Winn Volkswagen

I had an extremely disappointing and frustrating experience at Winn Volkswagen of Newark, California when purchasing what I was told was a 2023 Toyota Prius Limited. I drove three hours from Sacramento after receiving confirmation from both Michael Tran that I was buying a Limited trim Prius. This directly influenced my decision to make the trip and agree to the sale. But once I got the car home, I discovered it was not a Limited, it was an LE trim. It was missing key Limited features like heated seats, the 12.3” touchscreen, and other upgrades. I confirmed this through the vehicle’s VIN and Toyota’s own feature breakdown. Even more concerning, Michael Tran falsely claimed that since the car used to be a rental, “rental companies might remove features,” which is completely untrue. The car was never built or sold as a Limited. This was a clear case of bait and switch, as he still tried to convince me it was a Limited even after my discovery and then proceeded to offer me a $500 discount as if that would fix the deception. What’s worse is how many shady tactics I encountered • After we had negotiated the price before I arrived, they increased it once I was at the dealership which I accepted only because I believed I was getting a great deal on a Limited, priced below market with only one rear end collision, which I didn’t see as a big deal for the price offered • They pressured me to buy optional warranties by falsely claiming they were required to complete the sale, until I provided proof that they are optional. This was flat out deceptive and felt very coercive • They installed LoJack on the car even after I told them before arriving that I did not want it included in the deal. When I got to the dealership, they told me it was not optional and that it couldn’t be removed because “it’s built into the car.” I later found out that LoJack actually went bankrupt years ago and is no longer even in business. This felt like another dishonest add on they forced on me without consent • They promised to provide me with an Uber ride back to Sacramento when they agreed to cancel the transaction, but once I got there, they withdrew that offer. I ended up having to rely on a friend, who spent $200 driving me back and forth over the last two days I also had to push hard to get a written statement confirming that they canceled the transaction because of their mistake and that I wouldn’t be penalized in any way. I insisted they provide clear documentation showing the sale was canceled not just a refund receipt which they still did not provide. They seemed more concerned about protecting their Yelp reviews than providing honest customer service or taking accountability for their actions. On top of all that, they even had the nerve to ask me if I knew anyone else who might be looking for a car and said they hoped I would consider coming back to them for future purchases. This entire experience has made it painfully clear to me that this dealership operates with deceptive bait and switch tactics and dishonest practices. The misrepresentation of the car, the price manipulation, the pressure tactics with warranties, the forced add ons like LoJack, the failure to follow through on basic promises it all points to a lack of integrity and professionalism. I am deeply disappointed and would strongly warn anyone to avoid this dealership if you are looking for an honest car buying experience.

Team members Nate, Josh and JV not only were very professional throughout the whole process and answered every question, They made sure we were making the right choice, no pressure!

From the moment I walked in I was greeted by professional salesmen. They where attentive and interested in helping me. They have a positive attitude, knowledge about the cars and products and able to answer all my questions. I feel good about going there to buy my new car.