ComplaintsforStephen Automall Centre

• Initial Complaint

  07/30/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My name is ****** ******* ** I am disabled Iraq war veteran. I have purchased four vehicles from Stephen Automall Centre. One ***** ***** ****** and three *********. The last vehicle purchased was a 2013 ***. The Vehicle went to Stephen's for all maintenance and repairs that it required or that were suggested. Four months after I paid off the vehicle the timing belt broke and the engine was damaged and needed to be replaced at a cost of $8960.10. After that, the rear differential started to make a grinding noise and the Stephens Automall estimated the repair was going to cost $4000. I then went for a second opinion and that mechanic estimated the repair was going to be $2000. After that, a computer module for the front seats needed to be replaced at a cost of $1707.71. Two weeks ago, my wife noticed that the vehicle was leaking oil, the car is now in the shop getting fixed. This has been a huge inconvenience and has been going on for way too long. I feel that since the car was always maintained at Stephen's the damage to the engine from the timing belt could have been prevented. Please Assist. Thank you

  

  Business response

  08/07/2024

  On 2/21/24, Mr. ********’ 2013 ********, vehicle identification number ***************** was towed to Stephen ********.  The vehicle mileage was 109,117 miles on the odometer. 
  The engine timing chains failed due to time and mileage wear and caused collateral damage to the engine.  The engine on this vehicle is a low interference engine which means when there is a timing chain failure, it can cause collateral damage to the internal engine parts.  At 109,117 miles, there was no existing warranty remaining on this vehicle.  Stephen ******** replaced the timing chains in an attempt to save the engine but, unfortunately, the collateral damage had already occurred when the timing chains failed.
  The customer was contacted and advised that the timing chain failure caused collateral engine damage and that the vehicle would require an engine replacement.  On 3/7/24, Mr. ******** authorized the replacement of the engine.  Stephen ******** then proceeded to special order the engine assembly from ******* ******.
  Upon arrival of the engine assembly, Stephen ******** commenced the replacement of the engine assembly.  The engine replacement was successful and came with a 3 year / 100,000 mile warranty, whichever comes first.  The replacement was completed on 3/20/23 and the customer was given a $569.00 military discount.
  On 7/29/24, 16 months and 10,549 miles later, the engine developed an oil leak at the oil pan.  Stephen ******** repaired the subject oil leak under the manufacturer engine warranty which is still valid.  In addition, the customer was provided with courtesy transportation for the duration of the repair.  Also, at this service visit, the transmission fluid was leaking from the front transmission seal.  The customer was made aware of this additional leak that was not covered by any vehicle warranty, however, Stephen ******** replaced the transmission torque converter and seal complimentary so that the customer could go on vacation with no vehicle fluid leaks. (retail value of $3712.58)
  The customer took possession of his repaired vehicle on Saturday, 8/3.24 and proceeded on with his vacation.  Stephen ******** has fulfilled the engine warranty repair as obligated.  Thank you
  

• Initial Complaint

  03/25/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I purchased my used vehicle (dealer car) on January 13, 2024. I've yet to receive my license plates and registration. I paid for the vehicle in full (see attached receipt) and they said it would take 2 weeks. It's been 10 weeks and this is unacceptable. They are not responding via email and when I speak to a sales manager live, I get the same answer, "We don't know when you'll have your plates and registration - soon we think." How is this possible? I'd like to complete this transaction and not have to deal with this dealership ever again. They NEVER contact me on their own to provide updates. I always have to call and they ignore all emails. I gave them a check for $37.596.27 on 1/13/24 and he said they recently paid off the ****** and recently sent the information to ***. I'm not understanding the hold up and why this is taking so long. It's been 10 weeks. I would like to receive my license plates and registration from ****** (they have to get them from the *** and claim they've sent the paperwork but only recently when it should have been sent a while ago). I've called several times and spoke with the sales manager. He recently told me that the information was only recently sent to the *** and they cannot seem to obtain updates as to where my registration and plates are.

  

  Business response

  03/25/2024

  Customer was contacted and satisfied with the results of the conversation and resolution to the complaint.

