Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  09/09/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased a used vehicle for over $20,000. I was promised the dealerships mechanics Looked this vehicle over and it had no mechanical issues. Starting on day 2, I've had issues and the vehicle broke down. Got it back and drove it a few times and it broke down again resulting in several thousand dollars turbo and motor damage.

  Business response

  09/13/2023

  Customer experienced a dead battery the day after they purchased an "As Is" used car with 97K miles.   We encouraged her to purchase a short-term or mid-term warranty on the car at time of sale, she declined.  We (Safford) fully reimbursed her for the parts and labor to replace the battery.   2,188 miles later, she has experienced an alleged engine problem with the Turbo Charger.   We requested to take the vehicle to an Authorized ***** Dealership, but ********************* requested we tow the vehicle back to her house, which is 85 miles away, so she could take it to her own mechanic.   Her mechanic quoted a repair bill of $1,412.28 on 09/12/2023 (see attached).   We have agreed to pay the entire repair bill that her mechanic quoted and have already sent her a check (see attached) dated 09/13/2023.   Our payments were made as goodwill gestures to her.  

  This vehicle passed the Virginia State Inspection process and State Emissions testing prior to sale proving that the vehicle did not have an engine problem at the time of sale.   Therefore, we are declining to refund the purchase for ********************* as we have paid for exactly what her mechanic, that she chose, said was wrong with the car.  ********************* states that her mechanic is "**** Certified" and knows how to repair **** products, so we have taken their repair quote as confirmation of what the vehicle needs.

  Please let us know if any further questions can be answered.    Thank you. 

  Customer response

  09/21/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  The reason I chose an independent mechanic is to save money when you told me fords quote as I am already in the hole with this vehicle now. I have told you that the mechanic gave me two options- go ahead and replace the motor, or try to clean it out. He told me if he cleans it out I will break down AGAIN within hours with a blown motor. It is wise to go ahead and replace the motor as it is full of the metal from the turbo blowing and the safest option for me and my children. The reason I sent you the estimate for that cleaning is because you said I could trade the vehicle in minus that repair. The mechanic and I believe the battery dieing is what caused this blown turbo and there is no way your team didn't know this battery was dead and was going to cause the vehicle to break down. I was NEVER offered an affordable warranty. I specifically asked the finance employee my warranty options and the cheapest one was over $4,000. Meanwhile, my boss came in to shop for a used vehicle and was offered a $250 warranty. I want to know why I wasn't offered that as I feel discriminated against now and you knew this vehicle was bad. You then called the cops and had us removed from your property. I am BEGGING you for help. PLEASE take this vehicle back or pay to have it fixed correctly. I have not cashed your checks yet because I do not have the money to fix this vehicle properly (replace the motor). Please help me.

  Regards,
  
  ***************************

• Initial Complaint

  04/26/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Issue with SAFFORD Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram of Springfield Virginia Please note that I was one of the lucky 2000 people to get a reservation for the Chrysler 300 C which is the last Chrysler 300 model to ever be produced. This is a highly desired car that sold all 2000 units in less then 12 hours. There was so much demand that a wait list was created. However, part of the Chrysler guidelines for reserving the car was to 1) pick a color (3 colors offered), 2) select a dealer, 3) agree on a price with the dealer and 4) put in your deposit. However, even though I followed the guidelines and have a "Price Confirmation Sheet" as well as an email where I agreed upon price, the dealer was already posting the car on cars.com and using it to bait and switch to consumers before the car was even built. When I emailed my salesman (original salesman is no longer there) about the issue I was told not to worry. At the time that the price was agreed upon, no dealer mark up was mentioned as Chrysler specifically specified in the guidelines. I relied on the vendor stating that they would not mark up the car when I ordered it. I would have used a different dealership if I would have known that they were plotting to mark it up or sell it to someone else if I did not agree with the mark up. This was my reservation, I brought it to them, and this was not from inventory that was on the lot or in their showroom. This is a highly desired car and they plotted to ransom it to me for a higher price or to sell this 1 of 2000 cars to someone else. I would like to complain to the highest degree about this dealership and the fact that they stole this collectable car from me.

