Preston Ford West — Local services in Randallstown

What to do when Preston does not fulfill their contractual obligation to title and register your vehicle

If you have found this review - you likely are also in the process or trying to get Preston Ford to legally title and register your vehicle

Im writing this review in the form of what I wish I knew when I started this process in hopes that is saves you some time - and that you report this to the MVA and Attorney General so that the pattern can be investigated

And yes. To the inevitable reply. Preston Ford did finally title and register the vehicle after 4 months of back and forth.

Here’s what to know:

This is not a paperwork mix up: By MD law the dealership has 30 days to title and register your vehicle. If you are past this point and Preston ford has not completed the paperwork - something was wrong the the paperwork on the car they sold you. This is not an honest mistake. Someone wasn’t out on vacation or just dropped the ball. They are gaslighting you. Take escalation steps immediately.

You have the right to return the car: I wish I had just started the process of returning the car when the first temp tag expired as it took another 2 months to get the car legally titled and registered. Do not fall victim to the sunk cost fallacy. Starting the car shopping process over is awful - but might be quicker and less awful than getting Preston to do the paperwork. By MD law you can reverse the transaction if they haven’t filed the paperwork in 30 days and you should seriously consider this option

File a complaint with the MD MVA Investigations branch and the Attorney General. You can file a consumer complaint online with the Attorney General. To file a dealer complaint with the MVA you will need to call the MVA customer service - ask to open a ticket to file a dealer complaint. This may need to be done by a supervisor. The investigations branch will then email you a form to complete. These are the governing bodies of car dealerships in MD and the only people who can hold them accountable. The MVA takes a while to process your case so open the ticket as soon as you can.

Be persistent and escalate immediately. Take notes. Remember that your calls are recorded by them. They list the phone numbers of management on their website - I recommend calling and texting the dealership manager immediately, and when that doesn’t work escalate to that persons boss. If you look at other reviews they post the phone number of the person who does their tag and titling in the comments. Messages left with the receptionist will not be returned. You’ll need to be aggressive - they are outside of their contractual obligation so do not let them imply that you are being rude or impatient by demanding their attention.

Do not drive on any dealership tags they give you - this is not an authorized use of dealership tags no matter what they tell...

I WISH I COULD GIVE MORE STARS!

On my way to work, aware that my gas was running low the night before but uncertain of the exact level (thanks to my 2021 Chevy Traverse's digital gauge displaying only 'low' below a certain threshold), I found myself three minutes from home and running late for a crucial board meeting. My car stalled on Liberty Road, just shy of the dealership. Panic set in as I envisioned a lengthy wait for AAA and regretted not bringing my winter coat for the half-mile walk to get gas in freezing temperatures.

Surveying the area, I noticed activity at the dealership and decided to try my luck. Entering with my head down, I approached the first smiling face I encountered— who I now know was Chris Marks, COO of Preston Ford West. He promptly searched for spare gas, escorted me to my SUV, and poured the fuel himself, despite the freezing weather and his thin fleece jacket, no warmer than the suit jacket I left home with. Gratefully, I thanked him, promising to consider his dealership first for a new Ford in the future.

As Chris left, my car started but sounded like it had seconds before another shutdown. Chris, sensing my distress, offered further assistance, but I waved him off, embarrassed and hoping I had enough gas to reach a station in time. I was wrong, and my SUV came to a halt directly in front of the dealership. Without hesitation, the entire staff rushed out to help, pushing my car into their lot for safekeeping until we resolved the issue. Regrettably, I couldn't retrieve the names of each staff member who assisted, but approximately five or so kind individuals swiftly came to my aid.

Chris then requested Hezikiah, a Sales & Leasing Consultant, to use his truck to fill their mobile gas canister. While driving to the gas station, Hezikiah showed great kindness during my moment of embarrassment, expressing understanding and offering the all-too-familiar catchphrase, 'it happens to us all.'

Hezikiah, or Hez for short, then proceeded to personally poured the gas into my vehicle, once again braving the cold without a heavy jacket. Overflowing with gratitude, I ran back into the dealership, shook as many hands as I could, and offered to treat the entire staff to lunch the following Friday.

This experience revealed the human side of the dealership's staff. They could have easily declined to help, but they went above and beyond, emphasizing their commitment to people. My lack of preparation landed me in this situation, yet they extended a helping hand. Consider what they would do for an actual customer—imagine the level of service they could provide for you!

My name is Nick Austin, and I hope I'm able to pay it forward to someone very soon! FYI - This happened on 11/29/23 around 8:00am. I've included...

Meh. They use dealer paint on their vehicles. Definitely won’t be buying from them again.

UPDATE: Fixed the paint blunder, but the plot thickens....

Frank from RTown Ford reached out to me regarding my review about the dealer paint. He told me to bring it in and they’d take care of me. Unfortunately, around the same time my brakes starting failing. I told him my significant other and I were told the car had new brakes and tires at the time of purchase (about 8 months ago). We’ve driven less than 7,000 miles (mostly highway for weekend getaways) and there is no way new brakes will give out that fast. RTown told me they would look up the history on the vehicle to see what work was done. They were unable to find the paperwork for the vehicle. They are under new management and a new management system so they could not verify if the brakes were new or promised to be new. This was very disappointing, but they did try to make it right by offering to upgrade the brakes to ceramic pads and only charging for parts and labor. The price I was quoted still wasn’t worth it so I decided to take it to Midas. They did a great job fixing the scratches that were on the car, but it took them a full week to get around to doing it. I was told to bring it in that morning and it would be fixed by that evening, but I ended waiting at the dealership all day and driving a loaner for the week instead ( free of charge). I have mixed feelings about my service over all. I appreciate the effort but I feel the execution and communication between departments could be better. As a previous Cadillac and Infiniti owner I’ll admit I’m a bit spoiled when it comes to service so I won’t be too harsh on them, but I can’t hide the fact I’m still disappointed that they couldn’t find the paperwork and wouldn’t believe us on our word so now we have to spend $400 for something that shouldn’t need fixing for at least another 13,000 miles. If you are considering buying from here I won’t tell you to stay away. We do love our vehicle and it was low mileage for a fair price. I will encourage you to get everything in writing and a copy of all work done to your car before you sign your name on the dotted line. Yes our tires were new (an easy check), but the brakes were not and we had no way to check without taking it...