I would strongly encourage anyone considering buying a vehicle from this dealership to have it thoroughly inspected by an independent mechanic before signing any paperwork. I purchased a vehicle here in good faith, and shortly afterward it began experiencing serious overheating issues. The engine repeatedly went into "Engine Over Temperature" protection mode, lost power while driving, and required large amounts of coolant despite there being no obvious leak. The vehicle has since shown symptoms consistent with a potentially serious engine problem. This has been an incredibly stressful and expensive experience. Based on my personal experience, I would not purchase another vehicle from this dealership. Please do your homework, request all service records, and pay for a pre-purchase inspection--it could save you thousands of dollars and a lot of frustration. read more

Bought a 2018 Tahoe 7-27-26 for my wife to drive kids to school. They listed this vehicle as zero issues inspected ready to go. On 7-30-26 the transmission goes out and the company refuses to ack this after having a GM dealership verify. this dealership sells knowingly broken vehicles and scams everyone they do commerce with. read more

An absolute terrible place to buy a car, I bought a mini van from this place, not knowing that this vehicle has no radiator coolant, after a couple of days the car started overheating, took back, they said this never happen to there car, I request to cancel the purchase, they refused. I left car there and stopped payment. read more

I have been researching and looking for several weeks for the 2007-2009 range of Acura MDX's, as the ones manufactured after that are known to have severe oil burning issues (need 1qt of oil added every 1,000 miles driven). My wife and I come from a military family background and I discovered these guys through USAA. We stopped here to purchase one of their MDX's posted on the USAA website and met up with Betty, who was professional and very nice. We planned on trading in our Kia Sorento, which is a 2011 and had less miles than the one we would have purchased here from Southern Star Automotive. After we test drove their 2009 Acura MDX and I inspected all four rotors I noticed that they were extremely rusted and needed to be replaced. I slid under the SUV and noticed an extreme amount of thick oil leaking under the vehicle and the oil was being sprayed all over the CX axles, it was thick like slug and damaged my shirt. After a few minutes David, their finance guy came out to get me and brought my wife and I into his office. David test drove our Sorento and said a check engine light had come on and that our engine needed to be replaced. Our fully loaded Sorento EX sells at most dealerships with about the same mileage for about $12,500-$14,995. After speaking with David, their finance guy, he told my wife and I that we needed to get rid of our vehicle and that he would give us $5,500 for it, because the engine needed a new timing chain. David insisted that we do not want to drive that thing, and because "we are a family business and we love families" that he would take care of us. He kept going on and on about how much they care about families and they are family people, etc... He was trying to get us to buy their MDX without the trade in as well. My master mechanic inspected our Kia, it turned out that we needed a new camshaft position sensor, which cost under $150 for parts and labor. As with the Timing chain that finance guy David kept saying needed to be replaced, it turns out that it is still good and should last at least 60k or more miles. It appears that David at Southern Star Automotive likes to use scare tactics to get customers to trade in their vehicles, hoping that they will believe what he says, and sell their vehicle to him. David was hoping that we would sell a $12,000+ SUV to him for $5,500 so that he could have made a huge profit. I have reported these guys to USAA, they have no business getting referrals from military and military families. Not only are they selling vehicles with known issues that their mechanics could have easily spotted just by putting them on a lift in their shop, they employee David who is probably a family member and is literally trying to rob people blind by scaring them into trading a vehicle they think will falling apart. Stay away from Southern Star Automotive. Do not let the family owned and operated fool you, you are not their family, just $$$... [Review #447] (32nd Review of 2017) read more

Southern Star Automotive - Leaking oil - Used Car Dealers Near Me - Duluth, Georgia

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David Saenz 2012 bmw 328i David was great to work with he was fast and nice to deal with I would definitely recommend him and I will be back when I need a car again read more

David Saenz took care of my car really well. I found the car on the website. My family and I walked in during very busy business hour but he showed us the car and let us test drive. He fixed all concerns we found while test driving. David gave us a chance to talk to mechanic and his team worked hard and explained to us why the issues happen and how they would fix the car. While we were talking, our kids were watching TV at lobby so we can discuss without distractions. He filed paper work quick and finished all necessary submission. He also gave us over all maintenance advice. He detailed the car before we got the car. They really went above and beyond to ensure we would be happy with our new car. Very professional and trustworthy. Highly recommended! read more

