Saw their ad online and got curious. My son graduated high school w honors and I promised him a car. Their ad said wholesale prices and open to public. I was skeptical st first been burned in the past at another auction in LA. My son picked 3 cars a Mercedes a Mini Cooper and a Jeep Wrangler. He wasn't able to get his favorite the wrangler but he got the Cooper a 2009 very nice looking car 80000 Miles at $3000. With taxes and registration and their auction fee I paid $3900. I of course did ky homework. My son found s very similar one on car gurus for $7000. We left the auction at 5:30. Long hot day but worth it to see that smile on my sons face. My advice do your homework go check cars and look for prices online and you can walk away with a very good deal read more

I wish I can give less than one star. Worst customer service I've ever dealt with. Don't waste your time by letting them sell your vehicle. They sold my car in June and guess what? it's the end of July and they didn't pay me yet . They don't communicate or answer phone calls or text messages. They keep saying will call you back but this never happened. When I call the main number, the lady is super rude. I Never recommend this place read more

This place does fake auctions. You won't even win your car if your the highest bidder. They will Kelly blue book the car and still want what it's worth. They're rude and just scam people. Not worth your time. read more

Scammers, unprofessional! Do not go here !! I've been to plenty of car auctions and never have I have had to wait 5 months for my paper work and title . On top of all that they charge me a total or 4000.00 for a car I won at $2700.00. If your not prepared to pay way over your budget DO NOT GO HERE!! read more

SoCal Public Auto Auction - This is the "breakdown" of everything. They even added an "other" in there. Scammers !!! - Car Auctions Near Me - Ontario, California

I bought a car pre auction which is fine, the car is fine, runs good n all that. I might've overpaid but I wanted the car. Any how, it's been over 2 months and I have not received my title, my plates, tags, nothing. And all they say is that it'll be here before the temp plates expire. This to me is unacceptable because I paid them extra to take care of all that for me. So what am I really paying for? To wait basically...friendly when they're taking your money but when u need something, hurry up and wait! read more

My first Mercedes! What a piece of junk!!! It must have been driven into the ground & yet, somehow passed smog?!?! Even though it started smoking on the way home. Yeah, right! What a bunch of liars. Bold faced liars. I desperately tried to get any help but they just strung me along until finally blocking my number. Very unprofessional, to say the least. read more

SoCal Public Auto Auction - Thank goodness for insurance! Don't buy an auction car! - Car Auctions Near Me - Ontario, California

Definitely a fan. I picked up my third Car today. I have done both their auctions and buy now This time I decided on but now because I was afraid of losing it at auction. I still got good deal and Manuel the manager gave me a discount since I am now a regular . It is a 2015 BMW X1 and I am obsessed with it. I don't want anyone to ride in it yet. read more

