ComplaintsforUniversity Ford, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  07/03/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  June 2, **********, **. We experienced unusual running conditions of the car. The monitor showed: ENGINE COOLANT OVER TEMPERATURE. The engine overheated, then it immediately slowed down, and my husband had to pull the car over to the side from the center lane of the highway, which caused serious scenario to a large truck behind us that it almost hit the back of our car. *********************** near **************** said we must return to the dealership in University Ford, ***********, ******, **. We travelled locally to reach ****** and had the car *******d. After 2 days, University Ford called us to pick up the car as it was already ROAD WORTHY.June 10, we had a long travel again to *****, **. On our way home, we experienced again the similar condition of the car. It overheated, almost got hit by fast cars from behind us and we had to pull over the side of the road the second time around. The car is presently with the University Ford for almost 3 weeks now. They provided us a temporary vehicle on our insisting request.The management of University Ford (dealership) told us to call the customer ******* of **** ********* to air out our grievances, and so we did. We were able to contact a representative but told us few days later that our car cannot be REPLACED (BUY OUT) and it can only be repaired.With this, we seek help citing our consumers right. We need the car replaced on the following ground:1. The car had been declared ROAD WORTHY TWICE but almost got us into life threatening collisions. What is the assurance that in the 3rd time, it wont happen again and cars from behind us would be prompt on their brake pedals?2. We always travel as a family. If we get into serious trouble and get severely injured or worse, fatally hit, who will fight for our rights? Where there be justice when the victims are all gone dead?3. We already have this fear of having the same ROAD WORTHY car- twice. We cannot take the risk this time.

  

  Business response

  07/17/2024

  Mr. and Mrs. ******** had an overheating condition on their vehicle, the first time it overheated we checked the vehicle and pulled two codes.  We followed the workshop manual which stated to test drive the vehicle, and attempt to recreate the overheating concern.  We were unable to recreate the overheating concern so by the workshop manual instructions we drained and filled the cooling system.  After we returned the vehicle to the customer, they experienced the overheating concern again, and brought the vehicle back into our service department.  We were able to duplicate the problem and followed ****'s procedures to replace the engine under warranty.  Mr. and Mrs. ******** did not feel comfortable going back into that Escape so we were able to trade them into a new Escape.  Mr. and Mrs. ******** were satisfied with the outcome.  I am sorry that they were having issues with their original purchase but am glad we were able to fix the situation for them.  

• Initial Complaint

  02/12/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  So me and my boyfriend bought a 2018 **** f150 from ****'s auto in ********* paid $59,000 cash for the truck. , The truck has about ****** miles on the truck as of now. Wanna say around February 2023 we was driving the truck down the road and out of no where the transmission just went out. There was no accidents noone hit nothing . We had university of **** on chapel **** Blvd in ****** ** come tow the truck to there location. They called us said the transmission was bad and good news is it's still under the bumper to.bumper warranty with the **** dealership and they ordered a new transmission they would let us know when it was fixed and ready to pick up which is verbal agreement between us and dealership. Well then they called about 2 days later said it was not going to be under warranty because now the transfer case was now cracked. We was told to come get the truck they was mot fixing it. Never once did they say anything about the transfer case being cracked at the very beginning when they agreed it was under warranty and they was going to fix the problem. We paid $59,000 cash for this truck that now don't run. I feel like this is bad business and something should be done about this. I'm sending a copy of this to the better business bureau as well. This all should documented at **** dealership we took the truck to.

  

  Business response

  02/27/2024

  I was not able to find any record of ****************** getting a vehicle serviced at our dealership.  I have reached out to her to request the *** number of the truck so I can look into it further.  It should be noted that she stated she brought the vehicle in over a year ago.  In addition to the large amount of time having passed since she stated the vehicle was in for service, if there was damage that caused the transmission to go bad, unfortunately it would not be covered under any warranty.  This is not a University Ford rule, this is the rule of the manufacturer or any 3rd party extended service contract company.  Warranties cover problems cause by mechanical failures of covered components, and they do not consider damage to be a mechanical failure.  If during the repair it was discovered that damage was the cause of the transmission failure, the transmission would not be covered under warranty. 

