Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Earl Tindol Ford, Inc.'s headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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  Earl Tindol Ford, Inc.

  1901 E Franklin Blvd Gastonia, NC 28054-4743

• 

  Earl Tindol Ford, Inc.

  PO Box 3807 Gastonia, NC 28054-0039

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:10/15/2024

  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.

  Back in August of this yr I took my vehicle in for a routine oil change.While it was being serviced tindol **** contacted me and said I would also need a new ********** battery light was on when I brought the vehicle but I figured they are the professional I will need the advice and agreed to have the battery changed.when I go to pick up my vehicle on the ride home I notice my radii no longer working it will not turn on nor did it seem to recieve any power.i called to let the attendant know the issue.she was dismissive and offered no ************* the next day I brought my vehicle back and asked they check it since my radio worked fine when I cam in. They call me and say they don't know what happened to it so I come in to speak with them and find that upon the work they did they cracked the panel that covers the radio significantly.upon letting the attendant know of the knew damage she was again dismissive and stated the could do ********** I went home and left a review on there site.the next morning the manager contacts me and say to bring the truck back in and he will have it checked.again they can not determine the cause and he implies that I'm doing all this to try to get a free radio as ***** wouldn't have been simpler for me to replace on my own if I was the ******** upon letting him know how ridiculous that sounds he agreed to replace the panel they broke and replace the radio with something comparable in the next few weeks.after about a month I call to see what's going on and I he changes the story to say he was waiting to hear from me if the radio turned on before he orders a new one.this is not at all how arr last conversation had ******* the attendant sends me a message that she will be in contact when they have the parts that was close to a month ago as we are now mid ********** long story short I went for an oil change and left with a broken panel and radio and have been met with lies and incompetence

  Business Response

  Date: 10/23/2024

   

  Mr. Troche  --  thank you for letting us know of your issue with our service department.  My understanding is that we are replacing the trim piece and replacing your radio as well.  In fact the trim piece is already here and the radio will be here later today.  I know that ***** your service advisor has been in contact with you and will let you know when we can complete your radio replacement.

  I hope this satisfies you and I want you to know that we very much appreciate your business and friendship.  

  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/23/2024

  I have attached 2 photos that display the communication between myself and the business. You can clearly see the dates.august 28 we are 2 months away from when the incident took place I would not say things are being handled in a timely manner. I can only verify that I don't have the parts and that the problem remains.with no explanation for the 2 month delay 
  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/23/2024

  Hello again Mr ************ --  we understand that resolution to this issue has taken too long, and for that we apologize.  However, we are attempting to do the right thing by you and replace both the radio and the piece that goes around it at no charge to you at all. 

  Part of the delay was a miscommunication between you and the service manager, and these things unfortunately happen.  We are human here and make mistakes sometimes. 

  We will call you as soon as the radio arrives so we can put it in your vehicle.  Thank you for your patience with this matter. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/14/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I purchased a new vehicle in February 2023. That was an ordeal in and of itself. The finance manager said I could add an extended service plan for an extra $60 estimate a month. He never mentioned I was buying a $3500 service plan. When I received my first statement and saw this had been added to the amount finance, I was outraged. I contacted the dealership beginning March 9, 2023 to cancel the contract and get a refund. I finally had to contact **** to get them involved. **** canceled the service contract in May, but Tindol will not issue a refund. **** has tried several times to reach Tindol, and last I was told they were getting a regional person involved who could go to Tindol and find out what is going on. The form I filled out said the refund will go to **** Motor Credit who I financed with. Today I was told by **** that I would receive a check, but it was best I contact the dealership. I asked who I am suppose to get anywhere when they won't respond to **** Motor Company. I asked for a supervisor and one is suppose to return my call. Tindol **** has been nothing but a nightmare. Very poor customer service. And the ** and Owner will not provide their contact information. Buyers Beware.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/23/2023

  Good morning *************  Thank you for the communication of your unhappiness with your transaction here at Tindol ****.  I believe this is the second time you've contacted the Better Business Bureau regarding your dealings with us.  The first time we resolved your issue.  And frankly this issue is easily answered as well.  You have admitted to us that you signed the multiple pieces of paper showing the price of the **************** Plan you purchased.  There was NO DECEPTION AT ALL WITH THIS TRANSACTION.  

