CAL Automotive
reviews and complaints

I can't believe it! My credit score went down a whopping 86 points just because of a measly $71 that supposedly I owed on a co-signed account. Neither me nor the person who initially opened the account received any notification about this outstanding amount. We both thought the account was closed, especially since it said so online and that no further payments were necessary.

This is my second complaint 'bout this company. If it ain't fixed, we gonna take 'em to court. I paid off the lease on my car. This company had the lease and won't send it to me. They say it got lost in the mail, that the *** never got back to 'em. It's always someone else's fault. I wanna sell the car and can't 'cause I don't have the title. It's been 'bout six months now.

I recently received the final bill for my car lease from CAL Automotive, and I must say, the price they quoted me is way higher than what I expected. I had consulted with my body shop before returning the car, and they estimated the cost to be around $450. However, CAL Automotive sent me an estimate of $1,562.80, along with an additional fee of $450. They also mentioned a waiver for $500 in excess wear, but they still want me to pay $1,532.28. I tried discussing this with them to negotiate a better deal, but they seem unwilling to budge. The replacement cost and labor time they are charging are simply too excessive.

In 2018, we leased a vehicle from Cal Automotive. Then, in December , we traded it in for another vehicle. Later on, we discovered that the payoff amount had increased by approximately $4,700 because we didn't go through Cal or the original dealer where we got the vehicle. When I called Cal to inquire about this, they informed me that they could charge whatever they pleased since the vehicle wasn't returned to them or the original dealer. Surprisingly, the dealer we dealt with in December had never encountered such a situation. This appears to be unethical, greedy, and excessive. Although there was a contract signed, this particular aspect was not clearly explained or detailed. It seems like they are taking advantage of consumers.

I got a new car in November . I was waiting for a bill for December, but I didn't get anything. CAL didn't send me a bill for my lease or any messages. I reached out to them for my account info, payment dates, and billing details. CAL sent me a letter saying sorry and promised to send me payment coupons. But, I still haven't received those coupons. In January, the collections department called me. I paid for December and January to catch up with my account. Then, I got a letter saying I owed late fees. CAL automotive said they didn't get my payments due to mail problems, so I had to cancel my checks and pay them through their website. Canceling my checks, getting my money back, and paying them would take a long time. I have proof of my payment and don't think I should be responsible for their mail issues. I shouldn't have to pay late fees. I have evidence of my payments and a letter from them apologizing for not sending me payment coupons. I think CAL is taking advantage of the pandemic to charge me late fees and using it as an excuse for not sending me a bill or payment coupons. I haven't experienced any mail delays from any company I dealt with in 2020 or 2021.

I got a car from CAL Automotive on a lease for 3 years, and I still have 1 year left. Recently, I made a deal for a new car, but when the dealership tried to buy out the lease, they found out that the buyout price was $4000 more than what was written in the lease agreement. According to the contract, the buyout should have been around $17,400, but now CAL Automotive is saying it's $21,700. They say the lower number is for me and the higher number is for others, but there's nothing in the contract to support this or explain it. There's no mention of a "third party price," how it's calculated, who it applies to, or any other relevant information. When I talked to their legal team, they said the "third party price" is based on market value, but that's not in the contract either. Basically, it means that the market value can't be trusted, and CAL Automotive can set their price however they want, even if it's $1,000,000. This is a really shady business practice. With this kind of power, CAL Automotive can stop me (and everyone else with a lease from them) from trading in my car until the lease is over, basically trapping me for the whole lease term. And again, there's no explanation of this in the contract. That's why I want CAL Automotive to honor the "first party price" as the real buyout price for anyone, like it says in the contract.

The leasing company I dealt with claimed that my vehicle had been damaged and was in "fair" condition upon return. They sent me an estimate from a third-party appraiser, stating that the damages amounted to over $1500. As soon as I received the final bill, I called their customer service department to inquire about the specific damages. They told me that someone would get back to me by the end of the day. But before the day ended, I called again to speak to the representative I had talked to earlier. They transferred me to him, but he didn't answer and I was sent to his voicemail.

The next day, the representative called me back and said that he had investigated the alleged damages with the tow truck company and the appraiser. He decided to waive a portion of the repair costs for the damage to the front bumper without explaining why. He also confirmed that there were additional damages to one of the tires (which I agree with) and to the roof of my vehicle (which I dispute). The pictures they provided of the roof damage are unclear, and I argue that there is no evidence that it is my vehicle since the license plate is not visible in the picture. Moreover, they claimed that the labor and paint for the alleged damage cost nearly $500, which I believe is completely unfounded and unfair.

I firmly believe that this company engaged in unethical behavior by exaggerating the details of the alleged damage to my vehicle in order to squeeze more money out of me at the end of the lease term.