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Charles Gabus Ford

Des Moines, IA

4.8
672 Reviews
Charles Gabus Ford is a family-owned car dealership in Des Moines, IA. The dealership was founded in 1956 by Charles Gabus and has since been providing high-quality vehicles, parts, and services to customers in the Des Moines area. At Charles Gabus Ford, customer satisfaction is a top priority. The dealership offers a wide selection of new and used Ford vehicles, including trucks and SUVs. Their team of experienced sales professionals is dedicated to helping customers find the vehicle that best fits their needs and budget. In addition to vehicle sales, Charles Gabus Ford also offers a state-of-the-art service center staffed by certified technicians. The service center is equipped to handle all types of maintenance and repair needs, from oil changes and tire rotations to more complex engine repairs. At Charles Gabus Ford, the company's mission is to provide customers with a hassle-free, transparent car-buying experience. Their commitment to customer satisfaction has earned them a loyal customer base and a reputation as one of the top car dealerships in Des Moines. Whether you're in the market for a new or used vehicle or need maintenance or repair services, Charles Gabus Ford is your go-to destination in Des Moines, IA.
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4545 Merle Hay Rd

Des Moines, IA

50310

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Showing 672 reviews

March 11, 2026

My experience in purchasing a vehicle was excellent. Sales representative Luke found the perfect 'new ride' for me. He was professional, courteous, friendly, innovative and kind. The other Charle More

by vkkollmann
Sales Price Transparency
Purchase Time
Finance Experience
Recommend Dealer
Yes
Employees Worked With
Adam Delmege
5.0
This rating includes all reviews, with more weight given to recent reviews.
Luke Belzer
5.0
This rating includes all reviews, with more weight given to recent reviews.
Other Employees : Peter in Finance
Mar 15, 2026 -

Charles Gabus Ford responded

Hi, thank you for sharing your positive experience! We are always more than happy to assist you if anything else comes up. Take care!

March 02, 2026

Jeff and Dylan were fantastic! ! They made us feel comfortable from the beginning. GREAT Dealership! More

by Johnny
Sales Price Transparency
Trade-in Experience
Purchase Time
Finance Experience
Recommend Dealer
Yes
Employees Worked With
Jeff Turner
5.0
This rating includes all reviews, with more weight given to recent reviews.
Ben Howe
5.0
This rating includes all reviews, with more weight given to recent reviews.
Dylan Cottrell
5.0
This rating includes all reviews, with more weight given to recent reviews.
Mar 03, 2026 -

Johnny responded

Highly recommend this Dealership! Very friendly staff and the process of buying our vehicle was amazingly quick and easy! No long drawn out process. I've never had a better vehicle buying experience anywhere. Go to Charles Gabus Ford, you will be very pleased.

February 26, 2026

No pressure sales, everyone i delt with from salesman to service department was exceptional. Definitely a first class dealership. More

by bentspike01
Sales Price Transparency
Purchase Time
Finance Experience
Recommend Dealer
Yes
Employees Worked With
Jake Davis
5.0
This rating includes all reviews, with more weight given to recent reviews.
Dylan Cottrell
5.0
This rating includes all reviews, with more weight given to recent reviews.
Feb 28, 2026 -

Charles Gabus Ford responded

Hi, we're happy to hear you had such a positive experience with our team! We are always more than happy to assist you if anything else comes up. Take care!

February 25, 2026

Extremely helpful with purchase, very friendly salesman! Will keep me in contact after purchase. Will keep me updated if any changes need to be made! More

by sjkelso54
Trade-in Experience
Purchase Time
Finance Experience
Recommend Dealer
Yes
Employees Worked With
Eric Brincks
5.0
This rating includes all reviews, with more weight given to recent reviews.
Feb 25, 2026 -

sjkelso54 responded

Will keep me updated with any changes that need to be made!

Feb 25, 2026 -

sjkelso54 responded

Thank you for your expertise with my purchase. Was a very pleasant experience!

February 23, 2026

Easy to work with Excellent customer care Great experience Steve did a great job and I would purchase another vehicle from this dealership again More

by Michael
Sales Price Transparency
Purchase Time
Recommend Dealer
Yes
Employees Worked With
Stephen Sanders
5.0
This rating includes all reviews, with more weight given to recent reviews.
Feb 26, 2026 -

Charles Gabus Ford responded

Hi Michael, thank you for sharing your experience with us! It's wonderful to hear that our team provided you with excellent customer care and that you had a great experience. We're also happy to know that Steve did a great job. We look forward to serving you again!

