I contacted Darren at Sternberg Chevrolet re: a 2015 Volvo S60 for sale on the Sternberg website. I asked about the accident history on Carfax. He said they didn't see any adverse effects.
Later that day I gave David a $500 deposit via Credit Card to hold the S60 for 1 day.
I arrived at Sternberg and drove the S60. The car drove straight, made no abnormal noises.
I asked about the keys. They said they only had one. This seemed normal, as many for sale only had one key.
I completed the purchase of the S60.
Once home, I realized the key fob would not lock the doors or unlock the trunk.
We took the key fob to Autozone and tested the battery, it was in good condition.
The metal key was NOT cut, it was a blank. The car could NOT be locked unless utilizing the lock mechanism on the side of the driver's door. This locks all doors.
I had to leave town for 3 days for work, so I locked the vehicle with the lock mechanism on the drivers side door. When I returned from work, I paid Pop A Lock $69 to unlock the car.
We took the S60 to Volvo of Louisville to evaluate the key fob. It was counterfeit. Which was made by Sternberg via a locksmith. Sternberg knew the key fob would not operate the locks and never mentioned it. I have spoken with David at Sternberg 3 times regarding the numerous defects of the vehicle. They offered to pay ½ the cost of a new key. They claimed they didn’t know about the other defects, listed below. Sternberg claims to have done an alignment and inspected the vehicle. As a long time reputable dealer in the Louisville area, I trusted that the work claimed was actually completed.
Defects with the vehicle found at Volvo of Louisville
Counterfeit key fob, with blank metal key
2 recalls not complied with
Vehicle needed an alignment
Front tires worn on inside
Rear tires cupped, both front and rear must be replace
Dealer said new wipers installed, they are old
Thermostat was bad and needed to be replaced, found via a computer code inspection, confirmed on a second opinion by Kenny Jones Automotive
This is the first used car I have purchased in 25 years. I expected that purchasing from a “reputable” dealer would be safe. I did not do a pre-purchase inspection, which is 100% on me. I expected an honest dealership and that is again 100% my mistake.
I contacted Sternberg to inform them of the deficiencies in the vehicle. They only offered to pay for half the key fob. Claiming they needed to make money on the sale of cars and they were very tight on this one. On one hand, they claimed they didn't know about any of the issues with the car, then claim that if they had fixed them, the car would have been valued much higher. Either Sternberg didn’t do the diagnostics they claimed or they did and didn’t declare them. Sternberg is either a deceitful company or inept at their job.
In the end, I will spend over $2,000 to fix a vehicle I paid a premium price for.
