Approved Auto of America
Reviews and Complaints

I bought a car from Approved Auto of America and, believe it or not, within just 6 days, it started breaking down and having issues. I wouldn't suggest this car dealership to anyone. The check engine light came on, the egr valve was faulty, and there was an oil leak. The manager had the audacity to claim that all cars have oil leaks. They really don't care about their customers. As a woman with three kids, I feel like they took advantage of me and my situation.

This car lot is just a big scam. They sell cars that ain't safe to drive at all. They charge way too much for 'em. They claim they service all their cars, but all they do is make 'em look good. I got myself a 2008 *** DTS from 'em. Ever since I bought it, I've had to fix the transmission, replace the rack and pinion, get new front struts, replace the water pump, and now I need to replace the rear struts and front wheel bearings. Their main mechanic is a joke. He don't know a thing about fixing cars. Don't waste your money on these crooks. I'm warning everyone I know to stay away from this company.

Do not, I repeat, do not go here. This company preys on people like me. They move into poverty neighborhoods in West-end and Shivley and come to solicit hard-earned money from our pockets. Let's do the logistics. I am a young African American female with two children, struggling through the pandemic. Everyone knows the unemployment system is horrendous and unfortunately, it fell into our laps. Anyways, they have slick car salesmen who will paint you a beautiful picture of a masterpiece of a car. The finance department does not give all the details upfront on the actual retail price of the car. The blue book value of my car is $3,000, but they sold it to me for $10,995 and waited until after I signed the paperwork to tell me about a $5,000 finance fee. So, to sum everything up, my car is worth $15,995 and at the time, I was a childcare teacher making just a little over minimum wage. My checks would be $350 on the 15th and 30th of each month. My car note was $200 on the 15th and 30th of each month. Ladies and gentlemen, do the math. On top of a $269 car insurance fee per month, I was dishing out $400 a month on a $700 monthly income. Okay, that's what I signed my soul over for. So, I was excited and young and went with the flow of everything. Then, BOOM, the pandemic hit and people like me started losing jobs and had to deal with the unemployment system. I started borrowing money to pay my car payment until I got a hold of unemployment (which has yet to happen). I struggled to keep my bills paid and finally found a job. Approved Auto of America, or actually Dixie Finance, barely wanted to give me a deferment until I was able to make enough money to pay them back. So, I was finally able to get back on my feet and get my groove back from the pandemic, and then BOOM, my brake light activates for the second time since I purchased the car. Then BOOM, my engine cuts on, and while I was at work with a client (a senior citizen in the cold), my car breaks down. I just got caught up with my bills and this happens. This isn't my issue. It's how the situation was handled. First, they hassle about their money. Then, when I called, a lady named Laura, who doesn't show sympathy about your situation, offers for you to send your car to her brother (which puts more money in their pockets). Not only that, there's a man named Bill in charge of the finance department who is more worried about payment than your car's condition. Then, what made me break down crying is because he made me feel less of a person when he literally said, "Well, I still had a job during the pandemic and I don't understand why you didn't." I replied with, "Sorry, I took care of children and my job was on the line." Not only that, I asked if they were willing to still work with me and trade my car in with more money added to get a newer car. Laura replied that I had to be paid down to $4,000 to get a newer car (which is not what they told me when I purchased the vehicle). Then, Bill goes on to basically state that it's not against the law to sell lemons. Long story short, I am stuck in a terrible demonic situation with Approved Auto of America. I have a broken-down, overpriced car that I need for work, or I will be laid off because a vehicle is needed. I still have to make payments and deal with the staff that works for this demonic company. All I can do is pray that God helps me out of this situation. So, my people, do not go here and purchase a car. I bought my car in February, and it's November. I had to get my car fixed four times. It's not even a year. I wouldn't even give them one star. West-end, noooooooo.

They overpriced the car by $6000 according to ***. The car has major mechanical problems, and I have let them know about it, but they refuse to help. The car has a lot of rust underneath and in other areas.

I bought an SUV from Approved Auto on August 20. Today, the SUV started sputtering, shaking, and smoking heavily while I was driving on the highway. I was on my way to work, so I pulled over. As I tried to start the car again to continue my journey, the car suddenly stopped and wouldn't move anymore.

I bought a car from Approved Auto of America on February 17th, 2022. I've been trying to return it because there are problems with the vehicle. They are not willing to put me in a different vehicle or give me my money back. They keep giving me the runaround and I'm really frustrated. I need some help with this situation.

I bought a car from Approved Auto of America and it ain't safe to drive. They didn't give me the car report from the previous owner. I took it to 2 mechanics and they both said it's not safe to drive. The people at the car lot told me I bought a warranty, but they said the issues with the car are my responsibility. They mentioned that the warranty covers some things, but I'm too young for a rental.

I bought an SUV a few days ago. They knew the heat and buttons were working in the car. They told me to take it to an audio place and they would fix it. Today, they called and said it would cost $800, and I would have to pay half. I'm not willing to pay anything because they knew it was like that before I bought it and promised to handle it. I'm already paying $500 a month for this truck. I want my money back. They said they can't do it.

This business keeps changing my payment plan and the amounts I owe ever since I bought the car. They gave me a break on making payments when I changed jobs, but because of their rude and inconsistent communication, I didn't know they had changed the dates for my payment plan. As a result, I ended up being "12 days behind on payment" without them telling me. I've tried calling them multiple times, but the employees just seem annoyed and hang up on me. They never sent me any official documents or notifications about the changes to my account. These unexpected payments have caused me a lot of stress and I've had to scramble to find the money within a tight timeframe on several occasions.

