Sales (Used)
In hindsight, I should have kept away from Garavel Subaru when I first spoke with them. I called on a car that I had seen on a website, but the CarFax reported that it was in an accident. I asked Garavel about what the nature of the accident is, but they couldn't tell me (but they ASSURED me that they don't straighten frames, so it wasn't that bad). So, I still have no idea what happened to my car. It could have been a fender-bender....or it might not have.
Taking the car for a test-drive, I should have resisted the salesman's pressure to put a deposit down TODAY and such. But, I didn't. I should have also inspected the vehicle thoroughly before offering to buy it, because (of course) when I handed over the check and went outside to put my plates on, we noticed numerous problems (this was, of course, after waiting an hour to be seen, and then another hour or two to get the paperwork done).
The vehicle was billed as a Subaru Certified Used Vehicle, but I joke (bitterly) that the only thing certified about it is that, yes, it is indeed used. The vehicle featured numerous pieces of "road rash" which, while it may be expected in a used vehicle, should have been caught by point 135 and 144 of the Subaru Certified Vehicle checklist. They seemed fairly unwilling to fix it, and eventually acceded to putting some touch-up paint on it (which is quite visible). I was having difficulty seeing out of my windshield during rain, so I assumed that they didn't carry out point 24 ("Windshield wipers and washer front/ rear check"). Of course, I can't be sure if they did replace the wiper blades, because the windshield is so filthy that I'm strongly considering having it replaced entirely. Upon driving the vehicle home for the first time, I noticed a rhythmic vibration in the car, which turned out to be a bad wheel bearing. If they took it on the highway (as you figure they would do to satisfy point 101), they would have noticed it. The tread on the tires still does not look good, but they assured me that it was within parameters (I'm waiting for a tire to go so I can replace the whole lot). Last, while not covered by the Subaru Certified Vehicle checklist, the battery in my vehicle was going bad.
The entire experience reeks of a sales staff that received a car and attempted to get it out the door as quickly as possible, without allowing the service people the proper opportunity to do their job. The only good thing about Garavel Subaru, in my opinion, is Gregg Cantandella and the bulk of his service crew. Gregg himself is a customer-conscious professional who is empathetic to customer needs, and has a "can-do" attitude. The bulk of his service crew have a similar focus. The sales, and sales-support staff, though, do not seem to have the same focus, and committed numerous flubs that damaged my opinion of Garavel Subaru. Multiple times a week I tell myself that I should have gone with another car from another dealership.