  Business response

  05/24/2023

  We are confused by the BBB complaint.  We agreed on a price with ************** and he took delivery of the Chrysler *** *** Special Edition on 04/29/2023.

  Customer response

  05/26/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: There is nothing to misunderstand here, this is just more of the deceitful tactics used by this dealership. Instead of saying anything about the fact that they tricked me into believing that they would honor the suggested retail price for this vehicle, they only refer to the fact that I (under protest and deeply humiliated) agreed to negotiate the cost of the car down because my only options were to (i)either buy the car at their whopping marked up price ($14,995) over the original and agreed upon price, or (ii) walk away from the car that I eagerly waited 7 months to get. My buying the car was not an agreement of the price, but merely my attempt to keep the car. As you can see from the enclosed email, I originally reached out to Safford because the original dealer that I was working with (*****) decided that they were going to charge me a markup. As a result, I immediately called around until I talked to their salesman (****************************** who stated that they would not charge me a markup... and then helped me to move my reservation from ***** over to Safford. This should serve as proof that I only chose Safford in an attempt to "avoid" a markup. That said, if you look through the attached email, you will also see where I pressed ****** several times to provide the "final cost" so that I would have something in writing. So he first provided me with a "Configuration Sheet" with the pricing, which I agreed to. Shortly thereafter, and after getting the original reservation canceled (switched over) he provided me with a "Priced Order Confirmation" that listed "Sold Order" and my name and information. As a result of having something in writing, I thought that their intent would be to honor the pricing. Aside from all of that, the bottom of each of their emails list what will and will not be added to the final cost of a car purchased from Safford... and there is no mention or suggestion of a markup there or in the Priced Order Confirmation. Additionally, the salesperson mentioned in a "Fun Fact" in the email "solidifying the order" that the GM and his manager who I believe were (**************** and **. *********************) told him that this limited edition car sold out in 12 hours. Therefore "they" knew of the demand for this car. 

  That said, I believe that their intention was to deceive me from the beginning because they basically knew that the vehicle was in high demand and that they could reap a profit. Once I objected to their attempted theft, I was threatened by ********************* that I would be removed from the "Sold Order" therefore completing their theft and removing me from "my' reservation. Again, this was not a car that they had in stock or in their showroom, or that they could reserve for the dealership, this was a car that they could easily steal from a customer for their own greedy profit knowing that Chrysler probably would not get involved (which they didn't). So again, I feel that they never intended to honor the MSRP but were only seeking to use me to basically "take" this vehicle from me upon delivery. 

  Lastly, they understand exactly what they did and they are merely trying to downplay it. Safford is the worst dealership that I have every been to in my life, and both the GM and Sales Manager "NEED TO BE FIRED" for their deception and continued deception. They didn't even have the decency to warn me during the 7 months that I waited for the car so that I could try to do something about it in advance. Instead, they simply blindsided me when the vehicle came in. No other customer should have to go through this. 
  
  Regards,
  
  *********************

• Initial Complaint

  09/15/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I bought a new car july 13th 2022. I was giving paper tags and paper work for the vehicle.. Today 9/15/22 the dealership failed to put the title in my name so when you run the vin number the car comes back to the original owner. I notified the dealership a dozen times and the issues is still not fixed. I spoked to a GM manager, tag & title and my sales person. Without the car in my name i can not get hard plate tags for the vehicle. The car will be registered in Virginia & not Maryland but they are failing to put the car in my name. At this point I’m ready to sue this dealership. The photo that i added for documentation shows that the car is still in the original owner name. My name is ******* ******. I want the car put in my name & my down payment back.

  Business response

  09/21/2022

  This purchase has taken us longer than usual to process, but much of this is because we were asked by the customer to move the registration to Virginia.   It was originally supposed to be registered in the state of Maryland, but unfortunately, the customer had "DMV Stops" with the state of Maryland.   When the state has stops, the registration with this customer cannot take place until the person clears the Stops.   Based on Stops, the customer requested that we move the registration to the state of Virginia.  We investigated, but *** ****** did not have a valid Virginia address so that was not possible as well.  Since the customer needs to clear his DMV Stops, we are processing (already processed) this sale as a Maryland Title Only purchase and the customer will be responsible to register the car after he clears his Stops. 
  We never like any registration taking this long.  This is a situation where we have been trying to work with the customer to do what he wants us to do, but based on his circumstances, he nor us can get around the Maryland DMV Stops.  

• Initial Complaint

  08/18/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Since purchasing my Fiat vehicle, I have had it repaired exclusively at Fiat dealerships within the Safford Auto Group. This year, I needed some mechanical repairs and took it to Safford Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler and Fiat of Springfield. When my check engine light came on in February, I was told I may need to replace the transmission. When the mechanics looked in the vehicle, I was told I needed a new shift gear lever. I agreed to the repairs and they were performed. When I went to pick up the vehicle, not only had I been overcharged for the work, which a customer service agent corrected, I was also advised that the mechanic's recommended repairs was to replace the entire clutch. That was never communicated to me and I wrote emails and contacted the General Manager several times to no avail. I wrote the the General Manager, Mark J****** that should I need to replace any of the parts or subsequently make repairs to the clutch in the coming months, that I would lodge a complaint against the Service and Parts Division of the company. I returned twice after the repairs were made because the check engine light indicator was active on my dashboard, I was told that I would need additional repairs in an amount greater than $3700. Because I spent over $5000 between October 2021 and May 2022 at the shop, and because of the poor service I received, I declined to permit them to work on my vehicle. I took it to a mechanic, who informed me this week that many of the repairs in my payment history had not been completed as claimed. He also informed to that the front grill of the vehicle had not been secured onto the frame of the vehicle - none of the screws were in place that would secure the front plate and grill of the vehicle to the engine frame. In addition, I was informed that my clutch is completely burnt out and the vehicle is not safe to drive. It is unclear how the vehicle deteriorated into a state of non-use after having made multiple visits to Safford of Springfield.

  Business response

  08/30/2022

  ******************** vehicle came to us on 2/07/2022 with a Check Engine light concern and whistling noise.   We found that the Manual transmission was leaking at the point where the shift lever goes into the transmission.  The fluid was very low in the vehicle and while we suspected that damage had occurred in the transmission, we stated that we could fix the shift lever and refill with fluid to see if the car would be okay.   We did not want to over-repair the vehicle since we know that FIAT parts can be costly coming from the manufacturer.   Customer also complained of the parking brake that gets stuck and the customer stated that she had to keep pulling the lever up and down.  We found the parking brake cable to be loose.   We tightened the cable and then checked the system and everything worked as designed.  

  On 02/28/22, **************** brought the vehicle back to us and stated that the Warning light was on and that the timing belt for the engine had snapped.  We inspected the vehicle and found that the timing belt was not snapped and the warning light was on because the vehicle needed the oil changed and a Daytime Running Light bulb was out.  

  On 05/25/2022, the vehicle came back in the Check Engine light on.  We connected the vehicle's computer system to check for faults.  We found the Variable Value Timing Actuator needed to be replaced.   This is probably why someone earlier stated that the timing belt was broken.  

  We did not get a chance to witness the alleged issue with the grill being secured to the vehicle, but this doesn't really have a grill.   Is the customer referring the front fascia?

  The clutch on this vehicle is 10 years old and a manual transmission clutch is a "wear item"   Depending on the driver's characteristics on driving this vehicle, it is definitely understandable that the clutch disc could be completely worn out based on age and mileage on the car.  

  At this time, we cannot find any reason to offer a refund to this customer.   We have tried to minimize the cost for the customer to repair the vehicle.   It's unfortunate that our intentions are perceived as not being up front.  

  Customer response

  11/26/2022

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  --------- Forwarded message ---------
  From: ******* ******* *. <******************@********.com>
  Date: Wed, Nov 23, 2022 at 5:36 PM
  Subject: RE: You have a new message from the BBB of Metro Washington DC & Eastern Pennsylvania in regards to your complaint #********.
  To: Dispute Resolution Team <drteam@mybbb.org>
  
  

  Good evening Dispute Resolution Team,

  I have reviewed the response from the establishment and find it not only unsatisfactory, but also verification of the negligence on the part of the Business. 

  For example, the Business states the following below:

                “The fluid was very low in the vehicle and while we suspected that damage had occurred in the transmission, we stated that we could fix the shift lever and refill with fluid to see if the car would be okay.”  (Emphasis added).

  As I previously stated, I was initially told that I needed a new transmission.  But, I refused to have a whole new transmission put into the vehicle.  My vehicle is 10 years old and has less than 85,000 miles on it when I took it in as a result of the illuminated Check Engine light.  What it ultimately needed was a new clutch, but that was not communicated to me until after I paid for the shift lever, which was offered as an alternative to replacing the transmission.  I had a long conversation with the lead mechanic and the customer service agent when I went to pay for the vehicle and they were both confused as to why replacing the clutch was never the repair option that was communicated to me.  The Business is misrepresenting its own conduct as if the decision to replace the shift lever was taken of their own volition.

  Next, two statements from the Business indicate either their incompetence, lack of professionalism or worse - negligence with regard to repairing my vehicle:

                “On 02/28/22, *** ****** brought the vehicle back to us and stated that the Warning light was on and that the timing belt for the engine had snapped.  We inspected the vehicle and found that the timing belt was not snapped and the warning light was on because the vehicle needed the oil changed and a Daytime Running Light bulb was out.  

  On 05/25/2022, the vehicle came back in the Check Engine light on.  We connected the vehicle's computer system to check for faults.  We found the Variable Value Timing Actuator needed to be replaced.   This is probably why someone earlier stated that the timing belt was broken.”  (Emphasis added)

  This account omits that I visited the Business on May 10, 2022.  In the first statement, the Business mistakenly quoted me as saying the timing belt snapped.  What I said was that it sounds like the timing belt or the fan belt or some other belt snapped.  I never claimed to know which belt it was, as I am not a mechanic. 

  In the next statement the Business indicated that they found the problem to be the Variable Value Timing Actuator and that “this is probably why someone earlier stated that the timing belt was broken.”  Again, no one stated that the timing belt was broken.  What I did was describe the noise that I heard coming from the engine, a noise I heard after my vehicle was seen by the Business on May 10, 2022.  Why is it that they did not see that issue when I brought it in on May 10, 2022?

  Finally, as to the question posed by the Business in the sentence below, they may be right.  

  “We did not get a chance to witness the alleged issue with the grill being secured to the vehicle, but this doesn't really have a grill.   Is the customer referring the front fascia?”

  I do not know the name of the exact part and referred to it in the best laymen’s term I knew.  Nevertheless, there were no screws in place for the front fascia when the vehicle was inspected by the new mechanic.  The new mechanic took pictures of the state of the vehicle as they found it and described it as “extremely dangerous to drive” and further said, “they really just took your money and didn’t do the repairs.”

  I believe that the Business was completely negligent in their duties and caused some of the mechanical issues I was experiencing – especially with regard to my parking brake.  I have proceeded with a formal complaint against this Business with the Consumer Affairs Branch of Fairfax County and will further pursue all legal remedies available to me, if I am unable to amicably resolve the issue with the Business.

  Appreciatively,

  ******* ** ******
  Regards,
  
  ******* ****** 
  

  Business response

  11/30/2022

  We have reviewed with case with all parties involved at the dealership to ensure this was not handled incorrectly.  

  Regarding the clutch, the vehicle was brought to us with a check engine light on.  A worn clutch in a manual transmission car does not cause a check engine light to come on.   When we looked at this vehicle, it had fluid all underneath the vehicle and it was leaking from the shift lever area.  The low fluid level in the transmission is what caused the check engine light to come on.  We replaced the shift lever and seals which was definitely defective so we could get the Check Engine light off after refilling the fluid.   When we did the repair, the check engine light was reset and did not come back on in the road test.   

  For the clutch to have to be replaced, it would have to be a condition of either fluid saturated the clutch material, or the clutch was just simply worn and could not hold the torque from the engine.  Either way, that would not be a responsibility of Safford FIAT.   A clutch in a manual transmission vehicle is a "wear item" and does need to be replaced just like brake pads or tires.   

  In regard to the parking brake, the vehicle appears to have had two failures.  The first time we looked at it, the complaint was that the parking brake gets stuck.  We found a lose parking brake cable and tightened it.  The car's parking brake then works as designed for almost 4 months.   Then the car comes back in stating that the parking brake engages when the vehicle hits a pothole.  This is a different condition as noted when *** ****** explains the what the vehicle was doing when she brought it in for write-up. 

  Lastly, the front grille on the vehicle has never been removed for any repairs that we conducted. The first time we ever saw this car was on 09/23/2021.   Has any other establishment ever worked on this car?

  Unfortunately, we will have to decline *** ******'s request for a refund as we don't see any culpability on our part. 

  Thank you.  

  James K***** - General Manager

• Initial Complaint

  04/27/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On March 20th, I had my car towed into Stafford Fiat/Chrysler as my battery died. During the evaluation of my car, I had my oil changed as well (battery and oil serviced on 3/21 by Stafford Fiat). Approximately 1 week later, I noticed in my garage that oil was leaking. I know it was new oil because my house is a brand new build so no other car has ever parked in my garage. I monitored it for a week, thinking maybe this was just water as it had been rainy prior to Stafford changing my oil on 3/21. However as the weeks (I monitored for approximately 2 weeks post 3/21/2022) I noticed that the drips were getting worse so I realized this was actually oil and an issue with my car. I had my husband schedule to take my car into ********* in Waldorf where we normally go because I no longer trusted Stafford Fiat.   ********* found on 4/11/2022 that the service center at Stafford Fiat had screwed the cap on too tight of my oil and broke the oil seal and messed up my oil plug causing my car to leak oil. I had to get my car fixed by *********. I began calling Stafford Fiat and they were not calling me back, I waited 4 days and had to threaten a BBB complaint, then I was called back in 2 minutes (by Marc J****** after I left him 5 voicemails and left 3 voicemails for the service rep named Alex). Then I was asked to send a copy of the receipt from ********* which I did and did not receive a call back. On the 8th day, I had to complain again and threaten again to call BBB for someone (Marc J******) to finally call me back only to then question why the service was done the way it was done at *********. I told him I'm not going to argue the way service was done because I'm not a mechanic but what was done was done and his team messed up my car. I got it fixed and paid an additional $158.72 on top of the $300+ dollars that I paid to Stafford Fiat. 

  Business response

  04/29/2022

  We contacted the customer to discuss this issue.  She alleges that the vehicle was leaking small drops of oil after having an oil change completed.  She alleges that another repair facility advised her that the oil plug seal was cracked.  Our dealership never had an opportunity to inspect if there was a leak.   When we have situations like this, should we have seen the any leaking coming from the plastic seal, we would have replaced it for her at no-charge.   These plastic seals do deteriorate over time since they are subject to heating and cooling every time the car runs.  Our process is that after every oil change, we run the vehicle for 5 minutes to ensure there are no leaks coming from the vehicle.   We did not see any leaks at the time we completed this vehicles oil change and Multi-point Inspection.  

