ComplaintsforSubaru of Portland

• Initial Complaint

  03/18/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  April 24,2023 Paid for $800 Labour and ****** for parts Paid for Tech Inspection Paid for brake pad kit repair Both brake lights Left hatch tail light License plate bulb **************** and Filter Change Brake Fluid Went to Subaru of *********** in Oct 2023, confirmed that none of these repairs were made and in addition to the tech inspection. The dealership found additional issues with wheel bearings and oil leaks.

  Business response

  03/21/2024

  The vehicle was first in our shop on 4/24/2023 with ******* miles.  The customer is claiming that replacement of brake pads, light bulbs, serpentine belt, oil and filter and brake fluid service were paid for but not done and that items in need of repair were missed on the inspection.  Upon review of the service records, the vehicle was serviced at *********** Subaru on 10/5/2023 at *******, the vehicle had been driven ****** miles since it was serviced here.  The customer should have contacted us at that time if they had issues with our work. They did not.  Immediately after receiving this BBB complaint, we had the customer bring the 2013 Outback to ** for an inspection and provided a loaner vehicle. The vehicle now has ******* miles and has been driven ****** miles since we last serviced it.  Our inspection found multiple issues with the vehicle normally occurring on high mileage vehicles.  We did find one light bulb that we replaced on 4/24/2023 that had failed, and it was replaced at no charge.  Based on todays condition of the items in question it appears all stated work was completed.   The recommendations of *********** Subaru on 10/5/2023 were most likely a result of driving the vehicle ****** miles and/or assuming the service work needed to be done because they had no record of it being done there. The customer also may not understand that service records are not automatically shared between dealers.  As a gesture of goodwill, we at no charge also replaced a few additional light bulbs that were not working.  We will not be providing any additional free work.  The customer has returned our loaner vehicle and picked up their vehicle. 

• Initial Complaint

  12/07/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unresolved

  More info

  We recently bought a used 2020 ***** Civic Sport MT from Subaru of Portland and have been having issues with the vehicle. I have been in contact with *************************, the used car sales manager, and he's been attempting to help us figure out what's wrong with the car. He appears to be helping on the surface, but we have not been able to get the car fixed in an appropriate time frame or to our satisfaction. The vehicle appears to have been previously repossessed, which was not disclosed by Subaru of Portland and there are transmission and shifting complications that seem to be directly related to how the car was driven, poorly maintained, or treated prior to us purchasing the vehicle. We have records of the multi point inspection done by a recovery company, which was swept under the rug and not disclosed by Subaru of Portland.We are very frustrated with how this has been handled by the sales and service team and Subaru of Portland and feel that we have wasted our time and money by choosing to make a purchase with this dealership. We are unsatisfied with the drivability of the car and we have been instructed to "keep driving it" while they look for another similar option. We would end up losing money on this vehicle, should we trade it back into this dealer. This is not a satisfactory outcome and feel that we've been treated unfairly and duped into buying a car that had underlying issues with the clutch or transmission. A repair of the clutch or warranty replacement of the transmission and/or damaged drivetrain components may be needed in order to regain satisfactory drivability of the vehicle. I've included pictures of the service records that indicate a prior repossession history.

  Business response

  12/11/2023

  On 8/19/2023 we sold a used 2020 ***** Civic to ***************************.  The vehicle was sold AS/IS and the purchaser signed the Buyers guide acknowledging receipt of it.  The vehicle had ****** miles in the odometer at time of sale.  Prior to offering the vehicle for sale we ran a NMVTIS title report and a CarFax.  All reports were clear.  The vehicle passed our Used Vehicle Inspection.During the sale we again ran a CarFax report and gave the purchaser a copy.
  
  On 11/29/2023 with ****** the vehicle was brought into our service department with drivability concerns. We Provided the customer with a loaner vehicle at no charge.  We were unable to verify these concerns.  We then sent the vehicle to ************ and had them inspect the vehicle and address the drivability concerns.  They were also unable to verify these concerns. They completed a vehicle inspection (attached) and no issues were noted.
  
  On a telephone conversation with ************************* our General Sales Manager, ************ brought up his concern of the vehicle being previously repossessed because of a Vehicle Summary document that was given to him by **********************************  This document was not previously available to us. The document reads ADMINISTRATION & LOANER RECOVERY.  ************ stated that ************* told him this meant it was a previously repossessed vehicle.  We called ************* seeking clarification on this.  ********************** Manager,*****************, consulted with the Service Advisor who had last written the last Repair Order on this vehicle there and he stated he did not know what ADMINISTRATION & LOANER RECOVERY meant on this report. We have since been told by a ***** dealer this simply means it was a service loaner vehicle.
  
