ComplaintsforNewton Ford South

• Initial Complaint

  12/20/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  September of 2023, I took my vehicle to Newton Ford South. The *** light, the traction control light, the terrain selector light, and the brake light came on the dash. I researched the symptoms and found that the *** module was the culprit. I explained this to the service writer, who said they would follow up with the mechanic and let me know. When I was called back, I was told it was my steering angle sensor and that it had to be re-programed. I disagreed and asked for them to check again. I was told that I was wrong and what would I like to do. Against my better judgement, I went ahead with the reprogramming to the tune of $300 plus dollars. Two weeks later in November and only approximately 100 miles later the lights came back on. I called the dealership and took the vehicle back. I was told that they could not reproduce the lights coming on. Fast forward to the weekend of 12/16/2023, I am driving the vehicle and the lights again come on only this time they will not go out. I took the vehicle back to the dealership. I get notified that the *** module is bad and must be replaced. I am okay with the diagnosis; however, this is the third time back for the same problem, that I was told was not the problem. Now I have to wait however long to get this fixed. The repairs I was charged for had nothing to do with the issue and was just a ploy to charge me for unneeded repairs. I am a veteran of the armed services, in the military was a vehicle mechanic. That said, I do have experience and know what I was talking about. To be blown off and charged for what I feel is was needless repair of a reprogramming of steering angle sensor. In all my research that was rarely the issue. Other issues that they recommended was a brake fluid flush, had my system had ever been opened, I would consider that. However, it had never been opened, and upon consulting several dealerships I was correct in my suspicion it was a ploy to attempt to upcharge me for something that was not wrong.

  Business response

  01/18/2024

  Good afternoon, my reply is late, I apologize!

  Mr and ************ came back to the dealership and met with *********************** to discuss the charges. **** went over the services provided and gave an explanation. *********** indicated to **** that he appreciated him going over services provided and said they'd be back for service. Initially we did not do a very good job of explaining what we did, that was our fault and care is being taken to fix that with our advisors. 

  Please let me know if I can provide any other information or if this is not what *********** experienced. 

  Best Regards

  ************************;
  Newton Ford

• Initial Complaint

  01/03/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  My father bought a 2015 Suburban from the Newton Chevrolet dealership of Shelbyville on 12/26 and on 12/27, him, my mother, and my husband went out of town towards ***********, ** to visit family. Towards the end of a 2 1/2 hour drive, the car went into limp mode and would not come out of 2nd gear along with the check engine light coming on. My father spoke to the salesperson, ****, and he stated he would consult with his manager. He called back and stated there was nothing that could be done because the car was bought As Is. This issue went on into 12/28 and upon taking it to an auto repair shop, since it was not going to make it back home, it was determined the transmission was bad and needed to be rebuilt. While it is understood used cars are bought as is, this issue would have been found upon PROPER inspection of the vehicle when received. I feel this repair should be reimbursed to him by the dealer. Not only did this inconvenience him, but it also inconvenienced our family. Any further questions or explanations, he needs to be contacted directly.

  Customer response

  01/03/2023

  ****** ************** *****************

  127 Triple Crown Ct

  ************ & ************

  ********************

  I need a response from the company on this please.

  Business response

  01/16/2023

  I apologize for the late response to this, *************************, the General Manager of Newton Chevrolet GMC has been working with Mr **** on this issue. After the sale the vehicle did have transmission issues and concerns. This does happen from time to time, especially with Pre Auction Line vehicles (PAL). We sell PAL vehicles at a significant discount with the understanding that they're either going to the auction or if the consumer wants to risk additional expense of reconditioning we'll sell it to them. 

  In this situation we could have handled it better, we should have offered to unwind the deal as soon as we were aware of the mechanical problems. We did send Mr **** a check for $1,000 to help with the repairs he incurred. Mr **** replied by email saying "Thank you". 

  I apologize for the inconvenience this caused, of course we want all vehicles we sell to give customer's an excellent experience. 

  Please reach out if you have any question or would like to discuss this further. 

  Best,

  *****************************
  Email: *****************************************************************************

  Customer response

  01/18/2023

   
  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

  07/07/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  First off I purchased my vehicle from them in 2020. Everything was fine until one day it wouldn't start. I did my research and had it towed up there at MY expense for them to give me the run around about the problem. Fast forward they "fixed" the issue, so I show up to pick my vehicle up. And it didn't start after paying almost 1,000. Again, I told them to replace this specific part. And they gave me the run around and replaced this that and the forth. So we get it home and it does fine for a few days. Bam. It doesn't start. So i go out and buy this part and what do you know. No issues since. This was in 2021. Fadt forward to today. I bring my vehicle up on 07-05 for an oil change, and a recall replacement. Everything is fine. Until the tech starts recommending this that and the forth. Fine, go ahead and replace everything. Well I start asking questions about the alignment they are charging me for. And the service woman Stephani replies back in all caps and ends the text with YOUR CHOICE. The way this came off as a PAYING customer was very rude. When I called and asked her about is she laughed it off and stated her computer caps locks was on and this happens often. But over the course of the day none of the conversation had been in caps, and none of it ended with YOUR CHOICE. The way I have been treated is uncalled for. Now they want me to come pick up my vehicle and pay them for the work they did. Which I am fine with. But what I am not okay with is the way I have been treated by this business not once but twice after spending thousands of dollars with them, and purchasing two different vehicles. The service dept here is absolutely rude and they do not care about their customers. They made that very clear today the way I was disrespected.

