GreenTSX

So about 3-4 weeks ago I bought an 06 TSX CPO from this dealership. I had signed a crap-load of papers all stating that the car is indeed certified pre-owned with their non-sense 150 point inspection process... yadda yadda.

I expected to receive a certification letter from Acura 2-3 weeks from purchase date to have a little piece of mind (like it says on their website), and never got one. So I decide to call corporate to check and see if everything is well. Turns out, the car was never certified in the first place, although it was advertised as CPO and has the CPO stamp all over my sales documents. Corporate also tells me that they should have certified the car BEFORE putting it up for sale and obviously before giving me delivery of the car.

I call the dealership to see what's going on. They swear it was submitted the day I called them to check up on it (about a month into owning the car). 4 days later I call Acura client relations again to see if it's been updated since I need some servicing done. NOPE. My sales guy swears up and down that it's certified although corporate denies this to the bitter end and tells me that I have to talk to them.

I honestly thought that this would've been a great dealership to purchase a car from given the good ratings they've received from all over NJ. Although my sales guy was helpful and courteous during the sales process, he is no longer of any help and tells me that since I've taken delivery of the car, it's my problem and that I have to deal with it. He says I should take his word for it.

I'm wondering what I can do about all of this because not only do I have this issue to deal with, but I also just found out that the rear bumper and right side tail-light had been replaced and what seems like some cheap aftermarket replica parts; the fitment is not factory-spec and I'm noticing a gap/spacing between panels after washing/detailing my car. It's obvious because they messed up on the paint job and there are paint drippings on the bottom right of the bumper. The service tech this morning also pointed out that the VIN# stickers are also missing from the rear bumper.

The CPO 150 point inspection process STATES that the interior and exterior is required to meet ACURA quality fitment. Mine does not and it seems like I was lied to about all of this from the beginning.

Anyone have any thoughts on this matter?

Is it even something worth getting an attorney for?

If all of my issues aren't handled I think I'm going to take some sort of action with Acura corporate involved. I just don't know what to do since Client Relations is telling me the easiest way is to deal directly with the dealership and that it's up to me whether or not I should take legal action.

PaHonda

I saw your other post. Will the dealership fix items under the CPO warranty?

DuckDodgers

Attorney now...

Acura Corporate is probably out of bounds on this. This one looks like fraud by dealership.

Also check out http://www.nj.gov/lps/ca/ocp/usedlemon.htm. Assuming the car was bought in NJ, this law applies, so check to see if you have recourse.

TampaJim

IMO, corporate is telling you what would be easiest for them. CPO is an Acura corporate product and trademark. You should immediately pursue the case through corporate. Dealing with the dealership is NOT a good idea IMO. Make sure to put everything into writing (even documenting your phone/in-person conversations), be sure time/date/contact/etc. is all properly recorded. You do have full recourse, but you shouldn't let the pancakes get cold.

GreenTSX

Hey guys. The dealership has been frantically working to make things right for me since this morning and gave me a brand new fully loaded 2011 or 2012 TSX loaner for the week. They're already replacing the power steering pump/motor and working on a laundry list of items that need replacing/repair including the aftermarket rear bumper, busted steering wheel, and a few other exterior flaws that don't hold up to the certification process requirements. The fact that I was never told of prior damage/accidents on the car really gets to me even more than the fact that I bought a CPO car that was NEVER registered into acura's CPO program, even to this day although they're honoring all the warranty work. So, what if I decide to sell my car? It should be sellable as a CPO vehicle, but it isn't because they screwed me and with the prior damage, it's worth even less money than I thought and I should have paid far less. Monetary compensation is high on my list, but I'll see where that goes.

I've contacted acura corporate once more to check and see if anything has been updated, and sadly nothing. The sales rep at the dealership says that he has all the "paperwork" that it is certified, if I wanted to come pick it up myself. That's funny, because I thought Acura corporate was the one to send me my certification papers 2-3 weeks after the sale date as formally written on their official website for the CPO program.

I've also contacted a law firm that specializes in automotive fraud in NJ and apparently my case is strong according to a paralegal I spoke to. I'll be getting a consultation in a few days to see where I stand and what I can get out of this.

They definitely know what's going on (but won't admit to anything) and aren't charging me a penny for anything I ask them to do, but I'm still going to keep my options wide open. I haven't said or mentioned anything about any legal pursuit, so we'll have to see how this progresses after my consultation.

