I went to buy a car I found online at Sullivan Auto Trading and Will Sullivan was my salesman. He was very courteous and helpful, although he did not know much about that particular car. It seems to me that the volume of cars they deal with is so high that I am not sure that's possible. He let us take the car out and drive it for about an hour and it seemed good. I bought the car and then drove it home to Alexandria, about an hour's drive. I took it to my mechanic to get it checked out and there was a lot wrong with it. There was unexplained tire noise, tires that needed replacing, low fluid levels, dirty oil, things that should have been done before the car was on the lot to be sold. After this came to light I was very uncomfortable with keeping the car. So, I called and talked to Will and asked him if I could take it back. He passed me to his brother Austin and he asked me to bring it back and let them see it and, if necessary they would take care of all the things the mechanic found wrong. When I brought the car back, Austin wasn't there, but Will was, so I explained the situation and gave him the sheet from the mechanic. He was willing to work off all of the issues, but he could also see that I really was uncomfortable and wanted to get out of this deal. I realized that I should have gotten the car looked at before buying the car, but I wasn't sure I'd be able to take it all the way back to Alexandria to do that. Plus, I didn't even ask and should have. So I realize I should have done things differently, but still wanted out if I could get out. Will was excellent in his customer service. He took care of everything and was very kind about it too. He did not have to be. Granted, he should have known more about that car and the car should not have been sold with all that was wrong with it not resolved, but he was great. Will promised he would get my check sent to me asap and he did. I appreciate people whose word is their bond. It made up for a lot with the car. I did not buy a car yet, but I would recommend Sullivan Auto Trading to people who live nearby because I do think it's important to get the car checked out before buying it. I don't want to drive all the way to Fredericksburg and back to do that, so I probably won't go back there, but I have to say that Will Sullivan blessed me that day and for that I am very grateful. read more

In Nov 2011 I was looking for a reliable AWD vehicle. I saw a 2001 Honda CRV w/134K on Sullivan's lot (On line) I called from MD to make an appt. I test drove the Honda and wrote the check. Almost 40K miles later, all I've done to the car is buy 2 tires and a radiator. Great car, great price. I'll buy again if they have something I'm looking for. read more

Purchased a car, 07 Lexus with 103k, in May and its 2 months later and the car has spent 4.5 weeks in their shop. Have had oil leaks, transmission leaks, they damaged the car while in shop, they had car detailed and had money, cd's taken. Yes, they have fixed everything and apologize. But, this total experience has been stressful and a nightmare. Also beware of the Hispanic mechanic. He lies! read more

I just purchased a car from Sullivans, and had a great experience. I worked with Trey, and he was very low- pressure and easy to work with. I have recommended the business to family members who are looking for a vehicle, and told them to ask for Trey! read more

My son's 20 year old, Marine, friend just went there today with an interest in buying a tan Honda CR-V. I advised him to first let a neutral mechanic inspect it. Sure enough, it has worn out struts, shocks, and tires. They advised this kid that they won't haggle/negotiate or fix the issues without a deposit and signature to buy. You all called them "honest"...if they were they'd fix these issues regardless knowing they exist...at a minimum $1,500 repair they're putting on some desperate soul. You all should be ashamed. I will do my best to put you on blast. read more

Very Disappointed on what could've been a great experience. I bought my vehicle from Sullivans in June 2019. The service was excellent and the buying experience was on par. However, I was talked into the extended warranty(nearly $5000). I had some hesitation but with previous used car experiences thought this might be ideal. Within a month of the purchase I noticed popping issues when I turned the wheels, took it back and they couldn't find anything. I had to pay the $200 deductible on the warranty and nothing resolved. Okay, fine. They did inform me that if I brought it back from the continued popping I would need to pay ANOTHER $200 deductible because it starts a new ticket. With this warranty it's near impossible to work with another dealership so I resolved to cancel it. At the time of cancellation they kept mentioning how good it would be to have in the case of a transmission going out. No worries, car has 70,000 on it. Transmission going out within the warranty time frame seems far fetched, right? NOPE! December, 1 month after the cancellation completion I completely lose the transmission. I take it to a local and highly trusted mechanic who informs me that the transmission was completely burned up. Also, it had been partially removed before. It looks as if someone had started removing it, decided it wasn't worth the work and did a sloppy job at putting it back together...bolts stripped, seals missing, etc. The fluid should be red, comes out looking like oil. He was amazed I was able to drive it off the lot! Now, $5300 later, I have a new transmission but have lost all respect and trust for this company. read more