Customers BEWARE! My friend recently purchased a vehicle at this location. Of course, being a single female, the dealership took advantage of her. She noticed the vehicle had problems within 24 hours of her purchase. She took the car to a tire repair company and was told the car had a bent tire rod. She called the salesperson (Henry) and made him aware of the car was not driving correctly. He informed her to bring the car in and they would make the repairs. She took time off work twice to get the repair completed (approximately 40 miles away from her residence). Today, she was told by the General Manager that they would not make the $200 repair. It is companies such as this that gives the automotive industry a bad name. They really should be ashamed of themselves taking advantage of a senior citizen who works two jobs to make ends meet. read more

Southern Star Automotive Review: This was the most pleasant and comfortable car-buying experience I've ever had. I showed up early to my appointment (I was scared I'd get stuck in traffic on the way), and Ronny Watts already had the car I'd called about ready for me to test drive, as well as a printed copy of the AutoCheck with all prior service records! After I test drove the car, he told me to take my time looking through it. When I had to leave to go to another test-drive appointment I had made the previous day, I was so torn. Ronny told me to call him after I'd seen the other car, because he would hold it (with a deposit) if I was still interested. He even printed out a bill of sale so I would know exactly how much the car would cost after taxes and fees--I don't think any other dealer has done that until we were already signing paperwork. I called him from the second dealership and told him I was coming back in about 15 minutes to buy the car. On my way back, I was rerouted several times by a train derailment. I called Ronny, and he gave me directions to come a different way. When those directions also failed due to the fire department and police closing the entire 3600 block of Buford Hwy because of the train, he walked out into the intersection in front of the dealership to speak with the officer redirecting traffic. He asked her to please let me through when I came to the intersection, as I was just trying to get to their dealership. When I got to the officer, she let me through because of Ronny. Once there, Ronny immediately drew up all of the paperwork and parked the new-to-me car next to my old car in order to make it easier for me to transfer over car seats and such. While he was working on the title and other legal documents, one of the guys in the service department, Felipe, moved over the after-market crossbars from my old car to my new-to-me car. He didn't just take them off the old car and place them in the trunk area, though--he reinstalled them on the new-to-me car for me! He went way above and beyond what I would expect! As we were finishing up with signatures and transferring of keys (they bought my old car for a reasonable trade-in price), I realized that I forgot the title to my old car at home. Ronny could've stopped the process then and there or told me to pay the difference of what they were giving me for the old car until I came back with the title, but he didn't. He simply told me to send it with a tracking number ASAP. Then he gave me the new keys and my copy of the paperwork, and he took pictures of me happily sitting in the driver's seat, which he then texted to me so I could have a copy too. Oh, and the price of the new-to-me car was a GREAT price. The car was incredibly clean, everything functions as it should, and I know we will be driving it for a long time! So happy to have found this trustworthy dealership! read more

Southern Star Automotive - Used Car Dealers Near Me - Duluth, Georgia

These guys sold my grandson a car with NO TITLE....he was in an accident 2 wks later, the car was totalled and the insurance company needs the money so my grandson can get another car. He has had to use his Grandfathers truck which is not good on gas to get back and forth to work, his fiance is expecting and he has bills that need to be paid. The car was purchased in August...it has been over a month waiting for this title...he never got a chance to register the car!! read more

Bought 2 cars from these people a few months ago. Noe both cars need new engines. We were assured upon sale that both cars were fully serviced and in immaculate condition, clearly this was not the case and we were blatantly lied to. To top it off, we bought these cars while my girlfriend was visibly pregnant as we we're preparing to welcome the baby. Now we have no transportation and are in debt over these vehicles. These people are the lowest of the low. They will make you feel great about your experience while knowingly lying to you and ripping you off. Dont do business here, you WILL regret it. read more

