Consumer complaint received 2026-04-08 00:00:00
Product: Vehicle loan or lease — Loan
Issue: Managing the loan or lease — Problem with additional products or services purchased with the loan
Company: DriveTime
State: TX

Complaint narrative:
I am filing a complaint regarding the purchase through DriveTime of a XXXX XXXX XXXX. The car was purchased on or around XX/XX/XXXX. List price was roughly {$18000.00}, I put around {$3000.00} down at time of purchase. At the time of purchase, I was told that the extended warranty ( through XXXX XXXX ) covered basically everything only not covering routine maintenance and cosmetic damages. I was also told that if I later cancelled the warranty, my monthly payment would be reduced. Neither statement has proven true. The warranty has failed to cover significant repair issues that began approximately XXXX month after purchase, and cancelling the warranty only reduced the loan balance by about {$2000.00} without lowering the monthly payment. With an ongoing check engine light, we had the car inspected in or around XXXX of XXXX. We were given no clear indication of why the light was on, just told it XXXX be recall related. The car broke down in early XXXX of XXXX, roughly 7 months after purchase. It was towed to an approved mechanic through the warranty I was sold. I was quoted roughly {$4000.00} for repairs to the XXXX XXXX which I was told was not covered under the warranty. The warranty placed me in a rental vehicle, one that was more per day than other options I looked at. Once the claim was denied they refused to reimburse for the rental they put me in. I was forced to pay the full rental price, then pay out of pocket for repairs. The rental cost was roughly {$300.00}, with diagnostic plus towing fees equaling roughly {$500.00}. This was paid out of pocket due to denial of claim. The cost of repairs through a family mechanic was roughly {$300.00}. The issue was fixed, within 2 months of repairs new issues arose which have yet to be fully repaired. Additionally, the vehicle has an open safety recall involving potential engine failure and loss of power while driving. When the recall was disclosed I was told it was an oil related issue and would not effect the safety of the vehicle. Safety was important to my purchase decision as I have children in the car daily, this was expressed to the sales representative. He noted that the recall did not include a safety risk, this was not true. I was led to believe this recall was not dangerous, which I now understand to be inaccurate and a serious safety concern. In or around XXXX of XXXX the parts were made available for recall repair and we were able to have the recall fixed. Within XXXX hours of recall repair the check engine light once again came on, and the engine stalled on a busy feeder road with my wife and children alone in the car. This is not an isolated incident, as this has been the recurring issue in the vehicle since late XXXX. The car has been undrivable since the malfunction in or around XXXX. Despite paying approximately {$500.00} per month for a full year, not missing any payments, and paying over {$1000.00} out of pocket for repairs, I still owe approximately {$17000.00} if I were to pay off the vehicle today. I have attempted to resolve this situation directly but have not been offered meaningful assistance, refinancing options, or payment relief. Drivetime has instructed me to perform a voluntary recall and accept a severe credit impact and large financial burden. When I requested an email transcript of this option being my only one, I was denied. I believe the sales representations regarding the warranty, payment reduction, and safety of the recalled vehicle may constitute deceptive or misleading practices. I am requesting regulatory review and assistance in reaching a fair resolution, which may include loan restructuring, reduction of the balance, or other equitable relief. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation