Volkswagen of Lake Charles

Please check and believe all 1-star reviews before patronizing this dealership. Normally, I don't write reviews but with my recent experience and interactions with VW of Lake Charles I am compelled patronizing this dealership. Normally, I don't write reviews but with my recent experience and interactions with VW of Lake Charles I am compelled to do so. However, I regret I have to give a 1-star rating because my experience was very unprofessional and a bit predatory. While searching for a manual VW Jetta, I found one of the few remaining models at VW of Lake Charles. I submitted an inquiry to check its availability and was promptly contacted by Business Manager Brittany. She then connected me with Salesman Michael Guidry. On Wednesday, while I was still on a plane, I informed both Brittany and Michael that I had just landed in Florida but was very interested in the Jetta they had on their lot. Since I live 300 miles away, I informed both Brittany and Michael that I was very interested in purchasing the vehicle. However, I wouldn’t be back home until Sunday, August 25, which would mean I could not visit the dealership until at least Monday. Michael initially did a great job engaging with me and building a rapport as a customer. As an HR Director who values excellent customer service, I appreciated his efforts. Throughout our interactions, I made it clear that I am a businessman and was placing my trust in him, even without having test-driven the Jetta. However, on Thursday, Michael requested a picture of my driver’s license before proceeding with any further interaction, which seemed a bit unusual. He did eventually send me a video of the vehicle, as I had requested, to confirm that it was actually on the lot. After receiving the video, I informed Michael that I was ready to buy the car and asked about the next steps. He mentioned he would send me a link to complete a credit application. Instead of using his link, I decided to complete the application on VW’s Financial page myself, hoping this would give me more flexibility with other dealers if this one didn’t work out. However, that’s a story for another day. After pulling my credit, Michael’s attitude changed significantly. He became less responsive and evasive, which was frustrating, especially since I was already approved online. When I reached out to him, he made various excuses, claiming he couldn't share my rate due to some Louisiana law about not discussing rates over the phone. Yet, he was able to tell me that I was a Tier 2 or Tier 3—he couldn’t recall which. Despite promising to call me before the dealership closed, he never followed through. On Friday, I sent Michael a follow-up text message and he replied that he was out on a family emergency. However, his boss, the sales manager Matthew shared that he was out for his brother's birthday. I had a family member visit the dealership on my behalf and offer $1,000 to hold the car. Despite this, the sales manager informed him that they were expecting a potential buyer from Lafayette the next day, Saturday, to view the vehicle. If they had no intention of selling me the vehicle, I don’t understand why Michael would be dishonest and misrepresent the sale. Having me pull my credit, only to have the transaction fall through, was particularly frustrating. Additionally, his flighty and inconsistent communication only added to the frustration. He stated he's been selling cars for 8 years and I guess he learned the xx game quite well. In either case, the dealership did me a disservice. With VW’s policy, once your credit is run at a particular dealer, that dealer retains ownership of your profile. This means you will have to go through the credit process again if you decide to work with a different dealership, complicating and potentially prolonging your purchase experience. Beware of doing business at VW of Lake Charles. Also, if you're interested in any Volkswagen vehicle, be aware of their policy that ties you to a single dealer for any credit inquiry. My experience was disappointing and now I have an unnecessary inquiry on my credit profile. Thanks Michael G More

When I first purchased my car, I thought they were awesome. Nadine was great as far as sales. Then on Wednesday 8/16/2023 my car would not continue running. It would start, then when put in gear it awesome. Nadine was great as far as sales. Then on Wednesday 8/16/2023 my car would not continue running. It would start, then when put in gear it would die and a message saying "please start manually" would appear and the start/stop button would light up. When I called them, Shannon in service told me, "Ma'am, first you need to make sure your car has gas" which made me reply, "Ma'am I just put gas in it." They automatically went to "Bad Gas" Okay. So roadside assistance towed it there. After one full day, they called me Friday and said it was bad gas and warranty does not cover it. I've had this car 2 months and paid one note. You are going to tell me that nine dollars worth of gas, when it was almost empty did that much damage. No way. They jumped to that conclusion. Now I owe $1,343.23 to get my car back. I would never recommend this dealership to anyone. They do not accommodate you at all. They even charged me for the diagnostic $135. Before they knew it was bad gas (as they say). They will never convince me it was bad gas and I will give them a bad review every chance that I get. More

They sold me a car that had been rear ended without telling me about that. When I was finally able to speak with "O B" he told me that he wouldn't fix the damage because I had given them a bad review w telling me about that. When I was finally able to speak with "O B" he told me that he wouldn't fix the damage because I had given them a bad review which I had not done! Well I'm doing it now! I extremely dissatisfied with this dealership! More