I purchased a 2013 Fiat from Southern Star. when i got home, i realized that the seat belt latches were missing from the back seat -- it could not serve as a functional back seat as a result. when i took the car for emissions, it failed; it is unlawful to sell a vehicle that will not pass emissions in GA. i took the car back for necessary repairs and borrowed another vehicle from Southern Star: a VW ee that clangs and bangs at 70mph -- i thought the wheel might fall off. the wiper fluid only works on the passenger's side. after three weeks, a lot of grief, and ZERO information about the status of the car i purchased, i decided i wanted my money back. Maricela, the manager's apparent spokesperson, said she would refund my money *if* i removed my negative google review (not possible) AND signed a waiver releasing the dealership of all liability (this is extortion). Maricela said i would be able to get my personal belongings from the fiat when i picked up the check. when i dropped off the VW and looked over the release, i noticed the date was incorrect. i didn't sign it. Katie, the woman behind the desk, wrote a check anyway. the fiat was not available, so i was left to go to another location the following day to reclaim my things... i tried to cash the check and a stop payment had been placed on it --- soooo...at that point i had no fiat, no VW and no $7k.... Maricela let me know she would write the check once i signed her form (more extortion). when i showed up to look at the form, she called the police. in the end, i signed the form in order to get my money and move on.... long and short: THIS DEALERSHIP IS AWFUL. THE. THEY HARASS PEOPLE AND THEY TAKE ADVANTAGE. DO NOT BUY A CAR FROM THIS ESTABLISHMENT. read more

Had a great experience with Southern Star....Ronny was great to talk and work with, very honest and reacted to - nd addressed - our concerns very quickly (our target car had a shock issue and they fixed it the very next day). Will definitley put these guys on the top of my list thte next time we need a used car. read more

warning. buyer beware. i recommend that you do not purchase a vehicle from this dealership. i purchased a bmw x5 from them and it is already deadlined. i have owned it for less than 3 months. i purchased it for 14000 and the cost to repair replace the engine is over 20000 a complete ripoff read more

I needed a car ASAP. David took care of me in less than an hour. Super easy and fast process

BUYER BEWARE! I bought a $25,000 truck from this lot that broke down 24 hours after I purchased it. Also, the car lot didn't have the truck emissions tested as the law requires, making it impossible to legally register. It took threats of legal action and over 2 weeks to get (most) of my money back. No reimbursement for the countless hours dealing with a lemon the Ford service shop said Southern Star HAD to know about before selling it to me. No apologies either. Instead, I was treated like a dirt bag. Save yourself some considerable grief and shop from an honest lot. read more

I thought this place was trustworthy at first. Everyone was very nice. My issue was that the check engine light was on during the test drive. The salesman acted shocked and immediately "took it to his mechanic." He reappeared with a car scanner and said that it was a generic code, nothing to worry about, an O2 sensor code popped up probably from revving the engine too quickly. The light was gone after it was hooked to the scanner but it reappeared 321 miles later and was the same code. It ended up being a $269 repair within a week of purchasing the vehicle from an EVAP purge control valve not closing. Luckily, no downstream issues were caused by the bad valve yet but it would have been possible to cause further damage if I kept driving the vehicle. I immediately reached out the manager when the light came back on. She responded to me 2 days later when the car was in the shop. She said she couldn't help me bc I purchased the vehicle as is but they would look at it under goodwill if I drove it back (not an option for risk of further damage if it wasn't already in the shop). I explained to her that the salesman was deceptive about the engine light which directly influenced my decision to purchase the vehicle as is and that it violates GA consumer protection laws to be deceptive during a consumer transaction. I also did not see the mechanic and I'm skeptical that one was even there at 6:30PM. I was definitely lied to before I purchased the vehicle. I have not heard back from the manager. Photos are: engine light on during test drive (3/23/22, 91856 miles), the salesman with the car scanner in the car, the reappearance of the engine light 321 miles later, reading from auto zone scanner, repair bill on 3/30/22 when I got my car back from shop, and bill of sale. read more

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The ac failed on my husband's older Odyssey. In past we had much repair work on this van done at a major national auto repair chain. Front desk guy for this chain said: "Our a/c guy is one of the best. He appraised your a/c problem & advises you junk the car." (The local Honda dealer had previously told us this car was very well maintained.) We found Southern Star Auto Air online/ impressed w/comments of many long term customers. A/C problem totally fixed by Southern Star for about $500. We are thrilled by honesty & not having to purchase another vehicle, which we can ill afford at this time. read more

