GTI Auto Exchange & Service

Check engine light came on after driving just a few minutes. Their "shop" supposedly replaced a part, but old part is still there.On October 2, 2014, I purchased a [redacted] from GTI Auto Exchange and Services at 2511 Durham Chapel Hill Rd. I was told that the car was a personal car that the owner had used to travel back in forth from Chatham County to the lot. I took the car out on Monday (September 29, 2014) for an initial test drive. Car seemed fine. No check engine lights, no IMA battery light. I put $1500 down (3 money orders, $500/each). However, after signing paperwork for their "in-house" financing, I drove the car off the lot only to realize 5 minutes later that the CEL and IMA light had come on. The car also makes a loud rattling sound around the accessory belt area.I immediately contacted the sales rep, [redacted], and told him the news. He stated that I could probably have the car checked by his shop the next day, but I wasn't wanting to wait that long. He said he would call his shop right away, and see what they could do. I grew tired of waiting on his call, so I drove right back to the lot a few minutes later.[redacted] walked out to the car to check it out, and all he could say was "should have driven it again before signing". He saw my impatience, and got his shop to look at the car immediately. So, I drove over to the shop, and they mentioned an A/C compressor bearing had gone bad. I was told the part would be in the next day (from [redacted] - an actual dealer), and they'd have it fixed no problem.The next day comes around, I receive a call to pick up the car. I go get the car, and 2 miles later, the CEL and IMA lights are on yet again. I drove back of course, and they were dumbfounded. Their mechanic decides to show me the a/c compressor he had taken off the car. I was surprised to see that the part he held looked brand new, and the one on the car looked original. The mechanic said he would get another compressor from "[redacted]". I know that [redacted] is a salvage yard, but this fact contradicted the original claim of just ordering a new one the previous day from [redacted]. I told them to check what codes were popping up, and they did. But quickly disconnected their scan tool and refrained from informing me of the specific codes. The mechanic basically stated: "The codes that are coming up points to the area where I replaced the compressor."There was also a claim that the part was a $600 compressor. Which is weird because a new compressor from the dealer is $300. So they either got screwed and bought a used compressor for $600, or they are fabricating. I was also skeptical of the codes, so I took the car to [redacted], where they have an identical scan tool that was just used a half hour before. Codes [redacted] and [redacted]. Both point to a bad [redacted] battery, and IMA overheating.Unfortunately, I am seriously disappointed with a "seemingly" down to earth group of men, who seem to have become everything but. Desired SettlementI would like to have my down payment returned to me in full ($1500), and give this vehicle back to this dealership. Business Response Though unfortunate what the customer stated is pretty much true to my understanding. The vehicle was an everyday rider for one of the Officers of GTI Auto Exchange Inc. Though I was not there for this transaction I was made aware of this issue. We apologized to the customer and refunded their money as per their understanding request.The only thing I would advice to all customers, is when you do have a light (Engine Light) I would go to a certified shop and have them run the codes and investigate them. Many things cause engine lights to come on and there is always more than one reason it could create a code. A parts warehouse with no shop can only assist you in parts you may or may not need. We always try to make sure if a customer needs something we eliminate reason(s) before throwing good money at a bad situation.I am happy the customers refund was in order and we also are happy this matter was settle in a very professional manner by both our customer and our company. Thank You Again.

