Rough Start to Evora 400 Ownership!

[Kapoosh1]

Hi all,

Took delivery of my new white/red alcantara, black pack, manual trans Evora 400 a couple of weeks ago.  That being said, I hope nobody goes through what I did when purchasing their new Lotus.

Selling Dealer is Lotus of Pompano Beach

The first car I drove was with Boardwalk Lotus in Redwood City, CA.  I have nothing but positive things to say about the guys over there.  The had a Gray/Tan Leather manual that I intended to purchase that day, unfortunately/fortunately they had an IPS model with Red Alcantara interior.  After seeing the Red Alcantara, I knew I had to have it. 

So I went on a country wide chase to find the car of my dreams...

This is how I ended up at Fort Lauderdale Collection, Pompano Beach.  They are the only dealer in the country that had what I wanted.  A white with Red Alcantara, Black Pack, Manual Evora 400.  I was ecstatic and determined to buy it ASAP. I called and spoke to Daniell and told him that's the one I wanted.  He came back with a price that I found more than fair and we closed the deal the same day.

After a long 10 day wait the car finally arrived, It's unloaded from the truck and looks gorgeous...from a distance.  Unfortunately that was the peak of my excitement. As soon as I opened the door I noticed the leather on the seat just hanging there. (pics attached).  Oh well I thought, I'll get it taken care of at my first service appointment.  I jump in the car and realize it's absolutely filthy.  There's dirt everywhere, the windshield is caked in dust, the seats are covered in dirt.  The outside was filthy, I expected it to be dusty due to the truck but it arrived in awful condition, bird poop and all. To top it off there's a trim piece/weather-stripping on the passenger A pillar that's damaged.  At this point I'm disappointed and I reach out to my salesperson to let him know.

Upon delivery the problems included

Seat leather not properly attached
Weather-stripping damaged
No Fuel at all (0 Miles to empty)
Overall Filthy
Missing window sticker
Scratches above the radio

I didn't have a temp tag so I couldn't drive it that day.  The next morning I received my temp tag and drove it down to the gas station.  As I'm pulling back into the garage my wife points to the tires and say they look awfully flat....All four tires have about 20PSI each.  Unbelievable.

I fill the tires up to the proper spec and go for my maiden voyage.  Excited to finally be able to enjoy my new car.  Of course this isn't where my story ends.  There is a terrible vibration/shake in the steering wheel at speeds above 50MPH and the driver side mirror glass also shakes at highway speeds. 

It's clear at this point that the dealer isn't going to be of any help.  They always respond with a sorry and I'll get back to you but they never actually get back to me.

So I called the 800 number for Lotus and up talking to a Regional Sales Rep. Nice guy, easy to talk to, but basically told me I'm out of luck.  He recommended I go to a shop, pay a couple hundred bucks to fix the vibration as it's not a warranty issue and deal with the other problems at my first service appointment.

I went to a local reputable tire shop and had the tires inspected and balanced.  Thankfully that fixed the issue and it drives great!  That said, I think it's ridiculous I had to spend money to make my brand new Lotus drive the way it was intended to be driven.

 

[Colin P]

Poor dealer experience but give it a wash, go for a drive and all will be good with the world. 

and welcome to the club.

[hedgerley]

Unacceptable dealer prep and PDI. If you are done with them, drop a review into the dealer review section. Looks like you will be the first.

- https://www.thelotusforums.com/reviews/listings/lotus-of-pompano/

Lotus management do read these.......

Likewise, when you find the right dealer, post a suitable review.

But enjoy the car, its an awesome machine. As I am sure you are finding out 

[Kapoosh1]

For sure an awesome car!  This really is a more a warning post to stay away from that dealer.  I do wish the gentlemen I spoke to with Lotus Corporate cared more but it is what it is.  It's a fantastic car and I don't think I'll have an issue finding a nice service department.

