ComplaintsforAristocrat Motor Co

• Initial Complaint

  02/02/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased a Mercedes AMG GT 63S CPO'ed from Aristocrat Motor Co in Jan. 2023 with a can CarFax. I'm in the process of trying to trade this car in and I was made aware that this car has an accident on it's record according to Auto Check through Experian. Due to the accident, the value of the vehicle has decreased by roughly 8%. I have spoken to multiple dealerships regarding the appraised value of the vehicle and their appraisal is impacted because of the accident on the report. A Porsche dealer in Texas stated if there was not an accident on the report, they would offer 100k but due to the accident they would only offer 82K. Another Porsche dealer stated, they would not trade my car at all due to the accident. When I explained this to Aristocrat Motors, they made me an offer of 85k to 90K. I have received other offers for the same amount with the accident. Therefore, I am asking for Aristocrat Motor to compensate the difference between 85k and 100K. I have also taken the vehicle to ******* ****** ***** ********* ****** to access if this vehicle has been in an accident, and they notice there has been a paint job done on the drivers door and a panel under the driver was not put back securely. I am asking the BBB to help reach a solution in this matter. Mercedes Corp stated they are not responsible, and I should work with the dealer to resolve it. Unfortunately, the dealer is offering the value of the car with an accident. If I would have know the car had an accident, I would not have purchase the car. Thanks.

  

  Business response

  02/20/2024

  We are in receipt as of February 14, 2024, of the complaint filed with your offices by ****** ****** (******) on February 01 2024, regardmg his 2019 Mercedes-Benz AMG GT 63S, purchased from Aristocrat Motors on January 17, 2023

  Mr. ******'s request for $8000.00 to $10,000.00 is not supported by the transaction he completed with Aristocrat Motors on January 17, 2023.

  If we look at the paperwork from the original transaction you find that when ****** took delivery of the vehicle, he signed the Car Fax Vehicle History Report the 2019 Mercedes-Benz did not have damage and had a clean title with no accidents or damage reported to CARFAX. This is the same CARFAX that we used to submit the vehicle for Certified Pre-Owned Warranty with Mercedes-Benz USA. CARFAX is the standard report MBUSA uses to grant a warranty extension under the Certified Pre-Owned program.

  Also, when ****** took delivery, he signed a document that stated he was buying a pre-owned vehicle that might have had damage, we do this so the customer can feel comfortable taking the vehicle to a third party for inspection even with a "no damage reported" vehicle report from CARFAX. With his signature ****** accepted the delivery of the vehicle and waived his right to a third-party inspection.

  A copy of the CARFAX that Mr. ****** signed and the disclosure document that Mr. ****** signed are enclosed.

  Please note we acted in good faith to Mercedes-Benz USA and to Mr. ******. We used the documentation that Mercedes­ Benz requires (CARFAX report) to secure the Certified Pre-Owned Warranty, and Mercedes-Benz by their granting the warranty also accepted the results posted by CARFAX.

  In our discussions with Mr. ******, it was suggested to him that. if there 1s fault it lies with the provider, GARFAX, and the guarantee they offer. Mr. ****** stated with his signature on delivery he did not want to have a third-party inspection, he accepted as we did the CARFAX report.

  Of note, upon pulling a new CARFAX report on February 14, 2024, the report still states "No accidents or damage reported to CARFAX. A copy of that report is also enclosed.

• Initial Complaint

  09/13/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  see attached July - charged 1,005.87 they did nothing to solve the problem

  

  Business response

  10/06/2023

  To Whom is Handling the Complaint:

  We are in receipt of this second complaint by *** ****** about his service visit to Aristocrat Motors on 23 June 2021, regarding the repair work that was authorized by *** ****** on his 2001 Mercedes-Benz E430 W and completed by the Service Department. We originally responded to *** ****** first complaint, that response you have on file. In his “explanation” of the problem he refers to dismissing the Small Claims Mediation that was held in pursuance to his filed complaint with the Johnson County, Kansas District Attorney’s office (Case DA2I-407).. I am enclosing a copy of the response we submitted to the District Attorney’s office, it will, hopefully, also serve as our response to this complaint. If you have any questions regarding this response or any further needed information regarding the transaction or the mediation, please do not hesitate to contact me directly.

