ComplaintsforAffinity Auto Programs Inc

• Initial Complaint

  09/22/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I leased a ***** Odyssey from a dealer recommended by the Costco Auto Program. It was defective from day 1 and I submitted a form re:dealer to you yesterday. I am including here the involvement of the Costco Auto Program as well as the ****** dealership Lithia *****, that Costco recommended I take the vehicle to but followed Costco's direction and did not even identify the problem much less solve it. They were not willing to involve themselves or trade in the car and since then, it is overheating and under the hood the car is burning hot and dangerous to drive. I have been paying a lease of $500 for over a year for a car that I was told by multiple ***** dealership had tampering and outside interference. The car was towed there a few days ago because it is clearly dangerous to drive with multiple issues, the latest pertaining to the engine. In a year, no one has fixed that car yet 6 dealers have told me ******************** leased me a tampered car and they must replace it.

  Business response

  09/30/2021

  Dear Better Business Bureau:
  
  We are currently gathering information and will deliver a response to complaint ID#: ******** within the next ten days. Thank you for your understanding.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************
  ***********************************
  Affinity Auto Programs, Inc.
  Dba Costco Auto Program
  *****************************************************************************************
  

  Customer response

  10/18/2021

  Hello, and thank you for reopening my complaint against the Costco Auto Program. I reject their statement of sending their response within the next ten days when your guidelines indicate that it is within only five days to answer or the case would be closed.

  
  

  I specifically sought out the Costco Auto Program because they represent having relationships with certain dealerships to facilitate the lease or purchase of a vehicle. They claim that their dealerships provide the invoice price and backup documentation, none of which I received. They also claim to provide the names of specific sales people as contacts to assist the customer in terms of honesty and integrity. 

  
  

  When the car I leased had electronic issues including locking me in the car, oil issues, gushing of fluids under the car, gauges misreading levels, gas leaks, lights indiscriminately flashing, alarms blaring, a defective battery, hatchback door flying open while driving, front and rear windshield wipers suddenly and erratically spanning the windshields, the radio suddenly blaring, and much more, I not only kept them abreast of the various malfunctions, since I was getting nowhere with the dealership where the General Manager was actually blaming, rude, and even hung up on me! 

  
  

  Additionally, the car is now extremely dangerous and I will not drive a car with all that is under the hood seriously overheating, ***** to the touch, is smoking, and making rumbling noises as if its getting ready to explode. Both Costco and the dealership wanted me to drive the vehicle a thousand miles from *******, ****** where I was residing to the dealership in *********** when I had sat in the waiting room for two full days and was told the car was fine and they could find nothing wrong. Days later it needed 3 quartz of oil after only **** miles. 

  
  

  I reached out to Costco to communicate with the General Manager of their recommended dealership to exchange the defective and dangerous vehicle for another. They said they had difficulty reaching the ** and when they did, nothing came of their supposed call. 

  
  

  I am including 3 additional emails that document the vehicular issues. 

  Thank you for your help!

  *********************

  
  

  Business response

  10/18/2021

  Dear Better Business Bureau:
  
  Please find the enclosed letter in response to complaint ID#: ********, which has been sent to Ms. ***** via email. Thank you.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************
  ***********************************
  Affinity Auto Programs, Inc.
  Dba Costco Auto Program
  *********************************************************************************************************************************

*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. ↩