I bought a Nissan Altma, on 12-4-06, from Keith Hawthorne Mazda, Gastonia, N.C. When I first looked at the car I only drove around the blockand not on the highway because the salesman, Stanley Holland did not want to put a tag on the car. That night after the paperwork had been signed I left for home, got off of the highway onto the exit and almost did not get stopped, the car had no brakes! The rotors were scrubbing into the drums, the car was shaking coming down the highway because it needed an alignment. I called the dealership right from my cell phone, and spoke to one of the salesmen then to be told to bring it in first thing in the morning. I was suppose to anyway for them to replace all four tires, make anither key, make a keyless entry, and do an alignment.
When I went in the next morning I spoke to the salesman that sold me the car, Stanley Holland. Told him I would rather have my money back which was 2,000 dollars and 1,000 dollars from my trade in. I did not want the car, muchless deal with a dealership that would sell someone a car with no brakes. Also I had already talked to my insurance company and they had told me the car had been wrecked.
The only information they could give me was how much was the cost of repairing the car not where the car had been damaged. And they still say to this day that the car hasn't been wrecked. He took me to Floyd Perry whom at the time to my understanding was the floor manager. (I was told he was terminated on 2-28-07.) Floyd told me to calm down and just please give them a chance to fix the car and make things right. I ask him how could they sell a car with no brakes, and not tell the customer the car had beeb wrecked? Floyd told me then the car would be fixed, four new tires would be put on the car, lined up, and have the key and keyless entry made. I told him I was also having trouble turning the ignition at times. He told me the same thing everyone else had, that the deal was made, my money and trade in are gone, and we need to deal with what is going on here. They put me in a lonar car for a week.
I went back to the dealership to pick up my car and to have to take it myself down to the Nissan dealership down the road and was told by the service department down the road that they could notmake the keyless entry unless they tore out the steering column. They called Floyd and he told me to take it to the Nissan dealership in Shelby, N.C. To see if they could make one. At this time I realized that only two of the tires had been repaced, not the four that Floyd had promised.
I called Floyd right then to only be told that he did not tell me he would replace all four and he did me a favor by replacing the two that he did. I didn't say anything else about this because I knew I was only going to get an argument. The next day I took it to Shelby and they made a keyless entry. A few days later I started my car and went back in the house an dcame back to only find my doors had locked somehow with my keys inside. This happened two other times, only to find out later that it had two alarm systems on it, the manufactures and one that had been added.
On 2-26-07 I tried to start my car and it would not start again, this happened a couple of times before also. This time it wasn't going to start. My neighbor hooked up battery cables and jumped me off. I took the car to auto zone only to find out it had a dead cell in the battery. Found out then about the two alarm systems and this was pulling my battery down. So I called Floyd again, trying to get someone to please get me out of this car, only to get another argument. He told me to take it to Audio Excellence in Gastonia at 9am the next morning, 2-27-07. They removed one of the alarms. So now my sunroof wasn't working, and was told that the sunroof was connected to the alarm they had removed and I would have to take it to Charlotte sunroof because they did not work on sunroofs.
I called to make an appointment for 3-5-07 in which I did not get to keep because the car tore up again before that date. On 2-28-07 it rained hard all day that day, and I started sliding from side to side in the rear. I could not go past 40 miles per hour and had to turn my emergencies flashers on to get to the closest garage, which was Clark Tire and Automotive. This is the second time I have feared for my life in this car. I was told by Todd the Mechanic their that the two rear tires were going to blow any minute now, because the steal belts were coming out from the inside of the tire, the left rear tie rod was missing a bolt, need an alignment again, in which was supposed to have been done when I first bought the car. (This car will not hold an alignment because it has been wrecked, and I have told everyone this at the dealership!) Also the rack and pinion had a bad leak on the left side.
I went to the dealership doing 40 miles an hour, with my hazard lights, having my a friend follow me. I was sent to Devron Stevenson the floor manager then because I was told Floyd had been fired that day. Also everytime I have ask for a copy of my paperwork from them that they have so I can compare it to mine I am told they have lost it. I told Devron the same thing that I have been telling everyone else that I wanted out of this car that it is nothing but a death trap, I explained everything from the beginning up until then and was told the same thing from him, the deal is done and the only thing he could do was try to put me in something else and start over but I would not have a down payment and only the trade in from the Nissan that I had just purchased.
My choices would be limited because I have bad credit. I told him I had bad credit when they put me in this death trap that I had paid 3,000 dollars down then. So they tried to put me in another car that I did not want and everytime I would ask for a cash price on everything they tried to show me and no one could ever answer my question. Because I wanted the 3,000 dollars I had put down, I wanted it to go on another car and this is why they would never give me an answer because they knew I would never see that money again.
All I kept heraring from everyone was that the deal was done, that deal is in the past now we will have to start over. I sat at that dealership that day from 2pm until 8pm only to leave again crying and in this death trap. The next morning I went to Keith Hawthorne Ford dealership in Belmont, N.C. To speak to Mark Ficken whom I was told was the general manager of all the Keith Hawthorne dealerships. Only to get the same thing from him. I explained everything to him from begenning until then. I even told him just to meet me halfway and just give me half of my down payment back and keep the car and let me go my way because I don't want to deal with any of these dealerships. He still wants to keep me in this Nissan.
