esanger

Have to agree with Milti there. With Jess gone, I'm not optimistic that any warranty work will get done or paid for and once word gets out about that you'll start seeing Ford dealers refusing to work on the cars unless you plan to pay out of pocket..

unclemilti

Hell, Saleen wouldn't pay the Ford dealers when they were MAKING money...so you bring up a good point..what dealership is going to perform warranty work on your car knowing they aren't going to get paid?

ctann

Just a quick nod in the direction of Saleen's current crew - I had a problem with the certification of my S302E. Although it was tough at first to track down someone inside Saleen who would return my calls, I finally managed to find a guy who has been extremely helpful, and is taking care of the problem. I'll write more details on the whole story once I get to a successful conclusion, but suffice to say, I have been pleased with the service I have received so far...

As for warranty - now I'm kind of glad I bought a car with only a 12-month manufacturer's warranty, plus a 5-year extended warranty... So even if I have warranty issues that I can't get resolved through Saleen, I can just wait it out and let the extended warranty take care of it.

Chris.

ctann

Just rampant speculation on my part here, but this may be the sort of case where someone might be able to buy the company for a dollar. I can imagine Speedlab (/ASC?) getting split from Saleen Inc, and then Saleen Inc being sold for almost nothing. The buyer would get the name (plus whatever Fed stuff goes along with being an approved behicle manufacturer), and in return, would have to provide warranty and support to existing owners.

If this is whats on the cards, it would really make sense for SMS to be the buyer. SMS instantly becomes a manufacturer rather than a tuner, they get the "dealer network" (whatever thats worth these days), and Speedlab gets to go on with their after-market business, without the drain on resources and money that the warranty side of things brings them.

The alternative (assuming they are going under) is to file chapter 11, but that will give them far less flexibility to "make a deal" - and liquidating will likely not help anybody. In fact, my guess is that if they file chapter 11, they will have to tie up much of their funds specifically to address outstanding warranty support...

DISCLAIMER - all guesswork, I have absolutely no connection to Saleen, SMS, or their affiliates.

Chris.