Serious red flag with this dealership. - Marco Hanna
Serious red flag with this dealership. They advertise vehicles as Toyota Certified, but the car I purchased had major mechanical and safety issues. It clearly didn’t meet Toyota’s certification standards. Toyota should investigate their certification process. On June 16, 2025, I visited Tri County Dealership for a scheduled test drive of a Toyota vehicle. Prior to my visit, I received an email from their team confirming the vehicle was Toyota Certified, which assured me of its quality and condition based on Toyota’s strict certification standards. Based on that representation, I proceeded with the purchase.
However, after receiving the vehicle, I noticed multiple issues that clearly contradict what was promised, both in terms of cleanliness, functionality, and mechanical integrity:
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🔹 Interior Condition
• Strong foul odor (suspected to be dog urine) throughout the interior.
• Heavily stained seatbelts and upholstery.
• Broken plastic covers under the front seats (only one was replaced).
• Non-functioning seat-folding lever behind the driver’s seat.
• Exposed and damaged components in the seating area, which could be hazardous.
🔹 Mechanical & Structural Issues
• Suspension instability and suspected strut issues.
• Multiple holes in the frame structure with rust and poor-quality repaint, suggesting prior unreported damage.
• Numerous misaligned and mismatched components that are inconsistent with factory-standard assembly.
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These conditions were further confirmed by an independent appraisal inspection expert, who reported that the car was unfit for safe use. Based on this, I believe the vehicle was misrepresented during the sale process — both verbally and in writing — particularly in regard to its Toyota Certification and overall condition.
I attempted to return the vehicle, but this request was declined by GM Jack Donaldson , When I returned to the dealership to raise concerns about the vehicle’s condition, I spoke with Used Car Sales Manager, Scott Herbert, who told me to have the car inspected independently. He assured me that if any issues were found, I could come back to him to address them.
I followed his instruction and had the vehicle inspected by an independent appraisal expert, who confirmed significant safety and mechanical issues, as well as signs of possible structural damage — all of which would disqualify the car from meeting Toyota Certified standards.
Despite this, my attempt to return was denied. I am now requesting that Tri County Dealership take full accountability
As a result of this agent’s dishonesty, I was almost warned of being fired from my job because I had to go to them more than five times and I had to leave my job and go to them. I went through difficult times and wasted time for me and my family, as I have 3 children and a wife, and the car is the main means of transportation for my large family
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