Recent Reviews from AutoNation Toyota South Austin

I bought my car here at Autonation Champion Toyota back in 2008. Ever since then I have had excellent customer service throughout the ownership of my vehicle. However the past 3 times I've come in for regular oil changes and scheduled maintenance I have not gotten the customer service I've come to appreciate. The past few experiences I have had with the service department I've been left feeling very unsatisfied. It is always extremely difficult to get someone on the phone to setup an appointment...and if you try and show up for a walk in you're borderline laughed at by the "greeter" personnel standing in the car port. This past time was really what set me over the edge and forced me to write this unstatisfactory review. Upon arriving I'm greeted by an employee who was cleary not taking care of himself hygienically. He was exceptionally rude practically testing me to see if I really did have an appointment. Asking me "with who, what time" in a very unpleasant tone. Once the real service representative came out he was also extremely rude! Saying, "who set up this appointment? It's getting late" I asked when can I expect the car to be ready... to which he said "before closing" as he walked off. The disrespectful attitude about having to service my vehicle was absolutely absurd. I was treated as a complete nuisance for wanting my vehicle serviced. Which is surprising since I spent the entirety of the wait in the lobby where I witnessed several Service Representatives sitting around chatting amongst themselves. So honestly they didn't seem as busy as they lead on. When I finally did get my vehicle returned to me, there was trash left in the vehicle. (gum wrappers, dirty used paper floor mat, and service number ticket) I also asked politely for them to check my tire pressure before handing the keys over. Upon getting back into my vehicle the tire warning light is still lit! Apparently that was too much of ask for them. I understand days can be long and a job tiring. However, I can get my oil changed and other services done anywhere. I come to AutoNation Champion Toyota because I used to feel well taken care of. I was definitely going to purchase my next vehicle here simply for the excellent track record I've had with the staff. But if this is what I am to expect in the future I will honestly have to reconsider.

Santos Saldana Jul 25, 2018

Unfortunately I've had some pretty poor auto-body repair experiences in my life, but my experience with Autonation Toyota South Austin was by far the worst. The long process is finally over (after a month), and I'm happy to be writing this terrible, but definitely deserved, review. Read on if you want to know the truth to my experience - My truck tailgate needed to be replaced, so I called the Autonation place and Earnest recommended I just order the parts over the phone. So I did that, and he initially told me that it would only take a day or two to get them in and then I could take my truck in and get it repaired. Well 3 days went by and I called - no answer. 4 days went by and I called again all day long, and finally I received a call at like 6:00 PM that night saying that my truck needed more parts than originally quoted and the price was going up, and then I still had to take time to wait for them. Okay, I understand that this is not such a big deal, and I wasn't too upset over this. The guy told me they would be in Monday, they didn't get them in until Tuesday, and I FINALLY dropped off my truck on that day. The ETA of when my truck would be complete was supposed to be by the end of that week. So Friday comes around and it's 3:00 PM and I haven't been called so I call - no answer. I call again, again, again, and of course, no answer that Friday. I go the whole weekend without hearing from them and I FINALLY get a call on Monday. Guess what... My truck needed MORE parts and it was said to be done by Tuesday. Well, that didn't happen. My truck wasn't done until the following Tuesday. At this point I just wanted my truck back because I was done with this dreadful experience. Through this whole process I did not even get a "Sorry for the mix up" or anything that was well deserved from having to wait an extra 2 weeks and pay an extra $250 than what was quoted. The story goes on - (Thanks for sticking with me). I go to pick up my truck on that Tuesday and I get there and of course, it isn't FULLY READY. The chevy emblems that are way over priced at like $180 for the bow tie and Silverado emblem were NOT ON MY TRUCK. That's the first thing I tell Earnest when I see him, and of course, no: "I'm so sorry sir" of the nature. His reaction was literally: "Oh F*CK, I forgot to bring them". Mistakes happen, I didn't care about the non apologies or cussing in front of a customer at all. I cared that I had waited 2 weeks for my truck to be done and I come to pick it up having to already pay more, AND IT STILL WASN'T DONE! I'll wrap this up quick, I promise. Earnest ensured me that he would personally drive the emblems to my house ON the following day. Well, unsurprisingly, this did not happen. Not only did he not "personally deliver them to me", but he didn't answer my phone calls that following day to ask if he was still planning on it. Well long story short, I get ahold of the GM, Chuck,and I end up demanding a refund of the parts that weren't put on. It took a little arguing, but he finally initiated it. Now, A MONTH LATER, I got the refund check in the mail and unsurprisingly.... IT WAS NOT THE FULL AMOUNT that it should have been for... haha... after all that. I am totally done now though. All I can do now is write this review and give you the honest truth of the worst customer service experience I've ever dealt with in my life. I am so shocked that this place thoroughly has good reviews, and I hope my little "1 star rating" puts some sort of a dent in what the truth was about my crappy experience. NEVER EVER WILL I GIVE THIS PLACE MY MONEY AGAIN after this treacherous 1 month long process. I'd honestly rather just go without a tailgate next time. Thanks for taking the time to read all the negative, but truthful, story!

Tyler Gescheidle Jun 25, 2018

The dealership is probably fine. I'm happy because I got the vehicle I really wanted (thanks to my own research), however I would STRONGLY suggest that the sales leadership team do a LOT more training before sending new salesmen onto the floor. To be honest, they're lucky that I had been closely watching the market on this vehicle for weeks and knew that I had found a very hot deal. The salesman who "helped" me (Alex) actually encouraged me to walk off the lot the night that I was trying to purchase... I know, basically the exact opposite of usual salesmen who don't want you to leave at all. That was just the start of my troubles with Alex. He continued to show his lack of training throughout the whole ordeal - first telling me to walk off the lot and come back another day (why? I have no clue), then telling me I need to go back to my bank for a buyer's note (when I had already been pre-approved by my credit union and physically had a check in my hand, standing on the lot), then he made a half-baked attempt to sell me the dealership financing but he had no idea what he was talking about (saying I would need to put $6,000 down and pay $500/month for 5 years at a 6% interest rate for a car that only cost $17,000..... yeah I'm not a math wiz but that's just hysterical), then he went on to insult my credit saying that I probably wouldn't qualify for the lowest interest rate (I assume this is because of my age? but jokes on him because I have excellent credit and I CERTAINLY didn't let them run it because of his obvious lack of knowledge in everything). When I asked questions about the vehicle, he openly admitted he didn't know anything about it (the vehicle history, the recalls, the warranties) -- mind you, I had emailed them days beforehand to set this appointment, they knew I was coming to look at once specific car and had plenty of time to do the prep work before I arrived. As he was going between telling me to walk away and insulting my credit, I had to literally say "I am planning to walk away with this vehicle tonight. What do I need to do to make that happen?" which finally prompted him to go ask someone else HOW TO FREAKING SELL ME THIS CAR. I was happy when I finally got the paperwork signed and the car was mine. I brought the car back to the dealership a week later to get a few scratches buffed off the vehicle and had asked the same sales guy, Alex, to put the temporary license plates on my car by the time I picked it up. When I arrived to pick up the car after the body work, of course, the temporary plates were not on.... he mumbled something about "I forgot your car had these weird bolts on the license plate" (there's nothing weird about the bolts on the license plates, they are the standard ones that everyone else has). I was then inconvenienced by having to stay at the dealership for an additional 45 MINUTES while I watched Alex fumble around the service garage, asking for help a few times, then eventually trying to use power tools to try and FORCE different bolts onto the vehicle... After that obviously didn't work (and may have caused damage to the license plate area--they'll be hearing from me if it did), he finally put the regular bolts back on and attached the temporary plates... as I had asked him to do long before I got there and he had assured me via text that he would. So as I said: I'm happy I got the vehicle I wanted. However, I hope to never have to interact with this Alex person again. I'm sure he's a nice guy and I'm sure AutoNation has other very reputable salesman but sheesh.... Please take that guy back to the training class cause if I hadn't been so dead-set on buying that exact vehicle, you would have absolutely 100% lost a sale and have likely lost my lifelong business.

