Make sure you have no HAIL damage before dealing on a car. - honestrater
After a couple of nights rest, and time to consider everything about this dealership, I had to change my review from recommend, to not-recommend this dealership.
I did purchase a2018 Honda Civic LX from Jeff Wyler Dixie Honda.
1. It is not good to learn after completing a deal and agreeing upon a final price that the car suffered hail damage recently and needed to be repaired. That’s right, after making the deal I’m told that they saw 3 spots on my new car caused by hail damage that needed to be fixed before they delivered it to me. Granted, they had a crew available on site to do just that, but I certainly would have not paid the price I paid knowing about the damage before starting the deal. I would have gone elsewhere or negotiated a much better deal. Unfortunately for me, I was worn out from shopping the past few days and should have left the dealership at that point. I didn’t since I had spent a considerable amount of time getting to this point and was in a state of shock!
8-30-2018 UPDATE: The HAIL DAMAGE became apparent after the first good wash. I hate owning a vehicle with damage to the paint job, you can never get it to match. Now I'll have to sell this one and buy something else that really is NEW! I also discovered that when you remove the cheap coating that the Dealership put on the car, after polishing it for hours, the dirt underneath can be removed! I couldn't get the side view mirrors looking clean until after I removed all of the sealer/wax they had wiped over the dirt! AMAZING!!!
2. Dealer Prep: It may have been rinsed off but to say it was washed and detailed before my pick-up is a bit of an exaggeration.
a. The vehicle was not completely clean unless smudges on the exterior and a film on the interior windshield and smudges/lint on the seat are indicative of a clean vehicle.
b. Remnants of the window sticker and residue remained in the passenger side door sill, some glue remains and will be there forever as it was pushed downward out of reach. The glass and interior trim would have to be removed to actually remove all of the remnants of glue and paper.
c. There is residue from the sealant/protectant wiped on the parts that it was not to be applied to, such as the tail lights. This stuff doesn’t just wipe off and looks like slime or snot has been wiped on that part of the car! I’m glad that I didn’t pay for that to be done! This wasn't visible until after the car had been cleaned.(somewhat)
d. The bottom driver seat cushion had a piece of glue/residue balled up and pushed into the material. This came back with the detailer, or, was left when the hail damage was “repaired”, as it wasn’t there when I test drove the car. I picked the gooey piece out and tried with a damp cloth to remove the spot-no, it’s there now in the material! Good look for my first day of ownership of a brand new car!
e. Why does the interior have a film over the seats making them look dingy? I can only imagine that it’s due to the protectant that I was told had been applied before I bought the car. It may protect them somehow but now they don’t look new. (based upon the stain in the driver seat that didn’t wipe up, it’s not protecting anything as of day 1)
3. Can you imagine driving about 3 miles to your home after picking up your new car and then bring your wife out to see it and discover that both rear splash guards were not actually installed! Yes, they were started to be installed, but apparently since the tires have to be removed to do it with a long screwdriver, nobody took the time to finish the job. I just used an angle screwdriver and tightened them up in about 10 minutes and properly secured them with the push-pin retainer without removing the wheel. How those parts made it through a test drive and then home without falling off is beyond me. There were less than 2 threads screwed in on each screw and the push-pin retainer was not attached at all, on either side of the car!
I called David about the splash guards, he offered a tank of gas for my trouble.
Other than all that I’ve mentioned, I like the car.
I would like to address the next issue with my visit to the dealership.
4. HONDA PARTS: I always buy parts for my newest car and this was going to be no exception. My intent was to order the auto-dim rearview mirror, the fog light kit, and if possible, a painted rear spoiler to add to the looks of the car. I walked over to the parts department and rang the bell since there was nobody nearby. I waited around 1-2 minutes when another customer with a service tech walked into the area, rang the bell again but also shouted back at the parts person. The parts guy showed up almost immediately and although I had been waiting, I was automatically assumed to be behind the other customer! Nothing was said, no nod of acknowledgement, just rudeness in my opinion. I hope that the battery for the key FOB was worth it to your business; I bought those exact parts and several others on Saturday, elsewhere!
Service Department: Based upon the prep, installation of the mud guards, and other details about my new Honda, I don’t believe I can put my faith into people that can’t stay focused enough to install a simple set of splash guards, let alone something more difficult actually requiring technical skills. It’s a matter of trust!
The hail damage diminished not only the value of my new car, but also the pleasure of owning a new car due to the manner in which it was handled. I question the ethics involved as any damage should have been acknowledged prior to beginning any negotiations. I’m not even sure that a car can be sold as NEW, if it has suffered damages. It may in fact be something that requires further investigation as to the legality of making repairs to new vehicles without indicating it on the paperwork or disclosing it before making a deal. This is the only new vehicle of the many that I have purchased, which leaves me with too many issues for the money paid. My last car was a Mini, the one before a Mercedes SLK, and a Mitsubishi Outlander Sport, and many many years ago a Ford Pinto that had fewer issues on the day I picked it up from the dealership. I’m not used to such lack of attention to detail.
Based upon these issues, I am unable to recommend this dealership and caution you to be extra diligent in your search for a vehicle. They really do just want your money!
In regards to your July 31st comments: That offer was made to me after I spent money on accessories for that specific car, including an item that had to be painted before installation. That can't magically be undone. I'm not throwing away 1,000.00 worth of accessories, as I probably wouldn't even go buy a Honda if I returned this one, after this ordeal. I can get used to the car, I agreed to buy it at this price but didn't say I wouldn't complain.
Also, you stated that you offered to let me return the vehicle. According to my paperwork that you provided during the sale, returning a car is not free. I'm sure that the dealership would have charged me for the stains on the seats, the hail damages, and the need for it to be completely detailed, 1 minute after I owned the vehicle!
I feel you were obligated to make me aware of the hail damages before negotiating a final price, since you knew it needed repairs before delivery.
For the record: I did not have any idea about the hail damage to this car and had not been shown at any time the places where damages were noted, while making the deal to purchase the car for 21,000.00 out the door! Anyone saying something different is wrong, to put it nicely! To this date, no one has ever shown me where hail damage was done to the vehicle. I've found a few on my own!
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