One star only because zero is not an option…read more
I purchased a Certified Pre-Owned 2025 Nissan Kicks SV from Firkins on July 17, 2026. I was a returning customer, and my parents have purchased multiple vehicles there. At the dealership, the interior smelled heavily of lemon and cleaning chemicals, and the paperwork indicated no smoking history. Once the fragrance faded, a strong cigarette odor became obvious and eventually came through the A/C.
Everything that followed happened within approximately 30 days.
I returned to Firkins three times. The first appointment was an ozone treatment. The next two supposedly included ozone treatments and professional details, for a total of three ozone treatments and two details.
During the first appointment, I was told to walk around the property and wait about two hours rather than being given a rental. Firkins replaced the cabin filter and left about five air fresheners inside. The fragrance was overwhelming, and the cigarette smell returned within five days.
I repeatedly contacted Logan and Jef about the odor and a missing cargo cover. Calls from my regular number went unanswered while a private call was answered, making me feel screened. Logan said all he wanted to do was sell cars, and Logan and Jef called the situation "just car business stuff."
I escalated it to John Gross. To his credit, John initially listened and apologized. He resolved the cargo cover, arranged a Nissan fan-motor repair, coordinated more treatments and extended a rental while I traveled. Firkins provided rentals for the second and third appointments. I appreciate those efforts, but they did not resolve the main problem.
I was told one treatment cost more than $600 and used three systems. Jef said the vehicle had been scrubbed and the odor should not return unless the interior reached approximately 200 degrees, an unreasonable explanation for a vehicle in Florida. After one treatment, the smell was immediately worse. The vehicle was returned dirty, with tags and plastic inside. Although they knew when I was arriving, it was left in the back.
After two supposed professional details, I wiped the seats with water and a white cloth. It came back black with residue. I have not had the vehicle cleaned elsewhere, so its condition reflects only what Firkins allegedly did. The A/C smell has stopped, but the cigarette odor remains. Gino Finelli said he could not smell it despite being sensitive to smoke, yet other people notice it immediately.
After the third and final appointment, I found a large tear on the back of the driver's seat. I have timestamped photographs from before and after every appointment. I requested the listing, intake and detailing photos. Gino said he and Jason inspected the vehicle and found no evidence Firkins caused the damage, but Firkins provided nothing that resolved the discrepancy. The seat remains damaged.
Firkins offered to buy the Kicks back for only the vehicle price, excluding taxes and fees. That would have left me owing more than $2,000 on a vehicle I no longer owned. John repeatedly pushed a trade-in, which would move that loss into another purchase. Neither proposal made me whole, so I kept the vehicle.
Emails eventually stopped receiving responses. Within my first 30 days, I dealt with three unsuccessful odor treatments, two questionable details, smoke through the A/C, a missing cargo cover, a fan-motor repair, seat damage and a buyback proposal that would cost me thousands.
I acknowledge the rentals, repair attempts and the issues John initially helped resolve. However, effort is not resolution. The cigarette odor remains, the seat is still torn and I now have to pay for professional smoke remediation myself. This has been the worst customer-service experience I have had with a business my family supported for years. I cannot recommend Firkins.
UPDATE: Their response said the General Manager would reach out to discuss my concerns. Six days have passed, and I haven't heard from anyone. This lack of follow-through reinforces my experience and is exactly the poor customer service I was describing.
