that anger into constructive action, please let me know and I'll support you on it. I think VW knows there are a fair amount of angry people. If being angry makes VW, CARB, and EPA resolve this better/faster let me know and I'll be angry too. Otherwise, I'll wait for what's next. Maybe I'll be good and angry when that occurs.
Last edited:
16vjohn
Vendor , w/Business number
I'm flattered my comments elicited such a verbose response from you.
VW put me in a bad economic situation, not by accident, but by intentional and calculated deceit. I don't care who there was responsible, it happened. If I just sit back and take it, I'm a victim with no voice. If I scream loud and advertise (on a TDI message board, where the original poster asked about TDI values), it does make a difference. I guarantee comment threads like these do make it back to VW in some ways, and do influence some buyers future decisions. They need to know that someone who was once a totally satisfied customer, that's spent north of $100k on VW/Audi products over time, is so upset that they want nothing to do with the brand anymore.
Thing is, the reason I'm still here, the reason I would still consider buying a VW is, they generally do make the things that I like and want to buy. Historically, VW has been one of a handful of manufacturers in North America that don't totally adhere to status quo and offer interesting things (G60, VR6, TDI, Camper Vans, Synchro). Regardless of how much I like their products, I can't afford to lose $10k value in 7 months on a car that I planned on holding it's value a little better. And whether there is realized loss or not isn't the point. The same reason I don't go driving around with $10k in 100 dollar bills sitting on the dash board of my car. It's risk. Sure, cars are a liability and rarely an investment, but decisions we make do impact the risk. Some people are content to live their lives in making high risk decisions. I'm not. I'm an engineer, I have an engineer mentality. I get in that car daily and I can't help but run the numbers through my head, in that one mistake, one ******* driver can cause me to lose an unprecedented amount of money through no fault of my own, because VW made a decision that lead to uncertainty and an unstable market for my car. It absolutely does impact my satisfaction I have with the car.
Though the course of your comments you do appear to understand that, but still feel it necessary to criticize anyway. I'm glad you're patiently waiting. My patience is wearing thin. And again, I do drive it, and I am waiting, and I have joined the class action lawsuits. Not by choice, but because I don't want to lose my ass, and I hope that VW will resolve this in a way that minimizes the losses they caused to me, not by regular depreciation, but by reasons already stated.
VW put me in a bad economic situation, not by accident, but by intentional and calculated deceit. I don't care who there was responsible, it happened. If I just sit back and take it, I'm a victim with no voice. If I scream loud and advertise (on a TDI message board, where the original poster asked about TDI values), it does make a difference. I guarantee comment threads like these do make it back to VW in some ways, and do influence some buyers future decisions. They need to know that someone who was once a totally satisfied customer, that's spent north of $100k on VW/Audi products over time, is so upset that they want nothing to do with the brand anymore.
Thing is, the reason I'm still here, the reason I would still consider buying a VW is, they generally do make the things that I like and want to buy. Historically, VW has been one of a handful of manufacturers in North America that don't totally adhere to status quo and offer interesting things (G60, VR6, TDI, Camper Vans, Synchro). Regardless of how much I like their products, I can't afford to lose $10k value in 7 months on a car that I planned on holding it's value a little better. And whether there is realized loss or not isn't the point. The same reason I don't go driving around with $10k in 100 dollar bills sitting on the dash board of my car. It's risk. Sure, cars are a liability and rarely an investment, but decisions we make do impact the risk. Some people are content to live their lives in making high risk decisions. I'm not. I'm an engineer, I have an engineer mentality. I get in that car daily and I can't help but run the numbers through my head, in that one mistake, one ******* driver can cause me to lose an unprecedented amount of money through no fault of my own, because VW made a decision that lead to uncertainty and an unstable market for my car. It absolutely does impact my satisfaction I have with the car.
Though the course of your comments you do appear to understand that, but still feel it necessary to criticize anyway. I'm glad you're patiently waiting. My patience is wearing thin. And again, I do drive it, and I am waiting, and I have joined the class action lawsuits. Not by choice, but because I don't want to lose my ass, and I hope that VW will resolve this in a way that minimizes the losses they caused to me, not by regular depreciation, but by reasons already stated.
Last edited:
IndigoBlueWagon
TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
I sold my '12 Golf in April. Not because I had some kind of great foresight, but because I didn't love the car, didn't drive it much, and couldn't stand to see it depreciate in my garage. I was going to buy a '15 GSW but I have this thing about buying cars with even number model years. So I waited for the '16s. We all know how that worked out. Now I'm resurrecting a '99.5 Golf as a second car to my '02 wagon. Probably a less expensive and better outcome.
So perhaps I can't feel your pain, since I don't have two affected cars around like you do. But if I did, and didn't want to take risks, then I'd probably get new car replacement coverage from my insurance company in case of an accident. And I'd hang in there until resale values recover.
I've been around this site for a long time, and I'm highly skeptical that VW takes any action on anything based on what people write here. I expect owners are going to be pretty unhappy with VW, regardless of the outcome of this scandal. But it will pass. People have short memories.
So perhaps I can't feel your pain, since I don't have two affected cars around like you do. But if I did, and didn't want to take risks, then I'd probably get new car replacement coverage from my insurance company in case of an accident. And I'd hang in there until resale values recover.
I've been around this site for a long time, and I'm highly skeptical that VW takes any action on anything based on what people write here. I expect owners are going to be pretty unhappy with VW, regardless of the outcome of this scandal. But it will pass. People have short memories.
16vjohn
Vendor , w/Business number
I know it will, it has to at some point... haha. Complaining about it does make me feel better I guess. Though, I did just get my first 50+ mpg tank yesterday in the Jetta, so there is that too. There are positive things, and honestly I really don't want to get rid of it... it is a pretty decent car.
bubbagumpshrimp
Veteran Member
Yup. VW = The Honey Badger. The Honey Badger rolls around town like he's got big brass balls. He doesn't concern himself with things like peoples feelings.