BUYER BEWARE
I bought a 2017 Nissan Pathfinder from Hayden Auto in June 2019. We were looking or something bigger and more reliable and came across this at a reasonable price. I called and talked to Phil who assured me the car was in excellent shape and I would not be disappointed. He put me over to Ryan (because these sales people cannot discuss price) who deals with the financial side and between Phil and Ryan we worked out a price. The initial asking price was 23,999. This included delivery which I was told made up $500 of the initial price. I also wanted a trailer hitch installed so we agreed that they would have it installed and I could pay cash at their wholesale rate for the hitch and installation. We agreed on 22,900 over the phone with a sizeable downpayment and a $500 non-refundable deposit to hold it on their word that the vehicle was in great shape. We would also make the 4 hour drive each way to pick the car up. A couple of days before leaving I called down to verify that everything was ready to go. At this point I decided to confirm the numbers we had previously discussed. Ryan informed me that the price was now 22,999 as "the never deal in whole numbers, always 99's". I was not impressed on principle, however, he was able to buy down a couple of items and in the end my payment ended up being roughly the same.
The day we went down was a very rainy day and we got to the grungy looking dealership in Dartmouth and connected with Phil. We looked over the car quickly in the pouring rain and then took it out for a test drive. We were gone roughly 20 minutes and in which time the fuel light came on. No biggie, I thought. I'll just mention it and they should fill it before we drive home. Also, the driver's windshield wiper had the rubber flapping loose for about the bottom 6" of the wiper. This was a little odd as it had a fresh inspection from within the last day or so, suggesting their inspection process is very weak, if existent at all. When we got back to the dealership we went in and talked numbers again and signed the paperwork with Ryan. Phil went out and filled the tank upon my request, blaming the detailers who were supposed to do that. When he arrived back I asked about the wiper that, on a rainy day such as this was very obvious as it flapped right in front of your face. He had not replaced it so I asked to have it fixed and he obliged. We finished the paperwork and drove off. This is where things got interesting.
We were not 100kms away from the dealership and the check engine light came on. The following day I contacted Phil after running the code and realizing it was likely just an O2 sensor. He said they would come good for it. I took it to a friend who is a mechanic and he verified the problem for free as to not incur any addition fees and then I informed Phil. Upon further discussion with Ryan I was informed they they would NOT be doing anything to correct the matter as this is not a "safety concern".
A day later I was looking the car over again and noticed a significant scratch on the front bumper. I investigated further to find that someone previous to me had damaged the front end, broke clips on the front bumper and tore the inner wheel well up. Someone very recently had tired to cover this up with glue and staples that were already beginning to let go. I, again, called Phil and mentioned this. I admitted that it was my fault for not catching these things while I was there but that he assured me it was in great shape and so I put my $500 down. I offered to cover the damage 50/50 with them as I thought both parties were equally at fault.
After all of this grief, and giving them ample time to come good as well as further conversation with Ryan and Phil I am told that none of this is their problem and that the O2 sensor was a Nissan issue, not their problem. They claim that they only made $100 off the deal so they can't afford to lose any money.
Now for my opinion:
DO NOT SUPPORT THIS DEALERSHIP! They do not believe in any sort of customer satisfaction and as soon as they can get you off the lot with their defective vehicle they completely turn their back on you. Looking back I see all of the cheap and crooked things they did in this deal. Right from the start we agreed on a price and then it changed (after deposit was sent). I arrive and they leave the tank empty hoping I don't mention it. They fill it and then try the same trick with the wiper. They cleared a code knowing it likely wouldn't reappear for a little while and then turn their back when I called them out on it. They hid damage to the front end and refuse to admit or help with cost of fixing. They try to blame it on the price they gave it to me for when, if you follow the deal through, they took $500 off of a $23,000 vehicle and claim to have only made $100. No dealership lists a car to only profit $600! Do not trust these people! They cover things up and lie to you. read more