3 minutes ago NEW DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT BUY FROM THIS DEALERSHIP. The wife and I bought an atlas in 2022 and had a few issues with it but the service department helped as best they could. The new ow THIS DEALERSHIP. The wife and I bought an atlas in 2022 and had a few issues with it but the service department helped as best they could. The new owner "Albert Thompson" has turned this dealership into a terrible place. After speaking with Albert and explaining all the issues I have been dealing with, he finds it to be a good idea to become belligerent and curse at me because I didn't appreciate his "there isn't anything I can do or want to do to help you" I am now selling my vehicle in order to never step foot in this dealership again. I urge and beg everyone to go to Lafayette or Beaumont if you want to buy a VW. The new ownership is beyond disappointing and has no intentions on helping customers. VW corporate should be ashamed to allow this new ownership. I truly hope they post about this review so I can show them all my service records, phone calls, and documents to corroborate my statements. More

Lauren was excellent. She was very helpful and was able to get us in a vehicle the same day. She was also great helping me keep a secret. She was very helpful and was able to get us in a vehicle the same day. She was also great helping me keep a secret. More

I have had issues with this dealership since the first day I bought my car. They are unprofessional, rude, slow, and none of them know what is going on. Do not give them your business. day I bought my car. They are unprofessional, rude, slow, and none of them know what is going on. Do not give them your business. More

If a ZERO star is available that what they will get. I have a 2013 VW Jetta with 60k miles with a clock spring issue. For people that are not familiar with a vehicle clock spring it a device behind th I have a 2013 VW Jetta with 60k miles with a clock spring issue. For people that are not familiar with a vehicle clock spring it a device behind the steering wheel that control a lot of functions, but the most important one is the airbag deployment in the event of an accident. Anyway I have noticed my ABS lights going on and off so I brought the Jetta in to get the ABS light check out, but prior going to Volkswagen of Lake Charles I took the Jetta to Autozone and they scanned it with their tool and it show a clock spring code "E85". After more research online there is an internal VW bulletin on clock spring replacement. This is where VW of Lake Charles should get a ZERO star rating. The service write called and info me that the clock spring in going bad but it is not "THROWING" a clock spring code with VW scan tool, because it is not throwing error code VW manufacturer is not repair it under warranty even though VW of Lake Charles Tech and service write know that the clock spring is in the process of going out. I asked to speak to the service manager and she pretty much saying the same thing. She quoted me a $700+ estimate to get the clock spring replace or I just "DRIVES" around until the Jetta throw the code then Volkswagen will replace it under "WARRANTY" mind you that the clock spring control the airbag system. She also said I can't expect the dealer (VW of Lake Charles) to pay for something that in "NOT UNDER WARRANTY". I am not expecting to get anything for free but just because the Jetta is not throwing the code but they KNOW the clock spring is going bad they won't honor the bulletin until it throws the correct code. Very good way to promote the brand. You have to wait for a code to replace a damage part. The service manager of all people to advise me to just "DRIVE AROUND UNTIL THE ERROR CODE SHOW UP AGAIN" So let me ask Volkswagen and Volkswagen of Lake Charles IF I leave and "JUST DRIVE AROUND AND WAIT FOR THE CODE TO SHOW" and get into a situation to where the airbags doesn't deploy correctly. Anyway I will be there around noon Friday 4/28 and get it fixed elsewhere because I was told by the service manager that I need to come pick up my vehicle as soon as possible because I DECLINED for them to fix and charges me over $700 for an item they know is bad and under VW internal bulletin. Sounds like a SCAM to me. Got it fixed at local mechanic shop for $300!!! More

There wasn’t a time that I didn’t know where I was supposed to go or who I was supposed to talk to. I was greeted promptly outside and continued my conversation with Eugene as we walked in and he show supposed to go or who I was supposed to talk to. I was greeted promptly outside and continued my conversation with Eugene as we walked in and he showed me where I needed to be, as I waited several associates in passing made sure to ask me if I had been helped. Attentive, clean, friendly, and so much more. 10/10 will go back and recommend! More

they had the golf r advertised nation wide on auto trader @ 6000.00 over msrp-i contacted and had a few emails - salesman contacts me day or two later and asks if i want to make a offer - i did 2000 over msr @ 6000.00 over msrp-i contacted and had a few emails - salesman contacts me day or two later and asks if i want to make a offer - i did 2000 over msrp - from the beginning they new i was from springfield mo - they had my zip code to figure our sales tax - here is the heading of the email they sent me =GREAT NEWS. MY MANAGER IS WILLING TO DO $2K OVER STICKER. again they get my zip code - city and state and my county- i ask for miles on the car - window sticker - we spend over 2 hours on the phone - i have my wife take off work early so we can do the paperwork over the phone- then it all goes south - telling me that they wont take a deposit to hold the car - they wont do financing to hold the car - they will accept a cashiers check but they wont hold the car - so i waist 3 hours of my day - my wife leaves work early - they agreed to sell us the car @ 2k over msrp knowing i was out of state - and then reneges - a person named kenny or kevin said he was the manager that they would sell me the car but i could not put any money down on it had to be there in person - they all new we were out of state - i said things that i probably shouldn't have - BUT would do it again - no respect on making a deal - no back bones - no ethics - THEY PRICED ME A CAR AGREED TO SELL ME A CAR _THEN THEY CRAW FISHED - funny appropriate for a Louisiana dealer ship read all of their reviews - its just not me i would run away from this dealer ship - tread very lightly snakes n da swamp douggooch More