Rye Ford Subaru

Review: [redacted] at Rye Ford Subaru refused to refund my $500 deposit for a car that was not delivered or picked up by me. I cancelled the order prior. Document that I received from sales person does not say non-refundable deposit nor was a cancellation policy given to me or verbally explained to me. There is no cancelation policy listed in store. [redacted] threatened to put more money on my credit by calling a collection agency, harassed me when he found out that I called the [redacted] and called me and my Father liars. He told me he would not let me speak to any other managers and to stop wasting his time. Rye Police were contacted and had to escort me into dealership because [redacted] was hostile and I was afraid.Desired Settlement: I want my $500 deposit back and I want assurance that [redacted] will not contact a collection agency for any other further amounts.

Business

Response:

$500.00 deposit has been returned to customer, no further action is required, case closed.

Thank you.

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 and the matter has been resolved.

Sincerely,

Review: I could have selected at least 5 of those issues: 1.) They issued me a warranty for a used Audi I purchased there on 4/**/13, which I found out had an oil consumption problem after the oil light came on while driving the vehicle home from the dealership as well as a 2nd time after making sure oil level was perfect. When the light came on for the 2nd time, I had the car fully inspected from an Audi dealership, including an oil consumption test, which showed the car was burning more than twice the recommended amount of oil due to seeping valve gaskets and that an engine replacement was necessary to fix the car properly. Audi also found that the car needed all 4 upper control arms replaced due to ripped bushings, and a new battery because it failed the medtronics test and was not holding proper charge. Furthermore, there was a clip broken on the headlight assembly which was also in need of a replacement. I dropped the car off with [redacted] Subaru on 5/**/13 with the inspection records from the Audi dealership, and was told that they were going to diagnose the car themselves and get back to me. After nearly TWO weeks of not hearing anything, the used car manager contacted me to tell me that they had diagnosed the car and agreed that an engine replacement was needed. [redacted], the manager, refused to get me a new engine but told me that he was going to find an rebuilt/manufactured engine with less miles than the engine in my car. After several more days, I called to check the status of finding an engine and [redacted] told me there weren't any rebuilt engines available, but told me that they wanted to install a used engine that was being pulled out of a totaled car. I told him I was not comfortable with that engine because I didn't know the history of the car or driver, and certainly didn't want an engine out of a car that was crashed from wreckless driving. He told me to contact [redacted], the service manager, the next day because he couldn't authorize any purchases for a new engine and that I needed to speak with her. I called the next day, but [redacted] had the day off, so I spoke with [redacted], the general manager. I explained the situation and he kept trying to ease my worries about installed the used engine out of a wrecked car, but I told him I didn't want an engine that has been abused or in an accident. He then became aggressive towards me and started saying that he was getting mad and starting to think that I was racing the car and broke it. Furthermore, he told me that only [redacted] could approve the purchase of an engine. At this time, I realized that we were going around in circles and decided to call Royal Shield, the warranty company that [redacted] uses, to find out what my warranty covered and why the repairs weren't being done with new parts, but instead parts out of a car that had been in an accident. The representitive looked up the make, model, and VIN Number of my car and couldn't find any records of my warranty. I then called [redacted] and asked why my warranty didn't exist with the warranty company when I was given a signed contract stating that I had coverage. That told me that they would look into it and get back to me that day. Once again, I didn't hear from them until the next day when [redacted], the owner, called me during work. He started by apologizing to me for the amount of time they had my car, and explained that his technicians actually never even diagnosed the car because they were "afraid" to work on an Audi because they didn't know anything about the mechanics of the car. Then he told me that he was a gearhead himself, and was going to take a look that day with his shop foreman and get back to me that day with their diagnosis of the engine. I told hime that was fine, but that I wanted to be contacted before any work was done to the car. Once again, didn't hear anything from [redacted] that day. However, the next day I received an email from [redacted]. To my surprise, the email stated that "after several hours of diagnostic tests and research accompanied by the replacement of a defective pressure limiting valve the problem has been resolved." I replied to the email and asked why he didn't call for my approval prior to making the repairs, and he replied by sending me a copy of the repair form I signed on 5/**/13 before they had even diagnosed the engine or knew what the issues were. I also requested records of the diagnostic tests, research, as well as the order form for the parts, and told him that I wanted to review the documents before picking the car up. He refused to give me any records/ documents proving his due dilligence to diagnose the car, nor did he give me the order form for the part he installed without my consent. I asked 3 seperate times and he continuely wouldn't provide any of the records I requested. The final email I received was aggressive and ended by him stating he would "no longer tolerate my abuse". Just about an hour ago I received a call from [redacted] at [redacted], demanding me to pick up my car and threatening to charge me for the loaner. I explained that I didn't want to drive my car until I see all the records I have requested from [redacted] on reversal occasions. She told me she emailed the records on Friday (6/**). I looked through my inbox as well as my junk mail and received no such message. She then told me she would email the documents again, which I have still not received. At this point I am worried that they are going to intentionally damage my car if I don't pick it up soon, but I am even more worried about the parts that were installed in my car, without my consent, that was done after a certified Audi service center, as well as their own service department diagnosed the car as needing an engine replacement. Furthermore, the lack of documentation/records of any diagnostic testing or research clearly shows that this repair was done without proper due diligence. I have been verbally abused on several occasions from the owner as well as the managers, and been pressured to pick my car up through threats of charges for keeping the loaner car. The false warranty contract they gave me, the latency of their diagnosis, the used parts they were trying to repair my car with, the lack of records/documentation of the repairwork, coupled by the threatening attitudes of the owner as well as the employees, have all clearly made the last month of my life stressful. I have had to travel to [redacted] three seperate occasions, had to pay hundreds of dollars for the Audi inspection, and miss days of work becuase of this issue which [redacted] clearly neglected prior to selling me the car as well as after I returned it for repair under my warranty. Not to mention, I have only been able to drive my car for about a week since I purchased it 2 months ago. I have full records of the Audi Inspection, the warranty contract, certificate of sale, as well as the email conversation between [redacted], the owner, and I. Please let me know where you would like me to send copies for you review. If possible, please contact me ASAP because I need advice as to what I should do if they are demanding the loaner car back. I travel alot for work and have already missed a few days because of this incident, and will be missing an addditional day if I have to drive to drop the loaner off during the week. I need a vehicle to get to and from work because I commute about an hour to and from my office everyday. My cell phone number is ###-###-####. Thanks in advance for all your help, [redacted]Desired Settlement: I want a proper engine replacement, and under the current circumstances, would prefer if a different dealership performed the work as I feel [redacted] may intentionally damage the vehicle and I don't feel comfortable seeing any of these individuals who have raised their voice at me over the phone, and showed aggression through email.

