Car Spectrum

Reason for Visit: Sales (Used)

I recommend this dealer: Yes

My Review of Car Spectrum:
User Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
by T. Greene
01/04/2009

Great Experience - superior service and a fantastic deal! We were able to purchase the car we wanted for $4-$5K less than we could find in our area - and with extremely low mileage and factory warranty. Everybody at Car Spectrum was great - friendly, courteous, and efficient - they did all of our titling and taxes, plus gave us directions back to the interstate. What you don't spend on a fancy showroom you will save - and more. We would highly recommend this dealer!!!!

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Reason for Visit: Sales (New)

I recommend this dealer: Yes

My Review of Car Spectrum:
If you are looking for the perfect use car, skip this place. If you thought you were going to find a perfect car at their prices you are a fool. I've purchased two vehicles from this dealership. Both have been a very good value, but not perfect, which I noticed during my inspection prior to purchase. This IS NOT CARMAX. They don't sell super clean used cars that have been reconditioned. They scour local dealers (wholesale) and auctions for good value cars. They are very upfront about the condition and source of their cars, tell them you are looking for a cherry and they will tell you to go elsewhere. ALWAYS get your car inspected by YOUR TRUSTED mechanic BEFORE you buy.

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Reason for Visit: Sales (Used)

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of Car Spectrum:
DO NOT BUY A CAR WITHOUT HAVING YOUR QUALIFIED MECHANIC INSPECT IT FIRST!!!
Found what appeared to be a clean VW Jetta at Car Spectrum in Fairfax, VA, for a reasonable price.
I noticed several defects (coolant leak, broken antenna, broken glovebox latch, broken arm console latch,
missing grill work) which the salesperson (Mario) agreed to have repaired (which he did have done, to his credit).
CarFax report came back clean (HAH! Don't count on this! Keep reading.)
Put down a $500 deposit while Mario was having repairs made so I wouldn't lose the car to another buyer. Again, to his credit, Mario did tell me several times that my deposit was non-refundable.
After the above mentioned defects were repaired, I picked up the car so as to have it inspected by MY mechanic before paying the balance due on the car.
My mechanic discovered: the car had been in a moderate wreck which had never been reported
(which was why no alerts showed up on CarFax), the car had been poorly maintained by the prior owner,
(not only was the only wreck damage that had been fixed limited to just the cosmetic damage one could see
from walking around the car, the prior owner had clearly skimped on routine maintenance), the car needed
an estimated $1400 worth of repairs JUST TO PASS THE MARYLAND STATE INSPECTION as well as another $1600
worth of maintenance that the previous owner had clearly skipped (everything from corroded spark plugs
to worn out brakes and worn out front struts to filling the radiator with the wrong kind of antifreeze
plus much, much more.)
I returned to Car Spectrum and said I'd still like to buy the car as long as they would make the
repairs so as to pass the Maryland State Inspection. In other words, I offered to eat all the other
required maintenance items that had been skipped. THE OWNER OF CAR SPECTRUM REFUSED TO MAKE NECESSARY
REPAIRS TO GET THE CAR THROUGH THE MARYLAND STATE INSPECTION! The most he offered to do was to take $500
off the price of the car. I'm not saying that Car Spectrum did anything illegal or violated any
agreement, but what looked like a nice clean Jetta for $7500 was really a pretty-on-the-surface car
needing $3000 worth of repairs on top of the purchase price.

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Reason for Visit: Sales

I recommend this dealer: No

My Review of Car Spectrum:
Car Didn't even make it home

I bought a 2000 mazda miata. The dealer said that he had just had new tires put on it. The rear passenger tire was totally flat by the time I got home (<30 miles). I called the dealer, they didn't sound very surprised and really weren't very concerned. From the tone of that conversation, they aren't going to do much of anything. Turns out that the new top they had put on leaks (not drips, leaks!), the flat tire is also missing a lug nut,... Turns out this dealer has 12 complaints with the BBB, 3 with the fairfax county Office of Consumer Protection and this is before my complaints.

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