The company sold me a car with no passenger seatbelt. The check engine light was already on, and there's no middle seatbelt either. My throttle control keeps turning on and off. I took my car to them for repairs, and they claimed to have taken pictures and ordered a part. However, it's been almost 3 weeks and I haven't received any calls, emails, or any form of communication regarding when I can bring my car in. I've informed the company about the issues, but they're refusing to address them. They don't seem to care about what's happening and are honestly scamming people by making false statements and advertisements.

On February 18, I bought a 2011 Ford Fiesta from Approved Auto of America. When I first test drove the car, the check engine light was on. So, I told the sales man and he said, "Oh, I'll get that fixed for you." When they brought the car back out, the check engine light was off. But the next day, it was right back on. I was also having overheating problems with my car, so I took it to the mechanics to get it fixed.

First, the housing was melted. Then, my thermostat was broken. And now, I have a blown head gasket. I have barely even driven this car at all. It has been parked for 2 months. So, I called Approved Auto of America to say that I want my money back or a new car. But they declined me and were very rude about everything. They treated me like I was stupid and like I did this to the car.

I bought a car from Approved Auto of America and the next day it wouldn't start. They told me to take it to a dealer for the extended warranty, but I had to pay a $250 deductible when it got fixed. I took it to the dealer and they replaced the fuel pump, but that didn't solve the starting issue. Now I have to take it back to the dealer for another diagnostic, and if they cover the problem, I'll have to pay another $250 deductible. On top of that, I didn't receive a key to unlock the vehicle manually in case the remote doesn't work. It's frustrating not having a key. They charged me $12,000 for a finance charge, even though the vehicle was only $16,000, so now I owe $31,000. That seems unfair and possibly illegal. Lastly, when I bought the car, I asked for information about the previous owner, which is required by Kentucky law (statute 190.080). However, they refused to give me the information, claiming that I would "harass" the previous owner.

I bought a car from Approved Auto of America a few weeks ago. As soon as I drove it off the lot, I started experiencing issues. The ABS and traction control lights came on, and there was a vibration and rubbing noise in the back end. I took it to a mechanic, and they found over $5000 worth of problems. The rear end is now out, making it unsafe to drive. It needs a new steering column, upper and lower ball joints, tie rod ends, drive shaft seal, brake brakes and rotors, calipers, and a new rear end. Additionally, it requires a front end alignment. The truck also has green parking lights, which I've been told are illegal. Moreover, it has an out-of-state title, so it needs an inspection in Kentucky before it can be titled and licensed. However, it won't pass inspection in its current condition.

I tried discussing these issues with Approved Auto of America, and I even offered to return the truck and let them keep my $800 down payment just to be done with it. Unfortunately, they refused because I signed an "as is" contract. I understand that when you buy a vehicle "as is," you're responsible for any repairs. However, this situation feels excessive. I'm paying $600 a month for the truck, including insurance, but I can't even drive it days after purchasing it. It's unfair and shouldn't be legal to treat people like this. All of these problems were internal and couldn't be seen with the naked eye.

This company and the car lot next door (***) promised to pay me back for my rental car fees (over $800) while they fixed my air conditioning, but they ended up needing to fix other things too, so I let them keep it. The president, ***, said he would pay me back later, but he didn't keep his word and now I'm still being bothered to make payment. I could've gotten everything fixed that was wrong with my car for less than what I paid for the rental. All they did was fix the air conditioning, windshield wiper, and tail light. There's no communication between these businesses, and you're the one who suffers when it's all said and done. ***, the president of Approved Auto, makes you look foolish. *** and *** at *** will do everything they can to prevent you from getting any help. They will lie and say they were never told anything or that nothing is in your notes. They automatically think you're lying, so you have to go back and forth between buildings like a clown trying to get answers, but it doesn't help. They're very unprofessional and rude because they know they can be! These businesses need to be exposed for not only what they did to me, but for all the bad things they do in general. My *** just gave her car back to them for the same reasons. Also, I'm speaking up for people who couldn't or can't because they're scared of the consequences or losing their vehicles. These businesses should've been closed down a long time ago, and I won't continue to support a company that doesn't take care of its customers.

I bought a car from this place on 1/12/2022. My buddy told me about it, he got a car from here in November . But after he got his car, it started having problems that the car lot didn't tell him about. Now his car is broken and can't be fixed. Two months before his car broke down, I went to the car lot to look at cars. I test drove two cars. One was a Mazda RX8. Me and my buddy checked all the fluids and stuff, and it turns out the RX8 had a blown head gasket. The car lot knew about it but still tried to sell it to me. The second car I test drove was a 2008 Chevy Impala, and I actually bought it. But the day after I bought it, I started having major issues with the axle and joints. So there were three cars for sale from this car lot that shouldn't have been sold. I know there's always a risk when buying a used car, but if I buy a car from a dealership and it breaks down the next day, something's not right. Now I have to pay to fix it myself when the dealership should have tried to fix it or at least told me about the problems before I bought it. I have a finance contract with the company, and they don't allow exchanges or refunds. I feel like I'm stuck and it could have been avoided if the dealership had fixed it or told me about the issues beforehand.