Business

Response:

Dear [redacted];

The vehicle in question is in very good condition and runs well. A "Check Engine Light" that alerts the driver to add

oil became illuminated and the vehicle was dropped off at our service department. A no cost loaner was provided.

It was determined that a pressure limiting valve was defective and caused the car to burn excess oil.

The car is now operating properly and will use the appropriate amount of oil for a vehicle of its age and mileage.

[redacted] was offered a full refund during this process but instead demanded thousands more than he paid.

Please feel free to contact me at ###-###-####. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted] and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

I have been having issues with this dealership since the day I purchased this car. The following is a summary of the events that have led to the submission of this complaint:

4/**/13: I purchased the car from [redacted]. At the time of purchase, I was given a 3-month/4,000 mile Royal Shield Warranty, which was signed and dated by myself as well as the finance manager at [redacted]. When leaving the dealership, I noticed a clicking sound coming from the front of the car and turned around to show the salesman [redacted] the sound. He went and asked his service department about the sound and told me that it was the steering rack fluids that were making the noise because they replaced that part and the fluids hadn't settled yet. He told me the noise would go away within a few days. Then on my drive from the dealership to my home in Connecticut, a low oil warning indicator light came on. I pulled off the highway to a gas station to find that the oil level was below the minimum level, and had to add over a quart of oil into the engine. Being a [redacted] dealership, I assumed that the technicians didn't put the correct amount of oil in the engine when they did an oil change before I bought the car.

