On November 2, 2018, and after a two day train ride from Washington, I arrived at Smith Motors to…read moreinspect and test drive a 2007 Saturn Ion 3 Sedan that I had located on cargurus.com. The price I negotiated in advance was good and based on the average of the KBB, NADA and Edmunds appraisals, but it was very difficult inspecting the vehicle outside in the chill rain of that morning. Of course it eas contingent upon inspection, and I was unable to located a certified automobile inspector in that area. Inspecting the vehicle in the rain made it difficult to see exterior damage, and test driving with the defogger blasting concealed the defect about which I am making this post. The salesman, Craig Manske, was a very friendly man who actually made the drive to Fargo to drive me back to the dealership in Wahpeton. I specifically asked him what is the meaning of "certified pre-owned," and he assured me that the Saturn had undergone a rigorous inspection and servicing. Regretably, he failed to inform me that he had allegedly scheduled an appointment with his cardiologist at the very time I would be at the dealership. That meant that he would leave me in the aggressive hands of the closer, Smith Motors's Business Manager, Ross Kent. I was at a real negotiating disadvantage that morning because the train arrived at approximately 2:30 AM, leaving me extremely sleepless by the time I was asked to inspect the vehicle and execute the bill of sale six hours later.  Perhaps Mr. Manske's deliberately making a very important date with me on the same morning when he had a prior commitment with his doctor is customary, business practices in Wahpeton, ND, but in most of the places I have lived or practiced law, it is considered extremely inconsiderate and worthy of condemnation.   Mr. Kent insisted that I sign a form acknowledging that my modifying the vehicle or using non-GM parts might void the warranty.  I reminded him that the vehicle was twelve years old, had sixty-nine thousand miles on it and was undeniably out-of-warranty.  I initially refused to sign.  When he made my signature a deal-breaker, Mr. Manske was conveniently absent and not available to drive me back to Fargo.  I had to ponder the possible ways my assent might haunt me down the road.  Take the after-market tow hitch, for example. I also then had to decide how I would make my way back to the train station fifty miles away. So under duress and possibly against my better judgment as a retired lawyer, I gave in because of the time and effort I had expended in getting myself to the dealership in the first place to buy this vehicle..   My inspection faculties were impaired.  I didn't see the dented hood way up near the windshield, for example, because it was covered in rain drops that were falling down and the light was bad.  How do you suppose that defect happened?  I discounted the gouged rear bumper that was obviously caused by the tow hitch being used.  I did make mention of the driver seat cover being unattached, but Mr. Manske discounted it (more on that later).  During the test drive, I failed to notice the horribly squeaky clutch and brake pedal (more on that later).  Again, I was sleepless and unaccustomed to the damp cold of Wahpeton when I stepped outside to inspect the vehicle and test drive it in the rain relatively early that morning.  I drove the car back to Washington without incident and before the snow hit, thank goodness.   The squeaky pedals and seat cover annoyed me enough that I took the vehicle to the nearest Chevy, Buick & GMC dealership in Warrenton, OR.  http://www.lindsaybuickgmc.com/  That technician was unable to clip the seat cover back on without his taking the additional trouble of detaching the seat from the floor.  He also was unable to silence the squeaky pedals with the lithium spray designed for the task.  Would I have insisted Smith Motors resolve these issues prior to accepting delivery of the vehicle in a more refreshed state of mind?  Most assuredly, and I think about that every time I get behind the wheel!   Even at the dealership Mr. Manske was fishing for both compliments and referrals.  Okay.  I would have done both if the dealership had offered me a solution or an accommodation for the issues I am experiencing with the vehicle.  Did Smith Motors offer to reimburse me for the labor involved in hammering out the dented hood or filling the gouged bumper?  Of course not! The seat was reattached on my subsequent visit, I ended up paying $55 in a last attempt to silence the pedals, but it was unsuccessful. Was it too much to ask for Smith Motors to reimburse me for the labor involved in reattaching the seat cover and silencing the squeaky brake and clutch pedals.  Though that would be a class act and worthy of the highest review and tireless, multiple referrals from me, my request was denied.   Shop somewhere else for a used car. You'll be glad you did.

From the owner: Small Town Friendly, Big Town Deals! Smith Motors is your trusted Chevrolet, GMC dealership in…read moreWahpeton and the reason why our loyal customers keep coming back since 1960. Smith Motors carries new and used Chevrolet, GMC cars, trucks & SUV's. We also have a wide selection of used Buick, Cadillac, Pontiac, Olds and many other foreign & domestic vehicles. Our Full Service Automotive Center and Body Shop deliver high quality parts, repairs, and services in Wahpeton/Breckenridge and the surrounding area. Smith Motors also offers our customers the option to handle your financial needs. We will do our best to find our customers the best rates possible from reputable lenders. Our Mission is to provide the highest quality products with the greatest service possible. Smith Motors applies it high quality service standards to develop and maintain long lasting relationships with out customers, employees, and suppliers.

I was passing through the fine town of Wahpeton when my pickup broke down. They got me in the same…read moreday and back on the road in a few hours. The price was reasonable, especially considering I was not a local. If I lived in town Big John's would be my go to shop!

From the owner: For over 25 years, Big Johnandaposs Carpro has been offering complete automotive repairs to…read morecustomers in Wahpeton, ND and the surrounding areas. We work hard to consistently provide professional, reliable and honest services that our customers can rely on.and#10and#10Just a few of the many services we provide includeand#10- Complete automobile repairsand#10- Custom exhaustand#10- Radiator repairand#10- Tire salesand#10- Alignmentand#10- Tuneupsand#10and#10Our prices are always fair and we will discuss one-on-one with you the work that needs to be completed on your vehicle and why. We will not start performing any repair work until you have approved it. Only the highest quality of parts and materials available are used at our shop in order to provide the best repair work. Our customers will not only expect the best, but they will get the best when they bring their car to our repair shop.and#10and#10Your vehicle is one of the most important parts of your everyday life. When you have a problem with it, bring it to Big Johnandaposs Carpro for car repair services you can trust.

To be honest I always use Walmart because they always check the tires and all the fluid levels and…read moreafter they have installed the new filter and oil. They clear the code for the change oil light. All this for 29:95. Last week my oil change light came on and I didn't really want to drive to Fargo so we went to jiffy lube here in town. Never again. We were the only car getting serviced and had 3 employees working on it. $57:00 later with the oil change light still on which takes 5 seconds to clear we came home. Cleared the code myself raised the hood they had spilled oil and didn't even bother to clean up their mess.

Exceptional service! The guys at Jiffy Lube were very courteous and respectful! They did not try…read moreto sell us things we did not need --they simply told us if something was wrong with one of our vehicles and offered to fix it for us but there was no "hard-sell" about it and I really appreciated that! Very nice customer service and very quick!

Would HIGHLY recommend! Rays was beyond helpful for us and willing to work with the warranty…read morecompany on our behalf to get as much coverage as possible. Jeremy and Chad especially were helpful, professional, and knowledgeable. We will definitely be back!

Fixed my car the same day I brought it in and work vehicle very fast as well, they did a great job…read moreon both vehicles