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:03/08/2024

  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.

  $1400 paid to fix vehicle that was towed in and would not start. Was at dealer from jan-18 till Feb 21st. Vehicle still did not start and was towed somewhere else. Still charged $1400 for inaccurate diagnosis and part that was not needed and non returnable

  Business Response

  Date: 03/11/2024

  Hello, i am responding to the complaint of ***********************************.  ****** has a ****** and had arranged for his vehicle to be brought to our **** dealership for repairs.  Upon initial diagnosis, it was discovered that there was a communication issue with his vehicle and after further diagnosis, it was discovered that his *** module was testing bad.  Our dealership called ****** and explained what we found so far and got his authorization and approval to order the new *** that was found to be bad.  It was also explained that the unit was an electronic part and that there are no refunds on those type of parts once installed.   We got the new *** and had the local ****** store reprogram it as we did not have that proprietary software. the *** that we installed was bad, so we reordered under warranty and reinstalled and had it reprogramed.  It was then discovered that there were additional electrical issues.  The car was sent to ****** for further testing, and it was discovered that there was also a bad fuse that was from an AFTERMARKET car starter that was installed elsewhere.  Being the aftermarket car starter was installed elsewhere and was not a factory item it caused the *** to short out and need replaced and then it blew a fuse, that was replaced.  Unfortunately, our dealership has to start with what we know is bad, replace that then retest to see if any additional items are bad, replace those items and retest to see if yet any mor items are bad, until the issue is fixed.  In short, nothing could be done until the bad *** was replaced, then the next step was to test other items, in this case it was found that a fuse was additionally found to be bad, 

  The vehicle needed the bad *** fixed as step one.  Because the aftermarket remote start is installed on the vehicle, the issue may happen again and if it does, and it's determined that the aftermarket remote start caused the *** to fail, it would not be under warranty because no manufacture will warranty damage caused by aftermarket components.  It is the dealerships recommendation to remove the aftermarket remote starter to avoid future issues. 

  Please feel free to contact me with any other questions.  Thanks ***** Sakelaris Owner

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/14/2024

  Complaint: 21405192
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  If the remote start was the problem why could the dealer still not get the truck to run after replacing a $1400 non returnable part. I was told the dealer could no longer work on it. It's not my problem for a false diagnosis. Currently dealer simply replaced a fuse and removed remote starter. 
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/14/2024

  A simple $500 fix that took hours. Not a unnecessary and useless part that took $1400 and over 30 days to fix

  Business Response

  Date: 03/15/2024

  The dealership was asked to diagnose the customers car. We did so and found the pcm tested bad. We cant go to the next step until we fix what was found to be test bad. The pcm was replaced. Then it was discovered that the new pcm tested bad and was reordered and reinstalled under warranty. After that was done it was discovered that because of the aftermarket remote start that the the customer added somewhere, caused the pcm to fail. In addition the after market remote starter caused fuses to fail. Fuses were replaced but it is recommended to remove the after market starter as it most likely will make the fuse and pcm fail again, which will not be warrantied. The problem is is when you add aftermarket accessories that tie into the wiring system of a vehicle. It is very detrimental as the vehicle was never engineered to have those systems on them and many of the components cannot handle the ohms, extra I got voltage and resistance on the wiring system causing shorts and things like ***s and fuses.  again, we have to replace what we know is bad and the first thing that we came across that was bad was the *** so that had to be replaced. The next thing that found was that there was bad fuses caused by the remote start. The customer paid for the repair that they got, and as a consequence, everything is working, but again The recommendation is to remove the aftermarket remote starter, to avoids future similar issues. Please let me know if you have any more questions. Thank you very much.
  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/15/2024

  The dealership was asked to diagnose the customers car. We did so and found the pcm tested bad. We cant go to the next step until we fix what was found to be test bad. The pcm was replaced. Then it was discovered that the new pcm tested bad and was reordered and reinstalled under warranty. After that was done it was discovered that because of the aftermarket remote start that the the customer added somewhere, caused the pcm to fail. In addition the after market remote starter caused fuses to fail. Fuses were replaced but it is recommended to remove the after market starter as it most likely will make the fuse and pcm fail again, which will not be warrantied. The problem is is when you add aftermarket accessories that tie into the wiring system of a vehicle. It is very detrimental as the vehicle was never engineered to have those systems on them and many of the components cannot handle the ohms, extra I got voltage and resistance on the wiring system causing shorts and things like ***s and fuses.  again, we have to replace what we know is bad and the first thing that we came across that was bad was the *** so that had to be replaced. The next thing that found was that there was bad fuses caused by the remote start. The customer paid for the repair that they got, and as a consequence, everything is working, but again The recommendation is to remove the aftermarket remote starter, to avoids future similar issues. Please let me know if you have any more questions. Thank you very much.
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/22/2024

  Complaint: 21405192
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  Truck was towed in for diagnostics for no crank no start. After 1.5 months I was told dealership could no longer work on my vehicle because there tecks were not capable to find the problem and I had to get my vehicle towed out. The $1400 repair literally did nothing and was a useless repair that was mis diagnosed and still did not make the vehicle start. The remote start was a DEALERSHIP installed option installed by professionals. 
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/19/2024

  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.

