Volkswagen Santa Monica
reviews and complaints

Volkswagen Santa Monica is a bad place to buy a car: 0 stars.

I was lied to by their Sales Manager Paul about the car (a certified pre-owned 2017 Tiguan) when I went to see it. I asked if it was rust and he said no, just dirt. If he had told me the truth, I would have left right away.

The next day, my friend who is a mechanic looked at the wheels and said it was rust on all four hubs. I called Paul to say I was upset and wanted to return the car. He said it would cost $2,000 and offered to clean off the rust instead. This was in March when the Coronavirus started.

I talked to their GM Tammy Weaver, but she didn't care and said tough luck. She kept changing her story about whether I could return the car or not.

They have been no help and I regret buying from them. They will lie to sell a car and don't care about their customers. If you want a VW, go somewhere else. This dealership doesn't care about doing business the right way.

I tried to make an appointment for service 'cause my car's engine started making a weird noise. But every time I try, they say they're too busy. They keep telling me not to worry 'cause it's still under warranty and I can come back later.

I went to Volkswagen Santa Monica on June 3 to fix my car. I paid a hefty $*** to get it fixed. The car wouldn't start and the service department confirmed that it was indeed not starting. They said they found the problem and I picked up the car on June 10 at noon. But guess what? The car broke down again just 20 miles away on the same day I picked it up. I called the service department at 4pm and told them the car wouldn't start. *** from the service department told me that VW was responsible for the car not starting again. But they haven't taken responsibility for the fact that the car has the same issue it went in for repair.

The people at Volkwagen Santa Monica on Santa Monica Blvd are trying to make me drive on a tire that's clearly messed up. I saw the tire go flat and felt the hole where the air was coming out. Then I used the fix-a-flat stuff and saw it come out of the tire like a fountain and go flat again. So I had to get the car towed to get a new tire. But they're saying they can't find any damage, even though you can see the fix-a-flat stuff on the hole and all over the wheel well. The directions on the fix-a-flat stuff say to replace the tire and not keep driving on it, but these guys want me to drive on it and maybe die. They're a danger to everyone. This all started on 01/23/2023 and it's still not resolved.

I bought a maintenance plan from VW Santa Monica in March for my 2018 VW Golf. They said it would cover brake fluid flushes, brake pad replacement, and transmission service at the 4yr/*** service interval. I paid $926 for this plan. I only used one oil change so far, on 29 Feb 2020. But now they say the plan only covers five oil changes. That's only worth $500. I want a refund of $792 because they lied about what the plan covered. That's $926 minus the first service (worth $100) and the termination fee ($25).

I bought my car from Volkswagen Santa Monica in 2019, but they messed up my financing and lost the deed for my old car. They blamed me for the lost deed, even though it wasn't my fault. I paid for servicing in advance and have an extended agreement, but my first servicing took way too long. Now, I'm due for another servicing, but I went to a different dealer because of my bad experience with Santa Monica. However, the new dealer told me that my service was overdue, even though it's only been a year since my last servicing on 9/28. Santa Monica logged my servicing incorrectly a year ago and won't fix the mistake, even though I paid for the service. They won't even give me the corporate number to file a complaint. It's frustrating because the sales, financing, and service departments are all involved.

I bought a car from Volkswagen Santa Monica and paid in full. The dealership told me I would receive the title to register the car in Chicago. I paid for transport and the car was delivered on September 2nd. However, I still haven't received the title as promised. I spoke with Ms. in the business office on September 3rd and again on September 8th, but I'm getting the runaround. The manager, ***, doesn't respond to my calls, texts, or emails. I need the title to register the car in Chicago, but I still don't have it. The manager promised to give me the title at the time of purchase, but now I'm left without it.

My Volkswagen Tiguan got totaled on July 15, 2022, and I had an extended warranty from the dealer. I faxed the proof of total loss to the provider following the *** Cancellation process on July 26, 2022. Volkswagen Santa Monica, the selling dealer, promised to refund me via check in 6-8 weeks. However, I waited for over 10 weeks before I started reaching out to them repeatedly to get the status of my refund starting in October 2022. Since then, I have been contacting them regularly, but they keep giving me excuses like needing proof of loss again, the refund is in process, the refund request needs to go to accounting, the refund is in the mail, someone will check and call me back (they never did), etc. I have now been told that if the check isn't here by Friday, I must call so they can stop payment. When the check is finally reissued, I will have to pick it up personally because they will NOT overnight the check. This is outrageous! The LEAST they can do is express mail the check, so I am not further inconvenienced after nearly 6 months of patiently waiting for my money. There is a cost for me not having access to these funds-What if those funds were needed to get a replacement vehicle? They clearly have no urgency in meeting their obligation to me. Further, it is clear to me that the person I have been dealing the most with on this issue, ***, is irritated with my persistence. Even after speaking with *** on Saturday and being assured that I would receive an update call on Monday, I had to call after 5pm, knowing that there would be yet another excuse, which there was. I am justifiably dissatisfied with their service and lack of empathy for my situation. I asked to speak with management and was told there is NO ONE who can accommodate my request to be paid and have the payment sent overnight. I should NOT have to drive to Santa Monica to pick up an overdue payment.

I got my car checked at Volkswagen Santa Monica for an issue. They charged me double the amount they quoted me. I scheduled an appointment on Friday 2/5 and dropped off my car on Monday 2/8 at 7am. I picked it up on the same day at 6pm. I left a message for the tech on Wed 2/10 and talked to them. I asked to talk to the manager but couldn't connect with them on Thus 2/11. I left a message for the manager on 2/16 and called again on 2/18. The service rep was okay, and the service manager was fine too. I paid by credit card.

On 2/5, I told the service rep about the issue, and they quoted me *** over the phone. On 2/8, I told them the same thing, and they agreed to ***. However, when they presented the contract to me, it was for double the rate. I was tricked into signing the contract and paying double the amount. I was upset and disputed the price immediately, but no one was willing to talk to me about it. I paid the price to take my car home because I needed it for work.

I know I signed a paper for double the rate, but I was only told about the ***, and I was stuck without a car. The dealership might say they're innocent, but they tricked me and no one was there to help me. I paid because I needed my car for work. I told the rep I was going to dispute the price, which I did. They ignored me for ten days, hoping I would go away. At the very least, they took advantage of me, and the situation was handled poorly. I deserve an apology, and I'm asking for a partial refund.

I went to Volkswagen Santa Monica to fix some issues with my 2018 Tiguan before the lease expired. I had problems with the rear view mirror, radio, and lane change sensor on the right side. The adviser told me that the emblem was cracked and that all the sensors were located behind it. He said it would cost $908.45 to fix the problem, and I agreed. However, when I picked up the car, the service report listed problems with the front camera and sensor, which I never had any problem with. The report also said that the car was hit and that the emblem was cracked, which was totally false. The Lane Change sensor had a problem that was known to them since January, and I was never notified about it. I asked to see the actual cracked emblem, which I have in my possession. The only damage to it is a small chip on the upper rim, which could only be caused by the insertion of a small sharp object. I discussed all this with both the Service and the General Manager of the dealership, who were not helpful and extremely condescending. They told me to contact Volkswagen of America, probably knowing full well that they would solve nothing. I am seeking a full refund of the $908.45 and an apology for fabricating false information.