Halloween Special: The Truth About Buying A McLaren, Part Three (THE FINAL CHAPTER, I Promise)

[@sparky4878]

Forget the recent Star Wars sequels, this is the trilogy we’ve been waiting to see concluded.

[@gravyboat2370]

😂😂

[@acchaladka]

Star Wars? Wasn't that a movie in the 70's? I think i saw both of them...

[@js00065]

Yeah this and Car Trek

[@Teethclenser2007]

Ahahahahahaaaaaaa 😂😂😂😂

[@angelobobby4475]

instaBlaster...

[@TheOmniscientAtheist]

Yesterday I bought a £26 bottle of wine that wasn't that great. I felt sick that I'd wasted such an amount of money and was annoyed with myself. Now imagine buying a 200k car and it turning up with scratches on and a broken gearbox, broken air con etc. I would be so horrified.

[@keirbourne5323]

yep, really puts it into perspective. I would be seriously angry getting treated like that for the amount of money involved.

[@jozefserf2024]

But you wouldn't buy one would you? You'd buy a nice Lexus and pat yourself on the back.

[@TheOmniscientAtheist]

@Shlomo Golnenbaum Shekelberg Order 66 Jason Bloho, order 66!

[@TrulyUniqueOne]

It didn't cost 200k it cost 20k and a monthly payment

[@brandongonsalves3615]

There is just no excuse.

[@michaeljarvis6587]

Imagine if Ron Dennis was still there and heard about these shenanigans. Heads would roll

[@watchfan6180]

Ron Dennis probably watched these videos

[@seanek9]

Ron Dennis would have sold customers rebadged Fiat Pandas if he thought he would get away with it. Much like Enzo he did not give a f##k about customer cars. He would rather have cnc door handles in the mtc than let a customer walk out with anything of fair value.

[@chrisdavies9041]

I would recommend McLaren owners to use Birmingham McLaren. I am very fortunate in owning a 12C which has been lovingly looked after by the team in Solihull. Without exception everyone I have dealt with there have been amazing including the after sales manager, Ian Roberts, who should be Sir Ian. I feel I have a race engineer, not a technician, looking after me in the state of the art service centre, thank you Simon! They go the extra mile and by way of example I was in a lot of trouble very late one evening, all my own making! and they even came back to open the service centre to help me out, I won't forget it. I don't work for McLaren and I am not getting paid!! Chris Davies.

[@alext2933]

Simply brilliant content. Gives a view into a world few of us will ever see. Did not once ever think a £250k new-dream-car experience would, or could, be like this. The whole series was a real eye opener. Thanks Jay.

[@JayEmmOnCars]

My pleasure Alex

[@Majin_Fuu]

Note to self: Lambo, Ferrari, or Porsche. They seem to take care of their customers properly, regardless of the reliability of your purchase. And don't seem to disregard their heritage. They love their classics as much as their newest cars

[@michaelc3977]

Nosh, nosh, sycophantic nosh.

[@Majin_Fuu]

@@alext2933 that comment made my brain hurt 😂

[@michaelc3977]

@@alext2933 Go "AND" run in the road. Stay in school Poppet.

[@stephenoverstreet9898]

These 2 fellas (James and John) deserve a medal for patience and perseverance. EVERYONE I know would have rejected the cars and given up on the brand months ago. I know I would have.

[@ChrisDorgan]

Agreed, the cars would have been handed back for a full refund and some compensation for the utter ballache. Would have minced across to Ferrari and bought something from there. A manual f430 n never lose any money. A 488 spider which have come down in value nicely.

[@footballgeorgiebest]

I thought the sunshine ending was them getting full refunds and buying Porsche’s.

[@jpreyes1028]

That would have been the smartest thing they could have done. 992 turbo s

[@jamsxr]

Agreed

[@faisalleeds]

@@jpreyes1028 that is a great shout! Might not give supercar looks but will certainly beat them!

[@xxxxxtrxxx13]

@@faisalleeds well, 911s might not have super aggressive look-at-me style but certainly they don't roll around unnoticed, unless you're in Dubai or Monaco

[@childnuk]

@@xxxxxtrxxx13 then a 1000hp M5 turns up

[@mohammadalhusaini1115]

I actually respect this and it’s what made me follow Jayemm. I actually ended up buying a mclaren based on the info in the channel and even reached out to thorney Motorsport (who entertained all my questions although I was too far from their location to use their services). The most important thing that James has done is to give any potential buyer the right set of questions to ask before buying. Simple as that. An informed buyer has their expectations managed well. And honestly I cannot see myself looking at any other performance brand in the future based simply on how incredible the cars are. I’m glad I listened and then purchased with better knowledge than I would have if James never made this series. 👍🏻👍🏻

[@larssonk22]

Exactly I wouldn't want to go in blind not knowing any of this, it would be a major heartache and completely turn me off the brand. Hopefully one day I'll be fortunate enough to buy a 600LT.

