Drivetime and AEVEREX Sold me a worthless car and refuse to fix it less than 5 months later Las Vegas Nationwide
On July 7th of 2016, I had just moved to Las Vegas and was in the search of a better life for my 3 children, 10, 9 and 7, and I. We were living in Montana without a lot of opportunity to have a better life. I was in search of a home, and my children were staying with my mother in Montana until I had everything figured out. I was driving a 2003 Mitsubishi eclipse and decided that it wasn’t the best vehicle for 3 kids, especially with the crazy drivers in Las Vegas, so I went to DRIVETIME. I knew I didn’t have the best credit due to the situation with their father 5 years prior and I was working 3 jobs so I didn’t have a lot of time to truly shop around. I came across this 2012 Hyundai Sonata and just fell in love with it. THAT WAS THE CAR FOR ME. I talked with Detroy Love and the paperwork was signed. I got all the coverage they offered thinking that I would be covered if anything should happen, that was the whole reason for getting a new car from a dealership anyway.
Within the first 5 days of the sale, I took the car down to one of their approved specialist. A Midas company located on Maryland Blvd. I noticed some hesitation when Idling, almost like a faint purr vibration. I talked with the guys at Midas and they told me the car was in perfect condition but if anything did happen, in the notes there would be in writing the vibration when idling so they could go back to it if needed. Cool I could deal with that, I got the warranty anyway and if there was an issue, at least it was documented.
I found a house and my kids were brought down from Montana from the help of my dad on August 4. We finally had the space we needed, and car big enough and my family was back together and we were doing better than ever. I was elated. This was everything I was working so hard for, little that I knew it would be short lived. On August 13th my check engine light came on. I called Aeverex and told them hey, yo, I've had the car for just over a month and the check engine light is on. They told me to take it down to American Auto and Tire, one of their approved specialist. They ran the diagnosis and came up with an error code P2191. This error code could have been anything from electrical, to fuel to anything. They told me that they needed at least a day to go through the vehicle to diagnosis it specifically.
I didn’t have the availability to just leave my car and still be able to get to all my jobs and take care of my kids, so I called Aeverex to see if a rental vehicle could be provided under warranty. They told me I was more than welcome to get a rental vehicle but they would not provide it for me. If it was approved, I would be reimbursed accordingly. Well first of all, you can only get a rental car if you have a credit card, and I did not. I've never had a credit card and never even thought of applying for one with my credit being the way it is (the reason I went to DRIVETIME in the first place). Second of all, I could not afford to rent a vehicle and have it reimbursed whenever. Hey yo guys, single mom, 3 kids, all starting school, new house, new city, and doing it all myself, above anything I had done before, budgeting on the high side to make sure that the kids are in a safe area and in good school district, we're not on state aid in ANY WAY and not even child support from the kid's dad who started over, never looked back, and working under the table. I just couldn’t take on more than I already was.
Well I ended up just hoping nothing would happen, that it could be fixed before the kids and I ended up stranded somewhere. About a week later, I was filling up gas and for some reason when I got in the car the check engine light was off. So I again was hopeful and thought it could have just been the gas cap, knowing they need a check engine light to run the gadget again anyway I just hoped I would be in a better situation when the light came back on.
On October 31st, My little sister came down to Vegas to help me. Things were hectic and I hadn't found a steady babysitter yet being new to the area and not knowing many people. That Friday, November 4th, the car hesitated starting as I was coming home from work. I came straight home and parked it. The next morning as I was getting ready to head to the store, the car wouldn’t start at all. I tried to call Aeverex but they only are open Monday- Friday 8-5pm. I then proceeded to call DRIVETIME and talk to Detroy, who sold me the car and told him the situation, and then talked to about 3 different managers that said there was nothing they could do and to call Averex first thing Monday morning. Thankfully I got a hold of one of my co workers who was able to get me to and from work until then.
First thing Monday morning I called Aeverex and got the car towed to American Auto and Tire, and it was ready by Wednesday morning, I woke up around 7 and started walking to pick up the car, it took me 2 hours to get there from my house, but being as I am from Montana I have never taken a bus in my life and I would rather guarantee I got to my destination rather than get lost trying to navigate stops and buses. Just more to worry about. I paid the $100 deductible and was told it was the fuel pump. Mind you, this car had about 53,000 miles on it in total.
