Woman Has 2023 Hyundai Elantra. Then She Tries to Trade It for a Honda from AutoNation of Toyota In Las Vegas

Motor 1

3 days ago

A woman on TikTok recently shared her horrible car-buying experience at AutoNation of Toyota in Las Vegas.
Juliana (@juli.ana_d) wanted to trade in her 2023 Hyundai Elantra after being dissatisfied with the car due to ongoing issues. Well, the new car she picked out ended up being the same story. Juliana says she went to AutoNation of Las Vegas after finding a Honda online that she liked.
'The former Honda owner was a car guy. He had aftermarket taillights, muffler delete, full tint, and additional cosmetic accessories on the car,' she shares.
Juliana didn't mind the aftermarket parts on the Honda and wanted to keep some of the cosmetic upgrades. She says AutoNation gave her a high appraisal for her 2023 Hyundai Elantra, and she was ready to complete the trade-in.
'You can take that [expletive] Elantra. I'm going to take this Honda,' Juliana says.
She says financing discussions went smoothly, and the trade went through. However, not everything went well afterward.
There Should Never Have Been a Sticker
She says she noticed her Honda wasn't very clean when she went to pick it up. She demanded that the shop redo the cleaning job. Additionally, she noticed some of the aftermarket features were missing after she requested workers to leave them on.
The shop re-cleaned the Honda, but Juliana noticed part of the front tint had been ripped off. She says the mechanics ripped the tint while trying to remove a car wash sticker.
'I worked at a car wash, and there never should have been a sticker on the windshield with the tint. The tint will come off with the sticker,' one TikTok commenter said.
At first, the dealership agreed to fix the tint, but then declined after realizing it was never supposed to sell Juliana the car with the windshield tint because the percentage was too high.
Was an AirTag and a Flat Tire Included In the Deal?
The trouble continued after leaving the dealership. While driving, Juliana's boyfriend hears an Apple AirTag noise going off in the car. Considering this is her car now, it's concerning to be monitored and tracked by the previous owner's AirTag.
Juliana asks the dealership to contact the old owner about the AirTag and to remove it. The AirTag is under one of the seats; however, the previous owner and the mechanics couldn't locate it anywhere. The dealership tells Juliana the previous owner will come the following day to disconnect the AirTag from his account, and they will watch him, which she accepts.
Moments after leaving the dealership, the Honda's
tire pressure monitor sensor (TPMS)
goes off. The TPMS warning appears, and Juliana hears a few thunks. She says it turned out that her tire had gone completely flat, and the thunks were her driving on her rim.
'I had no idea it was flat until I parked it,' she shares.
The shop refills the tire with air and informs her that if the issue happens again, it'll pay for a tow truck. The next trip Juliana takes, the TPMS goes off, leaving her with a flat tire again. After another trip back to the shop, her tire is replaced because the mechanics couldn't locate the leaks in her old tire.
Now, the Taillights Are Out
To add salt to the wound, Juliana's taillights break. Once again, she finds herself at the dealership with a new issue, just to be told it can't be fixed.
'I'm upset they couldn't fix the aftermarket taillights. They were really cute,' she says.
The mechanics didn't specialize in servicing those aftermarket taillights and couldn't diagnose the issue. They replaced her headlights while her car was still under warranty, noting that if they had fixed the aftermarket ones and they broke a year later, it would be a $1,000 expense, which Juliana didn't want to take on.
'After owning my car for two days, I no longer have my car. The taillights are on backorder. This has been one of the most exhausting and frustrating things,' she vents.
Juliana told
Motor1
via email, 'Car buying is somewhat like gambling. Sometimes you sink a lot of money into something that doesn't work, other times you put a couple bucks into a machine that gives a grand prize. You can know everything there is to know about every car, every dealership, but you never know what's gonna happen till you sit down and put your money down.'
Should You Buy a Car with Aftermarket Parts?
Aftermarket parts are replacement components for vehicles that are not made by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM),
Investopedia
reports. According to
AutoZone
, aftermarket parts can cost 20 to 50% less than similar OEM parts in many cases. OEM parts typically cost more because of the brand name, the fact that they go through manufacturer-specific quality checks, and dealership prices are often higher.
OEM parts should be chosen when dealing with newer cars under warranty, leased vehicles, and high-tech electronic parts that may require dealership programming.
Aftermarket parts are a better option when dealing with older cars or out-of-warranty models, routine maintenance updates, or performance upgrades.
Ultimately, whether to purchase a car with aftermarket parts comes down to buyers' priorities about cost and whether the car is under warranty.
What to Do If Your Used Car From the Dealership Has a Bunch of Problems?
An auto warranty is a promise to fix certain defects or malfunctions during a specific timeframe after you buy a vehicle, the
Federal Trade Commission
reports.
All used car dealers are required by federal law to tell buyers whether a used car is being sold with or without a warranty, the
Texas Attorney General
shares. The buyer's guide will state 'as is' or "warranty" when buying. 'As is' acknowledges the vehicle does not have a warranty, and the seller is under no obligation for repairs. If the car is under 'warranty,' the seller must list exactly what parts and services are covered and the duration of coverage.
So, if the car that was purchased has issues with a warranty, it's best to have the dealership take care of those issues while covered under warranty.
If the car is repeatedly having issues while under warranty, it may be classified as a 'lemon.' According to
Progressive
, a "lemon" is a term for a car with a significant defect or malfunction that makes it unsafe to drive.
Lemon laws require the manufacturer to repair your vehicle and, if it cannot do so after a reasonable number of attempts, it must either replace or refund your vehicle, the
Better Business Bureau (BBB)
reports.
Each state creates its own laws for vehicles experiencing issues,
Kelley Blue Book
shares. The
BBB
has also broken down each state's lemon laws.
Commenters Chime In
In the comments section, viewers suggested avoiding buying a car with aftermarket parts and that Juliana should consider returning her Honda.
'I would never buy a car with a bunch of aftermarket parts, they always cause problems,' one TikTok commenter shared.
'I would return it and buy a new one at this point,' another replied.
Motor1
has contacted AutoNation of Honda Las Vegas via phone. It contacted AutoNation's corporate office via press email. This story will be updated if AutoNation responds.
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