Complaints

The 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:09/27/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  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 bought this car for ***** + TAXES and insurance and the car is not moving not working and broken down. It hasn't even been a full 6 month's bought this car MAY 25TH 2024 and was back JUNE 1st They basically told me i would have to get a warranty to fix it instead of disclosing this info before buying the vehicle. when i bought the car i was coming across issues immediately 5 days after i recorded a video my car was not increasing and when i called ****** to see if i possibly had recalls on the vehicle they say this vehicle is totaled out and that they recommended not to sell it with the damages , the dealership family first auto never told me that never disclosed this information and actually falsified the condition of the vehicle I reached out they are telling me i should have been brought it back and when i walked in on the 5th day of having the car and encountering issues they told me that same day its now AUG 27th and i have been trying to resolve this issue they have not been trying to offer no resolution they want me to spend more money after being scammed and sold false info and merchant I was promised that the car is reliable and also told it lasts

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/17/2024

  Hello! Yes Ms. *** purchased a 2012 Nisan Altima on 5/25/24.  She paid $2999 for the vehicle as well as the taxes and fees for registration and titling.  At the time of the sale the mileage was 150193.  In the state of Illinois it is the state law that any used vehicle purchased with ******* miles or more is an "as is" purchase a the time of the sale.  This information is given to every customer by myself personally and also printed on every bill of sale that every customer signs.  This information is also law so can be researched by any consumer.  Unfortunately the customer is not being truthful about being mislead about the implied warranty law at the time of the sale.  This customer and every customer is also informed about an extended warranty they can purchase.  Every customer is sent home with a brochure that outlines the coverages and pricing.  If the customer does not purchase a warranty at the point of sale they are given 15 days by the warranty company to make a purchase.  This info is also explained to every customer verbally and typed on the bill of sale they sign and take home.  The vehicle she purchased is not listed as a "salvage" or "rebuilt" vehicle in the present or in the past.  It is illegal to sell a salvage vehicle to a customer in the state of ******** and the system does not allow salvage (accident vehicles) to be registered.  Also Family First Auto Sales does not sell "rebuilt" vehicles ever to any customer, and this vehicle is not listed as rebuilt either.  So I'm not sure what she may be referring to being told at ****** but it could not have been a fact that the vehicle was totaled because there are no title brands to support that information.  I have attached a copy of the title as well as a title inquiry of the vehicle presently to show this vehicle has no title brands to confirm it being unsafe or a "totaled" vehicle.

  The breakdown in our communication stems from this customer not being aware or wanting to accept what her responsibilities are as the consumer.  If you purchase an "as is" Vehicle any repairs are the responsibility of the consumer.  If you do not choose to buy a warranty from us or any other warranty company available, the cost of the repairs if any would be the responsibility of the consumer. Even if the vehicle did have less than ******* miles at the time of purchase we the dealer would only be responsible for the drive train components for 15 days or 500 miles.  With this much time passed, either way, any repairs are the responsibility of Ms. ***.

  At Family First Auto Sales **** we value every customer.  We extend as much as we can as a dealership to help increase the longevity of their used vehicles.  We adhere to the state law for the applied warranty as well as offer warranties for every vehicle sold for 3moths - 3 years time.  The warranties cover up to as much as the manufacturer warranty depending on the type of warranty purchased.  We can not guarantee that any vehicle will be without defect at some point after the sale, and we also can not force the customer to purchase the warranty, but we are very informative about the warranty and their options at the time of each sale.

  Hopefully Ms. *** can understand that the issue she is having with her vehicle is not the fault of Family First Auto Sales ****, it is just the normal wear and tear of a used vehicle.  I try to explain to customers in her predicament that car insurance is mandatory by law in case you get in an accident but you cant purchase it after you already have the accident and without it any costs incurred for not having it is your responsibility.  Its the same with the Vehicle protection plans, if you don't purchase one the cost of repairs are your responsibility and you can not purchase it to cover a problem you are currently having.

  We wish her the best of luck with her vehicle and we are here if she decides to come back for a vehicle in the future.

