So, you had a problem with DMV getting your title and you had a pinched weatherstrip and that makes you wonder if “you got a lemon”?.

 

I'm not sure if there’s an issue with the DMV, but the dealer did say I should be able to receive it within a week. I understand that it’s hard to call the car a "lemon" because of the weatherstrip issue. Typically, lemons are known for powertrain issues. However, if there are ongoing problems with the car that persist even after repairs, I’m not sure if that could also be considered a lemon.

 

Request that a Moderator revise title to '....living anywhere in America...'

For the OP, your experiences cover everything from missed/entirely failed communications, impressively absent service (No Shuttle For You!), no updates to chronic delay(s), attempted charging you for repair they would have likely turned in again themselves as warranty work, etc.

Everything you portray is certainly unfortunate, and it's difficult finding any of the issues which wouldn't be entirely avoidable given appropriate professionalism and planning. But they're also all quite common given recent past national (hell, global) occurrences, along with the current business environment. I'm afraid we'll be seeing insufficient & inexperienced service and repairs across this and other industries for quite some time yet.

You did wast expend a great deal more effort in those reviews than that dealer deserves. And I always get a kick outta their feigned obliviousness as they "regret that your most perfect of all original purchase and service experiences evar" was marred only by DMV ("not our fault") and the manufacturer's mid-stream changed payment terms ("not our fault"). "See, everything we did was 5-Star perfect!" Cracks me up.

From the looks of your write-ups there, it's a case of "it could've been a lot worse". Count your blessings. Always a bright side. Live n learn, - the hardest learned lessons are the most valuable.

 

Thank you for your response and for trying to put things into perspective. I do appreciate the reminder that things could always be worse, even though the situation was frustrating. I guess you’re right! This seems to be the way of things lately across many industries.
Dealer's "5-star perfect" claims gave me a good chuckle, so thanks for that as well! At the end of the day, it’s a lesson learned, and I’ll definitely take this experience as a reminder to stay vigilant and manage my expectations.

This time, I’ve decided to go to a different dealership. I’m hopeful they’ll be able to properly find and fix this issue without any drama.