Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. 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.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/21/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My name is ******* ****** I am a nurse and moved recently to Gainesville FL. Sorry for writing on regards to these events. I bought recently a vehicle with Gatorland Toyota. The seller was excellent and did a great job. The manager as well did a great job. When it came to the financial part, it was uncomfortable and felt like I needed to do what i was told. Having a credit score of 798 I was forced to give a down payment when I told ****** that I wasn't interested in doing so do to my credit history, my credit score and I pay my debts even if it ***** sacrificing my everyday food. I was forced to give 1000$ down payment because I needed "skin on the game" as referred by the financial manager. Not only that, I had my temporary tags and expired on 11/16/2024. I went to Gatorland Toyota on 11/15/2024 to get new tags. The financial manager there which forced me for the down payment, said that it is ok to drive with expired tags and dividend not to do his job. I asked when could I received my plates and he referred that no later than 11/18/2024. It is 11/21/2024 and I still don't have my license plate. I feel uncomfortable going to ask the tags for a second time and asking for the dates of my plate for a third time. I already started working on the hospital and I'm exposing myself to infraction. By law and common knowledge the tag is expired. I'm a very precaution person and do not like to get to limits. This is a serious matter and will go tomorrow for a new tag. I will not involve lawyers due to the fact that this may be resolved in a civil manner. Thank you.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/11/2024

  Good afternoon Mr. ******

  Thank you for calling me back yesterday and verifying that you received the plate. I apologize for *** misplacing the original tag and we notified the them of the issue. As far as the thousand dollars down payment Gatorland Toyota is not the bank. This only lowered your amount finance and will help you pay it off faster. Mr. ***** who you've been speaking with turn in the check request for the the refund of $39.40. Please let me know if you have any further questions. We hope you enjoy your new vehicle. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/07/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  was sold a Used 2013 Sequoia 7/9 my first problem was after purchase *** **** was supposed to be sending me the second key in the mail because the “service manager” had it and it was after hours. She also mentioned this sequoia was the service managers cousins vehicle before. When I called a week later they said they wouldn’t be sending the key or helping me get a second key because they “lost too much money in the deal”. Decided to just deal with it. A week later I took it to the shop because of gold flakes indicating a leak stop i wasn’t told about and wanted to get a full report of the vehicle, up until that day I thought I was safe purchasing a used car from Gatorland Toyota. A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. when I picked up the vehicle, I was told that it had a blown head gasket , since then I’ve gotten countless quotes and opinions all leading to a broken head gasket- all wanting to replace the motor which will be $9k. After being ignored for 4 days by Gatorland Toyota I got a call from **** Means “I’m not calling you a liar but our mechanic did a $1200 inspection on that vehicle and would have never missed that, I’ve spoken to my general manager and he’s put this on me to fix and I can offer you $500” offended we told him we wanted to speak with the general manager ***** **** who had been on vacation, apparently he was supposed to come in for 4 hours and **** means was going to get us a quote from their service department to fix it. We never heard from **** again. We received a call from ***** Monday 7/29, sounded like he was going to try to make it right. Considering anyone with morals would try to make it right. We’ve never heard from Gatorland Toyota again and all calls are ignored. We haven’t even had this SUV a month. We’re welcoming a new baby in 9 weeks. And now the vehicle we purchased for $16800 has a $9,824 problem.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/07/2024

  To whom it may concern,

  The customer purchased an AS-IS 2013 vehicle with 180k miles. The unit was inspected from our shop and did an AS-IS inspection conducted by our certified technician. The 2013 vehicle that the Hanson's purchased has never been to our dealership in the past and didn't belong to the service managers family. The vehicle was traded in to us and was driven up from the ***** area. I spoke to Mr. ****** and asked him to bring it to his local Toyota dealership due to the fact he lives four hours away. I left a voicemail for the service manager at his local Toyota dealer to arrange an inspection on Gatorland Toyota's behalf. Thank you 

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/08/2024

  SEE ATTACHED: AS-IS Purchase

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/12/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I Purchased a 2018 Ram 2500 on Feb 8th 2024, I traded in a 2018 Ram 3500 that was financed though ******************** On wed 3/6 i received and balance increase hit on my credit monitoring service, i I call campus and they informed me that the loan had not been paid off, I inquired with the finance ***** ****, and he told me that he would check into it with the accounting ***** and someone would get back with me in 24 hrs. No response from ********** Toyota, so i Called **** again Monday 3/11 and finally received the tracking number for the check that was sent. Finance came back to me during the process and said that the pay off amount was not what i thought it was and gave me a new pay off amount of $39,900. The payoff amount that i received from the lender on 3/11 is $40,285.00. I feel that that ********** Toyota should be responsible for the difference Because they did NOT obtain an accurate Payoff from my Lender, and they did not attempt to pay off the lender in a timely manner resulting in additional interest being charged to my account

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/26/2024

  The vehicle has been paid off and we apologize for the delay. We appreciate your business. Thank you!

