Note: This story has been edited. My wife and I bought a 2013 Subaru Outback from this dealership on April 29th. My wife had seen an ad on Car Gurus so we decided to go check it out. We had been to this dealership before to test drive a pre-owned Prius and everyone we dealt with was courteous and professional. That is usually the case when they are trying to make a sale though. On our most recent dealing with them, our salesman was Eric Cermeno. He was absolutely great up to and through the sale of the Outback. However, we negotiated two years worth of services for the vehicle and a manager specifically told Eric to go on to Groupon and purchase the maintenance services and give them to us that way. This did not get done. We still don't have them. This is just the beginning, though. When we purchased the vehicle and signed papers on Friday, April 29th, I looked over the vehicle casually after my wife had test driven it. We liked it very much and obviously went through with the purchase. I even agreed to an extended warranty coverage. Again, everyone we dealt with was great up to this point. The sales manager on the purchase was Justin Roberts. We drove the car home and the next morning I was checking it out in the garage. I noticed that it had plastic wheel covers over stock, steel rims. I was really bummed. I didn't really catch it the day before when we bought it. My wife pointed out that on the Car Gurus advertisement, the major features mentioned for the vehicle were Bluetooth and alloy wheels. The vehicle VIN was on the ad with those features listed. I had never seen the ad myself before we purchased the vehicle so I really didn't know until she told me. Well, it turned out that the finance department made a mistake on the papers that we had signed for the extended warranty. They called us to see if we could possibly come back to the dealership as an option to sign amended papers. Even though we live in Chula Vista and it is about 30 minutes away, I agreed to go back because I also wanted to mention the situation about the wheels on the vehicle. We went back the next day, Saturday, and signed the correct warranty paperwork. We saw our salesman Eric and told him about the wheels. He said he didn't think there was anything that could be done because we already signed the papers. I didn't really think that he could help us at that point, so I asked if we could speak to a manager. He got Justin to come over and talk to us. I told him that I thought the vehicle should have alloy wheels on it because that is what the Car Gurus ad mentioned with the VIN. He specifically said to me and my wife that he could either offer us $500.00 cash or he would get alloys put on it. He also added, on his own, that he personally would choose alloys over cash. I agreed with him and said that we would rather have the alloy wheels. We shook hands and he said that he would take care of it. I called him about a week later to remind him. He said he would look into it and get back to me. This became a common theme, but I understood that they are very busy. I then started text messaging and it was always one thing or another about how he forgot and he was out of town and when he got back he would take care of it. After a handful of texts and a conversation or two on the phone, our last communication was on June 10th. It was a long, back and forth text exchange in which he basically is saying that nothing can be done because the warranty would be voided if they put on alloy wheels. How's that if certified Subaru technicians do the work? He mentioned that he didn't think that we were mislead in any way by them. He said that the person who enters the information for the online advertising made a clerical error and that the dealership had no control over it. He did say, however, that he would continue to try and figure something out. So, long story but the short of it is that we still do not have alloy wheels or maintenance services that were promised to us. Justin also said in the last text exchange that because he felt so bad about the whole situation, he would look into getting my first service comped. Update: Justin arranged for us to get alloys with new tires and it was completed Saturday, June 25th. We are very satisfied and grateful. No hard feelings on this end. They ended being professional and helpful and we appreciate their efforts. Thank you! We wish Justin, Eric and team lots of success! read more

