Long story short: I bought a performance vehicle that ended up having $6,000+ worth of issues,…read morewhich means either the dealership knew about the issues and sold it to me anyway, or, they have a terrible inspection team that somehow missed all of these issues. Neither explanation is the kind of dealership you want when looking for a luxury or performance vehicle. Or any vehicle.
So.
I bought a car from this dealership less than a month ago.
Both Chan and Buzzy were very helpful and serviceable. They both were willing to meet me after hours to help me buy this car.
Because I really wanted this car. I am a 34 year old female buying a 397HP manual transmission for the first time. It meant a lot to me.
The first day I went to see my car, I noticed the tires were missing chunks. I brought up that the tires were missing chunks, and Buzzy was immediately startled and apologetic. Someone had curbed the car. He had not noticed and he said he would absolutely bring it up to the shop.
My boyfriend took a look at the brakes and said the brakes were shot, too.
Again, I was told those would also be looked at for safety.
We three sat down for awhile and I asked why this car had been on the lot for almost 50 days. It's a 2019, turbocharged Golf R. It's beautiful.
I was told, "I don't know."
"Okay, well. Why'd the previous owner sell it?"
"I don't know."
Hm. Well, maybe that's the truth.
After some talk, I said yes, I would buy the car, IF the tires and brakes were fixed. Those were the things I had noticed, those were the things I wanted. No one wants to buy a new car with chunks missing out of the tires and also immediately have to drop a couple hundred bucks to get a brake job.
The next day when I am prepared to purchase the car, I was told "neither item came back as a safety issue" and they were not fixed.
Well, okay. So I asked if they would subtract the cost of those repairs, but they would not. I was told, firmly, regarding the price, "Layla, it's an as-is car."
So they wouldn't work with me on price and told me the tires and brakes weren't bad enough to be repaired.
I believed that. I believed them.
I bought the car.
3 weeks later, I have to take it to a shop because it starts leaking coolant. Leaking coolant means the engine will cook- it is a huge problem.
I get a call from the shop where I had dropped it off and they ask if I know about the tires and brakes.
I say, "What...about them?"
They say, there are literal chunks missing from your tires. The tread is shot. You've got 0/32, 0/32, 3/32, and 3/32. And your brakes, the front brakes are at 20%. The rear brakes? 10%.
Great. The two things I had asked for. The exact two things I asked for and was told were not a problem.
I would then take the car to the dealership because of the leaking coolant problem, which was a $1,300 fix. While at the dealership, one of the guys tells me the rear differential clutches are stuck together, causing the car to bind up and be stuck in AWD.
It's a $3745 fix.
Here's the thing. I don't mind about those two insanely expensive fixes. Sometimes you buy a car, and if you can't do your due diligence inspecting it, it's your gamble. I accept that.
So I reached out to the dealership, and I was like, "Hey, I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt that you didn't know about the coolant leak, or the clutches, and that all sucks that I was sold such a problematic car and these items were somehow missed in your inspection.....but can we negotiate on the tires and brakes that you told me were not an issue?"
I reached out twice.
They didn't respond. Nothing. At least a "No" or "No, sorry" would have been nice. Well, not nice. But...something.
Unfortunately, I've got $6,500 worth of repairs...And yet, all I wanted, all that I am asking for is help with the tires and brakes. Some sort of negotiation. That's it.
Thing is, I realized later than I should really ask for all of it.
Because as I was wondering about how there was so much wrong with my car, and how did they not know? And how had it not sold..
It occurred to me: the car I bought is a Volkswagen.
Luxury Motor Car Company, their shop, is next to a Volkswagen Service center. Next to, as in, they share a parking lot.
I'm pretty sure they knew everything.
And if they truly didn't know, then how good is their inspection process?
Because the way I see it, there's two options here, and neither are good: either they missed thousands of dollars worth of repairs that my car needed, or they lied to me about it.
Not exactly the place I would want to buy a luxury car from.