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:11/18/2024

  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.

  Bought a 2018 **** escape se from North Star Auto Sales LLC. On the car fax report we read online said it was clean. So me and my mother went out to look at the vehicle and they were nice sales person I know. It had lights out no floor mats, decent mileage not exactly the amount I wanted but used vehicles? Carfax said it was clean I asked the dealer if I could go get the code read at my mechanic across the street. He said no but I could take it to 1 certain ********* location or they could use there code reader and let me know. It came back with no codes so we buy it I have insurance but drove it straight back home till I got full coverage and I started feeling better 7 days. Code pops up took to the shop on 7/30 3 ignition coils,4 spark plugs, and 44k? $608. Got the car back thought thing would be good now bought fit mats, seat cover and replace all headlight bulbs. Drive it it for about a couple of weeks and a code pop up evap leak. Go home to make a plan a few days later I have the codes read agian but with misfire on 2 cylinder. Take it back home to see if someone could give me a ride back from the shop.parked my car and noticed I needed to move forward slightly and it wouldn't turn over just keep cranking until I removed the key completely. Had it towed back to shop 11/06/24 to the shop P0300, P0301-P0304, P0316, P0217, P1285 and/or P1299 stored in (PCM). This may be due to coolant intrusion into the cylinder.Recommend replacing engine assembly and recheck. I tried to call dealer to talk to him he showed no interest in having a conversation or deal with the issue. Got this for a family vehicle with good MPG 4 dr's and store was supposed to get like 27mpg and that's what the trip1 odometer said but I never got past 19mpg The auto start/stop didn't work I just wish would work with someone who has been having all these problems right after buying from him If it was me I would try to help my customers to have a good relationship Never got to drive it ***** mile

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/22/2024

  Dear Better Business Bureau and Mr. ************ North Star Auto Sales LLC, we take pride in conducting our business with transparency and integrity. Id like to address the concerns raised by Mr. ***** regarding his purchase of the 2018 **** Escape.
  Vehicle Condition and Pre-Purchase Inspection:
  The vehicle in question is a one-owner, accident-free car. At Mr. ******* request, we arranged for a pre-purchase inspection through *********, an independent and reputable service provider. This inspection revealed no issues or diagnostic trouble codes at the time of sale, and these findings were shared with Mr. ***** before he completed the purchase.
  Negotiation and Warranty Provided:
  To accommodate Mr. ****** budget, we offered a discount on the vehicle. Additionally, at Mr. ****** specific request, we purchased a 3-month extended warranty through Preferred Warranties on his behalf, covering the cost entirely out of our own pocket. While Texas law mandates that used vehicles are sold as-is, we went beyond this requirement to ensure Mr. ***** had additional protection for unforeseen issues during the early ownership period.
  Post-Sale Communication:
  Mr. ***** contacted us in mid-November, several months after the sale, regarding vehicle concerns. During our conversation, we reminded him of the extended warranty we had purchased on his behalf and encouraged him to use it for repairs. Unfortunately, it appears that he waited until the warranty had expired before taking further action.
  Current Request for Refund:
  Mr. ***** is now requesting a full refund for the vehicle. Additionally, he has provided text messages with receipts from a repair shop indicating the vehicle may require a new engine. However, these receipts do not clarify the circumstances surrounding the engine failure, nor do they demonstrate that the failure resulted from a pre-existing condition at the time of sale.
  As a small, family-operated business, we strive to provide excellent service and go above and beyond for our customers, as demonstrated in this case by the discounted price, independent inspection, and the extended warranty we purchased for Mr. ***** out of our pocket. Unfortunately, we do not have the financial capacity to offer refunds on vehicles with seized engines that were purchased four months ago, particularly when the cause of the engine failure remains unclear and does not appear to be related to any pre-existing issue.
  We believe we acted in good faith and exceeded our obligations under Texas law by providing a discounted price, arranging an independent inspection, and securing extended warranty coverage at Mr. ****** request. Given the vehicles satisfactory condition at the time of sale and the lack of evidence linking the current issues to pre-existing conditions, we cannot honor the request for a refund.
  We hope this clarifies our position and demonstrates our commitment to fair and ethical business practices.
  Sincerely,
  Vlad Pascov
  North Star Auto Sales LLC