  

  Business response

  03/26/2024

  Registration has been completed and customer picked up plates on Monday March 25, 2024.

  Customer response

  03/26/2024

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** *****

• Initial Complaint

  12/27/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My wife & I purchased a new vehicle through Stephen AutoMall Centre. As a part of the purchase agreement, we purchased ******* ********* Ceramic Paint Protection. After we took delivery of the vehicle, we decided to take it to a high end detail center to have the top half wrapped in vinyl to give a two-tone look, 5 days later. We informed the company of what was done to the paint just days prior. Upon receipt of the vehicle they began prepping the car for the wrap. They found that the vehicle did not have the ******* ********* product applied to it. We had them test further and they were certain it was not on the vehicle. To get a second opinion, we took the vehicle to another reputable detail shop to have them test for this product as well. They also confirmed that it was not applied. To make sure everyone was on the same page, we furnished the documents we received from the dealer to both detail shops. We had both companies put their findings in writing for our records. We then took the information from both detail companies to Stephen Automall to see if we can have this remediated, they insisted that they did apply the product and that the other two companies are wrong and do not want to do anything about the situation. We understand that things can happen, which is why we wanted to be sure before we pointed a finger anywhere and got a second opinion. You would think after spending nearly $90,000 at a dealer on a new vehicle, they would be more understanding in this situation. We would just like to have our money for the ******* portion of our bill refunded

  

  Business response

  12/28/2023

  Customer was mailed a check (attached) for $1295.00 on 12/27/2023

• Initial Complaint

  09/05/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On 8/26/2023, I went to ******** ********* website to search their inventory. I searched a 250 mile radius for the specific car I wanted. Some ****** dealers have a feature called "*********". This is *********: With *********, you can unlock available savings so the estimate you see online is what you’ll pay at the dealership. Before you even contact us, our payment calculator will show you a line-by-line estimate of your purchase to make sure you’re happy with it. Not all ****** dealers have *********. I received a detail written quote. I called the dealer and asked if the van is still available. They said yes. I said I wanted to buy it. It was late in the day Saturday and their sales manager left. They wanted to get a deposit from me, and we were going to finish Monday. I was OK with this, and then they pulled the bait and switch. They told me the car had a $5K market adjustment. I told them I have a written ********* quote and this is not included. They said the system hasn't been updated yet. they can have a sales manager call me Monday. I called them Monday, they said no. They offered a $3K market adjustment but would not sell it to me for the written quote. WHICH, the written quote is ****!! Many other ****** Dealer's on my search have market adjustments. They have this priced in. Stephen ****** is deceptive. Advertising an exact price and they will not honor it. I'm writing this complaint 1 week later. Stephen ****** still has this van listed online and still has not added their junk market adjustment fee.

  

  Business response

  09/05/2023

  It is our Sales Department's policy to price vehicles once they are physically delivered to us.  The ****** you inquired about was physically delivered to us this weekend and priced.  We do not have vehicles listed at or below ****, but the ******** are still selling over ****.

   

  If you would like to contact Steve H****** to negotiate pricing, please call *** *** ****.

  Customer response

  09/06/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  You state that you do not price vehicles until they are on your lot. This is false. You did price your vehicle. Not only did you price your vehicle, you gave it a ********* price. The whole premise behind ********* is full transparency of the price (and more). I have attached an example of how other dealers post their vehicles ethically.

  1. ****** ****** "Contact Dealer for Price". This is what your pricing should have said. I don't expect them to be selling at ****.

  2. ********* ****** "Dealer Advertised Price". They do not have *********. I don't expect their pricing to be as accurate as yours. I called ********* ******. If I was in *****, they sell at ****. Since I'm out of state, they have a market adjustment. This is fine. They never lead me to believe their price to me would be **** because they didn't give me a ********* price. 

  3. ***** ******: *********, ****. They do sell at ****. They currently have my deposit and will sill the next van to me at ****.

  The bait-and-switch tactic from Stephen ****** was very disappointing. 

