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ARCHIVES 3
VOLKSWAGEN of FORT MYERS, Fort Myers,
Florida - "My husband and I went online
to get a price quote for the Passat 2.OT and engaged in email correspondence
with Bill Byers at Volkswagen of Fort Myers. We agreed on the first
payment price, tag/registration and dealer service fee, cap cost reduction,
total cash due at signing, model, color, and options. All of these are documented
in our emails. After agreeing to these terms we telephoned the dealership
for confirmation which we received. However, when we arrived at Volkswagen
of Fort Myers the manager, Ralph Medina, told us that he would NOT honor
the deal and dared us to file a complaint with the Better Business
Bureau."
HATFIELD - TOYOTA WEST, Columbus,
Ohio - "I purchased a used 1999 RAV4.
I was assured by the sales person that the car had undergone a complete dealer
inspection. I also bought a third-party extended warranty sold by Hatfield
- Toyota West. While driving the car home I noticed that the oil was 1.5
quarts low. Once home, I checked out the engine and found that it still
had the original air filter, spark plugs, wiring, and transmission fluid.
So much for the dealer 'inspection' done by Hatfield - Toyota West! Within
one month after buying this vehicle it started smoking badly. I went back
to the dealership to invoke my extended warranty but the warranty company,
Easy Care, refused to do anything because they claimed that no previous vehicle
inspection had been performed, and they would not repair any pre-existing
problems. After a three-week battle with Hatfield - Toyota West, they finally
agreed to split the cost of rebuilding the engine with
me."
LUTHER WESTSIDE, St. Louis Park,
Minnesota - "We purchased a 2002 Jaguar
from Luther Westside, and two days later heard a small squeak coming from
some unknown location. A few days later the small squeak had become into
a loud howl. We had a 60-day warranty on the car from Luther Westside so
returned it to them. A week later it was pronounced '...ready to go.' Two
miles from the dealership and the noise was still there, only worse. We returned
the car again, and after another week picked it up. The howling noise was
still present. On our third return to the dealership they assured us that
it would be taken care of by a certified Jaguar garage. Our car was gone
for several weeks, but finally we were called to pick it up and assured that
it had been test-driven. Not only was the howl still present, but grease
was smeared on the leather seats and the floor mats destroyed. At this point
we told our salesperson at Luther Westside that we wanted to negotiate for
another vehicle, even if it entailed spending up to $10,000 more. The salesperson
would only allow us a trade-in value on the 2002 Jaguar we'd bought earlier,
and with which we'd had nothing but trouble. After making quite a scene in
their showroom, we were finally referred to the sales manager, but he would
deal only on vehicles on this specific Luther Westside lot (there a number
of other lots around). They offered to place a lifetime warranty on the 2002
Jaguar, but we've not been able to get this in writing. A few weeks later,
we got our Jaguar back still again...still unrepaired. As of today, our car
has been at Luther Westside for several weeks, but we are totally unable
to get any kind of an update. We are now pursuing legal action against Luther
Westside under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty
Act."
PARKS CHEVROLET, Kernersville, North
Carolina - "I had selected the vehicle
I wanted to buy. I was told that the only thing needed to complete the
transaction was my spouse's signature. I returned to Parks Chevrolet less
than an hour later with my spouse to finalize the deal only to find that
my vehicle had been sold by another salesperson. Parks Chevrolet management
simply said that it was first come, first served. However, they were more
than ready to sell me another higher-priced vehicle."
CAROLINA HYUNDAI, High Point, North
Carolina - "I had bought a 2000 KIA Sportage
with 23,000 miles from Carolina Hyundai. I also purchased the GAP warranty.
At 47,000 miles the vehicle developed an over-heating problem so I took it
in for service. I was told that the engine had a cracked block and that a
new motor would be needed. Even though the deductible is $100, I was charged
$115. Also, Carolina Hyundai claimed that I needed a new transmission, even
though there was absolutely nothing wrong with it when I first took the KIA
in to them. In two months time they've returned the vehicle to me as repaired
and ready to go, but in each instance there was still something wrong and
I've had to return twice. Finally I told them that I didn't want the
KIA because they couldn't repair it and wanted to trade for another vehicle.