[@edwardrhodes6284]

What Mclaren did you buy?

[@mohammadalhusaini1115]

@@edwardrhodes6284 I actually purchased a 650s. Every point made on the original video I used to check the car before buying. So far so good it’s been a pleasure and I am honestly not so worried. I went with the advice and purchased the warranty for a couple years too. Although a few months before seeing the video I had written it off simply due to the claims of “reliability” we heard of. It made it seem to scary. I wish he’d do the same for more cars especially mclarens 😂

[@benlowe578]

@@mohammadalhusaini1115 I'm thinking of buying a 12c, they've become affordable for Me second hand now. Any tips or things that I should look out for? I know it's the predecessor to the 650s, so should in all liklihood have the same or similar things to look out for

[@mohammadalhusaini1115]

@@benlowe578 hey man fantastic cars. Honestly the best thing about early mclarens and new ones too is that you’re not giving up anything! I’d definitely say to check the warranty status as a first step. Next, take a look at the Thorney videos in case you need to inspect. I literally had the video play and compared to the car. Also try to get it from a reputable source. Do all the necessary diligence. I hear that one of the biggest problems with these cars is from lack of driving. I drive my car almost every weekend and I can say that so far it has been absolutely reliable and care free. Take a test driver if possible. Try all the features including the lift kit, press the active button and switch the car out to different handling and power train modes to make sure it’s all right because the accumulators activate when you switch modes. Let it idle with the AC off and make sure the idle is not rough. Otherwise I think it’s becoming more apparent that the cars are far more reliable and better than previously known or assumed. They are absolutely joyous machines Ben

[@gaz5663]

I’m looking forward to the prequels and spin offs .

[@nelsonclub7722]

Mclaren got ahead of you with the merchandise though.....

[@acchaladka]

I dunno, I'm more following the Lotus tragedy and possible redemption.

[@nelsonclub7722]

@@acchaladka As an Elise S1 owner I concur wholly

[@astormofwrenches5555]

Gritty rebootiquel time?

[@ultrapaiva]

I’ve been involved with customer service of high end products for the greater part of my career. People like your friends have been my clients. As we say, a happy client will tell good things about you to 2 or 3 people and, if lucky, you’ll get business from 1 of them. An unhappy client will tell 10 people about his experience and each of them will tell 10 people and you won’t get any business from any of them. We now have to update this to the KZbin era where an unhappy client tell (as of today) 56,000 people about his bad experience! Everybody seem to know that repeat business is the cheapest way to get business and that word of mouth is the strongest marketing but seem to forget how to translate that into customer service training and processes.

[@drstrangelove4998]

You are absolutely right. I’ve had rare but bad experiences, usually with haughty young and inexperienced men/boys. It must have cost that company a lot of customers over the years. Stupidity on stilts.

[@mikejoseph425]

What this proves is that the 80/20 rule is not limited to the lower echelons of business, it is in all walks of life from labourers to Doctors

[@F8Tributo]

We have a lot of shady car dealers in the US. The lying, delays, poor communication, intentional "stonewalling", poor procedures, lack of consideration of the customer, all sounds identical to the crap many dealerships exhibit here in the States

[@dannyharris8607]

Absolutely staggering that you can spend this amount of money on a car and be treated so poorly...

[@socalguy829]

right!? this is the kind of thing i would expect buying a £5K Peugeot, not a quarter million pound supercar...

[@chappy2121]

Because they're interested in the big collectors with multiple cars thats where they think the money is. They need to get the more ordinary people who can afford just one or that dream car they've sacrificed for. Until they they can't really compete with Ferrari

[@jamescaley9942]

@@socalguy829 Not making excuses but I think high volume cars are better than short run, bespoke items. The high cost you pay is not for quality it is because there are less economies of scale. Leading edge innovation also increases the quality risk.

[@Dirk_Taggesell]

@@chappy2121 But that only works if your brand has a good reputation. If everyone knows your brand as being shitty, there will be no "big collectors". Also I don't think they sell enough of these 1.5 million dollar cars to sustain the company. They most likely depend on the more pedestrian models - to be sold in larger numbers.

[@barrybritcher]

It's a toy that's why

[@TheStefmcd]

Thoroughly embarrassing episode for McLaren. I'm glad I'll never be rich enough to buy one. The point of a small luxury company is meant to be good service. If they don't offer that, why bother?

[@Chester-UK]

I've been thinking this ever since James released the first video. At the time I had jumped out of my 130i into a cheap run-around. I got a huge smile on my face every time I jumped in the car and started her up (door left open!) and wondered if it got any better than that. With this series of videos and owning a TTS now that is giving me some trouble but not at anything like the level that these McLarens do, and at considerably less money, I'm still asking the same question.

