Audi Paramus - A Jack Daniels Motors Company — Local services in Paramus

UPDATE: As you can see below the dealer has responded with an excuse, deferring this safety issue to the manufacturer and saying that me not returning my loaner was an issue for them. Would you, the customer, pick up a car that shuts off in the middle of highways and intersections? Would you expect that the dealer would work on your behalf rather than pass the buck when you've been a loyal customer?

ANOTHER UPDATE: Today, 11/6/24, after I did pick up the vehicle since the dealer claimed "this time it was fixed" (even though that was wrong 5 times), the issue happened again. I was driving the vehicle in Long Island, 2 hours away from home, and it shut off in the middle of a 4 way stop, for 30 seconds, with 3 malfunction messages popping up. So, after all of this and a denial of the lemon claim, they continue to put my safety at risk over doing the right things. To me, it does not matter if it's the dealer, or Audi of America, I bought the car from Audi and they do not care.

Lastly, I contacted the COO John Nunley directly, and he did not respond.

Original Review: As a loyal Audi customer, who has personally purchased 2 new Audi's in the last 10 years, and whose family has purchased 5, it is HORRIBLE how they handle escalated client situations based upon the safety and service of their vehicles. I bought a 2023 Audi SQ5 that started having electrical malfunction issues within 6 months of purchase. When the issue would happen, the car would shut off while going from braking to acceleration, including on the highway in stop and go traffic, intersections, and stop signs. I brought the vehicle in, and they said they "fixed" the problem and released it to me saying it was a hose that wasn't connected properly. This happened to me a 2nd time, this time with my family (including 3 year old daughter) in the car, in the middle of a 4 lane highway. I brought it back in and they said it was fixed again, and this time forgot to attach the "hose" that they said was the problem, resulting in a blown hose on a highway. Not only did the hose blow, but the electrical shutdown happened for a 3rd time, this time in the middle of an intersection.

Each time Audi service center of Jack Daniels in Fair Lawn said the issue was fixed, and Joe Stuetz the manager would also confirm it was fixed, each time putting my family at risk and not escalating the issue.

The 4th time, Tal Vander the GM of the dealership got involved and was very helpful, escalating the issue and replacing a larger electrical piece that he believes will fix the problem. However, the risk to my family and I is too significant to give them another chance. I submitted a "lemon" case, for either buy back or replacement, and told them I would not pick up the vehicle until it was approved. Tal said I must return the loaner even if the case wasn't approved yet, and forced my hand to take my car back. Of course, once I took the car back, Audi of America declined the claim saying...

"VWGOA has evaluated the service history of the client's vehicle and concluded that the alleged issues with the vehicle have been resolved within a reasonable number of repair attempts and those issues do not substantially impair the vehicle's use, value or safety"

Are you kidding me? 6 total needed repairs on the vehicle, 4 of which were directed at the car SHUTTING OFF in the middle of traffic? Now I need to hope that it doesn't happen again? What if my wife and daughter are going to school and this happens again and causes an accident? It's not like it happened once, it happened FOUR times.

I love Audi cars, and the sales process was fine. The service center and Audi of America do NOT care about consumer experience or safety AT ALL. They have lost a loyal customer for life and all that I know will be told this story as well. Lastly, I have been left with no choice but to proceed with a lawsuit.

Just go sit in their service center for an hour before you buy a car and listen how they talk to their customers and how many people come in with issues that don't...

