Driver's Village — Local services in Town of Cicero

On 7/12/24 we had an appointment with Finance First to look at a used vehicle, a Nissan Frontier. We showed up for our appointment and directed to a sales person by the name of J*n. The Nissan Frontier was dirty inside and out. There was white paint splattered on the inside passenger rear door speaker. When we went to open the hood, the hood would not open. It took several minutes to get the hood to unlatch. Under the hood, the engine was covered in a sticky oily type material. It looked like the engine at one time had an oil leak, but we were told by the salesperson that the engine had been sprayed with a compound that was made to make the engine shine. We took the truck for a test drive. We decided to purchase the vehicle with an extended warranty and the protection package that covered undercoating, ceramic coating and interior protection treatment and that the vehicle would be cleaned and detailed. I stated many times to the salesperson I did not want the process rushed, I wanted it done right. The salesperson told me they would have it the next day. The next day I received a text stating the vehicle was ready. When we showed up at Burdick we walked over to the vehicle and it was in the same unclean condition as when we left the day before. The outside was still dirty and the bed was still dirty. The paint was still on the inside of the passenger door. It had not been cleaned or detailed. When I opened the hood the engine was still dirty and the sticky substance all over the engine was not cleaned off. We asked for the salesperson's manager to come out and look at the vehicle. We showed him under the hood and dirty engine compartment. We showed him the dirty air filter, and the paint on the inside of the passenger door. Also in the interior after the rustproofing was done, a heavy wax was applied over all the hinges in different areas inside the vehicle but they did not clean off all the dirt and grease that was all over the doors before spraying. The manager took some photos of the vehicle and went to speak to someone about the condition of the vehicle and we were told that they were going have it cleaned. We told them we would be back the following Friday as those are my only days off to pick up the truck. On Friday we went to pick up the truck and our salesperson stated it was not cleaned again and that he did not understand how they could not have cleaned it. Again the manager came out and this time took the truck himself over to the detail center to have it cleaned. After being there for close to 2 hours the vehicle returned. Some of the excess wax had been wiped away but the dirt and grease was still under the wax. The paint was cleaned off the door. The vehicle never looked as if the ceramic coating was done on the outside; there was no shine to the vehicle. The air filter was still not changed. I was told by the salesperson that if we decided to purchase the vehicle they would change the air filter. Driving home after purchasing the vehicle, knocking noises were heard from the rear of the vehicle that were not there when we test drove it. The morning of the 20th I called Nissan service and set up an appointment to have the vehicle looked at. At that time I was also able to get down to see under the vehicle and realized that there was a great deal of overspray on the vehicle from the undercoating. On 8/2 the Frontier went in for service. The knocking noises were caused from the undercoating being sprayed on parts that needed to move freely. We asked about getting the overspray of the undercoating removed from the paint and was told we needed to see the salesperson we dealt with. We went to Finance First and we were told they were not going to do anything for us and that we nitpicked everything on the truck and that we drove it off the lot so it was our problem. Apparently when you spend over $40,000.00 on a vehicle, you are not entitled to it looking clean and detailed. Just want their money and push you...

So where do I begin? The experience I received from Driver’s Village was second to none… in the worst way imaginable. This review is going to be long but anyone considering a vehicle here should run away, fast!

I recently sold my Tesla Model S and I was in the market to replace it with for a Chevy Volt. When I listed my car is sold for almost full asking price within about 30 minutes with probably 50 backup offers. I couldn’t believe the interest in my vehicle. When I was doing my research for a volt I was surprised to find out that there were none in my area. The closest of was about 5 hours away. So I decided I would have the car shipped to me. I had a couple deals fall through but I found one in New York and called on it right away. I called on a Saturday (at this point I had sold my car and wanted to move things along as quick as possible) and told them I was very interested and I had cash, and would not need to finance the car. I was also willing to put a deposit on the car. The car salesman I was working with was Andrew and at first everything seemed fine. He said it was towards the end of the day and he would call me back on Monday to get the ball rolling. After looking at the photos closer from my computer instead of my phone I had voiced concern that the car didn’t look at clean as some other I was looking at but he reassured me that the car looks great and I quote his words via the emailer sent“I just took a look at the Chevy Bolt inside and out, and it looks brand new. No dings, dents, scratches to note at all.”