[@dash-ryan]

That's why I'm buying a C8 Corvette. The year-1 build quality issues are nothing compared to the issues I'm hearing from Mclaren in this video! Maybe consider a C8 when it shows up in the UK. I'm sure it will be significantly cheaper than a Mclaren and just as fun on public roads.

[@Chief_5]

You never know. 😄

[@JimboJammy]

Absolutely. You pay a lot of money for a premium product, that should come with premium service!

[@campkira]

i do.. but i lost interest after they said they using glue.... yeah glue on... it may be good glue but when it got old.. it would cost like hell to repiar.. and wait so long it faster to just swap it for ferrari..

[@ImBarryScottCSS]

Anybody that runs a business is just shaking their head at this whole affair. Just think how much money McLaren could have saved with proper QC.

[@campkira]

they don't care.. they think themselves are lamborghini or ferrari... while just shitty team than had not win for sometime..

[@mbal4052]

@@campkira Lamborghini and Ferrari have had their fair share of financial difficulties and quality issues over the years.

[@petyrkowalski9887]

They drove up volume faster than QC could keep up…and QC warned management but were slapped down. They have now all left to work for Gordon Murray.

[@Dave-in-France]

Hi Jay and thank you for recounting this saga. IF I were ever in a position to buy a McLaren - and I'm currently not but will be buying ANOTHER lottery ticket this week - I would have NEVER, EVER tolerated this total lack of competence at all levels. The idea of owning a McLaren - British, super performance, small but aspiring company - has been totally kicked out of my dream world. Thanks again Jay and well done. Dave

[@douglasb.5601]

When they lost the car on a transporter I actualy put my head in my hands and said "Oh my God" out loud! 😳 Great video Jay...fingers crossed McLaren get their act together. 👍🏻

[@ultrapaiva]

I started following you because of this saga but your content is amazing. I don’t know how you manage such a huge output. Congratulations! And thank you.

[@JayEmmOnCars]

Thanks Pedro, it has been hard work but it is well worth it!

[@steadyred1832]

Good to hear the final part of this saga. Having had run of the mill cars with problems this is infuriating, a supercar should not have any of this. Good on you for having the balls to tell it like it is. Hopefully, MC will learn lessons from this and get better moving forward. The cars seem great when they are working correctly.

[@markkerry5840]

I agree with Michael Jarvis, if Ron Dennis had still been in charge, this main stream dealership support would never have been allowed. Buy an F1 and you got a direct contact with the factory, primitive by today's standards, but modem instant access to a factory engineer and a fly in around the world service engineer offer. Ron might have been overbearing at times, but his attention to detail was bar none. I agree with Michael, the company is less without him

[@watchfan6180]

I agree

[@IanObzi]

Many years ago I was down in McLaren Woking and chatting to one of the secretaries working there, she said as soon as Ron Dennis walked in the building a silent alarm went around the staff and everyone quickly cleared all the paperwork off their desk because he didn't like to see anything looking untidy, she did it too even though he wasn't directly anything to do with her. He was a formidable boss, it sounds like McLaren need him back.

[@petyrkowalski9887]

@@IanObzi not sure that management by fear is a good thing. Good leadership is getting employees to do the right thing even when the boss isnt around or looking.

[@BrunodeSouzaLino]

The F1 cars had to be done like that because the driver seat is made to fit you, just like the BAC Mono.

[@johnwhood5791]

A tale that needed telling JE. When will other KZbinrs stop going to the launches of (yet another) McLaren, saying how great they are and by doing so put pressure on them to sort their products and services out. The cars may be fast and handle exceptionally but that's a 2 dimensional product if there's no support when it (regularly) goes wrong.

[@tomreid7]

Well done you!, im sure you're involvement was key in getting these two blokes issues sorted out. I'd like to see you getting involved in more of this, UK car consumers needs an advocate of your caliber

[@robinoconnor1203]

A great example of how not to treat customers, I was in the Automotive trade for around 40 years, the lengths I and other colleagues went to was far ahead of what McLaren did or in these cases did not do. The moral of this story, buy a Porsche.

[@AntoniusTyas]

Had an experience (twice, actually) with my nearest Porsche Centre (even though I am faaaaaaaar away from being a customer). They were really fantastic and knowledgeable about their products. Makes me dream of actually buying a Cayman in the future.

[@EDGEDAZZA]

Mclaren went to shit after Ron Dennis left

[@jpreyes1028]

Hear hear

[@danielheathcote5625]

Agreed.

[@stanlee3619]

"Hi, this is McLaren corporate. After this inspiring series of videos, we hope you will be encouraged to make your next exotic car purchase a McLaren."

[@campkira]

fall to sleep... only good mclaren is one you buy and next day sell it for profit..

