ComplaintsforSteele Mazda

• Initial Complaint

  06/02/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Bought a used van from them. 4 months later i started having problems. First was the service department told me i didnt have tire and rim warrenty then come to find out my sales rep ******* ****** told me oh yes you do and during that time nothing was done except given a tire i then had to pay for elsewhere to put on a rim. Then it started having problems starting. After my horrible experiences with mazdas service department i went elsewhere to have a starter bypass put in as i was told it would cost me over $1200 to have a new tipm modual put in. Long story short this 2013 Dodge caravan has been sitting in my driveway for the last month not moving when i asked mazda what to do about all these problems with this vehicle they sold me i was told i had to bring it in myself once i can get it started again from not starting due to their negligence to look over the vehicle before selling it and its been sitting in the cold in my driveway not being driven now.

  

  Business response

  10/02/2022

  Mr **** bought his vehicle on Feb 12 2021. At that time the vehicle was obviously running. In June he contacted us to say her personal situation had changed and he no longer needed a van . At that time we attempted to do a trade with him . The trade was going to mean an increase in payment so Mr **** declined at that time. In Nov we again heard from Mr. **** who stated he had to get out of the van one way or another. Recently (late Jan/early Feb)Mr **** was in the dealership looking to trade his van . He told the salesperson that he had a fusebox (she wasnt 100% sure thats what he said but she feels it was something to that affect) problem but he found a guy who had disabled ?? the system ?? and had some sort of a work around?? that had enabled him to start the vehicle ?? although the vehicle was dead in his yard now. The work around the fusebox etc and the outside mechanic finding a work around? was confusing to us. What we suggested to him at that time was if he could get the van running and bring it in , it would be a lot more valuable than a van sitting dead in his yard. We thought that maybe he was saying he had some way to start it and we didnt really care how he got it here ,but if it was here and running it would be worth more to us on a trade than a vehicle that we cant see and don't really know what had been done to it or what would be required to get it mobile. We were attempting to understand Mr Roses story and simply felt it would be  a better situation for him in terms of the value of the vehicle on a trade if it was running. The next message we recieved from Mr **** was that he couldnt get the vehicle running and he was just going to keep it. We would still take the car on trade( pending financing approval) without it running and would tow it out (assuming it is in an accessible area) however it obviously would be worth much less than a running vehicle  . Mr **** is more than welcome to contact ******* to keep going down that road and see what those numbers would look like. 

  Customer response

  10/02/2022

   I am rejecting this response because:
  
  Yes it was running until 4 months later when i had a mechanic look it over and tell me that the tipm modual (fuse box) had an issue that prevented the van from starting. A bypass was put in so that i could start it by that same mechanic. Mazda mentioned to me about trading in my car but i stated to ******* that i was not interested in going that route. All im asking is what i have left oweing to be paid off in full and they can have the van back but will need to come tow it. This isnt right that i am paying for something i now cannot drive and i am left finanicially impacted by this as i still have to pay insurance on it under the loan with ** $256 a month including my car and the bi weekly $170.11. Everything the van has now can stay on it like the brand new winter tires and i still have the all seasons it came with.

  

  Business response

  10/02/2022

  The vehicle in question is a 2013 preowned vehicle with 129000 kilometers at time of purchase ($9500 plus tax fees and insurances for a total of 15639.63)  and the customer had it for 9 months when he stated  he had starter problems on cold days . He only had it for four months when his personal life changed and he initially said he didnt want the van anymore. Our warranty that Mr **** signed states 30 day 50/50 warranty on MVI items only as is shown on the bill of sale. 

   Again Mr **** is welcome to trade his vehicle as we previously mentioned and as we previously thought he was looking to do .

  Although a TIPM sensor is not covered under 30 day 50/50 warranty  on MVI items only and the work to be performed at our shop, and strictly as a show of good faith ; and even though he was well outside the 30 days that he had signed for ;if he would like to get his vehicle towed in (in a timely manner- say 60 days) we would honor the 30 day 50/50 warranty on a TIPM sensor and the tow50/50  (assuming that the problem is indeed a failed TIPM sensor as we have never diagnosed the problem and are only at this point going on what Mr **** has said) Again this is a sign of good faith . We do not purchase vehicles back or pay out loans because a customer is unwilling to pay for a repair  a year after purchasing. The vehicle Mr **** bought was representative of a $9500 2013 Grand Caravan when he bought it. 

  If Mr **** would like to take us up on our 50/50 offer that expired almost a year ago please let us know as soon as possible. 

  Thank You

  ****** ********

  General Manager

  Steele Mazda

   

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