My experience at Cortez Auto Center was extremely disappointing.
I spoke with Chanel several times before making the trip from Seattle to Burlington by bus specifically to work with her. When I arrived, she wasn't there and never showed up that day.
I ended up working with Janny. While polite on the surface, he spent much of the time on his phone. After test driving one vehicle, I realized the seats were not adjustable, and found another with upgraded seats. When pricing was presented, he had added about $3,000 in "upgrades" (windshield protection, etc.) on a 2024 vehicle and presented them as if they were standard. I had to firmly decline multiple times.
There was also a discrepancy between the Blue Book value I found and the one they showed me. I was told theirs was "subscription level" and more accurate than the public version. I still suspect I overpaid, but by that point I felt worn down.
During negotiations, I worked with Cody. The numbers were inconsistent and I felt pressured, but still elected to go forward with my purchase. When I said I was leaving to get food and contact my bank, he pushed me to stay, when I insisted I needed to go eat, he suggested I go get two beers -- which felt completely inappropriate during a financial negotiation.
After I returned, while finalizing paperwork, I met with a different employee who was openly rude, repeatedly making negative comments about Seattle and Washington, despite my repeating to him that I loved SEATTLE. He then presented paperwork stating the vehicle had no remaining warranty, despite the salesman earlier sharing Carfax showing manufacturer warranty coverage. When I questioned it, he raised his voice and told me I could leave if I didn't like it. I stepped away and told Cody that the other employee was treating me disrespectfully. I received a brief quote sorry to hear that" as a response.
Then called the dealer and confirmed directly that the warranty was still active -- yet I was required to sign paperwork stating otherwise. This was followed by an effort to get me to purchase an extended warranty for several thousand dollars, which I understand is standard, and I just sat through it.
After purchasing the car, I discovered there was no backup key inside the fob case. I've followed up multiple times and have received no response. I filed a BBB complaint a month ago which was closed with no response from Cortes. I have one fob with no backup key at this point. I will have to go to the Mazda dealer service department and pay quite a bit to get this remedied.
Overall, my experience felt high-pressure, misleading, and unprofessional. I was referred by BECU and had high hopes but at this point will be reporting back to them my concerns. I would strongly encourage others to proceed with caution. read more