Palmetto57 Volkswagen

I don't know how VW allows this dealership to be an authorized sales/service center. I took my CC for service as I had an issue with the trunk. $107 to diagnose the problem. 3 hours later I get the new authorized sales/service center. I took my CC for service as I had an issue with the trunk. $107 to diagnose the problem. 3 hours later I get the news - faulty latch, it would cost $321 to replace. OK, go ahead. Hour and a half later, uh, it's more complicated, they are trying to reset the computer. An hour later, uh, it's not the latch, it's the harness. Special order, we don't have it. Prepay $360 for parts and labor and we'll order it. Bring your car in 3 days. Can I get a loaner and leave my car here? We used to have one but not any more. Can someone give me a ride to work when I come back for the special order part to be installed? We have a driver that is here at 9:30 am but no guarantee. In the mean time constant sales attempts offering maintenance services that I don't need. It's a 2009 car, if you charge me $107 for diagnostic which other servicers offer for free how come your diagnostic is b.s.? Found a problem that 4 hours later turns out to be an incorrect one. Sorry, we made a mistake. When you come next time for the repair we'll wash your car for free. I had the feeling that I am on a different planet. Such ineptness, lack of customer service, upsale attempts and delays may be charactaristic of a second hand used car dealership. It shouldn't be for VW authorized dealership. VW, shut them down. They are doing disservice to a very fine car brand. More

SO over the course of the last year my husband has taken his 2006 VW Jetta TDi in for service here. This last time, he took the car in in June for service as there was something that needed to be fixed. T his 2006 VW Jetta TDi in for service here. This last time, he took the car in in June for service as there was something that needed to be fixed. The service technician admitted to show off did something under the car to make the engine rev and have the shop fill with black smoke to the point that the technician blew the engine. After 5 months of the car sitting at VW for repairs (at least they had the courtesy of providing a loaner car.) my husband picked up the car, it is November now . They battery had been switched out, my husband had to replace it yesterday. Now today, the car left him stranded on the Gratigny parkway where he is currently waiting for a tow truck to pick him up. This dealer service Center need to replace this car all ready. All of the problems with iut are from the service techs doing shoddy work. More

I'm an owner of a VW and am very meticulous of the car. I have taken the car to VW Palmetto / Esserman for years up until I realized the mechanics do NOT have knowledge of what they are doing. From car. I have taken the car to VW Palmetto / Esserman for years up until I realized the mechanics do NOT have knowledge of what they are doing. From stripping my bolt from the oil pan, breaking an oil dip stick and NOT replacing it, to putting in brakes incorrectly and blaming it on my tires. I have read other stories on this site and its a shame that service advisers take the blame for the poor work being performed by the mechanics. My opinion is the following - Pablo Mata is a great service adviser, very friendly. Unfortunately, the mechanics behind the scene seem to either not be schooled correctly with working on VW vehicles OR they are very underpaid and taking out their frustrations on ones car. Needless to say, I drive MILES away to another VW dealer service department where I can feel at ease of the work being performed on my car. DO NOT TAKE YOUR CAR THERE... sorry Pablo has I think you are great service adviser but the service done there is horrible. It would be great to see Pablo at another service dealership as I would go where he would go. More

Worst experience I've ever had in my life. Came to fix one problem left with more problems. Very unfriendly and very arrogant service adviser. No help at all. Try to get off the phone and in person wh fix one problem left with more problems. Very unfriendly and very arrogant service adviser. No help at all. Try to get off the phone and in person when i and my wife try to talk to her she keep cutting off us on the middle of conversation and start speaking on Spanish to her other coworker totally ignoring us. Not very friendly when i cam second time when i found out the same day when i try to check my oil, the dipstick was totally destroyed and pushed in. The second problem same day i noticed that under driver side under the car next to the wheel the plastic shroud was broken and hanging out and touch ground when i drive. Plus each time i making turns it touching the wheel and making noise. This SUCKERS charge me almost $300 for the service and didn`t do nothing. When my wife told me it is strange windy sound coming from under the dash of the passenger side i decide to open and see if the cabin filter was change since it was on the floor behind the passenger seat. I open it took me less than 5 min and to my surprise it was never change. Now i doubt they even change Air filter since my idle become to ruff. I would not recommend this dealership for any services or repairs. Dishonest and arrogant bunch a morons who don`t know what they doing. Filed complains with BBB. Hope to get my money back for lousy job they did. More

We traveled 1 1/2 hours to Palmetto 57 VW in Miami to purchase a used BMW we saw on line with 49,700 miles. The factory warranty had already expired. We requested that we be allowed to have it inspecte purchase a used BMW we saw on line with 49,700 miles. The factory warranty had already expired. We requested that we be allowed to have it inspected by an independent/impartial mechanic. They said it has already been inspected by them and wouldn't allow us to do so. Thinking that they must be a reputable dealer since they are a VW franchise dealer and that their inspections are thorough, we purchased the car anyway. The morning after we got home, it wouldn't start. We had it towed to another facility, found out it's a bad starter...a $770 repair. We called them and they will not pay the repair bill. THEY WON'T EVEN STAND BEHIND THEIR CARS FOR 24 HOURS! Makes you wonder...why wouldn't they let us get it inspected elsewhere? This smells. It appears as though they just wanted to get it off their lot and make it somebody else's problem. If they won't back up their product for at least 24 hours, what will they do to you? Would you want to do business with a company like this? They apparently don't care about their reputation. More