  In September of 2023, I took my 2015 Chrysler Town and Country to Sakelaris in Rolla, Missouri to be serviced. The vehicle would stall every time I stopped at a stop sign. Within a few days, I was contacted by *********** *****, an advisor for their service department, stating their technician had determined that the issue was transmission related. 49 days later I received my van back. It didn't take 49 days though. I would call every week. Their technician went out for training at least two weeks out of that time. That was the excuse every time I called. Why would they only have one transmission technician? By day 41 I was getting very upset. I went to personally check on my van. I had already been told by *********** ***** that the old transmission had been removed and they were greasing up the new one. On day 41 when I entered the service department I was told the old transmission wasn't even out yet. I was told *********** ***** would be reprimanded. For the next eight days, I still had *********** ***** as my advisor. It was uncomfortable after he lied to me. Every time the end price of the transmission was discussed it was a new price. I thought my warranty would take care of everything but ended up paying $1400. In December of 2023, I noticed a very loud knocking sound from the bottom of my van. Multiple people I asked said it sounded like the torque converter bolts had backed out and were hitting. Since the torque converter had been touched during the removal and installation of my transmission I called Sakelaris. I paid $125 for diagnostics and they told me it was a loose panel underneath hitting. I didn't see the point in paying more money to have them put bolts in a panel. I took the van home and found no loose panel. The knocking got louder. After the new year, my husband called them and explained the van was still making a loud knocking noise. It still drove fine it just sounded very rough. We took the van back the first week of January. After diagnostics *********** ***** told me that my flex plate was damaged, it had loose torque converter bolts, and the coolant line was leaking from the engine to the transmission. I called my warranty company and they said that they would cover everything but the flex plate. On January 19th I was told the flex plate was fixed and it was ready to be picked up. *********** ***** stated that the transmission was acting "wonky." I asked what that meant and he said 1st and 3rd gear were slipping. I picked up my van and paid them $1,098. $800 in labor fees. The receipt shows they only fixed the flex plate. I was told they would fix the coolant leak and put new bolts in the torque converter. When I went to leave the parking lot my van did not make it two blocks. It would not shift out of first gear. I turned around and took it back and explained that my van was never that bad. How are you going to tell someone their vehicle is ready and it won't even come out of first gear? *********** *****'s manager ***** stated that they told me it would have to go to Chrysler to be fixed. I agreed yes but I was told 1st and 3rd gears were slipping. How can you tell what 3rd gear is doing if the vehicle won't come out of first? They told me they would have it taken over to Chrysler. They drove my van 3 miles in 1st gear. I paid them their money to get my vehicle back. I never thought they would give my van back with a brand new $7400 transmission destroyed. They should have to pay for whatever Chrysler wants to charge. If they had properly diagnosed my van sooner the flex plate wouldn't have been destroyed. Never will they get my business again.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/25/2024

  I am responding the complaint of Mrs. ***. My name is ***** Sakelaris, and I am the owner of Sakelaris Auto Group. Mrs. *** brought her Chrysler van to our Ford car dealership for repairs.  On Sept 5, 2023, Mrs. *** brought her vehicle in for hard shifts in the transmission.  Mrs. ***'s vehicle was not under Ford warranty but was under warranty from a After Market non factory warranty company that Mrs. *** had bought somewhere on her own.  Meaning she did not buy the After Market warranty from our dealership.  The process with such a warranty is that our dealership has to diagnosis the concern and the fix and then call the customers warranty company to see if they will authorize the repair, based on the coverage the customers warranty has.  In this case the paid the diagnosis charge of approx. $125 and we told her that the transmission needed replaced.  Mrs. ***'s warranty company authorized the entire cost of the repair of plus or minus $5300 plus tax, minus the co pay portion from Mrs. *** of plus or minus $1050 plus tax.  So, in simple terms Mrs. *** could have her transmission replaced for $1050 plus tax and her warranty company would pay the $4170 plus tax balance.  Again, this was the terms and conditions of the after-market warranty that Mrs. *** had purchased from another company, not our company.  Mrs. *** wanted to think about it, so she left.  