DO NOT BUY FROM THIS SHADY AUCTION **IMPORTANT TIPS if you do buy a car at the bottom of this review** I purchased a 2011 Hyundai Sonata with about 132,000 miles on March 20, 2022 from SoCal Auto Auction in Ontario for $10,450. First, what I noticed based on following their auction for a few weeks, both online and in person, is they have people online jacking up prices. When a car seems to be "sold" through their online bidding platform, they will have the car back in the auction the next day or week. They use the excuse of peoples loans not going through. This is just a false narrative. Second, they clean and spray some type of oil substance under the hood to disguise any oil leaks. Third, the smog check they claim to have on their cars is definitely not legit; since the car I purchased from them would 100% not have passed a smog check. As shown in the photos of how much smoke is coming from the exhaust after driving it about 40 miles since purchased. I was told by a mechanic and the dealership, the car needs an ENGINE REPLACEMENT of more than $12,000, which will cost more than the purchase price of the car. Lastly, although the car looks fine on the outside, it soon revealed all its problems. If you let them know about the issue for this 7 day warranty they say you will need to take it to their mechanics and you will need to pay 50% of all costs, labor and parts. This seems where they will rip you off for the second time. While I was waiting to complete the purchase process, DJ ( Dariush), the auction manager, told me it's a great a car, fully inspected and smog checked. And yet it turns out to be a complete bust! As none of his claims were true. They lie to your face taking advantage of people. They know their cars are complete money pits. DO NOT BE DECEIVED! **TIPS** 1. Immediately get a smog check somewhere else! Spend the money to do this the next day you purchase! 2. Take it to the dealership or trusted mechanic to be thouroughly inspected for any engine/transmission issues that have been disguised by their tricks. This will give you the upper hand to take advantage of the 7 day warranty. Again, do it immediately! 3. Check the oil and get an engine oil sample. An attorney told me they could have filled the car with diesel oil, which is thicker and could mask the engine burning oil. 4. There was a CONTRACT CANCELLATION OPTION paper in the documents saying I waived my right to return the car in the first couple days of purchase. They left it among other papers in the car after I signed all the documents. I personally don't remember that document was presented to me to be reviewed or signed as the copy they gave me has no signature but just a checked box next to waiving my right. Make sure you have this document in the initial papers they give you. By paying less than $200, you can reserve the right to return the car in the first couples days of purchase. 5. The DMV, Division of Investigations regulates the vehicle industry and licenses and regulates the occupational groups of dealerships and salespersons among several others. You may contact DMV at the following if you have additional questions:   Department of Motor Vehicles Investigations Division 8259 Demetre Avenue, MS/L219 Sacramento, CA 95828-0932   Phone: (916) 229-0167 or (916) 229-0168 Fax: (916) 229-0185 Phone Toll Free: (800) 777-0133 TTY: (800) 368-4327 List of Investigations Offices: www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/dmv/offices/investigationsoffice Download a Complaint Form: www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/uploads/2020/03/inv172a.pdf Website: www.dmv.ca.gov   For information on filing a complaint about a vehicle purchase, please see the following link: https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/customer-service/report-an-issue-or-complaint/   I hope you find this information helpful. Disclaimer: These are solely my personal opinion read more

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My daughter and I had a great experience with SoCal! This was our second time coming to an auction looking for her a car and really didn't know what to expect. The first place had horrible cars which probably wouldn't have made it to the next light. Not this place; all of the cars where in great running condition with tag and registration already taking care of. We had a minor hiccup by bidding on the wrong car and was pretty bummed; however, the manager was truly understandable and we walked away with the car happy and confident that she would be safe. What a weight lifted off a parents shoulder. Everyone the we encounter had a great personality and a welcoming smile. Oh and an added plus was "they even gave us a bottle of cold water while we waited for the auction to start! Five Stars hands down with no question!!! Stop by and leave happy....We Did!!! read more

SoCal Public Auto Auction - What we got! - Car Auctions Near Me - Ontario, California

Just picked up my Q5 I was able to get it for 2500 less than the lowest price on the market right now. With the current economy end not having credit this was definitely the best option for me. The car at a small dent on the side and they were kind enough to repair it for me before I picked it up. What I really enjoyed was the friendly customer service read more

SoCal Public Auto Auction - 2010 Audi Q5 - Car Auctions Near Me - Ontario, California

Getting up to pick up my third car here is the first time I bet online and got a white Mercedes 350 or 3000 less the market price of the car. The online meeting is definitely a convenient feature of me because I live about an hour away and get nervous when there's too many people bidding on the car it's basically distract me so we got online bidding I get The more attention to what I'm doing and I'm very happy with my purchase today read more

But my beetle today I had an excellent experience. I paid almost 2,000 less than what I expected to pay and I'm super I love my new car. This is definitely the place to go for used cars no question about it read more

Like the other reviewers, their process is pretty simple and the employees around the lot are helpful in answering your questions. The Auction does the smog and registration. So, there nothing else to do beside driving your sweet ride out of the lot. Here is some tips in getting a great experience besides going to another auction. If you can't, then here are my tips. tip #1. Bring a mechanic with you. You can't see or hear any of the defects if you don't know what to look for. If you are a mechanic, Great! The auction do not allow you to hook a code reader on their car, so you don't know if the codes were recently erased. tip #2. Bid only on your very short list (see tip #3) Don't get crazy on bidding on every car, you might get it. tip #3. Get a car fax report ( I get the $99 bulk set). That's why you only bid on the ones you really, really like. The sticker on the cars do not always have all the info, such as how many owners and more importantly, damage report. If you don't have a mechanic friends or don't want to spend the money on the car fax. I strongly caution you in bidding on this auction. read more