• Initial Complaint

  08/24/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I bought 2 cars from this dealership and my fleet from Crossroads. I had an issue of the steering wheel/ ignition locking up on my transit and 1 of the 2 keys that came with truck actually broke while trying to start it. I am still within the ***** mile bumper to bumper warranty (*****) and they are saying "since we can't replicate what happened we have to charge you for the key". Oh and sorry if you're outside of the warranty when it happens again we "might" be able to get **** to do something about the ignition but we won't cover it. What's the point of a warranty when the dealership you bought it from won't fix the issue

  

  Business response

  08/29/2023

  ************ brought his Transit in for service on August 24th, with the concern that the ignition was hard to turn and the key broke while trying to start the vehicle.  Unfortunately we were unable to duplicate the concern when the vehicle was brought in.  *** service advisor *****, went to both **** and the extended service contract company that ************ purchased a contract from, but both said without duplicating the concern they would not be able to cover the key replacement.  ***** continued to advocate for ************ and brought the concern to the top of the dealership.  After reviewing the situation, due to **************** loyalty in purchasing two vehicles from us, and getting his service work done with us, and taking the steps to protect his investment, we decided to cover the key replacement for ************ at the dealership level.  We appreciate ************ and his business, and though we are sorry he had this issue, we are glad to resolve it for him.  

  Customer response

  08/29/2023

   
  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.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

• Initial Complaint

  07/25/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  July 2022 **** edge Titanium 2017 purchase vehicle it now has 94k ************** shows it was a recall on vehicle coolant mixing into cylinder **** having that issue for will not help me fix the vehicle Ive called and ****************** manager gave me the runaround and directed me to **** motor company ************ they also gave me the runaround. I just want them to fix my vehicle that i still have to pay on 500 monthly.

  

  Business response

  08/11/2023

  **************** purchased a 2017 **** Edge with ****** miles on it in June 2022.  At the time of the purchase the vehicle was outside of the manufacturer warranty, and was sold as an As-Is/no warranty vehicle.  **************** declined to purchase an extended service contract when she purchased the vehicle.  She currently has around ****** miles on it, close to ****** miles and 14 months since she purchased the vehicle. 
  Unfortunately her vehicle now needs an engine replacement which is not covered by any manufacturer recall or extended coverage, and the vehicle has been out of warranty coverage since before she purchased it.  I spoke with **************** and offered to do the repair at a discounted rate since she purchased the vehicle from us, but she declined.  This is an unfortunate situation, and I am sorry that **************** is going through it, but I feel that University Ford has gone above and beyond in our attempt to assist ****************, and I will honor the discounted rate on the repair should she change her mind in the next 30 days.

  Customer response

  08/14/2023

   
  Complaint: 20372031
  
  I am rejecting this response because: ********, the executive manager at University of **** wants me to pay $5400 out-of-pocket and theyre willing to only pay $800 which is ridiculous I dont have that kind of money and I still have a $500 car payment, and I explain to ******** my situation that is not an offer. For the longest time I got to run around before and still gonna run around. I dont recommend anybody to buy anything from University of ****. at first ******** act like he care because I reported it to the Better Business Bureau then once I received the second phone call from him, he really dont care.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  03/09/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Purchased a used vehicle. Salesman was dishonest (made up facts when didn't know the answer), but we are happy with the car so that is not the main issue. Business Manager promised copies of all documents I signed but denied them later when I requested. Stated vehicle was completed registration in ** (I'm in the military serving in **), but ** DMV says it's not registered and do not drive the car without a legal tag. Business sent a second temporay tag (initial 30-day tag expired) to my ******* address on my license, but again I'm in the military and they knew I lived in ** and had that address. Resent the temp tag but put the expiration date as already in the past. Did not respond to my query. It's hard to trust the Business Manager whose email address is mispelled on his own business card (this just adds to the integrity and competency question). At this point I'm asking for $50 a day (cheaper than a rental car) for each day we are not legally able to drive our car per ** DMV and the installation in ** where I serve. I hope the Business Manager can get ahold of ******* DMV and sort things out himself. I question if the paperwork was filled out correctly by him. He won't give me copies to check. Thanks for any help.

