Recently on March 22, 2023, my wife and I made the decision to purchase a GMC HD3500 Denali from Coast Buick GMC, 10133 US HWY 19, Port Richey, FL 34668, which could have resulted in serious injury or death. When my wife and I came to test drive the truck, the salesman, Sal Dibartolomeo, let us drive the truck on an incredibly small, controlled (no left turns allowed and turn by turn instructions) test drive in thick traffic on US HWY 19 in Port Richey, FL and then through a neighborhood back to the dealership. While I was driving, I asked Sal if the truck had adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist. Sal said yes, explained that the vehicle would steer towards the center if we drifted, and he reached over from the back seat and turned on the button, showing us where it was located. He also explained that the adaptive cruise control would keep pace with the vehicle in front of us and we could adjust the distance and he pointed to the button on the steering wheel. I noticed both buttons, adaptive cruise control on the steering wheel and lane keep assist on the dash, very similar to other vehicles we have owned. We ended up purchasing the truck because it had these features, like the 2021 Hyundai Palisade we traded in and my previous 2022 RAM 2500.
Due to the recent death of both of my parents, my wife and I did not have the opportunity to drive the truck much until we drove it to Ocala, FL from Port Richey, FL on March 27, 2023. During the drive, I told my wife the adaptive cruise control did not appear to be working as the truck was plowing ahead towards another vehicle without slowing down. Additionally, the lane keep assist would beep, but not pull the truck back into the lane. We kept trying the features, but they just weren’t working. We started looking online and saw similar GM vehicles with the same buttons, showing how to use the systems, but ours didn’t work.
During our trip to Ocala, Sal texted me and said he needed me to come in to sign the military rebate form. I told Sal that we couldn’t figure out the adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist, and Sal responded in writing via text, “OK be my pleasure to show you the adaptive cruise and lane keep assist.” My wife and I were just thinking the truck was defective at this point. We came into the dealership the next day, on March 28, 2023, and Sal greeted us outside and said he would show us how to use the “adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist.” I told him what was happening and he then asked for the window sticker (which we didn’t receive until after we purchased the truck as we found it had been placed in the back floorboard of the truck) and we went inside. While in Sal’s office, he said, “Brother, I don’t think that truck has adaptive cruise control.” My wife and I told Sal that we specifically asked while on the test drive and he told us it had adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist, and explained how he described it and his actions while test driving the vehicle. We specifically asked Sal before buying the truck!! Sal said he didn’t remember what he said, and then said it didn’t have adaptive cruise control, but he still continued to state that it had lane keep assist, and explained that it would pull the truck back to the center of the lane. Sal argued about it a little and I told him that we wanted to talk to a manager, and Sal went to talk to the Sales Manager, Bob Patterson, who we spoke with a few times during the buying process.
After being gone a while, we went to Bob’s office to find Bob and Sal. Bob proceeded to tell us that Sal said he didn’t tell us the truck had those features, which is ridiculous, as one of the times was in writing, and he even said so again that morning, and even after changing his tune about the adaptive cruise control, he continued to tell us the truck had lane keep assist, explaining how it pulls the truck back to the center of the road if it drifts over the lines. We explained everything to Bob and we told him we wanted our car back. Bob said there was nothing that could be done because it had been too long. However, please note, we went to the dealership the very next day after we discovered the issue; at the time we went to the dealership the truck only had 251 miles; our $5,000 down payment check had not been cashed; and our credit union had not received or processed the payoff check yet. It could have easily been resolved at this time!! I explained to Bob, that it is cheaper and easier to resolve this issue while we were in town, as we were leaving town in a few days (we live in Washington State). Bob refused, and after it was proven Sal provided us inaccurate information via text, Bob said it would be handled internally with Sal, but they weren’t going to make it right to us, the consumers who were screwed over. Never in my life has anything like this happened, where a salesman misrepresented features on a new vehicle that could have killed my wife and I; quite simply we would not have bought the truck if we knew it didn’t have these key safety features that Sal told us it had, and GM designed to look like it had, and that our trade-in had. Ultimately, after we requested the GSM’s (Cameron) involvement, Bob offered us a $500 credit if we purchased an additional warranty or maintenance plan in cash. This is completely unacceptable!!
I called GMC customer service and the GMC representative was in shock that this occurred, was very nice and apologetic, but ultimately spoke to a lead and read us some standard language about contacting the dealership. However, it was pretty clear she believed the dealership should take the truck back and return our trade-in before we left town. I sent Sales Manager, Bob Patterson an email on March 28, 2023, again demanding our trade in back as it was still on their lot, and this matter is more easily and affordably resolved while we are still in town, but once we leave, it will become more expensive to resolve this matter. However, Bob did not respond. I reached out to GM for assistance in making this right as GM holds responsibility for their dealership’s actions, and are impacted by their dealership’s actions, and the GM design of the buttons in the truck for the warning systems closely, if not exactly, match the buttons for adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist options in other GM vehicles, which is very misleading. However, GM has also refused to do anything.