The day before I went here to SoCal public auto auction they told me that the car I wanted was still available once I've gotten down to the place the next day right when they opened I told them the car I wanted to look at and they tell me that it's sold. So I looked for other cars. I didn't see anything I like so I didn't get anything. So I went to a car dealer and later on in the day I get a message on OfferUp saying that the car is still available And that I can come check it out so I had my sister call them and asked if that car was still available and they said it's still available but when I went down there The same day she called they said it wasn't available and I was mad because it was a far drive which wasted my time and gas money. But they do have nice cars which is the reason why I'm giving them too star but overall customer service is a one read more

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A whole lot of shady stuff going on with this auction, not to mention the fact that their 5 star reviewers are people commenting about Limousine services. This auction charges Fees just for purchasing a vehicle from their auction.. meaning if you purchase a car for $2000 you'll end up paying $2800-3000 after all fees have been added. Some of their vehicles are flood-damaged vehicles that have not been registered as salvage... The staff at this auction is hostile to anyone recording their auction process.. BUYER BEWARE.... stay away. Nothing but a clandestine auction that'll probably disappear in 2-4 months time. read more

To begin with people are paying way to much for cars. I saw the auctioneer state that a 2009 Mini Cooper retailed for $13,000, however this one appeared to be stolen, ac broken, sunroof broken, interior ripped up and ac not working with 170,000 miles on it. Some poor soul paid $5,400 for this car. They probably didn't anticipate the additional 25% charge on top of that for auction fee and taxes. Also they charge you for the smog check WTF?? I looked up blue book value in poor condition and it was $2,900 high value! This happens throughout the auction I bought a car as well for $2,700 and ended up paying almost 4K after the other charges. Also it's been 7 weeks and no registration or license plates yet??? I'm driving around just waiting to get pulled over. I tried calling them and their phone is disconnected. Not a legit operation in my opinion! UPDATE TO REVIEW: The disorganized thugs at SoCal auction screwed up the paper work for vehicle registration. 10 weeks and no pink slip for my vehicle. Also forgot to mention previously that 2 of the 4 tires had nails in them, literally every signal light and brake light needed to be replaced. The brake light sensor went out so I couldn't put the car in drive$150. I had the busted AC repaired cost me $500. The tailgate latch stopped working... $200. I'm now $5,000 into this car. The ignition doesn't turn on unless you jam the key into it. I'm an idiot for buying from this shady place. I'll continue to spread the world for people to stay away!!! read more

This is by far one of the worst auction in the State of California! I won a bid on a 2012 Hyundai Genesis for $3800 but with their absurd taxes, the price came up to $5200. The car was making a noise every time I started it but they said " I hear a small crank but I think you just need oil". 7days later my transmission went out and now I am forced to pay 4200 for a brand new one. I wouldn't recommend to anyone. read more

My first Auction ever. Was skeptical about their cars. I arrived by 8:30 am to register and check cars out. It took about 10 minutes to register. They explained process and fees to me. I gave them a copy of my license and they gave me a card with no and said I would use to bid on the car I wanted. Had my ere on a red Range Rover. I brought my buddy who is a mechanic. He checked out a few cars and told me which ones to bid on and how much to bid. I wasn't able to get the 2008 red Range Rover. was outbid. I was able to get a navy 2010 Land Rover and it is fantastic. I went cruising with it all day and I am happy. Best of all I checked out what they are selling for and I got a fab deal. Ir is an all day process. I was able rid rice out at 4:45 on. Be ready to be there most of the day. Thanks SoCal read more