[@mickmartino8764]

Moral of the story dont buy a McLaren you lose alot of money in the 1st yr hard to sell afterwards,unreliable bad built quality and catches fire, they look the same apart from a few different styling, I've heard if you want better built quality you have go have extra lmao when your paying 200k plus

[@neilcoo]

@@mickmartino8764 "they look the same apart from a few different styling", No they don't. You must be thinking of Porsche.

[@mickmartino8764]

Boring or ugly to look at unreliable bad quality and dealerships,and you lose a lot of money,so no I won't be buying one only if there free

[@TheMrFishnDucks]

What a saga this trilogy has been. I'm happy they were taken care of at the end and most of the issues have been rectified. Great video. Keep up the good work.

[@888johnmac]

somebody give Peter Jackson a shout .. this saga deserves to be his next epic trilogy , and at least a happy ( ish ) ending

[@JayEmmOnCars]

Can I request now that I am played by Will Smith

[@davidjb3671]

@@JayEmmOnCars More likely Jack Black I think... 😄

[@JayEmmOnCars]

I'll take that

[@Wooooosaaaaaa]

And tell Peter he may have a long lost brother

[@aneildavis]

Would Will wear those shirts with such aplomb?

[@macman6107]

This was a great conclusion to the whole saga. I'll never be in a position to buy a McLaren unless some miracle happens, but your videos have been great to watch from start to finish. So glad the guys are happy with their cars after all the carry on.

[@nelsonclub7722]

Worth the wait, and worth the watch. Thank you for your efforts in helping not just your friends but the rest of us as well. Conversely both you and I have had very positive recent experiences with Ferrari and Porsche respectively - listen up McLaren - it's not difficult but it is important.

[@davidjb3671]

I would recommend everyone should watch Robert Mitchell's 'Thoughts on McLaren' video. I know nothing personally about McLarens, but clearly Robert is someone who does, and must be one of their biggest individual customers.

[@JayEmmOnCars]

Robert's videos are great

[@HustlerTrickipedia]

and he puts thousands of miles on them and track them a shit ton with minor problems but there are way bigger customers, just check muc.collector, the23collection, themclarenlife on instagram

[@Chris-tq2xu]

@@HustlerTrickipedia muc.collector is the biggest MCL Customer worldwide and even he canceld his Elva, 720 LM and 765 LT because he have so much issues with his 600 LT and his Speedtail.

[@HustlerTrickipedia]

@@Chris-tq2xu he had zero issues with his speedtail so far, thats some misinformations He had some issues with his 600lt and build quality from his 720lm was awful, thats why he cancelled the 765lt and the elva

[@mackenziepm]

0:32 in background...when you got to walk into the room and realise he's shooting a youtube video and quietly retreat,.

[@nadeemm429]

What a magnificent day to behold, the final instalment in this glorious trilogy has sealed the fate of Mclaren

[@justinmaccreery2490]

What an epic three-part series! Great work James and cheers all from Charlotte, NC

[@mattylf1]

I think we all want McLaren to succeed and fingers crossed there have been a lot of lessons learnt by McLaren and their dealerships here. I've been nothing short of blown away whenever I've driven one. Good points on the fixed pricing for the older models, that would help the entry level cars more appealing.

[@grahamjones2759]

A good in depth video - nice to see a YT video longer than 10 minutes long. Some people do have the capacity to watch something with more depth and detail and it is good to see.

[@biosbank1]

What’s wrong with me? I still want a Mclaren... Glad to finally hear part 3.

[@campkira]

norhing to want one.. but best to get one that you can resell for profit on the next day..

[@benmilesbc]

The two guys who kept these cars are crazy patient. I would have rejected these lemons a dozen times over.

[@productdesign9626]

I think they are fools for ever signing those ridiculous disclaimers on day one, and for not bailing out at one of the many later opportunities. A car of that status that is not guaranteed to be made to a suitable standard and is not adequately supported is nothing but a folly - to say nothing of the humiliation of dealing with these arrogant, incompetent employees. I am shocked the company remains in business

[@pkl8811]

You are becoming my favourite car KZbinr. Why? Because you know cars really well and speak the truth. Please do not be bought off by those big carmakers like all the other KZbinr. Please stay real!!!! We trust you on cars!

[@DarcNoodles]

The only videos on this channel I’ve watched without skipping to the ‘good bits’ great story.

[@RichieRouge206]

See this is the problem with all the unnecessary computerisation of new cars - all brands included. I do like tech but it’s gone beyond a joke now. Something very satisfying about having zero tech or software on - say - a 30 year old Volvo 240. Not cutting edge yes but won’t cost a fortune to run, fix or ruin the planet. Maybe I sound fuddy duddy but I’m sick of tech failing all the time across the board - home appliances, dash cams, you name it. Maybe techy and cool, but ultimately built in obsolescence to cost you ever more. Great video dude

[@golf1diesel]

It's ALL about the MONEY

[@nawles1]

What's so computerised about windscreen washers? Or lack of?