  
  Sincerely,
  
  **** ******

  

  Business response

  09/06/2023

   I do apologize there may have been an error in the pricing on our ***** **** website.  The Manager that is responsible for the pricing was away last week and this week.  Based on your rejection response it looks as though you have a deposit on a unit that is not in stock.  In order to put an end to this issue, we are willing to sell you our ****** at ****.  If not, I would like to know what would make **** ****** satisfied?  I have made an attempt to contact him two times today with no success.  What is the best way to reach him?

   

  Sincerely,

  Stephen H******, Assistant ****** Manager

  Customer response

  09/12/2023

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  **** ******

• Initial Complaint

  08/09/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On July 5th I spoke with Tom in the service department and explained that I was hearing a rumbling noise each time I accelerated but I wasn’t sure how to schedule an appointment because I don’t know what’s wrong with my car. Tom said I could come in and he would drive my car to see if he could identify what was causing the noise. I came in the next day, Tom drove my car with me and said he believes it was the tire bearing on the left side because each time he veers to the left, the noise worsened. I was relieved because as I was sitting in the passenger seat, I could not hear the noise at all and that’s because it was only on the left side. I asked, if his discovery is correct, how much would it cost to fix the bearing and he said around $600. My appointment was scheduled for 7/12/23 at 1 PM. When I arrived, Tom was not there, and John handled my service details. He began by asking a question that did not make sense to me, which was, what service did you scheduled for today, and I said Tom should have scheduled me for tire bearing service; I also gave him all the details I mentioned above. He then said, that is weird because we don’t usually schedule this kind of service this late in the day. 30 minutes later he came into the waiting area and asked me to sign for the proposed service which stated diagnostic testing for $159.95. I disagreed with the proposed service but signed thinking maybe the noise was not related to the tire bearing. About 20 minutes later, John came to me and said two tire bearings needed to replaced and the cost would be $1,080. My issues with this experience are, why did I have to pay $159.95 to be given the same information that Tom told me about the prior week for free. Also, I believe that only one bearing needed to be replaced because when I sat on the passenger side, I did not hear the noise at all. Both the diagnostic charge and the suggestion that the right-side bearing also needed to be replaced were excessive and offensive.

  

  Business response

  08/09/2023

   We apologize for any confusion caused by the initial service representative being on vacation at the time of the customer appointment. 

   

  We will reimburse ** ***** $170.11 in full for the diagnostic charge incurred.

   

  Thank you

  Don B****, Service Director

  Stephen Cadillac Buick GMC

  Customer response

  08/10/2023

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ********* *****

• Initial Complaint

  07/31/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We purchased a 2022 ****** ****** on 6/27/2023. When we picked up the vehicle,we sat for an hour waiting for the registration. The sales rep put the plates on the truck and said we were good they would finalize the registration in the morning as it was after hours They also told us we would have a 90 day free trial for the ****** app which included navigation, security, auto start ect. When we went to sign up we were informed that because the vehicle was a dealer owned or fleet vehicle we are unable to link the vehicle to the app. We reached out to our sales rep on 6/29, 7/3 no resolution. 7/6 we realized we were driving an unregistered vehicle. We contacted our sales rep and were told it would be resolved by the end of the day. 7/7 called to confirm as we were leaving to drive to *******. At that time we were informed that the vehicle was a **** vehicle and they were waiting on the title from ****** for registration. We had traded in our car, which they no longer had, so after speaking with the sales manager they eventually gave us a dealer plate for our trip. ( the plate is not good in ** where we live.) 7/11, 7/18 followed up on both reg and app. No response. 7/28/2023 day we were driving home from ******* we were informed that our insurance was canceled due to not registering within 30 days. Called the dealer requesting a resolution as we needed to drive home and we had signed a waiver so we had no insurance. Cody GM called starting the conversation with I will tell you how this works and you can talk when I'm done.Very unprofessional, He again stating it takes 3 weeks to receive the title and he never heard of ins. canc because of not being registered. When I state it has been 5 weeks, we were never told they did not have a title or there would be a delay in registering the vehicle. We have been patient and now our insurance is canceled, He hung up on me. I sent a message through their website in hopes to speak with someone but no response.