  

  Business response

  03/27/2023

  **************** purchased a pre-owned vehicle from us.  The vehicle he purchased was a vehicle we took in on trade previously, as soon as we traded for the vehicle we paid off the loan on that vehicle, however there was a delay in getting the title from the bank that it was financed with, which has slowed down the whole process, and delayed getting **************** his tag.  We ended up having to order a duplicate title, which takes some time through the **** because the original bank that held the title and loan were not able to get the title to us.  I am sorry for this delay and the miscommunication on our part with *****************  I have since spoken with **************** and sent him all of the outstanding paperwork he did not get copies of, and am working as quickly as possible to get his tag to him.  Again I am sorry for the delay and the lack of communication on our part, that is not how we like to do business, but we will get everything handled for him. 

  Customer response

  03/29/2023

   
  Complaint: 19559015
  
  I appreciate the attention received. However the situation is still being resolved. Apparently the dealer did not have access to the title when they sold the vehicle. They still do not have it. I did receive $50 per day I was unable to drive the vehicle until the second temporary tag arrived. I expect something similar should the vehicle not have proper registration by the time the second temporary tags expires soon. Again the attention and care received has been good but the matter is far from resolved.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

  

  Business response

  04/17/2023

  We are still in a holding pattern on ******************** registration and tags.  We finally received the duplicate title from the bank who originally held the title, and we have sent this to the company we use for out of state *** work, and they are preparing and sending in the title and tag work to the ******* ***.  I am hoping to have this resolved in the next week or so, there should not be anything else holding it up other than the time it will take to get the titlework to the **** the *** to process it, and the tag to get to ***************** 

  Customer response

  04/22/2023

   
  Complaint: 19559015
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Not resolved. The business is doing everything they can to dig themselves out of a hole. They sent a dealer plate since temporary plates are no longer good after 2 months. But I have to sign paperwork every 5 days and then check ******* DMV daily to see if they finally have record of my purchase. It is annoying this has gone on so long, we purchased the vehicle almost 3 months ago now. In fairness, I don't see how the executive manager (*****************************) could do anything better in the moment, but this is a pretty big failure from 3 months ago not having the title available when we purchased the car. **************** is communicating well which I appreciate.

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

• Initial Complaint

  02/15/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I purchased a **** ****** from them on the 28th of January and the night before we came to pick it up I get a call at 9pm from my sales agent (********) stating that the car cannot be driven home due to a plastic cover for the motor missing. She states that I can come purchase the vehicle, test drive it, and they will have it delivered to my house in NO MORE than a week. I get there, test drive the vehicle and was told that it will be at my house by friday(Feb 3rd). We looked at the motor and it was a piece that could be easily snapped on. When I spoke with my sales agent(********) on the phone after purchase she starts backpedaling on what she’s said stating that she never said the vehicle would be here by Friday but that the part will be here by then. My fiancé then calls the parts and service dept to get a clear answer and turns out they ordered the wrong part and it is now supposed to be there monday (6th). At this point we’re feeling like we’re getting a run around. My fiancé then contacts ***(manager) since the sales agent can’t seem to figure this out for us. *** says feb 3rd that the car now needs 2 more parts and that both parts should be delivered and installed by Monday or Tuesday and car should be delivered Tuesday. We were then told by that Friday, Friday comes along and we’re then told Monday-Tuesday, Tuesday comes along and we’re told Thursday (hopefully). We have called *** many times and every time we do he’s either not answering or “stepped out of the office”. Then when we FINALLY get him on the phone he talks over us the entire time and says he will “let us know updates”.. well of course on most occasions he doesn’t actually do so. ALL we’ve gotten is a runaround with these people. They keep finding a reason to not deliver my car.. this is a super shady situation that I’ve never experienced with other dealerships.

  

  Business response

  02/20/2023

  Ms. ****** purchased a **** ****** from us on the 28th of January.  Unfortunately the vehicle was not ready to be delivered at that time, however we planned to deliver it to her.  As we were going, we found additional parts that needed to be replaced. Between additional parts being needed, and difficulty getting the correct parts in, our delivery to Ms. ****** was delayed.  I apologize for the delay and the failure on our part to adequately communicate with Ms. ******.  Our general manager, *****, stepped in and began communicating with Ms. ****** and ensuring that we got the vehicle to her as soon as possible.  We have gotten the **** ****** to Ms. ****** and resolved her concerns.  Again I am sorry for the delay and the poor communication, this is not how we conduct business and not reflective of our dealership as a whole, but I am glad we were able to get Ms. ****** taken care of. 

  Customer response

  02/21/2023

  
  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.
  