[@ruinunes8251]

Spooky stuff. I was actually making tea when he said to make one because the video would be a bit long. Now, honestly, everyone having a bad customer service with dealers, give this guy a call.

[@happyal27]

Great video, I really enjoy this type of video. I do have a question, I've never been in a position to reject a caror get compensation for issues. Can you please tell me, in broad strokes, what a suitable compensation offer is, or even how to start the rejection process.

[@JayEmmOnCars]

Starting the rejection process is fairly easy, you send a letter to your dealer/supplier in the relevant time period stating you want to reject and your reasons why. As for compensation it varies greatly depending on the car, the problems etc... often it can be a free service or the like for a small issue

[@palethorpe01]

We need a 'Lemon Law' in the UK just like the US, then this sort of situation would have never occur. Well almost never.

[@TheRealD4]

What do you mean? The Consumer Rights Act allows a retailer to repair or replace only ONCE and then the customer has a right to a price reduction or pro-rata refund as a 2nd tier remedy rather than accept further repairs. Perhaps the buyer didn't want to enforce his rights thru the courts?

[@palethorpe01]

@Sunamer Z I have watched all three videos. If there was a Lemon Law, then McLaren would have no option but to buy the car back.

[@palethorpe01]

@Sunamer Z check out the VinWiki post on Lemon's Law.

[@campkira]

they do had some but alot oftime it just endless court...

[@neptuneblood6916]

@@TheRealD4 if it's in the garage for more than 3weeks they have to refund or give you a new car

[@Mike-sg9tl]

Maximum respect Jay, I've wayched all 3 videos now and what a terrible experience your friends have had. Thank you for sharing these things in such great detail, it is literally a horror story! Howeverone thing is clear, while McLaren Manchester really messed up and cost your friends so much time, dissapointment and money, you haven't approached this episode with a bitter or resentful heart. Well done.

[@goose4150]

Massive shout out to John and James for continuing to love a manufacturer that has been such a prick with them

[@davepyne62]

Ive so loved this detailed and well researched series of yours. Cant believe McLaren cannot A: have dealers that cannot shift stock that's been there a year and B: dont have some sort of consumer manager at woking who was aware of these dealer issues from the start, wheresthe internal communication. I bet your bottom dollar the experience manager who eventually started sorting stuff out didn't even remember John and James as the same people he paid an awful visit to, I mean whatever was the purpose of their visit if they weren't going to apologise and offer a reimbursement package. Why doesn't anyone seem to know these cars within their own business. Why isnt their someone at every dealer or at least a checklist for service of things that need looking at on every used McLaren, knock sensor etc before they leave the forecourt even audi have this! They are beautiful cars but so are Alfa Romeos and their owners may have had an interesting time in the past but have stayed with it for the love of the brand as it was an entirely different price point. Although I would reckon that even alfas quality is better than McLaren s currently judging by your story. They need to stop making cars and sort out their issues NOW. As a previous customer experience manager I cannot believe how poorly they are representing their own brand. Great Vids thanks.

[@georgeswanson9483]

My lovely Yorkshire wife has been floored by the level of customer service here in the states in the ten years she's lived here since we were married. We'd thought that we might move back over at some point but I don't think that will happen because I would murder people if I was treated this way.

[@davidtomlinson1641]

This reads to me like the usual tale of dealing with the wrong people. Customer advisers that you speak to on the phone have generally been given the responsibility to deal with complaints but not the authority to get things done or agree to any resolutions. You always have to find a senior manager or a director of the company before you find someone that is able to do anything.

[@tindalljames]

Anyone that went through this saga then would still consider buying another McLaren has far more patience than me. I’d have sent the car back a long time ago.

[@mikehedges5954]

Not sure how long the saga went on for though? I heard him say one of the cars was back by January. 10 months ago...

[@maaasaa]

Just sold my 720S after 2 1/2 years. No real issues with the car, McLaren Birmingham were on the whole very good to deal with. Did have initial poor detail on handover and the track telemetry pack never worked, neither could they explain why. It’s not their responsibility that depreciation was ‘eye shattering’. That falls to corporate greed driven by a false arrogance in believing in a fictional limitless demand, leading to very predictable over production = precipitous depreciation. Great car overall and new owner will be buying a bargain.

[@rico4you]

The only You Tuber that has been able to demonstrate the Trials and Tribulations of the pathetic pure madness at McLaren. Bravo.. 👏👏👏 for pushing forward and showing us all the epic fails! definite "scary" stuff from McLaren Woking and company! Totally unacceptable for the price a customer pays....for sure Ron Dennis saw this and shaking his head in disbelief!

[@sampayne9663]

What was the thing you said about “another small British car maker”? Or at least the video it’s in?

[@gravyboat2370]

I've seen this arrogance with various companies over the years .....always ends in tears.