   

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

   

• Initial Complaint

  05/10/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I’ve taken my car to them several times for the same problem about the battery draining and the car not starting because of it.. I have all the records to show I’ve only brought it to them for the one specific problem.. The first being 8/19/20, they replaced the battery for $556, I went to pick up the car when the said it was fixed and the battery light on the dashboard was still on showing an error.. I have a witness that was with at the time that actually spotted it before I did.. They kept the car and said the needed to replace the battery charging system which was $943.. Again they said they had the problem fixed so I paid and believed they had it fixed, this was 9/1/20.. I took it to them for an oil change and regular service on 10/9/20 they said the car was good and no issues with the battery or anything else.. 3-4 months later I came out to start the car and it had the same issue with not starting because the battery was dead again.. I never contacted them about it because I was just finished with the hassle of the car and was going to trade it in so it sat in the garage for about a year.. I decided not to trade it in and scheduled service with them around 3/1/21 I asked that they go thru the whole car and let me know any and everything that was wrong including why it isn’t starting again after having it fixed for the same problem about a year prior.. They sent me a whole rundown check list about everything being wrong including some suspension work.. The list had about $6,000 worth of stuff needing fixed.. I asked them if everything was under warranty because I don’t want to waste money on it if they could never figure out why the battery kept dying and not starting.. They said everything was under warranty and they assured me the problem would be fixed.. So I opted to get everything on the list except some sway bar links and another part.. All the other services/parts would cost $3,704.. I paid for everything and I still have the same problem with the car.

  

  Business response

  05/20/2022

  We are in receipt of your letter of May 10, 2022, regarding the repair history of the 2009 Jaguar XF belonging to *** ***** ***** **** ******************* ***** ** ********** *** ******s frustration with his vehicle, we also understand that we have done everything he has asked of us and have gone the "extra mile" to limit his costs.
  To review the work, we have done on his vehicle I would like to further refine his chronological history of the work we have done on his Jaguar.
  08.19.2020 Jaguar M****** did not replace the battery on his Jaguar. The BMS module was replaced, as well as the negative battery cable. The actual battery was charged and passed the load test. Mr. *****'s cost was $556.72
  09.01.2020 We replaced the rear junction (fuse) box because of a drain it was causing. We then Tested the battery, cleaned the grounds, the inline junction box cable and programmed the junction box. The cost of this was just the parts cost of $943.95, Jaguar Merriam did not charge any labor.
  10.09.2020 A month later the vehicle was back in our shop, with the complaint of the battery being dead after sitting for two weeks. We replaced the Battery, we did not charge any labor for replacing it. The total for the Battery was $239.75
  We now move forward to the next time the vehicle was in our shop.
  03.08.2022 The repair order complaint given by the owner was the vehicle sat for a year. The battery was replaced, and a leak at the sunroof was reported by the owner. The leak was dripping onto the dash and into the headliner.
  The other work that was done had nothing to do with the electrical system of the vehicle but represents a car that had been sitting for a year. We did work on the suspension (rear toe links), replaced the tires and aligned the vehicle.
  ************ * **** **** **** ******* ******** ****** ***** * ************************
  I.ntVDJ'
  -JAGUAR MA*PRATt
  Mr. ***** reported the fact the car had been sitting and approved all of the work that was done in advance. The total of this work was $3704.
  04.12.2022 The vehicle was brought to our facility with the complaint the car alarm goes off randomly. To stop the alarm the battery had been disconnected.
  After connecting the battery, checking the operation of the hood, tailgate, and all latches, and having the car sit on our lot for five hours we could not duplicate the issue. We recommended if it occurred again Mr. ***** take a picture of the dash screen so the codes would not be lost if he disconnected the battery.
  We did not charge Mr. ***** for this work.
  05.16.2022 The car was presented with a dead battery and would not jump start.
  Jaguar Merriam diagnosed the issue as moisture in the Climate Controlled Seat Module. This caused a drain on the battery because the module would stay powered even when the car was shut off.
  We recommended the repair to the Seat Module and noted to him that his XF needed a Coolant Expansion Tank. We have offered the installation of both parts at just the parts prices, with Jaguar Merriam doing the labor to install them at no cost. The prices of these two items are $281.48 froth the Seat Module and $202.31 for the expansion tank.
  As of today, we are awaiting his decision on this work.
   
  As you can see by this history, we have not duplicated any work or replaced any part twice on Mr. *****'s Jaguar XF, except for the battery that need to be replaced after the car sat for a year. You will also note we have and continue to work with Mr. ***** on the cost of the work.
  I hope this gives you a more complete picture of the interaction and also points out the length of time his complaint covers, not to mention the extenuating circumstances created by the car sitting unattended for long periods of time.
  If you have any questions please do not hesitate, and we will keep our offer open to Mr. ***** on the work his car currently needs.
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  03/04/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  My fiancé and I both have Range Rover Evoques. We have kept up on routine maintenance and have not had any issues. A couple months ago, he had a P0016 code come up on his car, which is the timing code. He changed the timing chain, the VTC sprockets, and the intake cam. The code was still there. He decided to take it to the dealership in Kansas City and have them diagnose it. They called and said the cam was broken and it would cost almost $5,000 to fix it. My fiance agreed to have them fix the cam. Range Rover had the car a week when they called and said the car was ready. We picked up the Evoque last Saturday after they said they test drove it. We got on the highway and drove for 10-12 miles and the engine overheated. We called Range Rover and they said they would have the car towed back to the shop. They called and said they change the water pump and it was still overheating. Then, they said it might be the head gasket and asked if the car had ever overheated before. He told them absolutely not, the car had never been hot. The rep said okay and he would call him back. He called a couple days later and said he had a couple more questions, the same question they had already asked him a couple days prior. He asked again if the car had ever overheated and my fiancé told him, " NOT UNTIL HE DROVE IT OFF THE LOT. The rep said the service manager was willing to work with him to get the car fixed, but not sure how much he was going to work with him on. Two days later, the rep called and said he needed a head gasket and under normal circumstances it would cost $4500, but since we already gave them $4800 to fix the diagnosed problem, it would only cost ANOTHER $3500 PLUS TAX to FIX THE NEW PROBLEM THAT HAPPENED AS WE DROVE THE CAR OFF THE LOT!!!! Well, guess who doesn't have ANOTHER $3500 to fix a NEW PROBLEM that occurred while in Range Rover's custody?!?!?!??????!!!!!!!!! They told us if we didn't want them to fix the head gasket, then to come pick up the car that is