A fews days later, to my surprise, the oil light came on a second time after I had driven the car only about 500 miles since the time I filled it to the proper levels. I then called a local Audi dealership, Hoffman Audi of New London, to schedule an inspection. At this time, I contacted [redacted] to notify them of the problem and to let them know I was having the car inspected and would be in touch once I had received the results.

5/**/13-5/**/13: Hoffman Audi of New London conducted a full inspection of the vehicle including the first phase of the oil consumption test (draining all oil from car and phyiscally wieghing it on a scale before putting it back into the vehicle). During this inspection, the dealership found several parts that were defective and needed to be replaced:

1.) Battery- the battery was not holding/generating enough charge, and failed the medtronics test.

2.) Upper Control Arms- The sound that I noticed leaving [redacted] the day I bought the car was due to an issue with the upper control arms, not the steering rack fluids, according to the Audi technicians. All four upper control arms on the car had cracked and torn bushings and needed to be replaced. This can be a safety issue because these have a significant impact on the handling and stability of the car.

3.) Passenger Side Headlight Retaining Tab- They found that the front headlight was loose, and could potentially fall out while driving, due to a broken top retaining tab in the passenger-side headlight. At night, the headlight movement is visible when driving.

4.) Seeping Valve Gasket Covers- The engine valve gasket covers were seeping oil. Audi instructed me that the car needs to have valve cover gaskets replaced.

They then told me to drive at least 630 miles, or until my oil light came on, before coming back to get the 2nd phase of the oil consumption test done.

5/**/13: I returned to the Audi dealership to have the second phase of the oil consumption test performed. When the Audi technicians wieghed the oil that remained in the car, and compared it to the miles I had driven since the first stage of the test, they determined my car was burning 2 quarts ever 1000 miles. This is well outside of the permissable tolerance of this engine. Audi stated that the oil consumption issue and seeping valve gasket covers would require an engine replacement for these issues to be properly repaired.

After a full inspection and an oil consumption test, the Audi service department went over all the problems with the car, as well as the parts that were in good condition on the car. They provided me with a detailed diagnostic report, including test results, explanations detailing each issue and how to resolve it properly, and the time and cost for each repair.

Upon receipt of the inspection report and diagnostic tests from Audi, I contacted [redacted] and told them of the results and Audi's recommendations. They told me to bring the car to their dealership so they could perform their own diagnostic testing.

5/**/13: I dropped the car off at [redacted] Service Department with the inspection records that Audi provided. I explained the issues to the service manager, [redacted], and requested that I be contacted after they had diagnosed the car themselves and before any repairs were made to the vehicle.

It took about two weeks for them to finish their diagnosis, which they agreed with AUDI's diagnosis and repair that the engine needed to be replaced. [redacted], the used car manager, called to ask me if they could buy the car back from me but I refused and explained to him that I have already invested alot of time, energy, and money into this car, and told him that I wanted to have it repaired. He then told me that he would talk with his service deparmtent and get back to me. A few more days elapsed, and I called [redacted] to check in on what the service department said. He asked again to buy the car back and, when I refused for the second time, became aggressive and told me there's no way we're buying you a new engine. Instead he told me a remanufactured/rebuilt engine could be installed that was on warranty and had less miles than the engine in the car. I said that's fine, and requested that he contact me prior to ordering the engine to get my approval. After a few days of not hearing anything, I called to check the status and [redacted] told me that the only engines available were out of totaled cars. I said I wasn't taking an engine out of a totaled car because I didn't know the history and bought this particular car because it was a one-owner with clean car fax and extensive records.