  Now you are questioning the refund of the **************** Contract you purchased - "where is the refund"? you are asking.  The refund has been sent to your lienholder **** Credit and the refund amount has been applied to your loan on your vehicle.  You now owe less on your vehicle than you did.  This approach is required by all banks - if there is an open loan any refunds go back to the bank because they are the entity that loaned you the money to purchase your vehicle.   Not sure who you talked to about this but if they told you the refund would go anywhere but to your lienholder they would be wrong.  

  I have attached a copy of the contact you signed to purchase the vehicle, the disclosure form which you signed stating exactly what finance products you purchased and which products you declined to purchase, and the purchase order for your deal.  Each of these show the price you paid for your **************** Plan.

  Thank you again for reaching out.  I hope this answers all your questions. 

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/23/2023

   
  I am rejecting this response because:
  I just checked my account.  The refund is not at ********** Credit.  ********** Company has contacted your dealership numerous times with no response.  The forms you say I signed were signatures obtained on an iPad and filled in on a form.  And I have been trying to cancel this and get a refund since 3/10/23.  It is a shame I have to resort to contacting the BBB to get a response.  My next step will be legal action.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/30/2023

  Thank you for your response ************ - we agree that we should have handled your issue a long time ago.  I apologize for that.  Not sure who you talked to here but I know that I never received a message from you and I don't believe Mrs. ********************** did either.  We would have been happy to have helped you with this prior to going to the Better Business Bureau. 

  I wanted to respond to your comment that we had not sent your cancellation money to **** Credit.  We absolutely did send the money and I have attached a copy of the notice showing the money going against your account at **** Credit.  If you would kindly look at your account when you get  a minute you should see that your principal balance has been reduced by the amount of the cancellation - $3417.24.  If that credit has not showed up please let me know and I will contact **** Credit on your behalf to make sure that everything owed you is credited to your balance. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/30/2023

   
  I am rejecting this response because:
  The original amount was $3545.00.  When I spoke with ****************** they said it would be a full refund since I requested cancellation on March 10.  I did get the partial credit.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/05/2023

  Thanks for the response *************  **** has a $75 cancellation fee with any **************** Plan.  That means based on your numbers your refund should have been $3470.  It was in fact $3417.24.  Not sure why it was less but if it will make you happy I would be glad to refund you the $52.76 difference.

  Please let me know if that is acceptable to you.  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/31/2023

  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.

  While driving on the highway my 2017 **** Edge completely cut off. I was able to coast to the side of the road where I had my car then towed to Tindol **** in ********. After a diagnostic test I was told there was coolant leaking into the engine and transmission issues. Both of which **** Corp is aware of. They suggested I contact **** to seek financial assistance as they have helped other since this is such a well known problem. Upon calling Corp. I was told that because my vehicle has ****** miles and the cut off is ****** there was nothing to be done. I was able to provide proof that the coolant was ************ before ****** miles but because **** never notified its customers of the known issue, I did not know it was leaking into my engine until it was too late. In addition, because no notifications were ever made, I could have been involved in a very serious accident or even worse due to the car cutting off as a result of this. I understand that warranties have mileage markers, however in my case the issue was occurring prior to this marker but was not determined until after due to the fact that no one knew accept for **** who did not notify its customers, only the dealership.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/20/2023

  Thank you for the opportunity to respond to ****************** concerns with her service visit at Tindol ****. 

  ************** arrived at our dealership on March 6, 2023 with an overheating issue.  This was her very first visit to our dealership.  We diagnosed a short block failure.  Normally this type of failure would require replacement of the short block of the vehicle at a minimum.  We did not go further than an initial diagnosis.  A full estimate of the repair would involve disassembling the cylinder head as well as the engine to check tolerances to see which parts could be saved and which needed to be replaced.  **** has issued a ***************** Bulletin (****************** attachment to her complaint) for this type of issue.  It is NOT a recall, which would be covered by **** Motor;  rather, it is a guide for the dealership's service department on how to diagnose and repair a vehicle with this problem. 

  At ******* miles, there is no warranty on ****************** vehicle.  She contacted **** per our suggestion and they informed her that **** cuts off any financial assistance for this type of issue at ******* miles.  So she did not fall into the assistance guidelines from the manufacturer.  