[@danielmarshall4587]

Yes very much so.... I work in a VERY DIFFERENT sector, however I've seen from the inside a similar "fuck it it'll be right" outlook in buisnesses and as you say the end for the company soon arrives.

[@campkira]

they don't care.. they think themselves are lamborghini or ferrari... while just shitty team than had not win for sometime..

[@bobwood2870]

Hi I currently run a 650s which I purchased secondhand from Hatfield Mclaren. It has not been without its problems. I live in Derbyshire so Manchester Mclaren is my nearest service centre. I was pleased to hear Jayemm give Sam the service manager a good word. He’s sorted out the problems that I’ve encountered with the 650s. As Jayemm says Sam is passionate about the brand and this show in his enthusiasm to help with any problems you encounter. Love the car.

[@giuliotoffano4763]

35minutes and no commercials! Thanks!

[@user-qq2mo1ek2r]

Not that I'm in the market for a McLaren or ever want to be, the way in which head office and Manchester dealt with this is diabolical. James I don't find your attitude in this anything to question, these cars cost as much as a house in Wales yet the owners are left with crap service throughout. We'll done for updating us and continuing to cover this.

[@kernkraft404]

I really enjoy these videos, it’s a little bit like talking cars with your friends.

[@inamhassan2694]

These 3 mclaren videos have been very interesting. Have you (or any of your mates) had any interesting experiences with ferarri or porsche? I noticed you recently watched and commented on the carguys recent ferarri 812 superfast video...any more 'horror' stories you can shed some light on Thanks in advance

[@JayEmmOnCars]

Ferrari no recent stories. Porsche I've heard some more, but that's probably because they sell more cars

[@olejones1]

Just finished watching all the parts to this series. I honestly got angry as a ‘hypothetical customer’. What an absolute shambles this has been. I certainly would of just given the car back early doors. Brilliant work this Jay btw 👍🏻

[@barbieandbellaadventuresby9134]

Wow! They kept the cars. Jeeez I would have sent back ages ago.

[@benblakemore4195]

It just goes on and on and on!!! I can not believe it, these poor poor guys. Wow so sorry guys

[@jameshaworth9605]

McLaren Ascot brilliant and no issues at all with my car in 3 years. McLaren manchester terrible attitude by main salesman. Never met a less qualified, knowledgeable or more arrogant individual. Would rather get the bus than buy any car from him!

[@classicsreimagined373]

James Haworth Ascot damaged my front carbon splitter. When I collected the car and pointed it out, they denied it was them. I paid my bill and took the car home. I later reviewed the dealer check-over video Ascot sent me and there was no damage as they approached the car to start the commentary, proving it was damaged in their care. I use the term ‘care’ in its broadest sense. They later accepted my evidence and I had to drive the car to them to be repaired. I’m pleased your experience has been better than mine.

[@Ali_Blight]

Bought 2 mclarens from ascot, cars have been perfect and always been treated well there

[@DrSuperDamo]

How to refurb a meal....polish off the chips....

[@iconicon5642]

How So?

[@mawaboutcars671]

Interesting what you said about McLaren Ascot, I’ve dealt with them (admittedly not as a customer), and the people there seemed lovely. They answered my calls straight away and were really happy to invite me there to look at the cars. I can’t remember the name of the chap who I agreed it all with, but he was properly enthusiastic about all kinds of cars and was awesome to chat to.

[@georgelai1545]

I've just stumbled on these videos, I found it incredible that a high end, luxury brand can get it so wrong ( as well as with their dealers). I'll be very interested to see a follow up a year later. 👍

[@jimjam8149]

Just got to the end of part 3 after watching 1 and 2. Extremely interesting and enjoyable. I really feel for you’re friend and his father. I’d be absolutely gutted and heartbroken if I really loved a brand and was then treated like that. I certainly would’ve rejected it! It would’ve exhausted me. Just goes to show you that the more you spend doesn’t guarantee a better service.

[@horrgakx]

Love your no-nonsense approach to this - really good!

[@seencreative8114]

Jay inadvertently starts McLaren/covid conspiracy

[@ckjlgp]

Great information and stories like this have to be told as I for one hate bad customer service, I have had only excellent service from Aston Martin Leeds and Newport Pagnal

[@jtothepmusic]

Hmmm, a total shocker for McLaren but excellent informative videos Jay. Seems I was conditioned by the Ron Dennis era - factory like a hospital, OCD etc but with that came precision and attention to detail. Everyday I go through Woking on the train - they still have buildings in or near Albert drive and everyday I see lots of McLarens at one of these sites. I'm surprised at the number to be honest. Despite all of these issues I'd still consider a used 570GT as it is a great looking car IMO and when it's a good one everyone seems to love the driving experience. Would a used one be a better proposition as the big hit on depreciation will have hopefully made it great value for money and also I'd like to think that any issues with a car would have been addressed espcially if buying from a McLaren dealer?