  On 9-18-23 Mrs. *** came back to our dealership for the transmission replacement.  Her aftermarket warranty company authorized us to order the Chrysler remanufactured transmission form Chrysler and that transmission had a warranty that went along with it, after we installed it.  Once the transmission was ordered there were some parts supply issues and we had to wait a period of time till we got the transmission from Chrysler. That did cause some uncontrollable delays.  In addition, our transmission mechanic had prior arrangements to attend continuous education off site classes that were booked 8 months previous, and we informed Mrs. *** that our mechanic would be out several weeks for these classes but that we would expedite the repair the best we could with him being gone for schooling.  This practice is common with all manufactures within the franchised auto industry.  The repair was completed, and the warranty company paid their part and Mrs. *** paid her part which was $1050 plus tax. the repair was completed, checked and rechecked and done by Chrysler book policy manuals.  The vehicle left 100% fixed.  

  Mrs. *** returned to our dealership on 11-7-23 for an Oil and Filter change and that was done, the customer paid and there were no issues and the customer left.  

  12-13-23 Mrs. *** came to the dealership and stated there was a noise, we again looked at her vehicle and diagnosed the issue to be a leak to be coming from the radiator going down to the pan, a loose heat shield back by the rear exhaust and 3 missing crossmember bolts in another area.  All of which none of these items were replaced, taken off or were ever brought up to be an issue before on the initially transmission repair.  Meaning the transmission was an independent repair that what the vehicle was in for on 12-13-23.  The customer declined the repair as none of these items were under warranty.  Mrs. *** paid the diagnosis of plus or minus $125 and left without moving forward with the repair. 

  1-4-24 Mrs. *** came back to our dealership stating there was a noise that sounded like a torque converter.  We checked Mrs. ***'s vehicle and confirmed that there was NO issues with the torque converter, but we did discover 2 items that we wrong.  First that the flex plate had cracks and was broken and would need replaced.  We followed the customers after marker warranty companies' policy and called them for authorization of the failed flex plate.  The customers aftermarket warranty company said that unfortunately the Flex Plate was not a covered item so that the customer would have to pay for the Flex Plate repair, which was approximately $1180 after parts, labor and tax.  The second problem was there was an issue with the remanufactured transmission that Chrysler had sent us, so we called Chrysler, and they said that the transmission they sent us may need replaced or may just need are build kit but at either route must be taken to an authorized Chrysler dealer because that was Chryslers policy when repairing a transmission vs replacing a transmission.  As a Ford dealer, Chrysler allowed us to take a transmission they sent us and install it but now that the new remanufactured transmission needed possible internal work, that under their warranty policy it must go back to a Chrysler dealer to determine if in fact it needed repaired or replaced.  We informed Mrs. *** this and took her car to the local Chrysler dealer to have the Chrysler dealer preform the necessary warranty work at NO CHARGE to Mrs. ***.  Mrs. *** paid the approx. $1180 for the Flex Plate that was not covered by her aftermarket warranty. The Flex plate was not taken out for any reason for initial transmission replacement and was not broken at the time of initial repair.  Unfortunately, was not warranted by customers warranty and 

  So, in summary, our dealership operated under the exact guidelines of the aftermarket warranty company that Mrs. *** had bought for her vehicle.  The only repairs Mr. *** paid for were the items she authorized and that were NOT covered by her aftermarket warranty company.  Those items were all fixed properly so our dealership has no obligation to refund any money for repairs that we satisfactorily completed, and that Mrs. *** approved and paid for.  As far as the bad transmission, we only installed what Chrysler had sent us and if parts fail inside that transmission, that is unfortunate, but is covered by the Chrysler warranty.  Again, our dealership simply installed the remanufactured transmission Chrysler sent us and it left our shop operating as is should and failed sometime in January due to internal parts that are warranted by Chrysler.  The Chrysler warranty states that that specific repair for internal transmission parts must go to a Chrysler dealer of which we did take Mrs. ***'s vehicle.  The fix for Mrs. *** is to let any Chrysler dealer of her choice, complete the needed internal transmission repair at NO COST to her, minus any small deductible, that may or may not apply.  Our dealership only charged for parts and labor that were authorized by Mrs. *** and Not warranted by her very own warranty company. 

  Please let me know if there are any other questions.  

  Thanks 

  ***** ********* 

  Owner

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/30/2024

  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  It seems Mr. ********* was informed of many inaccurate occurrences. First off I brought my vehicle in to begin with because when I would come to a stop my vehicle would die. Second I was never informed the technician would be out for weeks. For being a dealership I would think that you would hire backup technicians. The shield that they claimed was loose I never found. The noise continued. Also, yesterday I was informed by Chrysler that *********' technician had my turbine and output speed sensors switched around. They had also put almost five times the amount of transmission fluid in my vehicle. Chrysler's technician explained to me that this was very unsafe for my family to drive. My bell housing is also missing bolts. Again, very unsafe for my family. Why would I be missing bolts? Where are they and why do I have to pay for new ones? I have never independently worked on my vehicle and nobody besides ********* has touched it. My warranty does not cover missing bolts. Now I have to pay over $200 because my bolts are gone. I would think that all these problems could cause damage to my flex plate that I had to pay for. There is no reason I should have to pay for the mistakes that ********* has made. 
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** ***

  Business Response

  Date: 01/30/2024

  I am responding to the response below, answered in (  )

  I am rejecting this response because:
  It seems Mr. ********* was informed of many inaccurate occurrences. First off, I brought my vehicle in to begin with because when I would come to a stop my vehicle would die.(Unfortunately, our dealership was not able to verify this concern, meaning it did not do that when we were diagnosing it.  I am not sure this point means anything one way or the other.)