At this point, [redacted] had my car for over 3 weeks, and kept pushing me into agreeing to have an engine from a wrecked vehicle installed on my car. I asked [redacted] about my warranty, and questioned why he was giving me used parts when this issue was covered under my warranty. He said that they repair cars like this all the time, and I responded by asking "if this was a ford/subaru that someone purchased used from your dealership under this warranty, and needed an engine replacement, you would repair it with parts out of vehicle that has been totalled? He answered no. I asked why my case was different, which he didn't have a clear response to. I explained that I was willing to compromise by accepting a factory rebuilt engine, and that this situation isn't good for either of us, and he agreed and told me to call [redacted] because he couldn't authorize the purchase of a new engine. I called [redacted] the next day, but she was off, so I spoke with [redacted], the general manager. Once again, he pushed me towards accepting the engine from the wrecked vehicle, and when I refused, became aggressive and accused me of "probably racing the car and breaking it".

I began to realize that the conversations between [redacted] and I were going in circles and that they were not going to repair my car under warranty as it should be. I then called Royal Shield Warranty Company, the company who is responsible for warranty claims under the warranty contract I was given. I spoke with a representive and explained the situation I was in. I told him that I was calling to figure out whether [redacted] had the right to install used parts in my car under the conditions of my warranty. The representative asked for my vehicle information including the year, make, model, and VIN. After given him all the information, he couldn't find any records of my vehicle. He asked if I had recently purchased the vehicle because it sometimes took a day or two for the dealership to submit the information. I explained my car was purchased a month ago, and he told me that they would have records of my vehicle by that time and that [redacted] never submitted the contract to them.

I immediately got off the phone and called [redacted]. I asked to speak with Richard, the finance director, who signed all the paperwork and issued me the warranty in his office the day I bought the car. I asked him why Royal Shield didn't have any records of my warranty, and he told me he wasn't aware that didn't get the contract, but that he would look into it and get back to me that day. I never heard back from Richard. However, the following day [redacted], the owner of [redacted], called me at work.

He first apologized about the situation and the fact that they had my car for over 3 weeks now. He followed by telling me that the car has been sitting for most of that time, because his service department never actually diagnosed the car. In his own words, he stated they didn’t know how to work on my car and were "scared" to perform any work on my Audi. He then told me that he was a mechanic, and was going to diagnose the car himself that day, and then get back to me before doing any repair work on the car.

He never got back in touch with me until the following day when he sent me an email saying that he replaced the pressure limiting valve in the engine after "several hours of diagnostic tests and research". To say the least, I was shocked to hear that he replaced parts in my engine without asking permission prior to doing the work, especially considering this part was never even mentioned as a defect in the engine. As you can see from the emails I attached, I requested documentation and records of the “hours of diagnostic tests and research” as well as a copy of the order form for the part he installed without my consent. I requested these forms three separate times, and explained why I wanted the records prior to picking up the car. He ended the conversation by calling me abusive.

Following this conversation, I received a call from [redacted] stating that my car was fixed and that I needed to pick it up, and drop off the loaner. I explained that I wanted the documentation I requested prior to pickup because I was comfortable with the work they had performed. At this time, I told her I had contacted Revdex.com, the attorney state general, as well as NY DMV, about the issue.

Following that conversation, I received an email from [redacted] demanding that I bring the loaner car back, and pick up my car on the day she sent me the message, or that I would be charged for the loaner as well as a storage charge. I then requested the documents again, and she said she sent them to me last week and I told her that I never received anything. She then explained that she sent it to the wrong email address, which is hard to beleive seeing how [redacted] and the others knew my email address and had been forwarding messages to [redacted] all along. Anyways, she sent me the the one-page service record that had no details or records of diagnostic testing, research, or the amount of time/labor, and didn't include the part order form. I told her that wasn't proper documentation and she said that's all they had.

Later that day, I contacted DMV to alert them to the situation. They told me I had to pick the car up or a dealership lein could be put on my car and I wouldnt have any rights to the vehicle at that point. I was able to get out of work because one of my meeting was cancelled, and went to pick up my car on 6/**/13.

