Consumer complaint received 2022-04-25
Product: Vehicle loan or lease — Loan
Issue: Getting a loan or lease — Changes in terms mid-deal or after closing
Company: Santander Consumer USA Holdings Inc. (FL)

Purchase Date : XX/XX/XXXX Mileage : XXXX Current Milage on Vehicle : XXXX Driven : XXXX XXXX  - We received a call from XXXX that we have approval with XXXX down. We told him we would be there at XXXX XXXX. 


We initially went to XXXX XXXX for a XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. When we arrived at the Dealership, the XXXX was waiting for us outside with the sign ( SOLD ) in the dashboard. XXXX greeted us at the door and immediately grabbed our keys, and sent us on our test drive. We proceeded with the test drive ; we stopped in a nearby XXXX parking lot because we felt rushed to get in and go. During the vehicle inspection, we noticed a significant crack on the front bumper and proceeded to return to the Dealership. The sales associate, XXXX, greeted us outside, and we advised that we were no longer interested in this vehicle. However, we had a plan band referenced another comparable vehicle that would suit our needs, given the situation with the two trade-ins. This vehicle was a XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. Our sales associate advised that the XXXX XXXX XXXX  online was not available. However, he had a significantly better XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  and only a few thousand more. It was a certified preowned, where XXXX performs XXXX point inspection through a series of checks, and this is the best in class preowned vehicle -freshly serviced. We asked if there were any accidents in the Car. XXXX stated this is XXXX ; no CPO vehicles are in accidents, and this CPO XXXX  has some of the new vehicle warranty left from the previous owner, and then the CPO warranty will kick go into effect. 

After we looked at the exterior, we were delighted. We proceeded with our test drive, and upon our return, we told XXXX we loved the XXXX and would be perfect for our family and would like to move forward. As we sat down at his desk, we asked if he would provide us with the XXXX report. He said yes, he would pull that for me once we finish up some of the paperwork for our trade-in vehicles. 

Shortly after we finished with the remaining paperwork and provided our insurance information, he advised that we could wait in their waiting area until Financing was ready for us. But it may take a while because they had a lot of people ahead of us. 

An hour and a half have gone by, and it's XXXX PM ; XXXX brings us the XXXX XXXX Order - Consumer Copy, a printed copy of all the service records for the vehicle, and lets us know that it shouldn't be too much longer. 

Another 40 minutes go by, and we are finally called in to sign our financial documents. At XXXX PM, a call was made to my father to authorize the payment for his CC. We finished by XXXX PM and called my father to talk about our Day and the new Car. 



XXXX : XXXX, XXXX We could not remember if XXXX provided us an actual XXXX report for the XXXX XXXX XXXX. We do not believe XXXX provided us a XXXX report XXXX After contacting XXXX, they said we did sign a XXXX report that was not included in the copy of the signed documents provided to us by XXXX, and they did not offer a XXXX report. Instead, what was provided to us was the Service Order - Customer Copy that showed the Car was a CPO XXXX XXXX. I went to the XXXX website and purchased the XXXX for our VIN. 


- There was a minor damage accident report on our VIN on XX/XX/XXXX - There was not a Certified Pre-owned Sticker on our Report XXXX  - XX/XX/XXXX XXXX calls us and says he needs the gift funds donor to fill out this CC authorization form immediately and send it back to us ; we also let him know that we left our OBD Hum devices in the XXXX and XXXX. He ensured us that he had our XXXX XXXX devices and would drop them off at our residence. While also pressuring us to post a glorifying review for him. After We sent him a screenshot of the 5-star review and our residential address, he reassured us we would get our devices by Friday, XX/XX/XXXX, but he has been backed up at the office with other deliveries. 


- We have images and text from XXXX. 


XXXX - XX/XX/XXXX I called XXXX and left a voice mail advising that we were experiencing problems with resistance while turning at slow speeds. It seems to be related to the rear driver side. 

- We have call records for XXXX and Text. 


XXXX - No callback or contact from XXXX. 


XX/XX/XXXX - XX/XX/XXXX We took our first trip out of town to work for our Nonprofit, and during our trip, we immediately noticed the resistance getting worse when accelerating the XXXX  at slow speeds during our return home. The XXXX started burning through an immense amount of fuel. 



XX/XX/XXXX - We decided to book a service apportionment with XXXX. Contacted XXXX to make an appointment on XX/XX/XXXX for Service scheduled at XXXX. 

- We have messages showing appointment confirmation. 


