ComplaintsforIllinois Valley Auto Group

• Initial Complaint

  04/08/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Purchased a Yukon off them 120 miles later the transmission blew up on it not even 2 days after purchase over and over and over they claimed it had a new transmission in it. Via ******** messenger text message and in person when viewing the vehicle even during the test drive see how smoothly this new transmission shifts They drastically misrepresented the vehicle on purpose the owner claims theres nothing they will do as it is as is Yet the only reason this was purchased was due to it having a new transmission. They lied over and over to scam us.

  

  Business response

  04/10/2024

  In response to **************** complaint.  ************ has complained and threatened our business even before he purchased the vehicle.  He was upset that we were unable to discount the vehicle for him before purchasing and threatened to complain to the BBB before his purchase.  We explained to ************ that due to his credit the lender was charging us a very substantial fee in order to obtain financing for him.  We can not pass that fee on to him in addition to the selling price but it did make it so we could not discount the vehicle.  For almost a week prior he became irate and threatened us as well as blocked our salesperson from being able to contact him.  ************ then attempted to call me at the store.  I returned his call in which he did not answer.  After this, he unblocked the salesperson and apologized profusely for his actions and asked if he could come buy the Yukon.  We agreed for him to purchase it.  *********** came to the store, test drove the vehicle which was satisfactory to his liking.  During the paperwork process *********** was offered a vehicle service contract for 2 years or ****** miles for the powertrain which would cover internally lubricated engine and transmission issues with only a $100 deductible.  ************ declined this coverage while verbally stating that he doesn't believe in that warranty c*** even though the vehicle had ******* miles on it when he took delivery. ************ signed off of any additional protection, he signed off on the vehicle buyers guide that states it is as is as shown and that any concerns with the vehicle would be solely his responsibility, he signed off that he had the option to take the vehicle to a mechanic for an additional inspection.  ************ took possession of the vehicle and then several days later on a Saturday at 5:51 pm called the store to tell us there was an issue with his Yukon.  We close at 4pm on Saturdays so there would not be anyone in the building until Monday morning to answer a phone.  Between that moment and the time we opened Monday he then proceeded to leave us a bad ****** review and slander us further.  At this point we were not even aware he was having an issue.  ************ has never been told by phone or text that there was a new transmission.  I have personally viewed every text between him and the salesperson.  I can provide a text ledger or any other signed documents referenced above at the BBB's request.  At this point I ask this complaint be closed.

• Initial Complaint

  11/10/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I got banned from this dealership from owner ***********************. Not for being rude our being disrespectful. All because I told the onwer that the work they did failed again this is the seventh time this happened. He was unprofessional and told me Im banned from this place. He is refusing to give me records of work done to truck and will not fix the problem he caused to my truck. Im

  

  Business response

  11/13/2023

  I am familiar with the complaint that Mr. *** has issued against the owner of our company and our company itself.  In his initial complaint where Mr. *** states that he was banned from the store, not for being rude or disrespectful, is exactly the reason he is no longer welcome in to our place of business.  Mr. *** was in the dealership for some repair work to his truck.  This repair work was being paid for by us with no money out of pocket on his end.  During the couple hours he was here he was extremely disrespectful and irritated.  He spent the majority of his time here talking very loudly on his phone slandering us to whoever he was speaking to and was doing so loudly enough that every employee and every customer in the building could clearly hear him.  ************** and texts rudely to our staff during almost every interaction we have ever had so this is not an isolated incident.  He has since threatened legal action against us forcing us to cease any and all communication with him.  Mr. *** is also slandering us heavily on social media.  At this point in time we feel it is best for all parties involved to move their separate ways.

  Customer response

  11/13/2023

   
  Complaint: 20855403
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************

  So false, I was not load on the phone at all. There was no customer in the building when I was on the phone. And put  yourself in my shoes for a second. Youre back at the dealership for the 7th time to fix the same problem wouldnt you be annoyed too. And I did make a post. And over 15 people have told me they have had the same issue with this dealership. Will lack of quality of work and them being very disrespectful. The only reason I was mad in the first place. Is ** I was on the phone with the state figuring out my plates that ivag messed ** in the beginning. 

