We are from Northwest Arkansas and looked for cars on line for several months. The used car market in our area is very inefficient and expensive compared to other parts of the country plus used car prices are rising. European Motors had the best deal on a 2008 Toyota Avalon and everything about the car looked good on line, in conversations with Sam and through CarFax.
When we arrived in Addison to pick it up, things started to fall apart. During the test drive something felt wrong. The transmission and brakes felt different from what I would have expected compared to the 2002 Avalon we drive. When we returned to the dealership, Sam drove it and immediately agreed. The first thing he did when we got to his office was to hand us our cashier's check and said that was our first choice. However, if we would give them time to see what was wrong, he would personally see that the car was fixed to our satisfaction. We agreed to stay the night in Dallas to hear what Toyota said was the problem and would need to do in order to correct it. Russell (the owner) called us that evening apologizing for our inconvenience and confirming what Sam had told us.
Turns out the transmission was a problem. While it was still in Warranty, the Toyota dealership simply wanted to replace a few parts. Sam took the lead insisting they replace the entire transmission with a new one and replace other parts of the system (such as the radiator) that were not working as he thought they should. Sam also corrected the brake issue and a couple of other minor issues at his own cost and ensured Toyota address two Recall items that had not been taken care of by the previous owner in California. After ensuring everything was in top condition, Sam then arranged to have the car shipped to NWA last week on a carrier so it would not incur added mileage. After driving it since then, we could not be more pleased. This is an extremely nice car.
In every way (other than having the problem in the first place), European Motors performed well above what we would have hoped. They were concerned that a customer needed to be fully satisfied. The takeaway is that in our experience, the desire of Sam and Russell is to ensure their customers are pleased so they return for future purchases and refer others. It's unfortunate they have received the negative reviews written in this website. The problem they face is what any dealer in used cars faces - they do not fully know the use and condition of vehicles they acquire even if they make every effort to check them out. There is a reason European Motors has been in business for 30+ years - they care and respond when problems arise. One thing to note is that European is moving from its Addison location to Plano this summer. With this larger facility and shop, they will add the ability to do much greater diagnostics and repairs prior to and after a sale than they have been able to do previously.
I realize we were fortunate that problems happened right away instead of after we returned home. That's the chance we as buyers take when we choose to get a big discount on the purchase price compared to a new car. That's also what a reputation and a Warranty is designed to address and Toyota and European Motors stepped up to their obligations - even beyond. Thanks to Sam for taking the lead in addressing every possible issue we might not have been able to achieve with our limited knowledge of what is possible.
In summary, while we ran into issues we wish had not happened, the experience my wife and I had results in our highly recommending Sam, Russell and European Motors. We'll call Sam the next time we buy.
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