ComplaintsforPresidential Auto Sales

• Initial Complaint

  01/25/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Bought a 2014 Jeep Patriot cash. Tried to get them come down a little but said they couldn’t after what they had put into it. I know I was buying as is. But had the car two weeks and had to replace the throttle body. Now I have had the vehicle 25 days and it has a cracked head gasket. $4500 down the drain for a car I got to drive only 25 days. I was hoping even as is I would have at least got 9 months to a year out of it. So frustrated now that I feel like I threw that money out a car window and I am without a car. When I first brought the issue to their attention I was having problems, they informed me that that had replaced the radiator which was not disclosed when purchasing the vehicle. I took the vehicle to two mechanics who both told me that whoever sold me this car put head gasket sealant in it to cover up the issue to sale it. I contacted Presidential Auto Sale with this info from the second mecahnic and have been ignored. Please beware.

  Business response

  01/27/2023

  Mrs. ***** did purchase a 2014 Jeep Patriot for $3999 cash the Jeep at the time of purchase was in good running condition in which herself test drove the vehicle along with her son.  We had put a new radiator in the vehicle at the time of purchase because of a small leak that was discovered at that point in which it was brought to the dealership from the auction.  After the maintenance it was put for sale and started every morning except Sunday it was driven on errands periodically when we needed to pick employees up etc.  The vehicle never overheated or showed signs of a weak head gasket while it was in possession at Presidential for over 90 days.  We absolutely never put anything to fix or cover up a weak head gasket a head gasket problem can happen from small problems that arise and are not taken care of like an thermostat that sticks closed or an electronic fan not coming on so in our experience you cannot mask a head gasket problem it’s either blown or not there is no in between if the vehicle gets to hot it will blow the gasket.  Mrs. Tyron did text us from a shop in St. Louis Missouri she had driven there 24 days after purchase and on the 25th day had the overheating problem so she drove the vehicle approximately 6 Hrs from Hot Springs and it only started overheating after she had gotten to St Louis.  In my experience you would not have made even to Malvern with a weak head gasket.  We did offer to look at her vehicle but she stated she was up in Missouri and there was no way of getting it back down here.   I think a small problem became a big problem and that is something I cannot control they are used cars with high miles we do help our customers daily but there was little I could do with the car 6 hours away.  We make it clear at the point of sale they are As-Is no warranty for our cheaper cash vehicles.

  Business response

  02/10/2023

  We at Presidential 100% did not add any sealant to her vehicle the vehicle was running just fine when she bought it.  She bought the car As Is.  The Jeep was cheaper because of some bad body work done to the upper right rear top.  I offered for her to bring to us to check out that’s when she stated she was in Missouri and then later sent us a bill from a shop.  I have attached the bill even though by law I have the right to refuse to fix anything due to the As Is warrant I am willing to pay for the parts and shop supplies which totals 421.07 or she can bring the vehicle to us and we will fix it at no cost to her at Presidential’s shop located in Hot Springs Arkansas that’s the best I can do.

  Customer response

  02/13/2023

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 18887335, and find that reimbursement for the $421 to this resolution is satisfactory to me since I am un able to bring the vehicle from Missouri to Arkansas.  Please let me know the next steps.  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** *****

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