February 12, 2026

We have always gone to gabus. The people are always nice and helpful. GOOD DEALER SHIP!!!! More

by san
Sales Price Transparency
Trade-in Experience
Purchase Time
Finance Experience
Recommend Dealer
Yes
Employees Worked With
Josh Christensen
5.0
This rating includes all reviews, with more weight given to recent reviews.
Randall (Rob) Hinds
5.0
This rating includes all reviews, with more weight given to recent reviews.
February 07, 2026

The sales man Tom and finance guy Peter worked extremely hard to get me into a car I could afford. I love my new car More

by stearnswendy66
Sales Price Transparency
Trade-in Experience
Purchase Time
Finance Experience
Recommend Dealer
Yes
Employees Worked With
Adam Delmege
5.0
This rating includes all reviews, with more weight given to recent reviews.
Tom Vrieze
5.0
This rating includes all reviews, with more weight given to recent reviews.
Other Employees : Peter
February 04, 2026

Best car buying experience ever. No pressure no hassle. We recommend these guys 100%. We found a lifetime dealer. More

by deejman
Sales Price Transparency
Trade-in Experience
Purchase Time
Finance Experience
Recommend Dealer
Yes
Employees Worked With
Filip Flores
5.0
This rating includes all reviews, with more weight given to recent reviews.
January 22, 2026

I wanted to start out with saying this is one of the worst service providers ever. I had a new engine installed 2.25 years ago, then something happened to the engine I brought it back to them thinking i More

by John Richardson
Service Price Transparency
Workmanship
Service Time
Service Communication
Recommend Dealer
No
Employees Worked With
Ben Howe
1.0
This rating includes all reviews, with more weight given to recent reviews.
Noah Wolter
1.0
This rating includes all reviews, with more weight given to recent reviews.
Jan 23, 2026 -

Charles Gabus Ford responded

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. While we are disappointed that your experience did not meet your expectations, we do want to clarify several points in your review to ensure the situation is accurately represented. At no point did anyone on our team state that they did not hear the noise you were concerned about. Our technician and service management acknowledged the concern and followed the proper Ford warranty diagnostic process. As with all Ford warranty repairs, we are required to clearly explain the “what-if” scenarios to our customers before proceeding. In this case, Ford Motor Company requires that if an engine is torn down for inspection and NO warrantable failure is found, the manufacturer does not cover the cost of the teardown or reassembly. This policy is set by Ford, not the dealership. We explained that if a warrantable failure were found, Ford would absolutely cover the repair, including teardown and reassembly. This disclosure is standard procedure and is communicated to protect customers from unexpected expenses. We understand your frustration and respect your decision to seek a second opinion. We are glad to hear that your concern was ultimately resolved, and we sincerely wish the outcome had been different during your time with us. That said, we strongly disagree with the characterization that our employees were dishonest or disrespectful. Our team acted professionally and in accordance with Ford Motor Company’s warranty guidelines throughout the process. We appreciate you being a past customer and regret that this situation led to such dissatisfaction. Sincerely, Charles Gabus Ford Management

Jan 24, 2026 -

John Richardson responded

I stand firmly with what I wrote. Your people were dishonest about everything from start to finish. It took another dealership to respond in manner that was honest. Your people should have known from all the years doing this what the problem was. Dewey Ford mech knew exactly what the problem was & handled it like a Ford mech should. The GM also stated that I used the wrong oil as I got the approval from a Ford engineer to be able to use the oil. Disagree all you want, I would not trust these employees at all. John Richardson

January 21, 2026

The team at Charles Gabus was very professional and got me into my new truck in a little over 24 hours.even when I came from NE. Everything went smooth, Josue got the add ons installed on the truck in tha More

by Ron
Sales Price Transparency
Trade-in Experience
Purchase Time
Finance Experience
Recommend Dealer
Yes
Employees Worked With
Dylan Cottrell
5.0
This rating includes all reviews, with more weight given to recent reviews.
Josue Alvarez
5.0
This rating includes all reviews, with more weight given to recent reviews.
Jan 23, 2026 -

Charles Gabus Ford responded

Hello Ron, we appreciate you taking the time to leave us this feedback. If you ever need anything else from us, please feel free to give us a call or stop by. Have an awesome day!