I drove another car home for the night, then returned the next day to finalize
the contract. Surprise! The payments that I'd been told the day before would
be $435/month had jumped up to $490/month, and the trade-in value for the
KIA they had promised would be $2,500 had dropped to
$1,500."
EXPRESSWAY TOYOTA, Miami, Florida
- "I purchased a 1998 Nissan from Expressway
Toyota and was told by the salesman that the car had a 30-day guarantee.
Less than a month after I took delivery of the car, the left front
passenger window stopped working. I took the car in for repair, but the manager
told me that since I didn't buy a Toyota they wouldn't help me. Of course
I protested, and after getting the run around and a very long wait, the salesman
who sold me the vehicle told me that they would take 25% off the window repair
costs. That would leave me owing some $450.00! Then they had to back order
the needed parts, but that was over a month ago and I haven't heard anything
from Expressway Toyota."
AUTOBARN, Countryside,
Illinois - "The air conditioner in my
2003 VW was blowing only warm air and a groaning sound was coming from the
dashboard. Because the vehicle was still covered by warranty, I took it in
to this dealership for service. They said that they could find no problems
and that the warranty didn't cover the air conditioner. In the warranty it
specifically says that the air conditioner is covered. I had to pay Autobarn
$140.00 to get my vehicle back. A couple of months later I noticed that oil
from the car had leaked onto my garage floor and so I took it again. The
warranty was still valid. This time they charged me $60.00 to tighten one
nut. Obviously the concept of service-after-the-sale is avoided by
Autobarn."
GROPPETTI NISSAN, Visalia,
California - "Two months after I had taken
delivery of my Nissan Armada from this dealership, they contacted me and
said that I owed them another $1,500.00 on the down payment. When I
called Groppetti Nissan about this matter, the manager there told me that
I should have read my contract more closely. He was verbally abusive towards
me. Furthermore, I had also spent $2,100.00 for a service warranty. I called
the service company to verify that the warranty was in effect and they told
me that it was NOT because Groppetti Nissan had not filled out the required
paperwork correctly. The service company informed me that they had notified
Groppetti Nissan of the error, but I have never been
notified."
CARR'S HONDA CENTER, Chicago,
Illinois - "After test-driving a Honda
Fit and dealing with a salesperson at Carr's Honda Center for one month,
they called to inform me that the Fit in the color we wanted was available.
Prior to this I had received repeated assurances that the cost of this vehicle
would not exceed the manufacturers suggested retail price of $16,520. I also
received a written quote to this effect. When I arrived at the dealership
with my check, the general sales manager informed me that someone else was
currently test-driving the vehicle. Furthermore, I was told that if I still
wanted this vehicle it would cost me an additional $3,000 above MSRP and
that the verbal and written quote I had in hand made no difference. Obviously
this is not the kind of dealership you want to
visit.
BOB TAYLOR CHEVROLET of NAPLES,
Naples, Florida - "We purchased an Equinox
LS from Bob Taylor Chevrolet of Naples and at the time of purchase asked
about the XM radio option. We were assured that the car was equipped with
all the necessary equipment. Once sales had been finalized we were told to
come back to have the XM radio activated. We did so, three different times,
but were put off each time. Finally, on the fourth visit, we were told
that the vehicle did NOT have the right part installed but the manufacturer
would ship it in about two weeks. After two weeks came and went without any
word from this dealership, I called to ask about the back-ordered part. The
salesperson I talked to at first insisted that the part had already been
installed in our car. After I convinced him that such was not the case, he
told me that there was nothing he could do and abruptly hung up on me. Later
I managed to contact the sales manager. He told me that the dealership was
not obligated to get the necessary part that had been
promised."
