#1 Cochran Ford Boardman — Local services in Boardman

I want to start out from the jump expressing that the vehicle I purchased was bought for a fair price and a good value.

The purchasing experience and after-sale support have left much to be desired. This vehicle was the 6th I had looked at the week I purchased it. I specifically questioned the salesman I spoke to on the phone, Todd, if the vehicle has any undisclosed issues or lights on the dash, as several others I looked at elsewhere did. I explained I was going to be driving nearly an hour to look at the car and was in a position to buy immediately. I was assured it had no issues. When I arrived, I was promptly greeted and taken to the car. I immediately found that it had both a brake and ABS system warning light lit. I test drove the car anyway after being told they were false errors and that the car had been serviced and declared safe. The vehicle met expectations beyond the dash lights. After the test drive, feeling very frustrated, I, rather rudely and pointedly told the salesman he'd wasted my time and that they shouldn't need to be deceptive to get customers in the dealership, and left.

As I drove home I got more and more annoyed that I had wasted my time and called in, ended up speaking with Jim Beeman, general manager. Jim agreed that the situation wasn't and ideal and offered the car to me for wholesale if I could accept it as-is. I agreed that was a viable option and went back on November 7th to buy the car. We did all the paperwork, they switched the plates from our trade in and we drove off home.

Several weeks went by and I hadn't heard from the dealership, no memorandum title, nothing but a couple of marketing emails and a thank you card in the mail. On November 23rd I emailed my salesman, Todd, asking about title and registration, which was never responded to. Over the next couple of days I also left several voicemails. Around the middle of December I finally got connected with Marc in finance who let me know we'd have to have the BMW do the paperwork with the memorandum title, which we hadn't received. We finally received that in the mail on Christmas Eve, directly ahead of a holiday weekend.

We finally were able to get to the BMV and found out that, no, the plates weren't transferred, which they then handled. Afterward, I called General Manage Jim Beeman again, expressing my concern and confusion for the string off issues. He agreed to look into it and call me back. Shortly thereafter he and Marc from finance called back and Marc attempted to shift blame for the problem back onto me, because we'd spoken before and, in his opinion, he'd explained it. Now, I am disabled with hearing loss, so I guess it is possible that I didn't comprehend what he mean by "you'll have to have the BMW handle it," but every previous plate transfer I have had done at dealers, the dealership handled it. Marc agreed that other dealerships DO handle it that way, just that they do not.

All in all, there has been a not-overly-comedic string of events that resulted from employees not following up (Todd, the salesman, in particular,) or not making sure that the customer was completely on board with what we needed to do on our end. On top of that, the long delay in receiving the memorandum title further complicated the issue.

As I have said, I am satisfied with the car we purchased. We were able to have the problems fixed affordably and the BMW is a great little car. What frustrates me is not feeling valued as a customer, blame shifting from professional automotive dealership staff onto the customer, and an apparent desire by said staff to CYA rather than make sure a customer has everything right from the beginning. At no point have I asked for special treatment, money back, etc.. I attempted to point out a problem so that someone else doesn't end up here.

With all of that said, I cannot, in good faith, recommend Donnell dealerships and will not purchase from them again in the future. Everyone was very nice. The problem isn't politeness or the vehicle, it is one of a customer not...

Update 2-7-25. I spoke to Marc who was more than helpful with getting my issues resolved. I’d still definitely never go back. Marc was very nice and polite though.