  Second I was never informed the technician would be out for weeks. (Our dealership DID explain that our mechanic was out for training)

  For being a dealership I would think that you would hire backup technicians. (Having one mechanic that specializes in transmission work meets our workload and again it was explained to the customer that he had some prescheduled training and that he would be out and would complete the job after his return)

  The shield that they claimed was loose I never found. (Can't really comment as it was loose when we inspected it)

  The noise continued. Also, yesterday I was informed by Chrysler that *********' technician had my turbine and output speed sensors switched around. (This is not possible as there is a sensor on the top and a sensor on the bottom and the wiring will not reach from the top to the bottom and vice versa, and the sensors only plug in one way.)

  They had also put almost five times the amount of transmission fluid in my vehicle. (Not true, the Chrysler transmission holds 9.9 quarts dry and 5.5 quarts when servicing.  The remanufactured transmission comes with roughly 2 quarts in it, and we added 7 quarts of fluid on 9-18-23, totaling the 9.9 total quarts.  The accusation that we added 5 times as much fluid would result in there being 25 quarts in the transmission which is 1 million percent NOT possible as it will NOT hold that much.  In fact, the transmission has a fail-safe vent system in every transmission that allows any overfill to vent out, so this statement is 100 percent false)

  Chrysler's technician explained to me that this was very unsafe for my family to drive. (again, Not true as there is a failsafe built into the customers transmission that would allow any gross amount of fluid to vent out, but to be clear it was never overfilled as we followed Chryslers protocol for filling a remanufactured transmission and billed out 7 quarts on the 9-18-23 warranty ticket)

  My bell housing is also missing bolts.(The Chrysler remanufactured transmission is shipped complete, so we installed what Chrysler had sent us, as a complete unit.  The transmission was inspected by 2 mechanics and was installed per Chrysler specks and in working order when the transmission left our shop.)   

  Again, very unsafe for my family. (I can understand your concern, but the vehicle was repaired correctly when it left our shop) Why would I be missing bolts? (Our shop installed the complete remanufactured transmission that Chrysler sent us, so we have no idea why any bolts are missing. All work was done per Chrysler specks, inspected and bolts were in at time of install. We have not verified that they are missing now, this was what the customer said)

  Where are they and why do I have to pay for new ones? (Your Crysler dealer may be able to appeal to Chrysler to see if they have any issues with bolts coming out of there complete transmission rebuild and if so, Chrysler may warranty for the customer, but this will have to be addressed with the Chrysler dealer and Chrysler)

  I have never independently worked on my vehicle and nobody besides ********* has touched it. (we thank you for your business)

  My warranty does not cover missing bolts. (Again, the warranty may cover if your Chrysler dealer goes to bat for you and calls Chrysler, again we can't comment as we have no idea how bolts that there were there, are now suddenly not there, as reported by the customer)

  Now I have to pay over $200 because my bolts are gone. I would think that all these problems could cause damage to my flex plate that I had to pay for. There is no reason I should have to pay for the mistakes that ********* has made. (In summary it seems that the whole current concern now is missing bolts. The bolts were there when the vehicle was in our possession and if they are missing, we have no idea how or why, but again Chrysler may warranty or good will since they sent a whole transmission assembly and many times the Mfg. will goodwill some of these issues that come up.  I stop and question, the validity of the bolts being missing now as they were there when we had the unit.  It is possible that the dealership that now has it, broke a bolt or two when taking apart?  Just no idea as the unit is not at our shop so anything I say is just speculation.  I just know if the same shop is saying 25 quarts of oil were in the transmission, there may be other stories they are telling the customer, like what happened to her missing bolts.  As remember the transmission hold 9.9 quarts max not 5 times that amount and that if overfilled the transmission has fail safe vents to release the excess fluid.  So please consider the source when discussing missing bolts. Please let me know if there are any other questions. Thanks)  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/01/2023

  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.