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/20/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I may of **** I purchased a 2022 Ford Bronco from this dealership and was as a selling point told extended warranties were purchased that transferred to me. I was given brochures with all of these warranties, shown to me by the salesman when I was told the warranties now were transferred with the vehicle. However, upon trying to utilize the warranty at a Ford dealership I was informed the extended warranties are still in the original owners name and I could not use them. I then called ford warranty department and was told the warranties can be transferred to me with a signature from the original owner and a *** transfer fee. As soon as I learned this I called gatorland toyota to explain the situation and was told that only the manufacturers warranty transferred and they could not help me with that. But they would try and contact the sales person and see if they can "locate" the original owners contact information, but was basically told too bad it was a misunderstanding. There was no misunderstanding i was given brochures which i still have in my possession explaining the extended warranties and was told I now had these warranties. I feel I was misled by a used car salesman to make a sale and am very unhappy that the dealership is basically saying too bad you dont' know what you're talking about. I would like the dealership to produce a signed waiver by the original owner so i can have the warranties transferred to me and I was directly misled to believe this would not be an issue. I was NOT told the manufacturers warranty would be the only warranty to transfer and I feel the fact I have and was given brochures on warranties that I cannot use does not make sense and is proof that i was given incorrect information, whether intentional or accidental is really beside the point.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/04/2024

  The vehicle still has the balance of the factory warranty from the manufacture. Any additional warranty from the previous owner belongs to them and not future owners. Please let us know if you have any additional questions. Thanks

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/04/2024

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

   Complaint: ********

  I am rejecting this response because:

  The warranty is transferable which it says on the brochure I was given by Gatorland Acura and also told by your salesman-they were now my warranties. I have spoken with Ford who also said it is transferable(it clearly says this on the flyer so what you’re saying is not accurate).  I need a signed waiver by the original owner and it can be transferred.  So you are refusing to help after lying to my face. 

  Regards,

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

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/05/2024

  The previous customer purchased the service contract and is entitled to the money. You didn't pay for an extended service contract. The only transferable warranty is from the manufacturer coverage that stays with the vehicle. You are correct that a service contract can be transferred if the previous owner wishes to do so but this is not the case. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/05/2024

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

   Complaint: ********

  I am rejecting this response because:

  If this was not the case I shouldn’t have been told it was the case. That is the entire point. The original owner would have been refunded the remainder of the warranty value, and they were not.  The warranty is still active.  So the original owner does not get the warranty refund and I don’t get the warranty-that is 100% transferable. That makes no sense whatsoever.  What it comes down to is I wouldn’t even know about the original owner warranties had you not told me about them AND gave me the original pamphlets what was written on by the original owner with the pricing so this confirms my version of events. Had you not told me I wouldn’t know. Period. You could make it right by either contacting the original owner so they can be refunded or to transfer to me, since you were dishonest me and with potentially the original owner also.  The original owner is out the remainder of the warranty and/or I am out the warranties I was told I had.

  Regards,

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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/05/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  We purchased a new vehicle on 8/13/23 from Gatorland. They contacted us to say we needed to sign a new form to be able to complete paperwork and said they would be overnighting the form to us. A few days later, no form had arrived. I called and spoke with **** ******* and he said he had not sent the forms out yet. In order to expedite, he e-mailed me the forms and said if I would overnight to them, they would reimburse me for the cost. After numerous requests to **** and other managers, we still have not received the reimbursement of $28.75 to overnight the documents they were negligent in sending to us. They continually ignore any requests I send and never respond. For those reading this - this is NOT THE ONLY ISSUE WE HAD WITH THEM! I would strongly urge anyone looking to do business with Gatorland to think twice. I have never had such an experience dealing with a new car dealership and have purchased many vehicles over my 30+ adult years. Other issues were resolved, but it took a long time and a lot of headache.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/17/2023

