This has been, hands down, the worst consumer experience of my life.
Last week, I purchased a used 2005 Kia Sportage from KB Auto Sales in Austin, TX. I had it looked at by a mechanic, he told me it was in good shape for a used car, so I decided to buy it.
Written into the contract was KB's agreement to fix a broken console and the vehicle's pull to the right. These were minor problems, but ones that the dealership agreed to repair in the "We Owe" section of the contract.
His "fix" for the console consisted of a piece of plastic and super glue which fell apart (surprise, surprise) in less than two days. He also took two and a half days to complete this wonderful craftsmanship.
He refused to fix the alignment issue saying that he drove it and there was no problem. I had already had one mechanic say there was a problem, but he didn't spot the nails. He most likely missed this because I had a moblie lemon detector come to the dealership to check out the car and he can only do so much without a lift. But, I had it checked by yet another mechanic (at a shop since KB neither checked nor fixed the problem as they agreed to in the contact) and it turned out there were nails in both the front and back passenger-side tires causing the pull. The back tire was patched, the front tire had a nail in the side wall and had to be replaced. Amazingly, after I fixed these things out-of-pocket, the pulling was gone!
While he was "fixing" these things, the salesman was kind enough to loan me a car from the lot that ran out of gas in less than two miles. I waited for over an hour while the salesman poured gas all over me, himself and the car before he gave up, took me back to the lot and put me in another car without gas. Amazing that a man who can't even pour gas from a can into a vehicle can diagnose mechanical problems (or lack thereof) by just driving a car!
The latter part is just another annoyance to go along with a string of others (unabashedly hitting on my friend who was helping me shop, not bothering to wash or vaccuum the Kia before I took it home, cussing, and giving his unwanted political opinions, to name a few). The salesman's failure to hold up his end of the contract has led me to follow up with a trip down to the small claims court.
My advice: it's a buyer's market right now. If you find the car you want at KB Auto Sales on FM 1325 in Austin, TX, keep looking elsewhere, you'll thank me later.
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