6/**/13: When I picked up my car, I immediately noticed that my hood had been bent down below the side panel of my car as if someone had sat on it or slammed it shut. I also noticed that there was large scratches near my front wheel wells, which are quite deep and jagged, which I dont beleive could have been from driving the vehicle. I also noticed the plastic covering in my wheel well was dangling and later realized that my entire under carriage cover was removed and never replaced by [redacted]. Furthermore, my car is still making the clicking sound from the upper control arms and has been making a new sound when turning tightly and sometimes when in reverse since they had serviced it. My coolant resevoir has a large crack in it which wasn't there prior to them servicing my car. The headlight and control arms were never fixed. I was also surprised that they had driven my car 176 miles while being serviced. The gas mileage was surprising lower than what I usually average, there was specks of tar all over the hood, the front tires looked worn, and they left my car with the gas light on. I dropped it off 3/4 full so [redacted] gave me $30 cash. I explained all the issues that were visible to [redacted] prior to driving off with car, and she said that she didn't know but that the scratches and everything were "probably already there".

7/**/13: Dropped my car off to have a second inspection and oil consumption test performed by Hoffman Audi of New London per NY DMV's instructions. The second phase of the inspection is scheduled for Tuesday, July [redacted]. Once I receive the results from Audi, I will submit them to DMV, to prove the repair work done by [redacted] was done without proper due dilligence, and didn't resolve the issues with the engine fully. I also will be able to prove that further damage was done to my car while being serviced at [redacted].

At this time, I refuse [redacted]'s response because they still have yet to answer to the number of issues that have not resolved. To start, here's a few questions I would like answered:

1.) Why was my warranty that you gave me when I purchased the car not submitted? Why would the parts that need replacement under my warranty be replaced with used parts, or not replaced at all?

2.) Does the warranty you issued me not cover my upper control arms that are torn? Or my headlight that is loose and needs to be fixed? What about the engine that Audi, as well as your service department, told me was in need of replacement?

3.) Why was my car driven 176 miles when you were servicing it? Who was driving it, and how did the tar on the hood, the new scratches near the front wheels, and hood damage occur? Considering that my car was sitting and never diagnosed or worked on until you started diagnosing the car on Thursday, June [redacted], and was ready for pick-up by Friday, June [redacted], while during that time you performed hours of research and diagnostic testing as well as installing a pressure limiting valve, when was my car driven all those miles? What was the purpose of driving it? I ask this because given the informtion you told me, it seems that the car was being driven while it was supposedly sitting and not even being looked at or diagnosed....

4.) Why was my undercarriage taken off and never replaced? Why was the plastic hanging from the wheel wells? I want this replaced as it is a necessary protectant and was there when I dropped the car off.

The following questions are directly specifically towards [redacted], whom I would like answers from:

1.) You said you performed hours of diagnostic testing... What tests did you perform?

2.)Why haven't you provided me with any evidence to prove these tests, or any records of the results?

3.)What led you to your diagnosis?

4.) What tests did you perform after the repair to certify it was properly fixed?

5.) Is it ordinary for you to provide no records of any testing, research, or explanation behind why you performed the repairs you did to your customers?

6.) Do you usually install parts into customers' cars without their consent? If so, what about repairs/parts that weren't previously discussed between you and the customer? What about when a customer requests to be contacted after your diagnosis and prior any work is done to their vehicle?

7.) Where did you research this repair? The Audi dealership wouldn't recommend the repair you performed, without my consent, on my engine... So where is your information coming from?

8.)Did you use certified sources such as an Audi Repair Manual, or did you look up information from unreliable sources on the internet such as blogs, ect.? I'd like to see your sources because any Audi dealership wouldn't have recommended what you did.

9.) Do you work on cars that come into your dealership alot?

10.) What experience do you have to prove you are capable of properly diagnosing and repairing my car?

11.) Are you a certified mechanic, and legally able to perform the work that you did?

12.) If you were in my position as the new owner of this car,which was purchased from a dealership and was under warranty, would you be satisfied with the quality of the repairs and customer service you have provided me?