DO NOT BUY YOUR CAR HERE! Please save yourself time and money and read the whole review before considering purchasing a vehicle from this dealership. I purchased a 2012 Chevy Cruze at Sullivan Auto Trading less than two months ago. Immediately after purchase, I drove my car home to find that the tire pressure light went on. Not a huge issue, but I drove back to the dealership and they informed me that the issue was cold weather and it sometimes causes tire pressure issues. They "filled" my tires and halfway home, the light goes on again. Nothing was fixed they just disconnected/reconnected the battery and hoped I wouldn't notice. I went back a few days later to pick up my hard plates and tell them that the light is STILL on. They apologized and said that they had made a mistake and that the tire pressure sensor was bad, which would be replaced free of charge. After the "replacement" they informed me that the light will be on for 10-15 miles because the sensor needs to reset itself. The light has NEVER gone off. This is the tiniest issue I've had. A few weeks into owning this vehicle, the engine starts overheating and I find that there is zero coolant in the reservoir. Fortunately, my brother is mechanically inclined and tells me the thermostat and water pump needs to be replaced due to a very bad leak. The issue is fixed and my car is temporarily drivable again. A few weeks later, I start having issues with the engine. When its idling, it sounds like it is going to shut off. Additionally, the dashboard lights are flickering and the power steering randomly shuts off causing the steering wheel to lock up WHILE DRIVING! I took it to the Chevy dealership to have them diagnose the issue. They came back to me and told me I needed to replace the ignition coil / spark plugs (the engine issues), there was a significant oil leak, and there is a recall on the negative battery cable (the flickering lights). Also, there's a random set of wires connected to the battery that serves as a GPS tracking device for OnStar. Two wires have been pulled away from a set of 9 and the remaining seven are shoved beside the battery. I don't know much about cars, but I'm willing to bet this is neither safe, nor legal. My brother fixed ALL these issues and removed the GPS device. I am still having issues with the engine shutting off randomly and may have to replace the fuel injectors. I have spent just over $1000 on parts and diagnoses, haven't been able to drive my car for nearly two weeks and have owned the vehicle for less than two months. Please save yourself the headache and buy a car somewhere else. read more

Thought we were getting a good deal until we went out the door. Purchased a 2008 Honda coupe two door (black) April 2013 for my daughter. Dealt with various brothers that seemed to be multi-tasking every single minute....or otherwise attention deficit. Not sure which. Either way, thought a key for the ignition to start the car was standard and to be included. They charged me $108 and to top it off, when my daughter drove off thinking all was fine, we received two calls back to back from the dealership slightly panic that we were not going to pay for the key-fob. Figured they needed it that bad, they could have it. John said; well "I did cut your deal, so I don't know if you were upside down in it or not". In fact, we traded a paid for Grand Cherokee for a smaller vehicle. Watch what you think you are getting and be a wise shopper from bumper to bumper is all I can say. Sincerely, pissed... read more

This place is run by dishonest people. I purchased a vehicle and was told the extended warranty would cover everything, including the transmission. I never received my warranty paperwork until I contacted the company and requested the info. From the time I left the lot, things starting going wrong with the vehicle. When pumping gas, it would not automatically stop when full, but would overflow - everytime! The front passenger seat belt would no longer click in lock. The front driver's side tire all of a sudden starting making a sound and two days later the brakes didn't work and the brake pad literally FELL OFF THE CAR ONTO THE GROUND. I was lucky that I was pulling into a parking lot when this happened and not driving on the highway with my child. There is no way a brake pad would just fall off for no reason. They inspected the vehicle the month before I purchased the vehicle. I emailed the sales rep regarding the warranty info and never received a response. Once you purchase a vehicle from these people, they are done with you. I highly recommend NOT purchasing a vehicle from these crooks and liars. read more

