Steele City Auto Sales and Service

RE: [redacted] ID# [redacted] Dear [redacted] Thank you for writing me in regards to the above complaintMrs [redacted] was aware of the total cost of financing the vehicleWhen a vehicle is financed through a finance agency, there are interest and fees associated with these “bad credit" loans, and you will always be paying more than the "cash price"Mrs [redacted] did not have all of the cash up front, so she applied for credit to finance the vehicle, and was very happy at the time when she got approved for the loanShe did not question the total cost at the time of purchase, and she was aware the vehicle would cost more if she financed itMrs [redacted] agreed to the terms of the financing agreement, with that being said, there is nothing I can do for Mrs [redacted] Once again, she was explained everything entailed with financing the vehicle, as opposed to purchasing it with cashShe knew all of the terms before signing any paperwork.Sincerely,Frank [redacted] S***

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

I did talk to Mrs *** on damage she said was done to her vehicleThe first conversation I had with her she stated that when she got her car back she went to Pittsburgh She sent her friend to come pick the car up,She did not come down to get it when it was done because she couldnt get out of
work She stated when she was leaving Pittsburgh she noticed the damageI told her I would view the camera footage, but I didn't think it would pick up anything since the lot is across the alley and they don't reach that farI Explained to *** that once a car leaves we have no way of knowing where the damage occured, when she was in Pittsburgh or anywhere else.When we parked the car it was fine, therefor it is impossible to tell where and how her car got damaged after we released itI can say this the car was not damaged at Steele City Auto LLC, if it would have been we would have notified the customerif someone did hit her car I cannot be responsible for someone else's negligence.I would also like to note she came down the next day and seen a customers car that had a scrap on the front bumper, As I told *** that car has been there for weeks and its clear to see that the scrape was on his bumper, its old damage Our customers are very importantto us and we do have cameras in all our bays and outside all the bays to make sure no bodys car is damaged while in our shop or while working on itAs I stated when the vehicle was parked it was fineIn the years I have been in business , I have never had any insurance claims or losses of any kind to a customers car or my ownI think that record speaks for itself that we take very good care of all cars that we handleThere for I can't pay for damage on someones car that didnt happen in our possessionWith all that being said there is nothing I could do for *** since nobody at steele city auto caused the damage to her car.Thank YouFrank .*S*OWNER

ID:***Revdex.com,Thank you for contacting me on this complaintAn engine was provided by *** ***, for us to install in his Lincoln LSThe vehicle came in on Dec16, Our turnaround time on installation of engines is about 7-business days, however, there
were delays, since the Christmas and New Year holidays were in the middle of the week, and when additional parts were needed, since *** *** wanted to provide us with all of his own partsWe would notify him of additional parts needed, and sometimes he would not get the parts to us until several days later, which delayed the job completionThe job was completed on Jan6, I kept *** *** informed almost daily on the status of his repairsHe never once complained that it was taking too long, or said he needed his vehicle completed quickerI never gave him a run around, so I am puzzled as to why he stated that in his letter.As far as the engine, the chain aid broke on the hoist and hit the groundIt was not that far from the ground, and the only damage was to the oil pan, which I replaced at no chargeThe customer stated that the engine he provided us ran fine, and did not have any problemsBut when we got the engine, port was filled with oil and the plug was smashed in port Also, there were other plugs that were very loose, that it only took a turn for them to come outI immediately contacted *** *** and informed him about the oil in port 2, and about theplugs, and I told him that the engine may have some problemsWhen I asked him if he heard the engine run prior to purchasing, he said he heard it over the phoneHe also stated that in front of my secretary and mechanicThis was documented in his paperwork, which I enclosedHe obviously purchased a bad engineOur policy on customer provided parts is that we are not responsible if the part is badThis policy was made clear before doing any work, and he signed the paperwork saying it was explained to himI would like to note that in my years in this business, we only buy used parts from reputable and trusted sources, and we have never had a problem with an engine install jobIn the years, we have only installed customer provided engines, and of those were badI have no control over where customers go for their used parts, but I stress to the customer, as I did with *** ***, to make sure the engine is good, because we cannot cover defective parts.In my opinion, the reason the customers opt to get their own parts is that they are getting a really good deal on them from the junkyards, especially if they have been sitting around for a whileBut when an engine sits around for a long period of time without running, there is a greater chance that the engine will have problemsSo with that being said, *** *** was well aware of our policy of used parts provided by himAlso, the oil pump is not pumping the oil, which is a mechanical failureAnd with the initial problems we found with the engine, which *** *** was told about, and the fact that he only heard the engine run over the phone, there is nothing more I can do for*** ***I cannot resolve the fact that he purchased a bad engine.Thank You,*** ** ***

