Consumer complaint received 2026-03-02 00:00:00
Product: Vehicle loan or lease — Loan
Issue: Repossession — Company explaining amount owed
Company: SANTANDER HOLDINGS USA, INC.
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
In XX/XX/year>, my vehicle was repossessed by Santander XXXX USA. Immediately following the repossession, I contacted Santander multiple times to obtain the exact amount required to reinstate my loan and retrieve my vehicle. During those calls, I specifically requested the full dollar amount necessary for reinstatement. I was quoted a total, which I paid in full in reliance on Santanders representation that this was the complete reinstatement amount. At no time during these conversations was I informed that additional repossession-related fees would later be added to my loan balance. After paying the quoted amount and recovering my vehicle, I subsequently discovered that an additional {$650.00} had been added to my loan as repossession-related fees. When I contacted Santander to request a written breakdown of both the reinstatement amount and the additional charges, representatives refused to provide documentation. I was told that because I had previously filed for bankruptcy, Santander and I no longer had a relationship, and therefore they could not provide written recordsonly verbal explanations. Despite this claim, Santander continues to service the loan, collect monthly payments, and maintain a lien on my vehicle. After repeated requests, I was informed that documentation would be mailed to me ; however, I did not receive it. During later calls, I received inconsistent and contradictory explanations regarding the fees. At one point, a representative instructed me to contact the lawyer who handled the repossession, yet could not provide the attorneys name or contact information. When I referenced this instruction later in the same call, the representative denied ever making that statement. When I requested escalation to a supervisor, the call was disconnected. Supervisors subsequently refused to provide documentation or explain why the additional fees were not disclosed when I initially requested the reinstatement amount. The complaint department stated they do not waive fees based on customer experience, disregarding the central issue that I had been provided incomplete and inaccurate payoff information. After waiting approximately three weeks, I finally received documentation ; however, it only reflected total amounts paid and did not include an itemized breakdown of fees. I contacted Santander again, and a representative verbally explained the amounts applied toward repossession costs. According to that representative, approximately {$250.00} of the repossession fees had already been paid at the time I paid to retrieve my vehicle, leaving an actual remaining balance of about {$370.00}. This prior payment was not reflected in Santanders collection request, as they attempted to collect the full {$650.00} without accounting for the portion already paid. Santander has refused to waive the {$650.00} in fees and has stated they will not release my vehicle title unless those fees are paid. Based on the above, I believe Santander engaged in improper conduct, including : Failure to disclose the full reinstatement amount when directly requested Adding fees after quoting a reinstatement total Refusal to provide written documentation of charges Providing inconsistent and contradictory information Improperly claiming no relationship exists while continuing to collect payments and enforce the loan Failure to provide meaningful escalation or supervisory review If you want, I can also tailor this for a specific filing channel ( CFPB complaint, attorney demand letter, court declaration, or credit bureau dispute ), since each requires slightly different structure and legal emphasis. please tailor for CFPB Below is a version structured specifically for submission through the CFPB complaint portal, using the format and tone that aligns with how complaints are evaluated and routed : Company : Santander XXXX USA Product : Auto Loan Issue : Incorrect fees/ billing dispute / failure to provide documentation Complaint Narrative : In XX/XX/year>, my vehicle was repossessed. Immediately afterward, I contacted Santander multiple times to obtain the exact amount required to reinstate my loan and recover my vehicle. During those calls, I explicitly requested the total dollar amount needed for reinstatement. I was quoted a specific amount, which I paid in full in reliance on XXXX representation that this was the complete reinstatement balance. At no time was I informed that additional repossession-related fees would later be added. After I paid the quoted amount and retrieved my vehicle, I discovered that an additional {$650.00} had been added to my loan for repossession-related fees. When I contacted Santander requesting a written breakdown of both the reinstatement amount and these additional charges, representatives refused to provide documentation. I was told that because I had previously filed bankruptcy, Santander and I no longer had a relationship, and therefore they could not provide written documentationonly verbal explanations. Despite this statement, Santander continues to service my loan, collect payments, and maintain a lien on my vehicle. After repeated requests, I was told documentation would be mailed. I did not receive it for approximately three weeks. When I finally received documents, they showed only total amounts paid and did not include an itemized fee breakdown. I called again and a representative verbally stated that approximately {$250.00} of the repossession fees had already been paid when I paid to retrieve my vehicle, leaving an actual balance of about {$370.00}. However, Santander was attempting to collect the full {$650.00} and had not credited the portion already paid. Throughout this process I received inconsistent information. A representative instructed me to contact the lawyer who handled the repossession, but could not provide a name or contact information. Later in the same call, the representative denied saying this. When I requested a supervisor, the call was disconnected. Supervisors later refused to explain the charges or provide documentation and stated fees would not be waived based on customer experience, without addressing that I had been given incomplete and inaccurate payoff information. Santander is refusing to release my vehicle title unless the disputed {$650.00} is paid. Desired Resolution : Correct the account balance to reflect fees already paid Remove or adjust improperly assessed repossession fees Provide a full written itemization of all reinstatement and repossession charges Confirm in writing the accurate payoff amount Release title once the correct balance is satisfied

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation