Hurd Auto Mall — Local services in Johnston

I chose Hurd because I was confident they would take care of me as I purchased a used car. After a month of working with Hurd they have proven me wrong.

In purchasing a car, I chose to pay Hurd to process my registration. For a CT registration (new plates on a used car) they charged me $500 total, an exorbitant cost to begin with considering they charge a $400 "document fee" for paperwork needed to purchase a car. Consult the Connecticut DMV website to read up on dealership registration fees.

My salesman told me he put in the registration the day after I purchased my car. Days later, he called me asking for information needed to process my registration for the first time. This delayed my pick up date by days, yet my salesman never acknowledged lying to me about my car's registration or the pick up delay. After getting my car, I was told to look out for new plates and my title in the mail.

A month later, I still had not received my plates or title. Called the dealership (later than I should've, but a medical emergency delayed my contact) to explain that my RI temp plate was expiring and I needed to figure out what the status was with my registration and title.

I received a call hours later asking for my insurance information to register the vehicle and proof of a vin check. Although the employee who called me back was kind, he could not initially tell me what had happened with my initial registration.

Although I had paid $500 for my registration I was shocked to discover I was responsible for my own vin check. This employee apologized that my salesman never disclosed the dealership needed me to perform my own vin check in order to register my vehicle at all. I was even more shocked to find (in speaking with other employees) that Hurd now expected me to get my own vin check after my temporary plate had expired. I spoke to an older woman who said that it was my responsibility to evade a potential $300 CT ticket for driving with an expired plate and get the vin check done- even though the dealership had never processed my $500 registration and my own salesman lied to me twice about the registration.

I was transferred to the vin check employee again. He was the only employee who finally decided to put a plan in place with higher ups to get me a dealer plate for a day to process the Vin check. He drove a state over to give my spouse the plate, went to the vin check, and paid the $20 vin check fee. It took roughly 5 calls, 3 emails, and 3 days to make this happen. This employee even explained to my spouse that sadly our title would not come for another 3-6 weeks because my salesman did not tell us the last owner did not sign off on proper title paperwork.

In hearing this new information about the title, having to navigate finding a temporary vehicle for my spouse, and having to take time off of work to process the Vin check at an arbitrary time the dealership chose, we asked this employee if someone could talk with me about a possible refund on my $500 registration fee. He assured us the GM would follow up with me soon, even the next day. He said he passed along my phone number and email to the GM/ affiliated higher ups. No where along this process was I ever contacted by a manager or dealership high up, even to this day, even though I have asked a half dozen times.

5 days later and I have yet to be contacted by the GM, receive an email that confirms my registration information was finally sent to the DMV, get any update on the status of my title, or have any talk about a potential refund, or get any substantive apology from Hurd that they lied about my title and registration, suggested I gamble with getting a $300 ticket for an expired temp plate, and left me with a new cost of finding a temporary vehicle to use as we await new plates. Not even a form letter.

If I had to do it over again, I wouldn't choose Hurd. Can someone email me back...