  Business response

  07/19/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/07/12) */ Spoke with Mrs ****** in regards to her comments about her recent visit. Apologized greatly for the poor service and thanked her for her feedback regarding her visit so that we can learn from our mistakes. Offered Mrs ****** her next service visit free of charge and apologized again.

• Initial Complaint

  03/25/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I took my truck to be serviced at *****************. The main problem was supposedly an electrical issue where some wires had melted. While it was there, I went ahead and asked them to do a rotation, oil change, and install a tow harness. When I finally got my truck back, I noticed at home that the tires had in fact not been rotated at all. I had one tire that was different from the others and it was in the same place. Additionally, ****** had them put the wrong tow harness on it. I feel he should have consulted me more about what type I needed because they put on a flat 4 pin rather than the 7 pin round one. I asked him what it would cost to put on the one I wanted, and he was going to charge me another 300.00 to put the right one on! He kept going on about how I could buy an adapter........No. I don't want an adaptor, I want the right harness installed! I actually tried to find an adapter out of desperation, but I can't find one with the configuration type he left me with. Mike Whitaker, the service manager there sent me a survey and proceeded to apologize and give me a refund for the tire rotation, but it's been three weeks and no refund. I feel I should be refunded for both the rotation and the tow harness so I can go somewhere else to get the job done right. My bill was over 2,000.00 and I feel ripped off. I also feel ****** wouldn't have done this to a man. I also felt he put me off when the work was supposed to have been completed........he said it would be a Monday, then I didn't hear anything till I called on I believe it was Friday. Then I got an email around 5:30 pm from the financing I had to use, that the work had been completed but they were closed. When I finally was able to get my truck that following Monday, he claimed the work had been done and he and the shuttle driver called multiple times and left messages. I never received any call or message, and the shuttle driver said it was his first day when he gave me a ride on Monday.

  Business response

  05/04/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/03/30) */ I've reached out to speak with *************** but I've not heard back from her. We did refund the oil change and tire rotation, 69.00. The check was sent 3/29. I'd like to discuss the tow hitch and how this can be resolved. My office number is ************. I do apologize for the frustrating experience, this is never how we want our customers to feel. Please contact me so we can discuss. *************** Newton Motor Group Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/04/02) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) I appreciate the refund for the maintenance as I was not allowed to use the coupons. I feel I should be refunded for the harness as well so I can take it to the Ford in ************ or a place more competent to install the right one. I don't see the reason to speak over the phone as it is a cut and dry situation and I'm not going to take my truck back to them. I assume Mike will just try to downplay this issue and to give excuses for why they aren't going to refund the harness because this was quite a bit more expensive than the oil change and rotation. I will try to give Mike the benefit of the doubt and call him Monday 4/4/22 to discuss this issue. It has been my experience with businesses and companies in this area to end up being blown off or treated very disrespectfully, so I can't help but be hesitant to speak over the phone. Business Response /* (4000, 11, 2022/04/28) */ *************** and I have spoken a few times. Newton Ford did make this situation much more difficult than it needed to be. We should have taken the time to understand what ********** was asking for instead of dismissing her concerns. She did bring the vehicle back and we did complete the installation the way it should have been done the first time. This is a situation where we made several mistakes. I'm glad ********** brought it to our attention and hope we didn't lose a customer.

• Initial Complaint

  01/26/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  So while on vacation on 12/10/21 my truck got totaled in the tornados that happened in West TN. I received an injury that kept me from being able to do my job as a Firefighter and without a truck to take care of my land. On 12/22/21 I found a truck at Newton GMC in Shelbyville and driving it home for the night and letting the family see it. After finding a few small things wrong and pointing them out to the salesmen Dylan Bozeman we came to agreement on 12/23/21 that I would purchase the truck and they would owe me: a front end alignment and make it where it would not pull, two new batteries, a rear tail light due to it being busted and not working, and a trim piece on the passenger seat. We scheduled the service for 1/4/22 and I showed up to have all the above done. While they were in possession of my truck and they replaced the tail lights and batteries something happened and caused the truck to start throwing check engine codes and causing the parking sensor errors to appear on the dash. Well after being told that they could not loan me a truck due to "insurance reasons" by service manager Joey Cook he told me to take it to another Nissan dealer due to it being a Nissan and he would cover the repair. After spending a whole day trying to find a dealer that could work on it with no luck he was able to get it into the Newton Nissan of Gallatin and they rented me a truck to drive for time being. After 17 days in the shop they found that the body and engine wire harness needed to be replaced due to water intrusion. They took my truck on 1/5/22 and on 1/21/22 they text me to set a time to receive my truck back, when asked about the front end alignment I was told "yes they got it fixed." On delivery on Friday approx. 1pm I found that they had not fixed the alignment or the parking sensors. I have asked for the dealer to just give me a full refund of my money as I bought this truck just over a month and it has been in the shop for 20 days. They have refused to do so.