  Good afternoon,

  The check request was submitted to our accounting office and was misplaced. An additional check request was sent and the tracking number was sent to the customer. We apologize for the delay and let us know if their is anything else we can help with. Thanks

   

  ***** ****

  General Manager

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/18/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

  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.  Sadly, it took this complaint to get any response from the dealership  I continue to urge customers to beware…

  Regards,

  ***** ******

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/11/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I purchased a 2021 Toyota Rav4 on 7/11/23. I paid $25,674.74 for the vehicle. First, I have yet to receive a permanent tag for my vehicle and the dealership will not issue me another temporary tag. I went to the DMV and they will not issue me a temporary tag since I purchased the vehicle more than 45 days ago. I am currently riding on an expired tag and could be pulled over and fined at any point now. I was also charged $500 in sales tax but they said this amount would cover all fees associated with getting my tag/registration. I was informed one week ago that I had to go and pay the property taxes on my vehicle ($350). This was the first I heard of this. So I paid the taxes and told them I would go to the DMV to get my tag. Then I was told that I couldn't do that since they "already started the process". I was charged $385 for them to do this for me and I have yet to see this service provided. Additionally, I was charged $1,099 to receive new tires, new brakes, etc. to be considered a certified preowned vehicle. I started hearing a loud noise coming from my tires so I went to get my car checked out/tires rotated. I was then informed that I needed new tires. I had only driven 5,000 miles on these tires so there was no way that they could have been new when I purchased the car. I have been in communication with the dealership daily about my tires but I have not heard from them in 3 days. I called to complain to sales manager and left multiple messages but he will not return my phone calls. Every time I call the dealership, I am sent to someone's voicemail and they never call me back about any of the issues. The dealership has yet to resolve these issues. When I was there on 7/11/23, the salesman was very misleading. We saw a price on Autotrader but when I arrived to look at the car, the price was thousands more for the car. Every step of the way, I have felt that I have been fighting with the dealership and I have been mislead on several occasions.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/13/2023

  Good afternoon,

  We just received information today from our out of state tag agency that your tag should be complete by month end. I spoke with Mr. ***** the used car manager and he stated he mailed you another temporary tag. I apologize for the inconvenience and the delay with the registration but out of state does take longer than normal. As far as the tire tread life, all four tires measured above 6/32nds when delivered to you. Please let us know how we can help as the registration is still in progress. Thanks

  ***** ****

  General Manager

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/19/2023

  The 2021 Toyota Rav4 that you purchased had two tires measured 8/32 and the other two 7/32. The alignment and balance was done on May 13th. If you put another 5k miles on the vehicle it's going to have more wear and tear on the tires. Please let us know if you have any other questions. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/19/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

   Complaint: ********

  I am rejecting this response because:

  I was misled on what a “new” tire was classified as. Tread depth of 6/32, 7/32, or 8/32 is not a new tire as I have stated previously. A new tire should be 10/32. When I consulted with the tire shop technician, he stated that there was no logical way that your measurements when I purchased the car could have been correct in comparison with the current condition of the tires 5,000 miles later. 

  Regards,

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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/22/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  DEEP CLEANING/DEATAILING NOT RECOMMENDED AT GATORLAND TOYOTA GAINESVILLE I dropped-off my care (White Prius) for a deep/detailed cleaning into the Gatorland Toyota dealership (**** * **** *** ************ ** *****) on Monday at 09:45 am. I was told to pick it up after 4-5 hours. Around 03:00 pm, when I received back my car, I noticed that a general cleaning was been done, and only few major things have been cleaned. The carpet and seats of my car were dirty as previously, they were not even touched! I remember the dirt on the carpet after their so called “deep cleaning” because it was quite visible. The seats had same old spots, which were not cleaned. Eventually, I talked to the relevant advisor “Mr. ***** ****”. First, he is an aggressive person, he showed me his aggressive side and became angry upon confrontation of the reality. He aggressively asked me, “How do you know if the spots on the seats were either permanent or not?” He asked me this question for THREE TIMES agg, is this the way to deal with your customers? I successfully managed to avoid the bad side of the conversation, otherwise...... Second, he does NOT listen to what I was saying, he started to continuously ignore me, and upon showing him the dirt from the carpet and seats, he took my car keys and drive-off. This shows his uncooperative behavior. I spent about 200/- USD, I could have done that myself, if I am getting back my dirty car, doesn’t make sense! My car is still dirty. A SOLUTION TO THIS ISSUE COULD BE 1) to gently extract-out all the seats from my car, 2) vacuum, soap the carpet, dry and then condition the carpet, 3) vacuum, soap the seats, dry and then condition the seats, and 4) install back al the seats into the car. I am NOT satisfied with the customer dealing behavior and I cannot go back to that shop unless they GUARANTEE me to perform the above-mentioned solution to my auto-vehicle. Because I am not going to risk my gas, energy, and valuable time for poor results.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/03/2023

