Old Jun 27, 2008 | 10:55 AM
  #21  
RoswellGrey's Avatar
RoswellGrey
Senior Member
 
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 2,755
Likes: 0
From:
Default RE: Honest review of my Challenger from me a dealer


ORIGINAL: npeifer

What that dealer did was wrong and we would NEVER hide something like that.
Unfortunately, many dealers aren't like that. When I got my 2000 Mustang at Gillespie Ford in San Antonio, there was a bit of overspray on the back of the left rear fender. They said they'd fix it because it apparently had been too close to a car that was being repaired and the spray had drifted over onto my Mustang. I take the car back a week and a half after I got it so it could be fixed. They give me a loaner Focus and off I go. That night, a horrendous hail storm hits S.A. The next day, I call to see if my car is done. The guy I talk to says, well, it had a LITTLE hail damage. I go out to see it. There's about $8,000 damage because the car was sitting outside in the absolute worst area of the hail. It looked like someone had taken a sledgehammer to it. They won't take the car back because it was an "act of God." My insurance says go ahead and get it fixed because it's "an act of God." I tell Gillespie Ford to fix it. Three days later, they finally mention that they don't have a body shop and contract that work out. Naturally, all their new cars had been damaged and they were sending them all out to get windows replaced first. I finally take the car away from them and take it to a body shop that I trust. The guys there tell me the left rear fender appeared to have been fixed previously. They pull the VIN number, check it and sure enough, it had been repaired at the body shop Gillespie contracts with. Not once had Gillespie mentioned the car had been repaired (I still would have bought it, because it wasn't that big a deal). However, I've never bought another car from them nor will I ever. Also, when I go to pick up my Challenger, I'll have my body shop friends run the VIN BEFORE I pick it up to see if anything has been done to it. A good lesson for anyone getting a new car.
Reply