New Car Dealers
Western Slope Auto CompanyThis business is NOT BBB Accredited.
Find BBB Accredited Businesses in New Car Dealers.
Complaints
Customer Complaints Summary
- 4 total complaints in the last 3 years.
- 2 complaints closed in the last 12 months.
If you've experienced an issue
Submit a ComplaintThe complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.
Initial Complaint
Date:03/14/2025
Type:Billing IssuesStatus:ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
In December I brought two key fobs for my 2016 Toyota Tacoma to the dealer to replace the dead battery and to replace the other that was of similar age but still working. The replacement battery worked on the one that was dead and did not work on the one that had been working. The parts guy told me to go over to service because it needed to be reset. When I told the service guy the story regarding the fob that worked when I brought it in and didn't after the new battery, he said, "I don't know that", accusing me of lying. Angry, I left and didn't come back until the 5th of March. At that point, only the one fob opened the door lock and the keys I had were becoming very sticky. I came back because if the one battery fob failed and the sticky keys didn't work, I'd be locked out of my car.
They decided that they couldn't diagnose the problem without making me a $76 key. Reluctantly, I agreed. The new key would barely open the door, exactly the same as the old keys. Then, they told me that they could fix it by replacing the door lock and the ignition switch. Feeling ripped off once again, I went to a local lock smith who lubricated the door lock and put new batteries in the fobs after which all keys worked fine and all fobs worked fine.
I'm embarrassed that I didn't think to lubricate the locks but then I don't claim to be a Toyota service department. The lock smith charges $7 for a key. Western Slope Auto is either incompetent that they couldn't figure out how to lubricate the door lock and put a working battery in the fobs or they are thieves. Had I been more naive, I'd have found myself forking out a thousand dollars to replace the ignition and door lock unnecessarily.
I would like my $76.08 back, or at worst my cost minus $7. I wasted hours of my time, was called a liar and misled into wasting money and almost wasting nearly a thousand dollars. Western Slope Auto should be ashamed.Business Response
Date: 03/29/2025
A refund for the $78. and change is in the mail to customer.
Customer Answer
Date: 04/02/2025
Hi Folks,
Yes, they sent a check for the full amount of the charge for the key. Sadly, since they will continue to force people to check in with people who are not mechanics, I imagine that they will continue to rip people off. But this should end my complaint. I am grateful for BBB.
Best, *****Initial Complaint
Date:09/27/2024
Type:Sales and Advertising IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
I ordered a **** ****** ******, in Oct 2023 agreed with Sales person on price. Waited patiently for 1 year for truck to be built by Ford. Truck arrives, new sales person tells me it's mine but they need to charge me an additional $5K over MSRP due to a "market adjustment". Let them know I didn't agree to this, spoke with sales manager, he said they needed to charge market adjustment because they have "20 others" interested in the vehicle and they don't make same amount of money from special vehicles. Manager not only didn't honor the original agreed upon pricing, but also questioned my integrity. He also said the vehicle wasn't ordered for me, yet I have text messages from sales person stating my truck has arrived and it is exactly how I spec'd it.Business Response
Date: 10/14/2024
This customer was told multiple times from multiple employees that ****** ****** allocation is few and far between and that they will have a $5,000- $7,500 market adjustment addendum. Even in the attachment included, he was told again. He continued to say he wanted on the list, but that he didn't want to pay an addendum and would "talk to *****" about it. He never sent us the required deposit (even though asked multiple times), never signed an order out sheet or buyers guide showing the addendum and never even sent us his drivers license. Last contact we had was that he was well aware of the addendum and we would hold the ****** ****** that we had sent him the window sticker on. ****** never was given or promised the Ranger at MSRP and continually failed to provide us any information that we requested. He never signed off saying he agreed to the addendum, just as we never once agreed to sell it without the addendum.Customer Answer
Date: 10/17/2024
I am rejecting this response because:
******, Dealer sales manager is trying to obfuscate facts by
copying in text messages related to an inquiry on a different vehicle, not the
**** ****** ****** transaction for the vehicle which I had ordered in Oct 2023
which this complaint was opened against.
This dealer is practicing classic bait and switch sales
tactics.
I ordered my Ford Ranger Raptor in Oct 2023 based on
MSRP pricing at that time. I was never asked for a deposit on this vehicle nor
asked to sign a sales agreement of any type when I ordered the vehicle. It was
only when I was going to take delivery of the vehicle nearly one year later
after vehicle that the dealer sales manager disclosed, I needed to pay an extra
$5k for the vehicle. When I asked why this was the case dealer sales manager
said because they don't make any money on special order vehicles and he needed
mark up the cost. I countered by letting him know we already agreed on the MSRP
pricing in person with Alex Chavez, the salesperson whom I ordered the truck
from and Sales manager refused to get Alex involved to validate this was the
case.
