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:02/17/2025

  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 ************* GLB 250 (VIN: *****************) from Carvilla, LLC on January 14, 2025, with a $10,500 down payment, financed through **********. My previous car was totaled in a no-fault accident involving a drunk driver on January 1, 2025, with my 3-year-old and 2-year-old in the back seat. I needed a safe and reliable replacement, and Carvilla assured me this one was in excellent condition. Shortly after purchase, I noticed a rumbling noise and steering wheel vibration. Concerned, I took it to ************* of ******, where Service Advisor ****** **** and his team diagnosed a failed rack and pinion steering gearbox requiring $6,000+ in repairs. They also noted the vehicle appeared to have been in an accident, yet the Carfax report showed no prior damage. I tried reaching Carvillas Service Manager, ****, for over two weeks via calls and emails, but he was unresponsive. My salesperson, ****, also tried with no success. When I finally reached **** on January 31, 2025, I took the vehicle to Grand Motorcars, Carvillas affiliated service center. **** denied any issues despite photographic evidence of undercarriage damage. Instead of addressing the issue, they performed an alignment, which did not fix the problem. ************* also suggested Carvilla may have reset fault codes before selling the vehicle, which constitutes fraudulent misrepresentation. I filed a warranty claim through ************, but they denied coverage, determining the damage was from a pre-existing accident. If the vehicle had truly been in good condition at the time of sale, the repair should have been covered. Carvillas deceptive business practices suggest fraudulent misrepresentation. I request that Carvilla cancel the sale, take back the vehicle, refund my $10,500 down payment, and cover my diagnostic fees and lost wages.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/27/2025

  Good afternoon. Mr ******* was offered multiple options to resolve the issue, including bringing a third party inspector to determine if the warranty company or Carvilla will cover it.  After speaking with the warranty company, they confirmed no claim has been filed for this vehicle. Mr. ******* even confirmed that it took 2 weeks for ******** to diagnose the vehicle, if it was such a major safety issue it would have been evident right away. To the best of our knowledge, we sold a safe and properly running vehicle. We can't control what is stated on the CarFax. Unfortunately, this is a used car. Nonetheless, we have offered Mr. ******* alternatives to resolve this matter, and those are still available if he agrees to it. 
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/27/2025

  Subject: Response to Business Reply BBB Complaint ID ********

  Dear BBB Representative,

  Thank you for providing the response from Carvilla (Grandmotors). After reviewing their reply, I find their response unsatisfactory as it contains misleading statements, factual inaccuracies, and an attempt to deflect responsibility. Below is my formal response addressing their claims and why their proposed "resolution" is not acceptable.

  
  1. Misrepresentation Regarding Warranty Claim Filing
  Carvilla falsely claims that no warranty claim was filed. However, I initiated a claim with ************, the extended warranty provider, and they denied coverage because the damage was classified as pre-existing accident-related damage. If Carvilla disputes this, I request that they provide written confirmation from ************ stating that no claim was ever submitted.

  
  2. Misleading Statement About Safety & Timeline of Diagnosis
  Carvilla states that "if it was such a major safety issue, it would have been evident right away," implying that my claim lacks urgency. However, this ignores the expert diagnosis from ************* of ******, which confirmed a rack and pinion steering failure. Steering system failures can develop over time but are always considered critical safety issues once diagnosed. Furthermore:
  The Grand Motorcars diagnostic report (conducted by Carvillas own service affiliate) detected multiple steering-related fault codes, including communication failures and overheating warnings. These faults indicate a pre-existing issue that should have been detected before sale.
  The Carfax report did not disclose prior accident damage, meaning Carvilla sold the vehicle based on incomplete or inaccurate information, further demonstrating the need for proper pre-sale inspections, which they failed to conduct.

  
  3. Deflection & Failure to Take Responsibility
  Carvilla states, We can't control what is stated on the Carfax, implying that they have no responsibility for verifying the condition of the vehicles they sell. However, as a dealership, Carvilla is expected to:
  Conduct reasonable inspections to confirm vehicles are safe and in proper working condition before selling them.
  Disclose any known or discoverable defects, especially safety-related ones.
  Accurately represent the condition of the vehicle to buyers.
  Carvillas response suggests that they rely solely on Carfax rather than conducting their own thorough mechanical evaluations. However, their own service team ran a full system diagnostic in under an hour on February 4, 2025. If they could perform that level of inspection after the sale, then they had the ability to do it before selling the vehicle, yet they failed to do so.

