Labadie Auto New Car, over 40K, doesn't work properly, Labadie cann't fix, car in storage for seven months ripoff Bay CIty Michigan

that you can afford to let a 40K + car sit for 7 months because the only set of wheels that you can possible think make the car right for you - don't work. Go buy different cool wheels.

I think more likely that you stopped paying for the car after you realized you could not afford it, and are trying to use this as an excuse to hide the car from repo - just my opinion.

We paid cash for this vehicle, so we are currently out the money. I have complete documentation for this whole event. The courts may eventually rule in my favor but in the mean time, I'm driving a six year old pickup in stead of my 40K luxury car. I bought the car in August 2006 and my attorney says it could be another five months before it comes to trial.

Would I be incorrect, to assume that you are not making payments? Saying that the car has been in storage for the last 7 months, as well as that the car is not safe to drive, would make me think that you are not making payments. As far as you claiming that they will not refund the cost of the aftermarket wheels, something is not right.

If you have supporting documentation, along with their acknowledgment, that the wheels are not the correct application for the caddy, I would think that you have them backed into a corner. With documentation, you should have legal recourse. If the wheels came from General Motors, that is who you should be talking too. The driver makes the car, not the wheels.

David--

Surely you can find a reasonable alternative set of wheels (and tires) through Tire Rack or Discount Tires or one of the other major wheel/tire companies that abound in the various automotive magazines.

The Cadillac dealership should allow you a $3000 credit or some depreciated amount based on how much below MSRP you paid for the dealer upgraded accessories. On Tire Rack you can visually test all kinds of configurations on your make/model to see what suits you.

I do feel that the dealership owes you this concession, but they shouldn't have to take the car back because you are unsatisfied with the wheels. If you cannot find a suitable wheel/tire combination, I would ask for a $3000-minimal depreciation check and move on. Certainly, two years of oil changes isn't worth very much--even from a Cadillac dealership.

You say that without the wheels the car looks like a grandpa mobile. So what? I would argue that buying any Caddy puts you in the grandpa category, but why would you care what I think. If you can't deal with being in the Caddy demographic (55 and older, conservative, middle class--aka grandparents) sell the Caddy and buy a BMW or Acura.

Finally, consider this: to most of us typical drivers the men who buy the ridiculous "bling" wheels look like they are compensating for a lack of necessary personal equipment, which makes them look much more like a grandad in need of Viagara.

When you buy a luxury car because of very specific special features and these features do not work, you should be able to return the car. Suppose you purchased it especially because you were enthralled with the fancy cruise control that automatically slowed when you came up behind a car going a few miles slower and then automatically resumed when the car was gone. This feature just excited you. Then after buying the car, they couldn't get it to work. The dealer says, oh well, we will install the older version, but we won't refund the extra money you paid for the fancy version.

I'm in the same situation. I wanted and purchased that specific version. When they couldn't make it work, they should take it back.

Having said that, I was and am willing to listen to alternative solutions. Replacing the wheels with ones I don't like and not refunding the money I paid for the fancy ones is not acceptable. This is the only proposal they made.

I can not drive the car as is, because it is not safe and the extra wear and tear on the vehicle if driven in this condition is also harmful.

I think a top notch dealer would have taken the car back. Remember, this is an expensive luxury car, not a Ford Taurus. At least they sould have tried to find an agreeable solution. The only remedy they ever offered was replace the tires (no refund) plus two years of free oil changes. Yippy.

Now, that the truth is finally out, it is easy to see that you are not even being a little bit reasonable. Spend your money on a lawyer and take them to court. I don't think it is going to fly. Most likely the Judge would think that the dealer is trying to be reasonable. I would think that General Motors sells tens of thousands of Cadillac's per year. I doubt that they are all driven by grandpas. I would think that only a very small portion have custom wheels.

Why don't you take the 3k and get a different set of wheels from somewhere else? I am sure the tires are still good. Simple solutions, to everyday problems. There would only be one real reason not to do it. That you plan to make a lot more than just 3k. When you wrote that the car had been in storage for 7 months, it told me that you wanted much more than customer satisfaction.