  We are not sure why ************** opened a BBB complaint against our dealership.  We have to operate within ****'s system and if they will not warranty the work or give assistance for it, then the customer needs to pay for the repair.   We are happy to do the work for her but we need to get paid for the parts and labor that we provide.

  We would be glad to assist ************** with this repair - we will do it correctly.  We just need to figure out the reimbursement for our work and we can get started.

  Thank you for allowing us to respond.   *********************, General Manager

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/20/2023

   
  I am rejecting this response because

  Thank you for your response - however I think you may be missing the point.  The issue I have is that this problem started well before ****** miles, however I did not know **** was aware of the issue because you are right they have not made it a "recall" rather a "memo" so that way they do not have to pay for it unless a consumer comes in (like I did, but ***** miles late).  My car literally stopped working while i was driving on hwy 85, I was lucky to even make it off the interstate and not have an accident or worse, fatality.  I was able to prove that the problem started before your cut off of ****** miles however you still did not help me with financial assistance.  I was told by **** Corporate that the dealership could request this on my behalf.  I should not be fully responsible for thousands of dollars to repair my vehicle when it would have been fully covered had **** made its consumers aware of the known issue.  Also you mention you do not know why i contacted the BBB - your employee, ***************************** told me to in order to seek a resolution.  I am asking that **** still help financially with this repair given the fact that it was a problem before ****** miles. I am also not the only one this has happened to. It appears there are thousands just like me after a search online and some have received financial assistance to fix, even after the cut off.  If I cant get assistance through this avenue, I can address it with Action 9 for further investigation.   Please confirm.  Thank you 

  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/27/2023

  See Attachemnt

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/15/2023

  Type:Sales and Advertising 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.

  The dealership advertised a price for a vehicle, then refused to honor **** rebates. The manager said they would not honor a first responder discount and a college student discount. (**** said it was up to the dealership) Then the sales manager said the $1000 rebate for financing with **** was already in the price, that they assume everyone will qualify. The sales manager admitted to false advertising and it is just a way to get people in the door.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/28/2023

  Thank you for allowing me to respond to **************** complaint.   My understanding is that after ************ submitted his issues to the Better Business Bureau, we were able to come to agreement with him and he ended up purchasing a vehicle from us.  My General Sales Manager told me that he spoke to ************ and he was happy with his treatment and his transaction with our dealership.  

  Please let me know if all is well and if ************ is indeed happy with our dealership.   Thank you.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/01/2023

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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/05/2022

  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.

  June ******************************************* ******** ************** to report a recall on my car and the fact that my car was having issues per the recall, I was constantly being transferred to a one *********************************************************************************************** back I never received a call, I continue to call another three times over the course of a week with the same results saying that someone would be in touch with me that following Sunday my car started running very hot and quit on me, that following Monday morning on the 27th I had to call the **** place back and really get upset in order to get someone on the phone they requested that I have my car towed to their **** place on that Wednesday however they refused to pay for my tow services had they returned my phone call when I was told that they would my car never would have quit on me and I never wouldve had to have it towed. On Wednesday, June **************************************** ******** ************** and Thursday the 30th I was informed they began working on my car and told me that it would possibly be ready by 5 oclock that day, come 5 oclock my car was not ready I spoke with them today July 1 they told me my car would be ready once again at five I just spoke with him on the phone and they told me that my car was not finished, they told me it would only take half a day to fix my car so **** customer service refused to pay for me a rental car , I went to Hertz part of the **** Company to get a rental car and they refuse to accept my debit card they also refused to accept my fiancs debit card. I have been without a car since Wednesday and I am a mom of four children I have requested a rental vehicle multiple times and they have refused to pay for it because they told me that it would only take three hours to fix my car and that they was unable to provide me a rental car. I am very upset and I have been very miss treated by the **** company!!

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/05/2022

  I picked up my car from **** a few days ago and they fixed the cooling fan recall however they told me I had to pay 2100$ to fix my water pump because it was leaking!  My water pump started leaking because of the cooling fan not being fixed in a timely manner. I called **** several times about my car and they never would return my callnow my water pump is messed up and that isnt my fault.  I want **** to pay to have my water pump fixed. I shouldnt have to pay that. 