Two years ago I bought Alexander (my Volvo s40) from Will and I loved my car so much! It was the first time I actually ever bought a car myself without my parents doing everything. I was absolutely clueless and nervous the entire time. Will was amazing and so was Austin explaining everything to me and making me feel comfortable. So much so that when my vehicle was completely totaled in a bad accident and I was terrified of driving after crushing my car, and overly stressed and anxious over now having to purchase another new vehicle the only place I could actually feel comfortable with going to was Sullivan's. That's the impression they leave on you it's so much more than a business transaction. Committing to a new vehicle is a big purchase and having just purchased one two years ago only to be completely crushed I was a wreck going in. When I got there Brian was so kind in helping me look at some midsize SUVs and when Will came in he made sure that I was taken care of start to finish. He even looked at the crash ratings for me (lol although if I can not crush a car for a LONG time or never again that would be great). He made sure I wasn't settling that I would be happy with the SUV we picked that it met my needs as a single mom and would be safe enough for me and my littles. He went above and beyond any experience you could hope to get from someone in sales and now as a sales manager I'm not surprised he was promoted, because I honestly wouldn't want to work with anyone else. He even makes pinky swears! Austin was incredible throughout the process of discussing paying for my car he gave me all of my options and made sure I was educated on everything and that I left feeling confident and happy (thank you for all the laughs). Words and this review cannot express how truly amazing the people in this company are, having worked in Sales for three years this is a standard that all companies should have. I am beyond happy with my new Ford Escape and I have never felt more at ease making such a large purchase as I did with them. Thank you Will and Austin and Brian. read more

***READ ALL GOOGLE REVIEWS AS WELL!!!***Didn't buy and still left frustrated.On there website the description said "The paint on this GMC Canyon 1SE SLE Z71 is flawless no scratches, no blemishes, no need to spend extra money on touch ups."- for $7,988 and 116,000 miles, I felt it was worth making the 2+ hour drive. I made contact and told them about how far I was driving. As soon as I walk up to the truck, I was disappointed and knew they took the pictures at the right angle.It wasn't horrible but there were definitely scratches, dings, tear in the seat, some stains, and faded color that wasn't visible in the pictures. But I felt that it was still a decent deal-especially if I could get them to come down a few hundred. Well the passenger window stopped working. I was told it was because it has been sitting for a while. One of the AC power settings didn't work. An ac hose was rubbing against part of the hot engine and began to melt.Their solution-duct tape. The seat adjustment levers were also missing.However,I thought it was still worth the test drive.Those could be cheap/easy fixes-except the window. Well it drove pretty good except for breaking. We could hear and feel some grinding.Rotors?He tells me they are new, then says they may have some rust. I call my dad and friend and they both said that some of his comments don't add up.My buddy tells me to offer $6,000 and try to settle on $6,500. With taxes, tag, etc, I should drive off under $7,000.So I tell the guy my thoughts and concerns and also inform him that I'm preapproved and have the check on me.I ask them bottom dollar.He proceeds to come back with a total, out the door price of $9,200!They have a $799 processing fee.Never have I heard of a fee so high.He tells me that the list price of $7,988 was with a discount. Maybe I rely on KBB too much, but $9,200 is over the KBB price. All these other costs I may have to front-no way.He asks what my ball park was and I explain that I was hoping to walk out a little lower than listed price, but after all the concerns,"I can't go over $6,500".(Thinking maybe he'll move on his-nope.He says he can't touch that price, so I tell him thanks for his time as my wife tells him "you may want to work on that window. It's starting to rain". There was no offer to fix anything. It just seemed a little shady.And it was frustrating to drive so far to be deceived and not be given the respect of my concerns, or give me the respect to try and negotiate. Minimal effort was given to me. Such a waste of time for me, my wife, and son. By the way, the truck had been there three months already. I can see why. read more

I sold my car to my boyfriend who needed it for his daughter. I went all over the place looking for a reliable well made car. I had the Mazda product before and love them. After searching and being lied to over and over and over--and I am talking at the big name dealers--I found Sullivan. I was hesitant because 1. Not a big chain dealer, 2. Never heard of them. I was impressed with their inventory. They had car to meet every budget. I worked with Austin Sullivan. He just about bent over backwards to help me settle into my new/used car. There were some things I wanted "fixed". Nothing major. He didn't have to do any of it. It was clear that it was selling "as is". He repaired everything. All of it. There was no hesitation and certainly never made me feel as if he was doing me a gigantic favor. I will buy again from this group. I highly recommend this place. The guy who was angry from the other post....not sure what in the world he could be talking about. Love this place. read more

