Acura of Modesto

If ZERO stars were possible, that would be my choice.

In my opinion, Acura of Modesto has to be the most incompetent and inept Acura Dealer in America. I recently leased an Acura ZDX from Acura of Modesto a little over a month ago, that has turned out to be a worthless brick. The vehicle has displayed multiple errors and fails to accept a charge from an Acura branded charger. The vehicle has been in the Acura of Modesto Service Center for nearly a week, so far, and no estimated time/date for repairs to be completed can be confidently given by the Service Manger, Eric Angelo. I have sent multiple emails and multiple phone calls to discuss this matter with the Acura of Modesto management without a single response. After having an Acura Customer Relations case manager contact Acura of Modesto, I finally received my first response from Mike Atassi.

The Sales Manager/Finance Director Homer Amri is the stereotypical used car salesman. Utterly lacking in ethics, morality, trustworthiness, honesty and disseminating lies. Someone I have found that is not to be trusted at all. Homer likes to make up deceptive stories to cover for the laziness and mismanagement of Acura of Modesto. Homer Amri's unsubstantiated false claims of recalls to avoid providing Acura accessories and the unloading of excess inventory. When asked for documentation of these alleged recalls, you will receive no response other than silence from Homer Amri. This is the typical customer service, Homer Amri provides to his customers. The same customers the Acura of Modesto website proclaims "We REALLY appreciate your business." What a disgusting joke!

In less than a week, my new Acura ZDX has displayed error messages on the dash(equivalent to a Check Engine light). Last Monday, without warning, the charge stopped and the error message appeared. I took it in to be checked at Acura of Stockton Service Center and they were unwilling to service my ZDX in the first month of ownership and wanted to schedule an appointment after the first 30 days had passed. After a discussion with the dealer's general manager, the Acura of Stockton Service department was willing to plug a diagnostics into my ZDX and clear the trouble code. After waiting for nearly 4 hours to update the vehicle's software to match the diagnostics, I was told it was an on-board charging, invertor or CPU issue. My ZDX was returned without the error message displayed, no repairs were actually made.

Well, 4 days later, the charge once again halted without warning, and the error message is displayed once again. Being Easter, the Acura of Modesto was closed and I left a message for the service department at Acura of Modesto for a diagnostic to be run for the second time.

Now after being in the Acura of Modesto Service Center for nearly a week, Eric Angelo, the service manager, states he can't confidently provide an estimate as to when repairs will be completed. Making the excuse the Acura ZDX is new technology. What a confidence builder for a customer to hear this statement coming from the service manager.

If you believe working with the stereotypical used car salesman(sleazy, zero ethics and morals, dishonest and terrible customer service) Homer Amri at Acura of Modesto is the right person for you. Or if it doesn't matter if the Service Departmen is clueless as to having the ability to repair the vehicles the dealership sells, I would recommend Acura of Modesto. Otherwise I would recommend avoiding Acura of Modesto completely and go anywhere else.

And here I thought getting a new vehicle was supposed to be a fun and enjoyable experience. With Acura of Modesto, it's been a terrible experience I fully regret.

we sincerely appreciate all our clients feedback because that is how we improve as a companyIn this instance it is important to note that although we did make some mistakes and it will be important to learn from those mistakes it is important to point out the following; -Acura of Modesto did not profit one red penny from charging California DMV feesAll money that was collected went to the DMV -Acura of Modesto did not receive the paper work that exempted the client from a portion of California fees called VLF fees for over a month after the transaction -When Acura of Modesto did receive the proper paper work the client was refunded the correct amount charged which was over half of the original DMV fees charged -Where we failed the client had to do more with his original request to register the vehicle in TexasIn regards to this Acura of Modesto as well as all other California dealers rarely if ever can actually complete an out of state registration because of various state inspection and DMV laws In this case we are working with the Texas department of motor vehicles in order to accomplish what the customer requested and if successful will honor the clients request -Acura of Modesto has never taken advantage of the military population or any other of our clientsFurthermore we appreciate all the sacrifices the members of the military and they're famiies make -Acura of Modesto has a very good record with the Revdex.com and all other rating services and we will continue to strive for the highest standards in all our business dealings with clients

