Pohanka Chevrolet

Roller Coaster Ride My brand new 2019 Cruze (less than 3000 miles on it and 2.5 months old) had an issue with the OnStar not connecting to anything. Duh, it's under warr My brand new 2019 Cruze (less than 3000 miles on it and 2.5 months old) had an issue with the OnStar not connecting to anything. Duh, it's under warranty, right? Well, first you have to deal with the idiots at OnStar, that take 12 days to tell you that you should have escalated your call, which I did, and that it would be another 4-5 days for the escalated level 2 techs to get back to you. All they could tell you to do is to "Push the Blue Button on the rear view mirror". (side note - the Blue Button is NOT on the mirror, it's on the console above the mirror). Then fed up with them, I called the dealership I bought the car from, only to be told to contact OnStar. They do not service it. It's clearly a hardware issue, as I have been in the IT field for over 20 years, but it took a call to GM's corporate offices to say that - YES, the dealership should look at the car, and Yes, the technicians are trained to diagnose OnStar issues. Then began the journey to the dealership. I will say, Pohanka Service has the most awesome hours, operating 2 complete shifts, so that is a big bonus to them. Samantha Campbell has a very nice friendly southern charm to her, that can calm down the biggest volcano - of which I was by the time I got there. Guess that's why she's the Assistant Manager, and the only one I dealt with as Jeff, the Service Manager, barely would return any of my calls, and acted like I was something he didn't want to waste time on. Okay, first off, let me explain that I live with weird hours - very early hours - 4am to about 8pm is my average day. Chantilly is a very highly congested traffic area, and to get there, you will more than likely be sitting in some traffic - like an hour to get 15 miles. So after I got word from GM corporate to go to the dealership to have them look at the vehicle, I headed out to Chantilly. Samantha was very nice to get the service porter to take me and my teenage daughter over to get some dinner and bring us back, about 6pm ish. While finishing up our takeout, I got a call from OnStar's Level 2 technician. I gave my phone to Samantha, who took it back to the vehicle to "Push the Blue Button", and when they told her to take the vehicle to a local dealership, they couldn't understand that she WAS the dealership. Funny how consistently bad they were. Sam gave me back my phone shaking her head about how dumb they were, even to her. Then we waited, and waited and waited. About 8:30, Samantha comes over and says the mechanic has checked all he can check and sent information to GM to await instructions, but they can't do anymore tonight. She offered to have a car wash, but seeing as it was so late, I declined and just wanted to get back home - again another hour drive. Then lots more phone calls, and voice mail. Okay, I did explain to Sam that I operate weird early hours, but apparently that didn't get noted or sink in as she called me after 9pm and told me she needed my permission to try something remotely, but didn't say what it was. I replied as the phone woke me up, and said she could do whatever was needed remotely as long as it didn't start the car or honk the horn disturbing the neighbors. Apparently she never got the message, as it took another phone call the next day to find out that they wanted to remotely try to change my car's phone number to see if that cleared the issue - which it didn't. More calls to find out if they heard back from GM.... Did they hear back? No, Did they hear back, No. So I tried calling the Service Manager, Jeff. He kept wanting to pawn me off on Sam. Didn't seem to want to get involved. Nice to know that going up the chain of command does NOTHING. Few more calls to GM Corporate, only to get no information - nobody can even take a few minutes to explain what the delay is in the process. Not very good Customer Service. Would it have killed someone to have offered a little bit of information on the process and why it took so dang long? Okay, here's the deal that I learned - OnStar - even though they are owned by GM, works mostly out of the Philippines - where you get people that speak a semi-broken English and don't care if your stuff works or not - they have a script to read to you and that's it. They can sure check to see if you've paid your ransom fees. Yup I'm comparing their software to malware, and ransomware. Level 2 technicians come out of Detroit or close to there. They are script readers that speak better English, but still can't do much more than their script, but they know that if you came referred by the level one techs, they verified your paid up, so they don't ask for your account information. GM has some Engineers that respond to an old school text relaying station much like a tele-type machine from the early 80's, but they ONLY correspond to a dealership's request, there is NO OTHER WAY TO CONTACT THESE PEOPLE? Not a great system, but they really don't give a xxxx, as OnStar is considered a third party vendor item, much like your Satellite radio. But that OnStar sure is a great safety and security selling point - until it doesn't work. Then your warm fuzzy feeling of protection is blown to bits - kinda like being robbed. Okay, so I'm playing the waiting game to get this service work done, and by this time, I'm 2 days out from leaving for a week's vacation, and GM says, Yes, we need a new OnStar module. They send it out (and the dealer did ask that it be expedited, so it was overnight delivery) and it will be here on Friday - I leave on Saturday 7am. So I head over to Pohanka, on Thursday evening and they offer me a loaner vehicle so they have the vehicle there to service it when the part comes in. That process took about an hour after it took me an hour to get there and another hour to drive home. Again, traffic is not their fault, but did it really have to take me an hour to just get a loaner vehicle? I get there on Friday - they called at 6pm to tell me it was ready for pickup. I get the car, and yes, this time it's washed and pretty (thanks) and I tested the OnStar, and it connected and give me directions home (yes, I know how to get there, but I had to test it out somehow to see if it worked). Okay since I've been such a pain in the xxx, calling all the time looking for answers, I guess they wanted to do what they could, and I now get that GM corporate's communication systems suck and that's not Pohanka's fault at all. So now that you know the full story, you can see that part of the blame of the service process is GM, part is their service department. Overall, are the people nice? Yes, Sam is very nice and friendly. Jeff is another story. Do they do good work? Don't really know much of what went on, but I'd have to say it's good - they fixed the issue once they got the parts. I'd trust they are all well trained. Are dealerships pricey for service? Yes, but they are well trained and most of their costs are preset in a computer for what is being done. This was warranty work, so there was no cost. Are they fast? Nope. Not even close. Turtle mode is faster. They don't even acknowledge your there in a timely manner (not good Customer Service) Would a wave and smile kill you? Could their customer service be better? Yes, but that is long lesson (and a class that I teach, so yes, I'm pretty picky about Customer Service). They did okay with what they had, but communications with the customer isn't a strong suit. Had I not bought the vehicle there, I probably wouldn't have dealt with them. May have to shop around more for a good service department - didn't have much luck with many other dealerships in the DC Metropolitan area either, so it's not just this one. In comparison to others around, they aren't too bad, but that's not saying much. Barely good isn't very good. Even Sam couldn't make up for it with her charm and friendliness. She did make it more tolerable. More