If there was a Ford dealership on Mars I’d find a way to commute there instead. This review is going to be lengthy so please be patient. If you don’t feel like reading it all my first sentence should sum it up. To make a long story short my wife’s lease is up on her 22’ Edge. We go to #1 Cochran to try somewhere new since they took over Donell Ford. We test drive a new Explorer, Bronco, and Bronco sport. All of which my wife had found on the website but the dealer couldn’t find them. Hm. Whatever. So we run some numbers and in the market nowadays they were just simply out of our price range. Not Cochran’s fault. This is where it gets good. We feel like we are just about out of options and are told, “well you guys don’t really have a choice.” Stupidly I take this remark and blow it off but really that should’ve summed up the attitude of #1 Cochran Ford. My wife is once again the hero and finds a certified pre owned 2021 Explorer right in our price range, yet nobody to include the sales manager (what a winner he is don’t know his name, where his office is, or even if there is one) suggesting a certified pre owned vehicle. We test drive this 2021 Explorer and decided if the numbers were right, we’d be bringing it home. I made an offer of $2,000 off of the price and was immediately told no way. I said okay can we get something to make the customer feel a little welcome and wanted in this place and get some weather floor mats for the car included? Immediately answered no. Finance was not in on a Saturday understandably, so we were told Monday we will know the numbers and can go from there. It takes multiple calls from us the buyers to get some pep in the step of the sales team to get back to us. Finally around 6:00 PM we get some relieving news and everything came back within our range! Great we’re car owners we think! Nope. This continues. We come in the next day now Tuesday and wait for the finance department to have us sign for the car, understandable we go back and our finance advisor was very helpful and nice, and you’d think the story has a happy ending? Nope it doesn’t let’s proceed. We now own the car it’s Tuesday night we are told Wednesday afternoon we’ll be bringing home our Explorer. Once again no calls no notification of any sort until my wife reaches out from work towards late afternoon. We are then told, “detail is working very persistently on your car, he is very thorough and it takes time.” I kindly requested a Cochran decal is not placed on the vehicle because I’m not paid by #1 Cochran to drive around and advertise and I will absolutely not even send my worse enemy there. I was told the decals going on and if you don’t want it take a heat gun to it. Absolutely not. Later that evening we were told the car wouldn’t be ready until Thursday as detail is very thorough and it’s just simply not done it’s going to be great. At this point I’m just over the entire thing, tired of the banter and gibberish. Thursday proceeds to roll around. My wife is all excited and giddy her car is FINALLY coming home. We once again reach out and get told around 1:00 pm. I called service right when they opened and was told absolutely no problem detail will not put a decal on. Awesome someone finally cares about us and our wants. 3:15 rolls around and the car is finally ready. Whatever I think the madness has concluded. I was told the finance paperwork would be in the glove box, the car looks and smells great, and it’s ready to be taken home. Awesome. I open the glove box stupidly on my end after I leave. No paperwork and a bundle of LEAVES are in the glove box. Also the previous owner’s item is still in there. Thanks guys! Very thorough work done. My wife then notices a mark on the inside plastic that wasn’t attended to also. This dealership did not value the fact that we are customers buying a...

Took my car in on February 11th to get a grinding noise fixed as well as my heat and awd since service light comes on. Was told that nothing is wrong with my awd that my tires are different sizes (there not) the tread is but that about it. Than they proceeded to tell me that I don’t know how to operate my heat that nothing is wrong with it, my apt wasn’t until the 14th of February so the morning before my heat was not working yet again. Took a nice video of it not working with a dollar general bag in front showing it’s not moving showed that to the service dept they claimed it was a dodge problem, yes it’s a dodge car but it has a warrenty through ford so it’s now your problem not dodges. So I drop my car off on February 14th took them a good 20 mins to find my paper work. Was informed they would call and let me know what is covered under the warrenty two weeks go by I hear nothing!!! So February 28th I call down there. The guy asks my name and asks if I’m sure I brought my car there!!!! So now they lost my car. Than he asks make and model of my car 10 mins later he gets back on the phone and finds it. And proceeds to tell me they haven’t even touched it let alone checked to see what’s covered after two weeks!!! So I get Lenny on the phone and refuse to let him off until something starts getting done with my car. They proceed to tell me it’s best for them to take it to columbiana dodge to fix the awd that there isn’t a problem with as well as my heat with in one day of columbiana having my car they were able to find out it’s the rear differential but still nothing with my heat is fixed finally after them having known about my car since feb 11th and having it since the 14th I get a call on March 12th at 530 (they close at 6) that my car is ready to be picked up. I get there and the service dept is dark luckily there was a nice guy from sales that was able to help me and stop the Chashier from leaving or god only knows of my car would have been part of the fire. Needless to say the heat is still not fixed after them having...