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:01/26/2025

  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.

  To whom it may concern:On Sept 16th, 2024 I went to purchase a 2016 Chevrolet corvette. All went well for the most part until I drove off the lot. I had driven 150 miles from eastern ********** to purchase this car. It hot and I am tired. When I inquired about *** Johnson filling up the gas tank so I could make it home I was met with snarky little grins from *** and *****. That wasnt happening. As I was on the on ramp to northbound 405 I discover there was a rock chip in the windshield. Immediately I can the dealership. Prior to this ***** had convinced me that these were really expensive and special windshields and the warranty was a good idea. Especially with the heads up display and heated glass. Turns out he doesn't know what he is talking about this is the LT1 model. No such features exist on this car.The person I talk to told me I was out of luck and how do we know the rock chip didnt come from the construction on I-405. Essentially telling me I was out of luck and hung up on me. Few weeks later I am having charging problems with the car. Battery light come on and voltage is dropping. Hit a bump in the road. Light goes off, voltage increases. This goes on for a few days. Again I call *** Johnson ********* and get the attitude again. The 6 month 6000 miles warranty only applies if I drive all the way back to ******** from ********* and have them service it. Which then I must leave the car and pick it up at a later time. How? I am 150 miles from home. The secondary warranty which I paid for was no better help. Long story short to avoid all the hassles and lost wages, gas, mileage and lost time. I fixed in locally. At this point I decided to cancel the warranty. What's the point if I cant use it. That was a hassle. I followed the email directions and replied back and it went to an email address that is not monitored by the company. That was the excuse I got when I had been waiting and waiting for confirmation that the warranty and gap insurance was canceled.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/27/2025

  We attempted to call Mr. ********* again today, 1/27 and his voicemail box was full. We have refunded all of his finance contracts. We were attempting to get his issue resolved at the lowest possible cost, but that would have been less convenient for him and we acknowledge that. Mr. ********* has had contact with both of our sales managers, our general manager, two separate sales people, and one finance manager after the sale. We have apologized on numerous occasions for not handling all issues perfectly but we refunded him 100% of the money for his service contract and Gap contract. Mr. ********* does not have access to his phone during work hours, and it has been a struggle for both sides to connect after work hours, but we believe we have done everything in our power to resolve these issues at this point. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/28/2025

   
  Complaint: 22860060
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Its really too bad I was not afforded more space on the BBB web site so I could tell my whole story. But I felt that my concerns were falling on deaf ears and cold hearts. I have never heard from the manager of *** Johnson Chevrolet. No matter how many messages I left. They went unanswered until I text a message stating I was going to file a compliant with the BBB, attorney generals office and they **** of licensing. Its evident from ***** that the sense of urgency and customer satisfaction is not a priority. He should have followed up on monday after I was promised my plates on saturday. Also it is evident that warranties means nothing. This is why I demanded a refund on warranties that would not be honored by ***. If *** Johnson wants to make this right. They should cover my windshield deductible and the cost of the defective alternator. 

   

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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/17/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore 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.

  My 2023 *** EV6 (under warranty) with ****** miles, would not start and was bricked in my garage two weeks ago. I had it towed to LJ **** This same thing happened just one month prior and took a week to resolve. This time the car has been there two weeks and when I call to get a status update, I usually end up on hold for ***** min or am transferred to voice mail. I just want the car fixed and not for them to tell me nothing is wrong with it. Two recalls have gone out on this car for the exact thing I have now experienced twice. I don't want it to happen again.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/21/2025

  For multiple weeks we were unable to duplicate the issue, and the vehicle diagnostics were all coming back with no issue. As we have continued to test and scan the vehicle, it finally gave us a code for a fault with the 12v battery. We have replaced the battery and the issue is resolved. The customer's vehicle has been returned.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/21/2025

   
  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

  Date:12/12/2024

  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.