Normal servicing Pohanka always does a great job in service and sales for. I have been buying cars and pickups from them for the last 25 years. I enjoy working with Pohanka always does a great job in service and sales for. I have been buying cars and pickups from them for the last 25 years. I enjoy working with Raj and he has been open and fair with me. My first salesman was Mike Wirth and I bought about about 6 of the 10 cars from him and 3 others from Raj. This last trip in for service was quick and complete, with the exception of my state inspection sticker came due in June, the date of service, and they did not catch it. That is a very minor item as far as I am concerned. Regards, Ken Knapp More

Service department review The staff is pretty good. The Service department does offer a lot to the waiting customer, also the Service department is open for late night service The staff is pretty good. The Service department does offer a lot to the waiting customer, also the Service department is open for late night service hours. I would suggest being mindful of the business aspect of the department. If the department asks you to call GM customer service, do not have the dealership work on your vehicle until after you speak to GM customer service. Also make sure you discuss pricing before you leave your car there (try to speak to someone over the phone ahead of time). Be mindful if you are going in for a part you previously fixed, also discuss pricing and payments ahead of time before taking your car in, the department does not offer refunds, so you are better off shopping around ahead of time. More

Disrespectful and rude If I could give zero stars, I would. If you buy a car here, you've paid too much. We were looking for a Suburban Premier and had done our research If I could give zero stars, I would. If you buy a car here, you've paid too much. We were looking for a Suburban Premier and had done our research for months. We kept an eye on one we liked at Pohanka during that time and finally decided to inquire. We negotiated some via email and went in to see the vehicle and negotiate the final price. They refused to budge any further on the price and acted like it was ridiculous to even try and negotiate further. We happily left after their internet service manager, Mike Waters, made a scene in the lobby like a petulant little child who didn't get his way. We weren't asking for a ridiculous price reduction, as proven by the fact their competitor met us at our price on a Suburban Premier that had more features and options then the Pohanka vehicle (on the very same day!). My advice: use this place to get a price quote from and then head to Lindsay Chevrolet in Woodbridge (or anywhere else for that matter). Trust me, it's worth the hike and Lindsay is willing to beat any competitors price… with a smile on their faces! More

Real Professional Buying Experience Joel Piller, Anuj Bharadwaj, Francis Mendiola and Guy Eberhart all worked very well to see that my needs were met with an honest trade allowance and c Joel Piller, Anuj Bharadwaj, Francis Mendiola and Guy Eberhart all worked very well to see that my needs were met with an honest trade allowance and competive deal on a sweet 2018 Chevrolet Impala Premier. No tricks or hidden fees were employed during the process and they saw that I was in and out in a timely fashion. I will continue to send all friends and family to this top notch dealership going forward. More