  

  Business response

  11/13/2023

  In response to ************** objection I would like to say that first off he states "so false", he was not on the phone at all, then states there was not a customer around when he was on the phone, so which is it?  The first phone call he was on  was to the Sec of State over a plate issue that was already corrected and he was told by our office manager that it had already been corrected quite some time ago.  We then printed out proof from the state that everything was good for him to proceed on the current plate on his truck.  Once the Sales Manager handed him that paper,  he then thanked him and Mr. *** explained that he wasn't trying to be rude or ignorant about the matter but that he was just frustrated. The Sales Manager then walked away and Mr. *** took another phone call and proceeded to speak ignorantly about the manager and other employees on that phone call.  Several people within a short distance of Mr. *** could hear him yelling in to the phone.  Mr. *** was using profanity and talking negatively about individuals and the store in general. Furthermore there were several customers in and out of the showroom during this time period.  Mr. *** was in our waiting area which is based right past our showroom between the hours of 2:30-4:00 pm on November 9, 2023.  The waiting area does not have a door on it so it is quite easy to hear someone from that area. The specific customers were sitting at the very first desk of the showroom when you walk in to the store and their deal was submitted to lenders at 3:39 and approved by our lender at 3:51pm.  Due to privacy laws I can not disclose the name of the deal working during that time but can provide a finance approval sheet time stamped by a third party company showing there was a deal working at the time of ************** ranting.  If the  BBB would like me to send a pdf of this I can certainly do so.  I can tell you it was a deal on a 2015 ****** Crosstrek and the husband and wife who bought it were very much here in the showroom.  We can also pull our showroom cameras videos to show that Mr. *** was indeed having these conversations that he claims he was not having.  He claims and admits he did make a slandering social media post and much like his story, very much of the information has been left out.  At this point we feel this is Mr. *** finding a way to communicate with us and we ask that all communication stop.  We are happy to provide the BBB any evidence they need to close this case.  

   

   

• Initial Complaint

  06/01/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Crooks.... they knew what amount of money i had to work with and they made sure to get it all out of me when the vehicle itself is not worth what i paid.... multiple issues with interior and radio didn't work and went right back and said this won't work for me and they would not let me get out of it.... less than *********************** the vehicle they said.... also a safety recall on front passenger seat and recommended to discontinue use of front passenger seat.... went back right away daily and kept trying and they would ambush me in parking lot and not allow me inside to speak to anyone and now the Paperwork was mishandled and i am responsible for 2 loans and deliquent account on credit for my trade in that was not paid off by them.... was told to trust me trust me and i wanted to i wanted that relationship with them but to find out how much over price he charged me and took my money because he knew i had it.... just wrong and not OK at all....Was supposed to be a happy time and exciting putting ****** cash down on vehicle that was not even worth that and also financing 5 more just complete crooks and was totally wrong i couldn't cancel my sale....

  