  ***** made sure the issue was resolved quickly after prioritizing it. I really appreciate it. 
  

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

• Initial Complaint

  02/02/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Bought a 2014 ***** * on 12/29/22. I was given a 30 day tag and told the registration and regular tag would come in the mail. The tag never came and the temp tag has expired. I am unable to drive the car I am making payments on. I left a message explaining the situation to their sales manager and never received a response. I ending up driving over an hour to durham to try to resolve this is person. I was told by the salesman who sold me the car that he was unable to give me another temporary tag until he heard back from his titling people at another location. I was told I could drive with expired tags with no problem, which I wont. I was supposed to hear back at the end of the day. I never received a call back. I went to dmv and was told the title has not been transferred and to call the dealership's title clerk because this was supposed to be done within 28 days of the sale. The title clerk told me there was a problem with the title that has been resolved and the paperwork has been filed. She mention that it being the end of the month the dmv might not be able to process it quickly. She also mentioned that I should be able to get another temp tag from my salesman. I contacted the salesman, but he doesn't seem interested in helping me. I am unable to legally drive the car I bought for working purposes, making payments on and insuring. Shouldn't they have cleared any issues with the title before they sold me the car? Luckily, I did not trade in my other car, or I'd be without transportation and ability to do my delivery job. Though, I have missed several days due to trying to resolve this.

  

  Business response

  02/07/2023

  We have resolved Mr. *********'s concern.  There was a slight issue getting the tag work completed on his vehicle, but were able to get the tag and we delivered it to Mr. ********* so he would not have to wait for it in the mail.  We also apologize for the miscommunication and not getting back to him over the phone or resolving his issue initially, however we have since corrected it.  I'm sorry it took longer than we anticipated to get his tag and sorry for the inconvenience this caused, but I am glad we were able to resolve it for him.  

  Customer response

  02/08/2023

  
  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.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  **** *********

• Initial Complaint

  09/19/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On 5/3/22 I purchased my car, was rushed into the car and it was not serviced before I signed. Didn’t get car until 5/9/22 after being pushed back twice. The vehicle has been in the shop 4 times already before the pre existing conditions that the car had. Every time I went back, the same things I went for would not be fixed as they stated. One issue will not be fixed due to the warranty not covering because of “normal wear and tear” on vehicle. This was mentioned when I first test drove the car properly on 5/9/22. I have had to call several times to get everything fixed and at this point I am tired of having to go back to dealership and would like a replacement

  

  Business response

  09/19/2022

  Ms. ****** purchased a 2011 **** ******** as is/wholesale to the public at the beginning of May .  Ms. ****** identified a few issues with the vehicle, and we took care of them for her. Unfortunately with a wholesale to the public vehicle that is 11 years old, there may be additional vehicle problems that arise, which was the case with Ms. ******.  We are sorry that Ms. ****** experienced problems and was unsatisfied with the vehicle.  Due to her dissatisfaction and the issue she was continually having with the ****, we were able to trade her out of the vehicle and into a different vehicle on September 18th.  Again I am sorry to Ms. ****** that she was having issues with her vehicle, but we have been able to resolve her concerns. 

• Initial Complaint

  04/17/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  We bought a 2019 used ***** **** from University PreOwned on 2/16/22. They messed up and submitted the wrong title to the DMV and we received a set of Liscense Plates and tax bill for a ****** *****. We immediately notified them the first week of March. They initially ignored us but finally answered our contacts and after many attempts for answers-we were told that both their titling department and the DMV messed up and they would correct it. They also gave us dealership tags and told us we could drive our car with their tags until this was resolved. It is not April 16th and we found out yesterday (upon talking to the Lien Holder-***** *****) that no action was taken on this case through ********** since March 2nd, 2022. According to both ***** ***** and a manager within the same company (Mr. ***** at University Ford Durham)..we cannot solve this issue on our own and must wait for the company and the DMV to fix this. Our complaint is two fold-1) The fact that they asked us to engage in an illegal activity that put us at risk by giving us Dealership Tags and not following the correct laws regarding reauthorizing the tags every 96 hours. They have ignored this rule and put us in danger legally. 2) They are not making any progress or communicating with us (as they promised) in regards to this situation. Help PLEASE!!!!!

  

  Business response

  05/02/2022

  More Information from Consumer: The business has resolved this issue appropriately.

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