I bought a 2015 Subaru Crosstrek from Shane M at Roughlock Auto. It was listed on the website, but they did not have physical possession of it at the time and was told they would call once it arrived. Shane explained to us that they buy most vehicles at dealer auctions and have them shipped to their location in Spearfish. About a week later he called to say that it was coming that night, but there was a woman named Ruth coming to look at it at 9 AM and he said that if we really wanted it, we should be there at 8:30 to take a look. Shane explained that Ruth had bought a car with a bad engine and was working with Dylan to get a replacement vehicle because they were having trouble sourcing an engine, and had previously put a deposit down on this car, bwithdrew that deposit, but would be there to look at it and possibly purchase it. I was there the next morning I was looking at the exterior vehicle while waiting for Shane, once he had arrived, I checked the oil, coolant, and the overall condition of the engine compartments. The engine looked freshly cleaned, no visible leaks. The oil was good and the coolant was a clean green. Shane explained that this was a low mileage vehicle, was reliable, and would be trouble free for years to come. Once the paperwork was finalized and Shane was finished pushing used car extended warranties, we picked up the Subaru. Once we got home I could smell coolant/antifreeze odors coming from the engine bay. I waited for it to cool and opened the radiator to discover oil mixing with the antifreeze and floating in overflow reservoir. At this point I had thought I bought a car with a bad head gasket. I got ahold of Shane and he said he would have another local used car dealership's shop take a look and that they usually run the cars they buy through this shop. That evening he sent a text saying they were going to flush the coolant and would take 4 days. When I picked it up from Shane the engine was hot so I couldn't check the radiator before going home. He didn't know anything what they had checked or done. Once I did check it, I found straight water and oil in the radiator. I scheduled an appointment with Subaru in Rapid City the next morning. They found that the transmission cooler was leaking and had it repaired within 24hrs. There was cross contamination between the transmission fluid and coolant system, so both needed to be flushed after the transmission cooler was repaired. The CVT transmission is a sealed unit so there in no dipstick to check the fluid, if I was able to, it could have possibly saved me the trouble. I also learned that Subaru uses a blue colored coolant from the factory. Less than 12 hours of buying a vehicle from Roughlock Auto, it needed $1,500 in repairs. When you know, you know. It's what you don't know that bites you. Shane and the gang at Roughlock Auto leave me with more questions than answers. Why does it take 4 days to flush coolant with a garden hose? If they are buying and selling reliable vehicles from auction, why do they need to send them to another used car dealer's shop to have them serviced, is it to mask problems and kick the can down the road?Why try so hard to push extended used car warranties if you're selling vehicles that you claim will be trouble free for years to come?
There are many other reputable used car dealers that have been in business for many years with a solid reputations. Bring a paid mechanic with you when looking at Roughlock's vehicles and push for a 30 day warranty. Learn from my mistake. Would I use any mechanic they recommend? Not even for a bicycle. Would I recommend Roughlock Auto for your future car purchase? Absolutely not. read more