ID- *** * *** Dear Revdex.com,Mr*** had contacted me about months after purchasing the vehicle, stating at times, the vehicle overheatsI asked if they could bring the vehicle in, so I could look at it, but they declined, saying they live too far awayBeing that the vehicle overheats
at times, stated by the customer, I told them again, that I felt it was the heater coreWhen a head gasket goes bad, the vehicle would overheat all of the timeThey said they would have it checked outI did not hear anything more from them until a couple months later, when they said the vehicle started to work fine, and was not overheating, but then started to overheat againThey took it to a garage, and the garage verified all of the work I said was done, was done, and they thought it could be a faulty gasketAgain, as I stated earlier, they said the vehicle only overheats at times, and if it were a faulty head gasket, the car would overheat all the timeI wish they were able to bring it in so I could look at itI never got a chance to look at the car to verify what the problem wasAt the time of purchase, Mr*** was offered a warranty, but he declinedI was very truthful with Mr*** on the work we performed on the vehicle, as I am with all of my customersI cannot predict what might go bad in a used vehicle, which is why I stress the importance of purchasing a warrantyAll of my vehicles, because they are used, are sold as-isIf I would fix any and all problems that occur on used vehicles after the sale, I would be out of businessI am upfront with all of my customer's about any problems I know of, before selling a vehicleI would also like to add that of the last warranties I sold, I only had one claim, which means that 90% of the vehicles I sold do not have any issuesThe warranty company can verify thisWe pride ourselves on putting out the best products we can to our customer'sIn this instance, I never looked at the vehicle to verily the problem, and if the warranty was purchased, it would have covered the cost of the repairTherefore, I am unable to issue any kind of refund.Thank You,*** ** ***

Dear [redacted],I would like to start off by saying that I take all complaints very seriously, and my number one goal is to satisfy the customer, and do right by all of them. With that being said, I would just like to say that this complaint from Ms. [redacted] couldn't be further from the...

truth.This car was sold as an "As-is Special", which was discounted by $950, due to the roof needing replaced, which was due to a tear by the beam on the rear window. I discounted the car for Ms. [redacted] so that would cover the cost of the roof needing replaced, which I estimated to be about $300-$600.1 assume she has chosen not to get the roof fixed. As far as the four tires, they sure did go flat, but not because the tires were bad when I sold her the car. They went flat from some kind of an impact while driving. The first two times, Ms. [redacted] called and I sent my mechanic out to help her, even though he already had appointments to service other customer's vehicles. Both of those times, the tires were blown off of the rims and had rim damage from some kind of an impact. The next two times, I had to tell her to get the car towed in. I was unable to send my mechanic, because we werevery busy with appointments. The third tire, the side wall was blown out from an impact to the side of the tire. The rear axle damage and needing the Wheel Alignment, could very well have been from these impacts. I would just like to know how Ms. [redacted] assumes this is my fault!I have gone out of my way to help her out on several occasions, and did not charge her when my mechanic left his scheduled appointments to go help her. The bottom line is that this vehicle was sold "as-is", and I was fully up-front with her. I cannot control someone's driving habits, or any damage that occurs because of it. Her complaint was not at ail truthful to the facts. There is not anything I can do, or will do for Ms. [redacted]. I think I have been more than fair with her, and helped her out as much as I can.Sincerely,[redacted]Owner

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

RE: [redacted] ID# [redacted]Dear [redacted]Thank you for writing me in regards to the above complaint. Mrs. [redacted] was aware of the total cost of financing the vehicle. When a vehicle is financed through a finance agency, there are interest and fees associated with these “bad credit" loans, and you...

will always be paying more than the "cash price". Mrs. [redacted] did not have all of the cash up front, so she applied for credit to finance the vehicle, and was very happy at the time when she got approved for the loan. She did not question the total cost at the time of purchase, and she was aware the vehicle would cost more if she financed it. Mrs. [redacted] agreed to the terms of the financing agreement, with that being said, there is nothing I can do for Mrs. [redacted]. Once again, she was explained everything entailed with financing the vehicle, as opposed to purchasing it with cash. She knew all of the terms before signing any paperwork.Sincerely,Frank * S[redacted]

Review: I PUCHASED A VEHICLE (2006 DODGE CARAVAN) FROM THE ABOVE BUSINESS. I WAS TOLD AND IT WAS ADVERTISED FOR $3996.00. I PUT $1500.00 FOR A DOWN PAYMENT WHICH WAS NON-REFUNDABLE UNLESS THE DEAL DID NOT GO THROUGH. SO WITH TAXES, TITLE AND INSURANCE IT BRINGS THE TOTAL COST $4000.00 EST. HE TOLD ME THAT THE FINANCE COMPANY (CREDIT ONE) MARKED THE CAR UP AND HE WAS NOT RESPONSIBLE. SO NOW IM PAYING $11827.20 AND THE KELLY BLUE BOOK VALUE IS $1500.00Desired Settlement: I WANT MY CONTRACT TO BE FOR THE ORGINAL PRICE OF $3996.00, ANY TAXES, FEES AND INSURANCE MINUS THE DOWN PAYMENT.

