We moved to the area in Fall 2020, we were looking for a used Honda as a commuter car, and were referred to Priority Honda through a military contact. We've bought used Hondas and Toyotas for over 10 years and never had such a horrific experience. We headed over and took a look at a used Honda Fit. It was in bad condition cosmetically but we saw past it since we take great care of our vehicles and had no issue with cleaning it up. We test drove the vehicle. It didn't run super well and had bad brakes, but went forward with the purchase as we trusted the salesman who said that it passed a full inspection and was safe to be on the road. We anticipated needing to spend some cash cleaning it up, doing some typical high mileage maintenance, etc. but we were so very wrong! In the first 3 months we spent an additional ~$3,500 to keep the car running. Here are a handful of issues we ran into during our experience with Priority that will give you an idea of the quality of service they offer -
1. Priority sold us a vehicle that was running on 3 of 4 cylinders ($881 repair). After purchase, I took it straight to their service center on the same lot. Their service center told me the 4th cylinder wasn't functioning and needed replacing. How can they knowingly sell a car that is running on 3 cylinders at full asking price? Sketchy. Their service center also told me the brakes were fine, when they were noticeably needing service. I took it to a different shop, who said the rotors needed replacing. They shared that whoever serviced it last put new brakes on bad rotors to cut corners ($464 repair). I'm unsure whether Priority did this to cut corners, but what I see a problem with is their inability to diagnose the rotor issue or admit there is an issue with one of their recently sold vehicles. Sketchy.
2. Priority kept the vehicle for a day after purchase telling me they wanted to detail the vehicle for us. I got the vehicle and they did not detail it. That afternoon, I spent 3 hours cleaning the car seats with my upholstery cleaner pulling what looked like blood or red soda out of 2 of the 5 seats. It was disgusting. I have never taken my car for a detail or even a quick cleaning and had it returned in this shape. I understand the car was dirty to begin with, however they could have paid anyone $20 to do a better job in an hour than whatever they did do (if anything). We kindly provided the feedback to the salesman. We would have appreciated an acknowledgement at the least, but he ignored us. We would have had a better experience if they had done nothing rather than telling us they detailed it and did not.
3. On day 2 or 3 the tire sensor light came on. After filling the tire a few times, we took it into a tire shop. The tire was leaking due to a poorly performed patch. It and one other tire needed replacement ($255 repair). Typical used car maintenance but these things add up. I'd have a problem if they were the ones who patched the tire. I guess I would prefer for them to do what is right. Or if they did patch it unsuccessfully, offer to cover the cost of the tire that needed replacing to salvage their customer experience.
4. Next the car wouldn't start. Turns out the alternator needed replacing ($620 repair).
5. Next the transmission light came on. I had it towed to a transmission shop. Turns out the transmission fluid hadn't been changed in so long that there was debris in it, which was causing issues within the transmission. This was a surprise to me because Priority Honda confirmed all fluids were in good shape and that I'd only need to follow typical high mileage service at the next 3,000-mile service date, nothing before ($714 repair). Why lie to save time or a few dollars Priority? You could have saved me hundreds of dollars if you were honest.
6. Other expenses that we expected went towards replacing four floor mats and one door panel. The car had oversized, aftermarket floor mats in it that didn't fit the car. The door panel was broken ($310.39). At the time of purchase we were fine paying Priority to replace these items because we trusted the car was in basic working order as they advised.
On a couple different occasions, we reached out to the salesman thinking that Priority may do something, anything to make our experience better. First, with the detail issue, then with the cylinder issue, later with the transmission issue. What we got in response was, "You bought it as is, the best we can do is buy it back for what it is worth now" - nothing since it wasn't running. From our experience, this shop has terrible customer service, no attention to detail, they're untrustworthy, and have shady sales practices.
I will advise anyone looking for a used vehicle to steer clear of Priority Honda. Please save yourself the trouble and give another team your business. read more