TLDR: person takes car on test drive for 2.5 hours to lunch then off road without cell signal, shocked when dealer is mad.
Summary
They called the police on me because they didn’t communicate their guidelines for test drives. Two weeks ago was my first time ever going for a test drive in a new car. I came in, expressed interest in the specific model and they were all for it. They took a photocopy of my driver’s license, asked if I wanted the rep to come with (I decided no, because I wanted to experience it myself to see what the car could do). I had a wonderful test drive in a new 2022 Impreza Limited with a friend. We were out for a full hour (maybe a little longer), driving around. It was a good time. I thanked the gentlemen who helped me, told him I needed to think a little more and figure out some financing, and departed. Two days ago, I had decided I wanted to try an Outback Limited and a Crosstrek Limited. Again, photocopy of driver’s license and offer for a rep to come along. Again, I declined. They ended up offering me an Outback Touring XL with Turbocharge because they didn’t have a turbocharged Limited. I accepted and we headed out. We ended up driving in an area with no cell signal and since it was right around lunch time, my friend and I decided to stop for something to eat (in an area with no signal). When we came out of the dead cell spot, I found numerous calls and texts. They had contacted my home. They had contacted the POLICE. The rep who had let us test drive the car, a woman with a name starting with E, was furious that we had taken the car for 2 hours (I hadn’t realized it had been that long) when we were only supposed to be gone for 10 minutes (something no one had ever told us). I was in shock and started bawling my eyes out. My friend had to do all the talking and got my boyfriend on the line to help me drive to the dealership without totally breaking down. When we arrived, there was a police cruiser there. My friend got out of the car first, as I was shaking horribly. I was so terrified that I couldn’t stop crying. I just gave the guy the keys and they looked it over as their entire staff came out. I sorta just wandered as my friend told them clearly that we had never been told (either time) about the 10 minute time limit. The police officer called me over by name and informed me that the dealership could press civil charges against me (as I continued to cry). The manager (I think, he was dressed all in a black suit) commented that it was the most expensive car they had on the lot (I hadn’t asked for that, I had wanted the Limited, not the Touring!) and that I had put way more miles than I thought possible on it. At least their mechanic was semi-nice, just saying that he needed to put it on the rack to check it out. They even popped the hood as if to check if the engine was still there! I was in full hysterics as they ordered me to stay put. I curled up in a corner on the ground with my friend trying to comfort me. Eventually, the mechanic came out saying we’re cool to go and that there was “no harm, no foul.” I remember something about their parting words to me being something like “making sure this doesn’t happen again” and I swore up and down that this would never happen again because I would never come back there again. I drove away, found an empty office space, and continued crying in shock and fear. Why they needed to threaten a sobbing woman who was already horrified about her mistake is beyond me. I ended up crying myself to sleep when I got home. If they have rules on what we’re supposed to do on a test drive, I should have had to sign something agreeing to those rules. Some people might say that it’s just “common sense,” but if that’s the case, why wasn’t I in trouble for being gone an hour 2 weeks before? If I had known the rules going in, I would have followed them. It just so happened to be that we were in a spot with no cell service. I didn’t know. How am I supposed to follow rules if they’re not communicated to me? But now I know that I’ll never return to this dealership. The only reason I’m still going to be getting a Subaru is because I freaking loved that car and I desperately want one now. Not only did they fail to tell me what they wanted, but they freaking bullied me and used scare tactics on me when I was already shaking and crying after I brought it back. These people showed no kindness, no compassion, no understanding and they didn’t even apologize for how they treated me, even being audacious enough to go “if you still wanted to buy a car, might I suggest one of our sister dealerships” as if they never wanted to deal with me again. They’ll never see me again.
Dealer response
We thank you for your interest in Subaru. A standard test drive is only 10-15 minutes long. Not 2.5 hours long. You went out for lunch, picked up your friend, went off-roading in a brand new vehicle and added 60 miles to the odometer. Not to mention, the dirt we had to have pressure washed off of the windows. That’s not a test drive. We called you 15 times, sent you multiple text messages, and left you a voicemail, which all went unanswered before involving the police. At that point, since we didn’t know where our car was, the best course of action was to call the local Sheriffs department. It’s unfortunate, but it was the only thing we were left to do since we did not hear from you for hours. Good luck with your Subaru search.