I don't know why folks rated like they did, cause Sullivan's was awesome. Most people rate car dealers on other sites like cars.com where they actually have great reviews. Look, this place was amazing. I didn't even end up buying a car there (the one I wanted was elsewhere). But they were so great that I'm taking the time to write this anyway. They were not all over my back. They greeted us and when we said we wanted to roam the lot, he was really kind. When when wanted to test drive another car we didn't initially come to see, he said even though he would love to sell me a car, he encourages all customers to do their homework if they want, and he was right: there was no lower price anywhere around for both cars we looked at. He gave great advice, was totally honest about pros and cons to different choices even if it wouldn't necessarily get him a sale. He was super spacious and very kind. I was worried about going to Virginia given all the "isms" I could have faced. Sullivans has actually improved the way I see Virginia. I also watched the way they treated a couple of teenage girls who were there. They treated them with such respect and kindness - not like they were babies, not like they didn't know anything, they didn't push them. They were awesome. I would go back here in a heartbeat and encourage anybody- young, old, black, white, gay, straight, rich, poor- you will feel totally respected here. read more

Buyer Beware. The Sullivan's sold me a Volvo S60R that they claimed was accident free and had a clean Carfax. They also claimed they put all their cars through a comprehensive inspection before they sell them and that they don't purchase and sell previously damaged cars. Turns out the vehicle had been in a significant accident (bent front subframe, bent shocks and struts) and has already required $3000 worth of work to partially set it right. The logical conclusion is one of two possible answers: 1. They lied to me and they knew the car was damaged before they sold it to me. 2. Their mechanics are incompetent for not identifying very obvious mechanical damage prior to reselling the car. Either way, I would avoid this dealer, or at minimum, ensure you take any vehicle they are selling to an actual Car Dealer for a thorough inspection. Or, ignore me and all these other reviews and get taken for a ride, and not the good kind, but the kind with a bent sub-frame. read more

My name is Robert Yurckonis. I am a 71 year old retired Vietnam era Navy veteran. I purchased a 2002 Ford E150 cargo van from this dealership August 24th, 2018. I had to wait a week to take possession of this vehicle because the transmission in this vehicle was bad I was told that they were going to put a 'NEW' transmission in the vehicle at no extra cost to me. I returned to this dealership a week later to take possession of the vehicle and it would not start. Several employees tried to start the vehicle including the salesman (Brad) and the owner (Austin Sullivan). I returned to Richmond without the vehicle. They called me a few days later and told me the problem was fixed and that I could return and take possession of the vehicle. I was told the keys were not cut properly. Upon my return for this vehicle, I noticed that there was not spare tire or car jack in the vehicle. They gave me a spare tire and a new jack. About a month later in Richmond, I had a flat tire. I had to crawl under the vehicle to jack the van up . The spare tire they gave me had lost all its air in the month that I had it. The tire has two air leaks on the inside rim of the tire. I had to call a friend to help me in this situation. The vehicle shakes violently at 60 MPH up to 70 MPH and then it runs normal. The dealership aligned the front end and balanced the tires for me but the problem still persists. Also the gear shift lever on the steering column was very loose. After the second attempt to fix this problem, they somehow screwed up the tilt steering wheel mechanism. The steering wheel does not stay locked in the position that I use for driving. It suddenly disengages and this causes the vehicle to swerve to the left or to the right as I am driving. The mechanic told me I 'had to live with it!'. REALLY? I have driven this vehicle less than 1,800 miles and the transmission has stopped working. I contacted the dealership and talked to Austin Sullivan and his service manager Nancy. I was told that since I did not purchase an extended warranty, they would do nothing to help me. Who buys an extended warranty for a brand new transmission? I contacted a service manager at a local Ford dealership here in Richmond and was told in all his years working at Ford, he has never gotten a bad replacement transmission from Ford. He then went on to say it was probably installed wrong or it wasn't the proper transmission for my vehicle. Austin did tell me that he would replace the transmission but I would have to pay half the cost of another transmission and half of the cost of the labor to install it. Did they not get a warranty on the transmission they bought? These people, especially Austin Sullivan, are LIARS, CHEATS, AND THIEVES. Do not buy a vehicle from these people. They will lie to you and promise you anything to get you to buy from them. Oh yes, before I forget, the gear selection lever is about to fall off again. Their mechanic should be flipping burgers somewhere and not working on vehicles! read more