  
  4. Why Carvillas "Resolution" Is Not Acceptable
  Carvilla claims they have provided "multiple options" to resolve the issue. However, their only proposed options require me to assume additional risk, time, and financial burden for a defect that existed before purchase. Their response does not include:
  A refund or buyback offer, despite clear evidence that the vehicle had undisclosed accident-related damage.
  Acknowledgment of their failure to properly inspect the vehicle before sale.
  A direct resolution that does not place additional burden on me as the consumer.
  

  Requested Next Steps
  Since Carvillas response does not adequately address their misrepresentation or failure to disclose pre-existing safety defects, I request that:
  Carvilla provides a full refund and repurchase of the vehicle.
  If Carvilla maintains their position, they provide written evidence from ************ that no warranty claim was ever submitted.
  If Carvilla refuses to resolve this matter fairly, the BBB updates their public record to reflect that the dealership has refused to take responsibility for selling a vehicle with undisclosed safety defects.
  

  Please confirm receipt of this response and advise on the next steps for further escalation. I appreciate BBBs assistance in addressing this matter.
  

  Best regards,
  ****** V. *******
  Disabled U.S. Veteran
  *************************************************
  **************

  Business Response

  Date: 02/27/2025

  Please find attached correspondence from Dealer Loyalty Protection (Intellidrive) regarding a claim being filed.

  Once again, we are more than happy to assist Mr. ******* find a resolution to this matter involving the repairs of the vehicle, not denying any type of urgency or importance on his claim. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/27/2025

   
  Complaint: 22947531
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I am providing critical new evidence that further substantiates my claim against Carvilla and highlights discrepancies in the warranty claim process involving ************* of Newnan and Dealer ************************ (DLP)/IntelliDrive.

   

  1. Carvilla Withheld Key Warranty Information Until the BBB Investigation

   

  Carvilla only produced an email from ******************************* (***) stating that no claim was ever submitted after this BBB investigation began. At no point before this did Carvilla voluntarily disclose this critical information, despite having access to it.

   

  Why did Carvilla fail to provide this information earlier?

   

  Why did Carvilla rely on a supposed "claim denial" when they had direct confirmation that no claim existed?

   

  Why did I have to go through the BBB process just to uncover this?

   

   

  This clear withholding of evidence indicates that Carvilla intentionally misled me about the warranty status, using the false pretense of a denied claim as a deliberate excuse to evade responsibility.

   

   

  ---

   

  2. Documentation of Warranty Claim Denial from ************* of Newnan

   

  The invoice (#*****, Customer Number: ******** from ************* of Newnan explicitly states that a warranty claim was submitted to IntelliDrive (DLP) on 2/10/25 and subsequently denied on 2/14/25. This documentation is standard in the automotive industry and carries significant weight in verifying the claim process.

   

  Service centers are required to provide truthful, factual information to warranty companies.

   

  Their diagnosis is central to a warranty provider's decision to approve or deny a claim.

   

  Authorized service centers like ************* of Newnan use specialized training, equipment, and manufacturer-approved diagnostic methods that warranty companies rely on for claim determinations.

   

   

  This means that Carvillas entire defenseclaiming my repair was denied under warrantyis based on a claim that either never existed or was erased.

   

  Sources:

  ? According to the *************************** Task Force (*****), vehicle service centers are held to high standards when reporting warranty-related issues. Misrepresentation of vehicle conditions can carry legal and financial penalties.

  ? Warranty companies depend on expert assessments from service centers to determine claim validity. (******************************, ASA 2023 Report on Warranty Compliance)

   

   

  ---

   

  3. Direct Contradictions Between ************* of Newnan and DLP

   

  Despite ************* of Newnan documenting that a claim was submitted and denied, *** has stated they have NO RECORD of any claim for my vehicle.

   

  This presents two major possibilities:

   

  1. ************* of Newnan falsified the claim submission, misleading both me and Carvilla.