  Business response

  06/14/2023

  ****************** has been a customer at our store for approximately the last 4 years.  This is a similar process that she did during her last purchase.  When she states that we are crooks, I would like to respond with the fact that we did not pressure her whatsoever.  She had come in to a large sum of money and was working with us for weeks looking at vehicles until that sum of money had come in.  She traded in a **** Edge with 175k miles that no other dealer that she had been to had offered her more than $500.  It wasn't the nicest trade however with her being a return customer, we gave her $2,500 actual cash value.  Unfortunately what she fails to state is that she owed $10,568 so she had substantial negative equity which is what used up a massive part of her down payment.  She states the we knew the amount she had to use and we got it all out of her.  She fails to mention that her credit is in a poor status and the credit union she had stipulated that she could only finance $15,000 due to her poor credit and the massive negative equity she was carrying over.  The new vehicle she purchased was a fresh trade.  She got the first option over anyone else to buy it.  With knowing that, us and the customer were 100% aware that the vehicle had not been through our normal reconditioning yet and there were some interior blemishes that she was told we would have someone come to repair.  The customer stated the radio was freezing up on her.  After doing some research through ********** forums we found that it is a common issue.  I scheduled her in the following Monday where she dropped the car off and I had the repair work done to the interior by a local company Fiberenew and I can provide that bill upon request.  We also did a hard reset to the radio per VW recommendations and that made the radio operate properly.  The customer states that paperwork was mishandled and that she now has two loans which is completely untrue.  We use a ***** day payoff and we mailed the check to her credit union within that time frame.  The customer fails to state that she was 26 days behind on her current payment so by the time the payoff was sent she was over 30 days and was receiving collection calls.  We actually called the credit union asking them to not hurt her credit report and that the payoff check was in the mail to pay the loan off.  Which she is not responsible for two loans, the trade in loan is completely paid off.  When she states we will not let her speak to anyone, that is because she is loud and completely irate in front of our other customers every time she comes in so I told her and my staff, that I would service and handle her account with questions and concerns.   In closing, we as a dealership have done everything that was promised on this deal.  The customer had stated right before this complaint that she loved her new vehicle once we fixed the radio and interior repairs.  Please let me know if there is any documentation needed to help explain our stores side to the story and I will be happy to provide it.  Some customers no matter how hard you try just simply can not be made happy.  

  Customer response

  06/15/2023

   
  Complaint: 20129786
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

  Customer response

  06/15/2023

   
  Complaint: 20129786
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  Really disappointed to hear their response.... **** was the salesman and he knows exactly what he did.... he knows i trusted him and wanted that genuine relationship with their store and repair shop.... i asked if i could keep the edge and pay off and start new loan on the new vehicle also showed him the cars value online and he didn't care to look and said trust him.... he knew exactly what i could spend and finance and completely maxed me out and even tried for **** more for warranty because he knew i had it.... the warranty should have been included and the price of the car was 7k to 10k less than the ***** he charged me.... exactly to the dollar the bank would finance and my down payment of ****** i asked him if i could put down ****** or even ****** that would help alot and i could include warranty but no he needed the entire ****** down and i should been able to walk out with the vehicle for less than ******.... went back 4 hours after and told him this isn't going to work because the radio issue and the price doesn't match up to cars value and just wouldn't work and he said there was nothing i could do.... i was told from an attorney i could return vehicle and cancel sale with in 3 business days so tried the next day with my handicapped mother walking with a cane and he stopped us in parking lot and next day i went with my 3 year old daughter and again stopped in parking lot.... was never irate as he described it.... just determined and insisted on doing something to cancel this and i should of been able to 4 hours later and then to find out next day about a recall on the vehicle which says to discontinue use of front passenger seat due to safety recall that has no resolution yet.... i needed a family vehicle for safety for my kids my mom my grandma who's 92 and not being able to use the front passenger seat safely wouldn't work.... so with that they should of returned the vehicle but again was denied and return.... this is all with in 2 to 3 days.... just really wanted that genuine connection with a service center near me and thought they were the ones because they are usually so kind and honest and helpful and i truly trusted them.... to find out what he actually charged me over and the condition of my vehicle was nothing as he said it was he lied to me and also the service reports have no evidence of service done there at their shop prior to me purchasing the vehicle so another lie was telling me it was a local trade and they were very familiar with the vehicle.... trusted them fully and i know to some extent they are salesman but to flat out lie and take my money that was a once in a lifetime opportunity for me it feels as if they robbed me and took my money because they could and that just truly disappoints me and with the pay off they knew i was in need of getting it to them promptly and they didn't recieve it in time and my credit was affected.... they ended up driving the check over for my pay off because it was over 15 days and i did have two existing loans at the time.... this needs to be looked at and is not OK what they did
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

  

