Jo-Nathan Wesley

Short story: Discovered serious engine issue shortly after purchase, we lost thousands on repairs and fees, was without a car for 3 weeks because of a title delay, repeated difficulty getting anyone to after purchase, we lost thousands on repairs and fees, was without a car for 3 weeks because of a title delay, repeated difficulty getting anyone to respond, and discovering unrepaired hail damage without being notified, this was not the experience we expected when purchasing a vehicle from a dealership. Long story: My husband and I bought a Volvo SUV from Metro Kia of Madison in March 2026. During the sales process, we were told the oil had just been changed and that they only had one service technician who did not specialize in European cars. The oil looked great because it had just been changed. Less than a month later, we noticed a ticking noise and took the Volvo to a trusted European-car mechanic. We were informed that there was significant metal contamination in the oil and that the engine exhibited a condition consistent with a known Volvo Technical Service Bulletin regarding balance shaft bearing wear. We were told the amount of metal indicated a serious, pre-existing engine issue and that the repair could require an engine replacement. We immediately contacted the GM, who initially offered us $500 toward the repair. After two days of back-and-forth emails, they stopped communicating with me directly and emailed only my husband asking him to call. We called together, and after a very difficult conversation, they eventually agreed to let us return the vehicle for the $16,500 selling price. However, they would not reimburse the approximately $2,700 we had already spent on repairs and related costs and the taxes and fees we paid. The vehicle was no longer safe to drive, so we drove it approximately 15 miles from the independent mechanic to the dealership, where it then sat undriven for about three weeks while we waited for the title. We were without a vehicle during this entire period. The title situation was another major issue. When we asked when the title application had been submitted, we were repeatedly told it had been submitted electronically on the day of sale. When we asked for confirmation, they would not provide it. We contacted the DMV and were initially told there was no application on file. After repeatedly following up, the DMV eventually confirmed that the application had actually been submitted 28 days after the sale and had been mailed rather than electronically submitted. They also gave us a license plate when we bought the vehicle. A couple of weeks later, the DMV mailed us another set of plates. This added to our confusion about whether the registration and title paperwork had actually been processed as we had been told. During this time, I contacted the dealership at least five times and was repeatedly ignored. We were also unable to escalate the issue to the dealer principal or controller. When we finally received the title and returned the vehicle, we discovered significant hail damage to it while walking by it on the lot. We had never been notified about the damage. Then, when we questioned the dealership about the engine issue, they told us their mechanic had inspected the oil and found no metal and suggested that our independent mechanic had been trying to “pull a fast one.” The vehicle had only been driven approximately 15 miles since that independent mechanic changed the oil, so finding no metal in the newly changed oil is to be expected. Since we have returned it, they listed the car on their website for about 2k more than what we bought it for, then they sold it at auction and it has been sitting on a lot and has not been offered for sale. Its been 4 months. So to me, this is very telling. More

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