Ashley Horton Apr 24, 2018

Got my latest car from them. Overall I'd do business with them again, but I don't find the whole thing outstanding or exemplary. The location itself is clean, well-kept and friendly enough, they also have a good selection of both new and used vehicles. The location is easy to see and get to on the frontage road going south on 35. I buy used, never new. I found a car online and when I called to verify they had it in stock still they set up an appointment for me to come in so I could easily come in and get into the process. Well that's a nice idea, but the person who they set it up with was already busy and so they scrambled to find someone else. Christian is a nice guy, and certainly knows his stuff. They claim they never haggle and it's a no-haggle system. Clearly this is not the case based on other's reviews and my own experience. We drove away from the lot to the next place to look at another car and Christian texted me a number of times with reasons why they were great and how he couldn't haggle. Well in the end he came back with a different price. I ended up getting a car pretty close to the price I wanted. I still have not received the driver's side floor map from them. I've texted the salesman a couple times... nothing. I waited to respond to their request that I leave a review to give them time to find it and let me know. Nothing. When I went back in to pick up another item the sales guys standing outside watched me coming in like sharks waiting for their next meal... creepy. On that subject: they also claim they don't work on commission. Well they do get paid money for each car they sell and that amount goes up for the total number of cars they sell. So they don't work on a % commission which is most rife for abuse by salespeople, but they still work on commission. The closing process is still overly complicated. They were nice in that they only had us go in the finance guys office to sign stuff, but it took them about 30-45 minutes to get it all ready. Once we got in there, it was less than 5 minutes, but part of that is because I told them I wasn't interested in any upsells, warranties, or really anything else. I told them the out the door price I wanted and that's it. I was writing a check so there was no financing to discuss. The finance guy's job takes so long to get things because there is WAY too much manual data entry and printing out of paper copies of junk. Not efficient and paperless in any way. It was also clear that auto nation's corporate policies were getting in the way of some things. If you really want to make the process a great experience, make it super, super easy to come in and drive a car and then drive away with it if you're not doing any financing. Docusign and similar technologies are amazing. For example, signing an 69-page overly-complicated home purchase agreement last week was faster than the closing process at AutoNation Toyota even with careful reading of large parts of it because they used docusign. Car dealerships need to get at least one foot into the 21st century.

Aaron Houssian Apr 22, 2018

#ihateautonation My thoughts on my recent auto buying experience involving three different AutoNation dealerships. First I find an older BMW 3 series not cosmetically perfect but was a good driving car. However I test drove the car on the coldest day we had in Houston for weeks and didn’t get the car up to operating temp. Christine and the kids were coming to town later that evening. When I drove it to pick them up I got engine stumbling and vibrating from 1500-2500 rpm. I was annoyed but researched it and it’s a common problem with a usually easy fix of replacing the ignition coils. Took the car back and AutoNation refused to repair the car. Sales manger said the car had come from the Katy dealership and they were already losing money on it. I mean the parts are $130 and maybe 1/2 hour. No No explained the sales manger they can’t source parts from Amazon plus they would have to get OEM parts and charges for work even on their own inventory are done at set rates. I told him the ones on Amazon were from Bosch which is the OEM manufacturer. I asked about their much exalted 180 point inspection. He said that should have been done at the Katy dealership he didn’t have any background on the car himself. Either way they won’t fix it. So that leaves me with no car to drive at all. So they get me a 2004 BMW X5 with only 64k miles on it. Oh but it’s at that same Katy dealership that the other car had come from originally. Ok so the wife and I go out to dinner and I come back to get the X5 first the headliner is falling down, the leather is pulling loose from the arm rests, there is a check engine light on, the LCD screen has a big dead zone in the middle of it, sunroof is stuck open and the front wheel bearings are shot oh but this one has AutoNation’s warranty behind it so they will fix this one. I am like yeah I doubt it once I give them the list. They would go oh that car is to old to have the warranty and it was a mistake. So I need a car and like quick so we find another car, 2010 Ford Focus at AutoNation Toyota in Austin. We are like great we will be in San Antonio and easily make the hour drive north and pickup the car. We get there and you know what the A/C isn’t working and it’s too late for service to look at it but wait finish the finance application and we can have the car repaired on Friday and ready by Saturday. Christine has to sign the papers too and they are leaving early Saturday afternoon. We sit there and waist 3 hours while the finance guys figure it all out. Ok so we say we will be there at their opening on Saturday at 9:00 and that everything would be in order. I get no update on Friday so I call them that afternoon oh it won’t be ready until Monday and no we don’t know what’s wrong with it. It’s just now going into service. Ok there went sale opportunity number 3. Three strikes your out. I don’t have any way of getting to Austin and I can’t complete the sale because my family had to leave. The bank needs originals not emailed copies. So now it’s Sunday night and I will be getting up early to take the bus to work. So now you know why I hate AutoNation and why none of you should do business with them.

Mason Kobeck Apr 15, 2018

UPDATED AFTER ORIGINAL POST: STILL GARBAGE. First, they increased their cost by $10k after my initial test drive, then they wasted my time again trying to sell me another car. ORIGINAL POST: I test drove a lifted 4Runner that I really liked. Both in person and online, the asking price for this specific model was $36,882 (see pictures for VIN.) On my way back to the dealership one day later, after getting approved for financing from a 3rd party, the dealership told me that his staff had forgotten to include the lift kit, wheels, etc into the price (which I question because the ad clearly described the lift kit + wheel upgrades in the notes). I was told that that the vehicle was now $44,983. After talking to the brick walls that are the Sales Manager (David Valdez) and the General Manager (John Mendez), I couldn't get across to them that I simply wanted to purchase the vehicle that I test drove, at the price they gave me. I originally took a screenshot of the vehicle to send to my S/O after I test drove the car and when I went back to double check it, the ad had been changed. I think this is a horrible way to do business, was a complete waste of time, and set me back in my car buying process by days. I dont know if this is fraud, but it's close. UPDATE: After this post, I connected with the GM, Kent Murar, who still wouldn't sell me the car I test drove for the original price they gave me, but assured me he wanted to make it right by giving me a "smoking deal" on a similar vehicle. I told him that I wanted only 2 things...I wanted the 4 Runner to be black and I want it to have 4x4. I also told him my price range of less than $35k financed. I told him I would even be open to a low-mile certified pre-owned if it made things easier. There were many attempts to get me to come in to the dealership for pricing but I had already wasted my time once, I wasn't about to do it again. I asked for them to send me what they were proposing via email and that I would come in if any of their options were good fits. Days went by, no cars or pricing. When I asked if they had found anything, they just emailed me MSRP pricing for 3 cars...no smokin deal was to be found. 2 of them were top of the line black Tforce 4runners that were WAY over my spending budget ($42k +) and a used grey 4runner. I found what I was looking for at another dealership and my buying experience was night and day. SAVE YOURSELF SOME HEADACHE AND STAY AWAY FROM AUTONATION.