In reading the negative reviews, most of them sound to me like people that got home, had buyers remorse for reasons of their own and then blamed the dealership for not letting them change their minds. As an example, one reviewer was talking all about what was wrong with the car, then was discussing interest rates, and another with the same critique but talked purchase price. If there was that much wrong with the car, why buy it in the first place? Keep this in mind, Sullivan's is a high-volume USED car dealer; translation, have any car checked by your own mechanic before you purchase, and they are happy to accommodate that. However, I bought a car from them that they were under the impression had been thoroughly checked out but hadn't. I brought it back for some repair that they promised and THEIR mechanic found some very expensive repairs that were unsat for me. At the end of it all, they held up to their word and allowed me to simply pay the difference between the one I bought and another vehicle. They could have told me to go away as we were well outside the 30 warranty period, but they didn't. Also, their warranty is very clearly stated as a 50/50 warranty on specified drive-train parts, repaired at their facility for which they give you an in-house labor rate that is $20 cheaper than walk-in customers. People need to read what they sign and it's also explained in the caveat on their website. My point is that Sullivan's if one of the few places that I know of where their word is their contract even over what is written; they proved that to me. The prices are what they are, if you don't like the one on the car you like, find a different car; they have approximately 150 on the lot at any given time. If you buy a car where the mileage is close to having a timing belt changed, be prepared to have it done yourself, or pay them to do it. (I find their mechanics to be competent and their rates competitive.) To make an already too long story shorter, if I come to a point that I'm looking for another USED car, Sullivan's is my first stop. I dealt with William, Austin (sons) and Don (father and owner) as well as Mary (sales), both service writers and two of the mechanics and found them all to be honest. If you want a car with no blemishes and a 100% nationwide warranty, pony up and buy a new one. read more

Let me start off by saying Brad and Will were amazing!! Handles my trade in and gave me exactly what I wanted for it. They realized quickly how much I loved my old Jeep and tried to make it as quick and painless as possible. Within 20 minutes I knew which Jeep I was going to purchase. After buying I drove it straight to my mechanic before anything else. Mechanic gave me a list of things that needed fixed and then pointed out a nasty patch of paint that looked like a toddler drew on with nail polish. Also on my tailgate on the backboard piece my rear view camera sits on it was severely chipped. So today I returned the vehicle and they were going to fix up the list my mechanic gave me. Great! So happy they were going to do it. Well they looked at the paint and tail gate piece and gave me an estimate saying I would need to fork up 600+$ on a vehicle I hadn't even owned 24 hours to fix all of it when it should have been fixed before I bought it. I now can't even stand to look at the car. I'm extremely disappointed and angry that they will not fix it without charging me an outrageous price when not even 24 hours earlier I had put down a down payment into it and made it well known to them that I was on a budget. If they had fixed those two pieces I would have given them 5 stars but I'm extremely angry that now I will be shopping around at body shops to find someone who will help me fix it without using my whole bank account. I will also be driving my car straight back to my mechanic when I get it back to make sure everything was fixed properly. Otherwise like I said Brad and Will were fantastic and great to work with. read more

Bought a 2007 Subaru Legacy in June of 2014. Words from Austin Sullivan "I would never sell you a car that isn't mechanically sound." 1 month after front cover seals leaking oil 1200$ to fix. 2 months after head gasket leaking oil. 1700$ to fix. Have not fixed yet. Have been losing power steering fluid. Find out the rack and pinion that he told me had been changed was leaking terribly. Never written a review on any company for anything at all but I feel this needed to be written. They sell junk. Wouldn't drive another car from there if it were given to me. read more

DONT GO TO THESE PEOPLE. They are such liars and crooks. There family oriented crap is BS. I bought a truck and later that day I noticed a spuddering noise so I took it back to get fixed. Well 3 weeks later it still isn't fixed. I would never go back to these people to buy a car. They have a hard time getting there stories straight. They are the biggest liars you'll ever meet. Everyone beware read more