Business

Response:

RE: [redacted] ID# [redacted]Dear [redacted]Thank you for writing me in regards to the above complaint. Mrs. [redacted] was aware of the total cost of financing the vehicle. When a vehicle is financed through a finance agency, there are interest and fees associated with these “bad credit" loans, and you will always be paying more than the "cash price". Mrs. [redacted] did not have all of the cash up front, so she applied for credit to finance the vehicle, and was very happy at the time when she got approved for the loan. She did not question the total cost at the time of purchase, and she was aware the vehicle would cost more if she financed it. Mrs. [redacted] agreed to the terms of the financing agreement, with that being said, there is nothing I can do for Mrs. [redacted]. Once again, she was explained everything entailed with financing the vehicle, as opposed to purchasing it with cash. She knew all of the terms before signing any paperwork.Sincerely,Frank * S[redacted]

Review: I dropped my car off at Steele City Auto to have it maintenanced on 6/20/2016 at 9:00 am. I was called to pick it up at 1:25 pm the same day. I had a friend drive me over to pick it up at 1:45pm. I went to work from their lot. When I arrived at work I noticed my BLACK truck had WHITE scratches on the passenger side towards the back bumper and a dent with more scratches and WHITE paint. Due to me being at work I was unable to call Steele City Auto until I got off that next morning. I explained to the secretary what I noticed and I needed to know what happened to my vehicle while on their lot. Not only did the owner not call me back that day, when I called him 3 times on 6/22/2016, he (Frank) explained to me that I would have to turn it into my insurance company because his cameras don't reach that lot of his property (which is where they parked my truck when finished). I said that I only had liability coverage. Frank (owner) replied " I don't know what to tell you. The only way we could use our insurance is if you told me about it when you picked your truck up". I told Frank that I didn't think it was fair that I had to inspect my vehicle while picking it up after paying him for a service while in his care. This is not fair to me and I feel that I'm being treated unfairly... Please help me.Desired Settlement: Contacted by Revdex.com and my vehicle repaired...

Business

Response:

I did talk to Mrs [redacted] on damage she said was done to her vehicle. The first conversation I had with her she stated that when she got her car back she went to Pittsburgh . She sent her friend to come pick the car up,She did not come down to get it when it was done because she couldnt get out of work . She stated when she was leaving Pittsburgh she noticed the damage. I told her I would view the camera footage, but I didn't think it would pick up anything since the lot is across the alley and they don't reach that far. I Explained to [redacted] that once a car leaves we have no way of knowing where the damage occured, when she was in Pittsburgh or anywhere else.When we parked the car it was fine, therefor it is impossible to tell where and how her car got damaged after we released it. I can say this the car was not damaged at Steele City Auto LLC, if it would have been we would have notified the customer. if someone did hit her car I cannot be responsible for someone else's negligence.I would also like to note she came down the next day and seen a customers car that had a scrap on the front bumper, As I told [redacted] that car has been there for 2 weeks and its clear to see that the scrape was on his bumper, its old damage . Our customers are very importantto us and we do have cameras in all our bays and outside all the bays to make sure no bodys car is damaged while in our shop or while working on it. As I stated when the vehicle was parked it was fine. In the 20 years I have been in business , I have never had any insurance claims or losses of any kind to a customers car or my own. I think that record speaks for itself that we take very good care of all cars that we handle. There for I can't pay for damage on someones car that didnt happen in our possession. With all that being said there is nothing I could do for [redacted] since nobody at steele city auto caused the damage to her car.Thank YouFrank .*. S[redacted]OWNER