XX/XX/XXXX Contacted XXXX to follow up on my upcoming appointment regarding having a loaner vehicle ; XXXX confirmed the proper paperwork was in place and no other information was required. 




XXXX I called XXXX 3 days before our appointment confirming the appointment with XXXX on XXXX and notifying Service that I needed to add having our XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX updated. They informed me that they were unable to find my appointment for XXXX. 

I provided both phone numbers that the appointment might be under. The XXXX team member was unable to find an active appointment. Which required us to schedule a brand new appointment and the earliest availability was two weeks until the first available - XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX AM. 


XX/XX/XXXX While stopping for coffee on the way to the Dealership, I received a message stating Oil pressure was critically low ; please turn off the XXXX  and do not leave it idle. 

I dropped the Car off at the Dealership, and they advised it was not due for an oil change and was recently serviced. I informed the representative of on the situation that happened on my way to the Dealership. Also, Friday, XX/XX/XXXX, I put XXXX dollars of gas in the tank, which indicated XXXX miles were in the tank until empty. Throughout XXXX XXXX, the total distance traveled was around XXXX miles, with average driving speeds. On Monday, XX/XX/XXXX, the tank was XXXX miles until empty. Not to mention the issue with the resistance while turning at a slow pace was getting increasingly worse. 

XX/XX/XXXX They are still working on the XXXX, they have ordered the part, and it looks like it will be there today. I asked him to call us and tell us precisely what the issue was. 

XX/XX/XXXX I received the wrong valve, reordered, said I would call, and did not call yet. 


XX/XX/XXXX They changed the oil value that was giving us low pressure. The error is still present, and the tech is working with XXXX directly. Not sure what the issue is, and I expected it to be resolved soon. 

XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX to advise how to proceed with my family 's upcoming trip to Georgia for XXXX. He stated we would not be able to travel out of state, and he would book us a rental vehicle with XXXX. I mentioned that my family and I need a car comparable to the XXXX because we have a XXXX XXXX while traveling and working for our nonprofit organization/ remote jobs. 

XXXX XXXX - I just spoke with XXXX waiting for them to get back to him. 


XXXX XXXX XXXX as we never received our HUM devices from our previous vehicles that he ensured he would deliver to us. We asked at this point if we could have them mailed to us. 

XXXX replies and states he is in XXXX and no longer with the company and that he does not live in XXXX anymore. 

We asked if he left them with anyone at the Dealership ; he read the message and did not respond. 


XX/XX/XXXX Call to leave and left voicemail for XXXX regarding the status of our XXXX XX/XX/XXXX XXXX - Hey, they are still working on our vehicle ; he informed us he has not been able to make contact with XXXX and asked for dates for the trip again. I tried to give XXXX a call today, but they seem busy. I have a reservation in for you. I just want to make sure it's a XXXX or XXXX. I will try again with them tomorrow morning. Please confirm the dates with me again. 

XX/XX/XXXX XXXX - The XXXX  reservation confirms for XXXX for midsize XXXX. 
Please bring the loaner to the Dealership, and they will take me to XXXX. 


XX/XX/XXXX I ask XXXX which XXXX location is our reservation at? I have loyalty member benefits at certain locations. I will bring the loner back first thing Friday morning. Has there been any progress identifying the issue with the XXXX XX/XX/XXXX XXXX : It has to be the one at sunset point, which is down the street from us. I will cover the enterprise costs for you, so don't worry about that only thing you'll have to pay for is gas, tolls, parking, etc. 

Regarding the XXXX not updates yet. 


XX/XX/XXXX I called XXXX that afternoon to verify that the appointment is booked and confirm the vehicle type. He informed me that we were booked for a XXXX  XXXX which is too small to transport my family. He said to let him make a call and see if he can pull anything else from lots nearby. He called us back and said the best he was able to get was a XXXX. I replied and let him know that would be OK. 

XX/XX/XXXX I told XXXX I had a last-minute meeting at XXXX AM. I will be at the Dealership around XXXX PM. 


XX/XX/XXXX XXXX- Confirmed the rental is ready for me. 


I proceeded to the Dealership during my call and returned the loaner, and noticed our Car still had not moved. After receiving the loaner, a service team member quickly took me to XXXX. After arriving to pick up my rental, the XXXX was not cleaned or prepared for the trip. Second, the XXXX dealership would not cover the additional cost per day ( $ XXXX ). I confirmed that they would accommodate a vehicle large enough to transport our family to GA before going to XXXX, but there were no large available XXXX. I ended up canceling our reservations and had to request an XXXX back to the Dealership. 



