ComplaintsforWestern Slope Auto Company

• Initial Complaint

  11/01/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  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

  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 response

  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

  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 response

  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

  09/13/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  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

  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

  11/08/2023

  We have agreed to buy the vehicle back from the customer for the amount she has invested in it.  

  Customer response

  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,
  
  ******** *****

*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. ↩