Anthony Carrillo Apr 13, 2018

Where to start......they try to lure you in with false advertising. We were looking at cars and came across their website. Within minutes a guy calls and starts telling us about their 72 hour flash sale with " absolutely crazy deals" so we decide to swing by and check out their vehicles. We settle on a Ford Fusion and go to sit down. They tried to scam me with a estimate from Black Blook (who uses that?) showing it was estimated as an 18k car and bragged about how they were 2k under Black Books estimate. While i was waiting hours to get into the finance office I decided to look up Kelley Blue Book (who everyone uses and trusts) and see that the car is actually valued at $15,500. I bring this up to the sales guy and ask him what happened to these "crazy deals" he called us about to get us in the door. He says well we use a bunch of different websites, but I guess he only felt it was appropriate to show me the highest estimate. So be aware of their shady sales pitches, because chances are they are still priced over fair market value. 2nd, if you still decide to purchase a vehicle from here, make sure you block off your entire day. I was intending to go to a crawfish boil that day and basing off my previous car buying experience at a different dealership, I figured it would take about 3 hours. We showed up at 130 and weren't out of the door until close to 9. I literally heard "give me a minute" or "it shouldn't be too much longer" at least 50 times while I was there. To make it worse, the sales team knew of the buying situation and made it sound like everything would be fine. Fast forward to 830pm when they finally get me to the finance office and I tell the finance guy what the situation was. I mention we decided not to put money down and he tells me one minute and steps out so he can make sure that doesn't affect our loan rate. 15 minutes later, our sales guy comes in and says he can't sell us the car until Monday for the reasons the sales guy was well aware of and made no mention that it would be a problem. We wasted our entire Saturday for absolutely nothing but headaches. Worst car buying experience I've ever been a part of and i recommend looking elsewhere if you want a pleasant car buying experience.

Brandon Howard Mar 5, 2018

As a single woman, I have been researching and taking my time to make sure that I am getting an honest deal for a reliable car. I have spent time in multiple dealerships in the area, and this dealership was by FAR the worst experience I have had. As a whole, the dealership is disorganized and poorly managed. I showed enough interest in a vehicle to sign preliminary paperwork and apply for financing on a Friday evening. I was told that early Saturday afternoon, I would receive information on my approval for financing and on when the car made it through the shop for certification inspection. Hours went by that day, and I received a text at 8:15pm literally saying, "sorry we have sold 45 cars today so I'm so sorry I haven't got much info." I thought, well they could have sold 46, had they been more on top of it. Other dealerships have been much more punctual and communicative. In the dealership, there is a frantic energy and a feeling that there is too much to do to keep up with. I noticed two customers who were told around dinner time they would have to wait two hours, and an employee flippantly told them just to "call ubereats or favor". After feeling like I was not well communicated with on Saturday, I still made the effort to come in on the following Tuesday to get more information on financing because I was still interested in the car. I had test driven the car on Friday, and on Tuesday noticed the car had been keyed, something I didn't notice before. I felt the financing process was not very transparent and I had to ask a lot of detailed questions. I have had experiences in other dealerships that were much more transparent, informative and to the point. At first, they would not even tell me who the lender was that approved me, and I had to question to see any fine print, and was told that he wasn't able to pull me back into the office to physically show me the financing data from the actual lending institution unless I signed a piece of paper. I got the feeling I was being given the run around and that full information was not being openly disclosed to me. The initial offer from the lender was changed on me on two different occasions, something that has not happened at other dealerships. The financing guy told me to trust them because of word of mouth and their good reputation but this dealership has terrible ratings all over the internet. What good reputation is he speaking of? Later on in the conversation, he told me he had only been there for 3 days on the job, so that made me more uncomfortable with his expertise in helping me make a very expensive decision. To give you perspective, I am a client who has already sold my current vehicle and I got an uber ride to their dealership. The lack of communication, disorganization and general feeling of shady dealership tactics made me walk away, and stick it out without a car to find a better option. When I told them I was not interested in the car, I was texted with a rude response that said, "may I ask why? we were the only ones able to get you approved. you do need a car don't you?" If Toyota can approve me, any major dealership can, they work with the same banks. And of course I need a car, but not from Autonation Toyota South.

Lori Dinsmore Jan 25, 2018

The worst service I've ever experienced. I happened to walk in for a basic oil change and when dropping off my car at the service center. I first waited for 15 minutes in my car before someone finally came over to me and asked what type of service I needed. Finally an attendant named Art came over, informing me that my service would only take 1.5 hrs and he would call me when it was complete. After directing me to the lobby, I sat and waited watching others enter and leave before me. Finally after almost 3 hours had passed, since no one was providing any status updates, I decided to get up and go find Art and get an update on my car. When asking around for him, another attendant stepped in to help and tried looking up my vehicle in the system to determine the status. The problem, was nothing was pulling up. She even tried looking me up thorough my name, license plate, car make and model, phone number and still couldn't find any paperwork or my name within their system whatsoever. So, they basically had NO IDEA where my car was and how to get it back. And the best part was the guy, Art was no where to be found. Unbelievable. It took 7 reps scrambling and running around to try to locate either Art or my car for them to finally come back and tell me it had been ready and waiting in the lot for pickup for over an hour and half! This means that I could have had my car an HOUR after dropping it off instead of 3hrs later!! And this was all because Art apparently never filled out any paperwork on my car or put it in the system for anyone to keep track of it. This lack of professionalism and customer service is overwhelmingly astounding and is what truly speaks volumes on the difference between their dealership and their competitors. If they think I will ever do ANY type of business with them again, even after the end of my lease, they are gravely mistaken. I wouldn't refer them for ANYONE. Worst service of my life.

Jennifer Zamora Dec 7, 2017

After researching trucks online for a few months, I finally narrowed down my options to some that I wanted. Since I live very far in NW Austin, i had to take some time off work to visit their dealership. I figured 1/2 a day to go, test drive, haggle and then purchase. I contacted them the day before I went there to ensure that the truck I wanted was there. At 6pm that evening, it still was. The next morning, I get up and call them around 8am to ensure that the truck was still there. I was told by (by a different person) that it was. I get there, and the first thing I do is to go to the used car section, where a nicely dressed guy tells me in a rude fashion "You need to go to the other building up there. There's no one here." and just walks off. So I go up to the other building and walk in. The showroom is nice, the building is nice, so I thought this would go well. I was approached by another well dressed guy, and I explained that I called last night about a specific used truck they had. He said "I only deal with new trucks. You'll need to go back there and talk to someone else." and then he walked away without doing more than motioning in a vague direction of in the back. I walk back among a bunch of desks, and after looking around for about a minute, someone asks me if I've been helped. I explain again about the truck. The young lady then escorted me back to a guy and told him what I was there for. This guy was nice. He said sure, I remember talking to you. He got on his computer and said "Oh, it looks like that truck was just sold this morning." It was there at 6pm the night before, and it's now 9am and it's already sold. OK. well...it can happen. I guess. So I outline for this guy what I'm looking for. He says sure, and he says we'll get someone to see what's in inventory. He asks me to take a seat in the waiting area while he tries to find something. After 45 minutes, I wander back over to him and ask him if he's found anything. He gives me this surprised look and says "Didn't (insert random guys name here) come talk to you? We don't have anything that meets your criteria. We do have some that are close, if you'd like to look at them." He proceeds to show me pictures of 6 or 7 other trucks, none of which meet the two criteria that I specified as must haves... 1) under 100K miles, and 2) crew cabs with 4 wheel drive. None of them had 4 wheel drive, and all were 120K plus in mileage. I know websites can be slow in being updated, but when you call and get verification that something is there, and then 1/2 hour later you show up and it's mysteriously gone.. not a good sign. I should have known that the original truck that I looked at was a deal too good to be true. It makes me doubt if the truck was ever there to begin with.

J in Austin. Nov 14, 2017

I am writing about AutoNation Toyota in Austin TX not honoring their price quote for auto service on September 6, 2017. I called the service department and was quoted $67.00 total for oil change on a 2015 Lexus RC 350. I asked them to make sure of the quoted price because I was in Round Rock at the time. They returned my call after speaking with the parts department regarding oil filter and oil being used and stated they needed my VIN for definitive price. I gave them all the information they needed. I was quoted $67.00 and decided to have my car serviced there. I was shocked when I received my receipt for $149.00. I explained to Mark (service agent) that was not the price I was quoted over the phone. Mark replied “well who did you speak with on the phone?” I further explained to Mark that I didn’t have the name because I was driving at the time but that I did have the call back number available. Mark stated he needed the name of whom I spoke but still owed $149.00. Then I was told It took 11 quarts of oil for the oil change. I explain that was not what I was told on the phone, that is why they called me back and needed the VIN for final price quote. Nonetheless, I spoke with Mark’s manager Keith and he was just as dismissive. I was told that was the price and that “I am not going to take a loss!” I kept getting interrupted when I tried to explain my dilemma. Keith stated “…you had to have known it would cost more at the Lexus dealer.” I have never had the oil changed on this vehicle. Keith referred me to the parts department along with Mark to see if they could help with a price adjustment. I was told by Mark that $109.41 was the best they can do for a price adjustment. I explained that was not what I was quoted on the phone and asked If he could ask the other agents. He stated “I am not going to ask 16 people who they spoke with!” So I requested to speak with Kent Murar (general manager). I waited for and hour and was told that Keith spoke with Kent via phone and I had to pay $149.00. I did eventually pay the 109.41. Its appalling to witness couple of AutoNation Toyota employees (Mark and Keith) at such a respected company to behave in such a manner. I was disappointed to have been treated in this way. I have called and sent a certified letter to Kent Murar. I have yet to received a response regarding this matter! Additonally I called the regional office and still no response from AutoNation Toyota. Be aware of price quotes via phone because they will not honor them!

Roger Robles Nov 2, 2017

Very pleased with the vehicle, but the buying experience was not pleasant. I drove my family to Austin from San Antonio because I believed this was the best place for us to make a major vehicle purchase. The salesman was pleasant, however my issue is with the sales management team and their lack of familiarity with working with customers who are referred through USAA's car buying program. Several times I had to send papers back with incorrect pricing because the figures were not aligning with USAA's pre-negotiated price on my behalf. At one point I had to insist on the removal of a $299 charge for window tint that was not installed but was told was installed. I had to go to the vehicle with the salesman and scratch at the window edges to prove there was no tint on the window. From then I was very suspicious of anything presented because of the number of errors in the company's favor I had to have corrected To make this more painful we had to wait three (3) hours after finalizing the sales price and trade negotiation to see a finance manager. I came in with my financing in place and was ready to do business in a timely manner and I was expecting the same which I did not receive. Due to the day being long, I requested the finance manager expedite our paperwork and once it was clear that I was not buying additional add-on products, his demeanor changed to point where I was made to feel he was aggravated with me. I attempted to diffuse the tension by light talk while he was processing the paper work and his responses were short, cold and not friendly at all. After getting home, I reviewed the retail purchase agreement and I still discovered $262.83 charges which were supposed to in included in the total selling price including accessories and not added on after the taxable total. After repeated emails and phone calls, the general manager finally called and left a message several days later that he didn't see an error and would not be refunding the amount in question. My star rating is based on number of errors made in dealer's favor that I had to have corrected, the amount of time waiting to see a finance manager and the amount of time it took to the general manager to respond to my emails and calls and that I feel shorted $262.83 +++++++++++++++++ RESPONSE TO THE RESPONSE FROM THE OWNER Thank you for your canned form letter response that you provide to every negative review that you received. I actually reached out to the General Manager everyday either by email or phone call for a week straight beginning the evening of my purchase. After a week all I received was a disingenuous phone message, and I paraphrase - "To bad, to sad, we are not willing to make this right". So beyond what you haven't done so far, please advise how you could possibly turn this experience around.

Victor Brabble Sep 29, 2017

I do not have a Toyota but I took my car to AutoNation Toyota because I have an AutoNation Tire and Wheel protection warranty and needed to replace one of my tires. The service adviser (who I will not name) was polite and friendly when assisting me. I waited two hours for him to tell me that my tire "defect" was not covered by the warranty and that they would do the work but I would have to pay for it. I told the service adviser that if I am going to be paying out of pocket that it would be cheaper for me to go to a specialized tire shop so I passed on his offer for me to pay for the tire and labor. I called AutoNation Tire and Wheel Protection and explained that I went to AutoNation Toyota and they declined the warranty claiming that the warranty does not cover it. The representative stated that they do not have a record of the dealership calling them for my car and that the tire is in fact covered in the warranty. The representative also stated that they go by what the technicians say regarding the tire so they use or do not use certain words to them that can be a deciding factor on whether or not the warranty will cover the tire. After speaking to the representative from AutoNation Tire and Wheel Protection, I called the dealership and spoke directly to the service adviser who was helping me. I informed him that I spoke to AutoNation Tire and Wheel Protection warranty representative and informed the service adviser what he said to me. The service adviser stated that his manager told him not to call in for the warranty because it's not covered. I thanked the service adviser for his time and ended the conversation. Basically it was the manager of this establishment who decided my car wasn't covered under warranty even though he/she does not have the authority to make that judgement, the warranty company does. This obviously upset me and I guarantee that I will never buy a car from this dealership or recommend them to anyone for service. The manager just wanted to do the work if the dealership made money off of me and didn't care about providing the service that I already paid for when I bought my car and paid for the tire and wheel protection warranty. Just beware that this dealership will not honor their warranty protection because the manager says so. SCAM SCAM SCAM! In addition, this manager did not take into account how dangerous it is to drive on a tire with a bulge. I could have got into a really bad accident leaving their dealership and possibly even died. Luckily I went to a specialized tire shop that was nearby. They did the work and after much back and forth with the warranty company they reimbursed me back because of the lack of information/service that was provided by the dealership.

Melisha Corbitt Sep 21, 2017

Good: - Salesperson was friendly and not pushy. I think a big part of that is that they don't negotiate on price, which made the whole purchase process easier. Bad: - Salesperson did not identify all the cosmetic damage on the car when I asked him over the phone. The price was still fair, but it was suspicious to only acknowledged it after I pointed it out in person. - Even though I was paying cash, they made me sit in a room with a "finance" guy who was rudely persistent about me purchasing a $2500 service plan. - I was told that I could pay by personal check. I asked them to make sure that I definitely could pay by personal check because my bank closed at 1:00pm. They insisted that I can. Then, lo and behold, since I am a foreign license-holder, they had to tell me that their system cannot accept a personal check from me. So they gave me the car as a short-term free lease until I could come back with a cashier's check later in the week. Returning went smoothly enough but I would have preferred for them to have just told me the right thing in the first place. EDIT: Review downgraded from 4 stars to 1 star because I explained that I needed my plates by a particular date for my driving test but my salesperson, Josh, seems to completely lose interest once you sign. I contacted him on August 14th when he told me that they had arrived in the office, then on August 17th I asked him to mail the plates to me, which he said he could do. Then I even reminded him on August 21st. It's now August 29th and they have not arrived, and Josh still hasn't responded to my reminder email. The "main office" phone number provided on Google is a dead number so my only option is to go through Josh, who hasn't responded in 2 weeks. I'm just going to have to go to my driving test without all the required documents because Josh AutoNation has let me down. EDIT 2: Updated the rating to 2/5 because really he only ignored one email of mine and actually did respond after I tried a little harder to get him to answer me. Still frustrating that the dealership doesn't just have a "main" phone number that works though. Turns out that he had finally mailed the plates on the 25th, but got my address wrong. They'll re-send the plates with the correct address this time (hopefully).

