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:07/08/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  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 February of 2023 I arrived at Gold Star Auto to test drive a 2012 GMC Acadia for a potential purchase.I was met by ******** who recently started working there as a sales person. She admitted to me that she was new to car sales and still learning.I had her drive the car for the test drive so that I could concentrate on listening for engine noises, etc...When we looked at the car it has not been detailed from the previous owner and was EXTREMELY dirty. It was littered with air freshener tabs and reeked of air freshener. It has no gas in it and the batter was dead. Red flags #1, 2 and 3.We test drove it a few blocks but because the gas was low, she didn't want to take it out on the highway. I purcahsed the car that day and put $3000 down and gave them my Suburban in trade with $1500.Within hours of arriving home the problems started, significant oil leakage, bad batter that left me stranded the very next day, slipping transmission and other mechanical issues.Knowing that generally you buy a used car "as-is" I did not seek to return the car but traded it off as soon as I could. I only owned the car for 3 months.Fast forward to today, July ********* get my refund back from the dealership for the extended warranty and it was nearly $1000 short. I paid $2440 for the extended warranty, three months of coverage should not have cost me $1400. I will be speaking to the extended warranty company on Monday and also enlisting an attorney to review the paperwork. At this point all I want is my $1000 back so that I can wash my hands of this place once and for all. This is the most scammy, dishonest, underhanded snake-pit of a car dealership I have ever dealt with.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/25/2023

  Hello, 
  
  Please close the above-referenced complaint. I have received a refund from Gold Star Auto for the full amount owed.  Thank you/

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/10/2023

  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.

  On 5/15/23 I was sold a lemon from this company. I explicitly asked if there were any problems with the car I purchased and was told clearly that it did not. Minutes after driving off the lot, a loud banging sound started coming from the front of the vehicle. After taking it to third-party mechanics, I discovered that the brakes were dangerously in need of replacement. The dealership offered to fix the brakes for $500. After I picked the car up it was revealed that the brakes were not, in fact, fixed. When I contacted the dealerships owner to find a solution, he yelled and swore at me, denying there was anything wrong with the car. When I convinced them to fix the brakes in *******, they took several days "repairing" the brakes. Although the sound from the brakes had been silenced, I later found out that the brakes had NOT been fixed again and were dangerously assembled. At this point they not only lied about the initial condition of the car, but also twice that the brakes had been fixed and once that the sound had been fixed after the first "repair". I've thus-far paid $600 for the down payment and over $300 for inspections from other mechanics. I was extremely patient and accommodating through the entire process, despite the immense anxiety I've been forced to endure and the immense financial burden to my family. Worse, my life and my family's life has been repeatedly endangered by this establishment's lies that the vehicle was safe to drive. I've given this dealership many opportunities to fix the problems with this vehicle, and have been met with lies and additional attempts to scam me, namely for trying to charge me $500 for brakes that weren't actually fixed. I've exhausted every option I can think of to end the transaction peacefully, but I've repeatedly been met with disrespect, dishonestly, and gas-lighting. A dealership has a responsibility to disclose to buyers that their vehicles are dangerously undrivable and in need of major repairs.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/23/2023

  Mackenzie 
  Hi *********, first of all there is no such thing a lemon in a used car in ******. Lemon law only refers to new vehicles. It is a used car. They do not come perfect, that is why you get the chance to test drive them as much as you want before you decide to by them AS IS. You asked if there were any know issues and you were told there were not know issues because we were unaware of any issues. Just like how you didnt hear any noises on your test drive we also never heard any noises coming from the car when we had driven it before selling it. You took the vehicle to a third party mechanic and brought us back to receipt that told us what needed to be fixed. We fixed exactly what the shop said it needed. Not once did anyone lie to you. We have answered anything you have asked and been willing to fix repairs and give you a loaner car.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/05/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  UnresolvedMore 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 a vehicle from this company they said it was as is but it runs and drives perfectly fine. We didnt even make it a block away after buying the vehicle and it stopped running after about ***** minutes the vehicle started again. We called the car lot. They said that there is nothing they will do about it so we tried driving home. It kept losing power kept having to pull off on the side of the road. Finally it up and quit and we had to call a tow truck and wait on the side of the freeway with myself and children putting them at risk and myself. This company does not care about the safety Of others and will just give you a junk car and play it off as the vehicle is in good condition the gentleman told us there was a check engine light on, but it should be a easy and simple fix. As long as we are mechanically inclined. The vehicle is currently sitting in my driveway and will not start so we wasted $3500 on a vehicle that will not run. not to mention, it wasnt even within a 12 hour period of getting the vehicle that it no longer works/runs.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/12/2023

  On the first day of April 2023, Gold Star Auto Sales sold a 2010 Chevrolet Traverse to *********************. The vehicle had been advertised on our website, CARFAX, CarGurus, and ******** marketplace. The vehicle was advertised as being sold completely AS IS. The description on every advertisement plainly stated that the vehicle had a check engine light and was a mechanic special. The *** value on this vehicle is listed at $6,700 and the CARFAX retail value was listed at $7,820. The Traverse was sold to ***** at $3,500 because of the known issues it had. The vehicle also had a flyer in it at the time of sale that ***** had read before test driving. The vehicle was running very rough with the check engine light on during the test drive, so the customer was more than aware the car had an issue. ****, the salesman clearly explained it had an issue and even scanned it with an OBD reader with the customer to show him the engine codes. ****, the owner myself, ***************************), and ***** (another employee) all mentioned that the car was a mechanic special and sold AS IS. Along with being verbally told and seeing the check engine light and codes for him self the customer, *********************. Signed FOUR AS IS agreements saying he understood that the car had a check engine light and there were absolutely no guarantees and DEQ was not guaranteed. I have screenshots and proof of all of our advertisements. 
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/25/2023

   
  Complaint: 19900027
  
  I am rejecting this response because: 
  With the response given from the business, there has not been a resolution that is acceptable. They stated that the vehicle ran rough, and that the Salesman named **************** it with an OBD reader, and read the codes to my husband, which he did not nor was there a flyer in the vehicle at the time of sale? Also online it did not state anything about check engine lights, and that it had any issues. He stated it when we got there and asked to look at the vehicle that it may need just a little bit of work, but it runs fine that as long as my husband was mechanically inclined that there should be no issue may be an oil change or something like that. we have put over $2000 since we had got it. We have taken it to a mechanic who has said the engine is not any goodit does not matter if it was considered as is as it is also states that you have to make it home with the vehicle which we did not we didnt even make it an hour away. We made it 10 minutes down the road before having to buy oil to fill it up because it emptied and it was full when we were looking at it because my husband did check so therefore they filled it with oil beforehand then it kept dying on the way down the road we had to Pay for the tow truck $400 to bring it to our house which is not right we are asking that they pay for all the parts that we have purchased, time worked on and to fix the vehicle to where It is properly running and safe for my children and myself to be in. 
  

  
  

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