   

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

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/08/2024

   
  Complaint: 22349569
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I do not agree with this response this is not true immediately after buying the car I had to return to the property less then a week lets say 5 days from when I bought it they told me then about a warranty but never mentioned the car will just breakdown in less then a week neither did they mention that ****** sold and totaled out this car . When I went to the property they had a mimic car of mine so not sure what they doing but I do not agree it hasnt been 6 months and I have videos proof and evidence of the problems starting the same week Mr. ****** was loud and aggressive trying to control the narrative of a warranty for the transmission when nobody wanted to buy a car that would break down or wouldnt last to begin with ****** u can call anyone and give them the *** NUMBER and they are going to notify you like they did me that the car has been rebranded and totaled out they dont suggest it sell and they dont work with the car so therefore I want a full refund , after this response my account was reported Im sure this has something to do with it so I cant get my refund but I will be reaching out to ********************;
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******* ***

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/08/2024

  Hello, Unfortunately there is nothing further we can do at Family First Auto Sales *** for the customer.  My ****************** response was very true, detailed and informative.  I also outlined the true obligations rights and limitations for both my company and the consumer, which can be researched to be fact by the law in the state of Illinois.  I was truthful in my first response as well as this one.  Without the customer purchasing a warranty, any costs of repairs would be her responsibility.  As I stated in the previous response, the vehicle was purchased "AS IS".

   

  Good luck to Ms. *** with her vehicle, If she decides to come to us to purchase another vehicle we are available.

   

  Thanks

   

  ******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/16/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  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.

  Fraudulent, not repairing a car that was agreed upon

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/17/2024

  We have not sold a vehicle or registered a vehicle to any one named ************************* in the 8yrs we have been in business. I checked all records and this person is not a customer can this person provide a bill of sale or proof of purchase in their name? If not I believe they have the wrong business. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/19/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  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.

  3/21/23 I made purchase on ******* Santa Fe 2009 and left with vehicle. 30 minutes into driving, the vehicle stopped, turned off in the middle of the traffic and started moving backwards. They told me to bring it back to put a new battery in.. The day after purchase (3/22/23), I take the car for a fluids check. They inform me I may have an antifreeze leak and oil leak. (3/30/23), the car is checked by a mechanic shop. They confirm 2 significant leaks. The same day, I contact the dealer about purchasing warranty. The secretary informs me the system is down to purchase warranty and she will contact me once she gets in contact with the company. Also stated that they will extend my warranty date. From 3/30-4/7 I never received a call back from the owner or secretary about warranty. The whole time there are fluids leaking out of the car as it sits. 4/7 I attempted to bring car back to dealer. ************************************************ traffic (same as the first time) on the freeway and shuts off. Called the company, Owner and secretary were very unprofessional, unapologetic and rude. Only the car for 17 days at that point. Insinuated that its my problem and my fault. Even though the issue was preexisting before I bought the car; the damage was inevitable. I was never made aware of any serious issues with the vehicle and was put in danger twice because of it. When I told them the issues I had with the car, they brushed me off with no concern or care, claiming the two leaks were cheap to fix and the warranty doesnt cover them only engine damage. But the engine is damaged now and the whole engine needs replacing. 4/13 I called the dealership to see if they can help with getting a different vehicle or getting a refund and bringing the vehicle back. It has not even been a month yet and the dealership is refusing to assist me in any way after spending over $6000. Also never called me back to set up warranty as promised. I have now hired an attorney.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/12/2023

  ******************* came was referred to ** by someone she new to purchase a vehicle from **.  she came in on 3/21/23 and saw a vehicle that fit her needs and decided to purchase the vehicle.  before the test drive we had to jump the vehicle for it to start.  we assured her that in the winter tine this is a VERY common practice and most cars need to be jumped due to sitting in cold weather.  we also assured her that is the battery appears to be weak and does not start after it had ran for a while we will replace the battery.  again this is a very common practice we have to replace many batteries every winter.  once her paper work was completed the car started back up no problem so we assumed the battery was not bad but just needed to charge.  shortly after she left the lot she called and said the car didn't start. we immediately obliged as promised and there was no issue at all so im unsure as to why she is even bringing that up. the problem was solved immediately as we assured her.

  every customer has the opportunity to buy a vehicle warranty at the time of purchase.  the warranty company is of course separate from my dealership just as the insurance options we offer are.  we just assist the customer in obtaining those options through companies we have relationships with, it is totally their choice and if obtained their business is then with the company they chose.

  she did not purchase a warranty or insurance at the time of purchase.  we do offer each customer 15 days to call back to get the warranty if they like.  she had until 4/5/23 to use our warranty provider.  our office was closed for business from 3/24/23-3/29/23 for vacation.  ***** called to get the warranty but the company we use their site was down and i was unable to assist her i told her i would call her back as soon as i was able to access their website. a few days later 3/30/23 she called again and said she wanted to purchase the warranty, i told ***** i was still unable to access the website and she could purchase a warranty from anywhere if she liked but if she just wanted to use who we used i would not forget about her and be sure to call her when it was again available.