  From the beginning there was something wrong with the transmission. I told them about it. When we went for a test drive and I asked if the turbo should be whistling? he replied yes. Then he said that they received the car on trade and this was the only care that I was approved for. The car went in for a oil change on the 10/23/2023 the mechanic said that the car was not shifting right. After the oil change I sat there for about a hour and a half. I was also suppose to get my windshield replaced, but the guy had already left that was suppose to replace the win shield. I went to the service desk and I needed to make two appt one for the transmission and another one for the windshield, but I was informed that they would call me with a time date for the transmission and the windshield. On 10/30/2023 I received a call that my title was in and I needed to come pick it up. I want the transmission, windshield, and turbo fixed or put me in a more reliable care.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/07/2023

  Hello i am responding the complaint of **** ******  On 11-6-23 we had **** ***** come to the Rolla Ford dealership and we had fixed her windshield and also inspected the turbo and transmission and found no concerns.  The service department went over everything with **** ***** and she is satisfied and happy and said she had no more concerns and she said she would call and close the case.  So, in summary no issues were found, and the customer is happy and with no further action needing taken, the case can be closed per the customer.

  Please call with any questions, and thanks.

   

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

  Owner

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/11/2023

  Type:Customer Service 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 bought our car  in February of 2022 and they put new rotors and brakes on it but now it has been making a noise on the front end so I mentioned that to them when I brought it in for an oil change. They told me the valve gasket needed to be replaced. I took it on Sept 5 and they quoted me a price of 350 dollars. I told them I needed it done by the 14th of September. I called the service manager but never received a call back I also called the manager 3 times and they never did either. Later they told me the issue was the wheel barrow and not a gasket but they coudn't fix it until the 15th and that I needed to have it here by the 10th.  So I did.  On last Friday at 430 my husband called me to come to the shop because they now said  the tire rod was bad and that it was welded to the car.  The guy told us he would make it right so they kept the car and they just called and said it was ready.  I asked the price and they told me it was 1100 dollars total.  The price jumped from 350-1100 dollars which is outrageous.  I made it clear that I am on a budget and they told me they would make it right.  I trusted them to do just that but they still charged me 1100 dollars.   

  Business Response

  Date: 09/12/2023

  Hello and thank for reaching out in regard to **** ***** concern.  As always Sakelaris Auto Group strives to make customer happy and get repeat business.  In regard to this particular situation there is a little more going on that was communicated, by **** *****.

  Both ** *** **** ***** came into the dealership, told us of their concern with their vehicle and it was initially thought that the repair was a bad wheel hub that needed replaced but followed that conversation up by saying if this was the case, the repair would be around 350-400 to replace and fix the hub, but that, when we got the vehicle in and it needed something else or additional parts we would notify them, to get authorization to proceed.  After the vehicle came into our shop it was determined that the vehicle needed a more expensive part.  It needed the whole wheel bearing kit assembly which was more money and labor and in addition it was discovered that the control arm was also in need of replacement.  So, these additional parts and additional labor prices was communicated with *** ***** personally and *** ***** approved the repair and we proceeded to fix the vehicle as discussed for the $1075.83 total price.  

  The vehicle repair is completed and is ready for the customer to pick up and the additional repairs and addition money was 100% discussed and approved by *** *****.  The total due is $1075.83 as agreed.  

  Bottom line the scope of the repair in parts and labor was enlarged, which cost more and was all communicated and approved by the customer.  Please let me know if there are any questions.

  Thanks

  Steve Sakelaris

  Business Response

  Date: 09/12/2023

  Follow up to the customers complaint. My GM, ** ******, met with ** *** *** ***** and worked out a deal to trade them out of their car and got them into something else. It’s a win win and everyone is happy. The customers wanted to close this case but of course please sue your due diligence and they will confirm they have traded cars with us and are very happy. Please let me know if there are any other questions. 
  

  thanks. 
  

  steve sakelaris 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/13/2023

  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.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** ****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/17/2023

  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.

  ********* did not honor an Extended Service Plan I purchased from them.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/18/2023

  Hello, my name is ***** ********* and I am the owner of ********* Ford Lincoln in Rolla Mo.  Mr. ****** ****** had purchased a FORD extended warranty for his vehicle.  Our dealership sells the Ford extended warranty on the Ford vehicles we sell.  The customer is allowed to use his or her Ford extended warranty at any Ford dealership nationwide.  

  The Ford extended warranty Mr. ****** purchased, expired on Sept of 2025 OR 75,000 miles. Please see in the top left-hand corner of the attached Repair Order.  Whichever comes first.  This was acknowledged and signed for, as such by Mr. Noland.  ********* Ford does not write the policy or have anything to do with the terms or conditions of the Ford Extended Warranty. 

   In this case, Mr. ****** brought his vehicle into our service department with 75,042 miles and because the warranty expired at 75,000 miles, his Ford warranty was EXPIRED and had no coverage.  

  My service team when ABOVE AND BEYOND by begging Ford Extended Warranty to make a 1-time exception and help the customer even though his warranty expired.  Ford Extended Warranty called the dealership back and said they would cover and pay for 70% of the repair if the customer paid the 30%.  Mr. ****** agreed to pay the 30% and our dealership completed the repair and collected the 30% as agreed from Mr. Noland.  