   

   

  2. DLP erased or suppressed the claim internally, potentially due to influence from Carvilla or Grand Motorcars.

   

   

   

  Regardless of which is true, Carvilla had access to this information all along and misrepresented the facts to avoid issuing a refund or making necessary repairs.

   

   

  ---

   

  4. Grand Motorcars' Attempt to Manipulate the Warranty Process

   

  On 2/17/25 at 6:30 PM, I spoke with ******* (Grand Motorcars) and **** ****** (Carvilla).

   

  ******* stated Grand Motorcars would make "necessary repairs deemed necessary"without defining who determines what is necessary.

   

  He tied this decision to the warranty process, claiming that repairs would be approved if the warranty covered them.

   

  We now know NO claim was ever submittedmeaning Donovans entire statement was misleading.

   

  ******* also admitted that he had a personal connection at IntelliDrive/DLP and could "pull some strings" to get my repair approved.

   

   

  Since we now know no claim existed at all, this suggests that ******* either knew the claim process was being manipulated or was attempting to pressure me into agreeing to repairs on false pretenses.

   

  This raises serious concerns about whether Carvilla, Grand Motorcars, and possibly Dealer Loyalty Protection engaged in claim suppression and fraud.

   

   

  ---

   

  5. Request for BBB Intervention

   

  Given this overwhelming evidence of misrepresentation, fraud, and bad faith practices, I request that the BBB:

   

  ? Hold Carvilla accountable for withholding critical communication and misrepresenting my warranty coverage.

  ? Mark this complaint as "Unresolved Business Refused to Accept Responsibility."

  ? Escalate this case for further investigation due to evidence of fraudulent misrepresentation.

  ? Issue a consumer alert about Carvillas pattern of misleading customers and withholding key information.

   

  Carvillas continued deception demonstrates a deliberate effort to mislead both me and the BBB. This is no longer just about a defective vehicleit is a case of active consumer fraud.

   

  I appreciate your attention to this matter and request confirmation of the next steps in this case.

   

  Sincerely,

  ****** V. *******

  Disabled U.S. Veteran

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

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

   

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/28/2025

  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 went to Carvilla to inquire about buying a car in early November, My car salesman name was ****** and he tried to assist me on getting a car however and i had messed up credit, too much negative equity, and they wanted a bigger down payment and I was understanding and politely declined. Later that day ****** reached out to me and said his manger at the time will reach out to me to try to work something out. This "managers" name was **** I never met with him at the dealership or anything. He called to solicit his credit repair services and guaranteed if i paid him $1000 he could repair my credit and get me into a newer car with no down payment. At the time it really sounded promising and I have documented text message to prove. He also promised that it will be done in 10 days time. Fast forward a month later, I pleaded with him to return my money because he did not fix anything on my credit, he took my ID, SSN number and all. I also kept following up with him after the 10 days and he assured me he was working on it. He even agreed to give me a refund but then ghosted me after I kept blowing up his phone. After this I decided to contact ****** again and ask if he could help me with this matter he then forwarded me to his financial director ******* ******** he call me before Christmas eve and assured me that after the holidays he would deal with this matter. I sent him every supporting document needed to corroborate my story and he has not done anything or reach back out since January 6th, 2025. I am a single mother doing everything I can to make ends meet and I work very hard for my money. I honestly was taken advantage of being that I appeared desperate for a car and this is not fair that they are not making **** return me my money. I have them 2 months to handle this matter and they've done nothing. **** was not even my car salesman and he should not be in that business taking advantage of women especially in a car dealership. I want my money back.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/30/2025

  Ms. ******* can you please forward all these screenshots and proof to ************************* for review? I will work on getting this resolved for you.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/04/2025

  I've sent all supporting documents to the email provided as of today 02/04/2025. I'm just waiting on a response regarding this matter.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/25/2025

  This agreement was between ******** ***** and Mrs. ******* Mrs. ****** acknowledged that she enrolled in a  website and created an account, but later cancelled. *************** had no knowledge of this until after ******** had been seperated from the company. Payment was made directly to ********, not Grand Motorcars. *************** never received or requested any payment. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/25/2025

   
  Complaint: 22866974
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  In fact spoke with ****** and ******* 1 month after this incident happened and ******** was still working there and he got my information (Name and Number) from the company, I do not know him personally and he did not have a website for what he solicited. What I signed up for was a credit monitoring services nothing related to the person ******** himself. ****** referred me to ******* and he prolonged the issue instead of helping now we are 3 months in but I have been trying to get this resolved month ago and they (Carvlilla) prolonged it.if he was never given my contact information from the company to solicit credit repair I wouldn't be going through this. I do not know ******** personally at all to just be doing business with him.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** ******

  Business Response

  Date: 02/26/2025

  Mrs. ******,

   

  We are sorry that you did not get the results you were looking for, we truly are. This country is built on free enterprise and you were under no obligation to enroll in ********** program. You enrolled willingly, your information was not purchased or stolen off the internet, it was entered by you shopping for a car. ******** saw that you had some challenges and offered to try to fix them. This situation is no different than going out shopping for furniture, meeting someone there who cleans houses and then them not cleaning your home properly. You couldn't go after the furniture store. This matter is between you and ********, not Grand Motorcars.  Once again, Grand Motorcars never requested or received any money for this service.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/28/2025

  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.

  Date of transaction 01-24-24 Purchased a 2017 ************* E300 from this dealership for over ****** dollars and the night of the purchase strong gasoline fumes entered the car through the air conditioning vents, smell proceeded to get stronger through the weekend. Took the vehicle to a ******** dealership and they found two large fuel line leaks high and low pressure that had been going on for some time. I had the leaks repaired but the extended warranty they forced me to buy would not cover the repairs I contacted the general manager of Carvilla and expressed my desire to get my money back and return the vehicle. He refused and I notified him my attorney would be contacting him and his disposition did not change and told me its my car now and he wont take it back or refund my money he also refused to pay for the repairs I feel they endangered my life and put my general health at risk through negligence and shady business practices selling a car with alarming and dangerous defects such as two gasoline leaks in the engine bay where it could have easily caught fire and killed me and potential lung and brain damage from the strong fumes inside the cabin, also the staining on the undercarriage covers indicating this has been a problem for some time The car also had two nails in the rear driver side tire which the tire had been low on test drive and I informed the salesman that there was a problem all he did was put air in the tire and now I am stuck with that expense as well.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/12/2025

  On the invoices sent it shows that ******** covered the cost for the repairs.

  Our customer service representative will reach out to the customer to confirm all the issues were addressed, if not, we will take him in for a free diagnosis.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/01/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore 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.

  Came in to test drive a car, liked it, agreed to pay a REFUNDABLE $517.50 deposit to hold the car so I could have an independent mechanic look at it (my mechanic is The Toy Shop in ********). I made sure to confirm this deposit was refundable before I paid it. Carvilla had their people drive the car over to my mechanic, I paid him to do an inspection and he found evidence the car had been in an accident that was not reported on the Carfax (Carfax had it listed as zero accidents) AND was not caught by their own hundred something point inspection. The car had bad body work done to conceal the damage and would have cost me thousands to have repaired, so I pulled out and did not purchase the car. Told them I wanted my refund for the deposit, they agreed and said they'd have it credited back by Monday November 25. It's now Sunday December 1st and that money has still not been credited back to my account and they're not communicating with me at all at this point. I want my $517.50 back.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/19/2024

  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 recently purchased a ******* Palisade from their dealership. Our offer which we signed and settled on $24,000 cash out the door included the care plan. The Salesman ************ explained to us that the care plan included discounts at places such as pepboys and take 5. I will attach the offer below. Upon leaving and driving back to our home, the radiator busted. I know the main part of the care plan is that if we bring it back to the dealership it would be repaired,however due to the extent of the damage and condition, the vehicle is unable to drive the 2 and a half hours back to the dealership. We then went to the nearest pep boys, willing to pay a portion of the repairs since the care plan included a discount at their shop. While there, I contacted the service **** for the code to use at pep boys. They then notified me that I did not have a service plan and would not get any assistance unless I brought the vehicle back to the dealership. Even then, the only assistance I would receive is a discount on parts and labor. The offer that was agreed to included the $2,028 for the carvilla care plan. Now I am out the full cost for the repair as well as being out the money for the care plan. Since the care plan was not included and we are not receiving any of those service,we need this remedied. Looking at the final sale contract that my wife signed,there is no mention of the care plan even though it was included in the offer. I will attach both documents for you to review. Seeing as we are not receiving the services of the care plan, I would prefer to have the 2028 returned to us.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/03/2024

