Complaint Review: Vandevere Chevrolet

WARNING! Buying a used car from Vandevere Chevrolet is a huge risk. Their cars look great on the outside, but BE WARNED; they may have serious mechanical problems and Vandevere will use any tactic to avoid accountability. Here is our story:

We purchased 2 sports SUVs. The most recent SUV had major mechanical problems with less than 50,000 miles!  They advertise a warranty for life on the powertrain but dont let that fool you- thats all they warranty and no more! They seem to operate on the If you catch it, we will talk about and maybe fix it theory. ALWAYS, ALWAYS,ALWAYS BUY AN EXTENDED WARANTY! That may the only thing that saves you from the costly repairs hidden under the hood. Things you need to know about their practices and how to protect yourself:

1.     Order your own copy of the car fax-dont use their version. Look over the history of the car closely. Question the ownership and repair record. Look for signs of a vehicle crash. Look at the purchase dates to see if a car may have been sitting idle for a long timeframe because that could indicate that serious repairs were needed so the car could not be sold right away.

2.     Research RECALLS AND ADVISORIES.  Call the manufacturer to see if there are any recalls or advisories for that make and model. Vandevere says that they will fix something under recall but not under an ADVISORY.  Whats the difference? An advisory is a notice sent out to all dealerships to let them know that they are receiving multiple trouble reports but not enough to launch a recall. This happened to me on both SUVs. If I didnt have an extended warranty, I would have had to pay the $1,500.00 for the repair even though the advisory existed and the car met the coverage criteria when we bought it.

3.     Not all of their Used Cars are Certifiedknow which one you are getting. Both of our SUVs looked great nice ride, no obvious problems. But they could not have passed any mechanical inspection. This is a summary of the repair history for our current SUV all within 6 months of ownership:

    a) Tire Pressure Monitor Sensors went bad within 60 days of ownership
    b) Blower motor - they replaced the wiring harness but not the motor. So the car was in the  shop 2 times within 30 days. We only paid for one copay on our extended warrantee but they wanted to charge us a 2nd copay for the return trip when it wasnt fixed right the first time!
    c) Level ride system the level ride system went bad. They replaced the shocks but didnt replace the compressor. We only paid for one copay on our extended warrantee but they wanted to charge us a 2nd copay for the return trip when it wasnt fixed right the first time!
   d) Water Pump went bad within 6 months.  
   e) Rear Brake LED light component went out within 6 months
   f)  Speedometer Cluster Pack - went bad and the speedometer stopped working. Even though the manufacturer advisory existed, and the car was within the coverage criteria when we bought it, since we were outside of the criteria when the part went bad, we were charged a deductible for our extended warranty.
   g) Paint overspray on the roof was not noticed by us when we purchased the car (it was dark and raining so we didnt inspect the roof closely.shame on us!  Ill never buy another car unless it is daylight and I get a ladder to be able to inspect the roof!) In addition, the passenger side window had some kind of overspray that created very noticeable spots in the window glass. When we discussed the problem with the Finance Manager stated We are not going to put any more money or lose any more money on this car. You can take it or leave it!  Later when the overspray problem was discussed with the owner (Mike Vandevere), he did not offer to fix the problem. He advised me to try CLR solvent.  As the buyer, one would think that if the problem existed when I bought the car, it is the dealerships problem to fix!
    h) And now the check engine light is on! They cant nail down the source of the problem so they havent fixed that yet!

4.     Examine the Sales Contract very closely before you sign- make sure the final sale price on the contract is the price arranged by the sales person. They seem to use bait and switch tactics. During both sales negotiations, the price on the sales contract was not what we agreed on with the salesman. Unfortunately, we didnt catch this mistake. Later, when it we escalated the problem to the Vandevere owner,he pulled out the original contract and the agreed upon price was circled on
the paperwork. When we went back for a follow-up conversation, the paperwork with the circled area was gone- only a copy of the paperwork was in our file and of course the price notation was nowhere to be found!

5.     Make sure anything that needs to be fixed on the car is on the We Owe sheet. Dont believe the promises made by the salesmen because they may not be honored after the sale is complete and you take your shiny used car off the lot.

6.     Know the Lemon Laws   - According to the Ohio Attorney Generals office, Ohio Lemon Law covers new passenger vehicles, SUVs, vans, trucks, and motorcycles that are purchased or leased in Ohio. To be called a "lemon," the vehicle must meet the following requirements:

** Does not conform to the manufacturer's express warranty        
** Has substantial defects affecting the use, safety or value of the vehicle  
** Has manufacturer's defects that occurred during the first year from the delivery date or the first 18,000 miles on the odometer (whichever period ends first)      
** Has been taken in once for a problem that could cause serious injury or death; three times for the same problem;eight times for different problems; or has been out of service for a cumulative total of 30 calendar days       
** The manufacturer has been notified in writing of the defect within one year from the delivery date or the first 18,000 miles on the odometer (whichever period ends first)        
** You have participated in the manufacturer's informal arbitration program, if one exists

Used vehicles If your used vehicle doesn't fit into one of the new car categories, there are other laws that may help you get relief.

 The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has what's called the Used Car Rule that requires dealers to provide consumers with a Buyer's Guide with warranty and other types of information. If the dealer has in any way failed to abide by the FTC Used Car Rule, you may have the basis for a legal claim. Each state has what are called Unfair and Deceptive Acts and Practices (UDAP) laws. If the dealer has, for example, made verbal promises or didn't tell you about issues relating to your used car you may have a cause of action. Ohio's version of the Uniform Commercial Code may provide you with relief. Finally, the Truth in Lending Act and the Federal Odometer Act might also be valuable in obtaining lemon justice. For more info about the Ohio Lemon laws, go to http://www.lemonjustice.com/lemon-law/OH_lemon_law_used.php.

Vandevere Chevrolet may seem reputable on the surface, but you need to protect yourself when buyinga used car from this dealership. Dont depend on them to Do the Right Thing. If you have problems with the car or the sale, they may suggest that you speak to Mike Vandevere. We did that he was respectful and nice. He will sit down with you and ask, What do you need me to do to make this right? I cant lie- he did resolve some of minor things. But later as the major points of contention were on the table, he delegated further follow-up action to his personnel and we were caught in an endless loop of unreturned phone calls and unresolved conversations.

Bottom Line - Protect yourself; because the right thing by them usually will not be the right thing by you!