  Business Response

  Date: 07/12/2022

  *************** -  I am very sorry that you have had an issue with your vehicle.   We don't have a service history on it and it looks like we have never worked on it prior to completing the recall just recently.

  And I'm very sorry if we were slow to respond to your phone calls.  I'm not sure what 800 number you are referring to -  we don't have an 800 number.  Nevertheless, we should not be hard to get ahold of and it bothers me you had a hard time getting in contact us. 

  As to your repair -  I believe your were informed at the time you spoke to us that we were very backed ** in our shop but would get to your vehicle as quickly as possible - and we did have a delay completing the recall on your vehicle.  However, we did offer to pay for a rental through Hertz (due to massive inventory shortages we have very few loaner vehicles in service right now) and I believe you went down to Hertz to get a rental vehicle.  Apparently Hertz declined to rent you a vehicle, even though we were going to pay for the rental.  Hertz is an independent business and if they declined to let you rent a car that is completely out of our hands.  They require a credit card to hold in case of damages etc.. after the vehicle is returned.  However the rental would have been paid by Tindol ****** and Hertz would never have charged your card if no additional expenses had been incurred.  Why they would not let you take a car we have no idea.  But we were going to pay for your loaner.  Also, please note that the recall that your vehicle came in for does not cover towing and does NOT cover rentals -  we were going to pay for that our of our pocket even though your car has never been to this shop before. 

  During the process of completing the recall our technician observed that your water pump was leaking.  It is most likely that the leaking water pump was the cause of your issues all along, as you stated that before the vehicle came in here it had issues until it finally over-heated. 

  ***************, and I mean this with the utmost respect, we did not break your car.  However in order to acknowledge our part in some of your issues, we will be glad to offer a 10% discount off the parts and labor to repair your water pump.  Please let me know if that's acceptable to you.  Thank you

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/12/2022

   
  Complaint: 17512543
  
  I am rejecting this response because:  My water pump had no issues prior, when I initially called **** and made a complaint about the recall on my vehicle and that I was not getting any air there was a recall on my car for the cooling fan.  I was being transferred by the older lady that sits at your front desk every time I would call she would ask me if I was calling about a recall and if I responded yes she was connecting me over to a customer service center she never once connected me to the actual **** Service, it wasnt until I never got a response a week later I had to call and literally show my tail in order to get someone on the phone had my phone calls been returned my car never wouldve ran hot my car was not running hot and then on Sunday my car started running hot and quit running and I was not able to speak with someone until Monday I have had two mechanics look at my vehicle and tell me that had my cooling fan been fixed that have ran hot in my water pump would not have a leak in it also in reference to the rental car when I went to Hertz and I was not able to speak with someone until Monday I have had two mechanics look at my vehicle and tell me that had my cooling fan been fixed that my car never would have ran hot and my water pump would not have a leak in it also in reference to the rental car when I went to Hertz I offered them three different cards  and they refused every card stating that they needed an actual credit card and no **** told me that they would give me a discount at $35 a day they did not offer to pay for the entire vehicle so Im not sure where that information is coming from but it is completely faults per your mechanic ***** So it seems like theres a lot of miscommunication in your department I was constantly being transferred to the wrong department 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

  Business Response

  Date: 07/20/2022

  I am very sorry *************** feels that we broke her vehicle - that somehow a degree of slowness in response to her phone calls and getting her scheduled for service, which we regret even though we are super busy, caused her vehicle to break.  

  Unfortunately I don't know how to remedy this situation beyond what we have already offered.  *************** mentions in her complaint that she was having issues prior to calling ** to perform ****** recall.  As I mentioned in my first response, her vehicle had never been to this dealership until she contacted us about completing a recall on it.   We do not believe that we are one bit responsible for the fact that her water pump is leaking.  

  Despite this, we offered to pay for a loaner car for her due to us having issues getting back in touch with her initially.  I offered to cut our parts and labor charge 10% to repair her water pump in an attempt to resolve this issue in my first response.  That offer was not good enough for her.  I believe that *************** is intentionally trying to hang responsibility for her vehicle's issues on us and to get us to pay to repair her car for her, and that's unfair. 

  The offer we made previously stands and that's all we're going to do to resolve this situation.  We are happy to help *************** but we are not responsible for the fact that her water pump is leaking.  We diagnosed that issue for her and she's trying to make it Tindol's fault, which it is not.