Sales manager claimed I agreed to a $5000 markup, however,
cannot provide documentation where I agreed to that markup on this vehicle at
any time. To avoid selling me the truck, being as I didn't agree to the
last min markup, the Sales manager tried told me the truck was never ordered
for me in the first place. This is an out outright lie, per the attached you
can see Ford sent me emails on production status.
As a consumer which purchases on average a new vehicle
yearly, I'm happy the FTC will be enacting new legislation to prevent this type
of bait and switch tactics employed by unscrupulous dealerships like
Western Slope Auto.
On a personal level, I have purchased over 40 vehicles from
dozens of dealerships in the country and this was by far my worst dealer sales
experience.****** *********
Business Response
Date: 10/29/2024
Thank you for the feedback on this situation, corrective actions have been put in place based on info given, we are sorry for the misunderstanding and it will help us in the future to better communicate a vehicle order out.
Initial Complaint
Date:11/01/2023
Type:Product IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
On 07/02/2023 I went to Western Slope Auto to purchase a vehicle. It was not until signing paperwork that I was told that vehicle was in an accident. I ended up having to go back the next day, test drove another vehicle and informed the salesman that I liked it but there was something wrong with the accelerator. He assured me nothing was wrong with it. After driving it for a while, the accelerator put me in dangerous situations. I had several people drive it and they all assured me something was not right with it. I took it in and they couldn't find any codes. I also found out that the tires on the vehicle were winter seasonal tires that were sold to me in the middle of summer time. They bought back the vehicle. I identified a 4runner that when I asked to test drive it the first time they informed me it was at a body shop getting scratches taken out of it. when I was able to test drive it, I did not look at the scratches assuming they were taken care of. I purchased this vehicle. Upon arriving home, this too had winter seasonal tires on it and the scratches were not taken out of the paint. I reached out to the tire manufacturer that assured me that it is not safe to drive on those tires during summer. This company is putting people in danger and safety is a big concern as there is a pattern of disregard to the consumer. I went to a local detailer to see about removing the scratches and they quoted up to $2,000 and they still would not look good as it was beyond normal wear and tear. They also informed me it would be up to $20000 to get the car fully painted as the damage extends throughout. I am asking for monitory damages for putting me at risk knowingly and treating me as if I do not know what I am talking about because I am female. It has been a very stressful experience and consumers should not be put in danger. The practices of the business were questionable from the beginning. I have lost time and money attempting to resolve issue after issue.Business Response
Date: 11/07/2023
WSA has a very
different view of the situation and has attempted to work things out with Ms.
*******. As Ms. ******* has threatened litigation over the situation, on
the advice of counsel, we respectfully decline to go in to the matter further
in this format.Customer Answer
Date: 11/16/2023
Complaint: ********
I am rejecting this response because:
I have made several attempts to resolve this issue and was instructed to speak to their attorney, initially he was engaging in conversation. I requested an update a couple of times, the last one a few days ago letting me know he would have something for me to review by 11/15/23. I have not heard back.
Regards,
*** *******[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, the consumer must give a reason why they are rejecting the response. If the consumer does not provide a reason the complaint will be closed Answered]Business Response
Date: 11/24/2023
Western Slope Auto denies the allegations made by Complainant. However, due to Western Slope Auto's commitment to customer service, several offers of settlement were made. None of the offers were satisfactory to Complainant, and she has threatened litigation.Customer Answer
Date: 11/27/2023
Despite their professed commitment to customer service, no reasonable offer has been extended, nor has there been a genuine good-faith attempt to address the issues at hand.The only offer extended has been to pay to have scratches buffed out on the vehicle. Given that the most concerning issues pose a safety concern to consumers, it is imperative that they are promptly and effectively addressed to prevent their recurrence. The consistent pattern of neglecting safety considerations is disconcerting and warrants serious attention. The tire manufacturer explicitly acknowledges in writing that using their winter driving tires in high temperatures beyond their design parameters is a hazardous safety concern. Despite presenting the manufacturer's email correspondence, Western Slope has chosen to disregard this critical issue. If they are asserting ignorance of the safety implications, this should raise alarming concerns. While I have diligently sought to avoid legal action, the persistent disregard for safety considerations now necessitates a proactive move forward.