A car buying experience. After determining that I wanted to buy an SUV and having read reviews from Consumer Reports and Edmunds I settled on a Subaru Forester. Next step, contacting the Costco Auto Buying program which put me in contact with Frank Subaru in National City. One of their sales reps emailed me that afternoon and a day later we went to the dealership to look at and drive several Foresters. Unfortunately they didn't have Forester with a color, options and interior trim that I wanted. Nor did they have any Foresters that had the interior that I thought I wanted. I ended up putting $500.00 down and ordering the Forester I thought I wanted which would arrive in approximately 2 months. The next day my bride and I went to the El Cajon Subaru dealer ship (which is much closer to home) to see if we could find a Forester with trim that I wanted. We were greeted by a salesman named Eric Diaz who told me that they did have the vehicle just like the one I wanted. It was presold but at least we could check the interior out and see what we thought. We were not real happy with the look of the interior. After a talking with us for nearly an hour Eric suggested we also look at an Outback explaining that the Forester had more of a trucky ride while the Outback was a little more plush and comfortable and could be had with all the options that we wanted and since we are a young/old couple we would appreciate the comfort. After a couple of hours of discussion and vacillation, we decided to go home to think things over. Several days later, Eric called to say they had received a shipment of new vehicles and asked if we'd like to come down and look them over. This turned out to be a long day of looking at and driving several Forester and Outback editions and trying to decide what we wanted. After much back and forth discussion we finally decided on the first Outback that Eric had shown us (I think after talking to us for so long, he had figured out what we wanted and would buy long before we did). The rest of the buying process was simple and easy. We got what we felt was a fair price even though El Cajon Subaru is not part of the Costco Auto Buying Program and a 0% interest rate, which we thought was great. The day after buying the Outback, we went back for an orientation briefing from Royal Wilkinson who, along with Eric, spent a good part of a morning with us going over all the features of the vehicle. I should have taped the guy. We've had the vehicle two weeks now and really love it. Eric has called several times to make sure everything is going okay with the vehicle and has been cheerfully available whenever we have had a question. Great job guys. Finally, I have to give credit to Frank Subaru, when I called to get my $500.00 deposit back the day after buying the Outback, they told me it could take up to a week to see the funds. The money was credited back to my account two days later. Good job. Bill Walsh read more

My truck broke down after 14 years and i only had a couple days to find a new ride. Once my wife and I started looking we figured out quickly we didn't have a clue what we wanted (mostly me). After a full day of visiting dealerships and test driving all sorts of cars and trying to figure out our true needs we paired our options down to a couple models. During that time we met several sales men so we had very different experiences with each one. Some literally seemed like they didn't care and literally had to grab them several times to help us. Others were way to aggressive trying to sell us on models we had already told them we were not interested in not listening to our needs at all. Something about Subaru of El Cajon was different. The sales man we worked with RandAll Dunn was knowledgeable and actually listened to the different needs and concerns we had with each model we looked at. We made poor RandAll go on like 4 or 5 different test drives with us and search the lot for different models over 2 days while we tried to figure out what we wanted so it wasn't like we just walked up and bought a car. Over that time RandAll stayed cool, calm and collect as we flip flopped back and forth on models and needs (If I were RandAll I would have been annoyed). RandAll continued to listen to our needs and helped us finally decide on a 2016 Impreza Sport. Once we decided it was time to pull the trigger and talk numbers. In comes the closer for a lack of a better term Jeff (not remembering his last name at the moment) Jeff was nice respectful and understood that we had a budget that we needed to stay within and tried hard to stay within that and did. Yes he tried to add a couple options that we had to decline but didn't push us hard as he understood our position. I would have tried if I were Jeff too, that's part of his job. Jeff was able to get us in the car under our magic number and we were very happy with that experience. Next it was time to sign our life away haha, the finance guy we worked with Alex was great, I had several questions for him and he was able to answer them all and was very knowledgeable and made everything as stress free as it can be when you are buying such a big purchase. We overall were extremely happy with the entire experience and would recommend anyone looking for a Subaru or Mazda to check these guys out. I also spoke to a good friend that bought a Forester from Subaru of El Cajon a little over a year ago and had a really good experience as well so the excellent service is ongoing. Thank you so much RandAll, Jeff and Alex for making this experience much less stressful then what it could have been we really appreciate it and love the new ride. read more

Every single aspect of my purchase of a new Subaru Forester through Subaru El Cajon was absolutely pleasant, efficient and thorough. From the sales process through the final paperwork, I was impressed with the staff's attention to detail and desire to see that I was completely satisfied. My salesmen, Jon Fuller and Rick D'Andrea, were there to help without a great deal of pressure. I looked at many different brands, and came back for a second test drive before making my final decision. They remembered upon my return what I was looking for and my concerns regarding a new car! They never pressured me one way or another, but gave me the information I needed to make my decision myself. The entire purchase process was so smooth, even with the pile of papers to fill out. Mike Rahmani helped a great deal to simplify the process, but complete it efficiently. After a few days of driving my new car and finding out how much I needed to know to be able to use every feature to its potential, I returned to see Royal Wilkinson, who knows more about Subarus than the Owner's Manual! He took me through every single feature and device, and included in it another ride to show exactly how certain systems operated in traffic and on the freeway. Invaluable time well spent! He's a gem. I am getting ready for a trip to Arizona with my daughter and granddaughter to view a college prospect for my granddaughter. It was unanimous that we take the new car. I can't wait to really be able to put to use all the features of my wonderful new car. Thank you Subaru El Cajon for all your assistance through this purchase process. read more