[The Pits]

Looks amazing inside and out in this pics. Shame on the dealer, no pride or decency at all by the sound of it, very disappointing for you. Hopefully it’s all gravy from here. Keep us posted.

[Bravo73]

It’s a shame that your first impressions of a great car have been ruined by a terrible dealer. 

I suggest that you put it behind you, slam them in multiple online reviews, (obviously never buy anything off them again), get the car detailed inside and out, wheels balanced and tyres (tires!) inflated and then, enjoy. 

[gregs24]

It still has the protective cover on the steering wheel badge suggesting no PDI was done. If they missed that then it isn't surprising they didn't find anything else.

I would be concerned that other PDI items that may not be cosmetic haven't been done either. I'm not sure how Lotus ship their cars but there are often suspension packers and other electronic settings on new cars pre-delivery. I would want a proper PDI done by a local Lotus dealer and get it charged to the supplying dealer.

[franjipane]

Looks fantastic!

[Kapoosh1]

The head of Lotus North America has just reached out to me. 

He was great to talk and very apologetic. From the sounds of it, they will make everything right including a proper inspection. This was the response I expected when I first reached out to Lotus Management.

I will keep this thread updated but so far it sounds promising.

[scotty435]

If lotus are going to survive they have to tap in to the market on the other side of the anlantic and yet they fail again, a dealership sanctioned by the group to sell cars on there behalf. Think we are all putting a lot of faith in Geely to improve customer service and Quality, but afraid there is no signs of any improvement on both sides off the pond at the moment. So frustrating to hear these stories from new owners to the brand, things need to improve today and not tomorrow. Yet a other sad review, simply not good enough Lotus.

[auRouge]

@scotty435 Couldn't agree more.

What is wrong with this dealer?

Lotus HQ needs to pay attention here. North America market is important, customer service was invented in the US!! To deliver a premium priced car without doing a PDI... tyre px wrong etc. What a load shite👿. It's should be dust free in perfect condition, to then have a wheel balance issue.... it's a drivers car!

Lotus North America Pompano Beach.. a new dealer? Bit embarrassing isn't it... I'd revoke them, if what is being said is true I'd find someone else in Florida who can do the job properly.

We all want Lotus to do well, this is a disservice to everyone at Hethel busting their asses only to be let down by a pathetic dealer, the LotusForums shouldn't have to be a mediator for crap dealerships.

@Kapoosh1 as @Colin P says give her a clean and explore that stunning body!! It's a great car despite your shi7 dealer.

#lotusnorthamerica time to keep an eye on your pdi quality control.

To add balance, I recently took delivery of an 11 month old BMW X5 4.0edrive from a big BMW main dealer in Milton Keynes... great car delivered without its first service carried out as agreed, replacement tyres as agreed and 5 hour wait on the day for this all to be rectified... they're all just "car dealers" I guess🤦‍♂️

[Deuteronomy316]

I'm going to go along with the  choir  and repeat the sentiments. The root pathology is the dealers and the service centers. For too long, they've tainted the Lotus brand. Trust me, I'm in similar situation with slight variations of the outcome. Brian, who I presumed you talked to, is taking the helm in the US market. I'm sensing some paradigm shift as they're remedying these problems from the root cause. Trust me, they're listening and following these threads. 

I hope you and I will continue these forum threads with positive outcomes and happy endings, as I know there are ton of non-registered users who use these forums to do their research and due diligence before spending their hard earned money. 

You can trust Brian to make it right for you. Thus far, I'm lead to believe that you can trust an Englishman ;-)

Being the devil's advocate, Lotus is not responsible for wheel balance after passing the quality check from the factory. Tires get out of balance from sitting on the lot, be it E400 or Caravan. But that's not your responsibility, it's the dealership's responsibility. Have fun with your Lotus, it's a beauty!

 

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

I can't see any of the cosmetic issues from the photos posted. Or is it just me?