I have reached out to the Florida Attorney General Office for assistance with holding these businesses and their employees accountable and will be filing a complaint the NHTSA. Additionally, I am pursuing a Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act lawsuit. My local dealership’s Service Department Representative just told me today that a lot of customers have said they were told the same thing when they purchased their HD truck. I also have a family member who has the same truck, but a 2020 model, and he still believes his truck has the features, but they just don't work very well; it doesn't, because they apparently weren’t available on the GMC HD trucks until 2024. This is a very serious safety concern that could result in serious injury or loss of life. I am also pursuing a class action lawsuit.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
Recently on March 22, 2023, my wife and I made the decision to purchase a GMC HD3500 Denali from Coast Buick GMC, 10133 US HWY 19, Port Richey, FL 34668, which could have resulted in serious injury or death. When my wife and I came to test drive the truck, the salesman, Sal Dibartolomeo, let us drive the truck on an incredibly small, controlled (no left turns allowed and turn by turn instructions) test drive in thick traffic on US HWY 19 in Port Richey, FL and then through a neighborhood back to the dealership. While I was driving, I asked Sal if the truck had adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist. Sal said yes, explained that the vehicle would steer towards the center if we drifted, and he reached over from the back seat and turned on the button, showing us where it was located. He also explained that the adaptive cruise control would keep pace with the vehicle in front of us and we could adjust the distance and he pointed to the button on the steering wheel. I noticed both buttons, adaptive cruise control on the steering wheel and lane keep assist on the dash, very similar to other vehicles we have owned. We ended up purchasing the truck because it had these features, like the 2021 Hyundai Palisade we traded in and my previous 2022 RAM 2500.
Due to the recent death of both of my parents, my wife and I did not have the opportunity to drive the truck much until we drove it to Ocala, FL from Port Richey, FL on March 27, 2023. During the drive, I told my wife the adaptive cruise control did not appear to be working as the truck was plowing ahead towards another vehicle without slowing down. Additionally, the lane keep assist would beep, but not pull the truck back into the lane. We kept trying the features, but they just weren’t working. We started looking online and saw similar GM vehicles with the same buttons, showing how to use the systems, but ours didn’t work.
During our trip to Ocala, Sal texted me and said he needed me to come in to sign the military rebate form. I told Sal that we couldn’t figure out the adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist, and Sal responded in writing via text, “OK be my pleasure to show you the adaptive cruise and lane keep assist.” My wife and I were just thinking the truck was defective at this point. We came into the dealership the next day, on March 28, 2023, and Sal greeted us outside and said he would show us how to use the “adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist.” I told him what was happening and he then asked for the window sticker (which we didn’t receive until after we purchased the truck as we found it had been placed in the back floorboard of the truck) and we went inside. While in Sal’s office, he said, “Brother, I don’t think that truck has adaptive cruise control.” My wife and I told Sal that we specifically asked while on the test drive and he told us it had adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist, and explained how he described it and his actions while test driving the vehicle. We specifically asked Sal before buying the truck!! Sal said he didn’t remember what he said, and then said it didn’t have adaptive cruise control, but he still continued to state that it had lane keep assist, and explained that it would pull the truck back to the center of the lane. Sal argued about it a little and I told him that we wanted to talk to a manager, and Sal went to talk to the Sales Manager, Bob Patterson, who we spoke with a few times during the buying process.
After being gone a while, we went to Bob’s office to find Bob and Sal. Bob proceeded to tell us that Sal said he didn’t tell us the truck had those features, which is ridiculous, as one of the times was in writing, and he even said so again that morning, and even after changing his tune about the adaptive cruise control, he continued to tell us the truck had lane keep assist, explaining how it pulls the truck back to the center of the road if it drifts over the lines. We explained everything to Bob and we told him we wanted our car back. Bob said there was nothing that could be done because it had been too long. However, please note, we went to the dealership the very next day after we discovered the issue; at the time we went to the dealership the truck only had 251 miles; our $5,000 down payment check had not been cashed; and our credit union had not received or processed the payoff check yet. It could have easily been resolved at this time!! I explained to Bob, that it is cheaper and easier to resolve this issue while we were in town, as we were leaving town in a few days (we live in Washington State). Bob refused, and after it was proven Sal provided us inaccurate information via text, Bob said it would be handled internally with Sal, but they weren’t going to make it right to us, the consumers who were screwed over. Never in my life has anything like this happened, where a salesman misrepresented features on a new vehicle that could have killed my wife and I; quite simply we would not have bought the truck if we knew it didn’t have these key safety features that Sal told us it had, and GM designed to look like it had, and that our trade-in had. Ultimately, after we requested the GSM’s (Cameron) involvement, Bob offered us a $500 credit if we purchased an additional warranty or maintenance plan in cash. This is completely unacceptable!!
I called GMC customer service and the GMC representative was in shock that this occurred, was very nice and apologetic, but ultimately spoke to a lead and read us some standard language about contacting the dealership. However, it was pretty clear she believed the dealership should take the truck back and return our trade-in before we left town. I sent Sales Manager, Bob Patterson an email on March 28, 2023, again demanding our trade in back as it was still on their lot, and this matter is more easily and affordably resolved while we are still in town, but once we leave, it will become more expensive to resolve this matter. However, Bob did not respond. I reached out to GM for assistance in making this right as GM holds responsibility for their dealership’s actions, and are impacted by their dealership’s actions, and the GM design of the buttons in the truck for the warning systems closely, if not exactly, match the buttons for adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist options in other GM vehicles, which is very misleading. However, GM has also refused to do anything.
I have reached out to the Florida Attorney General Office for assistance with holding these businesses and their employees accountable and will be filing a complaint the NHTSA. Additionally, I am pursuing a Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act lawsuit. My local dealership’s Service Department Representative just told me today that a lot of customers have said they were told the same thing when they purchased their HD truck. I also have a family member who has the same truck, but a 2020 model, and he still believes his truck has the features, but they just don't work very well; it doesn't, because they apparently weren’t available on the GMC HD trucks until 2024. This is a very serious safety concern that could result in serious injury or loss of life. I am also pursuing a class action lawsuit.
- Pete J., Pasco, WA, US