ComplaintsforGolden State Auto

• Initial Complaint

  09/15/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased 2014 *** i3 ( all electric) on February 16th of 2024 with ****** miles. The initial process was smooth in purchasing the car. However, on June 1 after having lunch with family I started the car to have all dashboard lights come on. The instructions were that the car shouldnt be moved and it didnt start. I had to have the car towed home first since it was a Sunday and no auto repair shops were open. I took the car for repairs only to have the tech state that he initially tried to use a new battery thinking the small one was dead, however the car would start and many other electrical challenges came up on the diagnostics. The final analysis was that there were three areas of electrical that might be at fault. One area would cost $4,000; the second area if the first fix didnt work would cost upwards of $5,500 and the third and final option would cost $8,000. In total, I would need to spend almost $17,000 in repairs, which is more than the car is worth. I purchased the car for $8,995 and still am paying car notes. The warranty only covers $5,000 and depending on who you talk to that day the coverage changes for what the company would cover . To make sure that I wasnt being scammed, my husband has the car towed again and taken to another repair shop for a second opinion with the same results. Both shops stated that they could not do the work in good faith as it would cost too much money and that basically the car was shot electrically. I have spoken with the manager at the time ***** who offered to buy the car back for $1,000 but suggested that I get a 2nd opinion first when I initially called him about the diagnostics about the car from the first repair shop. The car has barely ****** miles on it as I live in ********** and all amenities and shops are close to my home. I believe compensation is in order. Either exchange my car for a different one at the same price or offer the same deal on another car. I am only asking for fairness.

  

  Business response

  09/18/2024

  Dear Cynthia  *********,
  
  Thank you for taking the time to share your concerns regarding the 2014 *** i3 you purchased from us in February 2024. We value all feedback and appreciate the opportunity to address the issues youve experienced with your vehicle.
  
  As you mentioned, the process during the purchase of the vehicle went smoothly, including the thorough documentation signed at the time of sale. The vehicle was sold as is, as clearly stated in the purchase agreement and accompanying documents you signed, in accordance with California law. This means that after the sale, the dealership is not liable for any repairs or maintenance required, as is standard in such transactions.
  
  That said, we understand how frustrating it can be to encounter issues after purchasing a vehicle. Although the warranty you purchased covers repairs up to $5,000, we have no control over how repairs are assessed or managed by third-party repair shops. Its also important to note that the terms of the service contract you opted for were presented clearly at the time of sale, and any coverage limitations were part of the agreement.
  
  While we sympathize with your situation, the issues you're experiencing occurred several months after the purchase, and we are unable to assume financial responsibility for the repairs, particularly since the vehicle was sold as is under the terms of the contract.
  
  We genuinely hope that this situation can be resolved to your satisfaction, and we are available to discuss any further questions or concerns you may have. Please feel free to reach out to us directly at ************ or ***************************** if you would like to explore options further.
  
  Thank you for your understanding.
  
  Sincerely, 
  ***** ****
  Golden State Auto ****

• Initial Complaint

  02/06/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Purchased 2014 ***** Impala on 12/18/23. Paid in full. The salesman stated they had the car since that Sunday and later found out they had it longer. We were given a 90-day ****-mile warranty. There were minor issues that the car dealership fixed like the missing windshield wiper cap and broken door jams. We were told everything else was good with the car. On 1/5/24, took the car for an oil change and was told the transmission fluid needed to be changed so I had that changed also even though the paperwork stated it was ok. We changed the air ************** air filter. On approximately 1/26/24, the traction control light, parking light with gear, check engine light & service stabilitrak message came on. The car would not drive over 47 mph. Displayed error message U0101. Took car to ******************* on 1/31/24 for a free safety check up but the lights did not go off. We cleaned the battery cables. On 2/5/24 took to *********** and was told the *** was faulty, the tire pressure monitor sensor was broken & valve body needed to be replaced. ***** contacted ************ & was told these repairs were not covered by warranty & would cost close to $2400 to fix. There is more but not enough room to type.

  

  Business response

  02/07/2024

  Customer purchased the vehicle on 12/18 and came back a few days later with a full inspection report from there own mechanic shop. We asked the customer to return the vehicle for a full refund but they refused and asked us to fix half and they would fix the other half so the dealership agreed. They took it to a mechanic shop and Golden State Auto covered the bill. They also demanded $200 reimbursement and we gave them a check as well. We had them sign that they are fully satisfied after having there own mechanic look at it. See attachment for signed agreement. Customer was fully aware of all issues. Please refer to ************ as far as what is covered and what is not covered which was signed by the customer as well. That is a third party company. We went far and beyond to satisfy our customer. There is nothing else we can do. Thank you!

  Customer response

  02/08/2024

  I am rejecting this response because: My husband, *********************************, and I signed the agreement for the headlight & another cosmetic issue. We would not have purchased the car or we would've returned it if we knew about the Transmission Control Module issue. We would never purchase a car for that amount knowingly with a transmission issue. When we purchased the car we took the vehicle to ***** for a free inspection. They pointed out the headlights which had condensation. We priced the headlight for approximately $538.The door jams were cracked which Golden States mechanic fixed. My husband had to drop the car off and pick it up from Euro Star which is Golden States repair shop. They ordered the missing windshield wiper cap. Each time the car was taken to the shop Golden State took it to their mechanic at Euro Star. After the door jams were fixed. We were offered $200 to help with the headlight we did not demand anything. We were never informed of a TCM issue or we would not have bought the car. We never signed anything stating we were satisfied after ************ looked at the vehicle because ************ did not service the vehicle.The car was serviced by Golden States mechanic only. When the vehicle was taken to ********************* on 2/5/24 we were told the issue had to do with the Transmission Control Module and the valve body. *********** contacted the warranty company ASC who stated this was not covered by warranty. I would just like a car that works. That is a lot of money for a car to have it less than 2 months. My husband and I were both there & **** communicated mainly with my husband.
  