[Kapoosh1]

I appreciate everyone's input.  The selling dealer has also reached out now and say they want to make things right...so far it's been a lot of talk and no action, so we'll see where this leads.

The pictures weren't meant to show any of the issues.  The only real cosmetic issues are the seat leather should be tucked up under the seat on the sides and is just hanging there on the drivers side and the weather/rubber stripping on the passenger side A pillar is pretty obviously damaged.  I've sent pictures of both issues to the dealer and Lotus and they've acknowledged that it shouldn't have been delivered that way.

The first thing I did after getting it off the truck was wash it.  I was just happy the car wasn't damaged. The filth didn't bother me that much but it sure added on to the other frustrations.  

The thing that really got me fired up was the fact that not only did it not drive properly but I was told I should be the one paying to make it right....

[Kapoosh1]

16 hours ago, Deuteronomy316 said:

I'm going to go along with the  choir  and repeat the sentiments. The root pathology is the dealers and the service centers. For too long, they've tainted the Lotus brand. Trust me, I'm in similar situation with slight variations of the outcome. Brian, who I presumed you talked to, is taking the helm in the US market. I'm sensing some paradigm shift as they're remedying these problems from the root cause. Trust me, they're listening and following these threads. 

I hope you and I will continue these forum threads with positive outcomes and happy endings, as I know there are ton of non-registered users who use these forums to do their research and due diligence before spending their hard earned money. 

You can trust Brian to make it right for you. Thus far, I'm lead to believe that you can trust an Englishman ;-)

Being the devil's advocate, Lotus is not responsible for wheel balance after passing the quality check from the factory. Tires get out of balance from sitting on the lot, be it E400 or Caravan. But that's not your responsibility, it's the dealership's responsibility. Have fun with your Lotus, it's a beauty!

 

I actually spoke to a gentlemen named Ryan.  Super friendly and sounded determined to make things right.  However, he did say Brian would be my point of contact going forward, so I'm sure I'll speak to Brian soon.

I agree that most of these issues were the dealers fault but these dealers represent Lotus and Lotus should stand behind them.

[Royal]

That’s atrocious service! No way would I have accepted a new car in that condition.

[Loquacious Lew]

On 3/27/2018 at 12:02, Kapoosh1 said:

I appreciate everyone's input.  The selling dealer has also reached out now and say they want to make things right...so far it's been a lot of talk and no action, so we'll see where this leads.

The pictures weren't meant to show any of the issues.  The only real cosmetic issues are the seat leather should be tucked up under the seat on the sides and is just hanging there on the drivers side and the weather/rubber stripping on the passenger side A pillar is pretty obviously damaged.  I've sent pictures of both issues to the dealer and Lotus and they've acknowledged that it shouldn't have been delivered that way.

The first thing I did after getting it off the truck was wash it.  I was just happy the car wasn't damaged. The filth didn't bother me that much but it sure added on to the other frustrations.  

The thing that really got me fired up was the fact that not only did it not drive properly but I was told I should be the one paying to make it right....

I've followed both you and Deuteronomy as this has unfolded and you know, being an owner you want to see the right outcome because it could be you.  This is reassuring stuff even though it sucks that you had to go through this.  Dealers have to discount our cars and then they get sloppy because they're just moving boxes not making all the money.  That's what I think anyway, and you are always welcome to my opinion!  My delivery experience was so so too, but still  not nearly as harsh as either of you.  But harsh enough.  

So!  The leather covers come adrift it seems( but not literally at the seams). Just as on your car, my car.  I applaud my dealer routinely on LT  (Carlock Motors, Nashville, name change from Music City Motorsports) so I want to make a point that there are some good guys too because they're working with me.   But about that leather cover...mine came adrift for a second time.  That's looking like a Lotus thing.  The difference is I can name my dealer and here's the kicker: I didn't buy my car there.  The car I bought was from out of state.  It had a couple of delivery issues but compared to you, it's bupkis.   It's absolutely all about the dealers over here.  And Lotus could use some face.  