Based on my car buying experience, this dealership does not honor their word, they encourage thier people to lie and deceive customers and they never follow up when they say they will. They listed the car for sale online and negotiated a price with me prior to having it go through the shop to be checked out. The salesman I spoke with assured me all mechanical issues would be addressed. They did replace some items that needed attention such as tires and rear brakes, but the car would not pass state inspection after I bought it due to some aftermarket parts installed (that were not disclosed to me prior to the sale) and the day after I drove it home the “low coolant level” warning came on as soon as I started the car. This warning persisted every morning since and I have photos to prove that. The salesman told me the car came with 2 keys when it in fact did not (I have that in writing as well). They tried to charge me $682 for a second key. The sales manager lied to me and said that was their cost and there was nothing else they could do. The salesman lied to me and said he would call the previous owner to try to recover the second key, he never followed up with me about that. I brought the car back regarding the repairs needed to pass inspection and the low coolant warning issue, it took 7 weeks, but they made repairs to get the car to pass inspection. They told me the low coolant warning issue was resolved but as soon as I got the car back the issue was still there. I was going to let the key go but at this point I’m pissed because it’s a 1.5 hour drive to this dealership for me. I spoke with the GM and he did order me a replacement key free of charge and the service advisor told me they would look into the coolant warning issue again when I brought the car back to have the new key programmed. Long story short, I’ve gone back and forth with the service department and the GM about this issue since January and they refuse to fix it, they want to charge me $800 to fix it because I bought a used car “as is”. The GM told me that “this kind of thing happens all the time”. You mean to tell me that your certified Audi mechanics overlook blatant mechanical issues, then you sell these cars to customers and try to screw them all the time? After further discussion with the GM, he said he would talk to his manager and get back to me in a couple days. 1 week later I had not heard anything so I called and left him a voicemail. 4 days after that, on. Saturday evening he called me from and blocked number and left me a voicemail saying he tried to call me a couple times (I had no missed calls or emails), and that there is nothing else he can do. Now he is out of the office for a week. My issue is that I bought a car that was said to be free of any mechanical issues (I have this in writing), however that was not the case and they will not honor their word. At this point I can’t invest anymore time in this issue, I will just live with it or pay a trusted mechanic to fix it. I just wanted to share my experience since the dealership sent me a text message asking me to give them a Google review. Hopefully this review will help prevent other people from having a similar experience...

Warning: Misleading and dishonest practices at Audi Paramus. When I placed a vehicle deposit, no one—neither the salesperson nor the sales manager Chris—ever mentioned verbally or in writing that it was non-refundable. A week later, when I requested a refund due to an unexpected financial emergency, Chris the sales manager claimed he needed “Audi Corporate” approval and even asked for documentation of my situation. I provided everything immediately, yet they stopped responding and never issued the refund. This kind of conduct is unacceptable and erodes trust. Future customers should be very cautious before leaving any deposit here.

Updated Review: Thank you for your reply. However, several statements in your response are inaccurate and need clarification for transparency.

At no point during my visit or in any document I signed was it stated or explained that the deposit was non-refundable. In fact, I specifically asked whether there was a sales contract and under what conditions will the deposit be nonrefundable, and the General Sales Manager confirmed there was not. I was only physically provided with a single copy of a signed trade-in document and no other documents.

I also did not initiate the idea of leaving a deposit — the General Sales Manager suggested it. If a non-refundable condition truly existed, it was never disclosed, highlighted, or acknowledged by me in writing. Your claim that this was “clearly outlined” and “discussed at signing” is simply untrue. I would welcome seeing any document showing my initials or signature next to such a term, as well as the name, time, and date of the person who claims to have explained it.

The statement that my refund request required “Audi Corporate” approval is also false. I confirmed directly with Audi America that it does not get involved in dealership sales decisions or deposit policies.

Regarding your mention of a “recorded call,” that conversation occurred AFTER I had already requested a refund — when I was informed for the first time that the deposit was supposedly non-refundable. That is very different from having agreed to such terms in advance.

Whether I purchased another vehicle later is irrelevant to the main issue: your team failed to disclose any non-refundable policy upfront, then ignored my refund request for weeks.

For transparency, I want to note that about two hours after my original review, your salesperson contacted me to confirm my card information for the refund. I appreciate someone finally contacted me and that the refund will finally be processed, but I wish this had been handled professionally and promptly from the start — without requiring public escalation.

My goal in sharing this experience is not to argue, but to help future customers understand the importance of clear communication before leaving any deposit. Transparency and integrity should be standard at a...