ComplaintsforGreat Lakes Toyota-Subaru

• Initial Complaint

  02/08/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have three problems with my new 2024 Subaru Outback Wilderness edition that was purchased in January of 2024: 1. MPG is much lower that sticker especially when driving in the city. 2. The vehicle is leaving rust spots (stains) on the cement floor in my garage, 3. After 500 miles the vehicle is still leaving a burning odor in my garage hours later after returning home. Initially I only voiced my concern re: 1. to a Subaru service specialist at the dealer. The car was taken into the dealer for diagnosis. They drove the car on the highway and read the digital display which recorded 25 mpg and told me there wasn't a problem. The specialist failed to correctly document my concern which is why it was only tested on the highway. I personally tested the mileage by driving a 80% in the country and 20% in city and got 18.2 mpg. I calculated by topping off the tank, driving 55 miles and topping off the tank again. Next I divided the miles driven by the gallons used. We mostly do city driving; I know city is much lower than 18 mpg. On the test run the vehicle was driven by following the speed limits, no excessive acceleration, no long idling or warming up of the vehicle. The weather was well above freezing. I called back voicing my continued concern for 1. and my additional concerns 2. and 3. I was told by the Subaru service specialist that I was misleading them re: issue 1 but offered to have service manager ride with me or a representative of my choosing. My father rode with the manager who drove the car mostly in the county and again looked at the digital display reading 21 mpg. The service manager disregarded problems 2 and 3 claimed this is normal. In the purchasing process we discussed the MPG but it was never explained that this could be different than the sticker (Sticker: 20 city, 25 hwy and 23 avg.). None of these problems are normal to me; I've purchased two previous NEW vehicles without these concerns.

  

  Business response

  02/14/2024

  My name is ****** ****** and I am a General Sales Manager at Great Lakes Toyota Subaru. I am providing the Repair Order that was created by service advisor **** ******** when Mr. ****** had initially contacted the service department and stated his concerns. I also have written statement from the service advisor and Mr. ******.

   

  Customer Mr. ****** called I believe Monday, January 29 and explain to me that he got 68 miles to a half tank of gas. We had him bring it in the next day and fill the car up so we could go out and drive it and see, if anything was going on. Service manager test vehicle 62 miles and got 25 miles per gallon or more during the 62 miles driven. And also performed full system scan. No code stored in any module and everything was operating as designed at time. Release the vehicle back to the customer and Mr. ****** called a week or so later, roughly, not sure exactly when and was not satisfied with it, and said the car was still getting poor fuel mileage. We offered to have Mr. ****** come in and ride with the service manager and he did not want to and then a few days later I believe it was his dad that came in with the car in test drove the vehicle with the service manager.

  Customer response

  02/14/2024

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  The statements made in the company response are not completely accurate. I didn’t claim that we simply had bad mileage driving down the interstate. I stated our vehicle used around a half a tank of gas when driving from Perrysburg to Findlay and then around the city of Findlay for a few days.
  

  The method used by the dealer is inaccurate because it involved minimal city driving and it relied on the car’s digital display of mpg. I work long hours which is why I sent a representative in my place. 
  

  The previous statement made by the dealer failed to address the rusting exhaust and other components under the car.  
  

  The statements may have been comprehended if ****, would have listened instead of insisting on talking over me. 
  

  The car was portrayed as getting mileage that far exceeds what I get through manual calculation.The dealer’s failure to address my concerns has let to seeking out assistants from BBB and other organizations. I will continue to seek advice and assistance in facilitating a full refund.  
  

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

• Initial Complaint

  01/04/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  signed a lease but now they say i cant get it cause toyota wont finace me

  

  Business response

  01/10/2023

  Customer took delivery of vehicle and we had a conditional approval from Toyota Finance. Toyota needed proof of residence from the customer. It took several weeks for the customer to bring in proof of residence that would be acceptable to Toyota Finance. Once we got that, they approved the lease but initially only for 48 months. Eventually, after another week or so, Toyota finally gave us the initial approval we all agreed on (60 months). The lease is currently active and everything should be resolved.

  **** **********

  General Manager

• Initial Complaint

  11/17/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I bought a used car, 2013 Chevy Equinox, from Great Lakes. The car had a warranty of 14,000 miles or 24 months. The car was defective & after repeated attempts discovered the car needed $5,000 of engine repairs that was not covered under the warranty. I went to the dealership to complain & trade the 2013 in for a working car. I believed I traded in the 2013 Chevy for a 2018 Ford Fusion. The sales person, **** ******, told me that they would take care of everything. I was very clear with **** that I could not afford two car payments. **** also said they would take care of everything with the bank. He never once said this was not a trade in. I was clear I was trading it in. I am 75 year old veteran that lives on a fixed income. After a month & a half I learned it was not traded in & they had never contacted the bank. They did not take care of everything and stuck me with 2 cars! You would not think that a company as big as them would not participate in these types of deceptive sales practices & I feel like I was the victim of elder financial abuse. I am now stuck with 2 vehicles & payments that I can not afford. The Chevy was a lemon & the warranty was worthless. I expected that they were taking the car back on a trade in when I was told they would take care of everything. I turns out they were taking care of nothing. I am incredibly disappointed in how I was treated & taken advantage of! I want the vehicle purchased back by the dealership for the remaining loan amount. I went out on 3 separate times when I started getting notices from the bank that I was late on the payment on the 2013 Equinox to the dealership. On each visit I was told they take care of it. After the bank threatened to put a lien on my home is when I found out they never did anything & never traded the car in on my new purchase! The bank was never contacted! They just sat the car on their lot & did nothing. I expected them to be honest but were not.

  

  Business response

  12/18/2022

  Good morning,

  I'm so sorry I have not responded until just now. ******, our office manager forwarded me a message of your phone call earlier this week. I have looked throughout my whole inbox and could not find the complaint anywhere. I just realized why. Our company changed our email addresses several months ago and although I did change my specific login email address but as it turns out, it never changed my email address as regards to these alerts. I just went into the portal and updated it but noticed it hasn't taken place yet.

  Regarding the complaint, I have spoken to the individuals involved in the transaction. Specifically **** says he was clear with the customer that the vehicle was not being traded in as he owed too much on the vehicle as compared to the value of it. The bank financing the newer vehicle would not approve the customer for the newer car and finance all of the negative equity from the first car. There was no trade in paperwork signed, no payoff form signed, no title transfer paperwork or anything else.

  I am just learning of these details this week. We will absolutely buy the Equinox from the customer, but for it's market value. I'm not sure what the amount owed is but can look into that if the customer would like us to do so.

  Although I wasn't involved in the specifics of this transaction when mr Routson bought this car, I sincerely believe there was nothing deceptive here, but worst case scenario, miscommunication.

  We are open amicable resolution, however, it doesn't sound like the dealership buying the vehicle back  would be fair to us either.

  I look forward to your reply.

  **** **********

  General Manager

  **************@***************

  ************

*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. ↩