Regards,
*** *******
[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, the consumer must give a reason why they are rejecting the response. If the consumer does not provide a reason the complaint will be closed Answered]Initial Complaint
Date:09/13/2023
Type:Product IssuesStatus:ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
I purchased a vehicle for $10k cash in March. I drove it for 13 days and the engine blew up. I had to have the car towed 300 miles to get it to Western Slope Auto’s service department. There was a warranty with a $7800 cap. I was charged another $1100. The repair took 90 days. I drove 300 miles to pick it up, had it for 2 weeks and the second engine blew. Mechanic found “a bunch of metal in the oil” and now the second engine needs to be replaced. I had to purchase a vehicle after the second engine blew up so that I could keep my job. Paid $11,000 and still don’t have a working vehicle. Now have a $360 car payment and out $11,000. Have to get it repaired in order to sell it. They got $11,000 cash and I have a worthless vehicle.Business Response
Date: 10/06/2023
This customer purchased a 2008 Toyota Rav4 on March 18, 2023, with 150,608 miles on it from our dealership. We inspected the vehicle before it was sold and found no problems with it. We also provided the customer with a no cost 12 month/12,000-mile Powertrain Warranty when it was sold. The customer drove the vehicle for 2 weeks and 2,007 miles and then had issues with the oil pressure light flickering on and off and continued to drive the vehicle for a length of time because she thought the light was just an electrical issue. She had the vehicle towed to the nearest Toyota Dealer, which was ******* ***** ******* in Durango, Colorado. ******* advised her that there was internal engine damage and to determine if the failure would be covered under the warranty, they would need to take the engine apart to find out what had failed and why. She would need to authorize the labor to do this just in case the repair was not covered under warranty. She did not want to authorize this much work as she had just purchased the car and called us. We told her we would go ahead and take the engine apart to figure out if the failure would be covered by the warranty and provided her with a 2019 Toyota Avalon the whole time here car was down at our shop. Once we got the engine apart it was clear that a connecting rod had broken, although with all the metal and damage it was hard to tell why this had happened. We called the warranty company, and they approved us to replace the engine with a Toyota Short Block, this is just an engine block with crankshaft, and pistons. All the other parts must be transferred from the old engine. Once we received the short block and started transferring parts, we found additional damage that was hidden under the balance shaft cover. We called the warranty company, and they approved the claim up to the limit of liability for the contract, but this still left a lot of money that they would not cover going this route. The warranty on this repair would have been 1-year, unlimited miles. We started looking for other solutions and were able to find a Remanufactured Engine through a company called ***. This option was less money and came with a 4-year unlimited mile parts and labor warranty. Going this route, the warranty company would cover all the cost minus $1,518.30. I spoke to the customer, and she agreed that this was the way she wanted us to proceed. The first engine we received from *** had an issue with the front of the crank shaft and thought it may have happened in shipping. We did not install this engine and asked them to send us another one. We received that engine, and everything looked great with it. On June 30th we installed the new engine, we test drove the vehicle 51 miles, and everything was operating normally. The customer picked up her vehicle and dropped off the loaner car on July 14th and drove her car to Fort Collins. On July 28, 2023, I received a call from Jennifer that said she is experiencing the same thing with the oil light flashing. We walked through some things and determined that a manual oil pressure test needed to be performed to see if the engine was really losing oil pressure or if there was a problem with the oil pressure sending unit. She was waiting for a tow truck to pick her vehicle up.. I got a call from the Service Manager at ******** ****** in Fort Collins requesting a copy of the invoice from *** so they could process the warranty because the new engine had failed. I emailed the invoice to them thinking they were putting in a new engine under warranty. I later received another call from a different shop in Fort Collins that they needed a copy of the invoice because they were doing the warranty on the engine. I am not sure what happened at ******** Toyota, and I did not hear anything back from the customer again until she left me a voicemail saying that the engine was needing to be replaced again and that she ended up purchasing another vehicle. I left a voicemail back and apologized for the situation and I was sorry that the new engine had failed. The engine was under warranty and should be replaced under the terms of the warranty through ***.Business Response
Date: 11/08/2023
We have agreed to buy the vehicle back from the customer for the amount she has invested in it.Customer Answer
Date: 11/08/2023
[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
Better Business Bureau®:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Regards,
******** *****
Western Slope Auto Company is NOT a BBB Accredited Business.
To become accredited, a business must agree to BBB Standards for Trust and pass BBB's vetting process.
Why choose a BBB Accredited Business?BBB Business Profiles may not be reproduced for sales or promotional purposes.
BBB Business Profiles are provided solely to assist you in exercising your own best judgment. BBB asks third parties who publish complaints, reviews and/or responses on this website to affirm that the information provided is accurate. However, BBB does not verify the accuracy of information provided by third parties, and does not guarantee the accuracy of any information in Business Profiles.
When considering complaint information, please take into account the company's size and volume of transactions, and understand that the nature of complaints and a firm's responses to them are often more important than the number of complaints.
BBB Business Profiles generally cover a three-year reporting period, except for customer reviews. Customer reviews posted prior to July 5, 2024, will no longer be published when they reach three years from their submission date. Customer reviews posted on/after July 5, 2024, will be published indefinitely unless otherwise voluntarily retracted by the user who submitted the content, or BBB no longer believes the review is authentic. BBB Business Profiles are subject to change at any time. If you choose to do business with this company, please let them know that you checked their record with BBB.
As a matter of policy, BBB does not endorse any product, service or business. Businesses are under no obligation to seek BBB accreditation, and some businesses are not accredited because they have not sought BBB accreditation. BBB charges a fee for BBB Accreditation. This fee supports BBB's efforts to fulfill its mission of advancing marketplace trust.