I should've read the reviews before I stopped in here. I would have made the purchase elsewhere. I should've paid more attention when they were kicking out a young couple who were upset that the car they purchased 5 weeks ago doesn't work and the dealership wouldn't help them. I should have walked out when the staff was making racist remarks afterwards. I didn't, I purchased, and I almost immediately regretted it.
When I picked up the vehicle it wasn't washed or cleaned out. It had barely any gas in it. Within 24 hours the check engine light came on. Looking back on all of the things I mentioned above, I thought I better take this to a dealership that I trusted before I take it back to them. The vehicle had several problems, most concerning was that the head gasket needed replaced. I called Tony and explained everything. He assured me that they would take care of it and just bring it back. I showed him the pictures & report from the dealership, He told me not to worry. A week later the car was ready to be picked, they said they replaced the head gasket and intake manifold gasket.
At home, I popped the hood on the vehicle and realized that they hadn't touched the engine at all. No signs of repair or work anywhere. It was obvious. I went to look at the paperwork from the repairs they had done, realizing they never gave me any paperwork. I called Tony, and asked why I didn't have any paperwork., "That's because we didn't do anything!', Tony laughed! He then said that he was just kidding. I said, "While you think that's funny I actually don't see any evidence of any repairs at all. So I'm going to stop by and I'd like to get the paperwork and I'd like your mechanic to show me what they did."
When I came by, Ollie, the service manager came out. He was angry and aggressive. I was shocked at his demeanor and the way he was speaking to me. I had to ask him to stop the aggressive behavior and to calm down. I was just looking for some clarification and some evidence of the work that was claimed to be done. Ollie, said, "I don't know who told you that we did those repairs but it wasn't me." Tony sent Ollie away as it was apparent that Ollie was on the verge of turning his aggressive behavior to a physical altercation. I kept several feet away as he was clearly unable to control himself. Ollie should never be allowed to talk to customers.
I looked at Tony and asked why I was told that the head gasket and manifold gasket were replaced and now the Service Manager is telling me that they didn't need replaced and that they never did any work? He tried to reassure me that he would get to the bottom of It and it would be taken care of. He then gave me papers stating the work they performed, the document he offered up was a complete lie. 24 hours later, the check engine light comes back on. I called Tony and he said to bring it back.
Before I did, the brakes failed. This time I went to somebody I knew and trusted. He told me the brakes were completely shot, they never should have sold the vehicle in that shape and condition. He also confirmed that no work had ever been done to that vehicle by this dealership. $2400 later, all new brakes. At this point I do not trust Prestige with anything, so I took it to another dealership to have them look at the check engine light. This dealership had performed the routine maintenance over the years for this particular vehicle, so they had a record in their system. They told me the head gasket would need replaced, that the head was warped and needed to be machined out but could be salvaged. This dealership concluded the reason for this damage was because the vehicle had overheated and the radiator had to be replaced. Prestige, would have known this, their Finance manager was the previous owner. This information was never disclosed to me. $1900 dollars later and the engine is working.
I should have paid attention to all of the red flags. I should have purchased elsewhere. read more