Ollie O'Donnell Aug 30, 2017

When I arrived Josh showed me the vehicles I was interested in and was polite. I settled on a vehicle right away and wanted to get the process started. Needless to say I did not drive away the same night.The next morning I continued to give him copies of paperwork he was requesting for the bank.Some time after 730pm he got back to me. The payments were high and the interests was higher. I told Josh that was not in the budget. The next day I told him my dad would be willing to cosign. He sent my father the link and he field it out. Everything my dad had already field out and sent Josh began to ask me though text. What's his title? How much does he make? Etc. This went on until the next day till noon. Then he began to tell me though text that it wasn't looking like much of a difference. Although he said it would make all the difference I left it at that and told him just to let me know exactly what that means. He told me the rate and the payments would be the same but that his boss was working on it. Josh called me that night confirming that they had to send the info to the bank and he would hear something by morning. He said that either way he would call me at 930am when he got in. He never called me. Instead when I called him after not hearing from him to see what was going on he text me back and continued to ask me more questions about my dad's info. By 5pm I had still heard nothing. His phone was off and he was none responsive.I called the store and Rachel the desk receptionist transfered me to his manager Steven. Steven said he would look at my file and give me a call back in no later then 20 minutes. I waited an hour and a half, nothing. I called back again, Rachel said that he left for the day about an hour ago. I asked to speak to another manager. (Mind you, at this point I needed a car and was just willing to sign on my own at any rate) I just wanted to be able to tell someone this. I was transferred to Charles another manager. He also told me he would look into my file and see what he could help me with. He said he'd call me right back. Would you guess it, he never did.As I tried calling back to see what was going on Rachel transfered me to him again with no surprise he did not answer. When I called back again to ask one more time to transfer me so I can leave a voicemail she did not answer. I tried a couple more times and the receptionist Rachel was no longer answering the phone. This was at 8pm so I know the dealership was still open. At this point I felt like I was trying my hardest to give them money and as annoyed as I was inside I desperately needed a car and I just wanted to sign whatever I had to to get one as I had already missed a week of work. Finally the 3rd Manager and 4th person that I spoke to ,not including Rachel, called me back. David introduced himself and said that they are closing soon and there's nothing they could do for me at the moment and I would have to wait until Monday. I absolutely lost all patience at this point. I explained how inconvenient that was and how poorly they had been communicating with me through this whole process. He continued to cut me off and give me excuse after excuse of how it was not their fault. No apology. I have to say that I'm not one to complain, I have a fair amount of patience, and I still tip when I receive unfortunate service. And I understand transferring information to banks and the paperwork takes time. What I don't understand is the lack of communication and the attention to customer service. This is by far the worst customer service I've ever had. I wouldn't recommend this dealership to anyone looking for a vehicle. On a good note I'm happy I did not get a vehicle with this dealership as that Monday I went to another down the road. Spent 4 hours there and by the end of that 4 hours I drove away with a perfect suv, at half the rate these guys gave me, the payments I wanted, no co signer, and the best customer service. My terrible experience at AutoNation Toyota was the best thing that's happened to me. So the one star is just for the big thanks!

Victoria Pallanes Aug 23, 2017

I brought our Prius C in for its 30,000 mile oil change, because the "service" light was on. I made an appointment, and when I checked in I told him all I wanted was the oil change. Now when we bought the vehicle we were assured that we would get free oil changes for life. But the service manager that day initially told me that that did not apply to us. He said it only applied for the first 25,000 miles. I almost blew a gasket, myself. In order to calm me down, he said he'd "do this one for free, since it was Friday before July 4th weekend." I said, 'Thank you, but that's not enough. We were *promised* free oil changes. In fact this was a *big deal* when I bought the vehicle." He assured me he'd "check into it". I asked him if he knew who our "salesman" had been. He said, "No." I was shocked. The Toyota computer system doesn't tell them who on their staff was responsible for selling us a brand new car? !! Really? He tells me to wait in waiting area, and that he'd come and find me. About 10 minutes later he comes out with a clip board. Now he tells me that it's time for the 30,000 mile checkup. He listed the items in the checkup: 1.) Change engine air filter 2.) Change cabin air filter 3.) Change oil and oil filter 4.) Rotate Tires. Price: $249.00 He asks me if I'll "approve" of it. I said, "No way. I came in for a free oil change." It's worse than that, actually. I, myself, had already done #1 and #2 on my own. I'm even pretty sure I'd told them that the last time I came in. And #3 was why I came in, but that was supposed to be free. So that leaves only 1 item: #4 ... well, come on ... I'm going to spend $250 to have my tires rotated? Right. I'm a dreamer too. So again, for some reason, he agrees to do #3. (I thought we had already established that.) Then I pick up the car after completion and the paperwork says, "Customer refused tire rotation." Oh my. I guess I'm "liable" then. Are you trying to scare me into submission? So here's the moral of the story: Don't expect these fine people to "watch out for you". They're very nice people, granted. Genuinely likable. Good sales people are usually quite likable, I've learned over the years. But make sure you know what you're doing when you go in. Don't fall into the trap of thinking they're like your "parents" or your "friends" who have your best interests at heart. Be careful. Pray for "wisdom" before you go in; you're probably going to need it. I've listened to the service technicians talk to the people around me in the waiting room, too, and all I can say is: Wow... these folks are slick. Be careful! And God bless!

David Straley Jul 4, 2017

I brought our Prius C in for its 30,000 mile oil change, because the "service" light was on. I made an appointment, and when I checked in I told him all I wanted was the oil change. Now when we bought the vehicle we were assured that we would get free oil changes for life. But the service manager that day initially told me that that did not apply to us. He said it only applied for the first 25,000 miles. I almost blew a gasket, myself. In order to calm me down, he said he'd "do this one for free, since it was Friday before July 4th weekend." I said, 'Thank you, but that's not enough. We were *promised* free oil changes. In fact this was a *big deal* when I bought the vehicle." He assured me he'd "check into it". I asked him if he knew who our "salesman" had been. He said, "No." I was shocked. The Toyota computer system doesn't tell them who on their staff was responsible for selling us a brand new car? !! Really? He tells me to wait in waiting area, and that he'd come and find me. About 10 minutes later he comes out with a clip board. Now he tells me that it's time for the 30,000 mile checkup. He listed the items in the checkup: 1.) Change engine air filter 2.) Change cabin air filter 3.) Change oil and oil filter 4.) Rotate Tires. Price: $249.00 He asks me if I'll "approve" of it. I said, "No way. I came in for a free oil change." It's worse than that, actually. I, myself, had already done #1 and #2 on my own. I'm even pretty sure I'd told them that the last time I came in. And #3 was why I came in, but that was supposed to be free. So that leaves only 1 item: #4 ... well, come on ... I'm going to spend $250 to have my tires rotated? Right. I'm a dreamer too. So again, for some reason, he agrees to do #3. (I thought we had already established that.) Then I pick up the car after completion and the paperwork says, "Customer refused tire rotation." Oh my. I guess I'm "liable" then. Are you trying to scare me into submission? So here's the moral of the story: Don't expect these fine people to "watch out for you". They're very nice people, granted. Genuinely likable. Good sales people are usually quite likable, I've learned over the years. But make sure you know what you're doing when you go in. Don't fall into the trap of thinking they're like your "parents" or your "friends" who have your best interests at heart. Be careful. Pray for "wisdom" before you go in; you're probably going to need it. I've listened to the service technicians talk to the people around me in the waiting room, too. Goodness ... these folks are slick. Be careful! And God bless!

