ComplaintsforHonda of Ames

• Initial Complaint

  09/21/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  On 9/4/2023 my daughter and I went to purchase a car for her to drive to and from school. We wanted to test drive a 2015 **** Escape. The salesman went to start it and we noticed white smoke coming from exhaust. I asked him if that was an issue and he said it was probably dust (I was **** and had no understanding of what white smoke actually meant). We ended up purchasing the car. As soon as we got the car to our house (about 3 miles from dealership) the backup camera no longer worked. My daughter couldn't drive the car to school until 9/28/2023. This vehicle was going to basically sit in our garage until then. She came home from school on 9/11/2023 and asked if we could drive it around the neighborhood. We went into the garage to start it and white smoke came out of exhaust, car shook and then died. To say I was devastated is an understatement. I called the dealership and they have had the car since 9/12/2023. Finally telling me that the issue is the head gasket. I called and told them I don't want the car and I want my money back. I left a message on 9/19/2023 for the sales manager, ***** to call me and he has not. They knew this car had a major issue and did not disclose this to me and I was the fool who bought it.

• Initial Complaint

  07/24/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  Our vehicle was purchased on 6/19/2023. We were told the loan offer on hand gave us a warranty at the cost of Lithia/Honda, no change in our monthly payment as that would be how they got the loan secured for us with the best possible offer. When we reviewed paperwork at home, it showed that the warranty included was indeed added into our cost. Our monthly payment before this was added would have been $351 instead of $414.91. We were told having such was the only way they could make our loan go through and it was the best possible option (Santander). We didn't continue to press the issue of being lied to assuming there's nothing we could do with what was being pulled.Fast forward to this week, 7/17/23 and both my boyfriend and I receive separate letters from ***************************** each stating we could receive financing at $408.82 for 60 months with the same down payment made towards Santander $1000. Clearly, anyone would take the 60 months loan as it is the better deal. Without calculating additional interests, etc., the loan we were told was our best possible option will in turn cost us $5344.32. We would have never signed with Santander if this option from **************************** was given to us. Add in no requirement for a warranty we were led to believe was added on behalf of Lithia and we would save several thousand dollars again in this area. We have multiple inquiries ran double on our credit reports and to now see these additional manipulations have us unable to know how to even proceed as we have multiple distrusts that have now occurred with this transaction. We also decided to contact Santander to ask if it was required to add a service contract/warranty to secure our loan and we were told there was no such requirement.

• Initial Complaint

  12/30/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I purchased the vehicle on August 31, 2022. When I was initially test-driving vehicles, the salesperson was very pushy about getting me to the next car to test out. When I did eventually find the one I had wanted, he brought us back to the office immediately without allowing me to inspect the vehicle entirely. While signing papers, he had said that they were going to order a key fob as they had lost the 1 for it. After purchasing the vehicle, I had made discovered that the front headlight had a broken seal and had moisture inside of it. I also discovered that the vehicle was not entirely detailed unlike what the salesperson had claimed. There were sticky spots all by the seat belt area and under the steering wheel as well as the backseat had dirt spots. Lastly, I found out that the vehicle had an issue with the steering if you had turned left too far, it would make a loud screeching sound. On top of all of the repairs, it had taken them a month to submit my paperwork to the *** so I was unaware if I was driving it legally. The parts and repairs were covered by warranty but the key fob and detailing were a different scenario. I contacted the salesperson about the issue and he said the fob was on order and he would have the detail set up soon. A week passes and it was radio silence. Two weeks later, I get a text from the sales manager stating that the person had quit and that I would have to get the key fob myself at another dealership. I had to wait 3 and a half hours to get the key fob issue situated at the other dealership. I had spent a handful of days off getting my car issues solved. I brought that up to the sales manager and he stated that the best he can do to compensate me was to have the detailed cleaning scheduled for my car which has yet to happen. I went to a different manager and he stated the best he could do was give me 2 free oil changes. I had called on multiple occasions requesting to speak to the ** but they have yet to get in contact with me.

• Initial Complaint

  04/27/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On June 2021 my wife and I purchased a new Nissan Rogue and purchased an extended warranty for $2,549.00. They told us that Nissan ************************ LLC required that the vehicle be covered under warranty for the life of the loan. This was my first new Nissan, so I figured it sounded logical. My wife drove this can daily and decided she really didn't like the vehicle. On January 10 we went to Honda of Ames and filed out the form to have our extended warranty refunded and our vehicle that only had ***** miles, they told us this would take 8 weeks to do so and the check had to go towards our load. That day we traded that vehicle off at a different dealership, the loan was paid in full, but the check was already sent. After weeks of calling and emailing them, they told me the check was lost in the mail. I provided them with my payoff letter, and they said they would reissue a new check and send it directly to me and my wife. They told us this in mid March, on March 25 2022 they sent me another email stating that the refund check had been approved and would be mailed out April 5 2022. this is April 26 2022 and we still have not seen the check. they will not even return my calls, and they blocked me from emailing them. ***************************** is a name that was on one of the emails that said the check would be sent April 2 2022. *********************** was the accountant at Honda of Ames that was helping me, but now has us blocked.

  Business response

  04/29/2022

  CUSTOMER WAS CONTACTED AFTER THE CORPORATE OFFICE WAS CONTACTED AND WAS TOLD THAT THE CHECK WAS ISSUED 4/18/22.  CUSTOMER CALLED 4/29 AND SAID THAT THEY HAVE RECIVED THE CHECK.

• Initial Complaint

  04/15/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  02/24/2022 is the date of purchase $9,7xx were paid for the car A car without structural damage. I found structural damage on the car I bought from the dealership and they are not returning my calls. They have not and they ignore me.

• Initial Complaint

  11/23/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  My husband and I bought a 2022 Honda CR-V Hybrid from Honda of Ames on 11/13/2021. At the time of purchase, we were told that *********** had already been applied to the vehicle and we had no choice but to pay for it at a cost of $1,895. We were told that everyone who purchases new cars at the dealership are required to have it added and pay for the warranty. We expressed that we did not want the product or the warranty, but were told it could not be removed, therefore it came with the car and our only option was to sign the paperwork to agree to it.After going home and researching *********** we discovered the company has a 30-day money back guarantee. We went back to the dealership on 11/19/2021 to request cancellation of the warranty. We were told the documentation we found on *********** was for a different product. It is not, since it clearly stated it was for fabric and exterior protection. They tried to say our documentation was for windshield protection. This is simply not true. We also found documentation that the state of Iowa assesses a 10% penalty if the refund is not given within 30 days of requested cancellation. All this information was left off the initial contract we were misled to sign. To complicate matters even further, on 11/19 while at the dealership it was also discovered *********** had never been applied to the car in the first place. We asked for documentation that it had been and that is when they acknowledged that they did not have a service order for its application. We would not have signed the contract for it at all if we had known this. We were told we had to pay since it was already applied when in fact we paid for a service that was never provided.The dealership is refusing to give us a refund since we signed the contract. We signed it under false pretenses so it should be null and void. They also need to honor the 30 day full refund policy of ***********.

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