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

Re: Complaint # [redacted] To Whom It May Concern; In response to [redacted]’s concerns: 1. The upper and lower control arms are in good shape. No visible wear or damage. 2. Battery has been replaced 3. Headlight is working perfectly. Broken bracket does not affect drivability. 4. Warranty was rejected by Royal Shield because of V8 engine. It is covered by dealer as stated at bottom of application. All items on this list have been reviewed with [redacted]. Thank you. Sincerely, [redacted] President

Review: I brought my Subaru in for a basic oil change. The service representative ([redacted]) was from the beginning hostile, rude, unprofessional, amateur, intimidating, harassing, and just plain incompetent. He was looking for a fight and I lost respect for him a s he comes across as an abject loser. After they looked at my car they quoted me nearly $1400 worth of repairs which needed to be made. I recently moved back to ** and just got my car inspected in late April of 2015. It passed inspection fine and the mechanic even noted that my car was in beautiful shape. It has very low miles. Also while living away I took my car to a much more competent Subaru service center and the recommended servicing was completed on time. Essentially Rye Ford Subaru is attempting extortion. They're forcefully trying to get money out of people. I asked the service representative a few questions about what they found and he deflected the questions. Essentially what he was indirectly saying was that I needed to pay all or some of the repairs or I wasn't getting my car back. I became very angry and will admit that I lost my cool and used profanities. However I should have never been put in this low class situation. After that the crew sent at least (including a car mechanic who had no reason to be on the floor) 4 men out to harass and intimidate me by aggressive posturing such as staring (prolonged aggressive eye contact), sitting near me, and being confrontational in general. I finally paid my bill for the oil change but by that time I was incensed. This was completely unacceptable behavior.

The next day while I was driving my car broke down as my clutch froze up. Thankfully I was on a side road near my house so coasted to my home. The car was completely disabled. I don't think this was a coincidence at all. I believe they intentionally tampered with my vehicle after I refused their extortion attempts. I had the car towed to a private mechanic I use sometimes. He's currently looking over the vehicle but he says it will be at least $1200 worth of damage and most likely more. I quoted him all the things they found wrong and he said there wasn't any problem with any of those items (which I still have the invoice). The problem now is with the clutch which they didn't even indicate as having any problems. So essentially I believe they damaged part of my vehicle intentionally. I've been through worse but if I were on a main road or highway this could have lead to an accident with serious injury or death. After I find out more about the clutch I'm considering a police report and possible legal action for criminal intent if there's enough information.

I've been talking with Subaru main offices as well.

It's unfortunate, I'll never buy another Subaru again. I'll go with a [redacted] as my next car. Subarus are great and don't break down a lot. So I think these mechanics don't have enough to do to keep themselves busy so in turn create problems on the cars that don't even exist so they can justify their jobs.

The last dealership I dealt with (in the [redacted] area) was very professional and a complete opposite. Rye Ford Subaru is crooked and it feels like a prison environment. No one is running the ship over there.Desired Settlement: I want them to pay for all of my repairs. Even if this wasn't intentional (which it sure appears to be) my car went I for a $50 oil change and came out with $1200+ worth of repairs which they didn't even indicate as being urgent to ending to be fixed which indicates incompetent workmanship.

Business

Response:

To Whom It May Concern:On Thursday May **, 2015. [redacted] came to Rye Ford Subaru's Service Department for a routine oil change on his 2009 Subaru Outback Vin# [redacted]. Upon our technician performing the oil change and a routine multi-point inspection, he uncovered a few repairs that were needed. [redacted] was advised that the air filter, cabin filter, battery and valve cover gaskets needed replacement. At this time Service Adviser [redacted] notified [redacted] of these findings, however; [redacted] declined to have the additional work performed. [redacted]'s demeanor was calm, polite and professional throughout the exchange. At no time was he rude or intimidating towards [redacted]. [redacted] asked [redacted] if he "had a problem?" and if he wanted to "start a fight?" [redacted] ignored [redacted]'s comments and finished delivering [redacted]'s vehicle to him. [redacted] left the service department without further comment.