Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  02/14/2025

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I went in, made a deal with them, signed papers and paid a 500 dollar down payment on a car. Days later they contacted me, claimed the loan "fell through" and repossessed the car. I want my down payment returned, at the very least.

  

  Business response

  02/25/2025

  The customer is not eligible for a refund unless the repossession bill and daily rental fee for the vehicle are paid. The bank returned the deal due to discrepancies in the customer's bank statements, which included his wife. We reached out to him multiple times to add her to the loan and salvage the deal, but he was largely unresponsive, only communicating with us once or twice. After repossessing the vehicle, he reached out, but by that time, the transaction had already been finalized.

• Initial Complaint

  11/12/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  The communication with this business started on 11/11/24. I contacted Grote auto about the purchase of a truck. I told them I had a truck to trade but I still owed money on it. I told them I had no down payment and I told them I needed my monthly payment to be under $420 per month. They assured me they would help me with those limitations and that it was reasonable. My husband and I drove the 45 minutes to their Elkhart IN location on 11/12/24 where we were met with ****, he ran our numbers and we talked about which truck I liked. He came back to me with telling me I was approved for a truck that was not the one I wanted but I kept and open mind and test drove it since I was approved. I was then met with a sales manager maybe (***?) who then told me they needed a down payment of $1000 and wanted me to pay $185 per week. I told him I was a little upset because of the promise I was given by their team while texting them. He then said he would see what he could do, I was then met with ***** and he told me that he wanted money down or $650 per month. I again read the text messages with the promises of their company. They turned me away after making my credit score go down with the inquiry, making us sit there for an hour and do a test drive and then treating me like I did something wrong when I was exactly upfront with the person before I drove there. It cost me my time my gas my credit, and the distress of walking away without being able to buy a truck.

  

  Business response

  11/25/2024

  At no point before or after the customer entered the dealership were promises made of down payment or monthly payment. The customer was made aware that lenders dictate interest rates, which determine the monthly payment, but we would do our best to accommodate her request. This customer was only interested in purchasing a $25,910 pickup truck and rolling $3,000 of negative equity into the purchase. After negotiations, the lowest payment we could reach was $630 per month. Financing $30170.74 after taxes, state titling fees, documentary fees, and negative equity, at a *****% interest rate with $500 as a down payment. This customer had the ability to buy a truck, she just chose not to. We would be more than happy to try other types of vehicles to reach the customers monthly payment expectations.

• Initial Complaint

  06/16/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have emailed and text this dealer about issues one that they put the wrong mileage on contact! Saying it has ****** when in fact it has over 69k as you can see in the pictures the last time it was serviced at a **** dealership it has ****** and some! Also the Carfax those the same mileage as in the second picture when I got it it had ****** and something I've had it since the 6/11 so my extended warranty I paid extra for at ******** an expiration mileage of 90, 363 they put the car had ***** less miles on it so if someone happens after 98, miles it on me even no they put less miles I thought it had ****** that's what I was told I didn't think the check that while signing stuff after I got home and look stuff over I noticed that put a DMV is going to have the wrong mileage on their paperwork too so that should also reported to the finance company because they think it has less miles also the finance manager also claiming he was new to this told me my total finance charges and loan was $25,224.57 they failed to mention that it was *****% at $14,721.03 finance charges for a total of $39,945.60 they did a very poor job at explaining how much is going to be in finance charges I think $14,000 is crazy and also I had two of the banks reach out to me and told me why they denied me is because they wanted me on something newer with less miles they failed tell me that to I think they took advantage of me and just found any Bank matter how much the interest charge was and just did it that way cuz I had a few Banks reach out to me about getting a auto loan cuz I had a good credit score I've asked him to explain to me why my finance charge is so high at this point with the mileage being wrong that's,needs fix and the interest rate being so high that I don't want a new contract a refund and my SUV back I'm sure they're not going to say that because I signed the contract but something is done and explained why I'm so high when other places approved lower miles and newer car

  

  Business response

  07/17/2024

  The customer's deal has been corrected in which ****************** has been made aware of. We had 3k miles to his service contract to adjust the new milage on his vehicle. 

• Initial Complaint

  05/16/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I went up there to get my first car super excited. Theyre extremely pushy and want to pick your car out. Thankfully, I had my mother there. Moral of the story they try to sell me a faulty car that had problems with the engine. The car needed an oil changed when I first picked it up. The car smelled horrible. Secondly they told me that I had to give the car back just because I switched jobs. I paid more mind you Id never miss a payment or insurance payment and they told me that there was going to report the car as missing if if I didnt bring it back. The manager and *** said that he wouldnt put the car for sale and he put the car for sale the next day. do not ever do business with them ever still clear away from them immediately.

  

  Business response

  05/17/2024

  ****************** purchased a 2020 Jeep Renegade on Jan 5 2024. ******************* stated she was employed, and Grote proceeded to get the deal approved with a bank for purchasing. Once the bank started verifications on the loan, the bank determined that ******************* had stopped working for her employer and had changed jobs. The bank stopped the loan as ******************* could not provide proof of income for her new job. ******************* never came back in after she received new proof of income to try and that vehicle again or any other vehicle. ******************* down payment of $500 was returned to her on 2/22/24 when she called in asked for a refund. 