David Straley Jul 4, 2017

Long story short, I like the car I purchased. My problem with this dealer is the customer service and their inability to return a phone call. Someone - either the salesman or the finance people, listed my address incorrectly on my buyers receipt which I think is my proof of registration should I get pulled over (I am new to the state so just working off what I have been told). The finance person noticed this, pointed it out to me during the finance paperwork filling out time and didn't do anything about it. Afterwards, I went to the driver's license office and they told me they would not accept it because the address was incorrect. When I called my salesperson three times to have the address changed he made a new temporary tag, with my last name spelled incorrectly by the way, but did not send me the receipt, which is what I wanted in the first place so that I could get my drivers licenses. I called the manager and have not had a return phone call. At the moment, I am concerned that if I get pulled over, I have nothing that correctly states that I am entitled to the vehicle AND more importantly, that the car is going to be registered properly. For the amount that I paid and am going to pay with the interest rate that I was financed at, I would imagine that part of the service would include properly typing in names and addresses. Update: Called them back again. First person hung up on me when they put me on hold. Second call back I was transferred to someone who's voice mail was full. The third time I got sent to someone who reassured me that my car was going to be titled properly however if I wanted a new buyer's receipt I had to come down to the dealership to correct their mistake. If the car that I purchased wasn't exactly the car I had wanted to buy I would have returned the car based solely on the way that I was treated. If you purchase from them double check all the paperwork closely because they don't apparently. Maybe if you purchase a more expensive vehicle they will care about returning your phone calls and filling all the paperwork correctly.

Melissa Doyle Mar 21, 2017

UPDATED: Against my better judgement, I called the general manager as requested below. I reported 6 different issues that have negatively impacted my car's performance since their technician installed a software update - that I did not give permission to be installed - on a previous service visit. The GM listened to my list of concerns and then placed me in touch with the service director. I took my car back to the dealership only to find - after over a week of their researching the issue - that they could not do anything to fix or repair my car. At all levels of management at this dealership; they took zero responsibility or accountability for what they did to my car! The general manager actually began to argue with me and raised his voice to me on the phone when I questioned how thoroughly they worked on my car. Not once did any of the managers actually take time to explain or address what they actually did to my car - in detail. Their communication was tantamount to "can't do anything to help you." Through this process, I have called the Toyota corporate customer service support line for additional help and all they do is back up the dealership. As a customer I have no recourse to get my car repaired from the damage the dealership did to it! How is this right! Toyota is a terrible company and they have no idea what customer service means. I have been a loyal customer for many years and their message to me is that my loyalty means nothing to them. This will be my last Toyota vehicle!!!!!!!!!!! DO NOT TRUST THIS DEALERSHIP! Their marketing material proclaims that they will, “work with you to maintain your vehicle at the highest possible performance level”, and that, “we continue our efforts towards service excellence”. Both of these statements are flagrant misrepresentations concerning the quality standards at this dealership. I bought my car new from this dealership and have always been diligent concerning scheduled maintenance visits. Six months ago I took my vehicle in for such a visit and when my car was returned to me, there was a significant issue with the vehicle. I reported this to the service department and have spent this entire time arguing with them to get them to reverse the damage they inflicted. The performance of my vehicle has always been excellent and it was the main reason why I purchased the vehicle; now the vehicle performance is absolutely terrible! I was bounced between the service department and corporate customer service to try and resolve the problems and no one took diligent steps to understand my issue or to repair the damage done. Service managers and customer relationship managers are the same at this dealership so there is no oversight, accountability or check and balance to their work or the level of customer service they provide. It is unbelievable that they expect me to accept that the service department is justified in negatively impacting my car’s performance, not assume any responsibility, make it my issue, and then claim that they are unable to reverse the damage they did to my car. Once the dealership transitioned away from Champion Toyota to Auto Nation service levels became abysmal. My experience with this dealership has convinced me that customer loyalty means nothing to them. This is the worst customer service experience of my life! I have been a customer of this dealership for over a decade and have owned Toyota vehicles for close to 30 years. After this experience, I will never visit this dealership again and I will never purchase another Toyota vehicle as corporate reinforced everything that was negative about this experience.

Never Again Feb 22, 2017

If I could do less than one star, I would. This dealership is the WORST in customer service I have EVER been to. We purchased a brand new Toyota Tundra 2 years ago this May. Platinum edition, not a cheap purchase. If it wasn't for Barry in the sales department, we would have CERTAINLY taken our business elsewhere. The first negative came when we were waiting for Barry one day (before we actually ordered our truck) and I wanted to have a display TRD edition opened so I could look inside. The idiot salesmen loitering outside refused. They told us to "go get Barry to open it." They aren't getting the sale, so I'm a piece of trash to them. Second, when we picked up the truck we wanted to take some pictures and the moron that showed us to the vehicle told us to "hurry up." $40,000+ truck and we should hurry up?? The final straw came today when my partner took it in for routine maintenance covered under our warranty. He made an appointment for 10:00 AM. It took almost 30 minutes to get checked in, even with an appointment. It was supposed to include an oil change. We were under the assumption it would take a few hours, so we drove all the way home to Circle C. They called us almost immediately after we got home, roughly 30 minutes later, to tell us it was finished. My partner figured that was really quick and questioned out loud whether they actually changed the oil. Trusting a DEALERSHIP, he did not double check it when we picked the truck up. However, when he got home he did check it and noticed that supposedly BRAND NEW synthetic oil was the color of maple syrup. He called the service department and after a few minutes of going back and forth, the guy on the phone finally acknowledged that NO, it was most likely NOT DONE!!!!! So, scheduled work covered UNDER OUR WARRANTY on a brand new engine is not being done????? WHY? Because they don't wanna waste the money on new oil? Because they don't feel like it? Has this oil EVER been changed by this "business?" How would I, a woman, have known the difference or to check????? They would've totally scammed me and my warranty would be nullified from neglect. WHY SHOULD I HAVE TO DOUBLE CHECK????? DO NOT EVER BUY A CAR FROM THIS DEALERSHIP. They are the worst. We are contacting Toyota corporate and the Better Business Bureau.

