Gallery Ford of Pekin — Local services in Pekin

After waiting for parts for 5 months(out of the service depts control, mostly) I called to follow up. Turns out all of the parts except one had been delivered, and the one that wasn't delivered was in stock, but was never ordered. I had a road trip coming up so I asked them to schedule my appointment while we waited for the part, so I could safely drive my vehicle the following week. I made arrangements to drop my vehicle off the night before so they could work on it right away. I had been told previously that they no longer provided loaner or courtesy vehicles, so I made arrangements to be picked up. I received no phone calls for the entire day regarding the work being done on my vehicle. I called the service department around 430 for an update and was told Vanessa would call me back. She never did. I called the next morning for an update. I was told Vanessa would call me back. I finally heard back from her, and she had a quote for additional work they wanted to do. I declined the additional work and asked when my vehicle would be done. She said she'd check with the techs and get back to me. I never heard back. The next morning I called and was told my vehicle should be done before they closed. This was a Friday. As the day went on and I hadnt heard anything, I called again and was asked if I could go without my vehicle over the weekend. After expressing my concerns about needing my vehicle, they put me in a loaner. Weird, seems how I was told they didnt offer that service anymore. I didn't argue and took the car. I was told I'd be able to pick my vehicle up on Monday. Monday comes and I dont hear from the service department. I leave for my road trip on Tuesday morning and they know this. I left multiple messages and no one ever calls back. I finally get a sales manager on the phone after the secretary tells me that Vanessa was gone, and the service department was closed for the day. I thought maybe my keys were left with the cashier(normal practice at this dealership) and I could still come get my vehicle, but nope, cashier was gone already as well. The sales manager did his best to figure out what was going on with my vehicle, but of course, he had no clue. I explained I had one of their loaner vehicles and that I was leaving for a trip the next morning. He gave me the go to leave with it and come back for my vehicle when I returned. He also told me he was brought up from Texas about a week prior, to help clean the place up because the new staff and management didn't know what they were doing. Not sure if he was trying to make excuses for the horrible customer service, but I agreed they need all the help they can get. While I was gone Gallery called me THREE times in less than 2 hours to tell me my car was ready. This was the only time they called me without me calling them first. After I explained that I was gone and wouldnt be returning until Friday, they called 2 more times, and Vanessa got an attitude when I told her I wasnt coming in and to stop having people call me. On Friday I went in to pick up my vehicle. The cashier didnt have my keys. Dave the department manager found them after looking for almost 20 minutes. He apologized for the mix up and had my vehicle pulled around. My car stunk and was dirty when i got in it and come to find out, they didn't complete all the work they told me they would do. I told the cashier (who was lovely, and helpful) that I'd drive my Explorer off a bridge before ever going back to Gallery. Ever since Velde sold and became Gallery, the place has been a mess. The communication is...well I can't say its poor because there simply is no communication! Dave is the only one there who knows anything, and every interaction I had with Vanessa she had a chip on her shoulder and a very poor attitude. No one ever apologized for the lack of communication, or the extended time they had my vehicle, and still had the audacity to send me a link to leave a review. I wasn't going to but since they asked twice, here it...