  We exercised due diligence throughout the vehicle inspection, sale and addressing of concerns.  ************** and a ***** technician were not able to duplicate concerns.  We covered the cost of inspection and diagnoses here and at ************.  The previous owner made no mention to us of any issues with the vehicle.  At the time of sale there were no issues requiring disclosure that we were aware of.
  
  As a gesture of good we offered to purchase the vehicle back from the owner for the original purchase price less depreciation for usage based on miles driven.        
  

  Customer response

  12/11/2023

   
  Complaint: 20975856
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  The telephone conversation with ***************** was never discussed with us, the purchaser of the vehicle. We have been in contact with *************************, and he did not disclose any of this information to us about that phone call with *************. The service department for Subaru of Portland also did not describe the issues with our vehicle correctly to the ************ dealership. When I arrived to pick up our vehicle from Subaru of Portland's service department, I spoke with the service manager, ***********************************. While I was picking up my vehicle on 12-8-2023 I discussed with Terik how their staff inadequately described the issues with the vehicle. ***** offered no recourse and simply apologized for their mistake. This was never brought up again by anyone at Subaru of Portland and I was sent away very dissatisfied. At this point, I was left with no other option than to contact the Better Business Bureau with a complaint. It was never disclosed to us by anyone at Subaru of Portland that this vehicle was a "service loaner vehicle" until this response was received by the BBB. None of the information about this car being potentially bought at auction, the car having front end damage at one point, or the fact that it was used as a service or loaner vehicle was brought up during the purchase of this vehicle. ************************* only disclosed some of these items about the car's history, after the fact, on 12-6-2023 on a phone call. Furthermore, we now know that this car was used as some sort of loaner vehicle or service vehicle, thanks to the report from the BBB. As a consumer, I feel that Subaru of Portland omitted pertinent information about this vehicle that would have swayed our decision away from making this purchase. If we have been provided this information up front, we would have avoided purchasing this vehicle. We were under the impression that we were purchasing a vehicle with a clean history and we would not have purchased a car that could have been potentially abused by prior customers to loan or rent the vehicle.

  The salesman at Subaru of Portland have sold us a vehicle with diminished drivability and will not own up to their mistakes. On a phone call with ***************************, the General Manager of Subaru of Portland, on 12-7-23 he suggested that we take the issues up with ***** of ******* and that they would not be helping us any further. The dealer's offer to buy back the vehicle, less depreciation value, is not acceptable to us because of the fact that they will turn around and sell this vehicle again on their used car lot. Subaru of Portland will stand to make more money on this used vehicle and sell it to an unsuspecting consumer that will likely experience the same issues as we have. It is unfair to us, as well as another third party buyer, to sell this vehicle with the current shifting problems and in it's current state of repair.

  The service records in discussion, which "were not available" to Subaru of Portland, were basic maintenance records that ************* pulled from the service history of the vehicle. I also left those records with the service department when the vehicle was left with Subaru of Portland. Subaru of Portland has misled us as customers, belittled us, and promised to help us; only to turn the other direction and leave us with nothing. Furthermore, the General Manager, ***************************, spoke with us on the evening of 12-7-2023 on the phone. Before signing off, he laughed at us, and let us know he would no longer help us with our vehicle. This only added unneeded stress and aggravation about the issues at hand. These issues with the vehicle were brought up within a 90-day time frame from purchasing the vehicle, we firmly believe we were slighted by Subaru of Portland, and that the business is responsible for hiding facts about the vehicle's history, state of drivability, and mechanical state of the vehicle before it's sale.

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

• Initial Complaint

  04/26/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I removed the starter fuse in August 2022 from a 2007 Subaru driven by *************************** to prevent him from driving it. He has advanced dementia and acute alcoholism. On April 25, 2023 he had the car towed to Subaru. They did not check for the missing fuse -- which is obviously missing. Instead they charged him $2642.93 to "computer and electrical problems". These were nonexistent in real life. The car was completely tuned and a new battery installed before it was disabled. Anyone viewing *************************** can see that he is mentally impaired. This charge is a scam and offensive elder abuse.