My first purchase from SoCal Auto was a 2007 Toyota Camry and it ran for 2 plus years with minimum issues. I recently had to buy another car because I was in a car accident at the beginning of the year. I went back to SoCal because I had such a great experience with my first purchase. I bought a 2011 Mazda CX-7 and I did not even have it a full month (Purchased in February 2023 ). I was not driving the car far only around my house. Soon as I took it 35-40 minutes from my house it over heated. I had the car towed to a mechanic and it needs a new head, radiator, radiator house, thermostat ...they said it was going to cost almost 3000 to get everything on it fixed. I was in disbelief. I am not happy right now, but this is what happens when you buy for an auction. They only give a 7 day warranty so it up to me to get the repairs. Just be careful and try to take someone that knows about cars before you make a purchase because the cars are not inexpensive. Go to a used lot - you might pay a little more, but at least you can get an extended warranty and if you are not happy you have a choice to take it back. Happy car hunting and best of luck! read more

Busy lifestyle came here to buy a car and leave with no worries... needed a car for a employee i brought from boston to cali. As I was leaving I told the security that the check engine light is on he said change the oil it'll be fine....(RED FLAG) during the auction they said it's a convertible and had the top down... except they were very shady failing to say the top doesn't work. Also if you bid 2000 just be aware you will end up spending atleast a third more. I bid 2100 I spent 2900 almost. But I was aware but some of the buyers weren't. The paperwork process took longer than the auction so come prepared to sit and wait for a while. I was told to bring the car back they will look at it but I live in Anaheim and they are in Ontario and I just don't have time to drive up there during the hours they want me to. So when it says smog ready be cautious. Flakey experience for me... read more

Returning customer. I was surprised to find out they now allow customers to buy cars on Fridays before auction. I fell in love with their white Range Rover supercharge. I was also able to negotiate a better price. Violet was super friendly and helped me get a better deal. I am Very happy with my purchase. read more

I came here to look specifically for a Mercedes Benz SUV. They had really lovely selection of multiple cars however I had my eye on one. I ended up getting it and driving home that day--an excellent place to buy luxury cars at an affordable price. read more

Great spot to get a car if u really in need or desperately want a new whip , helpful personnel and above all great cars to bid on !

Shady place, the workers there aren't that friendly and not willing to give you too much information. Although the caveat is that you can get a good deal if you want to drive the car for a certain time because most of them are under $1000. read more

I really liked talking with the owners and I asked questions about the "return warranty" fee and if the vehicle had been checked out. It had been really cleaned up and had a few defects that were OK with me. When I asked to pay for the return fee, the cashier told me so many mis-truths that I gave up. After buying the Land Rover LR3, I didn't get 30 miles before the engine began to overheat. There was a crack in the radiator manifold that was covered up so it couldn't be seen. Someone had filled the cooling system with some kind of stop leak that only lasted 30 minutes. While checking out the vehicle, AND THERE WAS A STICKER SAYING "OIL CHANGED." My mechanic showed me the oil that he drained and an old oil filter that was on the engine. Spraying the engine shrouds with WD 40, covered the defects. I'm handicapped and they took advantage of me. Not Good. read more

I've been to a couple auctions here. I definitely like and appreciate the savings. I have a couple recommendations though. The day of auctions should start on time, their website should match the order of the auction so people can see the stats because they rarely announce the milage of the vehicle. Also you can see the buy it now price online as well. Overall, they do have a wide range of vehicles with the exceptions of trucks. read more

Good public action. Speaker slows down if you are interested, so you're not overwhelmed with speaking quickly. Kind service and very informative. read more

I was very hesitant to buy a car from an auction but my budget kind of pushed me into the route. I checked out several auctions of the Ford two of them were only for dealers which I'm not and the other two one did not have a good selection of cars the second SoCalAuctions Had two cars that I was interested in. When was it 2013 Touareg and the other was a 2007 Mercedes M class. One of the girls there her name was yell Was very friendly she told me the Touareg was a better car because of the miles and condition of the car and also told me about the promotion they had this month that basically removed the auction fees if I bought it on Friday Instead of going to the actual auction the next day. The difference was 10% and the price they had it for buying before the auction was pretty decent so I went for it. I picked up my car yesterday took it to my mechanic today he just gave me a thumbs up. I'm not sure exactly how much I saved but I do know all the other tour eggs that were in the LA and surrounding areas were priced a lot higher. What I love the most is the friendly nature of the staff and also I thought I was going to be there all day I was altogether out of there within an hour and a half. If you're searching for a reliable used car give these guys a try read more