The woman at the front desk was very rude to me. Everytime I'm with my parents they are nice but when I'm by myself they're rude. We've bought 5 vehicles from Velde in Pekin and there's a very nice guy we always buy from but a significant amount of the staff is rude. I also have called since November about an airbag recall to set up an appointment and waited about 2 weeks for a call back to set up an appointment because they were, "full." Well after 2 weeks no call and my transmission went out. Called again and they finally ordered the parts about mid December and they told me theyd call me when the airbags got in and set up an appointment. Well, It had slipped my mind for a while that they were suppose to call with an appointment because I still had a spare vehicle. Well about mid February I got another service recall letter in the the mail for the recall and remembered. I called and told them and was waiting for a call back. So I called again and explained at this point my transmission was out and they informed me they had the parts for my airbag for awhile. I told them Id call once my transmission was fixed, which arent cheap so I had to get some money. So, about mid march my car was fixed and I called about the airbag recall and was told Id recieve a call about an appointment date setup. Didn't get a call and it slipped my mind once again because I had a vehicle. Skip to mid April my mom asked me if I ever got it fixed and I completely forgot and called and asked about the appointment. They said tbey werw busy and someone would call me back with an appointment. 2 weeks went by no call so I called and finally got one set up for May 6th at 1 pm. Well I got there and spoke to a very rude woman at the cashier area. I had asked about rental vehicles each time Ive called because it's a 2 and a half hour process I was told on the phone. Well I was told, "Since your car wont be here for 3 hours or more a rental vehicle can not be provided." Then I brought it up again probably the third time I called but this time I was told, "We dont have rental vehicles." Then when I called mid april to set up and appointment I brought it up again and the male on the phone said, "You have to qsk for a rental vehicle a month in advance." Mind you Ive been calling since late November. And I EXPLAINED EACH AND EVERY TIME THAT ON MY RECALL PAPERS IT SAYS, "A RENTAL VEHICLE WILL BE PROVIDED." Well today I came to velde and spoke to the rude woman at the cashier area and asked about rental vehicles and she told me, "You have to be 21 to apply for a rental vehicle unless your name is on the car or youre the primary driver." Well I'm the primary driver on my vehicle and still didnt get a rental. So, I was stuck waiting for about an hour plus some and couldnt even get my words out half the time I tried to speak to the woman at the cashier area. My family and I know alot of people who work here and theyve had our buisness for years. Never in my life expected such poor service... I gave 2 stars because of the poor service but also because we have been with them for years and I am greatful for a lot of things theyve provided. But today I had the worst experience here. Little edit I forgot to add one time I came here to order a wheel well cover thing for my car and the guy I spoke to talked to me like I was an actual idiot and ended up ordering the part but ordered it for the wrong side of my vehicle, even tho he came out to the parking lot and looked at my vehicle. Update its been almost 2 years since this review & ive never gone back nor has anyone else in my family. Best...

Let me begin by saying that my family has been loyal, local customers of this Ford dealership since the 1980s—long before it became Gallery Ford, when it was still Velde Ford. That loyalty, however, has been met with nothing but incompetence, dishonesty, and blatant disregard for our time, safety, and trust.

On January 20, 2022, I purchased a brand-new 2021 Ford Edge, which came with a standard 36,000-mile/3-year warranty. On December 3, 2024 (31,271 miles), well within that coverage, I brought the vehicle into Gallery Ford for a routine oil change and a recall part replacement. What followed was an absolutely infuriating 8-month ordeal that can only be described as mechanical negligence masked by polite indifference.

A mere 10 miles after picking up the car, the check engine light came on. I immediately called the dealership and was brought back in for diagnostics. One might think this would be the end of it. Instead, it was just the beginning of a maddening cycle: 9 service visits, the same EGR valve replaced 5 separate times, multiple other parts swapped out, and yet the issue persisted—every single time.

Had I known this nightmare would drag on for nearly 9 months, I would’ve pursued a lemon law claim while the car was still under warranty. But of course, Gallery Ford never gave me the full story. They strung me along repair after repair, promise after promise, never once offering transparency or a long-term solution. I now see that my patience was mistaken for gullibility. They found a customer who was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. Well, never again.

After repeated failures and zero accountability from the service team or the owner, William, we were left with no choice but to take the vehicle back. Still plagued with, the question wasn’t if the check engine light would return, but when.

My confidence in this vehicle and in this dealership, is shattered. Out of concern for our safety, my husband and I made the difficult decision to take a financial loss and purchase a new vehicle elsewhere. We will never return to Gallery Ford, and we urge anyone else considering purchasing or servicing a vehicle from here...