  

  Business response

  03/14/2022

  I will start by telling you we have not had any contact with Mr. ********** fiancé who seems to be the
  person who is making this complaint, nor would we since the subject vehicle belongs to Mr. ********.
  And in the matter of working with Mr. ******** I can tell you that he has been forthcoming and very
  open to working on this matter.
  Our Land Rover Service Manager, ***** ****** has been involved in this matter since the vehicle was
  driven back into the shop after the delivery. On the morning of March 11,2022, Mr. ******** and Mr.
  ***** met in the service department and went over the work that was done to the engine before Land
  Rover of Merriam ever touched the vehicle as well as the work that was done to the vehicle while in our
  shop.
  This is a 162,000-mile vehicle, and the work that brought the car to our shop originally had been done by
  Mr. ********. The work we did was on the timing chain and Turbo air charge hose replacement, we
  never opened the cooling system, therefore, the overheating that resulted was caused by other
  problems with the engine.
  One of the running problems the vehicle was experiencing was caused by a slice in the air charge hose to
  the Turbo Charger. The air charge hose was damaged when Mr. ******** was replacing the alternator.
  Mr. ***** showed the damage to Mr. ********, and he noted he had, in fact done the work and had
  damaged the hose by accident. Mr. ******** also stated he done work replacing the turbo-charger,
  throttle pedal, and throttle body before bringing the car to Land Rover Merriam.
  ***** ***** also reviewed the engine condition with him, and that included the condition the pistons
  and the cylinder liners. The wear was of a nature that would be expected on an engine that might have
  sat for a while during the 162,000-mile life of the vehicle. ***** also showed Mr. ******** the cylinder
  head was warped .008 of an inch, which is beyond the factory specifications. He understands and agrees
  if anything more is found it is not anything to do with the work that was done at Land Rover Merriam.
  Mr. ***** has offered to have the head surfaced flat again to factory specifications and to replace the
  head gasket on the engine at no cos, as a goodwill gesture, to Mr. ********. While our technician is
  working on the engine, he will also examine it for any other damage. Mr. ***** explained that with the
  mileage of the engine and the condition of the cylinders this may not be a long-term repair. Mr. ********
  understood that he may need an engine replacement soon.
  
  Mr. ******** was very gracious and very forthcoming with what work he had done to the vehicle. I
  believe the repairs are now just waiting for the arrival of few more parts to complete head gasket
  replacement. After installation we will clean the vehicle and have Mr. ******** come take delivery.
  Sincerely,
  ****** *******
  ***** ********** ***** ****************************

  Customer response

  03/17/2022

  [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,
  ***** ********

• Initial Complaint

  11/17/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Just over 60 days ago I purchased a used 2018 Limited Ford Taurus from Aristrocrat Motors in Lees, Summit, MO. I had the Works service done on the vehicle at my local Ford dealership in an effort to get the vehicle looked at to ensure that the vehicle was mechanically sound. The tires, brakes, and everything to that effect is ok with the vehicle but the vehicles wiring has been spliced and altered in such a fashion that no programming can be done on the vehicle. I tried to get another key for the vehicle from Ford and that is when I got the diagnosis that the wiring had been altered to the point that no programing can be done on the vehicle. As a result and in it's current condition I cannot get any additional new keys for the vehicle and if the batter dies in the key fob while I am out then I will have to get the vehicle towed and will not be able to operate it until I get a new battery for the key fob from Ford. Push start vehicle have a back up system in place for when the key fob dies, for my car you are supposed to be able to place the key in the center console and start the car but this cannot be done with my car as a result of the wiring alterations made to the vehicle. This is a serious issues that I would like to have corrected and remedied. It is daunting to know that one day I will be out and the battery in the key fob can die and I will be stranded and also that I cannot get additional keys to the vehicle when needed.

  Customer response

  12/08/2021

  My complaint has been resolved, I was able to get my car fixed and it ended up being a minor repair and not a major repair expense.  

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