Complaint[redacted] with engine problems. several tsb from [redacted]. loud engine knocking and ac broken I took this vehicle for a test drive and it ran terrible, I then took another vehicle ([redacted] different year) for a test drive and it too ran terrible. The salesman was very nice but apparently the mechanic has no clue what he is doing. I really liked the vehicle and was told that the issue was figured out after they called [redacted] and I was told they were replacing the spark plugs and this would take care of the problem. It did make the truck run better but I believe they knew this was a temporary fix as I have not even made the first payment and the vehicle has to go to a [redacted] dealer. Also I advised the dealership of a problem with the ac that I was assured would be taken care of and it never was and still has not to this day. I have tried several times to get in touch with the salesman however have gotten little response back making me believe they know what has happened with this carDesired SettlementI want the ac fixed properly like I was promised before the vehicle was purchased and I also want whatever is wrong with the engine taken care of. I have an appointment to drop it off tomorrow 10/1 at [redacted] in Cary. I would expect GTI to cover any charges associated with engine repair and ac repair because I mentioned both these problems upon purchase and was told it was taken care of. I wish to settle this without an attorney but if I need to pursue one because on no cooperation then I will Business Response I am not sure why this customer is complaining to the Revdex.com. The customer mentioned he had taking His [redacted] to the dealer and was informed there was a couple of TSB and one was for the rough idle he said he was experiencing. I invited him to come by and let us price the job in hopes of saving the customer money and I am sure we can, he seemed content with that. I have several text back and forth with this customer all of which I felt to be good so I am surprise with this minor issue that surely can be corrected easily. Again I invite the customer back to our dealership where we will be happy to look at it and let the customer make the final decision of where he would like to perform the service. As for the A/C we do need to add freon to it as it was not done when the customer came in on a Saturday after his purchase, where he was hired to shampoo some seats on a [redacted] as my mechanic did not come in that Saturday. If he brings it by I will be happy to square away the A/C issue. As for the engine running rough, it was not at the time of purchase or for days after, so I am not sure why he is stating that. I am confident if it was he would not have purchase the vehicle from us. Again we are happy to service what may be needed and as our company policy states, we will provide the labor at no charge for the 1st 30 days and the customer buys the parts if needed. We recommend to the customers allow us to price the parts as we can get parts cheaper than the customer normally. We are happy to assist but like going to [redacted] we will need the customer to make an appointment and bring it in. Thank You.Consumer Response My complaint is not with the person I bought the vehicle from. He is a very nice gentleman and very straight forward. The issue I have is that when I first drove the vehicle it ran horrible, in fact 2 back to back test drives ran horrible. I was told that the issue with this vehicle was "spark plugs" which they replaced and it "seemed" to fix the problem. I have not driven the car much since I bought it so I have not had a lot of time in it to listen for noises but I know I have done nothing to it since I had it other than, have the wheels aligned and the oil changed (which was black as tar) I do not expect the salesman knows if the vehicle was taken care of or not and whomever the mechanic is that goes over the vehicles did a horrible job, my complaint is that the spark plugs that were put in did not fix whatever was wrong with it. I have absolutely no problem with the salesman however on several occasions I did in fact call to say "hey, I need a price check on this situation" or hey " the ac needs fixed" and never heard anything back. I have a print out of all the texts I sent and the few I received back to show that I was In fact in touch with the shop but never got the estimate or a call etc. Because I did not want the car to tear up I took it to [redacted] to make sure everything was ok. They did replace a tsb problem that was to the tune of $396.00. This case was opened in my better interest in case this engine does bite the dust, there is documentation to show I don't believe the spark plugs, fixed whatever was wrong with it. I am very keen on details and I pay attention to them. I haven't had the vehicle a month, or even made the first payment, I realize it is used, but I also think I should be able to feel comfortable buying a used vehicle that I am not going to have to spend money to fix not even a month into ownership. I would have gladly taken the car back to GTI however again, after several texts etc and no response I figured I was being blown off. The shop knew that I was awaiting word on parts and the service of the AC yet I never received a call telling me to come in. Final Business Response Please call and schedule an appointment so that we may square away the a/c situation. As I am sure you are aware TSB are put out by the manufacture, unlike recalls they do not make that information public unless you seek it out. I would like to think we could catch everything but that would simply not be true by any business. I happy to learn that the problem was resolved and that the customer is content with his results from the [redacted] dealership. We look forward to the customer schedule a time for us to square away the a/c. Thank You again. Consumer Response I took my vehicle in today for the ac to be repaired, it hasn't been hot outside for me to check but It was blowing cold when I picked it up. I will report in a few days on that part. As of right now I have not been reimbursed the 392.00 worth of repair that I had to have done that should have already been done. Once we agree on this reimbursement my complaint will be 100% settled. Consumer Response Business owner has not attempted to contact me to reimburse me for the engine repair that I was told was taken care of before I purchased it. Will forward complaint to my attorney for further investigation due to not being able to settle through the Revdex.com program. Owner owes me $392.00 for repairs that were not fixed prior to purchase as should have been. Business Response Customer stated when he test drove the vehicle that it ran rough. We hooked