• Initial Complaint

  05/15/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I Bought a 2018 **** Fusion From Grote Automotive on 06/09/2023. I noticed the vehicle had issues including; a/c not working & the check engine light came on. Grote Automotive checked the engine light & informed me it was for the catalytic converter. Grote said they have no record of checking for the engine light or it being the catalytic converter but I have a voicemail of them talking about the catalytic converter & a quote to fix it. I went in to speak with ******* the sales manager about it and he said it would be able to be fixed at their expense but they never sent approval to the service department. I called the sales department multiple times over the next few ************ of my calls were answered so I went in & one of the sales people was rude & commented about how i had been calling all day. I asked to speak to ******* but he wasnt there . I went back and forth between *************** the issue never got resolved. The car was not blowing cold air through a/c which Grote fixed on 06/09/2023. I picked it up on 06/14/2023 & noticed one of tires had issues so we took it back to *************************** fixed that on 06/15/2023. The next day I noticed more issues such as; one window not rolling down & the brake pedal being hard to push, Grote Automotive replaced the brakes & ordered the part for the window. On 06/22/2023 I noticed low oil pressure light come on. Grote had the car towed at their expense but could not work on it until the following week leaving me without a car until they could do the inspection & see what was wrong with it & if warranty would cover a rental. The next week Grote sent the car to odaniel **** to have warranty work on engine that was recently replaced there. On 02/19/2024 car was losing coolant, overheating. I took it to *********************** to have fixed. ON 05/14/2024 car having same issues as on 02/19/2024 I have an appt with *******. Grote States they lost service records prior to me purchasing the car. The car has never ending major issues.

  

  Business response

  05/28/2024

  Service **** performed numerous repairs at no charge to customer and referred to **** dealership for warranty repairs. Catalytic Converter was quoted to customer at discounted price, so far repairs have not been done, discounted quote was provided over 6 months ago. All service quotes are subject to change after 30 days of original date

• Initial Complaint

  04/01/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased a vehicle from Grote Automotive in *********, IN at the end of February 2024. As I drove it off the lot I noticed the odometer nor speedometer were working. I also noticed that the odometer reading on the paperwork did not match the odometer reading on the vehicle. I contacted Grote immediately and they responded a week later telling me to take it to ****'s Garage in *********. Then the Grote Automotive ********* branch permanently closed. ****'s Garage was then unable to contact anybody at corporate to approve the work needed to repair the vehicle. I also contacted Grote on numerous occasions, either going to voicemail that was never returned or to somebody in an office where I described said problem and was told I would receive a call back. Not a single callback from Grote was received. My car has been sitting at ****'s Garage for nearly a month as they have been unable as I have to contact anybody.

  

  Business response

  04/17/2024

  Spoke with *****************, and we have his vehicle in service and Grote will be taking care of the repair costs. Customer seemed happy and gave him a point of contact for any further issues. 

• Initial Complaint

  03/26/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  June of 2023 I Traded my mini van, which was in great condition and had nothing wrong. I decided to trade it in, purely a want not a need.I purchased a 2019 GMC Acadia, upon the inspection I did and test drive I asked all the questions with the issues that these cars are none for as i have previously owned one, so i know that you have to maintain them to ****".I was told by my sales man that this year in this make and model no longer had those issues and that it had a clean bill of health from the service inspection that Grote ****************** did on it.I was told I could pick the car up two days after I purchased it and it ended up being 7 days later, I having to call multiple times to see if it was ready. Upon pick up of the vehicle I was told I had to bring it back on Friday to have more things repaired on it????? "questioned the clean bill of health in my head" .After driving it off the lot down coliseum and not even making it to 930 hwy the check engine light came on, i immediately called and informed them of this and then being told it could be any thing and it could go off might just be a *****. Also, informed them of a hesitation of the car hard shift into second gear and they just ignored that comment.The so called appointment i was supposed to have had pre-scheduled by my sales man, was never on the books and had to be scheduled as they were completely unaware of the need of the appointment they said.I had been into this dealership multiple times to have things repaired, the check engine light has never gone off, it is one issue after another and now my transmission is going out.They did not offer me a extended warranty when I purchased, and state that I am now out of my 3 month warranty they offer, even though all these issues were reported to them in the three month time frame. They refuse to fix the vehicle on their cost.

  

  Business response

  04/18/2024

  Customer has put over ***** miles on vehicle since purchase, we have assisted with some additional repairs in the past even though customer did not purchase extended service warranty/contract. Can not assist with any additional repairs due to no contract and mileage that has been put on vehicle since purchase. (attached document of declined warranty. *********************** signature on second page)

  Customer response

  04/18/2024

   I am rejecting this response because:
  
  I was never offered an extended warranty. 
  