It  is annoying that Lotus hasn't got a face here but I trust Lotus.  I decided that when I bought the car, that Lotus would take care of me.  My math included  a considered guess based on the Geely news.   Lotus have to make it, it's a Thing.  There's smart money and there's a  polished ethos ready to show what it can do.  These are the last of the old Lotus brought to a certain state of refinement.  Enjoy, boys!  You're going to LOVE driving around in these whips!  Whoo Hoo Stick shift forever!

[Loquacious Lew]

On 3/27/2018 at 13:41, Royal said:

That’s atrocious service! No way would I have accepted a new car in that condition.

There isn't always a choice here despite the (relative) glut of cars.  Lotus are available  but not everywhere.  Or somebody or bodies at a usually good dealership drops the ball and you're out shopping nationally.  I know it's hard to understand how this could be but remember, we're America. We can be, you know, bad.  Anyway, the market has a large component of cars transshipped for one reason or another.  Frequently, my guess is that somebody has a car they really need to sell. Internet research available, price drop established.  Not the Porsche model.  It messes with the market and creates unintended consequences.  Plus it's true.  Some of the dealers are marginal.  Lotus has had to fight guerrilla warfare here and it's one of the legacies.  Again, only my deduced opinion but one to which you are always entitled!

Oh and again....not all Lotus dealers suck.  I can only speak to my experiences with two.  My selling dealer was a disappointment, but my home town people have been a gem.  They're out there but Lotus America is essentially starting from scratch.  

 

Guess who gets first shot at my money next time!  

[Deuteronomy316]

Sage words, LL. I have  to agree with you on all points. I’m actually excited to see how Lotus is going to turn things around. I have faith in the company but I see them as a real contender in the industry. How can they not, they have fleet of cars that just amazes people, an essential ingredient for successful car manufacturer. I have to think Lotus is lurking in the forums and carefully listening and being attentive to its owners. Beyond the algorithms and formula for success, it will always come down to customers who believe in the company. I’ve always been a sucker for rooting for the underdogs. And I’d like nothing more than seeing a Cinderella story unfolding while being a proud Lotus owner.

[au-yt]

First off that's the Speck I would have loved for my car, buying a demo you don't get that option, but its high spec

Interesting US has a great reputation for good service and this doesn't sound like to dealer is worthy of selling LOTUS Cars.

By comparison the Aussie experience I have with SSC is exemplary, sadly doesn't help you much.

LOTUS have invested heavily in getting the 400 series homoligated into the US and they need to intervene here, if it hasn't been mentioned already I would go straight to LOTUS HQ.

Take heart they are a wicked road car, forget tracks and freeways, go play in the mountains

Edited March 30, 2018 by au-yt

[Royal]

4 hours ago, Loquacious Lew said:

There isn't always a choice here despite the (relative) glut of cars.  Lotus are available  but not everywhere.  Or somebody or bodies at a usually good dealership drops the ball and you're out shopping nationally.  I know it's hard to understand how this could be but remember, we're America. We can be, you know, bad.  Anyway, the market has a large component of cars transshipped for one reason or another.  Frequently, my guess is that somebody has a car they really need to sell. Internet research available, price drop established.  Not the Porsche model.  It messes with the market and creates unintended consequences.  Plus it's true.  Some of the dealers are marginal.  Lotus has had to fight guerrilla warfare here and it's one of the legacies.  Again, only my deduced opinion but one to which you are always entitled!

Oh and again....not all Lotus dealers suck.  I can only speak to my experiences with two.  My selling dealer was a disappointment, but my home town people have been a gem.  They're out there but Lotus America is essentially starting from scratch.  

 

Guess who gets first shot at my money next time!  

Yes, I understand it can be difficult, given the massive size of the USA.

At least here in the UK we don’t have that problem, although some people would complain having to travel very short distances compared to yourselves.