A month ago I decided to buy a used 2016 Tahoe. Things with the sales person went ok. I had gotten my own financing and made the deal. So I go sign all the paperwork in order to get the vehicle. (The mileage on the paperwork was a little off at the time by a couple hundred miles but no biggie, it was "only a couple hundred miles." I figured from when they got the vehicle and people test driving it) The woman for the paperwork was great. I leave, the next day I pick up the tahoe, the next day after that I get a call from the woman saying the paperwork my bank needed wasnt right (no fault of the woman), and would I mind driving back down there and sign another paper? I live in CT about half hour away (20-25 miles) but sure, I understand things happen. I sign another paper. 2 days later I get a call again, they werent the right forms (again not the woman from the dealerships fault, the bank I went through is kind of a pain) so could I go down again.....sure no problem. Lady thanked me and apologized many times. Finally all the paperwork was right. Now waiting to get my plates transferred from the old vehicle to the tahoe, I get temp plates (30 days) I was told I'd get a call when it is ok to put the plates on. On day 27, 3 days before the temp plates expire my wife calls and asks whats going on. They said we needed to get a VIN check because we bought it out of state (We couldnt have been told that while we waited the 27 days already???) So I run to get the VIN check and Emissions done right away, we started to panic because we had planned a vacation and were leaving in 5 days so we needed the registration done. Somehow it got done!!! We were relieved....and thankful. We head out on our trip that was close to 2000 miles round trip. On the way down there was a weird sound starting here & there. As the 5 days go on it gets worse and very loud & very annoying I knew it wasnt dangerous, but I figured I ll have it looked at when I get back. (The 250k mile vehicle I traded in didnt sound this bad) So monday morning I call to see if I can get it taken care of under warranty. I bring it to the service dept to be checked, it needs a right front strut. I asked if it ll be under warranty. The service guy comes and tells me its not covered because I went over the warranteed miles (which is 3750) I had put on 4000 miles so "only a couple hundred miles over" I said, "you cant cover it, Im only like 250 miles over?I was on a trip I had to drive it home, what was I suppose to do tow it home so it would be under the 3750 miles???" The used car manager Pete said kind of rude, "why didnt you get it fixed down there?" 1st of all I didnt buy it down there, 2nd of all I only had 5 days where I was going, and 3rd I didnt know that was an option. He said the best he could do is go half on the cost of the strut ($1250). I couldnt believe he said that, because the difference in miles from when I signed the papers "only a couple hundred off" not thinking it was a huge deal, the miles I put on going back and forth signing the papers all those times came to bite me in the a**. I ll pay to have it fixed out of pocket but hopefully 1, 2 or more people see this and they buy elsewhere because I feel like any other dealership would take in consideration how things happen. My step daughter needs a car before the fall, guess where Im not going???

They certainly dont make cars like they use to, but definitely dont have customers service like they use to either.

Definitely lost me as a customer over the $1250....

TLDR: my appointment was ignored, schedule flexibility taken advantage of, poor communication/expectations management.

I dropped my 2025 GMC Sierra with the 3.0 diesel off today a few minutes before 8am for an 8am service appointment. I was expecting them to investigate a customer concern with the media system and perform the first complimentary oil change, tire rotation, fluid top-off. The service advisor asked if I'd be waiting to which I answered "No, but I need it back by 1pm". The shuttle driver took me over to work shortly thereafter. All good so far. While I don't remember exactly what was said when I dropped it off, there was no communication that it wouldn't be ready by 1pm (4 hours later).

Not only was it not ready at 1pm, but it hadn't even made it into the bay yet when Hurd called with a status update at 1:10pm. I should have insisted on just picking it up with no services completed at this point. I instead told the service advisor that I was on my way over and I'd be waiting for it now. Not so good now, but how long can an oil change take and to check the media center for errors/software updates?

By 2pm I've started to wonder if I'm going to get back to work on time. This certainly wasn't the customer experience I had hoped for. I mentioned this to the service advisor. She stared at me rather blankly and explained that they'd been down two techs for two weeks. Maybe if you're down two techs you should reschedule some customer appointments...

At 2:30pm I communicated to my boss that I would need to take some unplanned time off now as I am still waiting (and way too late to pass this off as a late lunch). Then as we finally closed in at 3pm, I asked the service advisor to stop investigating the radio issue and just give me my truck back.

I've never had a great experience with a Balise owned location. I've had my Subaru serviced by them twice and now this once with my GMC. As communicated in a GMC email, I had been expecting this service to top off all fluids including DEF which was still below half filled on the gauge. Maybe this is because I ended up needing to rush the truck out of the shop. However, I really don't want to deal with them further for $15 worth of DEF fluid. There were a number of customers who were in and out in a reasonable amount of time, that just wasn’t my experience today. I really was hoping for this to be a great experience due to the location conveniently being near my work. As it stands now, I'm unlikely to ever return.

EDIT: The service manager reached out regarding this review. He extended an apology and offered the DEF. I feel badly about leaving such a negative review but my experience...