Rightway Automotive Traps You, Screws You, then Throws Forgets About You...but not your money Clinton Township Michigan

My vehicle had become unusable, and I needed another to get back and forth to work. I had no money. I had poor, poor credit. At the end of a car searching day, I came to Rightway Automotive. Get in there, they look at my info, they tell me that they put people on credit improvement programs. The salesman states that I get a car from them now, keep it for a year and a half, come back and get a "better", "newer" vehicle for a "smaller" monthly payment. Ok, sounds great. Again, my credit is horrible, can't do too much better anywhere else, right?

He shows me two vehicles in the back of the lot. I had my eye on a nice Grand Am, but he told "I don't even want to show you that car, because we haven't had a chance to inspect it yet." Note that the Grand Am was in the area where customers usually browse the vehicles, in the main part of the lot. Not in the back boondocks where he took me and showed me a 98' purple Cavalier with a butterfly etched into the back window, and a 96' Saturn SC1. I looked them both over, chose to test drive Saturn. I noticed the brakes were a bit mushy, and the seat was 'kinda' broken. But other than that, I liked it.

Got back, told them about brakes. Told me they'd take care of it. Got in the office, gave me my figures: over $300 a month.

Now on a side note, keep in mind I was younger, too much of in a rush, desparate, and naive.

I did the deal. The salesman showed me the contract, showed me the interest (25%), what I was being charged for vehicle (over 13,000) and told me not to pay attention to that, because I'm not KEEPING the car but that I am coming back in a year and a half to get a nicer car for cheaper. He then went over the service contracts and all.

I again mentioned the brakes, he told me to they'd set me an appointment with 'their mechanic'. They did. I took it there. They made the appointment at a time when the mechanic couldn't do the work. Strike 1.

They sent me somewhere else, saying that '...that guy pisses us off, we've been having problems with him.' Whatever. I went to the next place, they didn't want to honor my warrantees, and the dealership didn't want to pay. They supposedly did SOME work however, though it felt like they did nothing when I stepped on the brakes.

Finally, the sales MANAGER told me to take it to whatever mechanic I want, and get it done. I took it to a mechanic I thought I could trust (turns out years later that I shouldn't have trusted him, either) and they said I needed a complete brake system, and it would cost $1000. No way said the dealership.

I had a SAFETY WARRANTY that covered me for things that put my safety in jeopardy, and I believe BRAKES fall into that category. I had to raise my voice, lose my patience, and threaten to leave the car on the lot before the guy agreed to rent me a vehicle, put my car in a yet a different shop, and get my brakes fixed.

Got it back in a few days, and the brakes felt no different whatsoever. I was tired now. I had made bad mistake financially, and these people were screwing me already. I lost my will to fight these guys, and just went on my way. Needless to say a few months later, my brakes started grinding and scraping and stuff. Got it fixed by a neighborhood guy charged me $50. Told me that not only did the dealership screw me over by not wanting to get the COVERED BY WARANTEE work done, but the mechanic that quoted me $1000 was full of it as well. All was needed was pads and rotors.

But this guy didn't do such a great job, and the brakes gave me problems again recently. To show what a rip-off the $1000 guy was, Sears told me all I needed was pads and a wheel cylinder and charged me $230. However, it shows that the dealership DID NOT FIX MY VEHICLE AT ALL!!!

Now past all that, the people there would not return phonecalls. I hate that, terribly.

A year and half comes, they check my credit 15 times in one visit, then tells me, "No, not now." WHAT?! I didn't pay $300 a month for a year and a half ON TIME for me to come in here and get told 'Not now.'! I then realize that i didn't get that part in any written form. No where on my contract did it state that I was able to come back and get a different vehicle. Again, my own stupid fault.

But I am writing this report to warn people that if you do go to Rightway Auto, get EVERYTHING in writing, DO NOT take no for an answer when it comes to any warranty, and DO NOT let anyone disappear from your sight -they are running a million credit inquiries just to lower your score, and keep you in the current vehicle.

To top it off, I have learned that they have reported my payment (which is taken directly out of my checking account) as LATE...TWICE. I don't have to tell you that this is a lie.

My credit HAS improved enough, I have NOT had any late payments, they DID screw me over with my brakes. Do NOT go here to do any kind of business. They will keep hitting your credit, and they will not do any of the things they say they will.

Jukey23
Clinton Township, Michigan
U.S.A.