  Good afternoon,

  I apologize that you had a bad experience with ***** and the detail job performed at the dealership. I'm more than happy to address the job when you have time to return. Please contact me to set up the time to inspect the vehicle and desired outcome.

  Sincerely

   

  ***** ****

  General Manager

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

  *** ********

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/28/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Please see attached.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/28/2022

  I would like to discontinue my complaint as the dealership called and resolved my situation. 
  
  ********* ************** (formerly ******) 
  *************/Cell
  
  Have a Blessed Day, and don't  forget to Smile. 
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/24/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Purchased a new Toyota Camry from Gatorland Toyota - paid for my out of state registration with car purchase. I am registering the car in **. The Finance Manager stated I had to complete a military clause in order to receive my registration. I explained to the manager I AM NOT military, I am Civil Service. I finished the purchasing process and left the dealership. 2 weeks later, my trade-in was still not paid off nor had ******* DMV received the paperwork for my registration. I contacted the dealership and spoke to a manager and the finance person; both told me they would submit pay off of of my trade-in once I completed the form they require. I explained to them I am not in the military, I am OUT of the military, therefore, I am a Veteran. I also told them this was illegal, I will not commit fraud and they also must pay for my trade. They insisted I complete the fraudulent act and told me they would only do what I need them to once they get what they want. I called back the 3rd week, still no payoff on trade nor paperwork at dealership. I spoke to a manager again, he stated once I complete the form they require, they will pay off my trade and send the documents to the DMV. With no end in sight, I agreed to complete the form and they agreed to mail it to me. Received the form and it was for ACTIVE DUTY ONLY to be exempt from paying Ad Valorem Taxes. I am NOT active duty nor am I seeking exemption from AVT. I called the dealership and spoke to finance guy (****) and explained to him (again) that this does not apply to me and it is illegal. His manager is still insisting I complete this fraud. It's going on month 2 and they still refuse to send my registration docs to the ** DMV. I have no idea what is going on other than they want me to commit fraud for entertainment purposes and ignorance (perhaps). I purchased a car and they are withholding my documents preventing me be a lawful citizen. I have spoken to multiple managers and employees and no one returns my calls.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/25/2022

  Good afternoon Mr. ******,

  Attached is the copy of the completed registration and your bank cashed the payoff check on the 10th of May. We apologize for any confusion regarding the registration process as out of states have been difficult. Hope you're enjoying the new vehicle and have a great holiday weekend. 

   

  Sincerely,

   

  ***** **** ** 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/26/2022

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

   Complaint: ********

  I am rejecting this response because: While action was taken to find a workable solution (not requested action/solution), it took great effort and more importantly, my time to get resolve. I have, in writing, a promise to send my registration to the state of ******* - yet this never happed even after the dealership told me they made a mistake. Ironic the individual that responded here couldn't respond much sooner after contacting ***** twice. 6 weeks to send registration from any dealership is unacceptable. I was called "incompetent" by the older manager of the Finance Department because I refused to commit fraud. Poor customer service. Then again, this is car salesmen doing what they do. I will do my own advertising on the dealership's behalf. Gatorland will be advertised - for free;-)

  Regards,

  ***** ******

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/22/2022

  Mr. ******,

  We apologize for any inconvenience for the registration not being done in a timely manner. Out of state registration takes much longer especially the state of **. We appreciate your business and hope you can give us another shot in the future. Tell us why here...

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/23/2022

  Gatorland management is playing ignorant here. They told me specifically, on several occasions, that they wouldn't process my registration in the state of ** until I signed (illegally/forged) an official form stating I was active duty military. Furthermore, after providing ample proof that I am a federal employee (civilian), they stated they would only process my registration in the state of Florida. I have voice-mail. So Gatorland, stop playing dumb!