In one of the most trying times in my life, after losing my car in an accident and nearly losing my life, everything seemed to be spiraling down. After a lot of searching and reading reviews on MANY sites I stumbled across this amazing dealership. The sales manager David Saenz went above and beyond to ensure that I got a fair reasonable deal. The entire time while we talked the only thought that went through my mind was, this is someone that genuinely cares about people and doesn't just see them as a "number" and it because very obvious that he truly loves what he does. I highly recommend that anyone having any doubts come see him. read more

This dealer doesn't know the first thing about customer service. Nor the second. Nor the third... As the previous review stated, their cars are massively over-priced. Although clean, these people are either at terribly inefficient at their job or just massive pricks. I called to inquire about the price of a car, and received nothing short of insult and misdirection. With cash in hand looking to make a deal on the spot, I was treated so poorly I can't even think of an appropriate metaphor. Needless to say, I will gladly recommend anyone and everyone take their business elsewhere. read more

Our biggest complaint and issue is with the staff. To start our experience we feel our salesman mislead us on the process of our purchase. We were forced to register our vehicle in a different state when we were able to actually register it in Georgia. By doing that we had to pay an additional $400 in tag, taxes and title (which is supposed to be covered in the auto loan). The staff did not have the knowledge they portrayed in the different laws of neighboring states. It has been a headache and ended up taking 2 months to complete all the paperwork needed to get our tag. Would not recommend this place unless you want the same headache. read more

Quick and painless. This are two words I've never been able to use before regarding purchasing a car. I felt treated like family and am so happy that I decided to start my new car journey with Southern Star. Betty and Bobbie were amazing. read more

Southern Star Automotive - Used Car Dealers Near Me - Duluth, Georgia

One of the best car buying experiences you can have in Atlanta. This small operation does everything the bigs guys do more personal and better. I found a Nissan Frontier online on Wednesday, went to drive on Thursday and purchased on Friday, the pricing to begin with was right in the market for year and model. Condition of vehicle was better than I expected. They offered me no hassle financing through a major bank, I drove off happy. The staff is friendly, gracious. The General Manger is awesome and he truly takes time to ensure his guest are well taken care of. There vehicles are well maintained and cleaner then you would expect. Please visit or call and ask for Betty, you will not be disappointed. read more

This auto dealer. in my opinion is not at all a quality dealer. if you are looking to buy a car here. Please save yourself a lot of frustration and buy from a reputable dealer. read more

Let's start with you should bring a OBD scanner and have a Lemon law lawyer on stand by. They will sale you a lemon. Take a picture of the price you see because they change the price on you and lie to say it's incorrect price. True story...Not only that my car was Filthy in the inside we are still in a pandemic coronavirus...I got the pictures to prove how dirty mean disgusting the inside was..David blamed it on a lack of car detailed. I would have waited. They lied about the brake system and engine problems, so they will give a false car fax report/ auto check, salesman David trouble and I mean horrible customer service. He lied about everything doing the emission test which that he never did until I had to Register my car. Speak of which since they fail in doing there job properly registering my car they sent a check for me to do it. This was the worst car buying experience ever. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU DO NOT BUY FROM HERE. A few pictures at the bottom read more

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This place is a joke.. most of good reviews they have are from bribes.. for filling up there car gas, only if they leave good reviews. If you know your cars, you will find out that this place is one of the biggest scamming companies I have came across.. they will give you really high apr rate on shitty cars. And will play the nice card.. till the very end .. please watch!!!! Also, when I asked to get my money back ... a guy name of David that works there threw credit cards I used to make a down payment .. in my dad and my face and told us to go to your bank to go get your money.. this all because I no longer wanted the car. Due to 22% apr rate on a 9000$ car that was coming out be 27,000 not even including the 3,000 dollars we put down. I will be taking legal action against this company for disrespect they showed. But please!!!! Do not buy your car from here, for your own best interest. read more

My experience with David Saenz was phenomenal! He helps make finding and buying a car super easy and makes you feel like a part of the family as soon as you walk up. Great cars, great service, and an overall fantastic experience! 100% recommend buying your first, last, and every car in between with David! read more

