First National Fleet & Lease

Reviews 3

JO

Jon Michael

I have a mixed opinion about this place. Let me try & be as specific as I can. I didnt get the chance to shop around, went into here with a certain criteria set up but they couldnt meet that so I was tempted to walk out but they insisted on working with me to find something just as equal to what I was looking for. I appreciated the fact they were willing to work with us however, not being able to shop around I almost feel like I could have done better. I have very poor credit, wasnt even sure I could get approved for anything, but this place worked their hardest to find me a loan. I finally got approved but didnt have a selection in vehicles, it was the 1 vehicle or none at all. I spent 7 hours here that day and at this point was already about 2 hours in and basically just said eh whatever I can get is better than what I have so I just accepted the vehicle they had in stock. They gave me a great trade in value for the used car I came in with so that was nice. However, I am about 2 weeks in with this new (to me) used SUV and I have had to put money into it so far. Right off the bat before we left I noticed the tire air pressure light was on, they said ignore that and it would go away but after feeling the tire, it was obvious it needed air, you would think theyd check this for me before leaving but they didnt. Mind you this car was as is, no warranty (yuck). Then within a day of driving it the change oil light came on as well as the service brake assist needed service. So I got the oil changed only to find out that there is an oil leak. Then I find out the passenger fog light is out. So at this point I have spent about $140 just for the oil change, new tire valve caps, fog light & the dye to check where the oil leak is coming from. I am afraid of how much it is going to cost me to fix this oil leak. Ive also since noticed that the vehicle has several very bad scratches in the windows & windshield and there have been random pieces falling off inside the vehicle. It is obvious that whoever owned this vehicle before me had a dog because no matter what I do I cannot get rid of that nasty wet dog smell. I know that when you buy a used vehicle, it is going to appear used, but for a price tag of a little more than $18,000 and the fact they have a service shop on site, I would get a little bit more bang for my buck. I also had to buy a duplicate key which cost me another $165.00 and the key they gave me is already falling apart. Id say overall this place seems to have decent but not great staff, they took a long time to get me my vehicle done & the vehicle I received seems of needed work before I even took it home. In the future, I will choose another dealership for my car needs & would I recommend this place, maybe for their good trade in value but thats about it.

LA

Laura Zawicki

Stay far far away If you care about money, and your own safety. First off I originally wrote a positive review because I was thankful they got us approved and i DID love the car. I have dealt with about 7 dealerships in my life and this is by far the absolute worst. I have only made 4 car payments so far and car has broken down TWICE!! This was me and boyfriends first major purchase together and it has all but destroyed our savings account, spending money and any free time we have together because of constantly stressing over lack of SAFE transportation for ourselves and 1 1/2 year old child. Bought a bmw with promised work to be completed that was only band aided along to keep us pacified - never fixing the actual problem and only making it worse. Have had to return to the dealership for repairs many times plus a random show up because smoke was coming from the engine! I drive with a baby constantly! their utter disregard for safety is disgusting. This vehicle left my boyfriend stranded once, and most recently me stranded with TWO babies (while I was over an hour away from home) and a young child in the car while the battery cable was to the point of lighting fire. After a tow to Keith Cox autobahn of Bellingham (very reputable repair shop please see their reviews) I find out it needs $800 - $2300$ worth of repairs to the battery cables, it has an unvented battery in the trunk (First Nationals mechanic installed last month) , and It has 3 wrong sized tires and they dont even want me to drive it just due to that fact. First National will say they will call us to discuss but they "can do" - Do not buy that line because they wont. I even called to ask about spending more of my money to get a better warranty to fix their ignorance. Wont even return that call. They are however interested in us calling the service manager so his mechanics can undoubtedly be given an 8th chance to repair it wrong and in an unsafe manner, Obviously with more money out of my pocket. On top of that key fob is broken, car did not come with floor mats and is missing items from the tool trunk compartment. I have repaired the car to the best of our abilities and now am patiently waiting to figure out how I can pay for ANOTHER battery and tires. This car has been nothing but a huge mental and even psychical strain on me and family members who have all had to either help tow it, lend me money or watch my child. Not to mention the huge financial strain and source of stress for me and my boyfriend. The only way they could EVER undo there wrongs is to trade straight across for something else. But obviously theyd have to actually care about the customers whose safety, checkbooks and relationships they are jeopardizing.

TA

Tai Beckham

The longer time goes by, the fewer stars I can offer. Experience started good, but has been more and more disappointing as time goes by. Initial experience: positive. I like dealers that let you take your time with a car, dont accompany you on test drives that only last 5 minutes around the block, and otherwise give you space to make your own decisions. I felt good about making the decision to purchase my vehicle, and everything up to signing the paperwork and getting the keys was a good experience. However... 15 minutes after leaving the dealer, the check engine light came on. Took it back, and they diagnosed a bad catalytic converter (on a four year old car with 80K miles). Offered to replace part as a good faith repair. Told me the part would be in in a week. After 2 weeks of miscommunication, came in, and the person I was working with had no idea what she had initially promised to do. Went over the issue again, and this time agreed to pay $200 toward the repair, which is standard for good faith repairs - although it was disappointing consider had I test drove the car for 15 minutes longer, the issue probably would have been known, and would have been part of a prepurchase agreement to fix. Aggravating, but as long as the repair was getting done, everything was still good. A week and a half later, repair is completed. The $200 was waived, which was nice. Felt good about the transaction again, despite the miscommunication and delays. Wanted to give a good review here. However, after 200 miles of driving the check engine light is on again. This time the codes are suggesting both variable cam timing sensors have failed. These are expensive repairs that I was hoping to avoid by buying a newer, lower mileage car. In a month, this car has had more problems than the 16 year old, 182000 mile car it replaced. I have not been back, because frankly, I now feel kind of stupid for buying the car in the first place - and thats the worst feeling you can have a month after buying a car. And thats why I have to give the review I am. No matter what happens from here on out, I will always have to wonder is going to go wrong next. I will always have to tally the cost of these unexpected repairs, and that changes the perception of whether this car was a good deal. It will always color my ownership experience, and that sucks when you spend as much money as you do on a car. For that reason, I couldnt in good conscience purchase another car here, nor could I recommend anyone else do so either, which is unfortunate, because they are friendly and easy to work with before the sale is made.