Northwest Hills Chevrolet Pontiac

Review: Our 2012 [redacted], has been brought to Northwest Hills Dealership for the same problems on 5 different occasions. The issues that we were having with the vehical was that it was hesitating after being stopped at a light, and lagging to get up to speed-- as well as there being a rattling noise. They could not find the problem with the shifting and hesitation the 4 times we brought it ourselves.. and each time they told us the rattling noise was from a clip in the passenger sliding door- which they claimed had been fixed. After getting the van back each time...the rattling was happening right away as well as the shifting and hesitation issue. On one occasion-- which is the one time they lent a rental to us... I asked for reciets that the work had been done and the man at the service desk told me that I didnt need anything-- it was all in the computer what had been done, if I had any issues.

Finally on 10/27/14 we brought the van to the dealership that it was purchased from for an oil change, and had also asked them to look at these problems. Sure enough, [redacted] (where the vehical was purchased) brought it to Northwest Hills...and they found all kinds of problems. The rattle was from the rear suspension -- NOT a clip in the sliding door. The vehical was hesitating because of a clutch issue with 1 and 2nd gear, therefor the necessary work for the transmission to be rebuilt was going to be done. Once I was informed about the problems (from [redacted], not NorthwestHills) I then called the service manager [redacted] at Northwest to ask why it took 5 times of my car being taken into the shop-- and this time from another dealer, for the problems to be found. The only answers I was given was "I dont know", or "maybe.

I was given a courtesy rental from [redacted], because Northwest told us they do not do rentals on cars that are under warantee-- although on one occasion we were given a rental from Northwest.

After my van being in the shop from 10/27 until 11/5/14, we picked it up from [redacted]. Oddly enough, the performance of the car is worse now than it was when we brought it in. My husband brought it in 11/7 approx 4:45, and the person at the service desk told him that they would not get it back into the shop until 11/17 in a very unprofessional manor.

The van has a gouge on the passenger sliding door, that my husband said looks to have someone tried to blend it in... it is now idiling rough, and shaking as I go down a hill-- there was also a safty inspection done-- and the van passed on everything in the GREEN.

We contacted [redacted] corporate 11/8 and spoke with a representative and informed her of all the issues. There was no record that she could find of any transmission work being done. She told us that this was going to be forwarded to a case manager and we would hear back no later than 11/11/14 @ 8pm. Needless to say, we did not hear back as of yet and I have left another message today as well as speaking with another [redacted] rep-- who told me that they cant tell me to do anything other than to leave a message for the case worker- "i have her number and extention contact ".

I am now putting my three children in an unsafe vehichal and at risk because of negligence on several peoples parts. As well as paying a monthly car payment on something that is not in the condition that I bought it in, and in a shop more than I am actually driving it.Desired Settlement: This can be discussed when we have all of the issues resolved. To be totally honest we are SO unhappy with the customer service that we have recieved and want to be put in a new vehical.

Business

Response:

At the time of this response, I have just left a telephone message to Ms. [redacted] to discuss her concerns.

I have reviewed the service history of her 2012 [redacted] in our service department and I do see some differences between the details in her complaint and what our records indicate. It is important to note that the customer purchased this vehicle as a pre-owned vehicle from [redacted]. I am not aware of the date of this transaction, however, when a vehicle of this value is sold in the State of CT, the selling dealer is responsible for safety and driveability items for at least 60 days. I am not aware of the history that Ms. [redacted] had with [redacted] regarding these issues...so the quantity that she refers to could be a combination of the two facilities involved with the repair of this vehicle. [redacted] does not provide for replacement transportation (loaners) for warranty work. And in this case, it appeared that [redacted], as the selling dealer, should have been responsible for providing replacement transportation for the [redacted].

Ms. [redacted]'s vehicle was in our care on three seperate occasions:

05/27/2104 for a 1-day repair at 20,887 miles. Vehicle was brought to us with a complaint that the Passenger Sider Slider Door will not open from the outside handle. We repaired the door under [redacted] Factory Warranty and also performed an open recall and re-program.

10/16/2014 for a 5-day repair (over the weekend), with 24,531 miles. Customer complained of a rattling noise from the passenger side sliding door when driving over bumps; complained of a "cloud of smoke from the exhaust at imes when starting or accelerating" and a lag of acceleration when starting out form a stop. We identified the door rattle as some door guides and replaced them. We weren't able to duplicate the cloud of smoke of the lag in acceleration.

On 10/28/14 for a 8-day repair (over the weekedn) with 24,851 miles. On this occasion, the vehicle was brought to us through [redacted]- and not Ms. [redacted]. Upon diagnosing the noise on the passenger side further, it was determined to be a rear shock noise. We replaced the rear shocks under [redacted] Factory Warranty. We were also able to experience the slight hesitation when taking off from a start and determined that the transmission need a reseal. This was also done under warranty.