[@shadygtr3346]

I feel the frustration with dealer networks, it’s taken multiple visits to bmw Rybrook and two Sytner dealerships with two master technicians to tell me my m3 competition head up display is in focus (which it was not I even had my friend bring his m3 competition which was correct and Rybrook refused to fix the issue and the service manager would not talk to me whilst at the dealership) and all the computer test on the display are correct, wasted my time talking with bmw customer services and I fixed the issue once auto glass replaced my windscreen due to a chip now it’s 100% in focus no thanks to the bmw dealerships I dealt with. The bmw pilkington factory fitted screen in some batches are flawed as even the dealerships have shown they cannot tell the difference around sharpness as they just compare with other cars in stock which are also flawed as if that is some accurate test, but when I pointed out that the loaner 8 series image was sharp they said we can’t compare that to your vehicle. If you find a good dealer or specialist stick with them, shout out to Litchfield Imports who service my gtr and always go above and beyond to keep customers happy.

[@tommymician121]

Oh god, what happened this time for it to deserve to be a "Halloween Special" lol

[@LifeExplanatory]

We all love you James!

[@willb3486]

Honestly I don't know how these guys had so much patience. I would have blown my top after about 2 visits

[@garthqueen]

A lot of rich people are actually pretty dumb

[@asdreww]

RE the hire/own car point - they probably get paid 45p/ mile to use their own car - I used to do this. Can be a nice little bonus for the employee over just getting a hire car & expensing the fuel.

[@andrewmoorhouse687]

I was lucky, 11 years ago now, that I found a very good car salesman that I have dealt with on and off (but mainly on) ever since. I think it was during our meetings over the first car I bought that I said to him “Why can’t all dealers be this easy and decent to deal with? It’s made buying a car the really enjoyable experience it should be.” His reply was “I just treat people as I’d like to be treated myself.” What followed was a good and interesting discussion around the car salesman/customer interface and the difficulties they face too sometimes. In a sense it’s a relationship you are trying to establish. To me, it’s about being professional on both sides. I really don’t think it’s rocket science, yet so many companies fail at customer service. It doesn’t matter what you are buying or at what price-point, good service from the manufacturer and their representatives should be a given. Overly discounting new cars (and pre-registering in certain cases) is never a good idea. It just leads to more depreciation on trade-ins. BMW are going down both these routes recently and it’s definitely impacting second hand values. It’s an indication of how tough the market is out there at the moment.

[@nixer65]

@Andrew Moorhouse I couldn’t agree more. We keep buying Volvos from the same family owned dealership even though we’ve now moved and they are no longer that local - first one was 2007 and we’re now on our fifth car from them. It’s a simple relationship - we show loyalty, they do two key things; be honest and make the process hassle free. We’ve now reached the point that I normally tell them what I’m after about six months in advance and they are transparent about when the right time to buy will be (likely Volvo incentives, quarter ends, etc.), so I always get a great deal, they get the repeat business. When we have had issues, say for instance the gearbox failing on a brand new XC90 at 30 miles (serves me right for buying one of the very first in the country) they have just sorted it with the minimum of fuss. Bells Volvo Northampton if you’re interested - great people.

[@steffydog]

Wow, these guys have way more patience than I do, I’d have walked away months ago and counted my blessings, what an absolute shambles.

[@amg247]

Great video, these two chaps have the patients, think they could be the most amazing cars on the planet and I'd of give up and got rid. Glad they finally got them fixed and don't lose too much when they eventually decide to sell

[@montaguegroupservices3029]

I have one from Hatfield Mclaren. They really looked after me great service.

[@BrandinooWOW]

Dude they did return it to John in "as new" condition. It was fucked when he got it. And it was fucked when he got it back 😂

[@JangosGaragebrokendreams]

Been waiting to hear part 3 glad its sorted for them These sorts of issues with new car should not happen that’s why I buy old 90s cool cars because I know it will have issues lol

[@MikeyCh09]

Moral of the story, I’m never buying a McLaren.

[@abingdonboy]

Moral of the story- buy a Porsche

[@petyrkowalski9887]

This is all reminisent of the tales of woe from the days of TVR..almost identical in fact both in terms of quality and dealer experience….only with several noughts on the end of the price tag.

[@davebarron5939]

Wow! James and John have gone above and beyond as customers! I Hope the "powers-that-be" are finally paying attention. Well done sir, the irony of your timing (Halloween) with this story, couldn't be more poignant! What a nightmare.

[@theofficialrecojefferson]

McLaren Philadelphia has been absolutely FANTASTIC for me! They've gone above and beyond to make sure my ownership experience has been nothing short of amazing. It really does suck that across the pond they've been screwing the pooch.