Mandy Hurta Jan 25, 2017

I had a terrible experience just before 2016 Christmas. My 2009 V6 Venza could not start 12/21/2016 afternoon. Since the same problem happened back to 05/01/2016, at that time I had been told no problem at all after I jumped star and drove to Autonation Toyota. (Actually this battery brought from Autonation in June.2015, would it be alarm to the professional mechanical guy this is unusual case??) Anyway, I didn’t jump start this time. Towed in, A lady advisor helped me. I told her the history of my car, she told me we would do a professional inspection to help you out. On the 12/22/2016 morning, I got a call told me that my alternator was bad. It would cost me $1073.97 to fix and change the drive belt at the same time. Holy God! And I tried to argue with them since my car had been serviced with Autonation all the time and just passed warranty 12/07/2016. While it didn’t help. The price is firm. Then I decided to find another mechanical shop to lower my cost. While before I left, I think I should ask replace my battery first since no matter what this battery is still under the 5 year warranty, I just need a fully charged battery to get me to mechanical shop. I asked someone else help. The gentleman named Matt Roberts, not an advisor. I really think God let him to help me. He is a really nice person, he told me some people are so busy that forget someone needs help. He tested my battery and alternator. Guess what? This battery was bad too!!! And I was never been told a word!! So now I began to doubt what was going on my car. I did a quick survey of my friends Toyota cars from 2007~2014 about 15 cars, only 1 car had alternator failure which is me. It is pretty good result which means Toyota QMS is actually working. While everyone had battery problem around 2~2.5 years. Now here is my theory: the root cause of my alternator failure is faulty battery. Because this faulty battery was very weak, so it kept alternator running at full output for extended periods of time. Finally shorten its life. But that lady advisor did not say any potential of this kind of case. Here is another suspicion point. The right procedure for treat this kind case, it should be test battery first and then test alternator. Skipping battery testing does not make any sense to me. Do not treat customer like idiot. At the end, I learned the whole start and charging system, and replaced my alternator by myself. Please be wise what their advisors tell you. Happy New Year!

Chen Yang Dec 31, 2016

This review is based on my experience as a purchaser from Autonation, not a review of the Toyota I purchased, which is in excellent vehicle. My experience purchasing the car was a mixed bag, but I'd probably rate as a weak 4 stars, the auto-dealer I worked with was both helpful and very quick in expediting the process. His name is Barry and if you are interested in a Toyota that they are selling I would definitely recommend requesting his help. Since signing papers (and paying in full) for my vehicle I have had a different experience. Upon looking over the vehicle upon leaving the business office I immediately notice some minor paint damage to the exterior, and while they have offered to take my car in for a day or two to touch it up, it is an inconvenient thing to deal with when buying a new vehicle with 8 miles on the odometer. Still, they have reached out and so I wouldn't knock them on that. What has really frustrated me as a buyer is their service of my vehicle at the 5000 mile check-in. For the past 3 months I have been receiving calls from them once a week to schedule a check-in, I told them I haven't put many miles on the vehicle and that I would schedule once 6 or 7 months have passed and I actually need an oil change. Well, I called in today and scheduled a "same-day" appointment thinking I could make good on the oil change. Upon arriving, and speaking with the person in charge of my appt. I discover that I am not due for an oil change, and they just need to rotate tires and check to make sure that everything is in place since the car had not really been driven when it was sold to me. I immediately asked for a time-frame of the visit because I had not budgeted to be out-of-pocket for very long and was told it would take an hour or less. After waiting about 90 minutes, I began tracking down the man handling my vehicle. After asking another worker in the service area, I was told he was out at lunch and that they would take me to the other person who works in his office. His "partner" called to check on my vehicle over an intercom and we both hear that they have not started and I see my vehicle still waiting outside of their service garage. At this point his partner tracks down the man in charge of my car and exits the office, I ask a little about the scheduling and am basically admonished for making a "same-day appointment" by him. Apparently this type of appointment is not something that the service department prefers, but was forced upon them and they treat this type of appointment like a walk-in. I ask how long the work will take assuming that I still have an hour+ to wait and am told the actual work takes less than ten minutes but that most of the time is spent waiting to get your car looked at. Well, that doesn't turn out to be true, as I am waiting another 30 minutes. After my car is finished, he comes to get me, puts papers on a table and asks me to sign, tells me where to find my car and walks away with no explanation of what work had been done or discussion of when I should return. On my drive home i sincerely wonder if anything was actually done to my car or if they just held it for 2 hours and returned it to me. Then I begin to wonder about the types of people that go in and get timely service, an apology when one is due, an explanation of services rendered, any sort of transparency, any sort of follow-through. While is is a "free" service, it is actually a service that runs about 15-45 thousand dollars when you realize that it is part of the package offered when you purchase a vehicle from them which makes it a very expensive service to have been performed not only poorly but also contemptuously. I won't discourage anybody from buying a Toyota, and I assume that my experience is probably not a typical one, but their inability to offer any resolution would be concerning to me if I were in your shoes reading this review and considering a purchase. (edited to be under max words)

Hayden Bagot Nov 7, 2016

The service department sent me an email with a link to post this review. I have to go to this dealership to get service on my truck as there is no other dealership within a reasonable driving distance. Some of the staff employed there barely speak comprehensible English and not because they speak another language or are from another country, they are just incredibly lazy in speaking. Also, not every time but most of the time when I drop off or pick up my truck or one of my fleet vehicles, I can walk into the service advisers office and stand there in front of them while all of them ignore me for 10 minutes until I have to say something like " is there anyone who would like to stop pretending I'm not here so I can just get my keys and leave" before anyone will say a word to me or make eye contact. When dropping off it is best to only show up at their designated time to drop off or you will have to wait until your designated drop off time and get berated because you needed to drop your vehicle off earlier than expected to make a scheduled appointment change you have for work. I am also often told I am wrong when i request a tire re-balance or rotation or some other menial service. I say the wheels vibrate when driving down they highway and get worse with a trailer attached and I would like to have the tire balanced and I will pay for it. The last response I got was essentially a "nu uh we had our lube shop foreman look at it and he says its all 3 of your trailers that have out of balance wheels and that's the vibration you feel" I tried to reason with him that the trailer would not cause a vibration in the truck when the trailer was not hooked up to it, and also that I would pay for the re balance. Finally he begrudgingly accepted my offer to pay for a wheel balance. I really have no idea how places like this get this bad. The last time I was there I listened to a group of mechanics plan out a scheme to get rid of a customer with the service adviser who had a persistent check engine light come on for an evap system leak and the mechanics could not find it. Take it or leave it, its either here or drive across town or out of town.