Mr. [redacted] did stop in late on November 7th and indicated that there was still a problem with the vehicle, but no appontment was made to repair it at that time. I do believe that we could have seen it earlier than the 17th.

As I look at the history, the first repair happens 5-months prior to the two repair orders in October...and I would interpret them to be completely unrelated. I say this because if the repairs in May weren't performed to the [redacted]'s satisfaction, then we should have heard about it prior to October. I am not aware of any history of complaints that the [redacted]'s had during that time with [redacted]. I can certainly understand the customer's frustration with the October visits and our inability to find the problem on the first visit. Unfortunately, when we can't duplicate the condition we don't recommend replacing parts.

I am more than willing to inspect the [redacted]'s vehicle again to try to determine if there are additional problems.

Respectfully submitted by [redacted]

Review: I purchased a 2014 GMC truck, when I purchased the truck they offered me a product called "Armor All SmartShield" it's a clear glass coating for the trucks paint.

I notice a week after I had the truck that the passages side looked different than the drivers side. I call Armo All and they said if might have been missed and I should return to the deal which I did and they recovered the passenger side. While I was at the dealer my sales reps told me they have had problems with the body shop not doing the whole vehicle before and received many complaints. About a week after I noticed the hood wasn't looking good and there was stains. I emailed the dealer and Armor All and in 17 days no response. I paid over $600 for a coating that wasn't completely done on my truck and now I'm being avoided.Desired Settlement: Finish the job correctly, or return my money. This dealer is over an hour away and it's not fair to me to have to travel two hrs each time for me to have them correct the problem a third time.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

To whom it may concern, Since my filing this complaint, Northwest Hills dealership has contacted me and is working on rectifying the problem. I would like to cancel this complaint [redacted]

Business

Response:

We apologize for any inconvenience to the customer

We have made arrangements directly with the customer, to

have the truck picked the services done and returned to by our staff.

We are in direct contact with the customer and are resolving

this issue directly.

Review: we purchased a used 2007 chevy equinox from this dealer in august 2011 and were shown a car fax report that had an accident listed on the report which I still have a copy of. We are currently trading this same car in at another dealership and they did a car fax and the same accident shows up but with airbag deployment and much more information. If we had known this information we would not have purchased this vehicle. The date of the accident wast X-XX-XXXX same on both reports. we did not purchase until X-XXXX Now that we are trading in with the airbag deployment that was not disclosed it is diminishing the value of our trade. I posted to this dealers Facebook page about this and Meghan Finn sent me a message asking for and opportunity to buy back our car, so I went to the dealer and I guess the buy back offer is only good if we repurchase another vehicle from this dealership we do not want to purchase a car from them. I asked for our loan to be satisfied as I view this as fraud or to make good on the difference offered for trade. They refused. Can not get any satisfaction from them.

Desired Settlement: DesiredSettlementID: Refund

pay off our loan and take the car back. We would not ever have purchased this car if we had this information about the airbag . We need satisfaction from this before May 20th due to the fact the car will be traded in towards our new car if they do not satisfiy this request If we have to trade it in with diminished value they should pay the difference of what the deal has offered if the airbag was not deployed vs undeployed

Business

Response:

Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2013/04/18) */

Contact Name and Title: [redacted], President

Contact Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXX

Contact Email: [redacted]@nwhcars.com

First, I am very sorry that this happened to our customer. We disclosed to the buyer of this Equinox what we knew about it's previous history- which is what the CarFax report showed at the time of sale (that it had been involved in an accident). We don't know at what point the CarFax history was updated to include the notation of an Air Bag Deployment. I have heard of instances where CarFax and AutoCheck services have made this designation inappropriately- due to learning that, for instance, an air bag sensor was replaced (which could be common on a front-end collision repair although there wasn't a deployed airbag). The point of my saying this is that we still don't know that there was an airbag deployment.

That all being said, when the customer bought the Equinox, we knew about the accident- and the impact that it has on the value of the Equinox. In our deal paperwork, we have a print out from a valuation service that the banks rely on to determine whether the loan application is appropriate. This print out shows that the retail value of a 2007 Chevy Equinox in August 2011, with 85,000 miles is $16,900. The customer paid $[redacted] for the vehicle. The reason for this difference is the CarFax disclosure- they saved about $4,000 on this Equinox because of the accident disclosure on the CarFax report.

The customer met with two of my representatives a couple days ago. At that time, we also showed the customer that the value of the average 2007 Equinox today, on a wholesale or trade-in basis with 130,000 miles is $4,275 to $5,175.