GARDEN CITY CHRYSLER-JEEP-DODGE, Hempstead,
New York - "This '5-Star Dealership' had
the vehicle I wanted advertised on the internet for some $3,500 below any
of their competitors, plus a full warranty. However, when I arrived at Garden
City Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge I found that the advertised vehicle had a sticker
price $3,000 higher than the internet ad. My salesperson did confirm the
warranty--90 Lemon Law, 3-year-bumper-to-bumper, and a 8 year/80,000 mile
power train warranty. I brought out their internet ad, but all I got was
attitude and excuses for the discrepancy between it and the sticker price.
First, they added almost $1,000 in dealer fees, which were 'non-negotiable,'
but since the price was still below their competitor's I went ahead with
the deal after getting their okay to get outside financing. When I returned
to the dealership with the check I was kept waiting for 3 hours before the
finance manager would see me. The first thing he did was tack on an additional
fee to the cost (..'inspection and temporary license fees'), even though
the paperwork I'd already signed showed the full purchase price. Then I was
told that my vehicle was NOT pre-owned certified and that it had no warranty.
I was also told that the New York state lemon law wasn't valid because I
lived out of state. I showed the manager the pre-owned certified symbol on
their internet ad which I'd printed out, but he said that was just 'decoration.'
Of course they'd be glad to sell me a warranty. I produced my car fax which
advertised the vehicle as certified pre-owned, but the finance manager refused
to give me any kind of written warranty coverage. Instead, he said, I'd get
a packet in the mail in about 45 days. At last I got the manager to confirm
that everything was completed and done with, but when I got home I had a
message telling me that I had forgotten the title. I left phone messages
for them to mail it to me, but of course got nothing. Next, my bank called
and told me that instead of them being shown on the title as lien holder,
the dealership had put in my name. Now I've got to go through the hassle
of trying to iron out this mess with Garden City Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge, a
dealership that is very adept at false advertising but hasn't a clue about
good customer service. I strongly everyone to avoid this dealership like
the plague!"
NAPLETON MAZDA, Schaumburg,
Illinois - "I had decided to buy a new
2006 Mazda 6 Sport and visited Napleton Mazda where I met the salesman, Jim
Paxson. After the test drive, Paxson went over the specifics of the deal
we agreed on -- invoice price $21,406; Mazda nationwide rebate $2,500; Napleton's
advertising cost rebate $500; Napleton's volume kickback $400; dealer profit
$200. This left a total cost to me of $18,206 + title, taxes and licensing.
Before returning to the dealership again, I sent email to Paxson requesting
a verification of the terms we'd agreed upon. I never received any response.
I sent another email without getting any response, so I visited the dealership
to pick out a color and, hopefully, verify and finalize the agreed upon financial
deal. I located Paxson and showed him a copy of the unanswered email I'd
sent that detailed the agreed upon deal. Paxson said that there would be
absolutely no problem but that he was booked solid with customers at that
time. He set an appointment for the following evening. When I came in for
the appointment, Paxson disappeared for a time to consult his manager. After
he came back, the invoice price had increased by several hundred dollars,
the advertising rebate had completely disappeared, along with the dealer
kickback. Paxson said that I could get a $500 rebate from Napleton only if
I financed through Mazda corporation. All subsequent emails and phone calls
were completely ignored. I finally bought the new Mazda I wanted from Biggers
Mazda in Elgin, Illinois for a total cost of $18,500. I was treated royally
at Biggers, and in an out the door in 90 minutes. This time Napleton's bait
'n switch tactics failed. I did receive an apology from Mazda Corporation
for the way Napleton treated me, but have never heard anything from that
dealer."
WAYNE MAZDA, Wayne, New
Jersey - "I shopped online for a new Mazda
CX-7 Sport with the technology package. Al at Wayne Mazda agreed to my proposed
down payment and payments but wrote that they would have to special order
the vehicle. And then, three hours later, Al contacted me stating that Wayne
Mazda would NOT accept the terms we had earlier agreed to. He gave me figures
that were above the special that Mazda Corporation was offering. I was then
invited to personally come to the
dealership."