  In complete fairness Mr. ****** was not owed the repair as his Ford Extended Warranty was expired so when Ford was good enough to pay the 70%, that was a gift from Ford.  Not Owed but a nice gesture for customer satisfaction.  Mr. ****** got 70% more that he should have, had our dealership not been proactive to beg Ford for a variance, Mr. ****** would have had to pay the whole bill.  

  As far as the dealership is concerned there is no further action or assistance, we are able to provide.  ********* Ford did not owe the customer anything and went way out of our way to assist the customer with Free Good Will, with Ford.  Please let me know if there are any other questions.  

  Thanks 

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

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/19/2023

  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  The information provided from ********* Ford is incorrect. The Extended Service Plan was not set to expire at 75,000 miles. It was to add 75,000 miles to the vehicle's current mileage of 41,325. This meant it will not expire due to mileage until 116,325 miles.
  This is clearly shown in the Extended Service Plan.jpg attachment.
  
  Best regards,
  
  ****** ******

  Business Response

  Date: 07/21/2023

  First off, I apologize, when I gathered my information, my service guy was off, and I spoke with my office manager, and she had thought the claim was denied because of the milage ending at 75,000 miles.  THIS IS NOT THE CASE, I had wrong information.  That was my fault because I asked instead of looking up the claim status myself.  The warranty had not expired; expiration mileage is 116325 and expiration date of 9/03/2025. So, the customer DOES have warranty.  She just knew it was DENIED from Ford and did not have the correct reason Ford denied the claim.  Now I have the correct information.  The claim was still denied by Ford but here is the correct reason why. 
  

  Attached is the original claim request, which was denied because the part was not covered, not due to mileage.  Ford is saying they denied the claim because the customer drove the vehicle to the point of failure, when they knew something was wrong vs stopping and having the unit towed in.  Ford said it is the customers responsibility to have it towed in rather that keep driving with a known issue which cause catastrophic failure.  Please see Fords note on the attachment as to why they denied the claim.  

  ********* Ford has no say whatsoever in the matter of Ford denying the claim.  We just fix what Ford says we are allowed to fix under the extended warranty.  We did however go above and beyond by begging for customer assistance after Ford denied the claim.  As a result, we were able to get Ford to pay for 70% of the claim if the customer participated paying 30% of the claim.  Thats what was agreed to and we continued the repair and the customer paid his 30% of the repair.  

  If the customer has other questions about the denial, he can contact his warranty company direct.  If they choose to not charge him the 30%, that will have to be discussed with them directly.  ********* has ZERO say in that matter. 

  
  
  We got Ford to goodwill it and got $3408.82 of a $4821.09 claim covered.  His portion was only $1412.27.  I also attached the claim payment info.

   

  please let me know if there are any other questions.  Thanks ***** *********

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/28/2023

  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: The dealership changed its story from the first posting, a hallmark of dishonesty. The truth doesn't need to be changed, only repeated. The dealership sold the warranty to me. I did not choose to go to a third part to buy an extended warranty. The dealership is the only place I've had my vehicle serviced since fall of 2020. The dealership inspected and passed the Underbody of the vehicle on September 3, 2021. This included: Automatic Transmission/Transaxle; 4x4 Hub Hub Operation; Universal Joints, CV Joints and CV Joint Boots; Transmission Mounts (Not Cracked, Broken or Oil Soaked); and Differential/Drive Axle. At regular service intervals, the undercarriage line was always shown to be in the green. My understanding was that all was in good order there. I don't crawl under my vehicles at this point in my life. I trust the dealership and there familiarity with my vehicle to check those items and placed my confidence in them observing due diligence. The dealership continues to claim no responsibility. My contention is a 2020 Ford F-150 drive shaft/differential should not fail at the 75,000 mile point. If it does fail, it is covered by the extended warranty purchased at the dealership. If it was not properly maintained/inspected, it was the responsibility of the dealership as they were the only entity servicing/inspecting my vehicle. The dealership can choose to do the right thing and honor the warranty they sold to me.
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  ****** ******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/14/2023

  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.

  (My address is ***, not ***) Before I get started, I would like to say is that I sent an email to the GM at the dealership just after 10am 7/13/23. No response. Did I gave him enough time to respond? No if was under different circumstances. Yes for this circumstances. Why? 1 1/2+ months of waiting to get my car repaired. The next part is the whole email I sent the GM, I copy and pasted it. I did no changes. (NEW: I use my car to make deliveries for Door Dash and Spark. 1 1/2+ months of no income) *** had dropped my 2007 Ford Focus on May 30th. Since then, there has been issues. Commnication issues. That has been fixed within the 1st 2 weeks. Now for the biggest issue. On June 14th (Wednesday), both Vocational Rehab and I gave the go ahead to fix my car. I thought they where going to start the repairs the next day and be finished in less than 1 week. Fast forward to June 30th, I received word that they haven't even started any of the repairs, even though they where authorized to start the repairs 2+ weeks prior. Fast forward to today (July 13), I just received word that they still have not started the repairs! Ford has my car for 1 ½ months. Took 1-2 weeks find out what's wrong with my car. Almost 4 weeks after the go ahead with the repairs, still has not started the repairs. This is unacceptable. I bought my car back in October of 2006. In the last 16+ years, I had 5 Ford Dealerships make repairs to my car. Some of the repairs: Alternator Transmission Airbag or Check engine, or both Shifter (was told the cable was going to break) Air vent cables (2 times) Body shop (3 times. Highest amount was about $14,000+.) All of the repairs took under 1 week, even the $14,000+ body shop/repairs took 1 week or under. (That includes diagnose and repairs) From my point of view, it should not take 1 ½ + months to diagnose and finish the repairs.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/31/2023

