Ride Today

Review: I purchased a 2006 Chrysler Pacifica from Ride Today in Roanoke VA on 4/27/2013. I proceeded to take the car home and within 2 days on Wednesday 4/30/2013 the radiator started leaking fluid. I immediately called to let the dealer know about the problem and he said to call service and they would get it fixed. I called the service department and set up an appointment to have the repairs done on 5/7/2013. Just to fined out on 5/6/2013 from [redacted] in the service department that the repairs would be at my cost. I contacted [redacted] at Ride Today to ask about this and he said he would talk to [redacted] about the repairs. Instead of of [redacted] returning my call he sent me a text message telling me that the repairs would not be covered. After a full day of back and forth calls between [redacted] and trying to get in contact with [redacted] we now have a car payment and can't drive the car and can't afford the repairs. There was no warranty papers signed with the dealer, or a as is form. I am unsure of the warranty that I was stated I have. We contacted the head over the dealership ([redacted]) on 5/7/2013 and he was very rude with us about the issue.Desired Settlement: I just want the repairs done on the car at the dealers exspense. I should not have these issues after only having the car less than 72 hours.

Business

Response:

Ride Today only sells cars on a completely AS-IS basis, which is posted clearly at the store and on our website. Ride Today even asks each guests to sign a notice that has in bold face type and underlined that "we will not make any repairs at all after purchase" to make sure that there are no misunderstandings. Mr. & Mrs. [redacted] both signed not only this document, but two other documents including the FTC Buyers Guide for Used Vehicles all with AS-IS disclosures. Also they signed documents stating that they had fully inspected the car and accepted it in the current condition. Again, all AS-IS disclosures are properly signed and we would be glad to provide the [redacted]'s with copies. We do have an arrangement with a service facility next door to Ride Today to make low cost repairs and the [redacted]'s had an appointment for 8 am this morning and did not keep that appointment. Ride Today is trying to find a way to get a low cost repair accomplished for this car, but the [redacted]'s failed to allow this shop to inspect the car, complete an independent diagnosis and offer a repair solution. The only way Ride Today can possibly assist would be to work with the shop that we have an arrangement with that gives extremely reduced cost repairs. We not only have that available, we offered that option to them but they did not keep that appointment. The only solution we have for this issue is for the car to either be towed or safely driven without any further damage to the Service Shop at the Prestige Collection at 6900 Peters Creek Rd. in Roanoke. This shop will diagnose the issue and work with Ride Today to offer an extremely cost effective repair. Again, Ride Today has an exclusive agreement with this shop to provide low cost repairs and it is the only repair shop that Ride Today refers any guest to. This arrangement allows Ride Today guests to have an option to get repairs done at a cost not available at other shops and it is a great value, but again this option was not taken advantage of. Please ask the [redacted]'s to call [redacted] at ###-###-#### to make another appointment and we will do our best to work with this shop to find a very reasonable repair.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below. I don't feel that I should have to cover the exspense of the repairs since the issue came up only 2 days after purchase. Regards, [redacted]

Review: I paid cash for a vehicle in January. A refund was issued to me after my mom complained by email that they had jacked p the price. They sent all the paperwork back so that I could get my tags myself. We told [redacted] that we wanted the car title just in MY name and was reassured that it would be. NOW, the DMV states that moms name has to be on the title cause she was told to sign even though she was against this. Her name was on the title of the car that we traded in but this one is to be in MY name only. Mom has called [redacted] and has emailed without response except for a smart-alec response regarding the price. Almost immediately, the manual transmission started going out in R and 1-3rd gear and the radiator seems to be leaking. I am waiting to find a good mechanic ands waiting to build up my bank account as the 2003 SVT Focus was over $5000. We traveled all the way from [redacted] just to buy this car.Desired Settlement: I am requesting that I/WE be reimbursed for our trouble and for the repair or replacement of the transmission. I am guessing that the transmission be around 1200 and another 1000 for our trouble.

Business

Response:

Ride Today sells used vehicles on an As Is basis only. All guests not only receive the appropriate As Is notices but also a statement from our company making it clear that we suggest that each guest have the vehicle inspected by their own technician since we do not check over these vehicles or recondition. State Inspection is all each Ride Today car receives. This way each buyer may decide on their own how much reconditioning or repairs make sense for them. With the clear As Is nature of our business, there is nothing more that we may do other than suggest that they have the car looked at with one of our repair partners to see how much they may make the repair for. Please contact [redacted] at [redacted] and he will schedule a time to inspect the car and provide a repair estimate.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

Regards,

Review: I purchased a 2005 Honda Pilot in November 2013 from the Ride Today lot. Within 15 days of purchase (12 days of taking possession), I was left stranded in the middle of [redacted] Road. The vehicle would not move and began to leak fluids and the police was ultimately called along with a tow truck. The towing of the vehicle was almost $200 because of the time of day on a weekend and also because the Roanoke City Police was dispatched. After having the vehicle towed to a transmission shop, the repair center determined that this vehicle that was serviced by [redacted], had a radiator that was improperly installed, less than 1,000 miles previously; screws and lines were stripped. After calling to see what my options were with the purchased warranty, I was informed that this was not covered by said warranty. The repair,towing (x2), and car rental expense was over $1,000! I called the Service Manager and was told there was nothing that the dealership could do about these expenses to contact the warranty company to recover my losses.

