Hi Lo Auto Sales & Service - 40

Reviews 3

Ю

Юля Борисова

Skip Hi-Lo Auto Sales if you’re looking for a new car. Their location on West Patrick Street is staffed by dishonest and distasteful people. We stopped by on a Friday in June and let them know we were looking for a minivan. They said they could have a Volkswagen ready for us the next morning that would really meet our needs in our price range. They did alert us to some external dents and scratches, which they said they’d take care of later. So Saturday morning we see the VW. The external scrapes are noticeable, but in addition the car is filthy and damaged inside, too. With their assurances of being able to fix everything, we agree to test drive it anyway. We get as far as Exit 14 on northbound Hwy 15 when smoke starts billowing out from under the hood. Coolant leak. We have to pull over and wait 40-45 minutes for them to come pick us up in another minivan, a Grand Caravan. They do seem appropriately embarrassed and apologetic about the “burning VW” and agree to a discount on yet another Dodge. It’s less than 5% off the sales price, but still a nice gesture, and we agree after test driving that one. They ask us not to mention the VW incident in any reviews, and I wouldn’t have if they’d treated us well afterwards. But, they didn’t so… here goes. While my dad and I test drove the Dodge, the salesman was describing its features to my wife, including a remote starter. She, coincidentally, used to work for a car dealership, so she tends to pay attention to detail in these matters. He also promises her a second set of keys in addition to the ones we’re off driving with. By the time we’re back with the Dodge, we’re tired and complete the paperwork as quickly as we can. We realize that we still only have one set of keys and that there are some minor issues with the car: a rumble in the door, rear windows that don’t open, and the remote starter doesn’t seem to work. I bring the car to have it looked at. I bring up the keys, which starts a 2-week period of the manager and salesman trying to pass the buck off onto each other for that. They offer me a ride home while the car is serviced. Their driver seems OK… . When I point out an apartment complex where my wife and I used to live, he launches into a long, racist tirade about Mexicans, immigrants. I don’t quite have the heart to tell him my wife is an immigrant, then I’ve had enough and start defending immigrants. When I pick the car up, they’ve fixed the windows and the rumble in the door well enough (although the rumble started again today). But I’m informed the reason the remote starter doesn’t work is… that the car isn’t equipped with one! How embarrassing: they misrepresent what the car comes with and yet I look like an idiot. While there, I ask about the keys again. I’m promised they’ll look into it. Over the next few weeks, I make several follow-up calls, some of which they return to make more excuses, and stop by a few times to see if that helps. During this time, the one set of keys they did give us stops working. Finally, I stop by again and the manager cuts to the chase and tells me we’ve signed the sales contract so he doesn’t have to do anything. I concede that point, but remind him that his salesman kept saying he hoped for repeat business. I told him the matter of the keys would decide what kind of review I would write and whether I came there first or not at all for our next car. You’d think someone who cared about their reputation and future business would cough up a set of keys. But no. We finally gave up and paid $200 for keys ourselves. The guy who made them for us, coincidentally, told us the one set that we were given was a chap knockoff, the kind dealerships foist on people to cut corners. So yeah. They try to sell us a car that can’t drive 5 miles without breaking down. Misrepresent the features of the car we do buy from them. Make me sit through a racist rant to get home while the car is serviced. And opt to have this review posted about them rather than keep their promise of getting us working car keys.

GA

Garrett Frushour

I am a 17 year old writing this review and I can say I have never been more disgusted with a company in my life. I bought my 2008 chevy impala in September of 2015 with around 70k miles. We paid almost $11k for the vehicle which at the time I did not realize was astronomically over priced. Within the first week we had to get the door locks replaced on my car because then back two quit working. $650. During about a month later had to get the drivers side window replaced because the little plastic piece that holds it up broke off. $450. During February, I was driving down the highway and the message "reduced engine power" displayed on my dashboard causing the car to practically shut off. This was a cheap repair at about $150. In April, I noticed that my car was riding rough so I took it into the shop and had to get an alignment and 4 new tires because they had worn so unevenly. $800. This past month, I had to get ANOTHER alignment done and the tie rod replaced because it had somehow worn out in the rear. Had to get the back tires replaced because they had worn so unevenly. $400. Then today as I am outside vacuuming my car, I realize there is coolant leaking into the cabin. Cant wait for the price on this one! All in all, if you want to drive a car that is going to be overpriced by thousands of dollars in the first place then and then on top of that need thousands of $$ in repairs, then by all means, go ahead and purchase a car from hi lo auto! But other than that if you decide to be an intelligent human being I suggest staying CLEAR of hi lo auto.

JE

Jem Mason

Be very cautious when purchasing a vehicle from Hi Lo auto! They are knowingly selling vehicles that have numerous problems some of which are costly. I had my vehicle for 2 weeks and took it in because there was a knocking noise when I stepped on the break. I was told I had a nail in my tire that was causing that noise. I was charged $100 to have a new tire installed that took 4 hours. I was told that the car was safe to drive and the car had past a Maryland inspection. Now its been two months since Ive had the vehicle and there is an excaust leak. The smell is strong inside my car so we have to have all the windows down halfway in order to drive the car. I also just found out that my car may be part of a recall. I have an appointment tomorrow to have my car checked by a dealership and find out everything it needs. If you are smart, on your test drive take the vehicle straight to a dealership to have it all around checked. Its free and completely legal.