Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  01/04/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On March 18th, 2022, my dad and I went to look for a used car at the Charles Gabus Ford dealership in **********, ****. After looking around the lot we found a car that we liked, a 2014 Dodge Charger.We spoke with the salesman, *********************, asking many questions about the condition of the vehicle that had ******* miles.The following day, 3/19, we closed the deal with a big smile and a handshake, knowing that were buying a car from a reputable place.We signed the as-is and opted out on the warranty since as the car was presented, that made sense to us.In the first week, we started noticing a slight kick every time the car shifted gears at around 30 mph. It was there from the first moment, but it was barely noticeable to us.We set an appointment (May 3) to check the vehicles automatic transmission at a Dodge Dealership.There they found out that the torque converter was failing and that the oil at the bottom, underneath newly replaced oil, was burnt.Back at the salesmans office, on 3/18, he explicitly said that the transmission oil was checked and found to be in great condition. That this car was entirely checked and is very good, using this repeatedly as a leverage for price negotiation.On May 5th, we came into the building to find that our salesman no longer works there. We met with ************************* the sales manager and let him know of the issue.He told us we should've bought the warranty, i.e. for us to present a pre-existing condition as new!We've been in touch with them in the past months over emails but they just waved us off, saying they never tested the transmission and weren't aware of the issue.In conclusion:The deal we shook hands on was that if there were any known issues wed have been informed about them.The car was told to be professionally inspected and not known to be in bad condition.Our choice was based on good faith in what they told us.Since what they said wasnt true, our negotiation and decision process was based on a lie.

  

  Business response

  01/09/2023

  The car was sold as-is with no warranty and was inspected by us and was in working order when it left here. When the customer left the dealership they did a burnout in front of the building for everyone to see (We have multiple people that watched him do it) and I am sure it did not stop there. With that being said, here are copies of the car inspection done by us as well as the customer declining the additional warranty and the as-is no warranty form signed by the customer.

  Customer response

  01/16/2023

   
  Complaint: 18667714
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  

  To say that my dad did a burnout is an extreme exaggeration!
  We still have the original tires that came with the car, and it is easy to tell that no one is burning anything. The skid-turn he did when we left the dealership was a very brief happy moment after buying the car and is not remotely how this car has been driven since. Nevertheless this is irrelevant as the problems existed long before us.
  

  When the vehicles automatic transmission was inspected at a Dodge Dealership they found out that the torque converter was failing.

  Referencing a text message from **** the service guy, he wrote: That is the weird part. On the dip stick the fluid is burnt and smells burnt. Looking at the fluid it looks fine. I'm guessing someone just did a transmission service on it hoping that would fix a hard shifting but the torque converter is failing internally and will need to rebuild it or replace it.

  You lied to us!!!
  

  We specifically asked about the condition of the car and what was checked. ***** assured us that the car was fully inspected like all used cars that you sell, and that youd never sell bad cars as those go to the auction!
  The lie is that you knew that the transmission is bad and your sales department took leverage of being a reputable place. We had no reason to doubt, there were no red flags, all the checks were in place.
  

  ***** Blue Book, which is what I believe dealers are using to value their cars, is using these levels to describe a car condition: Excellent, Very Good (VG), Good, Fair
  Fair is defined as : Requires some mechanical repairs
  According to KBB, you sold a less than Fair condition car to us for a price that represented a Very Good car - which is only one level below Excellent - and this only after a fierce back and forth lengthy negotiation with ***** and his managers over the price. 
  

  We would like to know:
  1. If we asked ********************* why he departed from you so soon after the sale (in a period where used cars were selling like hot dogs), and if he knew about the failing transmission, what would he say?
  2. If we asked the last owner of the car if they knew that the transmission is bad when they sold it to you and if they were upfront about it, what would they say?
  3. Did you pay a Very Good level trade-in price for this car? Or did you pay for a car with a bad transmission?
  

  As for the As-Is part:
  We didnt buy a car just in working order as you mentioned in your reply.
  We bought a Very Good level car (defined in KBB as having minor cosmetic defects and excellent mechanical condition). We negotiated a VG car, paid for a VG car, and signed the As-Is based on what you told us! The As-Is covers the car as it was presented! For example, if you told us that the car has a good spare wheel in the trunk while knowing that there isnt one or that the spare is busted, you cant hide behind an as-is later on when we find out about it. 
  

  In contrast, this was not a get what you see auction sale! We would have never bought an As-Is uninspected car from an auction. 
  The paper signing process isnt detached from the deal we had just agreed on and shook hands on with the salesman. Everything that was said and exchanged about the car pre-signature is very much part of the deal, not only the final price. You got the wrong interpretation of what as-is means. 
  

  Summary:
  You should have never sold us a car in need of a major repair while stating it is in a great condition and fiercely negotiating it. This is bad business, which not done in good faith.
  

  I am a sophomore student in *********************. Back then I was a freshman on spring break. Thank you for showing me the rude and shameless real world.
  I am young, but dont need anyone to tell me that the car had this issue long before we bought it. Youd hoped to pass it on to the insurance company through us, knowingly and willfully in order to induce our intent to defraud! Shame on you!!
  

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

  

  Business response

  01/17/2023

  The car was in working order when it left here as shown in all of the records that I have provided.

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