This place is for you IF you are looking for a good car and are willing to pay a premium price with no dealer flexibility whatsoever on the asking price. PLUS, be ready to pay excessively-high "document" fees PLUS tag and title processing fees in the $500 range, not including ad valorem taxes. If you are in a position where borrowing is the only way you can get a car, more power to this dealer, since you're paying interest on an even bigger bundle of borrowed money given high prices and high fees! My experience here was very distasteful. I came ready to buy, having carefully researched the market. The sales manager refused to negotiate one penny, it's their right to be inflexible, and I can't complain about the hard-headed no-budge approach - but I also have the right to refuse to pay more than I think is fair market value. The part that bothered me more than being non-negotiation on an exorbitant price was that manager blatantly lied to us TWICE. First, she made the outlandish claim there is a STATE LAW requiring their high document fees be charged to all customers. This is no joke. We checked this out: There IS mention of Document Fees in the State Law but this dealer appears to stand in violation of GA FAIR BUSINESS PRACTICES ACT PROVISIONS [O.C.G.A. § 10-1-393(a) and (b)]. which says advertised prices MUST include "1. Additional fees, such as document fees, documentary fees, lot fees, processing fees, administrative fees, customer services fees, and any other terms of similar import;" How are they in violation of the law? No such fees are quoted in their craigslist online advertisement. The car we were looking at was being sold at well over $2000 above wholesale, and you can be fairly sure no dealer buys cars at retail, while the salesman admitted they make at least $1,000-2,000 on every car they sell. The second outlandish claim made by the sales manager was they'd be taking a loss at the advertised price. We felt this was a lie. We suggest you avoid doing business with these people. We fear they might be taking advantage of customers from other countries who are not familiar with US business practices. read more

My husband purchased a car through Southern Star Automotive, a white Jaguar (I believe year is 2014). The car appeared to in fair condition as expected with a used car we quickly discovered looks are very deceiving. The car begin having maintenance issues only 4 months after purchase. He has taken the car for service and was only advised after finding out the car needed a new engine in July 2019. Not only has the car been an issue, so has an extended warranty offered by Southern Star, and the customer service is HORRIBLE. Very unprofessional to say the least. My husband car has been in their shop for approximately 6 months getting a "new engine". Each week, week after week he has been told the car will be ready by the end of the week. Yet, it's week three and still no car. February 2020 will make 7 months that his car has been in the shop with this dealership. He has not been offered any compensation although they have him driving around in a old run down station wagon. It's embarrassing to say the least. This has been the worst experience myself and my husband has experienced with a dealership and we hope that we can deter anyone from the pain and suffering in which we are currently experiencing with this dealership. I will continue to spread the word through countless reviews on ALL sites that I am allowed. Perhaps if you are looking for a operable car with great customer service I would advised to look elsewhere because Southern Star offers neither. read more

I bought a 2006 Honda Civic here. Humberto (Roberto) greeted me at the front door. He was very professional and hospitable. Mr. David gave me a great deal. I highly recommend this dealership! read more

I bought an '02 Nissan Altima from Southern Star. Clean, great price, & the car has not given me any major issues! They worked with me & my budget. Staff is friendly, the office and lot very neat & clean. Family oriented. Definitely recommend this dealership. read more

I gave a better review after purchasing my "perfect car" for the water pump to go out two weeks later. It's frustrating to have to fork out $1k when you just purchased a vehicle from someone you trusted and they won't return your calls. I would strongly suggest looking around before buying here for certain. read more

If you are looking for a no pressure car buying experience with a honest trustworthy staff this is the place to go. I saw an ad for a 2007 Honda Odyssey and called to get some more information and I spoke with Ronnie and informed me it was still for sale. My husband and I went up test drove the van and decided it was the perfect fit for us. David(finance guy) was very helpful and he was able to get us a loan. We were about 20 min. away when we noticed the a/c in the rear was not working we drove back and explained the issue and they had the problem fixed right away. The car had very low miles and was in great condition. This is a great dealership and we will be returning for all our used car purchases from now on read more

I recently purchased a new car from these guys and cannot say enough good things. Henry was patient with me as I poked and prodded through two different vehicles. The paperwork process was pretty quick and straight forward. I feel like they gave me a good value on my trade in as well as on the new car. So far, I am loving my new BMW and plan on returning to these guys for the next car my husband and I purchase! read more