In late May early June 2014, I received a factory recall from Honda about the VSA (Vehicle Stability Assist) module. I immediately took the vehicle in to be serviced. On June 19th 2014, I had the safety recall done; but not before I was a victim of the the VSA malfunction. While traveling on I-581, the car came to an abrupt stop, jerking the wheel so hard to the right that my family and I were just missed by a tractor trailer traveling in the right hand lane beside us. I was able to pull over safely and was able to drift off the interstate. At this point there was smoke coming through the air conditioner vents and the smell of burnt rubber. After the recall was done in June, the problem arose again a few weeks later in early July 2014. I was driving on a busy street and the car behind me was able to stop, thankfully. Neither time had I touched the brakes but the vehicle came to a stop on its own without warning. The problem has came back again, and so I am at this point not able to depend on this vehicle nor trust that this will not place myself or family back into harms way. This has been an continuous serious issue and has not ceased to cause problems that could lead to a serious accident. The vehicle has not been driven 10K miles since purchase. A recall was open when purchased, yet it was not cleared before I purchased it in November 2013, when the recall was issued in March 2013. I would have never purchased this SUV with a safety issue that would put my family at risk of death. I've contacted the dealership prior to submitting this report in October 2014.Desired Settlement: Option 1: Allow for an exchange for the same model SUV at the same price as I purchased . Option 2: Trade this in on an completely different SUV giving credit for the payments and repair expenses. Option 3: Refund all monies paid for vehicle and warranty. Option 4: Repair issue until resolved.

Business

Response:

As we have discussed with Ms. [redacted] last fall and a fact that she knew before purchase, this vehicle was purchased As-Is and she was advised of this fact several ways and asked to have the vehicle inspected before purchase. Also, while it was not required...as near as I can rememeber from our discussions with Ms. [redacted] last fall our records indicated that it was taken to the local Honda dealer for a recall check before her purchase.

With the recall concern Independent Used Car Retailers have no control over factory recalls. Any concerns over a recall should be addressed with the local dealer for that make.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

There was no offer to have the vehicle inspected prior to the purchase nor was I allowed to do so with my mechanic. I did not drive the vehicle off the lot, the salesman drove it to a service station, as there was a limited amount of fuel and the low fuel indicator was illuminated. The vehicle was previously needing a battery charge before I arrived back to the dealership and had been running for an unspecified am out of time. I did not select this vehicle, I selected a Ford Explorer. Afterwards, I was given the opportunity to drive the vehicle less than a mile away from the dealership back to the dealership. The vehicle was sold with an open recall and that was not disclosed prior to the purchase. It is my understanding, that a dealership is not to sell a vehicle that has an open safety recall. If this vehicle was serviced by a local dealer, the recall was never performed for the VSA brake assistance. The recall bulletin was published in March 2013 and I purchased this vehicle in November 2013, giving plenty of time to fix, repair or have proper servicing. In my opinion, this is a possible product liability law violation, by placing this vehicle back into the market for purchase without due diligence.

Regards,

Business

Response:

Thank you for forwarding Ms. [redacted] concerns. Please find attached documents from Ms. [redacted] purchase that will address her claims.

1. The Buyers Order is clearly marked As-Is with Ms. [redacted] signature.

2. The Buyers Guide is also clearly marked As-Is with Ms. [redacted] signature confirming receipt.

3. A As-Is notice from Ride Today asking that the guest carefully inspects the vehicle before completing purchase.

4. Delivery Confirmation showing that "nothing promised at time of purchase" signed by Ms. [redacted].

5. A Carfax report detailing where Ride Today took this Honda Pilot to [redacted] for a checkup on 9/27/2013 which would include a Recall Check as all manufacturers require new car dealers to do. This Service was performed at [redacted] before Ms. [redacted] purchased the vehicle in November 2013.

6. The Carfax currently reports that only one recall is open on this vehicle and it was issued on 9/3/2014, ten months after her purchase.

7. From our website: "Because Ride Today vehicles are sold CHEAP at ABSOLUTE LOWEST PRICES TO THE PUBLIC, they are sold AS-IS. We do not recondition these vehicles. Some options may not work. There may be mechanical problems that need to be addressed by the buyer. It is the BUYER's responsibility to thoroughly inspect these vehicles before making a purchase. Vehicles that are sold AS-IS are not returnable and carry no warranty."