The service consultant (Tom Cardace) that's working with me I have to say is excellent and very professional, as well as the service manager at this dealership. I absolutely hate their sales department and the sales rep I had to deal with that told me that I just have to live with all the issues I'm having because I "took delivery of the car".

@TampaJim: Acura corporate will not do anything for me. They just keep telling me to talk to the dealership and that it's the best I or they can do. One rep at corporate would tell me that the dealership as the ability to certify a vehicle after the point of sale (which I find utterly ridiculous) and that there are sometimes "delays" in the paperwork (complete BS), while another rep tells me that it's a requirement for the dealership to certify the vehicle before it's even put up for sale. My car was up for sale for 2 months, listed as a CPO from day#1. The law firm confirms, at first glance, that is indeed fraud.

I'm just thoroughly disappointed with the way a luxury car dealership sinks to this kind of low. Especially with something that could easily have been avoided if they were just honest with themselves and with their customers.

I hope none of you have to deal with what I'm going through at the moment.

I should've gotten a Lexus.

nj2pa2nc

the same thing could happen if you bought a lexus. Hopefully everything is resolved to your satisfaction. what dealer is this. go to dealerrater website and write a review. Wow so many problems on a car with not that many miles. Looks like the previous owner did not take care of it

nbtx

The ball is in the dealership's court and they are trying to make things right because they know they f**ked up and don't want to lose their franchise. They might be skating on thin ice with corporate already.

FWIW, with all the problems, why did you buy it in the first place?

GreenTSX

I've gotten my car back from servicing, and unfortunately it's louder and making more rattling noises than before I took it in. I've also called corporate again and of course, it is NOT certified. I've called the dealership twice about this issue and all I got was a few rude responses and hearing that I should trust the sales department. Right... Trust, huh?

The rep at corporate told me a few things:

1. The car must be certified before being put up for sale.
2. The "Acura Certified-Pre Owned" badge is corporate, not by the dealership (no third party certifications).
3. The dealership cannot certify a car if it isn't in their possession; meaning that they no longer have the capacity to get it certified if they want to be tricky and certify a car that they in no way, shape, or form do this miraculous 150 pt inspection.
4. The 150 point inspection check list MUST be disclosed to the consumer. --> This was never disclosed to me. I've never bought a CPO car before so I had no idea this was a requirement.

So yeah. Lets see what my lawyer has to say because I've obviously been completely screwed by this dealership and words cannot express how upset I am. I really only bought the damn car because of the CPO badge and it gave me peace of mind.

@nbtx: I'm not so privy to buying cars unfortunately. At the time of showing, the car seemed immaculate without any sign of problems. Everything looked great and I didn't notice anything until a days/weeks later when I decided to wash and detail the car myself. Mind you, I only drive the car about 5 miles to work everyday in loud traffic so all of these noises went completely unnoticed.

GreenTSX

Thanks for the link!

GreenTSX

Just to quickly update that falsely positive post I made yesterday at 10:40PM about how hard they're working to make things right, nothing except the power steering pump/assembly and the center console light was fixed.

End result of the service appointment: The engine makes even MORE noise now. All the rattling seems amplified and now at highway speeds (60mph+) I can CLEARLY hear it now even with loud cars beside me.

Thoroughly disappointed, yet excited to see what this law firm has to say.

I wish I had never traded in my Evo X for this. That car did nothing but put a huge smile on my face no matter what. 3+ years with absolutely no problems whatsoever. Now I have this "luxury" car that makes more noise than a decently maintained 10 year old honda accord.

TampaJim

You are going to need to contact Acura corporate and ask for a supervisor. At that point, get a name AND a mailing address. Tell them nothing other than you want to send them a formal letter.

Send a written request, by certified mail, for a copy of the CPO program guidelines, as they pertain to a dealership, AND a statement from them saying that they have no authority in situations involving an Acura dealer using the CPO program to make fraudulent sales.

Be sure to use proper grammar, punctuation, spelling and a formal layout. Offer no explanation, just request the information above. Be sure to provide your contact information, but request that ALL contact be by mail OR in person with an Acura corporate representative.

You will be AMAZED at the difference between a phone call (or dozens of phone calls) and one letter. Letters are evidence of contact, totally irrefutable. You will get an answer and things will happen.

GreenTSX

I'll definitely keep that in mind. Thanks Jim.

I agree, phone calls really haven't been getting me anywhere.

ACE2790

Any updates, this thread is intense!

GreenTSX

I got myself a consumer fraud lawyer. Car is now certified by Acura corporate.

TampaJim

Congratulations!!! I am glad that you finally got what you agreed upon.