Hands down the WORST auto dealer I have ever encountered. From them making me think my credit was off kilter (no, they were over financing the vehicle by 50%!) to the plethora of things wrong with the car (oh they fixed the first few in the first month, that's why they get one star.) to the awful service department (no tire rotation, but charged for it? Yeah, we watched you try to get away with that). The list goes on and on. I think the straw that broke the camel's back was the fact you put zero oil in my car after removal of old oil at an oil change appointment. Wait, no, I think it may have been the fact you were putting an off brand, incorrect weight oil in my German car...oh gosh, I really don't know which horrid practice put me over the edge. Thank GOD a reputable dealer was able to get me out of this hunk of JUNK you put me in. People, you would be better off going to the auction and buying blind off the line yourself. read more

Horrible customer service experience. As soon as the sale was finished my business was no longer important. From the start I knew they were crooks because when they appraised my car for trade in the salesman tried telling me I had a coolant leak when simply my windshield wiper fluid light was on. I was constantly getting "shoved off". After the sale was finished Will (the salesperson) said directly to my boyfriend and I "there's a bunch of people behind you guys you know how business works" and shoved us off to some other person to get my temp plates. Almost a month later, I called the sales person (Will) because I never received information on their suggested bank I financed with and my payment date was approaching. I left two messages for Will regarding the issue and didn't hear back until he left a sketchy message on my voicemail saying somehow my messages got deleted. Tried calling the business again because I still haven't received my plates and registration the person picked up (which I thought to be Will) answering the phone with "hold on" then passed the phone off to another representative. There's a lot of competition out there, as a customer I felt unimportant and it's obvious what Sullivan Auto Tradings main concerns are here, simply the money. read more

We saw the good reviews for Sullivan's and looked forward to buying a used car from them. While the spiel about their "family-owned business" practices was reassuring, at first, there were several elements of our purchasing experience that were extremely disappointing. First of all, they wouldn't budge an inch on the price; most places are open to negotiation, and the car we were interested in was $1500 above the KBB fair purchase price. When they printed off the records to show us how much money they had put into the car, to help justify the price, they had to quickly pivot when they realized they *hadn't* given the car anything more than a detailing--which, suddenly, proved how *good* the car was and justified, circularly, the price again. We took the car to an independent mechanic for confirmation of the car's condition, and while he agreed it was in good shape, he also agreed that the price was too high for the mileage and age of the vehicle. Sullivan's wasn't fazed. Secondly, we pointed out several concerns with the vehicle that they promised to address before we took it home (topping off liquids, arranging for someone to come fix a chip in the windshield)-- only to discover when we were home that they did not. Thirdly, they sent us home with tags so faded that we got pulled over by a policeman five minutes into our hometown; while Sullivan's overnighted new tags to us, it was irresponsible to send us out the door with those in the first place. Overall, we expected better. read more

I bought a 2005 Nissan Sentra last year at Sullivan's Auto Trading in Fredericksburg, VA last year. The Carfax report was solid except for a minor fender bender. The only thing that was a little questionable was that it was short. Over the past year there were many little issues that popped up on it - which isn't the fault of Sullivan's. It had 72,000 miles on it when I bought it and it was easily the best priced car in the area - and I was on a budget. The heat and AC stopped working recently, so I took it to a mechanic and they couldn't figure out the problem. I took it to another one and they also couldn't figure it out and they recommended I trade it in while it was still running because online it seemed to be a common issue in Nissan Sentras and could cause a problem in the long run. The Kelley Blue Book value for Good was ranged from $2,600 - $3,100. When I brought it to the dealership to trade in, the salesman came back with a Carfax report that was significantly longer than the one I had seen through Sullivan's website. This one had much more detail and included a large accident that the car had been in that caused structural damage. This really lowered the value of the car. I am very disappointed in the dishonesty of Sullivans. This ended up costing me about 4,000 dollars and a higher car payment on the new vehicle. I likely would never have even purchased the vehicle at the price I did had I known about this. Sullivan's does have good prices, but I doubt their integrity and therefore I cannot recommend them to anyone! read more