If the 3k upgrade for the wheels was on the window sticker, wouldn't that be a upgrade from General Motors and not from the dealer? Since it was on the paper where you see where the standard accessories and upgrades are listed? Then added into the suggested price? Just asking. Maybe the dealer puts the sticker on.

They have not ripped you off. If they were not willing to replace the wheels and refund the money, it would be a rip-off. Seems that using a nice ride for nearly a year and then getting a full refund would be the real rip-off.

The $3000 wheel upgrade was on the window sticker, totaled into the bottom line price. We bought the car because of these wheels. Without them, the car looks like a grampa car. We want the dealer to buy back the car. They have not been able to suggest any other wheels comparable to these.

I was a little confused from your first post. You said that you paid an 3k for the fancy wheels. Now you write that the wheels were already on the car. I guess the 3k was just added onto the sticker price.

What you haven't posted, is what you expect the dealership to do, to make you a satisfied customer. Why don't you let them give you the refund and put the original wheels back on? Why put it in storage for 7 months? They seem to be trying to make it right. Unless there is much more that you are demanding?

The "upgraded wheels" were on the car as it sat in the lot and appeared to be an update added by the Cadillac dealer. The logo on the wheels was similar (but not exactly) like the Cadillac logo. There was no reason to thing that this upgrade was any different than any other upgrade, like the special paint, air conditioned seats, etc.

They admit they sold you bad wheels. They need to give your $3000 back and put the stock wheels on, or other wheels of your choice if you pay for them. If you (rather foolishly) sold the stock wheels to them as part of the deal, you'll have to buy new wheels.

If you have a loan on the car, it is likely the $3000 must go to the finance company to pay down the loan. This is because the finance company has claim to the wheels (as well as the rest of the car) until you pay it off. You still have the money back just not as cash.

They admit they sold you bad wheels. They need to give your $3000 back and put the stock wheels on, or other wheels of your choice if you pay for them. If you (rather foolishly) sold the stock wheels to them as part of the deal, you'll have to buy new wheels.

If you have a loan on the car, it is likely the $3000 must go to the finance company to pay down the loan. This is because the finance company has claim to the wheels (as well as the rest of the car) until you pay it off. You still have the money back just not as cash.

They admit they sold you bad wheels. They need to give your $3000 back and put the stock wheels on, or other wheels of your choice if you pay for them. If you (rather foolishly) sold the stock wheels to them as part of the deal, you'll have to buy new wheels.

If you have a loan on the car, it is likely the $3000 must go to the finance company to pay down the loan. This is because the finance company has claim to the wheels (as well as the rest of the car) until you pay it off. You still have the money back just not as cash.

They admit they sold you bad wheels. They need to give your $3000 back and put the stock wheels on, or other wheels of your choice if you pay for them. If you (rather foolishly) sold the stock wheels to them as part of the deal, you'll have to buy new wheels.

If you have a loan on the car, it is likely the $3000 must go to the finance company to pay down the loan. This is because the finance company has claim to the wheels (as well as the rest of the car) until you pay it off. You still have the money back just not as cash.

The wheels and tires aren't that important... except that if a wheel or two should fail at 60 mph you will be a statistic. Exciting, huh?

So you think "Cool" is more important that remaining alive and healthy?

Well, my viewpoint is that I never look at the wheels when I am driving anyway, and since I buy a car based on the competence of the engineering and manufacturing behind the car I see no reason to install wheels and tires designed and made by some dimbulbs who were thoughtfull enough to provide mismachined mounting holes.

Life is short enough. Why would you be in a hurry to make it any shorter? Does Hemlock, Michigan, have anything to do with this?

Where did you get the wheels from. Most dealerships do not sell after=market wheels. Whoever sold the wheels may be responsible. If the wheels were bought for your specific vehicle, then someone messed up. You have stated that there is nothing that can be done with the new set of wheels to make them work. Why just let the car sit there? Put the old ones back on until the issue is resolved.