ComplaintsforHighlander Motor Sales, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  12/01/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I went to Cherokee Toyota of Canton and the car I wanted to purchase Toyota Corolla Cross LXE wasn't available but I was given this sales pitch about buying a used car until the one I wanted came in and they would buy it back at the purchase price. I was sold a jeep compass I'm 73 years old I thought it was odd but I know shortages are a new thing. I put my faith and trust into this dealership. Was I dead wrong. I saw a warning lite but told it was nothing. I took the car to their service dealer I was told they know nothing about the car to bring it to a jeep dealer. I brought the car home and didn't drive it as I hadnt been feeling well. That Thur I took out driver manual and started researching it was the assist stop start lite. I called jeep service in ****** and told it was the battery has 2. I brought jeep in on a sat as I was feeling better. Told service problem changed battery. I hadnt driven car until the following on Fri tire lite on took care of it. Then Sat 2 warning lites on one that daytime headline out other battery at ****% I went to dealership and told them that I was done I was upset that they sold me a car that was ranked 16 out of 16 for suv they then were going to give me another car but salesperson said had same car I was buying but on a different lot. The car she brought back was an LE not XLE. I said I'm done have no faith trust or confidence in this dealership. I was told by the ** to drive the car home hadnt been looked at something was leaking from it he said it was a few drops it was more than that and the salesperson agreed. I called a friend to pick up Gm sent me an email I sent email back. I was told on Monday had a rental I told the ** wanted nothing to do with them he then said I still own the jeep it's not in my possession I feel like I'm being held hostage as it's tied to the car I'm supposed to buy. I called lemon law they are backed up . I contacted Toyota headquarters I have tried to find out who owns the dealership to no avail.

  Business response

  12/13/2022

  We were already aware of ****************** concerns when receiving your letter and had already started the process of making sure she was a satisfied customer. We are happy to report that ************** left with a brand new vehicle on 12-8-2022 from our business.

   

   

   

  --

  Regards,
  *****************
  Controller

  CHEROKEE COUNTY TOYOTA

  P O Box 4520

  ********** 30114

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

  ************** ( office )
  ************** ( fax )

  Customer response

  12/14/2022

   
  Complaint: 18450696
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  The GM had an opportunity to let me out of the contract and opted not to. I was held hostage and was given no choice but to buy the vehicle so they would buy back the vehicle that they originally sold me. The finance department was charging me ****** for gap insurance when I told them I didn't need it. I was told I was getting a warranty for free not so charging me almost 1,700. 
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

• Initial Complaint

  09/03/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On August 12th 2021, I contacted Cherokee County Toyota to reserve an allocation for a 2022 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro. I corresponded with my salesman (*************************) via email and confirmed the pricing of the vehicle would be at MSRP. He responded that they only charged MSRP with no dealer fees or addendums. I agreed with that pricing and called him to provide a credit card for my $500 deposit to hold the vehicle. He then sent me a receipt for my deposit and told me he would contact me when it was allocated. After 11 months, I found that the dealership received their first TRD Pro Tundra allocation; however, I never received a phone call from my salesman. I called the dealership and was told that vehicle was already sold to another customer. After talking to my new ************************* GH, he told me that they had a different color preference on my file and skipped me since it wasn't that color. While I accepted this excuse, it didn't make since to me, since the color they showed wasn't even a TRD Pro color option and I would have never received a call for the vehicle. After talking to the manager (***************************), I was promised the next TRD Pro Tundra and told he would work to get one allocated. After 2 months, they finally received another TRD Pro Tundra and contacted me to let me know. I asked my salesman (GH) to send me the spec sheet with the pricing, so I could start getting my finances in order and then I received an email from the general manager (***************************) telling me that they were going to add a $5000 price addendum to my MSRP pricing. I responded to his email and let him know that I was promised the vehicle at MSRP with no dealer fee or addendum, and I also provided him a copy of the email that showed that agreement. He then told me that he would have to talk to his boss and see if he would approve that. Later that day, he told me he talked with his boss and they would not sell it to me for the pre-agreed MSRP pricing.

  Business response

  09/16/2022

  The customer placed an order for the *** PRO in November 2021. At that time (Covid) the 2022 ****** was going through a body change. The customer was advised that there was no time frame of when we would  receive one. At time of taking a deposit there was no pricing of the Tundra. The first PRO that came in was not the color the customer requested. After conversation about the vehicle the customer agreed to take a different color. Once the Tundra was allocated to our store we did agree on the color. 

   

  Due to the economic change the dealership went from having an average of 450 vehicles in stock to less than 10.  We as well as most dealerships were adding addendums. For customer satisfaction we agreed to offer the vehicle at 50% off the addendum. The customer declined to accept the pricing. We offered to sell him a trd pro as SUGGESTED MSRP once we have enough supply to do so. 

   

  At that time the customer requested his deposit be returned as he was told it was refundable and he wasn't tied to buying anything here from day one. 

  Customer response

  09/19/2022

   
  Complaint: 17916240
  
  I am rejecting this response because the managers response is incorrect.  When placing my deposit on the 2022 Tundra, there was an agreed upon price of MSRP with no addendum and no dealer fees (see email correspondence submitted with claim).  This dealer and manager act as though it is perfectly normal business practice to add an addendum after the fact (without notifying me when they chose to do so), and are trying to take advantage of customers who had a written agreement and a deposit placed to hold the vehicle.  The vehicle should have been sold to me at MSRP as agreed upon.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

  Business response

  09/22/2022

  The emails the customer received a year ago were based off of our business model at that time when we had inventory.

  Due to restraints of the manufacturer and availability we adjusted our business model when our inventory was depleted.

  We offered to discount the addendum for the customer. ******************** has also offered to remove the adjustment once our inventory increases. 

  Customer response

  09/27/2022

   
  Complaint: 17916240
  
  I am rejecting this response because: Cherokee County Toyota is just trying to justify poor business practices by saying they changed their policy after taking my deposit.  Their offer to sell me a vehicle when the vehicle is in stock on the lot is also disingenuous, as the reason I had to place a deposit in the first place was because the vehicles are difficult to come by.  There are plenty of dealers in GA and the SET market still selling for MSRP.  They are just taking advantage of the vehicle shortages to ***** their customers.    
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

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