  

  Business response

  08/02/2023

  I spoke with the customer *******. I offered a rental. She was happy it was offered but declined. She explained to me that they have a second vehicle they can drive. I explained to the customer we were sending her a $250.00 check for her inconvenience. She is happy to accept that. I also explained that we were waiting on ****** to release the title which has been done as of today. It is being sent via the mail and we should have it within a week and a half and we would send a driver to register the vehicle that day and deliver the plates to her home and put them on her car.  I then spoke with her husband about the connected services and explained how to enable them on his vehicle. Both ******* and Tim are happy with the outcome and ******* said she would log on to the BBB site to update her filing. Please let me know if you need any additional information. 

   

  Steve H******

  ****** Sales Department

   

• Initial Complaint

  03/20/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I purchased a 2013 ****** **** from STEPHEN AutoMall Center in ******* ** on 09/06/ 2022 for $22,000. I also bought with it the ****** Extra Care (extended warranty) with coverage level Gold for $2,395. The name of the salesperson is SAEID H*****I. The vehicle stayed for a long time at the dealer after the purchase date, more than a month, I asked the salesperson about it and he said the service department was waiting for the last part to be delivered, the salesperson didn't give me any details about the missing parts or the state of the vehicle, no one at the dealer gave me the vehicle history report prior to purchasing the vehicle despite the fact I asked the salesperson about it multiple times. I later discovered from the ******** ********* Vehicle History Report that an accident was reported for the vehicle on 09/02/2022 in ************ **, I also learned that the vehicle was listed for sale on 09/08/2022 according to the same report, which is two days after the purchase date 09/06/2022. In addition to the above, and after one week of owning the car, I discovered that the vehicle had three problems: faulty left rear pressure sensor, leaky head gasket, and Axles Rubber Boots cracked and coming apart. I took the vehicle to the dealer for repair on 03/02/2023, I was charged $277.39 to replace the pressure sensor, the extended warranty covered the leaky head gasket only. I called the same salesperson SAEID H*****I and let him know about the issues, but he didn't help offset the charges, he called me back the next day with a negative answer. So, to sum up the above, I have two problems that I want to report and resolve: - Why the salesperson didn't let me know that there is an accident reported for the vehicle prior to purchasing it. I was overpaid for the car because of that, and because the car lost its value because of the reported accident. - Why neither the dealer nor the ****** extended warranty covered for the repair expenses of the above listed problems.

  

  Business response

  03/27/2023

  We have notified the customer that we are refunding the $277 he was charaged and fixing his axel boots.

  Customer response

  03/28/2023

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  

  The dealership agreed to refund me for the pressure sensor and offered to replace the front axles of the vehicle and perform alignment.

   

  Sincerely,
  
  ***** ******

• Initial Complaint

  01/14/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  If only I had enough time in the day to really let the world know how I feel about these ********. I’ll keep it very short and sweet. I looked at used car online they had available, spoke with a sales guy named Mike who was super pushy and rude. The dealership was an hour and a half away from me, I was willing to put down $10,000 on it and told the guy I had the cash in hand but wanted to make sure the car would still be there if I made the hour and a half trip down there. He told me to make the process quick and easy, I should fill out all the paperwork now and they would process everything once I got there if I liked the car. I didn’t like his attitude and called back an hour later telling him I didn’t plan on making the trip down to ** to look at the car. This loser still ran my credit when I technically did not authorize him to and did it AFTER I told him I was not coming to look at the car. I called the manager by the name of David M****** to express my concern and asked if he would notify the credit bureaus that I did not give permission. David advised me by filling out the forms I did authorize for them to run my credit. After I explained to him that Mike ran my credit AFTER I told him I was not going to look at the car at me, do you know what David did??!? This guy LAUGHED AT ME. Said there was nothing he could do. I am so disgusted by this place.

  

  Business response

  01/17/2022

  Customer signed an electronic consent form which is in complete compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

*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. ↩