NORCO MITSUBISHI, Norco,
California - "After seeing a newspaper
ad from this dealership for a 2006 Mitsubishi I called for verification and
was assured that the price was as advertised, $11,900. However, when
I arrived at Norco Mitsubishi they told me that the advertised car had just
been sold but that another brand-new vehicle was available for the same price.
Once in the finance office, though, I was told that I didn't qualify for
the $11,900 deal because that was just for Mitsubishi owners. My price would
be $12,400. I pointed out that as a college student I was qualified for the
Mitsubishi $500 discount. Norco Mitsubishi agreed and the price was again
down to $11,900, but the contract they wanted me to sign showed $12,400!
I asked about this discrepancy, and the finance manager explained that the
$500 discount would be in the form of a subsequent rebate and that I would
get a check for $500 in the mail in a few weeks. It's now five months later,
and there's still no sign of my $500 rebate. Also, the 'new' car I'd bought
had 400 miles on it."
MELLOY DODGE, Albuquerque, New
Mexico - "After working out a deal that
the finance manager agreed to, I took delivery of a 2007 Dodge Caliber. The
extra keys were missing, but the salesperson told me that I would be receiving
them in the mail. After numerous un-returned phone calls to Melloy Dodge
over the next twelve days, I finally got a call from the finance office and
was told that I would need to return the vehicle because the earlier deal
made with them wasn't going to be approved. I then went to my bank and arranged
my own financing. I called Melloy Dodge several times about the missing key,
but heard nothing in return. Finally, after three weeks, the salesperson
called to tell me that the key had been mailed to me. Another week passed
without the key arriving so I again called the dealership. The salesperson
told me just to be patient. Another couple of weeks went by without a sign
of the key. The sales manager told me that it would be forthcoming in '...a
couple of days.' Still another week and no key, no calls from the dealership.
I would strongly recommend that people avoid Melloy Dodge like the
plague!"
MEMORIAL 1 IMPORTS, Houston,
Texas - "I am a 27-year old female who
purchased an Audi TT from Memorial 1 Imports. I discovered that automatic
payments were still being made on the car I traded in, even though Memorial
1 Imports was supposed to have paid it off. When I approached the owner of
Memorial 1 Imports about this failure on their part, he simply walked away
from me without a word. He would not return any of my phone calls. The dealership
would not fax me any paperwork showing that they had taken care of the lien
on my trade-in. Not only was this dealership not living up to their bargain
with me, but they wouldn't even talk to me about it! I finally asked a male
friend to see what he could do, and he was able to contact the owner, Howard
Love, immediately. Love apologized to my friend and promised to have the
shortcoming rectified within 10 days, and the lien on my trade-in was indeed
paid off. Sounds like male chauvinism is alive and well at Memorial 1
Imports."
MANHATTAN BEACH TOYOTA, Manhattan Beach,
California - "We ordered a vehicle in
July, 2006, from Manhattan Beach Toyota and put down a deposit. However they
ordered the wrong one. When it came in they sold it to somone else. Finally,
when the car we had ordered arrived they wanted to charge us more money for
it because the manufacturer's suggested retail price had increased while
we were waiting. We complained about this to the owner who said that he would
honor the previously agreed-on price. He did NOT do this though. When we
objected, the general manager yelled at us and practically threw us off the
premises."
SUNSET HONDA - San Luis Obispo,
California - "We traded in our 2006 Mercedes
for a 2006 Honda Civic 1 month ago. Part of the deal we made with Sunset
Honda and that they agreed to was that they would pay off the Mercedes. It's
been well over a month, and Sunset Honda has not paid off the Mercedes as
they promised to do. Consequently our credit rating is in jeopardy. We've
called Sunset Honda several times, each time being promised that everything
would be taken care of. Nothing has been taken care
of!"