  Business response

  07/10/2023

  In response to ********************** complaint.  She is basically giving the same complaint twice.  I felt our initial response was more than adequate but I will try and go in to further detail.  She leaves out a lot of little details that impacted the way her deal had to be structured with the bank and how her deal had to be worked.  The lenders did not want to loan her due to her poor credit history and poor payment history with them.  She had approximately $8,000 of negative equity on her Edge that she did not purchase from us that she was carrying over in to the new loan.  We gave her $2,000 more on it then any other dealer had offered her.  She was almost 30 days behind on her current payment which was why by the time we sent her payoff in she was getting collection calls from the lender.  Due to the negative equity and her poor pay performance, the lender capped her at a certain amount financed which indeed required to use her large down payment to get her financed so the lender could minimize their risk on the loan.  ****************** has been explained the number breakdown numerous times and has copies of all of her paperwork.  All ******* issues were handled promptly as stated in our prior response.  This is a case of buyers remorse and in the state of Illinois there is no 3 day cooling off period.  I would mostly talk to her in the parking lot to avoid other customers hearing her yelling and screaming.  She did not come in calmly as she stated.  She would come in loud and irate.  Please let us know if there are any additional details we can provide.

  Customer response

  07/19/2023

   
  *************************
  Id# ********
  
  Totally reject their response.... he's lying.... i came in very calm again had my mother with a cane and my 3 year old with me.... the salesman **** is the one that cursed me out the following morning after the sale because he was off the day prior and he is just getting in and I'm there.... well of course I'm there.... there are several issues with the entire sale of the vehicle.... lies were told and the condition of vehicle was not what it was said to be.... issues with radio immediately and the burn holes he insisted would be fixed to where you wouldn't see them and oh the recall on the front passenger seat that there's no resolution for so ********** recommends to discontinue use of the front passenger seat until resolution is found for the recall....
  Just ridiculous honestly they should have apologized and returned my ****** thousand dollars and my edge and undo the deal.... was not in the best interest as me as a single mom on a fixed income.... responsible for my two young kids and my mom and my grandmother with dementia.... they had no care in the world what would work best for me and threw me into a car that was just traded in and was not even inspected yet.... just disappointed for sure and that's the worst part.... really trusted this ***************.... totally trusted him to give me a good deal and the way he made it sound was that he was making it work with the bank and no they wouldn't go any lower couldn't even get the warranty and then come to find out i should got the warranty and walked out with some change and could have infact kept my edge.... ****** remorse OK maybe because it was all a lie and we not given what i was told i bought.... wanted a reliable service center close by home and wanted that genuine relationship.... they took total advantage of me and took the money they knew i had.... i asked all the questions and was told basically because of my bad credit situation with owing so much for a car that wasn't worth even half what i owed so i was to trust him because I'm lucky they are working with me.... he totally got me.... wonder how he has a conscious.... really do 
  Thank you yes this is my response.... this is not resolved 

  

  Business response

  07/20/2023

  In response to her rejection, we are just going around in circles.  ****************** purchased the vehicle before it was ready for the lot.  She was completely aware that it had not been through our normal reconditioning process as she was the first person to get a shot at purchasing it.  I do not dispute the radio was glitching and upon research it was a very known VW concern.  We got her back in as fast as we could and performed a hard reset to the system, which fixed the radio issue.  The vehicle did have some burn marks as the previous owner was a smoker and ***************** was totally aware of.  We set an appointment the following week and had the burn marks fixed to ********************** satisfaction.  She was never cursed out by anyone in our establishment.  I would meet her in the parking lot to avoid her being irate in the showroom with other customers present.   I can not help her trade in having a large amount of negative equity nor can I help the fact that she has poor credit and the bank limited the amount of vehicle that she could buy.  We got her the most vehicle she could buy with the money she had available and the bank would allow.  I personally drove with her to her house and showed it to her mother before purchase.  ********************** response verbatim was the this vehicle coming in was a sign, that she loved it, and that it was the one. There was no pressure to purchase.  We spoke for almost a month prior about what she wanted and needed in her new upcoming vehicle.  This one checked the boxes.  We have fixed and reconditioned everything that we said we would.  We try for 100% customer satisfaction but sometimes it is just not possible.  I hope this concludes this complaint and we can all move forward.