  We apologize for the delay. We have been in discussion and believe we have resolved the issue

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/04/2024

   
  Complaint: 22163788
  
  I am rejecting this response because: they only communicated back with me on the 27th of August and never confirmed what they were going to do to handle this situation. Additionally they showed me the buyers order that they had on file and it was not the one we signed. So I sent them the order we signed showing where it said we paid 202i for the carvilla care plan. At the very least I want that 2028 back. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******* ******

  Business Response

  Date: 09/16/2024

  The internet or third party lowest price was $20775.00 for this Pallisade. We sold the vehicle for $21,303.00 which is a $528.00 difference. If a dealership agrees to include additional coverages into the lowest selling price that is their option. There was no "upcharge" above the lowest third party price of $20,775 except for the $528 we discovered. If we did charge the $2028 over the lowest third party price of $20,775 then there would be a contract for additional services attached to that amount which we would cancel and refund the money to the customer. In this case there is no contract, unless the customer has one to provide that we could cancel for them. Otherwise, the only difference we could find was for the $528 which we would be more than happy to refund. Please let us know where to go from here.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/17/2024

  As stated in previous emails, the lowest internet price on any third party site was $20775 we sold the vehicle for $21303.80 which is a $528.80 difference. As you can see on the customer provided bill of sale that the numbers went from $25,500 to $24000 a bottom line, which is exactly what they paid. The sales manager is entitled to include any verbiage in the selling price contingent that it stays within the advertised price. We found out that we were over by $528.80 which we will gladly refund to the customer, but not the requested $2028. Unless there is a cancellable product that has a contract that can be cancelled, we did nothing wrong nor is there any additional refund required. We await your response.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/18/2024

   
  Complaint: 22163788
  
  I am rejecting this response because: the buyers order clearly shows a carvilla care plan being purchased with the vehicle. The buyers order put in the file 2 days later that was not signed had the care plan removed. Our buyers order shows we paid 2028 for the care plan which the dealership did not do the paperwork for which resulted in us not getting any assistance with mechanical issues. I am therefore out the 2028 as well as the cost of a radiator. That is why the offer is rejected. We were charged for a service/product and were not provided that product with the vehicle. Resulting with us losing more money. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******* ******

  Business Response

  Date: 09/19/2024

  We are not sure what further to say about this. There is clearly no service contract in place, nor does it state there is a service contract sold. As stated in a previous email, we sold the vehicle for the lowest third party price +$528 which we have already agreed to refund. There is no cancellable product attached to this purchase or we would gladly cancel and issue a refund, there is simply nothing to cancel. The numbers were input showing the Carvilla Care was included in the selling price not in addition to. As stated before we are more than happy to refund the $528 for the difference in the third party price. Please let us know how to proceed.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/20/2024

   
  Complaint: 22163788
  
  I am rejecting this response because: as you have just stated, the carvilla care plan was included in the price, the price of the care plan that was included was 2028. If the care plan was included in the price than the dealership should have done the paperwork for us to receive the care plan. They failed to, and therefore when we got home to discover a busted radiator, at which time I contacted your service department as I was advised to by the Salesman, they advised me that I would get no help with the radiator. The care plan was included in the price of the care but was given an amount as shown on the buyers order. Again the dealership did not do their part and now I have had to pay for repairs that should have been covered by your care plan that was supposedly included in the car purchase. If the care plan had been provided I could have brought the vehicle back to the dealership for repairs and would have had no issues. Instead, you all put a buyers order in the system that was unsigned and has no care plan included in the purchase of the vehicle. I don't know how else to explain to you that this is wrong and should be an easy remedy. I have given you plenty of time and all of the documentation that was provided and even your message says that the care plan was supposedly included in the cost of the vehicle as shown in the buyers order we signed. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******* ******