I had originally gone to the Subaru dealer in Kearny Mesa to look into getting a new car. I went on a Sunday and was helped by someone on the lot. I was trying to decide between a 2017 Crosstrek and Impreza wagon in manual transmission, and they only had an Impreza on the lot. After test driving that vehicle, I was interested in purchasing it, and I had asked my contact there for a quote -- I heard crickets as he didn't think I was a serious buyer. I had to follow up with him to get pricing and he only sent me prices for one of the cars. I asked him to test drive the Crosstrek, and he pretty much discounted me as a customer. I explained what was going on with a friend of mine (who had a Subaru) and he suggested that I contact Royal Wilkinson over at Subaru El Cajon (as that's who he bought his from). I called him that morning and within an hour I received a call back, and within 2 hours I was test driving the Crosstrek. At that point, I decided that I'd like to go with the Crosstrek over the Impreza, and Royal did what he could to get me the car I wanted. He went over pricing with me, found the exact car in the system as they didn't have one on the lot, and reserved the car for me. He said it would take 3 weeks to arrive, and it ended up only taking 2 and was communicative throughout the whole process. When I arrived to pick up my car, he went through all of the features, showed me where everything was and made sure I was happy with my purchase. I'm really happy I ended up finding Royal. He made my first car purchase simple and was a salesman I could trust. read more

So I have Dodge Ram, these guys properly diagnosed my issues after other maintenance ripped me off. They were able to affordably replace my motor. The best part is I moved to Oregon after the replacement was completed. When a small issue arose from the engine change and I had to take it to a local place for maintenance, Subaru of El Cajon stood by their integrity and value of service and payed for the repairs. I cannot express the greatness of their service department with a mere review. I was taken care of in prompt fashion, my needs met and surpassed, alongside being catered to and communicated with the entire process. My stress was relieved as I was not told what what was needed, but was educated on the issues and was given the opportunity to make the best educated decision on what I wanted done for my vehicle and needs. My True opinion is this. The service and respect you receive as a customer is based on the principal of integrity and getting the job done right. This dealership is based on quality. So they are not out to make as much money as possible off of everyone that brings them a vehicle. They are more concerned with getting each different person that drops a vehicle off for service with the overall best service and experience to grow their business. It was proven to me. They don't talk about it, they be about it. I was not paid for this review or given any discount. I am simply a very happy and satisfied customer who was treated with respect and professionalism. read more

I haven't purchased a car in over 10yrs! But I still know how to buy a car and when not to buy a car. Now I came in a looked and test drove this Audi A5 and spoke with a guy named Junior now at first everything was going well. I test drove the car and was ready to pull the trigger and make this purchase. Now the car was $19,900 and I asked the sales man Junior would they take anything off the price and he said let me ask my boss. So he says my boss said its $23,000 out the door. I explained to him would you be willing to take $900 off and make it $19,000 even and he said No your getting a deal as it is and my boss said No. After about 30min of basically mean less texts back n forth I said well what about $400 off and make it $19,500 instead of $19,900 that's only $400 off would your boss be willing to do that? He said my boss No Thank you! Now if I'm an owner of a business I understand that you have to make money but aren't you in the business of selling cars and if you have people that are running your business and willing to lose a customer over $400 then that's not a company I would ever want to deal with! I work for the city of San Diego and we employ over 1000 people. I will make sure they never shop at that dealership. Lol lose a customer over $400 bucks! Wow!! Not even two thumbs down I give Subaru of El Cajon four thumbs down!! I wonder if the owners of that dealership would have let me walk out and lose a sale? Hmm who knows! read more