  Customer response

  07/21/2023

   
  Complaint: 20129786
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  It's just foolishness and a headache to continue this going back and forth.... very disappointed at how this all played out.... i do love the vehicle and got a boom box for now until i can save up to fix the radio myself.... outof order sign in passenger seat until the recall has a resolution and I'm at a point in my life today where I'm moving forward and I'm accepting that illinois valley took advantage of the sale opportunity they had with me and they took me for everything i got.... i realize they are doing their job and they are a business and not my friends.... that was a good business day for them selling a vehicle over priced with issues they weren't even aware of.... i love the vehicle and will continue to love the vehicle just disappointed that i found out how much money i could have saved and used for other things and still walked out with same exact vehicle.... i tried to stand up for myself after the fact but it was too late i suppose once they recieved the money there was no going back for them.... i am disappointed i don't have a reliable service center for my mother and i to do repairs on our vehicles.... that was the main point of going to illinois valley auto was to have that relationship with them but after this how could i even trust them to look at my car.... i can not and that is a bummer.... i do love my car and unfortunately will remember how i was taken advantage of by illinois valley auto.... also wanted to add i have excellent payment history with my bank where i recieved the loan from.... not one missed payment for 3 years and they were well aware i was planning on trading my vehicle in and told me it's not a big deal it will roll over with the pay off.... illinois valley auto knew that and knew i needed to get the pay off to them and was irresponsible for not getting that check to them in 10 business days that's 2 weeks they found the check not even mailed out and had to deliver to the bank personally since it was going on 3 weeks after the sale.... it is what it is and just really a bummer.... I've had a hard life and this was very exciting day for me that yes i planned out for months and they took the enjoyment out of it.... and took that from my mother she was trying to help me and it turn into a mess.... just really bummed they didn't see me as i am and want to help me make the best decision for me and my family....

  Best solution would be for them to admit they were wrong and sell me the vehicle at the price it should be sold at.... i know funny right.... wishful thinking.... that difference would really be huge to me but lose change to them and that's why i just don't get why they did that to me.... just why.... so yes after all the issues with the car and the recall and all just why couldn't they sell it to me for what it was worth that's all....

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

• Initial Complaint

  02/17/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I bought a 2015 Jeep Compass from **** at Illinois valley auto group for the total of 18,000$ with everything. first thing I wanna say is I felt pressured into buying this thing..The first day I brought this jeep home the radio didnt work, **** stated they had ordered one & it was coming in soon, so I called to check on it to find out that was a lie, they had to install a whole brand new one. Got the radio installed then the blowers stop working to my ac/heat give it not even a month later my car started making popping noises while turning left, took it in they replaced the axle, not even a month later its doing the same thing with some other noises on top of the popping and I can feel it in my steering wheel. Not to mention this place is an hour away from where I live, so 2 hours round trip its taking miles off my warranty, I have my kid 24/7 when Im not working so she had to sit with me hours on hours at this place with me with nothing to do. I dont think this vehicle is safe to drive with my ******* just want my down payment back they can have the jeep back or let me trade it in for something better. Im tired of paying 200+$ on a month that I dont even feel safe in. I tried to trade it in at a dealership in **************** told me its only worth 8,500$ being a basic jeep, I feel like Ive been taken advantage of! Ashamed in this buisness

  

  Business response

  03/20/2023

  Complaint ID# ********
  *************************
  
  ************************* did in fact purchase a 2015 Jeep Compass from ** on 8-27-21 from our salesman ******************  ************** stated she purchased it for a total of $18,000.  She purchased it for $11,988 plus her tax, title fees, and license plates.  Destiny also purchased the optional service contract and optional gap insurance which she was aware of.  Her amount financed with all fees and optional products totaled $15,056.  We can happily provide a bill of sale to support our statement.   As far as pressuring her to purchase the vehicle, her salesman also has excellent ratings as is known in the area for not pressuring and we pride ourselves and our dealership in being a no pressure facility.  In regards to repairs, I do see in our notes that we did in fact replace her radio free of charge.  Unfortunately in todays world certain parts from our manufacturers are not as quick to get us parts as what they once were.  ********* was ordered and just took a little longer than normal to come in.  The vehicle did have some additional mechanical issues and we made sure that the additional warranty covered those items as to not financially burden ***************  ************** stated that she tried to trade it in at another dealership in Princeton and was given a value of $8500 and that she feels she was taken advantage of.  I can not control what other dealerships offer a client but ************** did come to us 6 months later on 3-11-2020 and did in fact trade her Jeep Compass in with **.  We gave her $10,000 on trade, keeping in mind she paid $11988 for it 6 months prior.  She purchased a 2016 VW Passat and has continued to do business with us since.  