IRONDEGORT SUZUKI - Rochester, New
York - "Even though Irondegort Suzuki
knew that my credit was terrible, they invited me to come in and promised
that they would '...get me into a used car.' They also promised to give me
a gas voucher just for coming in. I found a car I liked and gave them a $50.00
deposit. They said that they would contact me in a couple of days about closing
the deal. After two weeks of hearing not a word, I called and talked to the
sales manager who assured me that '...things will be taken care of.' More
time passes and still nothing from Irondegort Suzuki about my car or the
gas voucher."
MILLER TOYOTA, Culver City,
California - "My salesman at Miller Toyota
refused to negotiate at all on the vehicle I was interested in. He simply
kept repeating that his offer was a great deal. I responded by telling him
that I could probably find a better deal somewhere else, and at that point
he began yelling at me. He also refused to return my car keys and driver's
license. After another 10 minutes of his yelling and calling me names, he
literally threw my keys and license at me. I don't know if all the salespeople
at Miller Toyota are like this one, but I'm sure never going back again to
find out!"
MARINA DEL REY TOYOTA, Marina del
Rey, California - "This dealership assured
me that they could order the vehicle I wanted in the color and with the options
that I wanted. Also, they would discount the car $750 off sticker price.
Two months went by and I never heard anything so I left a message with the
sales manager. He never called back. I called again and was told that the
car I had ordered was there, and that it was in the color and with the options
I wanted. I then went to the dealership, but the car was NOT the right color,
nor were the options I had ordered in it. The general manager of Marina del
Rey Toyota told me that the car I had spoken to them about had never been
ordered, but that they would sell me the one they had on hand. However, the
$750 discount I had earlier been promised would not be in affect. Bait and
switch strikes again!"
AUTOBARN, Countryside,
Illinois - "My friend took her 2003 VW
Passat in to this dealership because the brake lights were not working. They
said that the brake light switch was defective and that the cost for repair
would be $125 for labor alone. Because that seemed quite exorbitant my friend
decided to go elsewhere, but the service representative, 'Erma,' said that
the car could not be removed from the lot because defective brake lights
was a safety hazard. Additionally, 'Erma' said that the brake system needed
a 'system flush,' the serpentine belt should be replaced, and new tires were
needed. I checked and found that the tires had at least .25" of good tread
left, the serpentine belt showed no signs of cracking or chafing, and who's
ever heard of 'flushing' brake fluid? Autobarn is a scam
factory!"
PAUL MILLER BMW, Wayne, New Jersey
- "I purchased a 2000 BMW that Paul Miller
BMW had listed on eBay. It was described as '...checked out by our expert
service staff and is in great condition.' I had the car transported to North
Carolina, but when it arrived it was anything but 'great.' The windshields
were cracked, the a/c doesn't work at all, tires are bald, the front grill
fell out, power windows don't work, and the hood is dented. After taking
the car to a BMW-certified mechanic I was given a list of needed repairs
that totalled around $3,500--front brake pads and rotors, rear shock absorber
mounts, both lower control arms and bushings, exhaust camshaft position sensor,
both lower bumper grills, etc.,. Needless to say after contacting Paul Miller
BMW several times and faxing the repair estimate to them, they blew it all
off by saying that I had purchased the vehicle 'as is' and that they would
do nothing about all the problems. The words 'as is' don't appear anywhere
in the eBay ad, but the words 'Limited Warranty' do. Plainly I have been
totally ripped off by Paul Miller BMW in Wayne, New
Jersey."