  Hello,

  First off, I wanted to personally respond to the complaint as our goal at Sakelaris Auto Group is to have a happy customer base. After researching and discussing with my staff there is an explanation, for the time delay in finishing the customers repairs.  I am sorry for the delay.  I did reply previously but somehow, I understand your folks did not get my reply.  So, I am resending again. 

  ******, the customer had his car dropped off on or about 5-30-23, for unknown repairs. Our Ford car dealership had to diagnose the problem first and then the estimate together for the customer.  ****** the customer said that a local Vocational Rehab organization was going to be paying for the repair.  Since ****** the customer was not paying for his own repair, he could not authorize our dealership to start the repair.  Unfortunately, the Vocational Rehab organization did not call our dealership to approve the repairs until 6-14-23.  Then there was a bit more delay on the end of Vocational Rehab, to pay for the special-order parts needed.  Once the repair job was finally authorized and parts paid for by Vocational Rehab, the parts were ordered.  Like most things today in the aftermath of Covid parts shortages, the parts took a little longer than expected unfortunately, which is out of the control of our dealership as we are at the mercy of the manufacture on part fulfillment times.  When the parts finally arrived the mechanic that was scheduled to do the repair had some health issues and was out for a few days.  When the mechanic returned to work, he finished the repairs, and since the time of the response, the customer now has his vehicle returned to him in fixed condition.  

  Had the Vocational Rehab not delayed in approving the repair job and making payment for almost 2 weeks and had there not been a parts delivery delay and had the mechanic not been sick for a few days, the repair would have been done timelier.  Unfortunately, the dealership had no control of any of these events. The good news is the repair is complete and the customer picked up the vehicle in the repaired condition, as promised. 

  Please let me know if you need anything else or any other explanations.  

  Thanks 

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

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/01/2023

  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  
  

  It is not normal to have a client (or even the payer) pay for anything before the repairs are complete.
  

  
  

  I was without a car for 1 1/2 months.

  
  

  
  

  Yes, my car is fix and I have my car back.

  You have to do better then that!

  
  

  I had to pay $70 per month for car insurance that I could not drive.

  I was unable to work for the whole entire time.

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

  Business Response

  Date: 08/02/2023

  In response to the last reply.  

  Since ******, the owner of the vehicle that needed repair, was not the one paying for the repair, we had to take extra steps to make sure we had confirmation in who was paying for the vehicle repair.  It is not typical that another Government agency would pay for a customer's car repair, so when we were told that, we wanted to get authorization from the government agency, that they were in fact, paying for the customer's bill.  We got the government agency; the quote and they got us their payment information.  We did all of this to ensure that there were no issues on payment when the vehicle was ready for the customer to pick up.  Had ****** been the one paying for his own car repair, we would not have had to take the extra payment steps, we would have simply collected payment from ****** before his vehicle was released.  

  I feel we have answered all of ***** questions but feel free to let me know if there are any other questions.  The bottom line is there was a period of time that we were made to wait until the government agency that was paying for the repair, Authorized the repair, then we had uncontrollable wait time for parts and then an unforeseen situation in which out mechanic was out sick with medical issues for a few days.  The customer car is fixed and returned at the time of this email and our dealership does not feel it owes ****** any monetary compensation. Again, I do apologize for the length of the repair with these uncontrollable circumstances.  

  Thanks 

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

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/08/2023

  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  BIG UPDATE:

  
  

  I just found out couple of minutes ago (at the time of me writing this), my breaks is still not fix.

  Yes, they might have replaced everything, it still not fixed the issue with my breaks.

  
  

  My breaks is still engage when driving. If I continue to drive my car, then it needs all new breaks or my car will burn to the ground.

  
  

  
  

  OUTCOME NEEDED:

  I want my car fix and I want a rental car.

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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/19/2022

  Type:Delivery 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.