  On June 16, 2021, I purchased a 2013 Kia ******** (VIN# *****************). On January 1, 2023, while driving to ******, the vehicle experienced a catastrophic failure. Without warning, the car shut down completely on the highway, emitting smoke and fire from the engine. This sudden malfunction caused me to lose control of the vehicle until it steered itself to a stop. The vehicle was towed to *****************************************, located at ********************************************************. Upon inspection, the mechanic diagnosed severe engine damage, including a hole in the block and rod bearing failure. The mechanic indicated that this issue was linked to a known defect in Kia ******** On January 2, 2023, I contacted the dealership where I purchased the vehicle to report the incident. However, the dealership provided little assistance, directing me to contact ********************* *** Consumer Affairs informed me that the vehicle required a software update as part of a recall program known as Product Improvement. This update, which the dealership should have applied before selling the car, would have extended engine protection up to ******* miles. *** stated that the dealership failed to disclose this critical information or update the vehicle prior to sale. The dealership, claimed *** had it recorded that I was the vehicle's second owner and that *** should have notified me regarding the necessary software update. However, neither *** nor the dealership accepted responsibility for repairing the vehicle. The dealership estimated the repair cost to be approximately $10,000 and refused to cover the expense. The Manager offered a "WE OWE YOU" agreement of $3,595 toward engine replacement but conditioned the offer on me not pursuing further assistance. To date, I have not received any funds from this agreement. I am seeking accountability for the vehicles failure, which was caused by a known issue that both *** and the dealership failed to address.

  Business Response

  Date: 12/19/2024

  We have spoken with the consumer, and we are going to pursue assistance from ******************, as well as extend our offered contribution of goodwill towards the repair.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/25/2024

  Type:Billing 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.

  We took our car in for service and their credit card machine was acting up. They charged our card 3 times for the service. We have contacted them via phone more than 5 times, by email - to both the general email address and directly to the managers, and with their chat feature on their website. Despite repeated assurances that it would be taken care of, it still has not. We are owed a credit of $49.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/28/2024

  I am surprised to hear this has not been processed yet as our assistant service manager put in a request for a refund to be sent to the customer some time ago (attached). Our credit card system was having issues at the time this occurred and would not allow us to void or refund the duplicate transactions through the system. I have followed up with our office this morning to find out what happened on their end. If they somehow missed cutting and sending the check for $73.50, I will have them cut a new one. If they did, we will reach out to the customer to verify the address and then stop payment and reissue. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/18/2024

  Type:Order 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.

  I am filing a formal complaint against ******** *** regarding a misleading lease agreement for a *** EV9 that we signed on May 26, ******. Lease Promotion and Agreement: ******** *** advertised a lease promotion with a $359 monthly payment and a $5,600 down payment. We negotiated a lease for a *** EV9 with a $6,000 down payment and a monthly payment of $317.81 based on this promotion.2. Trade-In Details: We traded in our ******* Palisade, valued at $29,000, with an outstanding loan balance of $23,000. The dealership paid off the loan, and the remaining $6,000 equity was to be used as the down payment for the new lease.3. Dealerships Misrepresentation: The dealership assured us that the entire down payment would be covered by our trade-in equity, a claim made by the Finance Manager and likely recorded on the dealerships cameras. Trusting this, we signed the lease agreement.4. Recent Issue: On August 17, 2024, nearly three months after signing the lease, the dealership demanded an additional $6,000, claiming it was missed at signing. This demand contradicts the original agreement and current offers. They are now threatening to send our account to collections and repossess the vehicle, our only transportation for our family, including two school-aged children.5. Request for Resolution: We cannot pay the additional $6,000 and would not have signed the lease if we knew about this. We are willing to cancel the lease, return the vehicle, and retrieve our traded-in car if possible, but we cannot meet this unexpected demand. Alternatively, we are open to settling under any current lease promotion.We urgently seek your assistance in resolving this matter. The dealerships deceptive practices have put us in a difficult situation, and we request your intervention to ensure a fair resolution.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/19/2024

  Spoke with customer on the phone this afternoon. After hearing his side, we understand that there was quite a bit of confusion. We have agreed to a figure that he deemed a reasonable amount to pay of the originally owed $6,000 down and have worked out an installment plan with him. We recognize that vehicle transactions can be confusing at times, and perhaps our finance department should have done a better job communicating the itemization of the lease contract with the customer. Had they done so, this issue could have been caught and resolved up-front. The customer and I have resolved the issue together and we look forward to continuing a great relationship with them in the future.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/29/2024

  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.