Returning to the Dealership, I asked to speak with XXXX. He was not there, so I asked to communicate with the service manager, and I made her aware situation and what was going on ; she stated that because our XXXX was an upgrade, that is why XXXX  was charging us. We do not believe a XXXX is comparable to a XXXX, and my family and I have been in and out of 3 different XXXX loaners within the past month, and now I am being charged {$540.00} for an upgrade charge for a XXXX. 

Service Manager - She said she does not think XXXX XXXX is comparable to a XXXX, and {$90.00} a day for an Enterprise XXXX is crazy. She told me to sit tight, and she would visit the shop manager to have him update me on the status of what was going on with our XXXX. 

Service manager - give me a jacket for my Fiance for our troubles.

Shop Manager - I explained the situation to him, how now my family 's trip is pushed back. Say they are changing the long block and waiting for the part to come in and could be ready by Monday or Tuesday. I said they needed to cover our trip because this was unacceptable. He said if the Car is not ready and they can not book a full-size XXXX, he will cover our rental expenses by booking it through my loyalty account. I agreed and I informed him I was recording our recap of what he acknowledged. I proceeded to take a voice recording with them, confirming they would follow up with us Monday, XX/XX/XXXX, if our Car 's part was in and would be ready by Tuesday, XX/XX/XXXX for our trip. If not, they would book through XXXX a full-size XXXX. Suppose they are unable to find a Rental at XXXX. XXXX agreed to cover my rental price through our loyalty program for 4-5 days rental days. He agreed, and they gave us another loaner, a XXXX this time. 

XX/XX/XXXX They had failed to contact us by this point. We called them at XXXX AM, and they had informed us that the part did not come in and our Car was not going to be ready. They said they would ensure that they find an XXXX  suitable for our trip through XXXX. 



We waited until the next day for them to confirm. We were already supposed to have left for our trip. They could not accommodate a vehicle through XXXX that could transport my Fiance, my dog, myself, and my son, and they would not cover our Rental booking. We asked if they would cover flight arrangements instead. They rejected this idea and did not offer any additional solutions. We were forced to make our own arrangements by booking out-of-pocket for our Car through XXXX to facilitate the trip. Which left my Fiance and dog at home for this XXXX XXXX. 

XX/XX/XXXX XXXX 's text : " hello after we change all the parts and followed XXXX guidelines the next step advised by XXXX is to change the long block we will be able to get an update on parts on Tuesday due to the upcoming holiday. '' XXXX I reached out to XXXX for an update on our vehicle and if I could grab my vaccination card left in our XXXX. Upon arriving the next day, our XXXX  looked like it had not moved at all, and he informed me they were still waiting on parts and that it would most likely be the first of the new year XXXX before the XXXX  would be ready. 

XX/XX/XXXX XXXX 's text : " Hello, want to reach out to you. We are still waiting on the long block to come in. '' Still waiting for the block to come in No contact from XXXX XXXX or XXXX at all from XX/XX/XXXX until XXXX Left XXXX XX/XX/XXXX The family visited the XXXX dealership, Car had not moved texted XXXX for a progress update I called and left XXXX, no response XX/XX/XXXX revisiting XXXX XXXX dealership, Car has not moved, no contact from XXXX or XXXX by this point XX/XX/XXXX XXXX says they are finishing up and getting ready to put the new engine in. He sends me a picture of the XXXX RENTAL COST OCCURRED : {$1800.00} Rental Date : XX/XX/XXXX - XXXX Rental Charge : {$540.00} Rental Date : XX/XX/XXXX - XXXX Rental Charge : {$390.00} Rental Date : XX/XX/XXXX - XX/XX/XXXX Rentals Charge : {$320.00} Rental Date : XX/XX/XXXX - XX/XX/XXXX Rental Charge : {$620.00} Update : We picked up our XXXX  from XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. It was in the shop for five months. 

- I submitted the rental reimbursement to XXXX, and after three weeks and no response, I called to speak with the manager, and he said he would only cover {$820.00} in the rental cost.

- I also advised we are still having issues with resistance in the rear axle and electronic problems with the windows malfunctioning. This was a new problem that was not present when we brought the XXXX  in for Service 5 months ago. 

Update : XX/XX/XXXX : I called in to make a service appointment due to the resistance with the rear axle getting worse by the day, and we recently had a malfunction with our rear tale lights, shutting off and preventing us from driving at night. 

Lastly, we requested our auto lender " Santander Consumer USA, on XX/XX/XXXX, for our Sales Contract, and they never sent us the request. I followed up with them today, XXXX/XXXX, and submitted another request to have our Sales Contact sent over.