Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  01/12/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Ongoing electrical problems in our *** ******** 2018 (purchased new in Whitehorse) starting in September 2020. The battery repeatedly drained for no apparent reason causing us to miss events and have to jump and/or recharge the battery at random times. The car was not reliable. The local *** dealership replaced the entertainment unit for $697.34, assuring us it was the cause of the battery draining, but problems persisted. *** then replaced the battery for $572.12, but the new one kept discharging as well. *** said both repairs were not covered by warrenty. Finally, in November 2022, after multiple attempts to get *** Canada and the local dealer to solve the problem, we took the car to an independent car mechanic who told us the battery had been poorly installed and he redid the connections. We also had problems with the lights in our trailer and we paid to replace the hitch harness that *** had original installed when we bought the car. The mechanic said the 7 point hitch harness was wrongly wired by ***. *** Canada later sent us a part recall for the hitch harness and I was told by the local dealership that we were getting a refund for that job, and then one hour later the same fellow said that they would now not pay the refund. The owner of Whitehorse *** would not talk to me about it. Later we had the solenoid wired in by a different independent car mechanic. These two repairs of rewiring work already done by *** mechanics has cost us more money. We have spent roughly $1730 to work on all these problems. We have requested refunds to the local *** dealer and also *** Canada with no result. The owner of Whitehorse *** dealership says there is nothing he can do and he will not meet with us, and *** Canada says there is nothing they can do and it is a local dealership problem.

  Business response

  14/12/2022

  There were multipule complaints with the vehicle and we did talk to the customer on multipule occassions ( phone and in person and also gone to their home) We had the vehicle in shop multipule times to check the isees. It was kept for over a week to check for the issues. We did multipule tests on the vehicle to try to confirm the issue - draw tests, checking memory cir. for power and it passed all our tests while at the dealership. We didn't charge for any these test while we were trying to diagnose. We talked to *** Canada about it as well and they were also not willing to reimburse the $1730.

  The original hitch wiring was installed in 10/29/2017.

  The hitch recall was done 10/10/2019 and a new wiring harness was installed as provided by *** Canada. The harness is just plug and play - there is no connecting/cutting wires on our end. The customer did not pay for this as it was a recall

  The previously wiring harness failed and was replaced in 06/18/2021. The customer had to pay for this as it was out of warranty.

  There was another recall for hitch wiring but it did not pertain to their vehicle as the effected part # wasn't one that we had used on their vehicle. We had explained this when we had talked to them. 

  The customer wanted everything paid back ($1730) presumably under the warranty recall ( trailer hitch recall ). This was not something that we could offer. We diagnosed the vehicle extensively without charging, provided loaner vehicle while we had their vehicle.

  Customer response

  21/12/2022

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: 

  Yes, we do have multiple complaints.

  
  The major complaint was the electrical leak causing continuous drained battery.  After 3 years of use, the vehicle we purchased new started draining the battery for unknown reason.  We took it back to *** where the owner/manager tried to diagnose the problem.  After several tries, he assured us (I guarantee that it will solve the problem) that the audio system was the culprit and installed a new one.  The warranty on that unit had JUST expired and we had to pay to put a new one in.  First time we used the car after this, the car didn’t start.  *** (owner manager) told us that all the recharging of the battery when it was drained probably ruined it and we needed a new battery.  We took it back for *** to sell us another battery at over $500.  New battery and the car didn’t start again:
  Here are the detailed notes:
  December 26, 2020 Car had no power at all, battery completely drained.  ***** took it in the house and recharged it overnight
  We had to postpone our trip to our cabin in ***** (2 hours away) by one day
  December 28, 2020 In ***** (200 km from our home) car wouldn’t start.  ***** took the battery in the cabin to recharge it overnight
  We did not use the car while at the cabin, for fear it would drain again and had to cut short our stay in *****.
  January 5th, 2021 Took the car in to ***.  They tested battery, alternator, did a draw test, “all normal”
  They also changed a front dome burnt light bulb (coincidence?) $69.84
  January 9th, 2021 Car did not start.  ***** took the battery in to recharge.  Again without a car for 12 hours
  January 10, 2021 Took the car to ***.  ***** waited pretty well all day in town for them to have time to look at our car and to run different tests.  Nothing shows abnormal.  At end of day, Raman gave ***** a courtesy car.
  January 12, 2021 ***** went back to *** and Ramen (owner) suggested removing the fuse to the radio unit to test if it is what is draining the battery. He said the battery died on them too in the shop.
  January 12-February 10, 2021 No problem with car starting with fuse out.
  Really missing the radio unit, which includes back up camera, and visuals for heating system, plus radio and Bluetooth phone system
  February 10, 2021 A few days before the 10th, I went in and spoke to Raman. He said the problem was the radio unit. I questioned him on that and he said they had a few cars with the same problem and it is the radio. Took car in to put in radio unit on 10th – “normal draw”. *** put in a remanufactured unit. We thought we would be getting a new one. $697.34
  February 26, 2021 Battery dead.  ***** called Ramen who said it is probably now a dead battery. He said that a new battery would solve the problem. He sent someone out to jump it and ordered a new one to put in on Monday.
  ***** recharged the battery.
  March 1, 2021 When ***** went to start the car to drive to *** to put in the new battery, the car battery was dead.  $572.12
  We had important medical appointments that day and it was incredibly stressful to be without a car, and not knowing what to do.  It would have taken too long to wait for the battery to get charged again so we called roadside assistance and were told there isn’t any in Whitehorse. *** staff came over to boost it and ***** took the car to the dealership to have the new battery put in.
  March 4, 2021 Car didn’t start with new battery. Battery so dead ***** could only open the door with the mechanical key.
  Had commitments that day, again, very stressful to be without car. We have NO IDEA HOW TO PROCEED with the problem.
  We worry an expensive brand new battery will have be damaged by having been drained completely.  Again, at our cost?
  
  Second complaint: 
  This late fall again when temperatures reached below zero, problems with the car not starting resumed.  We had to boost start the car every morning.  Having lost confidence in ***, we took it to an independent mechanic who checked the battery.  That mechanic noticed the battery had been improperly installed.  ***’s mechanic had added a screw to secure a loose part, and the contact was lost. That independent mechanic re-installed the battery and we had no problem since.  So *** charged us to install a battery improperly, which caused a lot of stress every morning when needing the car to go places.  Understand that it is our ONLY vehicle.
  Another work improperly done by ***’s mechanic was the installation of the trailer hitch.  This was noticed and fixed by a different independent mechanic when we thought we had a problem with our travel trailer.  Turned out the work done by *** had been improperly done.  At our cost.
  All this is why we feel we should be reimbursed $1730.  Because of the pretense that the work would for sure fix the problem, and because it was done improperly.
  The trailer hitch recall is another matter altogether.  It is misrepresented in ***’s response to our complaint as “presumably…trailer hitch recall”. We were told by *** that we were eligible for refund for work done on the hitch by independent mechanics. One hour later we were told by phone by the same *** staff that the decision was reversed and we would not be eligible.  Raman avoided us when we asked for explanation.
  ***’s bumper to bumper’s warranty has proven to be words only. They do not stand by their product.  Whitehorse Subaru and *** Canada had the opportunity to correct our expenses for the faulty vehicle.
  We have not asked for compensation for our stress and inconvenience (avoiding going to our cabin for fear of the car not starting,  fearing missing important medical appointments…) which has been augmented by dealing with ineffectual and limited help from the dealership.  *** Canada was of no practical help.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** and ******* *******

  Business response

  22/12/2022

  Unfortunately at this time, there isn't much else that we can offer. 

  Customer response

  23/12/2022

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: there are things *** Whitehorse can do but chooses not to.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******* *******

*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. ↩