• Initial Complaint

  02/04/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased a 2019 Dodge Challenger **** Pack from this company in 1/2022. At the time of purchase, they promised to send me a second key and it's in writing. They claim they mailed it, but didn't provide a tracking number and I haven't received it. I spoke to them today and they told me they mailed it and there's not much else they can do. When I purchased the car, I was told the car was never in an accident. They told me they replaced the cracked headlight. I found out the car was in an accident and there were damages. They will not fix those damages. They are claiming my trade-in has transmission issues, but there will not issues when I had it. They didn't test drive my trade-in when I was there. They only brought this up when I asked them to fix the damages on the Challenger.

  

  Business response

  03/20/2023

  Complaint ID# ********
  *************************
  
  In the case of **************** I would like to note a few items.  We have had multiple conversations with this customer through the Attorney General ********************************  We have sent a lot of supporting docs to her and I do believe the case has been closed. 
  I would like to take this opportunity to address ******************** concerns in filing a complaint to your office.  **************** stated upon arriving at the dealership he noticed a small amount of damage.  The car was on our lot and had no visible damage that I can recall ever seeing on it.  If there was visible damage to the vehicle which I do not believe there was, *************** was under no obligation to buy it.  **************** stated he had asked if the vehicle had been in an accident and states the salesman told him no based on our findings.  Our research of vehicles extends to basically what a customer has access to.  Third party reports such as Carfax and Autocheck etc.  The Carfax stated the vehicle had never been in an accident.  I nor my salespeople are bodyshop repairmen.  We can only use the info provided to us as at the end of the day, these are pre-driven vehicles.  Mr.  ****** stated that after a couple of days he decided to look at his vehicle and all of the pieces under the front bumper were missing.  I personally would have checked out my new to me vehicle not only at the dealership but the second I got it home, not days later, but that is just what I personally would have done so any issues could be addressed immediately.  We do not have anything noted of any under the bumper damage from our mechanic shop during our inspection process.  The car sits very low to the ground and very well could have hit something on the lengthy drive home from Illinois to ********.  Nonetheless I do not want any customer to be unsatisfied and was curious as to what the quote was for **************** and asked him to send me the invoice as I was curious as to what this vehicle could possibly need that would cost $1,167 worth of repairs when I have no damage documented.  **************** traded in a 2006 **** ******************************** further inspection in our mechanic shop it had an issue with the number 3 and 4 synchro in the manual transmission resulting in approximately $2,000 in repairs. So when **************** said that was the first he had heard of issues with his trade in, that's because the deal was done,  we don't go back on a deal with an issue after the fact after the deal is done.  When **************** was demanding repayment of the quote for the damage, I brought up the fact that I had to put in $2,000 into his transmission which now has resulted in us having to replace the entire transmission in his trade-in.  We have photos to document the abuse on his trade in.  **************** stated we owed him a second key.  We mailed the second key to the address he had given us.  When he said he hadn't received it a few weeks later I told him that I was 100% certain it was mailed.  What **************** fails to mention is that he gave us the wrong address as he had moved right after he bought the car.  Enclosed are photos of the key being returned to the sender.  We then got the new address and mailed it again with signature required and a tracking number which if you pull up **** tracking number it will show that it was received which is also not mentioned in his formal complaint.  Included in this response is his key returned, the new tracking number, also a used vehicle rider which states several things before purchase including that he had the option to request a vehicle history report which he was provided, that we may not know the exact history if the vehicle being damaged prior to us getting the vehicle or the use of the vehicle prior to us getting it, he had the option to have a mechanic and or bodyshop look at the vehicle prior to purchasing, and that he had the opportunity to ask any questions and that they were all answered which he also signed off on.  I hope this helps to resolve this complaint, if you have any questions or require more info you may feel free to contact me directly.  Thank you for your time.
  

  
  

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