FAMILY FORD, Waterbury,
Connecticut - "I was lured into Family
Ford by their 0% 72-month financing offer. Together with a salesperson and
the sales manager, I located a vehicle that I liked and we negotiated the
price. I signed the paperwork and put down a deposit and was told that I
could pick up my vehicle a few days later at 6 p.m. However, on the day of
my appointment, the salesperson called and told me that he couldn't the color
choice I wanted. When I arrived for my appointment at 6 p.m. the salesperson
wasn't there, but the manager told me that I would have to take one of the
other trucks he had on the lot. None of them were even close to the one I'd
chosen earlier. The manager said that he would try to locate the truck I'd
selected days before. I waited for several hours until the dealership was
closing. It was then that the manager told me that I would have to take another
vehicle and that if I didn't do this I'd lose the 0% financing. I argued
with the manager that we had already signed a deal, but all he said was,
'Talk to my attorney.' Stay away from Family Ford, the home of
bait-and-switch!"
ARNOLD CLARK FIAT, Elgin, Morayshire, Scotland -
"The vehicle I purchased from Arnold Clark Fiat had
three years remaining on the manufacturer's warranty. Arnold Clark promised
that they would honor the remainder of the warranty and said as much on the
sales receipt I got from them. However, the first time I took the car in
for service work, Arnold Clark refused to honor that agreement, telling me
that it was null and void since all of the required scheduled maintenances
had never been done."
GIRARD TOYOTA - New London,
Connecticut - "After buying a vehicle
from Girard Toyota I learned that they had failed to adequately complete
the payoff balance on my trade in. Numerous unanswered phone calls and my
intended offer to help cover the payoff with another $600 of my own money
brought nothing more from Girard Toyota but several calls to my employer
with threats of contacting the police, rescinding my registration,
etc.,."
PENN TOYOTA - NEW YORK, Greenvale,
New York - "I bought a vehicle from
salesperson Dave Chowdary and paid cash. The main reason I made the purchase
from Penn Toyota was because the contract stated that they would provide
a free loaner vehicle for any service I ever had done. They also included
a one-year-free-service clause in the contract. Penn Toyota has refused to
honor either of those contract
stipulations."
ARTIOLI DODGE, Enfield,
Connecticut -
"I paid cash for a van from Artioli Dodge,
but they entered my address incorrectly on the bill of sale, registration
and title. Four and a half months and several requests later they have not
made the necessary corrections. Now they won't even talk to
me!"
HONDA VILLAGE, Newton,
Massachusetts - "I spoke on the telephone
with Samantha Lee at Honda Village. She assured me that they had in stock
the vehicle I wanted, and we also agreed on a price for it. My wife and I
drove to the dealership where Ms. Lee handed us over to their "selection
specialist," Kevin Hunt. It turned out that Honda Village did NOT have the
vehicle in stock that we'd been told they had, nor would they honor the agreed
on price for it. A clear case of "bait 'n switch" if there ever was
one."NOTE! A lawsuit against Auto Dealer
Complaint Registry has been threatened as a result of the complaint registered
against Honda Village.
GANLEY TOYOTA, Akron,
Ohio - "I dropped off my 1999 Toyota Camry
at Ganley Toyota because the headlights would not come on. First they charged
$80 just to diagnostics, then the service representative, Scott Kirkpatrick,
told me that the cost of repair would be around $200. Finally, after the
promised short waiting period extended into several hours, I was informed
that the problem still hadn't been resolved, even after the new parts ordered
for my car were put into another one which caused an electrical short circuit.
Scott Kirkpatrick made a loaner car available and again promised that the
repairs wouldn't exceed $200. A couple of days later I called to see what
was going on and was told by a different service representative that Scott
Kirkpatrick no longer worked for Ganley Toyota. He also said that the repairs
would cost more like $900 instead of the $200 I'd been promised earlier.
When I brought this discrepancy up with the service manager, Michelle, she
told me that it was just too bad. I tried to get in touch with the owner,
but I was told that he'd said there was nothing wrong with what was being
done to me. At last I went to pick up my car, but it had to be jumped started.
They told me that the battery would charge up during my drive home. I drove
the 30 minutes home, shut off the motor and tried to start it again. It wouldn't
even turn over. I called Ganley about this and was told that I probably needed
a new battery. Ha! The one in my car was no older than a year and a half.