   

  the problems I am having have been since purchase of the vehicle .  I will be seeking legal representation.  

  

  Business response

  04/18/2024

  The previous response showed ****** Stones signature under decline services. Please close this case and have your legal representative reach out to ****************************************

• Initial Complaint

  03/07/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We purchased 2 vehicles in March/April of 2023. This was the second we had bought from Grote. We traded in the new vehicle we bought in 2018, as well as our other vehicle. We went through all the looking at vehicles and information gathering, the guy with the tablet kept coming in saying sign here, sign here, etc etc. They did not explain to us or inform us that we was going to be getting interest charged to us from dignify nor how much interest they charged!! They was quick to just say sign sign sign without explaining anything in detail about what the terms were. As he was bringing in the tablet and having us sign the sales guy was just continuing to talk about the vehicle features. I should of noticed that was a red flag. Since he was talking over the guy telling us to sign in so many spots. The first time we purchased we didn't have anything with dignify. I didn't have my radar on alert since the first time we purchased we had no issue. Fool me once, shame on you! I reached out to Grote to ask about the dignify because they didn't go over any of that with us. No response from Grote. We made our monthly payments only to find out $800 was charged in interest. So $300 in payments equals $800 in interest?!?!? It has been almost a full year and we haven't made a dent in the principal for dignify! Are you serious!! We have had decent credit, and have worked very hard to rebuild our credit from past mishaps but today I canceled auto pay. It will ding my credit but I'm paying what seems like an endless pit of what I wasn't fully aware of! My husband is too for his dignify account! I want a bill adjustment, we feel they cheated us big time, for a second time customer that is terrible service! A bill adjustment for the dignify on both of our accounts is what would correct this and actually explaining this to customers in the future. Stop taking advantage of people! My address changed but my phone number is still the same!

  

  Business response

  03/18/2024

  I am writing to provide clarity on the process involving *************************** and *******.
  DigniFi operates by sending a link to the customer's personal cell phone, where they complete a brief 6 to 8 question application. Upon approval, they are required to establish an account, log in, review all pertinent documents, and electronically sign them. This stage includes a comprehensive overview of disclosures and repayment options, all conducted on the customer's personal device. Subsequently, the customer reaffirms their understanding by reviewing and signing all terms of the agreement once again on their own device.
  There are two distinct repayment options available, and in this case, the customer opted for a deferred payment plan, hence the apparent delay in balance reduction. As evidenced by the statement provided by ********************, the interest charged is a modest $58 per month.
  It's important to note that Grote Automotive is not obligated to review the DigniFi agreement as the customer undertakes this process independently. Additionally, DigniFi offers a dedicated customer service line for any inquiries prior to signing any agreements.
  Should you require further clarification or have any concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out. Please see attached

• Initial Complaint

  02/08/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Interior of vehicle damage by service department 2 within 8 months. I had no complaints with any of their services up until this point. I purchased 2 new vehicles from them within the last 4 years. When making the initial complaint 8 months ago with service manager I was told it's an $800 part and has to go through their insurance, never returned my calls or provided update, fast forward to 2/07/24 vehicle has to go in for oil change, and brakes are making a high pitch noise, take vehicle into Grote service department I'm there for over an hour, no resolution for brakes and more damage done to interior of vehicle on top of charging me over$90 for oil change. Only remedy Grote has to offer is to take additional photos, for what? To have me waiting another 8thms with another resolution.

  

  Business response

  02/19/2024

  Grote Automotive has not provided ************************* with any quotes for issues related to her vehicle since she purchased it in December 2023. *************** has not even had the vehicle for 8 months, to even have an 8 month old issue. Attached, you'll find documentation of our inspection of her brakes and the oil change we performed. We refunded the cost of the brake inspection, and the customer paid approximately $70 out of pocket for the oil change.

• Initial Complaint

  01/02/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I bought this car YESTERDAY December 30 2023. First I had an appointment at 2:15. We didn't see a sales person until 3:30. But the Sales guy was incredibly nice so it was fine. Well he got us into a car, all for the engine to misfire, and the transmission is slipping. We had made a joke that there would be problems after we drove away with it, but we were reassured that rarely happens as all these cars go through a very intense inspection process making sure the car is reliable etc. Well, jokes on me cause there's NO WAY it passed an inspection. I can't drive or get this car fixed until Tuesday since they're all closed until after new year. Extremely disappointed.

  

  Business response

  01/03/2024

  We are extremely disappointed to hear that you had trouble with the car you bought especially considering you just bought it.  Please accept our apologies and our remedies to fix your car which is currently in process as I'm writing this.  The car went through a full reconditioning process prior to being offered for sale and whether we missed something or this experience is a new issue that just popped up we will repair the vehicle at no cost to you and do our best to get the work done swiftly.  For the future the vehicle service contract you purchased will handle anything that *** arise down the road.  Again please accept our apologies for the inconvenience this has caused and we will get it taken care of. 

  Customer response

  01/03/2024

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

  
  

  Thank you.

*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. ↩