I am writing this review to hopefully save others the same nightmare I am currently experiencing due to the shady business practices of Desert Motors. I recently had to replace my vehicle, and after scouring the internet decided to go look at a shiny used car offered by desert motors. Jonathan was pleasant when I got there, and told me exactly what I wanted to hear in regard to the Mercedes I went to test drive. When asked if they had the car checked mechanically, I was assured that they had. That turned out to be a lie, and after purchasing the vehicle the first check engine light literally went on on the drive home from the dealership. By the end of the first week, the top stopped working, and I was left with a $1200 repair bill (paid in cash directly to Jonathan - as he assured me he was getting me some great deal.) The top then broke again, about two weeks later, and this time I was told I would be in the hook for another $3000 repair on top of the $1200 already spent, and they didn't even address the tpi sensor check engine light that went on that first night. After admitting that they bought the car at auction and never had it checked by a mechanic before selling it to me, and completely hanging me out to dry with the repairs, I would stay as far away from this shady establishment as you possibly can. I lost over $10,000 by walking through the door and believing his lies. read more

Thanks to Jonathan for awesome service! Bought an older 2002 Prius from here and had it shipped cross-country to Maryland. The car seemed well-maintained with good Carfax and dealership service records with low mileage, but I was very wary of buying a car I couldn't see in-person. Jonathan was extremely patient and prompt in responding to my inquiries and did multiple Facetime calls to do virtual test drives and demonstrate every aspect the car inside and out that I asked about. The car was priced competitively and everything seemed to check out, so I decided to take a risk and buy it, still half-expecting to regret it and find thousands of dollars worth of hidden problems upon delivery. The price, condition, and mileage all just seemed almost too good to be true. Jonathan got me a good deal on shipping and had it on a truck the next day. The truck arrived a few days later with the car in great condition. I took it to get MD stated inspected and it passed with flying colors--rare for the MD inspection not to make you fix **something**. The mechanic commented on how surprised he was at the condition of this 24-year-old car. Then I took it to the Toyota dealer for an oil change and another inspection, which also failed to find anything major and complimented the car. Now it's driving great and cutting my monthly gas expenses in half. Highly recommend this place to out-of-state customers in colder climates looking for nice older cars. Since the dealership is in the California desert, many of their vehicles have lived their lives in a dry, salt-free climate and are well-preserved. It's well worth the freight charge to buy an older vehicle that's still structurally rock-solid. read more

I purchased a vehicle from Desert Motor and later discovered a serious undisclosed safety defect: the passenger door cannot be opened from the inside. When I notified the dealer, they dismissed the issue and hid behind an "as-is" clause, even though California law still requires dealers to disclose safety hazards. Instead of taking responsibility, they told us to diagnose the problem and find parts ourselves. Their attitude was unprofessional, dismissive, and showed no concern for customer safety. Based on my experience, Desert Motor does not stand behind their buyers or the vehicles they sell. I cannot recommend this dealership. read more

Desert Motors - No - Used Car Dealers Near Me - Palm Desert, California

See all

Had a wonderful experience at Desert Motors thanks to Jonathan. Prompt and clear communication throughout the whole process from scheduling appointments, questions on the purchased vehicle, and the final paperwork. Highly recommend if there is a used car that fits your needs to check them out. read more

After three months, everything started to break down. First, the engine check appeared, then the rear handle broke, then the driver's door handle. The headliner has completely sagged. No one even changed the oil before the purchase. A month later, I had to change the spark plugs. I spent 3.5k on an engine check and its still on. The case from the air conditioner inside the cabin fell apart from every part. From the left to the right, the central ac. Don't buy cars here, they're dead. If you are not ready to pay the same amount for repairs as you paid for the car. The mechanics in the area know about them and no one undertakes to fix cars from this dealer. The last straw was the sanvisor that fell off and the san roof stopped working for me. I also have check light for all breaks lights, fog lights, reverse lights, high beam and so on read more

The experience was amazing, low prices, beautiful cars, outstanding service. Johnathan was super approachable and kind. read more