Such a disapointing transaction. I purchased a car online after being assured by Ronnie that the car was in "perfect and pristine" condition. I made arrangements for the car to be transported to me and when it arrived, I was MORE than upset. The car was completely DISGUSTING and dirty - it looked like they had not even wiped the vehicle down, it had NUMEROUS rock chips, scratches, the headliner inside was cracking to the point of being able to see THROUGH it, the passenger side mirror was not attached securely and to top it off, after taking it to a detail shop, I found out that the leather seats had been PAINTED to cover up damage. I requested, numerous times, that money be refunded to me to cover the costs of repairs, but all they could come up with was the cost of the detail. The rest of the issues will all have to be paid for by ME. The manager, Maricela, would not budge and made it sound like SHE was doing ME a favor by paying for the detail.... The car should have NEVER been shipped in the condition it was. I feel like I was taken advantage of. I DO NOT recommend purchasing a car from them, in person OR from out of state. This entire experience ruined my excitement for my new car. Don't take any chances with these people - they are not an honest business. read more

I found Southern Star Automotive when I started car shopping about a month ago. I called in and asked a bunch of questions about the vehicle. They were very helpful in answering all my questions. They provided me with a free CARFAX, which was pretty cool. I finally had a chance to come in today and I just bought a 2007 BMW 325i. I love my car! David the finance manager was able to get me a crazy low interest rate with one of their local banks. I have decent credit but never thought I would get below a 4% rate! The whole process took a couple of hours, mostly because I purchased an extended service contract, and they gave my car one last wash before I took it. Awesome service! read more

" My experience with southern star is excellent. Good service ,customer friendly .Good business people.The car that I bought running great. I covered 10000 miles in 4 months. " Your review helps others learn about great local businesses. Please don't review this business if you received a freebie for writing this review, or if you're connected in any way to the owner or employees. read more

Excellent cusomter service. Tag arrive within 3 weeks like promised. Would definitely recommend this dealership for anyone looking to purchase a vehicle. read more

This was Hands down the very Best experience buying a car I ever had. My situation was like most people that own businesses, whereas I did not have check stubs but my bank statements to support my income verification. After a horrible experience at GWINNETT PLACE FORD, we called Southern Star and spoke with Ronnie, who immediately apologized for the last experience and promised that he would take care of us, treat us fairly and if he could not help us, he would not waste our time. I did the pre approval over the net, he called me within 30 minutes to tell me I was pre approved. By the time we got there to the dealer and picked out our truck, It was probably an hour till 2 hours tops that we were in our new 2010 Ford F150 loaded and beautiful, affordable, great interest rate, and guaranteed approval before we set foot out of the dealership. We were in complete shock. Ronnie and David, were honest, up front with everything. the atmosphere is warm and family oriented. I felt no pressure. I really feel that God led us to this dealership, its small, but they have good cars, great service and they care. Another thing that people must be aware of is in this economy banks don't approve people just because they have good credit scores. Banks approve you because of the relationships that they establish with the dealer.When you find that a dealer has to shop you all around town and no-one wants your deal, its not you, its that the bank knows that the dealer is known for bad deals and therefore is leery about doing business with that particular dealer. We hit the jackpot, and everything worked out in our favor, They have excellent relationships with the banks, the reps that called us had only good things to say about Ronnie and David. I would recommend this business to everyone. read more

Just your typical sleazy used car lot. I pulled up in a nice car, and pre-approved from the bank and with cash on hand. Felt like I was inconveniencing the owner by making him get out of his chair, I guess he preferred the empty lot since I was the only customer there. Then I asked to see a car that was listed 24 hours earlier online, was told it had been sold, but he had another one "just like it". Showed me the same car as online, but said it was "different" and $4,000 more!!! It was obvious that he didn't care if I was interested or not, and just made up a price on the spot, probably that high to get me to leave. And a price that was 30% higher than KBB's top price for that model. I had to give 1 star, but even that is too much. read more

Horrible place. I called to verify a certain vehicle was in stock. Drive 2 hours only to be told it was already sold. If they lie about something being in stock what else would they lie about. read more