  On June 16, 2024, I purchased a pre-certified 2019 ******** from *** Johnson ********, understanding it included a manufacturer's warranty, passed a 185-point inspection, and was reliable. During the test drive, the salesperson, Nath****, acknowledged a steering wheel issue and assured me it would be fixed if I bought the car. He said there were no other problems.I picked up the car on June 17. On June 25, the check engine light came on. Nath**** reassured me it wasn't serious. I took the car to the service department, where mechanic *** attributed it to an improperly closed gas cap, though I hadn't opened it. The light disappeared after he reset the system.On July 6, the check engine light returned. I brought the car back and received a loaner. On July 12, I called to confirm the car was ready and was told it was. However, when I arrived, it wasn't finished, and I had to return on July 15. Despite this, I received an invoice stating I picked up the car on July 12.The steering wheel issue, previously acknowledged by Nath**** (including by SMS), was dismissed by the service team. This was part of our deal, and if they can't fix it, I didnt receive what was promised.On July 15, the check engine light returned for the third time, indicating an evap leak. I was provided a rental car from Enterprise but had to pay for a damage waiver. This caused significant stress, financial costs, and disruption to my plans.When picking up the car on July 22, I received a duplicate of previous invoices. They inaccurately reflected the mileage driven during test drives, which I documented with photos before and after each service visit. I also noticed a sticky substance on the windshield, requiring a special cleaner.The check engine light came on again on July 27th. The car has been in service for 17 of the 42 days since purchase.I am requesting a replacement vehicle. I expect a prompt resolution, as I am prepared to escalate this complaint to legal action if necessary.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/31/2024

  The customer is bringing the vehicle back to the service department on Thursday, 8/1, and will be provided a loaner vehicle. If we are unable to rectify the issue with the vehicle after this visit, we will trade the customer out of the car into a similarly priced vehicle at no cost to him, or buy the vehicle back from the customer. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/08/2024

  Hi ****,

  Zoie L, FYI (additionally about issues related to refund, license plate and the lack of answers).

  case ID number 22063407 

   

  I am writing to express my concerns regarding the ongoing service of my car, which has been with your team since 08.01.2024. Despite the initial estimate, the completion date has been extended three times, which has been considerably inconvenient

  Additionally, your suggestion to replace the gas cap appears to have been ineffective in resolving the issues with my vehicle. This ongoing delay and misdiagnosis are causing significant disruptions, not only to my daily routines but also financially. As of now, my expenses related to the loaner car's damage waiver, alongside the insurance for both my vehicle and the loaner and loan to BECU, have accumulated to over $800 this month alone. 

  I didnt mention about different fuel efficiency. My car has fuel efficiency 60 mpg and loaner car 30 mpg. 2 times difference. 

  800 $ This is an unprecedented amount just to maintain basic mobility. 

  Furthermore, I must bring to your attention that the refund check, which was discussed and supposed to be issued following our last communication, has yet to be received. The absence of this check adds another layer of financial inconvenience.

  Given these circumstances, I urge you to expedite the resolution of the service of my car and confirm if your team is able to fix it. 

   I appreciate your immediate attention to this matter and look forward to a satisfactory resolution.

  Thank you for your cooperation.

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/08/2024

  Hello
  case ID number ********
  Please dont close the case. The took car for the service and Im still waiting. 
  They never answer on my initial official request to replace the car. I asked them to answer direct ,its in my email. They never answered. 
  
