CARDINAL AUTO SALES Raleigh, NC

My name is Scott Handback. I am a real person who bought a Used 2014 Audi Q7 Platinum Plus SUV from Cardinal Auto Sales in Raleigh, North Carolina in  October 2024. This is my story of the HELL I have been through since that time.

The entire reason I was buying this car was to have some sort of transportation after finding out I had to replace the engine in my 2015 Dodge Ram Truck and that the process to replace the engine would take a year or so.

Obviously, based on my experience with the truck, I requested to purchase the best extended warranty available for the car that Cardinal Auto Sales offered. I paid $3,300 cash for the extended warranty plan that was offered.

Needless to say, my experience since that day has been a personal HELL. I have never had such a bad experience with a used car sales dealer.

They state "Each car is thoroughly inspected to meet our quality standards before being listed".

ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE!!!

There are lots of positive reviews on websites about the company. Don't be fooled. 

These are not legitimate reviews. If you read the various websites, you will see the exact same verbiage used in different reviews on different websites, but provided by different people.

Starting in February, less than six months and 4,000 miles later, the Audi developed an oil leak and a cooling system leak. I continued to put oil and water in the car every few days until my car repair shop could get my car in to be serviced.

The repair shop reported to me that I needed three parts replaced to solve the issue: Oil Separator, Thermostat and Water Pump. They submitted the claim to Advantaguard, the company that Cardinal Auto Sales offered the extended warranty through. Advantaguard only covered the water pump and a gasket at a value of roughly $500. My portion of the repair bill is over $5,000. 

I contacted Advantaguard to ask why they did not cover more of the repair. They stated that I had the Platinum Max coverage, which is only one step above the most basic coverage. They stated that if I had purchased the Comprehensive Max plan, which is the next higher plan, then all of my repairs would have been covered. I asked the Advantaguard agent why I did not have the highest level of coverage, he stated that it was the dealership's decision as to what level is available based on the car, mileage and credit of the customer.

Obviously Cardinal Auto Sales (CAS) did not provide me with the highest level of extended warranty that was available, as I had requested. When I called CAS to talk with Jeff, who is now the new manager, he stated that I should have received a higher level of extended warranty based on what I paid and that he was not sure why I was not provided the option of the Comprehensive Max. He further stated that he was new and that obviously there were problems with the previous staff.

Jeff at CAS also stated that a warranty cannot be changed after the purchase of the vehicle so there is no option to change it. Jeff stated that the only option I have is to cancel the extended warranty  and have the balance refunded to the bank that holds the lien on the car. They would subtract the $500 they paid for the claim and for the miles that I had driven since purchasing the car. I asked him to please find out how much that would be and let me know. 

After not hearing from him for 48 hours, I called back and asked him if he knew what the amount was. He stated that he did not have an answer yet. When I tried to discuss the new issue that had developed on the car (the Electric Control Unit) that also not covered by the warranty, he turned defensive and stated that I bought the car "As-Is" and that I was berating him and that he did not have to listen to me anymore. This was even though I was calm and was just asking if they actually did an inspection on the cars they sell.  He also stated that this was the product of the previous employee who is no longer working for the company and that it was not his fault.

I have tried to give Cardinal Auto Sales and Advantaguard the opportunity to rectify this. I have now spent over $17,000 for a car,  extended warranty and repair bills on the car for a car that was for sale for $9,650. My attorney will now be getting involved and I will pursue a remedy in the court system.

Since the time this has occurred, I have now seen other individuals who have similar stories about their experiences with Cardinal Auto Sales. The website is an avenue for those individuals to share their similar experiences so that the public can make informed decisions.