Desert Motors - Used Car Dealers Near Me - Palm Desert, California

I am not out to diss anyone and it is our problem that we chose to buy a car sight unseen from out of state (have never tried this before). But at some point you hope the dealership/sales is honest with you. Car looks nice, but after driving it twice we now have a leak in our driveway, steering pump howls and front end making noise like shocks or engine mounts, etc. Yes we looked at the Carfax report as suggested, it was one owner and had lots of service records that made it seem like it would be in good shape. We already had to buy new sun visors as one was not operable at all, the other soon to be that way. Two front tires old and not matching the two new rear tires. Some of this is to be expected with a 20 yr old car, but would have liked to know the other stuff, maybe we might have gone elsewhere. Yes, the "as is" is considered, but would have liked to know what was wrong with it. Live and learn I guess. Jonathan was helpful but wish he was more forthcoming. read more

It If I could put a negative amount I would! **Buyers beware--this dealership sold me a car that became a liability within two days. I purchased a Buick Verano believing I was making a reliable investment--but I was back at a certified mechanic almost immediately. The issues? Far beyond wear and tear, and all things that a responsible dealer should have caught with even a basic inspection: - Timing cover gasket - $53.40 - Oil replacement and filter - $42.00 - Valve cover gasket set - $49.62 - Multipurpose grease/oil seal - $14.34 - Timing chain kit - $1,016.66 - Multipurpose O-ring - $5.06 - Coolant thermostat housing gasket - $33.72 - O Gasket - $16.86 - Coolant temperature sensor/switch - $24.00 - Multipurpose connector - $10.13 - Coolant thermostat gasket - $5.02 - Catalytic converter - $764.20 - SL N KEY - $10.37 - Shop supplies - $5.00 **Total: $3,607.19 in initial repairs**--costs no buyer should face immediately after a purchase. These weren't gradual breakdowns--they were *existing issues* that should have disqualified this car from being sold in the first place. And just when I thought things might stabilize, within six days of getting the car back from the mechanic, the service engine light came on again. **Code P0700: transmission control system failure. That added **another $3,500** for a full transmission replacement. Has the dealership been willing to work with me? Absolutely not. They refuse to take any accountability. Every attempt at communication is met with pushback, arguing, and a complete lack of understanding. There's been no offer to help, no gesture of support--just silence and deflection. They are taking zero responsibility for their failure to properly inspect the vehicle before selling it. And while all of this has unfolded, I've been unable to go to work since the end of May--shouldering the emotional stress, financial loss, and logistical chaos this dealership created. My life has been deeply disrupted, and they've offered nothing in return. If you value honesty, reliability, and basic accountability, **I strongly urge you to look elsewhere.** read more

Another reason to avoid this business, barely a month or so after purchasing a vehicle from Desert Motors my engine oil light has come on. If anyone is reading this review please consider other dealerships as I feel like I was ripped off by this place. read more

Me and my wife bought a 2012 Chevy Cruze from these guys less than a year ago they charged me 7000. Dollars for this rolling piece of junk my wife got it home to find out it had no heat or defrost in it. Every since I have put part after part in it I can't afford it anymore I put a oil cooling housing in it less than a week after we bought it along with a brake light sensor, a purge valve , electronic accelerator position sensor , throttle body radiator reservoir coil pack 4 spark plugs , new heater hoses that by-passed the heater core that was leaking Please I do not recommend these guys what so ever they charged me 7000. Dollars for something that was probably only worth 1500. read more

BE AWARE!!!! these people are scammers I wish I had read the reviews before I bought a car from them They forced me to buy an extended warranty that turns out it wasn't a warranty at all A week after I I purchase car(2018 BMW white X1) all the alarms - lights turn on on my dashboard oil change service required maintenance required a come lllllllll service A service B oil, change require, and so on The car started making weird noises I took it to the dealer and they informed me that the car need to go under repair because. it wasn't safe to drive in that condition. The car needed an alignment. The car needed. So many things. They told me bring the extended warranty and we open a case. the extended insurance doesn't cover anything but the engine and when we found a problem in the heat engine, they come with some other excuses no one returned your calls. No one helped you and when you called it dealership, they curse you out literally they just told me fuck off.! so I made up for my complaint with Better Business Bureau and he's nothing else to do but try to warn any potential victim of the scam. These people I put in the public through. Please don't be a beat of this lowlife scammers criminals car sales men people I have a car that is unsafe to drive there extended warranty I pay is not helping me and I have no money to pay for all these repairs myself and I bought the car not even two months ago please do your research and check the reviews because people like these are all over. Unfortunately !! DESERT MOTORS SHAME ON YOU !!! read more

