Don’t walk—run from this dealership.
It’s unbelievable how a dealership will bend over backward to sell you a vehicle, yet fail to provide honest and competent service after the sale. When it came to performing a required software update related to a recall, the service department repeatedly told me the work had been completed when it clearly had not.
As a result, my infotainment screen continued to randomly go black, and even more concerning, my automatic emergency braking system activated unexpectedly on multiple occasions, causing me several painful episodes of whiplash.
I took time off from work and used my vacation time to bring my vehicle in for service on multiple occasions because this dealership was always out of loaner vehicles. Each visit meant leaving my car behind without transportation, only to be told the updates had been completed. Every time I picked up my vehicle, I was assured the issues had been resolved, yet the problems only became worse. I grew tired of wasting my valuable time only to be repeatedly misled.
My next step was to contact the dealership where I purchased not only this Acura, but several previous Acuras as well. Since my service advisor wasn’t available, I spoke with a sales supervisor in hopes that he could help communicate with the service department and find a solution. I explained that I genuinely felt either the service department didn’t know how to perform the required software updates on my vehicle or simply chose not to. He assured me he would investigate the matter and call me back the following day. That conversation took place on a Monday, and I was told to expect a call by Tuesday. It’s now been almost two weeks, and I still haven’t received a single follow-up.
That same Tuesday, I turned to social media and asked fellow Acura ZDX owners for recommendations on a dealership that actually understands this vehicle. Multiple owners recommended Phil Smith Acura in Pompano.
The difference was immediate.
As soon as the service advisor sat in my vehicle during the drop-off, he immediately recognized that one of the required software updates had never been performed simply by looking at the dashboard display. He confidently explained what needed to be done and told me it would take about a day. In just a day and a half, the technicians completed 10 updates on my vehicle.
It’s now been over a week, and every issue I was experiencing has completely disappeared. The black screen is gone, the unexpected braking has stopped, and I can finally enjoy driving my car again.
If I decide to continue driving Acura or purchase another one in the future, it will be because of the outstanding service advisor and technicians at Phil Smith Acura, not because of the dealership where I originally purchased my vehicle.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the first issue I’ve experienced with the original dealership. During the purchase of one of my previous vehicles, they completed all of the paperwork using the wrong VIN number. I didn’t discover the mistake until I returned the next day to pick up my spare key.
I’ve shown this dealership more patience than they deserved. After everything I’ve experienced, I can confidently say I will never step foot there again. I’ve referred many friends and family members to this dealership over the years, and I will now make sure they all know about my experience. I cannot recommend this dealership, and I strongly encourage anyone considering doing business with them to take their business elsewhere.
And to Acura of Pembroke Pines: save your breath and don’t bother calling me now. I gave your dealership multiple opportunities to make this right, and even after promising to follow up, no one ever did. At this point, your actions have spoken louder than any apology or explanation ever could. My trust has been lost, and that cannot be repaired with a phone call or email
