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As the title suggests, I recently put down a payment for an L/certified Lexus IS 350 F Sport on 07/13. The vehicle arrived from Miami, FL on 07/11. The sales rep informed me that the car was being re L/certified, which sounded great. On 07/17, the sales rep mentioned that the car was waiting on a part that was ordered (the center console, pic below) and that it would be ready by Friday (07/19). However, I received a text message stating that the part was delayed.
Monday came around with no update, so I called on Tuesday (07/23) for an update. I spoke with someone in the parts department about the ETA for the center console part. He told me it would arrive on Wednesday and provided the invoice number, suggesting I call back around noon to confirm. When I called back on Wednesday, the parts department confirmed the part was delivered. Yet, two hours later, the sales rep texted me, saying the part wouldn't arrive until 07/25 and the car would be ready by Friday (07/26) because it takes two days to install.
I responded that this was odd because I had been told the part arrived Wednesday and that installation usually takes half a day. Now, it's Thursday (07/25), and they waited until the end of the business day to inform me that they conducted another inspection and found that the car needs another part for one of the DRL lights, meaning it won't be ready until next week. They offered me another complimentary oil change, which felt insufficient.
My question is: why weren't all these parts ordered ahead of time? They knew the car was damaged when it came off the truck. What are some possible outcomes for this delay? I'm still driving my trade-in, paying for two insurances, and two different car payments and I've already received the temporary tag and my new license with my updated address.
I've spoken with corporate about this situation and should receive a call within the next 48 hours. Is there anything else I can do to address this poor experience? Has anyone else experienced this with Hennessy Lexus of Atlanta?
I also added an image of the damaged console. I'm not willing to just cancel the sale as this car is so hard to find in my area.
I don't understand. If you are making a payment and paying insurance on your new car, why do you still have your trade-in? If you took ownership of the car, and they have the car in for service, why aren't you driving a dealer loaner?
I don't understand. If you are making a payment and paying insurance on your new car, why do you still have your trade-in? If you took ownership of the car, and they have the car in for service, why aren't you driving a dealer loaner?
I think what they meant is that they put a deposit down on the vehicle.
Obviously, if you are unhappy with the service, you can request a refund of your deposit and walk away. It sounds to me like you really need the car; maybe just communicate to them that you are held-up by the issues or else let it go.
I'd also put myself in the dealership's shoes. Maybe they are not being intentionally deceptive. It could be that they're just doing the best with the vehicle that was given to them. I've heard nothing but good things about Hennessy, so I would be surprised if they're dragging their feet.
I think what they meant is that they put a deposit down on the vehicle.
Maybe; but OP expressly stated they were insuring and making payments on 2 vehicles. They also don't give the buyer the "temporary tags" if they don't actually own or lease the car.
If it's the deposit, well then it's just annoying and there's no financial outlay while waiting for the work to be finished, other than OP really is excited to have their vehicle.
Calling Lexus corporate because a part sent by mail or FedEx got delayed seems a bit...extreme?
Originally Posted by RanchTer
I'm still driving my trade-in, paying for two insurances, and two different car payments and I've already received the temporary tag and my new license with my updated address.
Didn't notice this before...what does a new license with an updated address have to do with anything? If OP moved and needed a new license, that has nothing to do with the car.
Maybe; but OP expressly stated they were insuring and making payments on 2 vehicles. They also don't give the buyer the "temporary tags" if they don't actually own or lease the car.
If it's the deposit, well then it's just annoying and there's no financial outlay while waiting for the work to be finished, other than OP really is excited to have their vehicle.
Calling Lexus corporate because a part sent by mail or FedEx got delayed seems a bit...extreme?
Understood. Sounds like the OP is actually already the owner of the car, then, but it's stuck at the dealership waiting on these fixes... which is certainly inconvenient.
How many posts do you think OP should make before we can comment on the situation? Would 3 be enough?
Either way, if you ask me, OP is the only one who can decide what to do here. I can see an argument for canceling the sale. But also, since there was a trade, that could significantly complicate the matter. The best you can do is try to move forward with the new car as expeditiously as possible. Communication is everything. Go down the dealership in person and demand to speak with someone, if you have to. That's what I had to do when my trade-in on my IS 350 was not being paid-off in a timely fashion. After my second time being billed a monthly payment for a car I no longer owned, I had had enough. After talking with a manager, they gave us more clarity on why they were having issues - mainly, they were unfamiliar with Missouri state titles and needed more info from us - and it turns out the person who was originally handling my payoff had been dragging their feet and was fired. Yikes! But yeah, after that talk, things made a lot more sense. Now, was I still disappointed? Yes. But, my point is, sometimes you just have to speak to someone face-to-face. If OP hasn't already done that, they should as soon as possible.
I am not sure how they can say a car is L Certified when there’s that much damage to the center console. I am curious as to what year and how many miles for this car. I would see that damage and move on to another car out of concern that the previous owner or person who leased the car was quite hard on it. I would wonder what else is wrong with it. Full disclosure, I have never been accused of being an optimist when buying used/preowned vehicles.