Unfortunately, the amount that the customer owes to the bank on the Equinox has no reflection of it's value. And based on the information that the customer shared with my reps the other day, currently they have been offered $4500 in trade-in on the Equinox, which is very much in line with the current market value of an Equinox of similar mileage and a clean CarFax.

In closing, I would reiterate that I am very sorry that this lapse in information occurred with CarFax. However, after reviewing the purchase price when they bought the car in August of 2011, and the wholesale trade-in value of the vehicle today, I feel confident that the customer did not sustain any financial damages, and in fact, that actually they came out ahead- by saving $4,000 upfront- and then not realizing any negative adjustments to the value nearly two years later.

I would also suggest that the customer seek a second opinion on the value of the trade. I realize that they are trying to buy a vehicle that Northwest Hills does not sell, but visit another dealer and see what they say about your trade.

Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2013/04/19) */

(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT ACCEPT the response from the business.)

I do not accept this as an answer we paid XXXXX.00 for this car and put 2000.00 down payment so the final purchase of the vechile was [redacted] plus we purchased and extended warranty. We were told there was and accident but not about the airbag deployment. The salesman joked about how minor it was because the car was in Fl "must of hit a bicyle" the damage was extensive. Why would I want to trade this vehicle and purchase another from a dishonest dealer. The trade value is diminished and it is insulting that a company that says They have "transparent customer service" behaves this way. I will be contacting Dmv and filing a complaint and the states attorney this is fraud. I will also call Channel 3. The other dealership we are purchasing from has told us the valuation of this car would be much more had it not had an airbag deployment.

Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2013/05/02) */

To be clear, the customer did pay $[redacted] for the Equinox. After the complainant posted her reply, I called her and set an appointment to meet and review the situation. I showed the customer that she only paid $[redacted] for the vehicle...and she agreed. Granted there were other products that were purchased- service contract, taxes, etc.

The ultimate result of our meeting was that I offered to make up the difference between the Equinox's current trade value with the air bag disclosure ($4,000)- and what the dealer would have paid the complainant if it didn't have the air bag disclosure ($5,200). That way, regardless of how you look at it, the complainant has no damages whatsoever. They bought the car far below market value, and now, when they sell it, they get the value as if it never had an accident! My team has had contact with the other dealer to confirm our commitment.

In closing, I would like to say, once again, that I am sorry that this happened. CarFax was late with the disclosure of the air bag deployment and it is unfortunate that we did not have that information at time of sale. I still believe that the Equinox that they purchased was repaired properly after the accident, and was a good, reliable, safe vehicle for them to put over 50,000 miles on, as they did.

Review: I'm making this compliant regarding a used vehicle that I purchased on July 22nd, 2013. I pointed out to the sales representative that there was a crack in the windshield. Also, that the vehicle was struggling while going up hills or inclines, and it was revving high. Also I'd like to point out that the vehicle was not detailed on date of pick up. I went back to the dealership several time regarding my issues. The salesman tried to assist with issues by making a service appointment. The windshield now looks like someone put crafting glue on it to seal it, the car is still revving high, I went back to the dealership to express how I felt about the windshield and the issue with the car revving, struggle to go up hill to add on additional other issue that I noticed such as the middle window rattles, and when pressing brakes the car shakes ( which means the brakes are warped). I spoke to a [redacted] due to salesman [redacted] was on vacation who expressed concern and stated he would call with scheduled appointment to address these concerns. It has now been weeks later, I have to express that I'm very dissatisfied with the performance of the vehicle and how the resolution which is still not resolved.It has been a nightmare.

Product_Or_Service: Grand Caravan DodgeDesired Settlement: DesiredSettlementID: Replacement

I'd like this matter to be resolved by changing the vehicle.

Business

Response:

Contact Name and Title: [redacted] G.M.

Contact Phone: [redacted]

Contact Email: [redacted]@nwhcars.com

We would like to apologize for any inconvience we caused Ms.[redacted]. We immediately brought the vehicle back in for service and addressed her complaints. We found and she agreed that they were operating the vehicle in the economy mode which limits the shifting ability to gain better fuel economy. When she drove the vehcile in the normal mode,the lack of power and struggle to get up hills went away. We repaired the front brakes to fix the shaking problem. We did this as a show of goodwill being that the vehicle had been driven 6000 in the month since delivery and was about 3000 beyond the state mandated used vehicle warranty. I spoke with Ms. [redacted] after the repairs were completed and she indicated that she was satisfied and asked if we could reinstall some trim panels that were loose, which I agree to do. Based on our conversations, I believe our issues to be resolved and I hope we can continue our relationship and continue to take care of her vehilce needs.

