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:09/16/2024

  Type:Service or Repair 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.

  I brought a car from this dealership with mechanical issues for some reason the car will not hold oil. I took off work drove a hour away to take the car back and nothing was done no diagnostic or nothing. After taking to car to another shop and confirming there was a leak. I took off work yet again drove another hour to take the car back. I was told there was pressure in the motor and there was some type of kit needed to be put on the car they did not have the kit so I would have to bring the car BACK AGAIN. I took off again today drove an hour and took the car back all to get there and find out they would need to keep my car 2 days to determine what’s wrong. No prior communication no attempt to make this a smooth transition nothing. Being that I was a hour away from home and could not leave my car I had to leave with no repairs again today. I brought this car with this issue yet they do not in anyway take accountability for it. In a perfect world I would like out of this car and my money back as it was supposed to be a mechanically sound car. But being that I have wasted 3 trips and missed 3 days of work spent money I’d like a loner until my car is fixed. This is the worse car buying experience I have ever had. I am a single mother being caused to miss work and ultimately receive no help.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/17/2024

  I have spoken to the service center who provided me options for drop off to have the car fixed it is still inconvenient but I will work with them working with me 

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/19/2024

  Ms ******** purchased a vehicle from Drive Smart on 6/10/2024.  The vehicle purchase included a 60 day, 2000 mile limited warranty.  On 8/9/24, Ms ******** brought her vehicle in for service with the concern that the vehicle wouldn't acclerate at times and might be low on oil.  Drive Smart couldn't replicate the acceleration issue but did find the vehicle low on oil.  So, Drive Smart asked the her to drive the vehicle for 500 miles and let us check the oil level again to determine the rate at which the vehicle was losing oil.  That appointment happened on 9/3/24.  During that appointment, Drive Smart confirmed there were no oil leaks but that the motor was burning oil at an excessive rate.  So, Drive Smart told Ms. ******** we would need to order a combustion chamber cleaning kit to attempt to reduce the rate of oil use.  That appointment was set for 9/16/24.  Drive Smart told Ms. ******** we would need to keep her car overnight as the cleaning procedure requires the vehicle to sit for serveral hours during the process.  

  Unfortunately, these series of appointments have required Ms. ******** to make several trips to Columbia but all have been required in order to diagnose the issue with her vehicle.  Drive Smart is committed to making sure we get a proper diagnosis and a solution to her problem.  However, we need to follow these steps to accomplish that.  Drive Smart does not have a loaner car program so we can not offer one to her.  However, at her next appointment (scheduled for 9/24/24), we would be happy to give Ms. ******** a $50 gift card for the inconvenience she has dealt with.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/19/2024

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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/27/2024

  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.

  I leased a car through this business for $2000 down and made a payment of $578 already. The motor in the car has gone bad 35 days after purchase. I called them and they told me to they cannot do nothing about it. I told them I would contact a lawyer and the parts women told me to “**** ****” Now I have lost $2578 and have no transportation to and from work.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/05/2024

  **** ***** purchased a 2013 Kia Optima on 4/26/2024 from Drive Smart.  DS Finance provided the financing for this purchase.  Mr. ***** put $2,000 down and has monthly payments of $555.  Mr. *****’s purchase came with a 60 day/2000-mile limited warranty.
  On 5/8/2024 Mr. ***** called our service department and made an appointment for 5/15/2024 for us to look at his air conditioning because it was not blowing cold.  Mr. ***** never showed up for that appointment.  Mr. ***** showed up to Drive Smart on 5/27/2024 and wanted us to take his car in for service.  We told Mr. ***** we have to schedule appointments for service, and he declined.
  On 6/24/24 and 6/25/24, Mr. ***** called several people in the dealership and demanded service on his vehicle immediately.  He stated the AC was blowing hot and he needed a starter.  He was told he needed an appointment.  Mr. ***** yelled at and hung up on several staff members.  He then threatened Drive Smart with a lawsuit at which point he was told we were no longer going to talk to him.  On 6/27/24, Mr. ***** filed a complaint with the BBB in which he stated the engine was blown.  Drive Smart reached out to Mr. ***** and told him that even though the vehicle was out of warranty (he had driven the car roughly 11,000 miles), he might be eligible for a new engine through Kia and we agreed to have his vehicle towed to Kia to determine if it was eligible. 
  Kia is still in the process  of evaluating his vehicle.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/09/2024