I am rejecting this response because: This is another lie from the dealership and they are distorting the truth againFirst the car wasnt purchased on 1/1/check your recordsThe purchase price WASNT reduced because past due fees were disclosed to usThis is not the situationThe price of the vehicle was reduced because we negotiated the price and weren't willing to pay the asking priceIn addition, we agreed to buy the extended warranty and overall the cost was more than we intended to payThat is why the purchase price was reducedIt is a flat out lie that we were told anything about past due feesIn fact, we were told the car was current and we would be recieving a refund for the current registration being collected at closing and if anythingMy wife specifically asked so we won't have to pay anything else this year on the registration is this correct? And it was stated no this should be more than enoughHowever, two months later a notice came from the DMV requesting an additional $be paid by 5/for vehicle registration and fees because it was delinquent when the car was purchasedWhen the notice came my wife called the manager and was told that something didn't sound right and he would look into the situationHe said it sounded like the DMV made a mistake and the records weren't updated and he would call her back if she needed to do anythingHe never called backThe dealership should pay $ The dealshersip is not displaying honesty or integrityThe truth is being distorted

We certainly appreciate all our customers feedback and do what we can to rectify any situations that ariseHowever in this case the clients description of the facts are way offThe facts are as follows
The license fees expired on 5/12/ 13, not in as the client indicatedThe client was
charged $in fees and sent a $refund shortly afterThe client was told that they were paying for fees from 5/12/to
5/12/In other words some of the clients money went toward about months of back feesThis is allowed by the department of Motor Vehicles. The amount toward back fees would have been approximately $
The client was also given an additional $off the final price at the time that more than compensated for the back fees they had to payWe feel we have been more than fair with this client and feel bad they do not agree

I am rejecting this response because: This is another lie from the dealership and they are distorting the truth again. First the car wasnt purchased on 1/1/2014 check your records. The purchase price WASNT reduced because past due fees were disclosed to us. This is not the situation. The price of the vehicle was reduced because we negotiated the price and weren't willing to pay the asking price. In addition, we agreed to buy the extended warranty and overall the cost was more than we intended to pay. That is why the purchase price was reduced. It is a flat out lie that we were told anything about past due fees. In fact, we were told the car was current and we would be recieving a refund for the current registration being collected at closing and if anything. My wife specifically asked so we won't have to pay anything else this year on the registration is this correct? And it was stated no this should be more than enough. However, two months later a notice came from the DMV requesting an additional $356 be paid by 5/12 for vehicle registration and fees because it was delinquent when the car was purchased..... When the notice came my wife called the manager and was told that something didn't sound right and he would look into the situation. He said it sounded like the DMV made a mistake and the records weren't updated and he would call her back if she needed to do anything. He never called back... The dealership should pay $356.
The dealshersip is not displaying honesty or integrity. The truth is being distorted.

we sincerely appreciate all our clients feedback because that is how we improve as a company. In this instance it is important to note that although we did make some mistakes and it will be
important to learn from those mistakes it is important to point out the following;
-Acura of Modesto did...

not profit one red penny from charging California DMV fees. All money that was collected went to the DMV.
-Acura of Modesto did not receive the paper work that exempted the client from a portion of California fees called VLF fees for over a month after the transaction.
-When Acura of Modesto did receive the proper paper work the client was refunded the correct amount charged which was over half of the original DMV fees charged.
-Where we failed the client had to do more with his original request to register the vehicle in Texas. In regards to this Acura of Modesto as well as all other California dealers rarely if ever
can actually complete an out of state registration because of various state inspection and DMV laws.
In this case we are working with the Texas department of motor vehicles in order to accomplish what the customer requested and if successful will honor the clients request.
-Acura of Modesto has never taken advantage of the military population or any other of our clients. Furthermore we appreciate all the sacrifices the members of the military and they're famiies make.
-Acura of Modesto has a very good record with the Revdex.com and all other rating services and we will continue to strive for the highest standards in all our business dealings with clients.

