The following is my experience buying a car from Midlands Honda in Columbia, SC.
I purchased a 2017 VW Golf GTI on 12/09/24 for roughly $21k. The salesman drove an hour to pick me up and we arrived after dark where I test drove the vehicle in a light rain. After inspecting the vehicle, we went inside and signed the papers.
The first night I had it, the entire interior flooded through the sunroof. Apparently there are cracks along the frame of the sunroof, so when it rains heavily water pools and leaks through the seal. Water went down the inside of the windshield, dripped onto the dash, the seats, and entertainment system and pooled up on the carpet, especially the passenger side. The screen in the entertainment system was damaged from the water and the sound deadening underneath the carpet of the interior soaked up water like a sponge.
Over the next five days I called no less than ten times and spoke with at least five different people. At least three people took my number and assured me someone would call back. Most sales people hung up when I asked for a sales manager. Eventually, one helpful salesman noticed I had called a number of times and helped me get in contact with a sales manager, who promised to leave my number with the general manager and assured me the GM would call on Monday. This did not happen. I was not asking for them to take the car back, nor was I being unreasonable on the phone. I was not angry, I just wanted to speak to someone of authority about helping to pay for the damage from the leak in the sunroof. I would have even brought it to them for them to see the damage themselves. I do not think that I was being unreasonable, and I would expect that most dealerships with any care for their customers that sold a car without noticing the defective sunroof in their "124 point inspection" that caused a flood would at least have the courtesy to talk to me on the phone. This does not appear to be the case at Midlands Honda.
I suspect they also cleared codes from the car to stop the check engine light from being on instead of fixing the issues, because two days after purchase the check engine light came on for an Evap leak (yes the gas nozzle is tightly on).
Another issue that immediately showed itself is when I attempted to use the windshield wiper fluid on the rear window, fluid came pouring out of the headliner onto the back seat.
They also advertised a warranty for the vehicle on the website (and with a sticker on the car) that when I arrived they told me it could not actually be offered due to the age of the car. I also was charged an additional $900 for a "premium package" that was explained as 3 free oil changes at my closest dealership owned by them, but I was not able to get any paper saying this, and I do not know if I will actually be able to redeem this until I attempt to get the oil change. We will see.
During financing talks, the four square came out and I was shown my monthly payment that goes along with my down payment. This did not add up with the APR (that I had to talk with a finance manager to identify) and the total payment price over the specified duration of time, and only after getting a quote directly from the finance manager (and around the salesman) that I kept with me was I able to get the monthly payment that I expected when I arrived and not the one the salesman was trying to now give me. This was interesting as nothing about the terms changed, the monthly payment lowered. I asked repeatedly, but it was not able to be explained to me what the $52 /mo discrepancy was from the salesman's number and the finance manager's number, nor was it explained why it had randomly gone up when I arrived at the dealership.
To be transparent, I was offered a small incentive to sign on the spot as well.
I wanted to like this dealership and the salesman. It was nice of them to pick me up, and when I left with the car, I was happy with the deal and what had transpired, even if some strange things had happened along the way. But after the damage the car has sustained since, and the radio silence I have received from the dealership, I am not left with nothing but regret for dealing with Midlands Honda and I cannot in good conscience recommend anyone go and buy a car at this dealership. read more