Was at SoCal Auction today after making a huge mistake going to this tow yard auction in San Bernardino. I had a horrible experience there and I was hesitant to try this Auction. I actually came to watch only but saw an adorable Fiat I liked and ended up bidding and getting it My overall experience here at SoCal was very positive. But I really like is that they explain everything to you when you're registering and they also give their customers a 7 day warranty which I really like. Before I left I asked to speak to the manager to thank him. I spoke to Dj who was extremely professional. I told him that I would be putting a review. For those people who do not want to pay regular dealership prices this is the place to go read more

Amazing service, nice and friendly people, good prices!!! Good quality cars! Come buy your car here.

I bought the car in Jan 2019, it is now the end of April and I have not received the title to the car!!! I called in February, the lady in the office said they should have the pink slip within a week. Going on 3months now and still no pink slip. Horrible customer service!!! They keep saying someone will call me back.....but nothing!!!! You gotta be on these people or nothing will get done.. Time to file a complaint with BBB and small claims court. read more

Yo i haven't even been here and you can tell these people are flooding their reviews with fake profiles all with 5 stars and with their sales representatives names on them just to hide all the bad reviews with real people (1 star reviews) shaaaady lol read more

We bought a 2008 Range Rover here over a month ago and we haven't received the pink slip yet. We call and get told the dmv lady does paperwork on Thursday's so it'll be done this week. Yet we still have no pink slip weeks later. The last call we made the lady said "we haven't received the pink slip yet so we haven't done the paper work." Ok so why not tell us that in the first place. Who knows what the deal is but somethings not right with this place. We got the Range Rover for $4250.00 and when we left we paid $5700.00 once all fees were paid. So if u buy a car be sure to add in their extra costs that range from $800-$1500. And remember you won't get your pink slip for months read more

Judith and Susy help me a lot with my paperwork for my new car the costumer service was amazing thank you again Susy and Judith I will see you soon read more

These people are great. They run this auction honestly. If there is a problem with a car they'll tell you and surly won't try to cover it up. My wife and I went for our first time and had a bunch of fun. All of the employees we met were really friendly. We will definitely be back in the future. If you decide to go be prepared to spend the whole day there. read more

It is April and I am STILL waiting for the pink slip!!!!!! I keep calling the office and the lady keeps telling me in "TWO weeks" (it's been like that for the past 3-4 months) read more

I am giving 5 stars so this review reaches the top and ppl can read it. DO NOT GO HERE IN HOPES OF GETTING A RELIABLE VEHICLE FOR A GOOD PRICE. I went here for my first auto auction and they had an online portion where online bidders were starting the bid off at ... 50- 60% of the website price. I'm sold they have people online that shoot prices up, literally from the time I was there till I left mid way, anybody that showed up in person hadn't won a car... ALL"ONLINE BIDDERS". Who is online bidding ? Bill gates ? Who starts the bid off in a $6k value car at $3k, WTH. I was hoping for a Range Rover evoque and an online bidder started it off at like $10k and it ended at like $19k. As far as reliable, one car didn't even start till to drive up for ppl to look at the veteran bidders I was next to def knew something was up. DONT GO HERE unless you like getting ripped off and disappointed at 11 am on a Saturday. read more

This place is horrible!! Buyer beware! I purchased a vehicle and found out it has a blown head gasket. The owner DJ basically did nothing. I saw his mechanic filling a coolant container with water and pouring it in several different cars. They do the basic minimum to get the car to run. I've already put a complaint in with the federal trade commission. read more

This place is not an auction. Never have I been to an auction where you have to pay multiple fees. They add 15% percent to the winning bid, $80 for paperwork, $59 for smog, etc. I asked what would be the cost if I won at $2000. The answer was between $2800 and $3000. I left immediately. I went to Cali Auto Auction in Pomona where if you win at $2000, you pay $2000. I got a nice vehicle for $1400 and registered it for $195. Pomona has a real auction. read more

Great cars and super friendly service! Great prices as well. Other auctions don't make the process as easy and clear as socal auto auctions.