The facts are as follows.
The client purchased the vehicle on 1-1-2014
The plates on the car expired on 5-12-13, not in 2012 as the client has indicated.
$584 was the amount due to DMV in back fees and penalties. The client was charged $428 on the contract( which is enclosed. )
The client received a $48 refund check that they cashed. ( copy also enclosed.)
The dealership paid  $204 of the back fees.
The clients net charge of $380 were to bring the fees current through 5-12-14. So a portion of the clients money did go toward back fees, approximatetly$254. This is allowed by DMV.
We believe the expiration date was discussed with the client because it was written on the write up document. The client was also given a final discount over that amount
to compensate for the amount that went toward back fees.
We believe we have been more than fair with the client and are dissappointed that they do not feel this way.

Review: I purchased a 2014 Acura MDX Advance in January 2014 from Acura of Modesto. At closing we spoke with the finance manager and completed the proper paperwork (Truth in Lending Disclosure, ect) and we paid the DMV for registration. We were told at closing that we would likely be getting a small refund for the estimated fees and costs and that they over collect if anything of licensing and registration. However, three months later a notice came in the mail for registration to be paid again for an additional $356 due 05/12/14. My wife contacted the dealership spoke with the manager and he told her that it was likely an error but that she should call the DMV. In addition, he would contact their in house DMV representative and see if there was a problem he would call her back and let her know. He never called her back. She called the DMV and was told that the funds could still be posting but the $584 were paid and pending. The phone representative said they were having system issues and very far behind on processing with multiple systems. A few months went by and a delinquent notice came from the DMV for $571 which included a late fee for the late registration. My wife called the DMV again and was told the $540 paid in Jan 2014 when we purchased the car covered delinquent registration from 2012 and nothing for 2014. She then contacted the dealership requesting they pay $356 and the manager and finance manager said no way would they cover delinquent registration and they didn't care if it had been disclosed that the fees are estimated. I reviewed how we were told that if anything we would be getting a small refund; however, they still wouldn't agree to cover the registration that should have been disclosed when we purchased the car. If we knew that we were going to have to pay registration for 2012-2014, we would have asked for the money off the purchase price of the car.Desired Settlement: I am requesting $356 refund in a check to us for the registration/license fee that came due shortly after we purchased the car. The dealership knew the fees had not been paid to the DMV and failed to disclose and collect everything that should have been paid. We even paid so much for the car that we had to request a 90 day deferment for the 1st payment. The last thing we expected was another bill in the mail!

Business

Response:

We certainly appreciate all our customers feedback and do what we can to rectify any situations that arise. However in this case the clients description of the facts are way off. The facts are as follows.

The license fees expired on 5/12/ 13, not in 2012 as the client indicated. The client was charged $428 in fees and sent a $48 refund shortly after. The client was told that they were paying for fees from 5/12/13 to

5/12/14. In other words some of the clients money went toward about 8 months of back fees. This is allowed by the department of Motor Vehicles. The amount toward back fees would have been approximately $254.

The client was also given an additional $500 off the final price at the time that more than compensated for the back fees they had to pay. We feel we have been more than fair with this client and feel bad they do not agree.

Business

Response:

The facts are as follows.

The client purchased the vehicle on 1-1-2014

The plates on the car expired on 5-12-13, not in 2012 as the client has indicated.

$584 was the amount due to DMV in back fees and penalties. The client was charged $428 on the contract( which is enclosed. )

The client received a $48 refund check that they cashed. ( copy also enclosed.)

The dealership paid $204 of the back fees.

The clients net charge of $380 were to bring the fees current through 5-12-14. So a portion of the clients money did go toward back fees, approximatetly$254. This is allowed by DMV.

We believe the expiration date was discussed with the client because it was written on the write up document. The client was also given a final discount over that amount

to compensate for the amount that went toward back fees.

We believe we have been more than fair with the client and are dissappointed that they do not feel this way.