Superior product knowledge and service Our experience at Pohanka Chevrolet, buying a certified used Silverado, was superb. Joel Piller is the gent I would go back to for any future purchas Our experience at Pohanka Chevrolet, buying a certified used Silverado, was superb. Joel Piller is the gent I would go back to for any future purchase, and recommend to anyone who expects product knowledge, no pressure, but just a good guy. I felt like I was looking over a truck with a good friend, not a "salesman". Israel Menisher did the finance and registration paperwork for us. He was efficient, thorough, and, as a truck owner himself, had some great advice about trucks for me - a first time truck owner. The whole operation at Pohanka Chevy is professional, knowledgeable, and respectful of you - the person about to spend a lot of money on a vehicle. More

Breath of Fresh Air, Fun and Honesty I recently purchased a Chevrolet Impala from Pohanka Chevrolet after visiting six other dealers. This dealership treated me with respect and made me I recently purchased a Chevrolet Impala from Pohanka Chevrolet after visiting six other dealers. This dealership treated me with respect and made me feel that I was in charge of the negotiations - no negative comments or appearance of pressure placed on me by the dealer's representative, Joel Piller. Joel's personality made the entire experience enjoyable. After making the deal for the car, the manager who processed the paperwork was knowledgeable, understanding and made the interaction enjoyable rather than tedious. The entire experience was a breath of fresh air, compared to the other dealers I interacted with. More

STRESSFREE and PEACEFUL! I visited the dealer just a few days ago. I can honestly say that this has been the most amazing experience I have ever experienced in my life. The ge I visited the dealer just a few days ago. I can honestly say that this has been the most amazing experience I have ever experienced in my life. The gentleman that greeted us as soon as he saw us was such professional that more sales men can learn from him. He not only gave us the attention we needed without making us feel pressured to leave with a car that day- His tone of voice and the help we received was confident and allowed us to feel at ease. Never once did we feel like running away and just going somewhere else. I will continue to purchase and most of all refer everyone I know to this dealer. I cant leave without giving a shout out to "Greg McDaniel "for being the BEST SALESPERSON out there. Never lose your understanding for your customers and putting yourself in the customers shoes before your own. THANK YOU! THANK YOU! I cant wait to get my sunroof installed to LOVE my vehicle even more. More

Overall great experience Communication about the delivery status of our new Chevy Bolt was excellent. We were well-informed all along the way. The sales process went quickly Communication about the delivery status of our new Chevy Bolt was excellent. We were well-informed all along the way. The sales process went quickly and smoothly. The GM (Francis Mendiola) made sure we were happy with our purchase and followed up later in the day with us. Austin Allen (sales) was knowledgeable and friendly. His post-sales follow up on the features of the car was fantastic and greatly appreciated. Everyone in the dealership was extraordinarily helpful and friendly. I will return there for all of our family vehicle purchases. More

Still can't seem to find the title for my car After roughly 15 years of buying many vehicles from both individuals, dealerships, even over the phone from other states, I have officially had the ab After roughly 15 years of buying many vehicles from both individuals, dealerships, even over the phone from other states, I have officially had the absolute worst car buying process of my life. I have been lied to, ignored, blown off, and treated like I have never been treated as a paying customer before. I purchased my a used commuter car from this dealership January 11th. Paid in full, in cash, immediately. I picked up the car the next day after waiting more than half the day for them to get it through detail. It seemed after they had my money it got forgotten about. No big deal, it happens. When I was in the process of buying, I was told the title was locked up in the back, and it would take roughly 5-10 business days for me to receive it in my name. I wait roughly 3 weeks before contacting my salesman Anug inquiring about it. He acted shocked that I had not gotten it and promised to get back to me. Days go by, I contact again. No reply. I finally find him face to face in my place of business to be told he has no answer. It is now over two months of still not receiving my title for the vehicle. I’ve heard stories from them that they never had a title, stories of two titles from different states, stories of liens on both titles. At one point after going around to different managers the General store manager finally contacted me and still had no answers. I cannot urge anyone enough to steer clear of this dealership. They have gone through at least 3 general managers in a very short time, all sales staff has been rotated through. There is nobody there that will give you a solid answer or tell you the truth. I have started the process of going through the DMV legal services to take action in getting this resolved. You’ve been warned, buy at your own risk from this very shady underhanded dealership. More