  At the same time I continue pay for damage waiver for the loaner car and they promised to fix it in few days. Its been more than week since that. 
  They also lost my check refund from *** and never answered. There are still a lot of problems. 
  
  Sorry 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/16/2024

  Hi Zoie,

   

  For your information, I still have not received my money back, and I still haven't gotten my car. They have extended the car repair time several times. I said -ok. They never call me back on my own, every time I had to call them myself and remind them to extend the loaner car. 

  
  
  

  The last time they promised to return the car was today (I have a voicemail from the mechanic), but when I called them again, the employee said he would call me back and then just hung up when I tried to ask another question.

  I still havent received my money back after registering the car with the **** despite personally informing **** and the service employee about this. 

  The loaner car they provided with Enterprise needs to be returned within a few hours. The issue remains unresolved, and they are not being responsive at all. 

  
  
  

  This is a worse experience in my life. 

  
  
  

  Artem 

  Business Response

  Date: 08/16/2024

  Response sent to direct customer e-mail at 2pm:
  

  "It is my understanding that your vehicle is completed as of a few minutes ago. Which, according to the voicemail transcription you attached from ****, is exactly when he said it would be done. Please understand that parts needed to be ordered for the vehicle in order to resolve the issues that you stated you needed fixed. Before those parts could be ordered, deeper diagnostics needed to be completed. I apologize that this took longer than you had hoped it would, and that our communication was not up to your standard. We hope to learn from this and communicate more effectively in the future.
  
  Regarding your licensing refund:
  
  Our licensing office has been extremely far behind due to the cyber-attack at the end of June on CDK Global.I verified that the refund was processed by our title clerk on 8/7 and that they now have all 300 checks they were waiting on signed and ready for distribution. I have asked that they pull yours specifically from the checks waiting on the Monday **** pickup and send it today via ****** You should receive the check for $66.25 in the next few days.
  
  I apologize again that you felt our service was sub-par, and hopefully youll find that your vehicle is repaired to your satisfaction."

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/05/2024

  Hi Selena, 

  I need they replace the car or buy it back as they wrote in their first msg here in BBB because, because engine check light went back again. 

   

  They wrote they will replace the car or buy it back in case they cant fixed it. 

   

  I would like you to reopen the case. 

   

  Thank you very much!

  Business Response

  Date: 09/18/2024

  We have left the customer multiple voice messages, as well as attempted to reach him via text message, to set up a time for him to come in and discuss the options with us. At this time the customer is unresponsive. We will continue to try and get in touch with him so we can come to a resolution. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/13/2024

  Type:Order 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.

  I brought in my car for service on 6/13/2024. I had originally purchased the car from the same dealership on 5/30/2023. When I purchased the car, the dealership as expected upsold the car by talking about how its in a great condition despite being used. Nothing wrong with it. While selling the car the dealer clearly mentioned that the tires on the car were Brand New. Fast forward a year later when I got my car in for servicing on the date mentioned above, I learn that the tires were definitely not brand new and are 7 years old manufactured. I tried to probe more to look into what the condition the tires were when I got the car and they mentioned they were 8 3/4 deep and not brand new. The service rep was absolutely not useful when discussing and kept deflecting the question and had the audacity to tell me They were installed new. Extremely scummy practice by lying when selling a used car, knowing that theyre trying to upsell me. I can understand if I missed something and because the car was sold as-is it is on me to verify facts. But blatantly lying to make a sale is not a good business practice. Please be better by at least not lying when selling cars and please ask your service staff to not deflect and to not be rude.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/14/2024

  We apologize for the inconvenience the customer is currently experiencing in needing new tires due to a road hazard puncture creating a leak in their front tire. It also sounds like there was a misunderstanding when he purchased the vehicle. The tires, at the time of our inspection, measured 7/32 in front, and 8/32 in the rear, both quite a way from needing replacement. The vehicle had ****** miles on it. We rotated the tires at that time, and we also replaced the front pads and machined the rotors. The initial inspection and RO are attached. We do use a system called Auto iPacket that makes this information available to the public through our website so that consumers can verify what we are telling them. We make every effort to be completely transparent.