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/06/2024

  Complaint: 22564866
  
  I am rejecting this response because i bought the 2018 **** escape on 7/20/2024 with ******* miles on it. Had to be taken to the shop the 1st time in july31/2024 with ****** miles on it. with 3 ignition coils replaced, 4 spark plugs, and 44K. for a cost$703.39. got it back  had to take it back to the shop because it was showing evap leaks and miss fire on ignition #2. Had to take it back from the shop to my house to ask for help with the cost of taking it back to the shop to see what all needs to be done they checked it out and said the engine was DONE and would need a new block and a bunch of other parts TBD also when i took it back to the shop was on a tow truck $159.95. i spent $11,500.00 plus taxes and every thing. i also had to replace both of the headlights as recommended, licenses plate bulbs and fog light bulbs. I also got laser measured floor liners for all floors and bought all weather seat protectors never got to take them out of the box.  he said i at my request  we arrange for a pre purchase inspection thru ********* that never happened. i asked him if i could take it to an independent mechanic to run a test on it he said it was only that ********* or they could read the codes with there little machine and said no codes. but it said it got 27 MPG never got close after i took it to the shop the 1st time i started to get a couple more mpg top was 19.4 MPG that is very misleading and no codes but the car is in the shop 11 days only 496 miles that i put on it. the car. the car only lasted ***** mile on it never had a chance to change the oil. but that oil was brand new looked right out of the bottle. all the stuff on the report said it had a tune up changed oil , transmission, spark plugs and there was more i thought wow this car has no accidents and gets 27mpg. but replace 3 coils  and 4 spark plugs. I find it weird that everything that was replace went out in such a short amount of time. I have reached out to try to talk this out and come to an agreeable out come but he refuses to do that even. Not even 500miles till it cost me $703.39 in the first 11 days. 
  
  Regards,
  ****** *****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/13/2023

  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 July 28th 2023.I purchased A 2015 kia ****** I paid $10,999.00 cash. It's been less than 2 months that I've had the car and I started having problems with It. A chicken and light came on one morning before I was started driving the car and so I took it to a mechanic to check it out. The mechanic found that there was an oil. Leak and the cover to the valve gaskets needed to be replaced. While looking at the problem the mechanic informed me that that the main frame to the vehicle had been changed meaning that the vehicle had been involved in a major accident before and not reported to car facts. So at that time I called up the owner of the car lot and informed him of what was going on with my vehicle I had just purchased and if they could help me with the repair. I also questioned him about the accident it had been in but he denied it and offered to buy the vehicle back but with proof of what the mechanic was telling me. So I ended up paying myself to get my vehicle fixed from the oil leak that it had.And then during the process, of getting my vehicle fixed the mechanic Came across another problem And that was my timing chain is bad. And that the motor is not going to last so I then auto place And told him what the mechanic had Told me and asked him if he could help me fix the problem or if they could fix the Problem or if he could just give me my money back for the vehicle because it is not a good vehicle and I've had it for less than 2 months. He refused to help me fix it. He refused to fix it, and he refused to give me my money back. And told me that it was my problem now Because I bought the vehicle as is and I probably wasn't doing the maintenance on it. I did have an oil change at take 5 a couple weeks before I found the oil leak. I have had the car for less than sixty days and I have had so many problems with it already They took my money. And and I am stuck with a bad vehicle. They do not want to help me in any way.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/14/2023

  The customer purchased the vehicle with $10000 discount as she asked us to help her out as she do not have enough , which we agreed on helping her out . the deal was executed on 07.28.23 with the vehicle being driven and approved by the customer before signing the deal. The vehicle had  no faulty codes , no abnormal noise coming neither from the engine or suspension , with clean car fax report.

  40 days later the customer send me a message that the car was in major accident and frame was changed , to which i asked to provide any proof of that and if it is true i was willing to buy back the car as it is covered by car fax buy back protection plan . I did not get any documents back supporting the claim .  on top of that she accused us being scammers.  yet no supporting documents provided .

  Few days later the customer stated that valve cover gasket is leaking and needs repair, to which we asked to bring the car so we can diagnose the car . the customer insisted on the quote for valve cover gasket replacement . We did provided that. The customer decided to have it fix elsewhere .

  Few days later the customer sent a video of a car on some unpaved lot with open valve cover on the open air, demanding that she needs a new engine .

  i asked the name of the shop that made the repairs and the report explaining the need of the engine to be replaced . the answer i got is that this is irrelevant to me. 

  that being said i cant comment more on this matter without having any documentation from a licensed repair facility .

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/16/2023

  Complaint: 20597311
  
  I am rejecting this response because: they sold me a car that is not running the way it should be and I barely bought this vehicle not even 2 months ago and already having so much problems with it. There's another problem and the reason why the check engine light is on is because of the catalyst system. So there's multiple things wrong with the vehicle and they are major repairs not minor repairs. They told me that the car wasn't being properly maintained by me so that it was my fault to why things were happening to it. I did take the vehicle in for a routine oil change at Take 5 a few weeks prior to finding all this out about the vehicle.  So I don't understand what he meant by I didn't properly maintain the vehicle. 40 days after buying it I shouldn't have had to do any maintenance to it they should've done a oil change and had it running properly if they were selling it from their car lot. It's not fair to me that I'm having to pay so much money to have the car fixed so soon after just purchasing the vehicle it hasn't even been 2 months that I've had the car and I'm having to spend over 2000$ on getting it fixed and that's just for the timing chain so it'll be more once I look into getting the catalyst system fixed. I feel like he should buy back this vehicle or swap it out for another one on his lot or help pay for the repairs. I didn't get offered the warranty because he said I missed it by a couple of days . Also it might not have had any codes at the time of sale but that doesn't necessarily mean that it was in tip top condition because a bad timing chain doesn't even come out on the code reader. There is just too many problems with the vehicle in such short amount of time of me having it so the problems had to have already been there but covered up by them. I was sold a bad vehicle by them.
  
  Regards,
  
  *****************************