  she called on 4/7/23 and asked again about the warranty i told her that i think that company is having difficulties and we were not going to be able to offer it and she could find one on her own.  she then expressed that her car had stopped.  so i began to ask her some trouble shooting questions to see what would be the best way we could assist her.  i asked was their any light on in the car or on the dash (to see if it was battery issue) she said the lights were still on so it wasn't the battery.  i aske her was their a check engine light and what happened right before it s*** off she said she thinks its something with the oil.  that was an immediate red flag and i began to ask her why she thinks it was the oil she said because about a week ago she had the car looked at and they told her the car was leaking oil.  i told her that no car runs with out oil and if all or enough oil leaks out it will cause the car to stop and possible harm the engine.  she immediately got upset and said that's why she needs the warranty.  i told her that the warranty would not fix an oil leak they don't fix minor issues such as that.  she said well if its something wrong with the engine will they fix it i began to tell her that the warranty does not fix pre existing issues, meaning if you knew the oil was leaking and did nothing about it and kept driving until the car shut off you are responsible.  

  reading her complaint i see she said she had the car looked at and was told on 3/22/23 about the leaks.  she never once mentioned anything about any leaks to ** until the conversation on 4/7/23 and she only mentioned it then because i was questioning to try and troubleshoot why the car may have stopped.

  she kept trying to argue that she was calling to get the warranty.  i kept explaining to her that A the warranty would not have fixed her leak B the warranty would not fix the engine if she knew of the leak and neglected it and kept driving and C she doesn't have the warranty and it makes no sense to keep going back and forth on the phone about it, and that i was not a mechanic and she needs to have a mechanic look at the car for a proper diagnostic because we were not sure exactly what the issue was

  she kept trying to argue that she called a couple times to get the warranty, to diffuse i let my husband speak to her he told her the same thing she became rude again of course and hung up on him.

  she called again on 4/13/23 and said she called the attorney general and they told her i would have to give her another car.  i told her that was not the truth but if she likes she could file a complaint with them and they only take written complaints and respond by letter or email.  she filed a complaint with you and the attorney general.

   

  my company is not at fault due to the fact ***** knew she had a leak according to her own complaint on 3/22/23 on 4/7/23 her car stopped and i am still unaware what the final diagnosis was but it seems to me that her issue was due to neglect, failure to perform regular maintenance, and failure to maintain adequate oil, coolant and other lubricants and fluids for her vehicle.  

   

  please feel free to contact me with any other questions or concerns

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

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/14/2023

   
  Complaint: 19957391
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  It is ******** law that a car not be sold with these issues in attachment below. I was indeed sold this car with leaking parts of the engine, which caused it to fail.  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/15/2023

  THE CAR WAS NOT SOLD WITH ANY ISSUES.  WHEN OIL ****S IT LEAVES OBVIOUS TRACES OF OIL ****ING.  THERE WAS NO OIL **** WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED BEFORE SHE PURCHASED IT OR WHEN SHE TEST DROVE IT.  THERE WAS NO SIGN OF AN OIL **** AND NO ENGINE LIGHT PRESENT.  THERE WAS NO SIGN OF VALVE COVER GASKET ****ING WHEN THE BATTERY HAD TO BE JUMPED OR CHANGED.  WHEN VALVE COVER GASKETS **** THE HOT OIL WILL TOUCH THE ENGINE AND CAUSE SMOKING. THERE WAS NEVER ANY SMOKING PRESENT EITHER.

  AN OIL PAN CAN BECOME CRACKED PUNCTURED ETC AT ANY ****. SHE LIVES OVER AN HOUR FROM WHERE THE PURCHASE WAS MADE AND ALTHOUGH IT WAS UNFORTUNATE THE **** ACCURED IT WAS NOT PRESENT DURING THE **** OF PURCHASE.

  ALSO IF SHE WAS NOTIFIED OF THE **** ON 3/30/23 SHE DID NOT MENTION IT TO ** UNTIL 4/7/23 ONCE THE VEHICLE STOPPED.  IM ASSUMING SHE DID NOT TEND TO THE **** AND NEGLECTED THE VEHICLE  SEEING AS HOW SHE WAS STUCK IN THE VEHICLE WHEN SHE CALLED AND WE ARE NOT AT FAULT.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/15/2023

   
  Complaint: 19957391
  
  I am rejecting this response because: This is not the first complaint of faulty cars youre selling. The proof is in the pudding. I have no reason to lie on your businesss name. Also, never offered to fix the problem for me either. If its a good car, its a good car and this is not a good car. Bottom line. Even the person who referred me to you is upset, as I have talked to him multiple times about the situation. But If thats what you want to believe, thats fine. My attorney will be in touch. Thanks.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************