Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  10/19/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I went to LA AUTO STAR to look at a vehicle in January of 2023. I looked over the vehicle and I noticed that the paint on the rear bumper did not match the paint on the passenger side rear quarter panel. I didn’t think that it was a major issue at the time and I figured that the rear bumper would have to be blended in or touched up. I also noticed that the bodyline on the quarter panel did not match up with the rear bumper and I asked the dealer and they did not offer any explanation or reasoning. After purchasing the car I noticed that the quarter panel paint seemed to be a different shade of paint then the rest of the car and I could see small ripples in the body from the body work. I took the car to multiple collision shops and I was told that the rear passenger quarter panel had body work done on it and was repainted. The estimates that I received to repair or replace the quarter panel and repaint was approximately ******. I told the dealer about this and they previously said that there was no body damage and offered me around $********. I sent the estimates to the dealer and they stated that it was the best that they could do and that they did not have to do it. I paid $****** for the vehicle as it being in excellent condition when in reality it was not and had ****** of body damage that I will have to pay out of pocket for to fix. My car is devalued by at least ****** and I will lose that when I sell. I was cheated and taken advantage of. The dealer said no returns. They basically stole from me. They probably covered up the damage and repaired the quarter panel to hide the damage and sold it as if it were in excellent condition with no damage. They also incorrectly calculated my sales tax by **** and didn’t charge me city taxes so I had to pay over $** out of my own pocket instead of with the loan. I want compensation for my loss.

  Business response

  10/26/2023

  Vehicle in question was sold as a used car and in person, not remote. We never claim that we are selling perfect used vehicles! Customer was given an ample time to ask questions, see the car, drive it and make an educated decision about the purchase. Our offer to give this customer a compensation mentioned in the original complaint was just a goodwill offer, nothing more or nothing less.

  Customer response

  11/08/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: The sales price of the vehicle was at market price assuming the vehicle was in excellent condition with no major issues; however, there was major damage to the quarter panel that was improperly repaired, hidden and not told to the customer. Three major reputable body shops all provided quarter panel repair estimates of ***** to properly repair the vehicle. With this hidden damage, which the dealer should have no doubt known about since I noticed it after it was off the lot and especially since the vehicle was on the car lot for 6 months. If the car was such a great deal than why did it sit on the lot for over 6 months and why was the price reduced by $**** over the course of that time. Also, the car was attractive because of the low mileage, not the price. The dealer also mentioned that they bought the car via a trade in from a person when they actually bought the car at a ****** auction. Another thing, the customer did not fly down to see the vehicle they drove a few hours from another state due to the limited number of this type of vehicle. The dealer essentially sold the customer a car that was devalued by approximately ***** with the body damage that was covered up and hidden. The car was sold at $*** but it should have really been sold at ******. The car was appraised by ****** a week later at **** and noted the body issue with the quarter panel as the only main issue with the car. If the customer sells the car they will take a minimum of a ***** loss. The dealer should have known about the damage and sold the car taking into account the previous damage and they did not and sold the car with no damage in excellent condition which is wrong and deceitful. The dealer should reimburse the customer for the devaluation of the car that they sold.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** **********

  Business response

  11/10/2023

  LA Auto Star is considering this case closed. No further explanation, discussion nor monetary reimbursement will be offered. 

*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. ↩