Stephen Dalton Sep 16, 2016

Okay, let’s start with the good (as momma always said if you ain’t got nothing good to say, don’t say nothing). I got a good vehicle. I absolutely love it. Great shape, competitive price, like new in many ways. So, let’s now go onto the bad . . . This was the worst purchase I have ever made in my life. I cannot believe this dealership is still open and doing business with this type of fiasco that happens “repeatedly”. I am a 100% Disabled Veteran of 25 years. I have bought/sold 37 cars within my 48 years on this earth. So I know a thing or two and know the process of buying/selling by heart. So, with that said . . . here we go. I am an out of state buyer; this has never been a problem before. Yet, this time I’m told they will do the tagging for me. I tell them the state of Oklahoma exempts me from paying taxes on a vehicle every three years. They (AutoNation) touted themselves as being this big nationwide with XX number of dealerships across the nation. They have never heard of this “tax exempt” deal in their life. I showed them my card; I showed them the web page from the Oklahoma Tax Division. They read it, and said it is illegal to leave without paying taxes (lies). They did tell me that I could just file paperwork in my home state to get the money back. Well, too bad for me; you put it in the loan so it is now funds plus interest. I go to my local tag agency. They told me this is NOT how this works. How is someone from Texas going to get me an Oklahoma tag? I didn’t know, but this is what I was adamantly told by AutoNation. The lady from the tag agency looked up their number in Austin and called them. After getting a complete run around there, she ended up with a tag person who could not, with any confidence, tell her how this was supposed to work. The lady at the tag office said she has been doing this work for 13 years and never heard of this process. She said normally the dealership just cuts a check and sends it with the buyer who can then go forward and tag their vehicle (how I have done it many of times). Nope, we (AutoNation) have a contractor who does this for us; they didn’t know who, but they had one. Hmmmm, so hiring a contractor to do the work of what the purchaser should do is somehow cheaper, more efficient and easier? You cannot even explain the process completely; what a goat rope. Now, add in the fact that I signed two Powers of Attorney (POA) for AutoNation at your dealership in Austin. You had to FedEx me two more as “they were wrong”. I also had to get an odometer statement from the tag office to which I paid for (only $6 but still) to correct your errors. AutoNation did send me a prepaid FedEx envelope to send the paperwork back to them, this was nice. Now, the two POA’s I just sent you with the certified odometer statement were lost a month later and you are asking me to do it again (yes, we are up to 4 POA’s)? I do so; luckily I had a feeling this was going to be a fiasco so I made a copy of the odometer statement and sent you my last copy with two additional POA’s (six POA’s now). I contact AutoNation about my tag around the 40 day mark (recall I could have had this done in two days if I had been cut a check) but I digress. I get told that they made my paper tag good for 60 days and it may take exactly that long. Okay, I’ll wait. I receive an e-mail from another worker from AutoNation who states they have taken over my case and the lady whom started my paperwork is no longer there and if I could validate my address so they could send me another two POA’s and an official odometer statement, that would be great. I contacted my salesperson to see if this was legit and never got a response; but yes . . . that would make a total of 8 POA’s for one vehicle. I contacted my salesperson to ask what was going on as I was down to my last 4 days on my paper tag. He was a little upset about the whole thing and he no longer works there. He apologized and told me that the finance department is screwing everything up. He gave me a new point of contact and he and I played phone tag for a bit then he resolved my issue; you got it . . . he sent me another paper tag. He did tell me he would have my tag shortly and FedEx it to me ASAP. I have the new paper tag on and a lady called me late yesterday evening to tell me SHE HAS MY TAG!!!!! Can you believe it? I mean, what I could have done in an hour, took 60 days to receive (in Texas mind you) and it will be FedEx’d to me tomorrow (04/14/2016). Hallelujah, only 61 days on a one hour job!!! Somehow this is better than the old method? I mean, I cannot tag it without paperwork and such. I know, in my dress pants, dress shoes, golf shirt and Oakley glasses I look like a thief/thug; right? But wait, there’s more. I bought this vehicle with a 60 day warranty on it; complimentary from AutoNation. I was told that if there was anything wrong to take it to the dealership, have them call this number and they would cover it. Great. Well, I didn’t want to make multiple claims if there were to be something wrong with my vehicle. So, I planned to wait until towards the end of my 60 days and make one claim. I know, procrastination on my part. But, in my defense, I have had pneumonia, my wife had knee surgery, my brother has cancer; things just got in the way. I did call the phone number as my vehicle is kicking out a trouble code for the EGR valve. I was told by the person on the phone, I didn’t have any warranty left; it was only 60 days. Hmmm, they have me down as buying this vehicle on Feb 12. Well, I didn’t leave there until midnight so I would think that day wouldn’t count. Now look here, if I have to stay in town so you can refuel, coat the windshield and detail so we will do this on Saturday which was the 13th, I would think this was delivery on the 13th not the 12th. So I should have had a day to spare on this warranty, but no. Also, they told me I had to take it back to an AutoNation dealership to get the repair done. I wasn’t told this from the dealership. I live 500 miles from them. I was told it would amount to a phone call to get the authorization done; not a problem. Well, the guy on the phone who told me I had already reached my 60 days, said there was a $200 deductible since I was not willing to drive the 500 miles. Really? Okay, AutoNation, you got me again. This will not be my fault next time as there will not be a next time. To close, I had a great salesperson. I’m sad he is no longer there as I would have bought another car from him. The vehicle is great, I absolutely love it. I’ll fix the EGR thing myself as I’m capable but it is how AutoNation is handling this whole case and their treatment of a U.S. Veteran. AutoNation’s sales team needs training and quit losing paperwork; how unprofessional. I would not ever send a person there unless they were local; I cannot believe this process is how a purchase was meant to be.

Darien Gist Apr 14, 2016

Updated: We finally obtained both vehicle's plates. Thanks to the Travis County Tax office supervisor, Allan. He worked beyond what should have been the dealership's tasks to help us with this plate issue. He comforted us when we felt THREATEN and FORGOTTEN by the dealership. As being a returned customer who purchased TWO vehicles and managed to PAY THEM OFF right at the time, this is huge lesson we've learned from the new AutoNation management. NEVER AGAIN. WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT. We will advise you not to shop with them as well. Here is the story: ================================ I have the worst experience with their General Manager, Kevin, who was could only be helpful to increase more frustrations to a loyal customer like me. I had purchased my very first Austin vehicle with this dealership. It was the old Champion style - very supportive customer service before and after the deal was closed. Great (back-then) maintenance services with their service team as well. Yet, returning to them this time was certainly a mistake. Giving the unpleasant/disrespectful conversation with Kevin, and knowing this is the way he runs this dealership and model his staffs, disappointment is beyond words. We purchased TWO (2) vehicles and trade-in our old RAV4 with them. We managed to pay it off for both vehicles in the hope to help them get through all the paperwork faster and get things situated easier. The salesman was good. The manager of the salesman was not too helpful after awhile of goose chasing with the paperwork they need. It was all reasonable until they started processing the paperwork for the old RAV4 for title transfer. The old RAV4 was owned by one of our family members - only one person. It was more than 5 years ago the vehicle was purchased. The family member no longer has the title paperwork. After they encountered the issue of title transfer, they started: 1.) Accusing us lying since they think we did not turn in all the paperwork. 2.) Insisting there must be two (2) people for the title signatures when there was only one person who owns the vehicle title - implying we should break the law of forging another person's signature?? 3.) Ignoring the fact that we, the customer, are the one forced to drive the vehicle without a valid plate in this situation 4.) Refusing to listen, understand and sympathize the customer's frustrations and refusing to issue an extension of the temp. paper plate to honor the effort that the customer has also been supporting his staffs to resolve this issue. 5.) Refusing to even brainstorm with the customer for addressing the customer's main concern - not able to have a drivable vehicle (no valid plate) - when asked about the second vehicle plate that we purchased without the trade-in, Kevin simply ignored the question and seemed to hold the second vehicle's plate as a hostage and a punishment to us. It is a shame that this dealership has been deteriorated to this level. Apparently, all the good/kind/Austin-style warm customer spirit with this dealership which I had experienced with my first vehicle (back in 2010) were gone ever since the change of the management. This experience may actually forced us to seek for legal consultation for a final resolution - especially their refusal (encouragement?) to reasonably extend the temp. paper plate for the paperwork and the ignore of issuing the license plate to the vehicle that is not involved in the trade-in. Who knows a supposed-to-be happy purchasing experience would end up seeking for legal consultation to receive even a basic reasonable support from them? What a disappointment.

Akilah Huang Mar 8, 2016

Recent Reviews from AutoNation Toyota South Austin

Cars.com

Edmunds

Facebook

Google+

New Inventory

New Model Research

Shop By Model

Pre-Owned Inventory

Pre-Owned Model Research

Featured Vehicles

Finance

Specials

Service

Parts

Service Hours

Our Dealership

Showroom Hours

Service & Parts Hours

Recent Reviews from AutoNation Toyota South Austin

Cars.com

Edmunds

Facebook

Google+