[@bam_henry]

What a roller coaster...and it all ends with a sigh of relief. It's unfortunate that McLaren's customer service is lackluster, with bare minimum effort.

[@SirRounded]

Watching this trilogy made me finally get onto the dealer that still hasn't sorted out my spare key yet, it's been 4 months haha

[@HQBProductions]

A very interesting video again! I think the owners have been very patient and having finally got the cars up and running, I would have taken them straight to a Porsche dealer and bought a 911 or GT4...if fact at Bristol, that only meant driving 300m to their forecourt. I certainly would NOT have kept either McLaren and dumped them both long before that! Rybrook Bristol are very good...I did have a good experience when looking at a Bentayga they had but in the end, it just looked to difficult to like!. Meanwhile I can say that I have enjoyed 11 years of superb service with Guy Salmon Land Rover Bristol where they have made me feel like a real friend. The cars have been excellent and the oft quoted problems that you see on many forums, have never come my way. Also I have a Mercedes SL and have had excellent customer service from MB Truro...a long way from home but where the car was maintained before I had it and they are light years ahead of the dealer I suffered from 1994 to 2009...the cars were excellent but the servicing was a sad story ever single time. So clearly, what you buy and where from makes a huge difference...McLaren will never be on my Lottery list...that space has Mercedes AMG GTR and Porsche GT3RS Weissach on it!! Safe driving John! 😀😀😀😀

[@simonmaguire4593]

Like most car dealers around the world there is a disconnect between sales, service and customer services. Sales is money driven and money crazy, service wants to the best for the car but no one will foot the bill and customer services is run by people who can handle the current situation but lack understanding of how to solve the real issues unless they throw money at it. Having a single team that can communicate and appreciate each others roles combined with a provision for the service department to solve these issues paid for by a levy from each sale stop these issues from developing. This works. I know this because I have done it successfully many times in many countries.

[@duncanbleak3819]

Many thanks for this series of videos! At the core of this 'hideous saga', is a stunning lack of basic quality control and professional pride at McLaren. Sad!

[@redyellowpink01]

What was the other video you got the threats from?!

[@ianbainbridge5937]

I’ve got a 600LT, bought 2nd hand but had an issue needed sorting at McLaren Manchester. Great service, from the dude who came to Durham to collect it to the service manager who booked it in. The LT is the best, most engaging and exciting car I’ve ever driven on road and track, having owned GT3RS Weissach and Cayman GTS and a few other bits and bobs driven in anger.

[@campkira]

it sound like the last owner went to hell fixing for you.. so you had less problem for now... but older it get.. it will cost more to fix.. they only give you great serivce since they can charge you everything..

[@brianthetrain9283]

Watched all three episodes, and would like to congratulate you on such a thorough coverage of your friends problems. These are obviously not thick people, but must have wondered at some point on their sanity. I would have after only a few weeks of their troubles would have rejected the cars and walked away from the brand and purchased else where. Shame o n McLaren, they are obviously in deep financial trouble at the moment .WONDER WHY ?? Thanks again.

[@joshuasterling2144]

Dealerships are generally the natural enemy of car enthusiasts.

[@chestnut01111]

This would be completely unacceptable if it was a Dacia Sandero we were talking about. This grade of customer service is what you might expect when buying a £1000 worth of used Focus

[@benarscott3634]

Insightful information, thankyou for this...truthful accounts...of how bad it can be!! I live near Mclaren New Forest and thankfully they have a brilliant reputation.

[@jozefserf2024]

McLaren is an example of what can happen when demand outstrips supply. Often down to poor senior management taking their eye off the forecourt.

[@EdDale44135]

Would you have the same cars on the forecourt if demand outstrips supply? I think McLaren should move to a build to spec model, with only one example of each on the forecourt to help with ordering. No longer sitting around for a year.

[@VINTTRO]

Wow, with videos like this McLaren, will be finished, a brand that has so much to learn. Ferrari and Lamborghini has no competition from McLaren. 30 years behind in customer service. Finally, we have members who are thinking of buying a McLaren, we owe it to them to share these videos.

[@stevenspilsbury9801]

A brilliant watch, just like the previous 2. I feel for your 2 friends and definitely should have not been treated like that since the amount of money spent.

[@TDUTOM]

Would love to know what was said between Woking and Bristol l, can you divulge??

[@JayEmmOnCars]

The short version is that somebody at Woking had a moan at somebody at Bristol, for something they hadn't really done wrong, and Bristol then decided they wanted nothing to do with any of it. Bit silly and completely didn't need to happen

[@TDUTOM]

@@JayEmmOnCars I think that just shows the mentality and unprofessionalism from the head office, no wonder it filters down into dealerships. Thanks for the reply and keep up the honest unbiased reviews, not much of that about on KZbin. Take care.

[@grahammurphy5516]

I would not have the patience for what happened but if James and John are happy, then happy days all round