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  On the day that I called for the AC I was given a number to call for service. However the number was not answered even after leaving several messages. It was 90 degrees outside almost everyday. The date was given two to three weeks out. I then drove to the office and was met with an attitude from the same woman who told me to “F*** off”. The starter went out shortly after that. I only had the car about 30-35days. It was only after I contacted BBB then I received a call from the owner telling me to have it towed again to Kia dealership because there is a recall on the motor and they have had to go through it before three other times. When I called back a gentleman said “again, we just had the same problem with that Kia before selling to you”. I have spent $2000 down payment and $555 on car payment and $400 in car insurance for a car that engine and starter, A/C blew out on in less than 45days. They refuse to assist only in the tow to Kia after BBB was contacted and I left a negative review online. I’m now down all that money. I proudly served my country 10years two deployments overseas and currently disabled. I would like to get better treatment from a car dealership a business in my home country. 

  
  Sincerely,
  
  **** *****

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/17/2024

  As stated in our previous response, Mr. *****'s purchase came with a 60 day/2000 mile limited warranty.  Even though Mr. ***** missed a scheduled appointment to have his air conditioning fixed, Drive Smart is honoring the warranty and has fixed the air conditioning in his vehcile.  Drive Smart paid to have his car towed to a Kia dealership to evaluate the status of his motor and starter (there are certain situations where the motor in Mr. *****'s vehicle can be covered by the manufacturer if a failure occurs).  Kia found no problem with the motor but had to replace the starter in his car in order to confirm the status of the motor.  Drive Smart paid Kia $804.77 to replace the starter and evaluate the car.  The starter is not covered under warranty as Mr. ***** has exceeded 2000 miles driven on his vehicle.  However, Drive Smart is willing to only charge Mr. ***** the cost we would have charged to replace the starter which is $317.84.  

  So, Mr. *****'s vehicle is at Drive Smart and running properly.  If he would like to get his car back, he simply needs to make his past due payments plus the cost for the starter replacement.  The total bill is $1,473.84 payable with cash or money order.  Hopefully, this is an agreeable solution to Mr. *****'s concerns.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/18/2023

  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.

  In September of last year I purchased a 2011 Arcadia GMC from Drivesmart. A month later the motor went out and under the companies warranty they traded it for a 2008 Chevrolet Equinox. I put down $1500 to get the car in addition to paying Taxes and obtaining the registration which was suppose to be included. I currently pay $444 a month in addition to $273 a month for insurance. Under the 90 day warranty I was in and out of the business reporting every problem that occurred, faulty ignition resulting in a stuck key, windows not fully operating, stirring wheel locking up, stalling when cranking. None of these issues were ever fully resolved just temporarily as I was back at the business the days following each “fix” to report the failure. In fear of what they might say and not having it done properly based on past experiences, I went ahead and replaced the battery and alternator that went out on my own. The key still gets stuck, the windows still glitch and my driver window completely stop going down. Between now and the beginning I have complained about the windows specifically time after time!! With no resolution given to me because now it’s “outside of the warranty”. The problem is that it was never properly repaired and it seems they were waiting on this moment to fully abandon me with the vehicle. I have at least 3 more years till I fully pay this car off.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/21/2023

  Drive Smart sold a 2011 GMC Acadia to Janis **** on 7/12/2022.  Ms. **** paid a $1,000 down payment with payments of $420/ month.  All vehicles purchased and financed at Drive Smart come with a 60 day/2000 mile limited warranty (see attached document with details of limited warranty coverage).  Unfortunately, the transmission failed on the Acadia.  Transmission failure is a covered item under the 60 day 2000 mile limited warranty.  Drive Smart chose to trade Ms. **** out of the Acadia into a 2008 Chevrolet Equinox on 8/30/22 at no expense to her.  Drive Smart applied the $1,000 down payment and the regular monthly payment of $420 she had already made to the purchase of the Chevrolet Equinox.  The Equinox also came with the same 60 day/2000 mile limited warranty that is attached. 