  

  Business response

  02/15/2024

  Customer took the vehicle to ***** for an inspection. At the time there was no mention of TCM or engine failure. Failed components happened at the time of ownership after the sale. Customer has the ************ and they cover what is on there policy. Customer had a post sale inspection and kept the vehicle knowing what condition it was in. We cannot assist any further but can offer a trade in value of $1000. Thank you!

  Customer response

  02/20/2024

  I am rejecting this response because: the vehicle was not inspected by ***** at the time of purchase. It was only inspected and fixed by their mechanic at EuroStar and there was no check engine light on. We had the car less than one month before the check engine light came on this is not our fault. The replacement transmission is $7145 & the ************ caps out at $3145. They should pay for the transmission to be fixed since they sold us a car with transmission issues knowingly. We only saw cosmetic issues. We would never have bought a car with transmission issues knowingly when I told them I need a reliable car to get me to/from my dr *********** & to drive my grandson around. Honestly that's an insult to me only offer a $1000 credit when I paid close to $6000. I think the car should be replaced with one that works or preferably the company should pay to get the transmission fixed. 
  

• Initial Complaint

  06/26/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Dealership was very rude. Lied about the 2018 golf they had for sale. Priced at 17,999$. Driver side headlight fender and window moldings were trashed. Headlight was shattered. Fender and hood had been replaced with aftermarket ones. Paint does not match. The front bumper is cracked and missing pieces. The sales man and lady were very rude and tried to talk down or myself and my wife. On their ad it states near new condition. No accidents or repairs done. You can plainly tell that there was a front end collision on the driver side of the car. The driver side window moldings had paint on them so you could tell the car had been repainted poorly I might add.

  

  Business response

  07/07/2023

  First of all, you were so rude and unprofessional they way you talked to our sales people and aske so many unrelated questions from our lady sales person in which she didn't feel comfortable talking to you and let our other salesman to help you out. (Harassment) Second, you asked for a price that you were willing to pay, that obviously we have all the rights to refuse your offer and do not accept it. I believe your problem was not the car, it was originally because you were offering $5,000 below the asking price and it got rejected. Third, we have the Carfax report attached to all the vehicles listed online that you can simply refer to that report to see if there is any accidents or damages reported. It's not in your position to ask us how much we bought the car for. So unfortunately we had to have you leave the office because you were cursing all the personnel here which was so unpolite and rude. 

• Initial Complaint

  10/03/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I purchased a car from this company after a little over 2 months the rear suspension failed they are in willing to do anything to help with it I feel this should not have failed so soon if they did a proper check of the vehicle

• Initial Complaint

  09/14/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Hello, my name is *************************** I made a down payment of $10,000 for a 2013 **** F150 from Golden state auto on 07-24-22. this was an out of state purchase, so I had to solely rely on their trustworthiness to ensure that the vehicle I was picking was what they told me. They assured me there were no dents, scratches, fades or malfunctions & that I would receive the title for the vehicle. Upon arrival there were several dents, scratches & the tires rubbed the front fenders. they were completely misleading/fraudulent about these things. they have not tried to resolve the problem nor have I received a title almost 2 months later. this is extremely unprofessional.

  

  Business response

  09/17/2022

  ******************************* contacted us through Autotrader, an online advertisement source, on 7/25/2022 regarding his interest in our 2013 **** F-150 Lariat. Our sales person, Mr. **************** made a contact with ***************** on the same day to answer all the possible questions he might had on the truck and the financing options. Since the customer lives out of sate of **********, he requested for additional pictures around the vehicle, inside and under carriage. ***** respectfully took few pictures along with 2 short videos from interior, exterior and under carriage of the truck and sent them to the customer. With that being said, nothing was hide or  undisclosed to ******************. I have attached all the text messages between the customer and the sales person along with the pictures and videos that was sent to the customer. ****************** askes if we can reduce the price due to some minor issues that he has mentioned them in his text messages also requested for shipping cost to be paid by our entity. So we eventually accepted his offer and reduced our sales price that was originally advertised for $25,999 to $25,345 and we approved to pay $1,000 towards the shipping cost that was accepted by ****************** to make the payment of $500 remaining balance due at the time of delivery to the transport company. The purchase contract was mailed through ***** twice to be signed and mail back to us. After receiving the signed documents by ******************, we tried to contact the customer to arrange the delivery date, but since he lost his phone, we were unable to get a hold of him, so he contacted us after 3 days saying that he lost his phone and provided us with his new phone number. So we missed our 1st time delivery appointment due to lack of communication with ****************** so we had to arrange a new inquiry from the transport company. Finally the truck arrived to the destination and the customer tried to avoid making the remaining balance of $500 to the transport company because of the pictures that was sent by the driver to ****************** and showing all the cosmetic issues that was already discussed prior to delivery. He eventually made the payment to be able to release his truck. A week after, he called and asked for the title to the financed truck. We explained to him that he will not receive the title because he is financing it and obviously the title will be held by the financing institution called LIEN HOLDER. We registered the truck on 09/07/2022 and the registration has mailed to the customer. (copy of the registration is attached). Therefore, we never hide or undisclosed or miscommunicated anything from ******************************* during this purchase transaction. You can contact us with any further questions or concerns.

  Thank you,

  **********

*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. ↩