As we stated before, Independent Used Car dealers have no responsibility to take vehicles for recall checks, however we actually did that on 9/27/2013 a little over a month before her purchase. Again, not required at all... but it was done (see attached Carfax). Also, the only current recall that is due on this vehicle was not issued until well after her purchase.

This vehicle was clearly purchased As-Is and Ride Today fulfilled all obligations to Ms. [redacted] at the time of purchase as these documents show. Any vehicle approaching 175,000 miles as this car happens to be will need maintenance and repairs. This is normal and expected and part of the lifecycle of any equipment. Ride today even posts this information in several places on our website asking guests to fully inspect their purchase beforehand and we even have notices in the showroom reminding everyone of the As-Is nature of our product and how we sell them this way so each guest can decide for themselves how much more to invest in repairs.

Again, as offered last fall...if Ms. [redacted] wants to trade, we will work with her and make her the best offer we can to help her find a vehicle that is newer and would hopefully require less maintenance for now.

We appreciate that Ms. [redacted] is disappointed in her vehicle and her concerns over recalls. The facts remain that even without any requirement to do so, Ride Today took this vehicle to the local Honda dealer before her purchase and there are not currently any open recalls on this vehicle that are before her purchase. The only existing recall was posted in September 2014, way after purchase.

Respectfully,

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

I am writing to respond to the message that was sent by Mr.

[redacted]. No offer was ever made to me. The original salesman, Mr. [redacted],

suggested after calling back with the first repair within days of purchase,

that I purchase a new car to possibly absorb the loan amount of the Honda

Pilot. If I am correct in my logic, this would add to the price of the new

vehicle/loan. A new car with an average price of $25,000 (without tags, title,

license, and processing fee) plus the loan that was originated for the Honda

Pilot would be an excess of $37,000. I would be “upside down” further in

equity, making this purchase unattainable. It is not my desire to be in debt in

such a large amount for a vehicle and to raise my estimated payments well over

$300 per month.

Recall Information:

NHTSA RECALL

NUMBER: [redacted]

MFR CAMPAIGN

ID: [redacted]

CAMPAIGN

DESCRIPTION: VSA ECU MALFUNCTION

RECALL DATE: 03/13/2013

SUDDEN INADVERTENT

BRAKING, ESPECIALLY WITHOUT ILLUMINATION OF THE BRAKE LIGHTS, MAY INCREASE THE

RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH.

Report Receipt Date: MAR 14, 2013

NHTSA Campaign Number: [redacted]

Component(s): SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC , TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM

Sent on 03 14 2013 Expires on 03 28 2013

From American Honda Parts & Service Division, Campaign

Administration Subject Stop Sale/Safety Recall: 2005 Pilot VSA Malfunction

DATE: March 14, 2013

TO: All Honda Sales, Service & Parts Managers and

Personnel FROM: American Honda Parts & Service Division, Campaign

Administration

RE: Stop Sale/Safety Recall: 2005 Pilot VSA Malfunction

Today, March 14, 2013, American Honda will notify NHTSA of a

Stop Sale order and Safety Recall for some 2005 Pilot units. Any used units in dealer stock must be

repaired per S/B 13-026: Safety Recall: VSA System Unexpectedly Activates prior

to sale. Refer to VIN Inquiry to determine which units in your inventory

are affected. American Honda Motor Co. expects to begin customer notification

in mid-April 2013. Note: Affected

vehicles should not be sold until the repair has been performed. Should an

unrepaired vehicle cause any injury or damage because of the required recall

repair, the dealership will be solely responsible to the damaged party, and

will be required to defend and indemnify American Honda for any resulting

claims.

Basic Problem A malfunction in the VSA system may cause the

brake assist feature to activate unexpectedly.

Campaign Information All affected vehicles require repair of

the VSA control unit connector; some vehicles will also require inspection of

the G302 ground clamp bolt. Please refer to iN VIN status inquiry to determine

which repair applies to a particular vehicle.

Parts Information Parts to support this recall including

harness repair kits and tools will be available for order as of March 16, 2013.

Warranty and Repair Information

Warranty and repair information will be detailed in S/B 13-026, which will be

posted to ISIS on March 16, 2013.

I took the vehicle to [redacted] Honda to perform the first

recall repair in June 2014, at their earliest appointment time. At that time, no recall service had been done to repair/replace the VSA System. I received the recall information letter in

late May early June of the same year.

Prior to the day of the visit to purchase a vehicle from

Ride Today, I had never been on the website. I was verbally reassured that I would

have no problems with this vehicle, “It’s a Honda”. Still hesitant, because of

the mileage, I was encouraged and agreed to purchase a service warranty. When

asking questions of the said warranty, I asked would everything be covered, I

was assured everything would be, from electrical to motor. I later found out

that this was incorrect and did not cover many things that I was assured it

would cover. Had I known that this warranty only covered up to the amount paid ($3,000),

I could have easily paid for repairs by other means.

Regards,