  After Ms. **** purchased the Equinox, she came to our service facility for a series of issues which will be outlined below.  Drive Smart inspected and repaired several issues which were not covered under the 60 day/2000 mile limited warranty and did not charge Ms. **** for any of the work.  Here is a summary of the service performed:

  9/9/22--Drive Smart replaced the driver's window regulator and right front wheel bearing (not covered under warranty)

  10/10/22--Drive Smart inspected ignition as customer stated key wouldn't come out--could not replicate the problem (not covered under warranty)

  10/19/22--Drive Smart fixed the interior door handle.  Also, hired a locksmith to try and replicate the key problem she referenced and he could not replicate the problem (not covered under warranty)

  10/25/22--Drive Smart replaced thermostat and temperature sensor (not covered under warranty)

  1/5/23--Drive Smart replaced the inside door handle clip (not covered under warranty)

  All of these issues were addressed without any expense to the customer even though they were not covered under the 60 day/2000 mile limited warranty.

  On 9/5/23, Ms. **** brought her vehicle in complaining that the driver window would not go down.  Unfortunately, it appears the window regulator that was installed one year ago has gone bad.  We quoted Ms. **** a price of $241.80 to replace the window regulator.  She complained to Will Gilfillan (our service manager) that she shouldn't have to pay for this.  Mr. Gilfillan offered to only charge Ms **** the cost of the part and Drive Smart would absorb the labor cost.  (the part cost is $126.80)  She hung up on Mr. Gilfillan and we didn't hear from her until she filed a complaint with the BBB.

  So, in conclusion, Drive Smart feels that we have been more than fair to Ms. ****.  However, used cars (and new cars for that matter) are machines and sometimes machines need repairs.  She has owned the vehicle for over a year, the limited warranty is expired, and the repair she needs was not a warranty item.  If she would like to have us repair the window regulator, the offer to do so with no labor charge is still open to her.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/27/2023

  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.

  This ********* ******** I purchase car from Drivesmart November 2022 because my old car was high on mileage I had 1000 to pay. Unfortunately I was sold a bad car oil never says in the car the fuel keep burning. I’m been having trouble getting forth to work. During the holidays December 2022 that’s when problems started . I had get starter replace car still work we rank right it’s was very weak. I change my spark plugs notice the third plug was burn out was told the engine will put out. As you see the pictures with spark plug showed the burned spark. And car was a lot smoke out the exhaust pipe. Jeff told something different told me I need to keep oil changes and refilling oil. February I told was valve needed replace I did that paid 65 and got the car didn’t work. Then Jeff told it was catalytic converter and charge 400 I paid that . Car work okay month in march acting the same way cutting off drive keep getting upgrade to prminum fuel. Making loud vibrating nose service light on . I call will in April he said car was warning something. I made appointment I call reschedule couldn’t that date he never call me. Back. April 24 put oil in car it was low not hr later car shut off while won’t car up all the oil was gone . They was visible oil leak just smell burnt oil. I got car told on yesterday they will me back. Never me back so call April 26 they said after lunch got call. They calll about payment but won’t me or my husband bout the car. Either replace or they release from contract because that is reliable to be on the road . I very disappointed with drive smart never purchase here again. They money but don’t fix vehicle

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/04/2023

  ********* ******** purchased a 2005 Nissan Altima from Drive Smart on 11/4/2022.  The purchase came with a 60 day/2000 mile limited warranty.  Unfortunately, her vehicle needs an engine replacement and the warranty has expired as she is outside of the 60 days and has driven 16,000 miles.  Drive Smart reached out to Mrs. J******* and told her we understand the difficulty this situation puts her in and offered to pay for 1/2 of the replacement cost of the engine if she would like to keep her vehicle.  The other option Drive Smart offered Mrs. ******** was to trade in her vehicle for another similarly priced vehicle.  Given the unfortunate circumstances with her current vehicle, Drive Smart agreed to waive the normal down payment requirements on the new vehicle and only require Mrs. ******** to pay the tax and registration fees on the new vehicle and begin payments.

  As of 5/4/23, Mrs. ******** has not pursued either option with Drive Smart.  Although we certainly wish the first vehicle had not experienced mechanical issues, we feel this proposal to solve the problem is a fair and generous attempt to help Mrs. ********.