They told me I was going to need to pay for the car via a wire transfer to their bank and then they would overnight me the paperwork via UPS next day air and I would have to have it notarized and overnight it back. Kind of silly being that other places we’re willing to do everything via DocuSign but ok. Well I hadn’t had the paperwork to send the money Tuesday, or Wednesday (and I had to keep calling and asking where it was. To say they were dragging their feet was an understatement). Finally on Thursday I got the form and sent the money that morning. I never got any verification that they had received the money so once again I had to call and make sure that they did. Kay was my new contact (Andrew apparently was no longer with the company and they didn’t bother to tell me that until later) and she said she thought they either sent the paperwork that night or the next morning (Friday). Well when I didn’t get anything on Saturday I started feeling like they had never sent it. I used to work for UPS and they have to guarantee next day air packages by noon the following day, even on Saturdays. I called and they said it was indeed in the mail and I should’ve received it. Well it was a holiday weekend so Monday was Memorial Day. When I still hadn’t received it on Tuesday I called the Manager Kia and asked for a tracking number. When I finally got her to send me the tracking number it was verified that they didn’t send it out until Wednesday and I received the paperwork on Thursday morning. I went to the UPS store right away, got it notarized (which the ups manager told me all the dates were wrong, and the dates needed to be changed to the date I was signing it in front of her). I sent it back and they got it back on Friday. I was then informed by Kia the manager that I was instructed it to change any of the dates and she would have to send it again and I could not change the dates. So she sent it back to me and I had it notarized and sent back. Finally the car was ready to be delivered to me after 16 days from initial contact. Keep in mind I had to be renting vehicles, taking Ubers or using my wife’s car when possible...

AWEFUL!! DO NOT SHOP HERE! WORSE CUSTOMER SERVICE EVER!! I do not usually leave reviews but I think everyone needs to now about this place. Purchase a van in June 2024 when I picked it up, mind you its a 4 hour trip for me, they were suppose to fix the rear view camera because it had a fuzzy picture, I said to him the camera is still fuzzy salesman said its just dirty! I'm thinking I just paid $40,000 dollars for this van and they can't clean it? Got it home decided to get on a ladder and clean it, and that did I find? the roof was caved in! I immediately called the salesman and sent him pictures, and told him If I knew the roof was damaged I wouldn't have bought it, then long story short, he said they will fix it! days turn into weeks, weeks turn into months no contact from salesman at all! I emailed called nothing! then finally get contact nand he says trying to find a body shop to do it. So I tell him its taking to long I'll get an estimate down here by me I do I call him and he says thats way to expensive! I get another estimate from another body shop only $100 difference. So nothing from my salesman, months have gone by. I leave the van outside on a steep driveway the next morning I go out and open the back doors and there's water on the floor so I look to see where it's coming from and I can see light coming from the roof where it was damaged!. Call the salesman again, and again finally he returns my call and I tell him whats going on and ask him when the van is going to get fixed. He says Ill let you know then driving on the highway at 65mph next thing you know the steering wheel starts shaking violently and almost causes the van to flip over. So I take it to a Promaster dealer in my area and they tell me the steering rack is damaged due to the engine being replaced! I said WHAT! the salesman said nothing major was ever done to the vehicle and the carfax was clear! when they advertised it online the carfax was clear. Then the dealership told me Drivers Village replaced the engine and also showed me they didn't order the one time use replacement bolts when they did the engine swap. Was told not very safe! Nothing showed on the carfax though!! sounds like some sketchy stuff right there! So its been at the dealers now for 4 months waiting on Drivers village to give me a refund for everything I have spent on the van a battery that died because the bad camera was leaving a draw on the system, had to buy a license plate bracket that fell off because it was broke and held together with a sheetrock screw!! I have put barely 3000 miles on it! but I am making a loan payment and still paying insurance on a van I can not use!! it's now been over a year. even sent registered mail to my salesman and the GM no answer from the GM but the salesman got back to me and will let me trade it in for a new van but I would have to take $7,400.00 loss! he even made it sound like he's giving me a good deal LOL!! full price on the van + incentives from the manufacturer and rebates but no special deal from them on all the garbage service I've received from them, and then low ball me on a trade in when I should have gotten a full refund. Just Rediculous!! Keep you posted! but stay far away! Laughed the other day going to Ithaca I see a big billboard that says Drivers Village #1 customer...