Consumer complaint received 2025-05-23 00:00:00
Product: Vehicle loan or lease — Loan
Issue: Getting a loan or lease — Problem with a trade-in
Company: SANTANDER HOLDINGS USA, INC.
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
I am submitting this complaint to formally report deceptive business practices, potential VIN fraud, and financial harm associated with the vehicle I purchased from XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX 

Despite presenting themselves as a reputable dealership, I was sold a vehicle with a VIN that later appeared flagged and inconsistent across systems, resulting in complications with my insurance, registration, XXXX records, and title legitimacy. 

Additionally, there are indicators this may be part of a larger pattern of misconduct : XXXX XXXX XXXX  ( XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, etc. ) are affiliated, and I have previously filed civil rights-related complaints against them. It is unclear whether there is retaliation involved, as my name is linked to those reports. 

The VIN associated with this vehicle may be recycled or fraudulently misused. I was not made aware of any discrepancies during the sale, and proper disclosures were not provided. 

Timeline of Events Vehicle Purchased : XX/XX/2024 from XXXX XXXX XXXX. 

Immediate Issues : Within days of purchase, I noticed irregularities regarding the vehicle 's VIN and XXXX XXXX, including : Insurance companies being unable to locate my vin XXXX being unable to lookup my vin XXXX says there are multiple vehicles with my same vin I have been unable to successfully get insurance, however XXXX at XXXX offered " their in house insurance provider who could override the vin issue '', when I pointed out that I should be able to get insured wherever I wanted not where they said ( and certainly not requiring an internal " override '' ) she stopped responding to me all together. ) DMV has suspended my registration due to my inability to insure the vehicle I attempted to request clarification and support from dealership staff including XXXX XXXX, but communication has been inconsistent and dismissive. 

The dealership pressured me into signing financing terms under time constraints, presenting it as a favor while I was in urgent need of a vehicle for my small business. 

I did not question the interest rate at the time due to desperation and was led to believe the terms were fair given my limited options. 

XXXX XXXX  Potential fraud exposure by possessing a vehicle with an illegitimate or misrepresented VIN Ongoing stress, time loss, and safety concerns around title, registration, and insurance issues Possible retaliation or discrimination, given my previous civil rights complaints against the same dealership group Financial exploitation, including an inflated interest rate and misleading contract language during financing Impact to my business operations ( photo booth/event company ) due to vehicle instability and legal ambiguity Attempts to Resolve I have spoken to a Santander representative ( XXXX XXXX XXXX ID # XXXX ) regarding the loan tied to this vehicle. He agreed to stop communication, and I have begun compiling documentation of potential fraud for submission to authorities. 

I have contacted the Attorney Generals office and will be updating them with this case.

I am also in the process of preparing complaints for the DMV, FTC, and possibly filing civil action for misrepresentation.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation