Long post here, but I thought it might be useful for potential 1st time AM owners.

I bought this car last November at 14,800 miles from an out of state Aston dealer who performed a full PPI before delivery. That showed a couple of minor items that I was comfortable with. I negotiated a very heavily discounted 2-year warranty as part of the purchase. I knew the mileage was potentially in the prime range for a clutch replacement and took that into account during the purchase negotiations. The service history showed a recent TCM replacement due to a shifting issue, so presumably (dangerous assumption) there had been some solid troubleshooting accomplished by experienced AM mechanics before that was changed.

I hoped to get about a month of driving before road salt season, but immediately, it needed to have both headlight assemblies replaced; it came off the delivery trailer with one set of white leds not working and the other one failed the next day! I also found that the Satellite Radio was not working. The car went to my local AM dealer and those items were resolved at no cost to me. I then set about getting used to the ASM.

The PPI stated that the clutch was operating normally, and that the overall drivability was satisfactory. I have posted in other threads about not being able to get comfortable with the ASM, but also noted the many, many, comments on forums about this system. I come from a background of driving stick and my last 2 fun cars, Jag E-type and Triumph TR4 were obviously both stick, so it is no problem for me to drive ASM with that mindset, rather than adjust from only ever driving auto. That said, I knew that something was not right as I have described in the other threads. This time the car went off to the other nearly local AM dealer for investigation. Also as reported, they found leaking ASM hoses (warranty) and I decided to pull the trigger and just replace the clutch as well (not warranty but expected).

So, I get the car back, drive it that day and the difference is obvious. Drive it the next day and as I am starting to get used to it, the next issue arises! I pulled out of a parking space and notice that there is a brake warning message. In the parking lot the brakes seem fine, but I went back to see if there was any fluid leak on the ground – nothing. Turn off the car, restart, the same brake warnings. Pop the hood, nothing obvious around the brake fluid reservoir. I carefully drove the car around the parking lot and the actual operation seemed OK. I wanted to get it home and as I wouldn’t need ABS at the slow speeds I would use on some back roads, I carefully set off. After about 30 seconds, the dash gauges go to zero and all warning lights go off. I notice that the turn signals are not working. Then the car becomes haunted and the wing mirrors fold in on their own; then they fold out; then one folds in; then the other folds in; repeat, repeat. That’s it, I’m done. I don’t know if the car will just die on me, so I pull over and call the AM Service Manager who had delivered the car back to me less than 24 hours earlier. Unlike the selling AM dealer, I have been very impressed with Tony @ AM Summitt, NJ. He was almost certain that these gremlins were being caused by the roof CRM. He then arranged for yet another flat bed to take the car up to him for further warranty repairs. He later confirmed that it was the CRM. When it goes bad, it doesn’t just cause roof problems, it screws up much of the car’s inter-device communication. I understand that if an ECU or other main module goes bad, but a roof module – what electronics genius was designing that for AM. I worked large jet aircraft maintenance for many years and that is like the seatback entertainment panel on seat 24C going bad and having the whole flight deck go blank – just as well that this designer only works on ground-based equipment!

The car gets delivered back, yet again. I drive it for 2 days and it behaves itself. I can now appreciate the car’s driving experience. I am not going to track this car, so an ASM is good for me. The new (OEM) clutch is very good, even under spirited driving – I only use the paddles.

The car gets admired, which is nice. The driving is good, so I am starting to get comfortable and relax with it. Back home, I go to close the roof and at the position where the decklid is up and the roof is folded front and back, my finger slips off the switch. I operate the switch again and the rear of the roof goes down, followed by the decklid trying to close on top of it; I stop it before contact. Another call with Tony who tells me to let the car go to sleep for a few minutes then manually lift the rear of the roof to let the decklid close then it will get itself back in sync. This works, so all is good, but it’s another sign of the quirkiness of this car. My much more complicated MB SL folding hardtop always worked without any drama, even when it was occasionally interrupted midway during the operation.

So this is a cautionary tale about trusting a PPI from the selling AM dealer; I should have known, but it is not like you can take it to the AM dealer in the next town, like you might for a Chevy or Ford. There are debates on the forum about whether to pay for a warranty or not. If I wasn’t able to negotiate the substantial discount on the 2 year warranty, I might not have taken it and within these first 6 months I would already have paid close to the warranty cost for the repairs etc. As it is, I have easily recouped the small amount I did pay and I still have about 16 months left on it. I was hoping to get one driving season before doing the clutch, but the difference is like night and day.

Many issues have now been fixed under warranty and the clutch should be good for a few years of seasonal driving. However, the closeness of these issues within the first few months made me start to look at other cars again. The AM is a very special car, but it also has to be enjoyable. It was a childhood dream to finally get one, but time will tell as to how long I keep the car...

Once again, sorry for the very long post, but hopefully it will help someone out.

 

Hang in there, getting a car really sorted out can take some time, a bit of Ibuprofen, and the loss of some invaluable hair, but once they finally get sorted you should find it trouble free. Quirky, yes, but the real trouble should be behind you, so get out and enjoy it.

 

So here is an update to my own thread.

I have had an enjoyable time driving the car with the clutch now fully sorted out. The ASM has been great in Sport mode whipping the car through the twisty country roads in my region. Dropping a gear with the paddle shifter just before entering a tight corner and then accelerating off the bend has been great fun.

You really feel special driving it, but I have decided that I have become more of a GT person in recent years. I am not sure if that is going to take me to a different Aston model or another brand. So, I will be putting the car up for sale or trading it under the right circumstances. I am not in a hurry, but I would prefer that it went to a fellow enthusiast rather than just sit on a dealer lot.

2010 V8 Vantage Roadster ASM. Tungsten silver. 16,300 miles today. New OEM clutch about 600 miles ago. 700W premium audio. AM warranty coverage until October 2019.

Here are some pics until I can do a more thorough listing in the classifieds.

 

When I owned my Vantage, I thought it was too full sports car for what I needed at that point in my life as well. The Rapide was a perfect fit for me. I would've went the DB9 GT route, but I need slightly more back seat than that offered. The GT models still drive and feel like an Aston with similar steering across the range. I urge you to give those a drive before considering a different marque.