On November 30th, I was working my shift at Landry's Seafood as a morning bartender when these two gentlemen walked in, and we got to talking. I was randomly asked " what kind of car do you drive?" And I told them. "what do you think of it?" And I told them. " How long have you had the car for?" And I told them. That’s when this man introduces himself as Charles Gregory, and hands me his card. The other gentlemen then introduces himself as David Ko, and hands me his card. After a few phone calls Charles invites me over to the table and asks me for the card he gave me and wrote "Ask For Carlos" on the back and tells me to go to the Henderson Hyundai dealership and he will do his absolute best to help me out. I was in shock. We parted ways and I was left with a very big Merry Christmas from Charles . :)
I took my car down the following day to see Carlos, he was not there at the time, but another gentleman came to talk to me, on of the sales guys, and when he determined I was unable to get a different vehicle due to the fact I just had gotten this one and had only paid around 5000 on the total so far he found out I was within the original manufacturers warranty with only 13 days left. He then took me into the service dept of the dealership and introduced me to Bennie. He made me an apt for Monday at 7:00 am to have the car diagnosed. I had friend pick me up from the dealership on our way to work and was willing to take me back down that night to pick it up. It was around 4:30 when Bennie called me and told me that the whole engine has to be replaced, that there was a cleaning they could do that would help for a little while but it wouldn’t be a permanent fix. The engine NEEDED to be replaced. I called Aeverex the next morning as they were already closed, and was told to have Hyundai Fax over the diagnosis. So Bennie did.
The next morning I walked to work, 3 hours each way and having to stop by my landlords bank so I could get the last $300 to her after Bridgecrest double charged me after I asked to have the automatic payments taken off not knowing what the car was going to do next. I never hear back from Averex that day but that night, Bennie called me again to tell me I was denied on the engine by Aeverex and that they were trying for the cleaning but It wouldn’t be allowed through the dealership due to labor costs. I broke down and called my mom as an sos, I was going to lose everything. My car I bought to save me was destroying me, I was on foot, It was worthless, I'm paying way more than I should have only because of my credit, which sucks due to identity theft. I couldn’t get a rental car and I didn’t know enough to have this figured out soon enough to not have it cost me my job.
That night I wrote Charles and David, with their emails on the card they gave me, and asked if there was anything they could think of that I should do next because this was the first car I had ever bought from a dealership. They both wrote me back :) The next day I talked to Charles about the situation and he asked him to keep him updated, but we would be in touch. This when I started calling DRIVETIME and Averex like crazy trying to talk to the right person to help me. No one would. They each kept telling me it was the other person's fault, Aeverex because they were the warranty company and DRIVETIME because they sold me the worthless car.
That's when I met Amber :) Amber called me because Bennie had asked her to help with the situation. She started making phones calls and trying to help in any way she could. Updates and talking to me like a real person and looking at the condition of the car and KNOWING it was SOLD to me like this!!! Both Amber and Bennie knew I was not the one at fault and started fighting for me!!!! My mom got into town the next day, got a rental vehicle and started driving me around town to and from work, and helping me with the kids, she was here to help since DRIVETIME and Aeverex wasn’t.
On the 14th, I was told again I was denied for any repairs unless it was at one of their repair facilities. Well to be honest, I don’t trust their repair facilities! With all the previous issues with the car when it was perfectly clear to Bennie and Amber that this car was in bad shape, and they said nothing about it. For goodness sake the car just had the oil changed, fuel pump replaced, and gone through by 4 mechanics. I had to go to the manufacturers on a whim to get the truth about this car. I was only being offered the band aid. To take the car to one of their repair places, pay the deductible and keep this up about every 6 months, leaving me without a car however knows how long and paying each time for as long as I own the car. The exact situation I was trying to avoid by getting a new car without and history of accidents, or past from what I could see with less than 49,000 miles when I bought it. It was not a good night.
Well after emails and calls back and fourth, Charles called me on the morning of the 15th, he wasn’t making any promises but he had made enough phone calls and everyone took charge and he thinks he got it approved from Hyundai!!! NOT EVEN THE COMPANY I BOUGHT IT FROM BUT THE MANUFACTURERS!!!!! These guys care so much about their reputation and their word and their image that they were gonna fix the car because it was right and they cared!!!!! They saved. He said he would have final answers in 24 to 48 hours but karma works!!! It wasn’t even 2 hours later and Bennie called me and said they had confirmation and I could come down and pick up a rental car!!!!!
WOW doesn’t even begin to cover it. I walked in and there was Amber, smiling at me when I asked to see if she was in. I was the first to tell her I was approved!!!! She gave me a big hug and Bennie walked around the corner. We were in and less than 15 minutes later Amber walked me over to Adam in the rental shop. No questions, just smiles and as soon as we told him what all was going on and how lucky I was to have gotten a Hyundai, and met Charles and David, he found the best car on the lot ( also a sonata :) ) and hooked me up!!!
I still don’t know how all this will turn out but getting a Hyundai, was the one of the best choices I have ever made. Everything could have potentially been one of the worst situations of my life and because Hyundai cares, my kids and I are ok and I can keep working towards a better life. THANK YOU Hyundai team, Charles Gregory, David Ko, Kiran Adashi, Amber Thompson, Bennie Pacheco, and Adam Brooks!!!! Your team has earned a Hyundai owner for life!!!! Thank you so much for everything you have done for me!!!! Above and Beyond doesn’t even compare.