it up to our computer and it had a misfire on #3 Cylinder. We corrected the issue per the recommendation on ALLDATA Service. The customer came back in and test drove the vehicle at which time he was happy with. He then drove the vehicle to the Henderson area to show it to his wife (some 60 miles round trip) at which time everything was fine then. No complaint about the Engine or Engine noise or the A/C.My salesperson hired Mr. [redacted] to shampoo one of our vehicles that following Saturday. Mr. [redacted] came and picked up the vehicle and detail the interior seating for us and he did mention the A/C didn't seem to be cold enough and my salesperson so no problem I that we would square that away not knowing that the mechanic schedule for that business day was not going to be in due to a sickness. We have since repair the A/C as promised as Mr. [redacted] brought it in for us to do so. Never the less. When Mr. [redacted] called about a possible issue we invited him to bring it by and we would be happy to look at it and go from there. He choose not to do that so this matter is closed as far as we are concerned. We are aware after 22 years in business you cannot make everyone happy. All we can do is offer, the rest is up to the customer to bring it in for us to inspect. Consumer Response Owner is trying to make light of the situation and shampooing a truck has nothing to do with the fact that I test drove 2 different navigators that both ran horribly because of poor mechanic inspecting. I could have had a wreck during both test drives due to the negligence of the shop and owner. Owner can reimburse the $392.00 or we can meet in small claims. I am prepared for either and have already retained counsel. It's not about pleasing people its about making sure your customers have a safe vehicle to ride in and doing what is morally and ethically right.Consumer Response Also please note I have pages of text messages where I tried to contact the sales person for a quote on the work needed with absolutely no response. I tried several times before the salesperson was sick to get am estimate to no avail and have the documentation to prove it. You put customers off and don't prioritize then you expect the customer to just be on with it. That is not how the world works. Make the situation right, take responsibility for your carelessness and fix the situation. It's obvious the personel you hire is mediocre at best which is why they couldn't get the seat clear. And why half the vehicles are dirty and not even looked over. When I changed the oil in this vehicle it was tar black. You could tell it had not been done. Business owner has no sense of responsibility and if he does he will rectify the situation and pay the 392.00 for the repair he should have done Consumer Response I took my vehicle in today for the ac to be repaired, it hasn't been hot outside for me to check but It was blowing cold when I picked it up. I will report in a few days on that part. As of right now I have not been reimbursed the 392.00 worth of repair that I had to have done that should have already been done. Once we agree on this reimbursement my complaint will be 100% settled. Consumer Response Business owner has not attempted to contact me to reimburse me for the engine repair that I was told was taken care of before I purchased it. Will forward complaint to my attorney for further investigation due to not being able to settle through the Revdex.com program. Owner owes me $392.00 for repairs that were not fixed prior to purchase as should have been. Business Response Customer stated when he test drove the vehicle that it ran rough. We hooked it up to our computer and it had a misfire on #3 Cylinder. We corrected the issue per the recommendation on ALLDATA Service. The customer came back in and test drove the vehicle at which time he was happy with. He then drove the vehicle to the Henderson area to show it to his wife (some 60 miles round trip) at which time everything was fine then. No complaint about the Engine or Engine noise or the A/C.My salesperson hired Mr. [redacted] to shampoo one of our vehicles that following Saturday. Mr. [redacted] came and picked up the vehicle and detail the interior seating for us and he did mention the A/C didn't seem to be cold enough and my salesperson so no problem I that we would square that away not knowing that the mechanic schedule for that business day was not going to be in due to a sickness. We have since repair the A/C as promised as Mr. [redacted] brought it in for us to do so. Never the less. When Mr. [redacted] called about a possible issue we invited him to bring it by and we would be happy to look at it and go from there. He choose not to do that so this matter is closed as far as we are concerned. We are aware after 22 years in business you cannot make everyone happy. All we can do is offer, the rest is up to the customer to bring it in for us to inspect. Consumer Response Owner is trying to make light of the situation and shampooing a truck has nothing to do with the fact that I test drove 2 different navigators that both ran horribly because of poor mechanic inspecting. I could have had a wreck during both test drives due to the negligence of the shop and owner. Owner can reimburse the $392.00 or we can meet in small claims. I am prepared for either and have already retained counsel. It's not about pleasing people its about making sure your customers have a safe vehicle to ride in and doing what is morally and ethically right.Consumer Response Also please note I have pages of text messages where I tried to contact the sales person for a quote on the work needed with absolutely no response. I tried several times before the salesperson was sick to get am estimate to no avail and have the documentation to prove it. You put customers off and don't prioritize then you expect the customer to just be on with it. That is not how the world works. Make the situation right, take responsibility for your carelessness and fix the situation. It's obvious the personel you hire is mediocre at best which is why they couldn't get the seat clear. And why half the vehicles are dirty and not even looked over. When I changed the oil in this vehicle it was tar black. You could tell it had not been done. Business owner has no sense of responsibility and if he does he will rectify the situation and pay the 392.00 for the repair he should have done Consumer Response As of today ac blows nothing but hot air. So not only did they refuse to pay for the costs of the faulty engine repair but they failed to fix the ac.Consumer Response As of today ac blows nothing but hot air. So not only did they refuse to pay for the costs of the faulty engine repair but they failed to fix the ac.