Review: I start financing a used vehicle two moths ago. I have been having tremendous amounts of problems with the vehicle since the day of purchase. The back window of the car is broken. The car company hid this problem from me by covering up the back window with snow at the tame of purchase. The flooring of the car was wet but the company covered that up from me by putting plastic on the floor. There is now mold and mildew eating at my seats. The following day I brought it to the owners attention that these problems were hidden from me and I then asked if I could trade the vehicle. The owner said " bring it in and I'll see what I can do." The only thing he did was remove the water from the trunk. Problems with the vehicle only got worst and are continuously getting worse. Within the two months of me having this vehicle I have had all four tires replaced due to flats. Wheel alignment. The car needs new brakes and rotors which the company lied about and told me I didn't need. Battery dies. Car has problems starting up. Car has water damage. Car has big rust spot in trunk that looks like it will soon give in. Rear axle came off. I have a warranty that seems not to cover any of the above warranty. My car breaks down ever single week since I have purchased the car and I have lost my job due to these complications.Desired Settlement: I would like for this business to exchange my vehicle for a vehicle that is fixed right.

Business

Response:

Dear [redacted],I would like to start off by saying that I take all complaints very seriously, and my number one goal is to satisfy the customer, and do right by all of them. With that being said, I would just like to say that this complaint from Ms. [redacted] couldn't be further from the truth.This car was sold as an "As-is Special", which was discounted by $950, due to the roof needing replaced, which was due to a tear by the beam on the rear window. I discounted the car for Ms. [redacted] so that would cover the cost of the roof needing replaced, which I estimated to be about $300-$600.1 assume she has chosen not to get the roof fixed. As far as the four tires, they sure did go flat, but not because the tires were bad when I sold her the car. They went flat from some kind of an impact while driving. The first two times, Ms. [redacted] called and I sent my mechanic out to help her, even though he already had appointments to service other customer's vehicles. Both of those times, the tires were blown off of the rims and had rim damage from some kind of an impact. The next two times, I had to tell her to get the car towed in. I was unable to send my mechanic, because we werevery busy with appointments. The third tire, the side wall was blown out from an impact to the side of the tire. The rear axle damage and needing the Wheel Alignment, could very well have been from these impacts. I would just like to know how Ms. [redacted] assumes this is my fault!I have gone out of my way to help her out on several occasions, and did not charge her when my mechanic left his scheduled appointments to go help her. The bottom line is that this vehicle was sold "as-is", and I was fully up-front with her. I cannot control someone's driving habits, or any damage that occurs because of it. Her complaint was not at ail truthful to the facts. There is not anything I can do, or will do for Ms. [redacted]. I think I have been more than fair with her, and helped her out as much as I can.Sincerely,[redacted]Owner

Review: The week of 12/15/14 I took my 2000 Lincoln LS [redacted]) into Steele City Auto in [redacted], PA to replace my engine. I purchased an engine on my own and took the engine into them. Their mechanic named [redacted] was using the engine lift and the chain snapped and broke on Steele City's engine lift and my engine fell to the ground in front of our eyes. Two other people saw this, including myself and [redacted] (Steele City's mechanic). My engine was tested and running good when I purchased it from another business. $1,171.09 was financed with 189.00% APR if not paid in full in 90 days. Additionally, I paid for my engine which Steele City dropped and broke, a $400 cash down payment ($200 on 12/22/14 and $200 on 12/30/14) for the mechanics to begin the work and the cost of additional parts which I supplied on my own. Now I am being told that there is a bad oil pump inside the engine which will cost me $900 additional. The engine was running perfectly fine prior to it being dropped. I called a Lincoln dealer and was told by their mechanics that the engine being dropped could cause enough impact to damage the oil pump and everything else inside of the engine. I keep getting the run around when I ask if my car is done. Now that they received payment in full, they are dragging their feet in completing the work I already paid for.Desired Settlement: I would like Steele City Auto to compensate me for the engine they dropped and damaged. I want them to buy me a new engine, since they broke mine, and I want them held responsible for the labor costs for a Lincoln dealer to install a new engine

Business

Response:

ID:[redacted]Revdex.com,Thank you for contacting me on this complaint. An engine was provided by [redacted], for us to install in his 2000 Lincoln LS. The vehicle came in on Dec. 16, 2014. Our normal turnaround time on installation of engines is about 7-10 business days, however, there were delays, since the Christmas and New Year holidays were in the middle of the week, and when additional parts were needed, since [redacted] wanted to provide us with all of his own parts. We would notify him of additional parts needed, and sometimes he would not get the parts to us until several days later, which delayed the job completion. The job was completed on Jan. 6, 2015. I kept [redacted] informed almost daily on the status of his repairs. He never once complained that it was taking too long, or said he needed his vehicle completed quicker. I never gave him a run around, so I am puzzled as to why he stated that in his letter.As far as the engine, the chain aid broke on the hoist and hit the ground. It was not that far from the ground, and the only damage was to the oil pan, which I replaced at no charge. The customer stated that the engine he provided us ran fine, and did not have any problems. But when we got the engine, port 2 was filled with oil and the plug was smashed in port 2. Also, there were 4 other plugs that were very loose, that it only took a turn for them to come out. I immediately contacted [redacted] and informed him about the oil in port 2, and about theplugs, and I told him that the engine may have some problems. When I asked him if he heard the engine run prior to purchasing, he said he heard it over the phone. He also stated that in front of my secretary and mechanic. This was documented in his paperwork, which I enclosed. He obviously purchased a bad engine. Our policy on customer provided parts is that we are not responsible if the part is bad. This policy was made clear before doing any work, and he signed the paperwork saying it was explained to him. I would like to note that in my 20 years in this business, we only buy used parts from reputable and trusted sources, and we have never had a problem with an engine install job. In the 20 years, we have only installed 3 customer provided engines, and 2 of those were bad. I have no control over where customers go for their used parts, but I stress to the customer, as I did with [redacted], to make sure the engine is good, because we cannot cover defective parts.In my opinion, the reason the customers opt to get their own parts is that they are getting a really good deal on them from the junkyards, especially if they have been sitting around for a while. But when an engine sits around for a long period of time without running, there is a greater chance that the engine will have problems. So with that being said, [redacted] was well aware of our policy of used parts provided by him. Also, the oil pump is not pumping the oil, which is a mechanical failure. And with the initial problems we found with the engine, which [redacted] was told about, and the fact that he only heard the engine run over the phone, there is nothing more I can do for[redacted]. I cannot resolve the fact that he purchased a bad engine.Thank You,[redacted]

Review: We purchased a car from Steele City Auto in March 2015 that was adverstised as having a new head gasket and that was described as being in good repair. Within two days of purchase it showed its first sign of a problem with the head gasket. By mid-May a local mechanic dianosed tthe head gasket as leaking. When we contacted Steele City Auto they stated that they didn't believe the head gasket was bad and stood by the quality of the repair. Since the problem was intermittent we continued to drive the car, but by mid-July the head gasket issues had resurfaced. We had the car inspected by a local garage and it was again declared to have a leaking head gasket. At this point Steele City Auto offered to fix the head gasket for an additional cost of $1600. Since we had paid $3800 for the car on the assumption that the head gasket had already been repaired, we declined this offer. We requested at this point that Steele City Auto take the car back and refund us $2000. We did not hear from them again.Desired Settlement: In the first week of August we informed Steele City that we needed resolution by mid-August. They have not responded. We needed to salvage the car because it was no longer drivable. We are asking that Steele City Auto refund us half the amount of the purchase price minus the $450--the amount we received from the salvage of the car. We are requesting a check of $1,450. Steele City sold us a car adversised as having a fully repaired head gasket. The sale price of the car--$3800--is far more than the market value of the actual vehicle we bought: $450.

Business

Response:

ID- [redacted] Dear Revdex.com,Mr. [redacted] had contacted me about 2 months after purchasing the vehicle, stating at times, the vehicle overheats. I asked if they could bring the vehicle in, so I could look at it, but they declined, saying they live too far away. Being that the vehicle overheats at times, stated by the customer, I told them again, that I felt it was the heater core. When a head gasket goes bad, the vehicle would overheat all of the time. They said they would have it checked out. I did not hear anything more from them until a couple months later, when they said the vehicle started to work fine, and was not overheating, but then started to overheat again. They took it to a garage, and the garage verified all of the work I said was done, was done, and they thought it could be a faulty gasket. Again, as I stated earlier, they said the vehicle only overheats at times, and if it were a faulty head gasket, the car would overheat all the time. I wish they were able to bring it in so I could look at it. I never got a chance to look at the car to verify what the problem was. At the time of purchase, Mr. [redacted] was offered a warranty, but he declined. I was very truthful with Mr. [redacted] on the work we performed on the vehicle, as I am with all of my customers. I cannot predict what might go bad in a used vehicle, which is why I stress the importance of purchasing a warranty. All of my vehicles, because they are used, are sold as-is. If I would fix any and all problems that occur on used vehicles after the sale, I would be out of business. I am upfront with all of my customer's about any problems I know of, before selling a vehicle. I would also like to add that of the last 30 warranties I sold, I only had one claim, which means that 90% of the vehicles I sold do not have any issues. The warranty company can verify this. We pride ourselves on putting out the best products we can to our customer's. In this instance, I never looked at the vehicle to verily the problem, and if the warranty was purchased, it would have covered the cost of the repair. Therefore, I am unable to issue any kind of refund.Thank You,[redacted]