  Business response

  04/26/2023

  *************************** had his 2007 Subaru Outback towed in on 4/19 with a no start complaint. 
  One of our Subaru Senior Master technicians diagnosed the problem,found a dead battery and the wrong type of ignition key.  *** 2007 Subaru Outback requires a chippedkey for the immobilizer system.  *** vehicle will not start without the correct type of key blank and the key blank must be programmed to the vehicle.  ***************** stated in his text, that another shop had renewed the locks and provided an aftermarket key.  After receiving authorization via text from ******************, the vehicles battery and ignition key were replaced with correct OEM parts.  *** vehicle still would not start.  *** Electronic Control Module (ECM) of his vehicle was not communicating with the new key and it would not accept programming.  *** Service Advisor communicated with ****************** via text and received authorization for additional labor time to further diagnose. *** technician found a poor contact in the connector at the ECM.  After correcting this, the new key blank accepted programming and vehicle started.  Since the vehicle had ****** miles and no documentation of service the technician recommended a ****** service.  ******************, via text authorized for additional maintenance work.
  In speaking with our technician, he stated that he had no indication of a fuse being removed and did not replace one.  Possibly, the shop that ****************** used prior to having his vehicle towed to us had replaced the fuse being referred to in the complaint.
  This was the first time this vehicle had been in our shop.  *** only form of communication with ***************** him was texting until he picked up his vehicle on 4/25/2023.  We had no inclination that he was suffering from advanced dementia as mentioned in the complaint.  *** no start complaint was corrected by replacing the vehicles battery, replacing the ignition key, and correcting a connector issue. 
  *** vehicles battery may have failed due to the car the car not being driven.
  *** transcript of the text conversations and Repair Order has been uploaded.  If you would like to discuss this further, please call me at ************.

   

  Business response

  05/02/2023

  The BBB complaint states that ****************** has advanced dementia and acute alcoholism, and someone had disabled his vehicle to prevent him from driving.  *************************** called our service department today stating that his car would again not start.  Now that we are aware of the possible medical issues with ******************, we have issued a 100% refund rather than facilitating his driving of this vehicle.
  Attached is proof of refund.
   
  Thank you,
   
   
  ***************************
  General Manager
  Subaru of Portland 
  **************
   
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  09/29/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Subaru of Portland has been holding over $5,000 of my warranty refund money for almost 4 months (on what should take no longer than 8 weeks ***** They refuse to return emails, calls, and avoid answering any questions to the point of trying to dismiss me on the phone when I finally reach someone. On multiple phone calls about trying to track down my money, When asked where it was, I was given the answer we dont know. Finance manager *********************** has been the furthest thing from help since we bought the car, as hes the person weve been dealing with. I was told via multiple emails from ***** that my claims were filed and being sent directly to me. When I called the dealership asking where it was, ***** had allegedly NOT filed the proper paperwork and my money was sent in the mail to nobody. I have been getting MONTHS of runaround answers, and still havent gotten ANY of my money. If BBB doesnt solve it, I will be filing a lawsuit for my money owed and damages since the value of my claim exceeds small claims courts.

  Business response

  10/01/2022

  ***************************** and Makaula ***** purchased a new STi from us on 5/6/2021. 
  They had their first oil change done at their local Tri Cities dealer and they did not replace the oil plug. 
  They then sold their vehicle to another Subaru dealer. 
  The customer requested a refund of the finance products we sold them.  (original attached)
  The form they signed stated the refund was to go to the lender (**********).
  When we received the refunds and on 7/7/2022 we issued a check to ********** to be applied to the customers principal loan balance.
  ********** received our check and cashed it.
  Since the customers loan was paid off, they should have refunded the moneys to the customer, they did not.
  
  On 9/19 our office was notified that the refund should have gone to the customer instead of ********** since the loan was paid off.
  We contacted ********** and notified them of this situation.
  On 9/27/2022 ********** notified us that they had sent us a refund check.
  Today I contacted the customer, reviewed the events with him, and cut him a refund check. (copy if check attached)

  Thank you,

   

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

  GM 

  Subaru of Portland

   

  
  

  Customer response

  10/06/2022

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  The dealer response is missing some true factual details that paint me in a somewhat negative light, but I have received my money. 
  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

  06/22/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I ordered a Subaru Outback on October last year. It arrived in December. I was originally quoted with $0 deal markup, but when I arrived, they charged me an additional $2,500 which were never mentioned. Additionally, I had ordered multiple parts to be added to my car which were never added, which totaled $1,334.55, and I've called multiple times a month asking about the parts, and all that ever happens is that I get redirected to someone else. Today 6/22, when I called they told me that sales never placed the order. Additionally, I order ********** and *********** bundles, and after 6 month of not getting service that was promised, I am seeking a refund for these as well, totaling $2,161. So I would like a total refund of $5,995.55.

  Business response

  06/23/2022

  As a gesture of good will we will issue a check for $2,500 to negate pricing issue.  As part of the vehicle purchase 7 accessories were purchased 2 of the seven were not installed because of availability.  We apologize for the lack of communication regarding the installation of these item after we ordered and subsequently received them. We will issue a refund $219.90 for the Transmission Under Guard Sunshade that you have not had installed. As gesture of good will we will revoke the ********** agreement #AZ7RE ****** and issue a refund of $699.  Sign and return the attached Cancelation Form and we cancel the ************ coverage and issue a refund of $1,462.

*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. ↩