I know from thousands and thousands of angry owners what works and what doesn't when it comes to complaining about your car. Here are some REALISTIC do's and don'ts on complaining that will get you much farther than just blowing up.
Remember... the guy you are talking to is not a whipping boy and human just like you.. beating him or ANYONE up over your car is pointless... REMAIN CALM AND UNEMOTIONAL!
Be factual about your problems. Present them in a chronological order.
Be as brief as possible... if you write a letter keep it to a maximum of one page... I get these rambling 10 page letters that no one has the time to read.
Don't talk about the history (good or bad) about past cars you have owned.. it doesn't matter for this situation.
Don't give ultimatums.. it turns people off IMMEDIATELY. Don't make demands on "what if this doesn't fix it this time".. be positive and give the dealer a try.
Don't... repeat DON'T EVER threaten a law suit. I don't care if you already have an attorney and he is filing today.. Law Suits are a matter of course in this business and once you threaten a lawsuit you will find very little cooperation.
Believe me when I tell you that it is in the best interest of the dealer and manufacturer to fix your car.. No one avoids doing warranty service.. it pays well, but if a dealer tells you his opinion (i.e. your car is normal) he isn't blowing you off.. he's giving you an honest opinion.
Be reasonable in your expectations.. we can't re-engineer cars in the field. If you don't like the way something fits..... tell the dealer he'll pass the information along.. but don't expect the dealer to make a part to your liking.
Don't ever tell the dealer that you have had the problem since day one.. it's a turn off and we hear that all the time... let the facts speak for themselves.
Don't go into that "American quality vs Japan quality" It doesn't really apply and the quality of both vehicles are basically equal. Bringing up stuff like this is pointless... we've heard it before.
Know that every vehicle ever made has characteristics. If a dealer tells you you have a characteristic he's probably telling you the truth. It comes back to engineering.. we can't re-engineer characteristics. Depending on the characteristic depends on what other course of action you may have.
If you have an intermittent problem that the dealer can't duplicate please work with him on pin pointing the EXACT conditions it happens. Keep a note book and write down date, time, temp outside, how long you have been driving the car, how many miles you have driven that day etc.. Don't just expect the dealer to fix a gremlin that happens only once a month without help from you... And don't ask the dealer to keep the car for a month to duplicate the problem... this is unrealistic.
It is possible that the dealer you are working with is in fact a "bad" dealer.. see if another one in the area will help you out. But keep in mind that non-selling dealers are reluctant to take on other dealers "heat" cases.
Believe it that if you've got something coming, you most likely will get something if you remain civil and make your point rationally and logically.
Don't put any lemon signs or banners on your vehicle to "declare" your lemon. You only look like an idiot and people don't really pay attention to this anyhow. It is better to have your dealer be your advocate then alienate them for future help.
If the dealer does a good job helping you.. send a note of thanks to them.. You won't believe how infrequent we get a thank you for helping people out... and if you do take the time to say thanks, you'll be remembered next time you are in and treated even better.