I was sold a Chevy Equinox from DriveTime at the end of March 2025. The buying process was a positive one. I was given 7 days to return it but I feel that just isn’t long enough. After the 7th day I had to reset the clock and had to do it every several days. Then the dashboard lights would go off and come back on a few minutes later. It did that a couple of times a day. I just thought it was over sensitivity to sunlight. I think I was in denial because I didn’t want to think there was something wrong. However, I was coming home one Friday evening during rush hour traffic in 85 degrees and the air conditioner stopped and when it came back on it was blowing hot air. It would shut off again and come back on blowing cold air for a moment but went back to hot air. The dashboard lights went completely dark. The clock stopped, the radio started flickering in and out and the wipers looked like they were trying to go on. While all this was happening at once, I became alarmed hoping my steering and brakes wouldn’t give out. I was scared to death and I still had 30 more miles to go to get home. Silverstone extended warranty referred me Rotolo Chevrolet and said when the service dept got back to them with a diagnosis, they would pay to get it fix and they’ll pay for a car rental up to $30 a day. I also had a $100 deductible. A week goes by and I’m informed by Rotolo that the whole dashboard needed to be replaced. Then he tells me, my extended warranty will not cover it. Which also means, the car rental is not covered either. To top it all off, the part is backordered. I called DriveTime immediately and they referred me to customer relations. I told them I just want my money back and they can have the car back. They wouldn’t do it. By this time I was sobbing on the phone because I was heartbroken after not having a car for 4 years and just getting a job when I was recovering from an auto accident, surgeries and severe COVID twice in the last 4 years. They would do absolutely nothing to help me and that was the final word. The next day Rotolo calls and says good new, Silverstone is paying for the repairs and the car rental. That wasn’t right though. I found out that customer relations gave the approval but they still would not pay for the rental. I’m still out over $1,000 in a rental so I can get back and forth to work. We are now in July 2025 and the part is still backordered and I am still shelving out $500 a week on a rental. I can’t make my car payment, the finance company will not let me skip a month because I haven’t had the car long enough. I just want to give the car back and get my money back and the best solution I got was, surrender the car but you lose your deposit and my credit for 7-10 years. I’m also going add the fact I can’t put my license plate on. For some reason there a too many holes in the bumper where the license plate is supposed to go. But none of them are aligned right. WTH!! Where do they get these cars? I believe they knew this car had issues and just wanted to get it off the lot. But now I’m stuck with a car that isn’t running, a loan payment I can’t pay and I’m going broke on rental fees. Don’t go to DriveTime. Every car I test drove didn’t feel right but the Equinox made it till right after the return window. Very convenient.