  As goodwill, we are willing to reimburse ******************** for the Full Synthetic change she had completed at our dealership ($77.88), but unfortunately the work completed at the Independent Shop we cannot confirm, therefore, we are declining to reimburse for that alleged repair.  

  Customer response

  05/04/2022

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: the company insists that they cannot verify the services that were done to fix the errors their staff made. However I provided the company with a copy of the invoice of the work completed.  I would like the refund of the oil change and the labor costs associated with the service. The company is only trying to refund the oil change but they are not refunding the parts and labor that accompanied the oil change. In total I spent close to $400, granted $200 was for a new battery but there are parts and labor associated with the oil change that they are not refunding when the labor is the issue as well. They should refund the labor costs and parts costs associated with the oil change and provide the BBB with a detailed invoice showing the costs associated with those and which will be refunded. 
  
  Regards,
  
  *********************************
  

  Business response

  05/04/2022

  We understand the customer's request and their response to our communication.  We made our offer for reimbursement based on the facts presented.  We cannot verify if the oil drain plug was damage after we changed the oil.   Our offer to reimburse for the oil change conducted at our facility is our final offer as we feel it is fair.  

• Initial Complaint

  04/21/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On April 18th I went to Safford dodge dealership on loisdale road to have normal vehicle maintenance completed. Upon completion of the maintenance and after paying the bill, I returned to my vehicle to discover that said maintenance was NOT completed so I returned and discussed the issue with the manager. After coming to a resolution I had the dealership in VA install a ECP package on my 2015 black Dodge ****. The bill came out to around $1800 and upon further inspection the vehicle is marred and swirled extremely bad, presumably from the clay bar used without buffing or polishing afterward. The vehicle PRIOR to the package install has been paint corrected within 4 months (I have the receipt from the company) and the marring was at a minimum if at all. Proper wash and drying has always been performed on the vehicle, and has never had a brush or touch car wash on it. Now I’m stuck with an extremely expensive bill I have to pay and I’m dissatisfied with the clear coat damage done prior of the application of the coating. As for a resolution, the vehicle needs to be polished and corrected and then ceramic coated again. The dealership offered to redo the vehicle after I explained to them the issues I have with the work, but I am not comfortable with them working on the problem that they caused to begin with in fear of having further damage done to the car. Ultimately I’d like the money I paid them transferred to a local professional paint corrections/ceramic coating installation company.

  Business response

  04/25/2022

  We are aware of **. *******'s concerns with his vehicle's paint.  While we were upfront with him at the time he requested his vehicle coated with Entire Car Protection (ECP) in terms of finished product, but he remains dissatisfied.   We advised **. ****** that due to the age of the paint (2015MY vehicle) that the application prep and actual application will greatly improve the look of the paint, but that imperfections would still be present based on the condition of the paint.   We also had a discussion with him to bring the vehicle back in to us so we could work on the vehicle again to see if we improve the look of the paint further.   He agreed to bring it back to us on 04/25/2022.   However, at this time, we have not seen the vehicle return.  

  We are willing to work on this vehicle further at no-charge to the customer.   Our goal is to satisfy him.  

  Business response

  05/04/2022

  We have applied ECP to this vehicle on 3 different occasions based on the customer's demands.   We have showed him how the water beads on the car's paint.   We buffed the vehicle to ensure the paint was properly prepped for the ECP.   The paint is aged on the car and the customer continues to expect the paint to be show quality.   From 2 feet away the paint does look show quality.   You have to get very close to the paint to see the scratches in the clear coat that the customer refers to. These are scratches that were in the paint prior to us getting the car.   We have gone above and beyond to satisfy this customer and have materials and labor that well exceed the price that he paid for the ECP.  

  Customer response

  05/07/2022

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  I went to a third party professional for an opinion on the work completed and received the same concerns that I have been voicing. 
  
  Regards,
  
  *****************************
  

*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. ↩