Shot in the Dark

A Matter Of Trust

Joe Doakes from Como Park emails:

My car broke down Saturday evening, as I was coming home from St.
Cloud.  Well not “broke,” exactly.  The computer decided something was
wrong and threw me into “Limp Mode.”  Engine runs but can’t go over 15
mph.  It’s designed so you can limp to the nearest exit to get your car
off the freeway.  I limped to Clearwater Truck Stop, called the tow
truck to haul it to the dealership in St. Cloud and arranged for a ride
home to the Twin Cities.

This is what happens in a High Trust society.  I gave a $30,000 car to
the tow truck driver, gave him my credit card number to pay the
difference between what AAA would pay and the actual cost of the tow
when he gets the final total, and just assumed the car would make it to
the dealer who would give me an honest diagnosis and estimate of repair
costs.  I felt perfectly safe doing so. This isn’t some Third World
country where giving a stranger my vehicle and credit card number would
be insanity.  This is America; that’s how we do things, here.

Interestingly, when I called the dealership to alert them the car was
coming, they asked what model year and how many miles, then said, “Oh,
your 5-year 60,000 mile warranty expired last month.” Uh huh, of course
it did.  And the computer that controls the engine knows that date,
too.  How convenient that it waited until now to discover the problem on
my nickel, not theirs.  It’s like video blackjack at the casino.  The
machine is required to pay out 93% but no more, which is achieved by
software controlling which cards I am dealt.  Oh, you needed a seven? 
You got a nine. Bust.  You lose.  Uh huh, sure I did.

What, I don’t trust the billion-dollar car maker computer or the
scrupulously honest casino computer as much as I trust a greasy-faced
20-something kid in overhauls?  No, I don’t.  And don’t even get me
started on medical doctors with their ever-changing SCIENCE, corrupt
politicians selling influence, or economists who can’t figure out why
too many dollars chasing too few goods would result in price increases. 
I don’t trust any of those jokers.  They’re transforming America from a
High Trust society into a Low Trust Third World society and I hate it.

But not the kid.  Him, I trust.

Joe Doakes

 

And yet it can get so much worse.

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Mitch Berg

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Comments

5 responses to “A Matter Of Trust”

  1. Blade Nzimande Avatar
    Blade Nzimande

    The dealership called and offered to buy back my 2020 Ford Ranger for $5000 more than I paid for it. Despite the fact that I had invested about $1k for a bedliner and retractable hard cover, it still seemed like a pretty good deal to me, so I did it.

    I really liked the truck, but it had a couple of things that really bothered me. First, it had an “Auto off” feature which turned the engine off at stop signs. That means you’re using your ($300? $500?) starter 20 times a day to save $1 of fuel. I could turn it off manually, but it defaulted to on every time the truck was started.

    Second, it was connected to the internet whenever it was on. There was no way to disable that “feature”…I hated it. (It also had an automatic, 10 speed trans; repair cost? Incalculable.)

    So with the profit I made, I bought a pristine, newly painted 2003 Ranger, with a 3.0 V6 and a 5 speed manual transmission 😍. It has a computer, of course, but it only talks to the ignition and fuel system, and my OBD II. Tossed on a 4″ suspension lift to accommodate 33” tires and bam…I love this truck even more, especially since it was almost free!

    I’ll never buy a vehicle with internet connectability again.

  2. bosshoss429 Avatar
    bosshoss429

    Blade;
    My brother bought an F150 4X4 extended cab (he doesn’t like the Super Crew versions) in September of 2019. It has just over 7,500 miles on it. The dealer has called him several times asking him to sell it back to them, with the last offer being $14k. He has a company truck that he drives on week days, but he uses the F150 on weekends. His dilemma is that he’s been unable to find a low mileage older model that doesn’t already have rust on it that’s affordable.

  3. bosshoss429 Avatar
    bosshoss429

    Doh! That’s $14k more than he paid for it.

  4. mjb003 Avatar
    mjb003

    I’m with the rest of you- even the no-stakes, just for fun computer games are rigged against the human player. When I buy a vehicle, I try to buy one with as few automatic, power features as possible, which, if I buy new but not custom, is getting harder and harder to do.

  5. Joe Doakes Avatar
    Joe Doakes

    Story update:

    Got to the dealership to pick up the car, Service Manager said, “The computer went into “limp mode” because you missed a software update and it thought you had a pollution problem. You do take your car to the dealership for regularly scheduled maintenance, right? Because those quickie oil change places don’t have our software.”

    Uh, well, actually . . .

    “Or maybe your dealer missed it, the update is fairly new. Doesn’t matter, the service is free and there’s nothing else wrong with your car so you’re good to go. Have a great day!”

    Now THAT’s a top notch customer service manager: informing me I’m an idiot without using those exact words to upset me, and driving home the point that I may have saved $25 on my last oil change but I just spent $100 on the tow, so wise up, dummy, bring the computer back to the computer tech every once in a while.

    Message received.

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