I hope Geely can transform the bad dealers worldwide, and do justice to the cars we all love.

Your car, in that combination, looks just fabulous. I hope you have many years of enjoyment in it.

[Loquacious Lew]

Follows a wordy diatribe in my  passionate style! 

 

@Royal: Thanks for the compliment on my livery!  No fears, she's a keeper!  More explanation regarding my view of the market  from this side of the pond:

 If you browse the available media for Lotus Evora 400 (Autotrader, Cars.com, etc)  you'll find ample listings of cars offered for sale by dealers that are tagged as demos. We have a glut of 2017s.    I think (again, my deduction, not proven) they will often call a car a demo to offer a sop or skirt around MSRP.  This allows them to post a low price while potentially avoiding whatever retribution or criticism that might occur from other dealers or even Lotus itself.  Most US cars are well equipped (loaded) so what happens  in our typical 'demo' scenario is that you get the options for free and maybe even a break on the base car that may have anywhere from five to a few hundred miles on the clock.  My car was one of those as well.  I simply waited until there was one in a color and interior finish  I thought I would enjoy.  For me,  Motorsport Green over tan leather was acceptable, although I was really gunning for an orange one!  The price seemed right and I'm happy with the green. It was my on wife's advice that I settled for a fully loaded 400 in this most  traditional Lotus style livery.   

Lotus does need to establish it's foothold here and to be honest, I think selling off the first shipments at bargain prices will help in the long run.  We need to get the cars out on the streets and into public view.  It's not great or fair that these cars don't have the following they deserve on the basis of their own considerable merits.  I think though that the more out there, the better for Lotus in the long run.  I'd even suggest the smart dealers realize they have to participate in a degree of aggressive discounting if we are going to look like we're making headway in the market.  The 400 is a 911/911S  competitor as respects it's performance  but apparently needs to compete on a price basis with the  CaymanS.  That's just reality in America and I believe it results in these unexpected consequences that we will just have to work through.  

 

@Deuteronomy316: You and Kapoosh are doing us all a service, even though it's at the price of some distress not to mention  a few...ahem.... painful posts.  People must understand they are buying a handmade car that comes with all that implies.  The good in these cars is legion.  The downside means a first owner may need to sort out a few issues.  The only real one I've had was that my car was one of an early batch that got one of a few Edelbrock superchargers with bad nose seals (OEM issue, not something Lotus had real control over).  One thousand miles after I got it, the supercharger seal let go and it sprayed oil all over my party.  I was fast to notice it and my dealer replaced the supercharger and had it back in my hands in three or four days.  They gave me a loaner Maserati Levante for that time, thereby convincing me I'd done well to buy a Lotus super sport instead of a Maser SUV.   Since that supercharger incident, nothing apart from the seat cover has been an issue.  I'm enjoying excellent mechanical performance and I look forward to driving it in battle mode on the Trace today. I've had many new cars, common and odd.  BMWs in particular can surprise one with their needs.  Yes, ours are exotica.  These boards (Talk and Forum) prove that you may need to sort a few issues but should you have them, once sorted you have a special car that will go the distance in style and with quite reasonable running costs in the long haul.   

You are neither alone, nor will your issues go unresolved.  It's a total  drag when your first days are disappointing and they don't even give you the courtesy of a tank of fuel or a clean car that's been looked at for obvious issues.  That's just wrong no matter how much or little a dealer nets on the sale.  Mothership Lotus will tend to us.  I truly believe that.  Also that we have cars that will be even  better appreciated in a few years for the highly desirable and unique qualities they possess that nothing else you can buy today offers.  

 

We are early adopters.  That courage comes with some benefits we may hope to enjoy in the coming years. Consequently no matter what else happens in my automotive future, my car is here to stay.  I think that highly of this beautiful car and can't wait to see what Lotus' future holds. One thing's for sure: we own the last and best iterations of a special breed.