It's obvious that the service department at Ganley Toyota screwed up big
time, but still went ahead an overcharged
me."
BRITTON CHEVROLET, Berea,
Kentucky - "I am a woman who went car
shopping at this dealership. While looking at one car a salesman named
Danny Sweet approached. Almost immediately he began talking about how pretty
my hair was, and how good my butt looked in my jeans. I tried to ignore his
advances and asked him just to show me the car. I asked for a test drive
and he insisted on going with me. During the test drive he put his hand on
my thigh and asked me to go have a drink with him. I was terrified. He said
that he wanted to take me out because I was so beautiful. I felt cheapened,
dirty, and humiliated. Once back at Britton Chevrolet, I got out of the car
as fast as I could and left. I promise you'll, I'll never go within five
miles of the place again!"
DIRITO BROTHERS, Concord,
California -
"We leased a new vehicle from Dirito Brothers,
but at 20,000 miles the transmission mounts broke. The transmission dropped
down and snapped the axle. Dirito Brothers claims that the transmission plate
must have been 'impacted,' and they refuse to honor our vehicle warranty
for this reason."
NATIONAL AUTO SALES, Marietta,
Georgia - "I bought a car from National
Auto Sales that had a warranty. A few months later the engine quit completely,
but National Auto Sales refused to honor their warranty. Even though I
voluntarily gave the vehicle back to them, National Auto Sales still insists
that I pay them in full. The president of National Auto Sales, Bob Petersen,
even accused me of having abused the car and being negligent. I am a certified
mechanic and have rebuilt many engines myself and know how to properly take
care of a car. This dealership should be
exposed!"
TOYOTA of HAYWARD, Hayward,
California - "Toyota of Hayward advertises
that they have the best and largest selection in the Bay Area. We spent two
hours there trying to buy a 2007 Corolla, but the only one they claimed to
have in stock had alloy wheels which added $400 to the price. We didn't really
want to spend the extra money, but decided to buy the car anyway. Then the
salespeople told us that the keys had been locked up in the service department
for the night. Naturally we were getting very annoyed because we'd driven
a long way only to find the car we wanted had to be bought with the high-priced
wheels, and now we couldn't even get the key to it. When we pressed for some
quicker resolution to the problem other than driving all the way home and
then returning the next day, the sales manager, Will, exploded. He complained
that he was tired and said he was just going home. My advice would be to
avoid this dealership because they're not only incompetent but not too concerned
with customer satisfaction."
355 TOYOTA, Rockville, Maryland
- "I bought
a car from this dealership four months ago and still haven't received my
title. When I contact 355 Toyota I get nothing but one excuse after another,
many of which are contradictory. I still can't register my
car!"
RIVERTON CHEVROLET, Sandy, Utah
- "I bought a 2006 Chevrolet from Riverton
Chevrolet and then found that it had body damage. My salesman could do nothing
about this but said that I should write to the owner of Riverton Chevrolet,
Chris Page. I wrote him several months ago and got no response of any kind.
I called GM Customer Service and they said that they would get back to me.
I haven't heard anything in the months following from them either. I even
wrote two letters to the CEO of General Motors, Ron Wagoner and he too has
ignored me."
KEFFER DODGE, Charlotte, North
Carolina - "I purchased a 2005 Chrysler
Pacifica for $21,000 from Keffer Dodge. Before signing the contract I'd noticed
damage to the rear end, but was promised that it would be repaired to my
satisfaction. When I returned to pick up my car, the damage had not been
repaired. When I told them I wouldn't accept the car like that I was assured
by Brian Beechuk the sales manager that all I needed to do was make an
appointment, bring the car in, and they would fix everything to my satisfaction.
