Sill-Terhar Motors

Sill-Terhar Motors responded

Hi, it sounds like an unpleasant experience all the way around, but I'd like to relay our side of the story as it's been relayed. Yes, the truck has some rust on it. However, not only does our salesman insist that the truck was wiped off before it was driven, more importantly all of our vehicles are thoroughly cleaned before the customer receives it. That wash is done with a high pressure heat spray wand. There was no snow on that car when you took delivery, so if the rust wasn't seen before you agreed to purchase it, it was very visible after its cleaning. As far as the warranty goes, you claim that we don't give a warranty. Our service department gave you the details regarding the need to stay under 3,000 miles, and they were scheduling 3 weeks out on when we can work on it, however, I spoke with 3 people involved who independently confirmed that you were offered the chance to bring the truck in one week from yesterday (when this all happened). Our general manager also offered to pay the diagnostic fee as a sign of good faith. It would seem that your anger over the rust problem reached a boiling point when we told you we wouldn't repaint your truck, this in turn lead to you berating our sales manager and general manager. While your frustration can be understood, that sort of verbal aggression, even over the phone, was more than our gm was willing to take. At that point, he let you know that he would no longer offer to attempt to solve your problem. We pride ourselves on our customer service, but sometimes there is nothing we can do to make the problem right.

braden responded

I would be interested in knowing who the 3 people you talked to were, beings I only dealt with 2. Taylor was a pretty rotten salesman, he had less knowledge of F-150's than I did. I could tell he didn't know anything so I asked him about the revamped 5.4L engine they were putting in the new F-150's and he said that it was going to be a nice engine for Ford. I completely made that up and he acted like he knew what I was talking about. So his word is good for just about nothing. When I came for the test drive, the truck was completely covered in snow. I walked because the price wasn't right. Then I started dealing with Jerry Logan, he was great. He put the deal together all via phone. When I came to pick up the truck, it was dark and near closing time so I was rushed out the door. And if the truck was washed with hot water, Im still confused as to why there was a full bed of snow, which I scooped out myself when I got home. As far as paying of the diagnostic fee, I was additionally told the deanship "would see" if they could get the problem covered by warranty. No guarantee, so their warranty is all smoke and mirrors. I couldn't bring the truck in as you described because I was out of town. I was told not to drive the truck over the 3000 mile mark from when I purchased it. And the soonest they could get me in was a date 3 weeks away. So what was I to do? Walk everywhere? No rental car, or any other solution was offered, just not to go over the 3000 miles. As far as berating the general manager on the phone, I simply voiced my displeasure of the treatment I was getting from the dealer. The way I was being treated was basically being berated as a customer. Now I have my $33,000 rust bucket with a bad transmission to drive around. As a solo parent, I hope I don't get any additional expenses from this.

Sill-Terhar Motors responded

Hey Braden, The fact that you're concerned about the transmission is a problem that we would very much like to help you fix. I've just spoken to our sales manager Jeff, to whom you've spoken already, and he is going to reach out to you again. He is willing to expedite your appointment with the service department and waive the diagnostic fee, so that we can try to determine what is wrong. Hopefully we can get some of this resolved, because we don't ever want a customer to hate their experience with us.

braden responded

Until you are ready to do something about the rust, I don't have time for anything to deal with from STH Motors. I am required to drive a lot for my job, and you want me to keep the truck under 3000 miles. That is not possible for me. I was totally duped and did not get full disclosure on the vehicle I purchased. I am the one being brutalized by your dealership.

Sill-Terhar Motors responded

Unfortunately the rust complaint is not something we will not fix. There is no disclaimer regarding possible body damage beyond the disclosures that you are buying the car "as is" and with that comes the possibility for cosmetic damage. We certainly didn't dupe you, any rust that you may have found was there the entire time you looked at the truck, and you could have asked for it to be washed at any point. The odds that either Taylor, or Jerry, knew it was there, are very low. Our salespeople don't inspect the vehicles individually. We want you to keep the truck under 3,000 miles from date of purchase a month ago, we were ready to have it in our shop yesterday, but you balked at that offer. The 3,000 mile restriction is part of the warranty and is very clearly shared with you. There was absolutely nothing withheld from you regarding this truck. It's terrible that you feel brutalized, but we're doing our best to work with you. I'm afraid if that's how you feel, we likely can't change that.

braden responded

As further example of the lack of integrity from this dealership. I have taken the truck to other dealerships in hopes of unloading the bucket of rust. Other dealerships won't even take this truck in on a trade because of the condition it is in. They say they can't even put it on their lot and no wholesale buyer would take it off their hands!!!! But STH motors had no problems selling it on theirs. What a joke of a dealership!!!!!

Sill-Terhar Motors responded

Are you letting those other stores set their price, or are you asking for a price that you feel is fair? We would never sell a car that another dealer won't take in trade due to its physical condition. We stand by our reputation and our pre-owned cars. If the rust is so bad that another dealer won't take it, there is no chance that you drove away not noticing it. There's even less of a chance that we would sell something with rust that is that present.

braden responded

I am trying to get a price that I feel is fair, as well as trying to recoup the money that was stolen from me by your dealership. And if you would read the review I wrote, you would then understand as to why I did not notice the rust that is present. It is a white truck that was covered in snow, and delivered in the dark at the side of your dealership with no lights. You haven't laid eyes on it, so you do not know what I am talking about.

Sill-Terhar Motors responded

I assure you that we didn't steal anything from you. The price you paid was negotiated and you had the option to offer less money or walk away at any point. I have not seen your truck, but neither has anyone who is reading this. I did speak to people who saw the truck, and they have told me that the rust problem is in the form of dots along the outside of the tailgate, dots that wouldn't have been covered by snow. Where are the rust dots as you can see them?

braden responded

They rust dots are on pretty much every panel of the truck, and it isn't the size of them, its the amount of dots. And rust wont be going away or curing itself. The most noticeable are on the front bumper and the tailgate. The ones on the door, come off with a wash, then reappear. As such, I was duped by your dealership. And your salesman wouldn't even take the offers I wanted to make to his manager because he was afraid of what the manager would say. Thats the reason I started dealing with Jerry Logan, and I believe Jerry felt as if he knew I was getting screwed but couldn't say anything about it.

braden responded

And If your dealership was not trying to hide anything, why was I told to bring it back so you guys could wash it up? Didn't want me to do the washing? Didn't want me to find the rust inside of your 5 day return policy? Awful fishy and scummy to me