  On 6/13, the customer brought the vehicle to us for service and noted the leaking tire, which we found to be caused by road hazard. The vehicle had ****** miles and the tires were measuring at 6/32 front, 7/32 rear, still far from needing replacement from a tread depth perspective (MPI attached). In speaking to our advisor, they state that they never told him that we installed new tires on it, but rather that the tires on the vehicle had been installed new at some point based on the tread depth measurement and the mileage on the vehicle. The recommendation for replacement of all 4 tires is due to the age of the tires based on the *** stamping, and since we cannot patch anything 7 years or older, replacing only 1 tire could create other issues due to a difference in circumference based on treadwear. 

  In an effort to fix the customer concern, since it does sound like there has been some misunderstanding along the way, we would be happy to extend an offer to replace the customer's tires at our cost. We have two options, an OEM replacement that would be $157 plus installation per tire, or an OEM substitute that is slightly more budget friendly at $127 plus installation per tire. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/07/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore 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.

  Our 2017 Kia ***** was turned in for service on October 23, 2023. The car had been broken into and the ignition switch had been damaged in an attempt to steal the car. The insurance company needs some photos and an estimate for the repair. After 3 weeks and multiple attempts to contact the Service Adviser and Service Manager, we (Insurance and myself) have not received the information required or a return phone call. We live **************************** is a bit of a problem. This has been one of the worst and frustrating customer experiences.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/29/2023

  The customer was contacted immediately. Pictures were taken and sent as per their request. RO is closed and customer is redelivered and happy. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/30/2023

   
  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.
  

  I would like to specifically thank the Service Manager for his prompt response and follow through in response to this matter. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/06/2022

  Type:Sales and Advertising 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.

  I initiated a purchase request through TrueCar with Lee Johnson Kia. I was issued a quote and offer for a specific VIN, and accepted it on condition of a test drive. Lee Johnson Kia and specifically *********************** (Internet Sales Manager) responded and acknowledged the test drive.I called the dealer in advance to ensure the vehicle was on site and it was confirmed that it was. However, when i went to the dealer at the scheduled time to complete the test drive and purchase, i was told that the vehicle had already been sold and i could not test drive it. I was also told that there were no other similar models available for consideration.As a result of committing to this offer i canceled an offer for a similar model from another private seller, which has tentatively sold.the fact that *** Johnson advertised a deal, reached out to confirm an offer, and then rescinded on their agreement when i reached the dealership cost me time and money, and also feels like false advertising with the intent of baiting customers to come into the dealership to undergo some high-pressure sales pitch.For damages and lost time under this false advertising claim i'm requesting a similar vehicle for $5K less then the attached agreed upon price due.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/09/2022

  We're sorry that this consumer feels that he was misled. The first e-mail he received was a standardized e-mail sent by TrueCar, not dealership personnel. TrueCar's availability disclaimer in their offers (attached) states, "This vehicle is subject to prior sale and MAY BECOME UNAVAILABLE AFTER IT HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED TO YOU AS AVAILABLE." Two of our sales people did reach out to this customer once we received his inquiry from TrueCar. In the first e-mail, the EV6 models were clearly noted as sold (attached). In the second e-mail (also attached) our sales representative clearly states that we are currently sold out of EV6 inventory. All VDPs and SRPs on our website also fully disclose when an inbound or in-stock vehicle is sold, both in the picture overlay and in the vehicle description (example attached). We made no attempt to deceive anyone and, in fact, very clearly disclose the sold status of all of our inventory on our website. TrueCar simply receives an inventory feed, which does not decipher between sold and available. This is why they have an availability disclaimer, as one should always check actual availability of a vehicle with the dealer.