Mini of Peabody

Service staff is great….BUT..service ETHICS are NOT !! Be aware that OEM parts that they use are inferior! As an example if you get your spark plugs for Mini changed they use Champion spark plugs not Bosch or a higher end. After my 60mile tuneup my Mini went crazy, lights flashing stalling ect. I brought it to my local repair person down the street immediately they checked the spark plugs, called me, took pictures and laughed that they put a inferior part in. I paid another $500 to get quality plugs installed and have had ZERO issues since. When I reached out to Peabody Mini, I brought in my receipt, as well as the champion spark plug as I couldn’t believe that was the OEM replacement. ! The general manager and service manager took the faulty spark plug part, came back and told me Champion spark plugs was an approved OEM part. I was shocked they didn’t offer to refund or rebate me any money or do anything else. I was told I should’ve had the car towed to them, when the faulty spark plugs were the culprit. ?. The bigger question is why champion spark plugs R an OEM approved part and not something that one would expect to use in a European performance vehicle. I have no trust in the parts of Mini dealerships. I tell everyone I know about this horrid experience , and always tell the story to any mini owner that I come across.

I strongly suggest that anyone looking to do business with Mini of Peabody, Peabody Motor Sports, BMW of Peabody, or Lyon-Waugh Auto Group affiliates look elsewhere for more honest, trustworthy, and ethical alternatives. While doing an online search I found an Audi I liked for sale by Mini of Peabody. I contacted them and was told by salesman Gabriel Payano there were no mechanical issues with it and that is was a great, “clean car.” After a little more research into Mini of Peabody (Peabody Motor Sports) reviews and seeing they were affiliated with Lyon-Waugh Auto Group I was truly assured this would be a great purchasing experience, only to have it delivered the following week with a malfunctioning tailgate. After telling Gabriel of the faulty tailgate and that our local Audi dealership said it would be upwards of $1500+ to fix, his response was it was “working well with no issues while it was here.” Gabriel then had Mini of Peabody Pre-Owned Manager Brig Currie call to address the issue. Brig also told me it worked fine with no issues while at his dealership and then offered $200 toward repairs. I explained that was unacceptable and it made me wonder if they knew of the problem all along. Brig suggested that I should’ve had a third party inspect the car before the purchase. He also said they would not pay for repairs at Audi or anywhere else, and it didn’t matter that they were affiliated with Audi Nashua because our local Audi dealership would charge the heck out of them regardless. He asked what sound the tailgate was making, I explained and offered to send him a video which he accepted. Within six minutes of sending Brig and Mini of Peabody the video showing the malfunctioning tailgate he produced an internal work order showing how Mini of Peabody supposedly corrected the issue THE DAY BEFORE I CONTACTED THEM! They knew of this issue all along! Brig said they replaced the faulty switch and that it must just be an adjustment. I explained that if they could fix it that’s all I wanted. He tried walking me through the adjustment; however it did not correct the issue. I asked him if he had any other suggestions and he asked if I wanted them to buy the car back. I explained that I simply wanted the tailgate fixed correctly. I also explained again how the extra charges to fix the tailgate should be Mini of Peabody’s responsibility, and if Mini of Peabody wanted to buy the car back instead of fixing it correctly they should pay the transport costs, TT&L, and detail charges I had already incurred. Brig called back stating per Mini of Peabody and BMW of Peabody General Manager John Pirotte they would not fix the tailgate, would not pay anyone to fix the tailgate, or buy back the Audi. He again suggested I accept their $200 offer to fix a potential $1500+ issue. Beware when it comes to Mini of Peabody, Peabody Motor Sports, BMW of Peabody, or any of Lyon-Waugh Auto Group affiliates. They were clearly dishonest and unethical at all levels of my purchasing experience. Because their managers work across several Lyon-Waugh Auto Group dealerships I would certainly look for alternatives to any of their affiliates for your next purchase.

I found my new car online and contacted the dealership via email. We communicated via email and a couple of quick phone calls, with the expected amount of used-car negotiations (free delivery, put new snow tires on it, make sure it came with an owners manual, give me what I was looking for on my tradein). I took delivery of the vehicle today and the driver accompanied me to my town office and local DMV (had to do both because it was an out of state transaction). Love my new vehicle and couldn't be happier with the outcome!