Complaint Review: K & F Auto Sales and Service - Fort Atkinson Wisconsin

 On Monday, June 13, 2016, Michael and I (Lenée) purchased a 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP from K & F Auto Sales and Service LLC located at 815 Jefferson St, Fort Atkinson, WI. Our contact at the dealership was Brandon Felmlee. Brandon informed us that the car had been purchased at auction and he had the engine rebuilt. Brandon told us he had personally driven the car approximately 1000 miles. The odometer reading is approximately 57,000 miles. Brandon told me the rack and pinion and other suspension parts were new. The final purchase price for this vehicle was $7664.44 including taxes and vehicle registration. We drove the car directly from the dealership in Ft. Atkinson to our home in Cross Plains and parked it in the garage. It was not driven at all on Tuesday, June 14. On Wednesday, June 15, Mike left Cross Plains, driving the Grand Prix to pick up his son in Waukon, Iowa. Mike never made it that far, however. Just east of Mt. Ida, WI, on Hwy 18, he lost all steering in the car and crossed all three lanes along that stretch of road.

He did manage to get the car to turn right, but the steering wheel had to be turned numerous revolutions to achieve any turning. He limped the car, very slowly, to the Baptist Church in Mt Ida where Mike called me. I immediately left work. I did, in fact, pass Mike, parked with the car, at the Baptist Church, along the way. Mike had driven the car a grand total of 120 miles. Since he was more than an hour from home and the car was no longer drivable, Mike and I agreed that we should have it towed to the closest repair shop of which we were aware. Fillback Chevy/Buick in Boscobel, WI was only ten miles away. Meanwhile, I contacted the DMV to inquire about my rights as a consumer and how I should proceed. At the Fillback Chevy, the tech determined the rack and pinion was shot and it would be around $1000 to repair. It was at this point I contacted Brandon at K & F Auto, explained what had happened and asked how this issue was going to be resolved.

He said he would speak to his business manager. Mike was stranded in Boscobel and the car was neither drivable, nor safe. Fillback would not give him a loaner car without an agreement to do the work. Mike agreed and the parts were ordered. We wanted to keep the car. Friday morning, June 17, Brandon contacted me and offered a refund of $300. I made a counter offer and asked him to split the bill with us 50/50. I thought this quite a fair proposal. He said he would get back to me. Thursday, June 23, the service advisor at Fillback Chevy contacted Mike. The service stability/traction control systems lights are on and the power steering pump is making noise and is very weak. It would be an additional $900 to fix these two issues. At this point we were still willing to repair the car and still waiting to hear from Brandon about splitting the bill 50/50 until the advisor told Mike that the car was burning oil and blowing smoke. Saturday, June 25 we went to Boscobel to return the loaner car. The service advisor started the Grand Prix. There was a noticeable power steering noise and, after thirty seconds to a minute, a significant amount of smoke. Since Brandon had not contacted me by June 25th, I decided to file a Dealer Complaint with the DMV. Jan Keyser was assigned as the Investigator for this case. Her phone number is 608 264 9521.

On July 12, I had a phone conversation with a woman named Lee, who claimed to be an owner of K & F Auto. I told them I wanted them to take the car back and I wanted a full refund of the purchase price. Lee refused. I said I would let the investigation move forward. Lee continued to talk about how great the car was and that they would not “pay someone else to fix work they had already done.” The conversation was escalating and I did not respond. Lee said she would talk to their attorney. The end of this phone call left me victim shamed and threatened with legal action. Eventually, this Lee person, whom I had not met, nor knew her position/title with the company, became the main person of contact, mostly via text message. On or about July 25, I spoke with Lee on the phone again.

She said they would fix the car, that the power steering pump was under warranty but they could not use their car trailer to get the Pontiac at Fillback Chevy in Boscobel. She said they did not have insurance to trailer another person’s vehicle. On July 27, I spoke with Jan, the DMV Investigator for the first time. Jan said that K & F had agreed to fix the car. I told her I did not want to hear what K & F would not do, I wanted to know what they would do. K & F agreed to pay half of the bill for a tow. I also agreed to pay half of the cost of a tow, however, I wanted a copy of the towing bill so I could submit it to my insurance company for towing reimbursement. As of August 15. I have not received a bill for towing. On or about August 9 or 10, the Pontiac was towed. Brandon later informed me via email on August 11 that the power steering pump was not working properly and that it would be replaced at no charge for either the part or the labor.

I agreed to the replacement of the power steering pump but asked what his timeline was for looking at the smoking engine issue. Brandon replied that they would not be fixing the engine. If I wanted the engine problems looked into, I could pay the diagnostic fee. Naturally, when Jan, the Investigator, told me they would fix the car, I thought this meant they would fix the car. Jan told me that the parts for the car were under warranty. I thought this meant all the parts were under warranty and that they would fix/replace the engine parts as well as the power steering pump. I have not done all of this back and forth in the last two months in aid of a power steering pump! Where is the breakdown in communication? Or is K & F attempting to wiggle out of yet another agreement? Jan, the Investigator, would not let me have anything in writing until K & F had seen the car and determined what the problem was.

I, however, wanted everything in writing, including their agreement to pay for half of the tow and what they would agree to “fix”. We have acted honestly, professionally and entirely in good faith. I do not believe K & F Auto, Lee, or Brandon, have done the same as they have repeatedly backed out of deals with which they have agreed or make excuses. Michael and I are not unreasonable people, but, after two months, we have lost patience and are left with no choice but to pursue other avenues in order to remedy this unfortunate situation. It was clearly and willfully misrepresented. A vehicle with newly and properly rebuilt engine should not be burning oil. The newly rebuilt engine was the main selling point for us with regard to this vehicle. I cannot believe we did anything to this car to incur so many problems in only 120 miles. I cannot believe that the dealer rebuilt the engine, had it in his shop, inspected the car and drove the car without knowing it was burning oil in this manner. This situation has caused us a significant amount of inconvenience. We are paying for a car that we are not able to drive, a car that was driven exactly twice.