Where to begin? I live 134 miles north of this dealership and would drive down again for another purchase from this team (Martin Garrett, Royal Wilkinson, Meredith and Kevin). Key things for me - they listened to what I wanted in a 2016 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring, they did not try to upsell me on packages that would not fit my set budget, Martin took me on a custom test drive to help simulate every day errands in a SUV. The reason why this was important for me was that I was moving from a civic to a small suv. I wanted to make sure I could be comfortable parking, etc with the size difference. Martin took the time the next day to give me a complete tutorial on the CX5's great new gadgets. I can not say enough about Royal Wilkinson's customer service and detail of engine knowledge on the Skyactiv technology. Most are just sales people where he answered all of my engine questions. I am kind of a car person. I had complete trust that he knew this car well and wasn't just trying to get it off the lot. Kevin the finance manager presented us with great finance options even though we originally came in with our own finance option. We did the math and went with Kevin's suggestion. I felt that he was honest with the price as well. Each person was personable, wonderful and they did not high pressure you into an impulse buy. They do business right! read more

My wife and I purchased a 2016 Forester from Subaru El Cajon circa May 2016. It turned out to be a great decision. She and I had been test driving other makes and models. Per Subaru, we started our search at Kearny Mesa Subaru. Experience: unprofessional, uncaring, condescending, and a waste of our time. No one cares if you met your quota for the week. ****The staff and management at Subaru El Cajon were beyond professional. Courteous, respectful, and helpful. A true representation of customer service. Mr. Royal WILKINSON: We will always do business with him. It has been years since we have encountered a person who is passionate about two things: 1. The consumer 2. Their job Royal took his time and explained everything. He answered all our questions. He had a great test-drive route covering all bases. He never was pushy and had a great attitude. ***Royal lives up to his word. We had a couple of follow-up questions several weeks later. Within the work day he got us the answer. What a good guy! Thank you Royal for being you! Again, we will always refer our friends to Royal at Subaru El Cajon. At least there, your second largest investment will be handled with care and professionalism. Michael & Rosa read more

I just bought a new Subaru from El Cajon Subaru and had a great experience. I am not a fan of car dealerships and dreaded going to buy my new car, but was so surprised by my experience here. I was not bombarded by sales associates while I was walking around, and I didn't feel like I was being stalked as I was looking, making me feel comfortable and relaxed. Every person I came in contact with was very friendly and professional, and again did not make me feel pressured to make an immediate decision. Once I decided on a car, the process was smooth and uncomplicated. One of the things I hate about car dealerships is when I am made to feel that I have to make a decision right in that instant or I will not get as good as a deal. I don't appreciate BSing, guilt trips, or pressure when I am about the spend tens of thousands of dollars, and I did not get this at El Cajon Subaru and appreciated it so much. The people and atmosphere really made buying a car a pleasant experience. In fact, I drove 45 minutes to buy my car there instead of the closer dealership 10 minutes from my house just because of the laid back, pressure-free environment. If you want a Subaru of Mazda, El Cajon Subaru Mazda is the place to go! read more

Had a great experience. I came in to check out the 2015 Mazda CX-5 and to look at the 2015 Crosstrek XV. Randall assisted my girlfriend and I and offered to take us for a test drive. They have a great test drive route established, not too stressful of a route for southern California and it allowed me to see the full performance range of the car. Randall was a pleasure and very knowledgable. I went to a few other dealerships that day but ended up coming back that evening to buy the Crosstrek. Randall wasn't pushy like other car salesman. When I decided to buy the car, he helped me through the whole process, provided snacks and a relaxed atmosphere, and helped me negotiate a great price. After the deal was finalized, he gave my girlfriend and I a personal and very thorough tutorial on the car and all of its features. He gave us a lot of personal attention and instruction, more than I've experienced from any other dealership. Since buying the car, he has followed up several times to see if I have any questions or concerns and has already scheduled my first complimentary oil change 5 months from now. I would recommend buying a car here for the ease of experience and the great customer service. read more

Royal Wilkinsen internet sales manager for El Cajon Subaru quoted me a "no nonsense out the door price" for the 2015 out back limited which the other dealers could not beat, so I ordered it from him. He told me the lead time for this car would be two weeks. I got the call today that the car had arrived. I have never been to this dealer prior to picking up the car so I did not know what to expect...And to be honest I did not expect much. Royal greeted us when we arrived, helped us through the paper work and then proceeded to meticulously explain and demonstrate the various features of the car.... and there were many features to address. Royal was very patient and thorough through out all of this. He also took us on to the freeway to properly demonstrate the vision capabilities and adaptive cruise control features. I was very impressed by the car and more impressed with Royal's attitude and professionalism. After purchasing three cars from various dealers in the last three years including a BMW 535 d, no dealer came close to the level of customer service offered at this dealership. I highly recommend this dealership and the Subaru Out Back. read more