They tried to pull a bait and switch. If you like dirty deals, this is the place. I recommend staying as far away as possible. See Gunther VW or Vista VW. Dishonesty is NEVER ACCEPTABLE. deals, this is the place. I recommend staying as far away as possible. See Gunther VW or Vista VW. Dishonesty is NEVER ACCEPTABLE. More

So I accidentally backed into a fence and cracked one of my brake light covers. I took it to this dealership and asked how much it would cost to fix, thinking it would be just the clear, plastic covering of my brake light covers. I took it to this dealership and asked how much it would cost to fix, thinking it would be just the clear, plastic covering of the light. After inspecting it for 2 seconds, the "service" salesman tells me , well you have to replace the entire light fixture. The part costs 225.00 + 225.00 labor to install. Shocked, I put my poker face on and said ok, I'll be back. Went home and found the piece online BRAND NEW for 115.00. So I ordered it. Next I did a google search on how to replace a 2007 VW brake light. Sure enough, up comes a YouTube video explaining how to do it. To my absolute surprise, all that was holding that part in place were 2 SCREWS! The dealership was going to bold face screw me over and charge me 225.00 for the labor of removing 2 screws, sliding out old light fixture, replacing it with new fixture and screwing the bolts back in!!! I did the work myself. Bottom line: these people are shady scam artists who will give you arbitrary prices off the top of their head, to see if your dumb enough to say, oh ok. DO NOT GO HERE FOR SERVICE!! I have another story of how much these guys suck which I will post when I have more time. More

Nothing but lies at this dealership! Over the phone gave me a price that I knew was not possible for the lease I wanted. I was expecting the price to be about $50 more per month. I wanted to turn in my old me a price that I knew was not possible for the lease I wanted. I was expecting the price to be about $50 more per month. I wanted to turn in my old VW lease and get a new one and i had pretty good idea of the price. I get a call on Sunday from one of the sales guys (don't want to give his name because they are all liars). I really did not want to go since it was a Sunday and pretty far away. The guy assured me that he could get me the Tiguan I wanted for a certain price. I told him over the phone all the conditions I had, turning in my lease and paying nothing down. He said I'll talk to my manager and I will call you back. He calls me back that everything included he would get me the car I wanted at that price. Still having doubts and not wanting to ruin my Sunday I call him back with all my conditions and ask are you sure I can get it at that price. His answer for sure come over. I go over and all the typical car dealer crap begins! I just want to see the price on paper! He brings out the car we wanted and parks it in the front. Then goes lets go for a test ride. I tell him i don't need one just want to sign the papers. Then the dog and pony show begins! He has to talk with the finance guy. My wife and I wait around for over an hour. The finance guy comes in and the price is over $150 more that what I agreed to. I get up pissed off and tell them wasted my Sunday and leave. The sales manager calls me on Monday. He says he is going to run some numbers. and never calls me back. More

I have an Esserman dealership within 5 miles of my house, but based on the lack of knowledge of their sales staff, I always drove 50+ miles to Gunther to buy all of my cars. I am an avid VW collector so havi but based on the lack of knowledge of their sales staff, I always drove 50+ miles to Gunther to buy all of my cars. I am an avid VW collector so having a relationship with my dealership is extremely important. I decided to give this particular Esserman dealership a try, since it is about 25 miles from where I live. Still far, but definitely better than 50+ miles. From the beginning, I have dealt with Jose Luis Bringas with my service on my VW R32 and he is an EXCEPTIONAL employee! He truly understands the meaning of customer service and I commend him on this. His manager, Rolando Sanchez, however, does not possess this quality. In November, I brought my car in for a tire rotation. When I left the dealer with my car, I noticed it was not driving properly. I immediately called Jose and he had my car looked at but whoever serviced the car did not find anything wrong with it. I was asked to wait 1000 miles and return if the problem persists. I returned to the dealer this morning and dealt with the Service "Manager". Some manager! Before I even had the opportunity to speak with him, he was eyeing my tires and immediately fit the blame on my need to change the tires. The issue here is that back in November, I handed them a car with ZERO problems and what I got back was a car that no longer drives correctly. I tried numerous times to explain this to Rolando but he was hard headed and continued to babble about my tires and the modifications to my car. AGAIN, the issue here is that my car was in PERFECT condition before and quite the opposite IMMEDIATELY AFTER service. His disregard for my concerns is completely unacceptable for a "Manager". I want to reiterate that Jose on the other hand, has always been wonderful; it is a shame that I will never return to this dealership for service and much less the purchase of any other vehicles. More

I cannot begin to explain how displeased I am with this Esserman Volkswagen! This was the dealership I had first gone to when I was considering a new lease, but the customer service was so bad I went t Esserman Volkswagen! This was the dealership I had first gone to when I was considering a new lease, but the customer service was so bad I went to Esserman International. In fact, when there was a special on the 2013 CC (I did not know there was a special & found out the next day on a TV commercial), they were giving me an even more difficult time with the pricing which was quoted at a MUCH MORE higher price than what was being advertised. My new car was just towed to this Esserman Volkswagen due to engine issues as it was the closest dealership to my location last night. Since then, I have not received a single phone call regarding my car. I had to call several times to try and resolve the issue, and it wasn’t until I got really upset on the phone that they agreed to give me a loaner vehicle. I know that "Beggars can't be choosers", but the loaner I was provided with was in poor condition on top of everything else. It is dirty, smells like cigarettes, and no one bothered to go over the specs with me as it is a completely different car model than what I leased. The icing on the cake? I STILL have not heard about my car! No one could give me any information as to what went wrong, or how long it would be before I got my car back. I can honestly say, I will NOT return to Esserman Volkswagen in Miami Lakes EVER AGAIN! More