  On July 14th, I placed an order for **** **** ********. I out a $1,000 deposit down and submitted my order. On July 15th my order was confirmed by **** ***** *******. I received updates throughout the process of the status of my vehicle: scheduled build date, build completion, estimated ship date, and estimated delivery date. Once my vehicle shipped, i had no way to track the vehicle. The salesman, ***** *******, from Sakelaris also had no information so he had to go to the general manager of the dealership, ** ******. ** really could not get details either and had to contact the regional sales manager, ***** *******. If I wanted an update on my truck, I had to get ahold of ** to get ahold of *****. The only updates I received though were "no updates." My truck supposedly sat in a railyard in Minnesota from from Nov 14th to Dec 7th when it was supposedly in Kansas for quality control. Nobody could give me a exact answer though or estimate. My delivery date just kept getting pushed back farther and farther. My vehicle was originally supposed to be delivery between Oct 20-26th. Come, the end of Dec I still had no vehicle and the date just kept getting pushed back. The last date range I got was Jan 1-7th. I received 5 emails delaying my delivery. All the while, the car I was driving and planning to trade in was putting miles on. It was my only means of transportation and Sakelaris had no loaner vehicles. I finally gave up and bought a different vehicle from a different manufacturer. The ******** ended up showing up on Jan 7th. I explained that no one being able to tell me where my order was for so long was unacceptable and I did not want a **** vehicle. I was told my deposit could only be used towards another **** vehicle. I have reached out to Al a couple of times and he said he would talk to the dealership owner, ***** *********. I never heard back from him and we last talked months ago.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/21/2022

  Hello, I would like to respond to the complaint of *** *********.  

  1. Unfortunately **** ***** ******* (as well as all other auto manufactures) has had delays in building, producing and shipping vehicles.  This unfortunately is out of our control as a dealer, we have no say of when **** will produce, build and ship the retail order to our dealership.  

  2. Unfortunately ***** process on updating the retail customer on their order status is done via email.  Although **** tries to be accurate with this communication, again there are delays to the whole Covid Chip shortage.  The dealership apologizes for this but again this is the process set by **** ***** *******.  

  3. There was NEVER a promise made by the dealership on when the customers retail ordered unit would be produced.  It is not uncommon for **** to take 1 to 2 years to fulfill a retail order. 

  4. The customer was told that a NON-REFUNDABLE PAYMENT was required to order his vehicle.  The customer agreed and placed the order with agreeing to this nonrefundable payment as well as the customer agreed to order the new unit with NO promised delivery date. Unfortunately, due to the CHIP shortage **** does not even know when they can produce a vehicle, so no promise is ever made to the customer or dealer on a promised delivery date.  

  5. When the dealership orders a specific vehicle for a specific customer, it is just that.  It's a special-order unit that is non-cancelable by the dealer or customer, that's why the non-refundable $1000 payment is collected to protect the dealership.  The dealership is penalized by **** ***** ******* if the retail ordered unit comes into the dealership and is not reported to the customer that ordered it.  **** does this to stop dealers from making up retail order names to have **** put priority on building those units and then the dealer gets that unit and sell it to someone else.  

  6. By *** ********* not taking the unit he ordered we were penalized by **** for not having the name match between the Customers name to the Customer reported sale.

  7. The dealership offered to *** ********* that he could use the $1000 payment towards the purchase of another vehicle at any one of our 6 dealerships to buy a new ****, *******, ********, ***** **** ***, ***** *** or any used vehicle we had at any location.  The customer refused this offer.  

  8. The dealership lived up to every promise made to *** *********, by ordering the exact vehicle he special ordered, producing that vehicle and delivering that vehicle to the dealership for the customer to take delivery of. *** ********* failed to live up to his commitment to purchase the vehicle.  The dealership went above and beyond to offer the customer to use $1000 payment toward another vehicle, but the customer declined.  I feel we have tried to work with the customer in every way we could and have actually been penalized by **** by the customer not purchasing the special-order unit he ordered.  

  9. In an effort to further work with the customer I would be willing to extend the offer to the customer to use the $1000 payment toward any vehicle purchase, we might have for sale at our 6 locations, for a period 12 months from this date.  Please let me know if that is desired and I will put this not in the customer's file.

   

  Thank you for your time and please let me know if there are any other questions.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/22/2022

  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  
  1. I was never told I could use my $1,000 at another dealership. I was told only another **** Vehicle via phone calls with ***** ******* and ** ******.

  2. Yes I ordered the truck and "customized" it to me liking. However this truck was and still is in high demand and I am sure sold quickly. I was also told it would be "marked up to sell" so I am sure any penalty the dealership had for removing my name from the order was recouped and then some.

  3. I never said or insinuated that a promised delivery date was made. I was told according to the regional rep ******* ***** that the truck was in Minnesota for a couple of months and then moved to ****** **** closer to January. Come to find out when I went in person one day to check the status of my order that the truck was never in Minnesota. If this said rep could not give me true and accurate information, then I  do not see why I was told time and time again that the rep could get better information than the dealership.
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  **** *********