Complaint Review: Bev Smith Ford

I was sold a 1996 Ford Explorer Sport with 76,000 miles on it which I was told by the salesman that it was well maintained by the owner and fully reconditioned by Bev Smith Ford. He also said that he felt that I did not need an extended warranty as all of Bev Smith Ford's used car go through a 10,000 point inspection prior to being put on the lot for resale. I brought along a male friend who is witness to all of this salesperson's claims about the vehicle.

Three months after the car was driven off of the lot I started having problems; a tire blew out, the alternator died and needed to be replaced, the spark plugs, battery & cables had to be replaced, and the car was overheating due to bad freeze plugs. One of the freeze plugs fell out after servicing which led to the car overheating and locking up the engine. Then the engine block had to be reground. All of this happened within 9 months of purchase. I took my vehicle to a trusted mechanic for the repairs after the problem with the freeze plugs. The mechanic said that the vehicle still had the original spark plugs in the car and was NEVER maintained.

I was also told that the price of the vehicle was one price, but after I got the financing, the total price of the vehicle (less the financing charges) were more than the Blue Book price for a vehicle in absolutely perfect condition with all of the options.

Bev Smith was NOT AT ALL customer service friendly. They were not at all willing to reimburse me for the $1,800+ in repairs. The owner of the dealership Joe Key is extremely rude and his company employs salespeople that come to work with the smell of alcohol on their breath. This is not a company to deal with. They know how to detail a vehicle to make it look impressive on the lot, but after that WATCH OUT for the song & dance!

R
Boynton Beach, Florida
U.S.A.