I did this, but a day later when I went back to get the car I saw that absolutely
nothing had been done to repair the rear end. Beechuk told me that they'd
been unable to find their body repairman. I left the car again. Upon returning
I found that the damage had not been completely repaired, and the paint work
done was scratchy and had spots in it. I complained about all this, and Beechuk
said that he'd have the dealership's general manager, Brian Barnwell, get
in touch with me. He never did, and when I finally managed to contact him
he was very rude and complained that all the things I was complaining about
was costing the dealership too much money---even though they'd earlier promised
to do the work. This time I managed to talk them out of a loaner vehicle
while I left my car, but later that same day the dealership called and told
me that I'd have to bring it back because a sales manager hadn't signed it
out and therefore I was driving it illegally. Once more, when I returned
to pick up my car, the rear end hadn't been repaired properly, particularly
the paint work. I again complained, but was told that there was nothing further
that the dealership could do. Also, during all this hassle, I received a
letter from American Financial Warranty Corp telling me that the extended
warranty I'd purchased could not be covered by them. A call to Keffer Dodge
brought an assurance that they would resolve this situation, but I subsequently
got another letter stating that the extended warranty coverage was for 84
months or 70,000 miles. This was wrong! The paperwork I had signed regarding
the extended warranty was for 109,217 miles. I showed this paperwork to the
dealership and was AGAIN told they would take care of everything for me.
A couple of days later though I got another letter from American Financial
Warranty telling me that the dealership had filled the paperwork out incorrectly
and that the warranty coverage would only be for 84,000 miles. At this point
the dealership refused to discuss this or the incomplete repairs with me
any further."
LAND ROVER NORTH DADE, North Miami,
Florida - "Prior to purchasing a used
2001 Range Rover from Land Rover North Dade I asked if the vehicle had ever
been wrecked. The representative of this dealership assured me that it had
not and I was given a Car Fax report that seemed to confirm this. Land Rover
also provided a 2-year/24,000 mile warranty because the vehicle I'd selected
had been 'pre-certified' by Land Rover through its 141-point inspection program.
About a week after taking delivery, I noticed that the front bumper wasn't
aligned properly. I called Land Rover North Dade about this and was told,
"...well, you did buy a used vehicle." They wouldn't even look at the vehicle.
I then took it to a local body shop where it was determined that the Range
Rover's chassis was bent. Land Rover North Dade refused to do anything about
this, and referred me to their corporate offices. They agreed to take care
of any 'minor' body problem that their own body shop found, but by now my
confidence in Land Rover North Dade had decreased considerably so I took
the Ranger Rover into an independant shop. They found that the vehicle had
been involved in at least two accidents, and that the total cost to repair
would be approximately $2,300."
BOURNIVAL KIA, Portsmouth, New
Hampshire - "We bought a used vehicle
from Bournival Kia, and two weeks later the dust shield under the engine
came loose and began dragging on the highway. It was discovered that there
were only a few pins holding it in place. My husband managed a temporary
fix so that we could drive the car in to Bournival KIA. They told us that
they would take care of the problem for no charge, but when the vehicle was
returned to us we found that little had been done, and that the temporary-fix
parts my husband had put in were still in place. We tried repeatedly to get
Bournival KIA to actually repair the broken part, but they refused and began
totally ignoring us. The manager of the sales department, Dale, even yelled
at us when we persisted. Now we're having to replace the broken part at our
own expense ($275) even though we've had the car only for 22 days. We've
also found that Bournival KIA's so-called warranty has so many holes in it
that they might just as well have sold the car "as
is."
NISSAN of GARDEN CITY, Hempstead,
Long Island, New York - "I ordered a 2006
Nissan Altima from Nissan of Garden City. After I handed over the check for
the total amount ($19,734) the salesman then told me that the vehicle was
no longer available because it had been "...hit by a truck." I was invited
to the back lot to choose another vehicle, with which I've since been having
various problems. The dealership refuses to acknowledge these problems, nor
will anyone return my calls or respond to my letters. I finally just took
the vehicle back to them with only 3,400 miles on it."