I do not recommend this dealership. They make it easy to buy the car, and will hang you to dry when it breaks! If you do buy from this dealership, bring an OBD2 scan tool so you don't get screwed! I bought an Audi A3 TDI from this Desert Motors on September 28, 2024 from Idan. It was easy to buy the car, took minutes to test drive and I never felt pressured. Immediately when I drove home an engine light came on. Turns out that the DPF in the emissions is failing and will cost $1500 in parts alone to fix! Current list of item's I had to repair for parts alone (I can't afford a dealership's labor!): November 28, 2024 - Flywheel - $421.68 March 10, 2025 - Throttle Body - $439.90 Future Repair - DPF Replacement - $1448 Desert Motors will not help you in any way with repairs or for selling you a lemon car. If I had brought a scan tool, I am sure I would have seen the multiple engine codes stored in the computer. This was a bad purchase for me, don't let it be the same for you! read more

Fadi was excellent to deal with from the beginning to the end His customer service was great. We are super happy with the Mercedes Benz . We purchased from Desert motor. Highly recommended this place read more

Desert Motors - My 2019 Mercedes-Benz CLA 250 I got from Fadi - Used Car Dealers Near Me - Palm Desert, California

Buyer Beware - Poor Experience at Desert Motor Auto Sales We purchased a 1999 Dodge Ram 1500 from Desert Motor Auto Sales (41841 Beacon Hill, Palm Desert, CA), and within a year, we've had to put over $1,000 into repairs. This included replacing the radiator, water pump, power steering hose, starter, battery, and even having to fix the radio. When we bought the truck, they provided a Carfax report that made the vehicle look clean and problem-free, which clearly was not the case. We now believe they were not transparent about the true condition of the vehicle. The dealership came off as underhanded and misleading, and we strongly recommend others use caution when dealing with them. We've since purchased a different vehicle and are now trying to sell this truck just to move on. If you're considering buying from Desert Motor Auto Sales, do your homework, get a second opinion, and be very careful. read more

bad company. they sell some good cars but some are shitty and they try to cover it up by adding stop leak or what not. later you have problems. stay far away from this company do not buy from them. you will regret it read more

We looked at 3 cars within 10 minutes and all 3 are HORRIBLE! None of them are worth the money he's asking. Dry rotted tires that are at the wear marker, AC not working, steering wheel and shifter shows excessive wear, broken fog light on the 2009 Mazda 3. The 2010 Mazda hatchback has a broken drivers seat track. That's a massive safety issue and that shows that they don't care about your safety and is probably illegal for him to sell it like that. It also had a rough idle when I started it and it sputtered to rev up. The tires looked... wierd, as if the tires had started to melt. Makes me wonder if they did something to them to try to make them look new. The 3rd car was a Civic with 214k miles on that's way over priced. It had a dead battery and stunk really bad inside. Do yourself a huge favor and stay away from this place. read more

My daughter purchased her first vehicle at Desert Motor today 10/24/23. The Sales Rep was extremely helpful! We found the car through Auto Trader yesterday and contacted the dealer directly, since we are over 100 miles away we processed the paperwork online ahead of our visiit. Our 18 year old was approved for financing in less than an hour, no co-signer necessary. We drove in this morning to test drive the vehicle and we finalized the purchase! Over all the best experience I have ever had purchasing a vehicle! I would highly recommend Desert Motor. read more

Desert Motors - Used Car Dealers Near Me - Palm Desert, California

Thank you for the easy purchase. Greta price. Great car. Had it for almost a year now and it runs great. read more

Desert Motors - Very happy with with my used car got a great deal on it. Mileage was low. The price was right. The customer service was very great. - Used Car Dealers Near Me - Palm Desert, California

Do not buy buy a car from this business. Sold us a car that didn't last 2 days or 20 miles. Needs a new engine for $5000. Won't work with us. Horrible business. Shysters. read more

Whatever you do dont by a car here.They sold me a complete piece of junk this guy is a crook should be in jail. completely destroyed my life. the car has non stop issues it should have never been put on the market.The owner is a total jerk. BEWARE !!! read more

I've bought two vehicles from Alex in desert motors, great service every time..the vehicles are always in great condition and good quality.!! read more

I worked with them couple times , good service, very happy, I worked with guy named Alex, he was kind and knowledgeable, very professional and polite, also was vert patient and friendly read more

I love my new car!!! I came in with a budget and they really helped me out now I finally have a car that's reliable with ice cold a/c!

horrible dealership! just effed us over and gave us the run around about fixing the car they sold us!