I kept trying to explain to him the car had been wrecked and would not hold an alignment. He sent me back to the Mazda dealership for them to put me in another rental car again. I talked to Rick Farmer who is the service deptartment manager. He said he would call me after they looked at it. From3-1-07, everyday it was back and forth, haven't had a chance to look at it yet. So finally by 3-6-07 Rick called and ask if I had talked to Mark or Devron, I told him of course not no one ever calls me, I have to stay on top of this. I explained to Rick I no longer wanted the car and I would not be back to pick it up, I only wanted my 3,000 dollars and to go somewhere else so I could purchase another car because I could get no one their to help me at all. He said I would have to talk to Mark Ficken, and if he did not call me I needed to call him.
On 3-8-07 I called the receptionist at the ford dealership to ask if I could leave a message for Mr Hawthorne himself to call me, 30 minutes later Mark Ficken called and ask if my car had been fixed yet. Then he said that he had gotten the message that I wanted to talk to Mr Hawthorne. He said their was no need to talk to him because when I was talking to him (Mark) it was just like talking to Mr Hawthorne because he was part owner. So I ask again, so you are telling me I can't talk to Mr Hawthorne? He said somewhat. I told him I was so tired of having to argue with someone about this car. I would email channel nine news, and anyone else that would listen to me.
About an hour later Donna Covell from customer service of all the Keith Hawthorne dealerships called and ask if she could get a copy of the letter I was sending, I emailed it to her. She said she would contact me the next day to see if we could resolve this problem. She also wanted the information of the car being wrecked, I sent it also. She was to contact me the next day (3-9-07) only to not hear from her until 3-19-07.in between this time I would call everyday to try to talk to her, she would be out, or busy and I would have to leave a message and everyday I would ask to please leave a message for Mr Hawthorne himself to call me and it never happened.
On 3-19-07 Rick Farmer called to let me know my car was ready to be picked up. I ask about everything being fixed and he siad I would have to take it to the sunroof place and I told him no way, it was broke down from something they should have taken care of from the beginning. I wasn't taking that car no where else to get fixed and would not pick it back up unless I could come to some kind of agreement. Since I have purchased the car in a 3 month period the car has left me stranded twice, twice the keys were locked inside, had to replace the battery, almost had a wreck twice.
All of this in 3 months and 1,600 dollars worth of work, in which the dealership did pay and the car is still not fixed and never will be right because the car has been wrecked. All of this could have been prevented if the car had of had the 122 point inspection that was supposed to have been done before I purchased the car and the dealership would have seen that too much work needed to be done on the car and took it back to the auction where they got it from. But instead I have to pay for their mistakes, the customer that keeps them in business, and this is how they treat their customers? I can't believe Mr Hawthorne has all of these reputable dealerships, and knowingly do this to his customers.
On 3-19-07 Rick Farmer called again to tell me the car was ready and he had gotten the sunroof fixed. I told him I would not pick up the car unless I could come to some kind of understanding with Diane Covell, and I could not get her to even return my calls. She called that afternoon to tell me they would put a 4 year warranty on the car and the tires and alignment. She ask if I would give her a couple of days to do the paperwork, so I went ahead and picked up the car the next afternoon, 3-20-07.
So of course I should have left the car until the paperwork had been signed because they did it to me again, lied! Until 4-10-07 I did not hear from her, I called everyday only to leave messages. On 4-10-07 I left her a message telling her that I would come to the dealership and the customers would not like what I have to sya and she called me that afternoon only to tell me she did not promise anything and the only way I would get a warranty would be to come in and sign a release form, realeasing them from any obligations to me or the car. I told her no thank you, I could not trust them to do anything to fix my car muchless release them from anything. No one should have to go through all of the lies and deception that I have with this dealership.
On 4-16-07 I took the car to Pack Brothers Collision Center in Belmont, N.C. To find out about the car being wrecked, also finding their was a leak in the transmission, or the power steering had a leak. This is a list of things Ronald Pack found as a result of the car being wrecked, amoung other things.
FRONT BUMPER
1-Front bumper repaired
2-Front bumper repainted
3-Obvious body work on bumper
4-Chips in bumper
5-Clips missing
HOOD
1-Has been repaired
2-Paint is spotted
3-Hood is still damaged
4-Hood does not align with left and right fenders
RIGHT REAR DOOR
1-Has a crease in mid section of door
RIGHT QUARTER PANEL
1-Damaged
REAR BUMPER
1-Has been painted
2-Has unrepaired damage
LEFT REAR SUSPENSION
1-Some parts may have been replaced
FRONT ENGINE CRADLE
1-Has damage
I also have pictures that Ronald took this day as he also has on file. The car has to go back in the shop again, 4-23-07 for the leak and this time I will have to pay for it.
Until 11-07-07 the car was alright except for the brakes making a noise. I took it to Clark Tire to have it serviced and the tires rotated only to find out that the caliburs need to be replaced, because my brake pads that were supposed to have been replaced 7 months ago were gone on the back and the rotors needed turning again. Only because if they had of replaced the caliburs then instead of covering them up this would not of happened. I was told the caliburs were so rusty and had to have been bad for longer than I have had the car or the brake pads wouldn't have went bad in that short of time. The caliburs being bad is what caused this.
I am told it will cost me close to 1,000 dollars to have all 4 replaced and I need to have the back ones replaced as soon as possible before my brakes start scrubbing into my rotors. I called Rick Farmer, the only one at the dealership that I could ever talk to and explained the situtation. He ask if I wanted to speak to Devron and I said no thank you he could only to see what answer I would get. And of course it was the answer I expected, they could do nothing to help me. I told Rick I knew he was trying to help me and he could only do what they would let him do. I explained to Rick that I was going to do everything in my power to get some kind of help with this situtation, that I could not afford to put any more money in this car for something that was their fault to begin with, if they had of done their job. I will be sending a letter to everyone that I possibly can in hopes of someone helping me to resolve this problem.
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