  Business response

  05/04/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 8, 2022/02/07) */ Contact Name and Title: ************* Contact Phone: ************ Contact Email: ********************************** BBB CASE#: ******** Greetings Better Business Bureau For context and better understanding, we would like to point out that the vehicle mentioned is a Nissan Titan XD full size truck, which is a very large, heavy-duty, working truck and in addition to this, the truck referenced here has large, oversized tires on it. "...after being told that they could not loan me a truck due to "insurance reasons" by service manager ********* he told me to take it to another Nissan dealer due to it being a Nissan and he would cover the repair."// When ********** brought the truck back to us for the pre-agreed upon repairs and adjustments, we used one of our Nissan dealerships, this one in Gallatin, to accommodate his needing a truck to drive, per his request. "After 17 days in the shop..."// It is widely known that there is a supply-chain shortage issue, which is affecting everyone and everything, unfortunately, automotive parts and supplies are certainly at the top of the list. We did everything in our power to have ********** tuck serviced as quickly as we possible could (remember, we were paying for his rental truck every day that he was using it). "On delivery on Friday approx. 1pm I found that they had not fixed the alignment or the parking sensors. It is our understanding, at this point, that all repairs have been made."// The sensors have been replaced. The truck may never ride perfectly smooth, due to the nature of the truck with the over-sized tire combination. Newton Motor Group has worked on the ride and alignment on two separate occasions, to get the ride as good as it can be (this, all at our expense). In a final good will gesture, Newton Motor Group agreed to ********** request to take his truck to a friend/acquaintance/referred shop to be examined and adjusted, on the chance that a third-party Service center may diagnose or discover something different from our Service Departments. Newton Motor Group has agreed to pay for this option, so ********** would not be "out any expense". Lastly, in an attempt to be completely fair, Newton Motor Group has offered to give ********** a full and complete refund of all monies that he paid for this truck, to apply to any other vehicle that we have in stock, at any of our five dealerships. However, **********, at this point, has not seen anything that he likes better than the truck he currently owns. We understand that, though rare, a customer may purchase a vehicle that may not live up to their expectations. It is our desire to either bring his current truck up to his expectations, or allow him to exchange his current truck for any other vehicle, and not lose any money on his original purchase. Above all, we at Newton Motor Group want to ********** to be happy with his vehicle, and have done and will do whatever we can for him to have a positive experience. Consumer Response /* (3000, 10, 2022/02/07) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) First, this very large, heavy duty, working truck is considered a heavy half ton truck that has the same or just barely more capabilities as some other competitor's half ton trucks. The main difference between this Titan XD and a similar truck is the Titan XD has a stronger suspension to be able to handle the load better. When I received the service invoice from the Newton Nissan of Gallatin, it states nothing about having any parking sensors needing to be checked or replaced, also it states the truck was pulling to the left and they found a tire that had a small leak in it and was at 10PSI and they fixed it and never checked the alignment on the truck because if they would have driven the truck they would have found that the truck pulled to the right. The large, oversized tires were stock sized tires with stock wheels but were mud terrain tires. That was a good reputable brand tire that was on the truck at the date of purchase. When I arrived to speak with GM of Newton GMC, ********** my truck was stilling out in the front as if it had been done for a while and I had not received a call advising that it was ready for pickup. On talking with him he stated, "It is a million times better", after driving it down the road it was nowhere near better if anything it was worse than before. I returned to the dealer and spoke with him and advised him that there is no way that he honestly thinks that it is better. He then blamed the pulling on the tires that were on the truck but refused to put a set of tires on the truck to even try and see if that was the problem. He also would not give me my money back for a refund when the no cooling off period clause states: "State law does not provide for a "Cooling off" or cancellation period for this sale. After you sign this contract, you may only cancel it if the seller agrees or for legal cause. You cannot cancel this contract simply because you change your mind. This notice does not apply to home solicitation." When asked about having another shop look at it to see if it was something his guys might have missed, he advised that he only would pay for the diagnose fee but would not pay to have it fixed if it needed major repair. He did offer to trade me into something of more value of my truck, but I would not drive another truck off his lot or any other newton lot as every truck I drove had problems with them and this must be a standard of service for this dealer and motor group to sell Vehicles with problems and then not standing behind them when the customer asks for them to make things right. I will strongly encourage everyone I know to avoid this dealership and any other Newton dealership as they do not take care of their customers and just care about getting the sell. Business Response /* (4000, 14, 2022/04/28) */ We did mishandle this situation with *********, eventually he did trade his vehicle with another dealership. We did reimburse ********* for the tire issue after the fact, we should have been much more proactive and apologized for the poor experience.

*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. ↩