If I could give zero stars, I would.
My husband and I had…read moreone of the worst consumer experiences of our lives with Charlestown Classics in St. Charles, IL, specifically with Dave, the manager. I am writing this review to warn others so they don't go through what we went through.
My husband purchased a classic car from this dealership April 28th 2025 with a promise to deliver the vehicle in one week after reinstalling the interior. After one week I messaged Dave to see when he would be delivering the vehicle. I was told it was still not ready but hoped to finish that day which was May 8th. After being put off, lied to about delivery dates and other excuses, the car was finally delivered on June 5th a little over a month after it was promised. I took the car for a test drive around the block and within fifteen minutes of delivery, the car caught fire. The vehicle was picked up by the dealership shortly after, and we were told it would be repaired. Even though the car was supposedly sold "as is," we understood that Illinois law does not allow a dealer to knowingly sell a hazardous or unsafe vehicle, which made his claim that he was "doing us a favor" extremely unsettling. We expected at least basic accountability and professionalism.
Instead, for seven months, we were given a rotating set of excuses from Dave -- he said he was sick, short-staffed, working on various components, waiting on parts, etc. His story changed multiple times, and his communication was unpredictable at best and hostile at worst. On one phone call, when my husband simply asked for an update, Dave yelled at him instead of providing information.
Despite repeated promises of delivery, Dave failed to show up multiple times, without so much as a courtesy call. Meanwhile, my husband continued making monthly payments on a car he couldn't drive and that the dealership refused to return in working condition.
By December -- seven months after the initial incident -- it became clear to us that the dealership had no intention of completing the repair or returning the car as promised. My husband ultimately had to hire a third-party transporter to retrieve what was left of the vehicle and was finally delivered 12/2/2025. Upon inspection of the vehicle more damage was done including stuck headlights that operated before, wipers that no longer work, a window was left down during shipping, dome light door button was removed and never replaced, etc.
In our personal experience, Charlestown Classics and its manager Dave demonstrated unprofessionalism, poor communication, broken promises, and a complete lack of accountability. After what happened to us, I strongly advise anyone considering buying a classic car to avoid Charlestown Classics in St. Charles, IL.