Consumer

Response:

I am rejecting this response because: This is another lie from the dealership and they are distorting the truth again. First the car wasnt purchased on 1/1/2014 check your records. The purchase price WASNT reduced because past due fees were disclosed to us. This is not the situation. The price of the vehicle was reduced because we negotiated the price and weren't willing to pay the asking price. In addition, we agreed to buy the extended warranty and overall the cost was more than we intended to pay. That is why the purchase price was reduced. It is a flat out lie that we were told anything about past due fees. In fact, we were told the car was current and we would be recieving a refund for the current registration being collected at closing and if anything. My wife specifically asked so we won't have to pay anything else this year on the registration is this correct? And it was stated no this should be more than enough. However, two months later a notice came from the DMV requesting an additional $356 be paid by 5/12 for vehicle registration and fees because it was delinquent when the car was purchased..... When the notice came my wife called the manager and was told that something didn't sound right and he would look into the situation. He said it sounded like the DMV made a mistake and the records weren't updated and he would call her back if she needed to do anything. He never called back... The dealership should pay $356.

The dealshersip is not displaying honesty or integrity. The truth is being distorted.

Review: Acura of Modesto is dishonest with sales practices with military members. I am an out of state resident (living in CA) and was looking to have my registration completed for my state of residence. I was personally assured that I was going to receive the out of state registration as requested in the sales process. In signing the contract for the vehicle, I was once again told I was going to get getting the out of state registration.Then a few weeks later, to my surprise, I received CA license plates. In talking to the dealership about the issue, the sales manager told me that it was "impossible to do an out of state registration" and they could only do it for CA, completely denying the fact that I was clearly told it would not be an issue in signing the contract. This is in spite of the fact that I had already contacted my state of residence before buying the car and they said it was no problem AND I was personally assured it would be easy by Acura.I am sure there will be nothing that can be done about it now as I was too trusting that I was going to be taken care of as promised and nothing was in writing from the sales manager in the contract. But I want to make it well aware that Acura of Modesto is dishonest and completely ignorant of the law and how it pertains to the military. Besides the registration issue, it was clearly stated to me on the phone that while living in CA, anyone (including active duty military) MUST register their cars and get a CA driver's license while in the state of CA. However, we have been told directly from the California Highway Patrol that with a valid military ID military members can keep their cars and licenses for their state of residence.In the end, I have learned a valuable lesson in dealing with car dealers and most importantly I want this information of a lack of knowledge and dishonest dealings made known. As an active duty military officer, I do not want this dealership taking advantage of any of my sailors whether it is by dishonesty or ignorance.Desired Settlement: I doubt that anything will come of this, but primarily I want AoM to at least acknowledge and apologize that a mistake was made. In doing so, maybe they will become better prepared to deal with military members correctly.I want this information to be known to the public that they are either dishonest and/or unaware of the law and how it pertains to the military.Ideally, I want my registration to be changed to my state of residence with a refund for the cost difference/no cost to myself.

Business

Response:

we sincerely appreciate all our clients feedback because that is how we improve as a company. In this instance it is important to note that although we did make some mistakes and it will be

important to learn from those mistakes it is important to point out the following;

-Acura of Modesto did not profit one red penny from charging California DMV fees. All money that was collected went to the DMV.

-Acura of Modesto did not receive the paper work that exempted the client from a portion of California fees called VLF fees for over a month after the transaction.

-When Acura of Modesto did receive the proper paper work the client was refunded the correct amount charged which was over half of the original DMV fees charged.

-Where we failed the client had to do more with his original request to register the vehicle in Texas. In regards to this Acura of Modesto as well as all other California dealers rarely if ever

can actually complete an out of state registration because of various state inspection and DMV laws.

In this case we are working with the Texas department of motor vehicles in order to accomplish what the customer requested and if successful will honor the clients request.

-Acura of Modesto has never taken advantage of the military population or any other of our clients. Furthermore we appreciate all the sacrifices the members of the military and they're famiies make.

-Acura of Modesto has a very good record with the Revdex.com and all other rating services and we will continue to strive for the highest standards in all our business dealings with clients.