Auto Connections East-The Makeover Division

My wife and I live in Missoula, MT and drove to Seattle, WA to pick up a 2006 Volvo S60R - sight unseen. When I arrived in Seattle, I was blown away to find a carpeted showroom with used cars! It seemed to be a top-notch place. Their cars usually have low miles and are in exceptional condition. The dealer had the car I was to buy pulled around front, and I took the car for a test drive. The car was spotless and in great condition. This used dealer offers six-month powertrain warranty on their cars. This tells me that they trust they are giving the customer a car they can rely upon. Any vehicle is going to have their fair share of problems. As a part-time mechanic, even I know diagnostics can only tell you about the vehicle's operation at the moment. Auto Connections East makes sure their cars are in good operating condition, prints a CARFAX report and hopes the customer will receive something they can enjoy. I appreciate the sales team. They are low to perhaps NO pressure when buying. I made them an offer on the car, and Stu (salesperson) was willing to give me no-hassle pricing. The sales process was a breeze. I know good people when I see them. This is a professional business offering top-notch service. Even after the sale they are willing to accomodate me if I have questions. I couldn't ask for better people in the car sales business and couldn't ask for cleaner products in the used car sale business. My wife and I will keep this place in mind! more

This is the type of car dealership that give others a bad name. I spoke to an older gal named Rondi over the phone as I didn't want to drive all the way from West Seattle to NE Bellevue if the car wasn't as advertised. She assured me it was a clean car, one owner, very well maintained and had recent timing belt and water pump installed. When I pull up I noticed a very similar car to the one listed but with one huge glaring exception... it was missing the spoiler that was in the pictures. After meeting Rondi and a short but odd discussion about whether or not I would sell it if I bought it from her she told me I should go look at it and that it's on the side of the building. I said that isn't the car that was in the photos, and she said absolutely it was. I brought up the fact the car she was talking about is missing the spoiler at which point she conceded she used pictures of a different car because it was so similar to this one. I then asked about the miles and pointed out there was a slight discrepancy regarding the miles advertised. In the written description it said 98k miles and another place 155k miles. She assured me no where did it say 98k miles that the car has 155k (at time of posting the ad still reads as above with same pictures). Not sure why I didn't just leave then but she went and pulled up the car and I went out to look at it. Popped the hood and the engine bay definitely had 155k miles of dirt and grime on it and no signs of recent maintenance as she said. I made my way around the vehicle and lifted the back hatch and poked my head inside and after a moment I felt something dripping on my leg. I looked up and the inside of the hatch was draining water on me... not a drip, but water was running out from the inside! I stood with amazement and asked Rondi to come over for a moment, (she busy lying to other people now) and when she did I pointed out the water that had now slowed to a drip and she said wow, and that she was going to have to have that looked at. I shut the hatch and discovered this cream puff one owner car that was so well maintained had a back hatch that wouldn't latch/lock when shut. She told me to take it for a drive that they were getting really busy now and went back to the other customers. I left the vehicle where it sat and drove away... FAST! and you should too! more

This is the type of car dealership that give others a bad name. I spoke to an older gal named Rondi over the phone as I didn't want to drive all the way from West Seattle to NE Bellevue if the car wasn't as advertised. She assured me it was a clean car, one owner, very well maintained and had recent timing belt and water pump installed. When I pull up I noticed a very similar car to the one listed but with one huge glaring exception... it was missing the spoiler that was in the pictures. After meeting Rondi and a short but odd discussion about whether or not I would sell it if I bought it from her she told me I should go look at it and that it's on the side of the building. I said that isn't the car that was in the photos, and she said absolutely it was. I brought up the fact the car she was talking about is missing the spoiler at which point she conceded she used pictures of a different car because it was so similar to this one. I then asked about the miles and pointed out there was a slight discrepancy regarding the miles advertised. In the written description it said 98k miles and another place 155k miles. She assured me no where did it say 98k miles that the car has 155k (at time of posting the ad still reads as above with same pictures). Not sure why I didn't just leave then but she went and pulled up the car and I went out to look at it. Popped the hood and the engine bay definitely had 155k miles of dirt and grime on it and no signs of recent maintenance as she said. I made my way around the vehicle and lifted the back hatch and poked my head inside and after a moment I felt something dripping on my leg. I looked up and the inside of the hatch was draining water on me... not a drip, but water was running out from the inside! I stood with amazement and asked Rondi to come over for a moment, (she busy lying to other people now) and when she did I pointed out the water that had now slowed to a drip and she said wow, and that she was going to have to have that looked at. I shut the hatch and discovered this cream puff one owner car that was so well maintained had a back hatch that wouldn't latch/lock when shut. She told me to take it for a drive that they were getting really busy now and went back to the other customers. I left the vehicle where it sat and drove away... FAST! and you should too! more

Bought a car from Auto Connections in Bellevue in Aug 2010. Only 2 weeks after owning the car (3rd time taking it out of the driveway), the transmission went out. After a lot of back and forth with Auto Connections, they refused to resolve the issue. So, trying to make the best out of a horrible situation, we had a friendly local repair shop install another transmission. Now, only one year after purchasing the car and getting another transmission installed, it has broken down again and will cost at least another $1500 to repair. Long story short, my originally $3500 used car has now ended up to be at least $7500 and has lasted one year. I would not recommend Auto Connections to anyone. Terrible service with a general lack of interest in customer support and satisfaction. If you're looking for an honest used car dealership, steer clear of Auto Connections. more

Car shopping can be a nightmare and I've had my fair share of horrible experiences. However, this time was completely different. I believe that Auto Connections in Bellevue has changed my opinion about used car selling and buying! First of all, I'm not some dumb blond who does whatever shes told - I'm smart and educated. I know the difference betweeen right and wrong - and I know that my experience with Auto Connections was about as top-notch and positive as it gets. They were polite, thoughtful and very professional in every way. I bought an excellent car at a very fair price ( I did my research!) and I'm very satisfied. I dont write reviews often, but in this case I feel it's well deserved. Needless to say, if you're looking for a used vehicle and dont want to experience all the typical BS you find at most dealers, then give these folks a try. Good luck! more