Review: After finding a [redacted] Touring through my banks car buying service ([redacted] for military members) On 6/18/2014 I contacted the dealership, [redacted] Northwest Hills Dealerships to inquire about the vehicle, I spoke with [redacted]. I had agreed to let them draft our credit card for $500 to hold the vehicle for us because I didnt know when my husband would be able to get out there to see the vehicle due to the demands of his military career. I went to [redacted] on 6/19/2014 with my mother and two children to test drive the vehicle, I decided that I wanted the vehicle. [redacted] had gone on vacation so he passed us along to [redacted]. There were a few issues I asked to be addressed before we came back the following week with my husband to purchase the vehicle. I noticed when I test drove the vehicle that the brakes felt odd, I asked [redacted] about it and he said he didnt know anything about them. I asked him to have it serviced before we came back and he assured me we wont sell a car that is not safe for the road. I also asked they address the leaking window, smoke smell, and detail the vehicle because it was filthy.After calling back and forth with [redacted] trying to get everything set up he started getting rude and short with me. I had at this point refused to keep working with [redacted] and I called [redacted] while he was on vacation, mentioned that we want the car, but it needed the brakes to be looked at and I couldnt deal with [redacted] any longer. He apologized for his co workers rude behavior and got us set us up with [redacted]. My husband and I along with our children, returned on 6/25/14 to purchase the vehicle. We checked out the car and it looked spectacular. The window was repaired, it was beautifully detailed, and they had put a smoke bomb in there to get rid of the smell, which all we could smell was the pungent freshener. I did notice that between my first visit and this visit, someone had removed the headphone for the VES out of the glovebox. I also noticed the remote was missing, but I never noticed it on our first visit. I asked [redacted] about the brakes, he said he didnt know but he would find out. I also asked him for the inspection report on the vehicle and what happened to the remote and headphones. He got us a new remote and the two missing sets of headphones. He never gave us the info on the brakes or the inspection report which I forgot about while trying to keep a 4 and 1 year old content so they didnt destroy the place.[redacted] handled our paperwork. He gave us info on our warranty he said 3000 miles 90 days and its also a pre-owned certified vehicle so theres a second warranty. After everything was a signed a man from service name [redacted] came out to the car, I asked him if he could please fill the tank, check the tires and if they had a spare blindspot mirror since the one on the passenger side was now falling off. He did all three for us and we were very impressed that they were being so kind. We thanked them for everything and drove off.About 40 minutes into our drive home my husband was driving and we were traveling 40-45 mph., there was a slight curve In the road and my husband applied the brakes. The whole front end of the car started shaking, I thought we were going to wreck. I immediately called I believe it was [redacted] at the dealership, I got his voicemail. I left a message and kept calling for the next two hours, he never called back. We had decided to keep going since they said it was safe for the road, the kids were screaming and hungry, we were out of food for the baby and there is a [redacted] dealership very close to our house.After we got home I sent my husband to [redacted], the dealership in [redacted]. He was working with a man named [redacted] the service manager. [redacted] had the vehicle inspected free of charge and told my husband what the deal was. My husband doesnt relay messages very well so I had him call [redacted] to tell them what he was told. I tried contacting numerous people the next two days. I contacted the General manager and left a message, [redacted] whom my husband spoke with, [redacted] who spoke with me, [redacted], maybe others I dont remember. No one ever called me back. On Friday 6/27/14 I called [redacted] and spoke with [redacted]. He told me that one of the rotors was warped in the front, and that the brakes were brand new. He told me to request the paperwork on the brakes since it didnt look like they were going to honor the warranty. I asked him if this was a safety hazard. He replied, the ABS system could be triggered while driving, so yes, it could potentially be a safety hazard. I called [redacted] and told him what [redacted] from [redacted] had told me. I gave [redacted]s number and [redacted] said he would contact [redacted]. At 6 PM I called [redacted] back, to see if [redacted] had contacted him. He had not.They have also not refunded our $500 deposit to our credit card.Desired Settlement: Repair of anything that is damaged, free of charge. Our $500 deposit back on our credit card.

Business

Response:

We are currently working with the customer and a dealership close to the customer's home to resolve the problem with the vehicle. My General Manager, [redacted], had attempted to reach the service person on Friday but was unable to connect with him. With the help of the customer, on Monday, [redacted] was able to speak with [redacted] at the local [redacted] dealership and authorize repairs to the brake system. I believe the problem stems from a binding caliper that hadn't presented itself on our inspection of the vehicle. We fully intend to refund the initial deposit of $500, but need to speak with the customer to obtain the credit card data as we do not keep numbers on file.

We are very sorry that the customer had this problem and will continue to work with them through resolution.