Honda of Serramonte

I've purchased my share of new and used cars and over the years become sort of a car guy. I currently have a 2012 CLS 63 AMG which is in like new condition and a loaded 2000 Dodge Dakota Quad Cab that people often think is only a year or two old. When I traded in my Mustang for the CLS 63 I realized I no longer had anything practical to drive. My cars all get under 12 mpg and any time I even scratch the Mercedes I am looking at a major bill to make the car perfect again.

So, I started my search for a practical car I could use when I did not need 4wd so I could save miles on my other two more expensive vehicles.

I showed up at this dealership to look at a used Chevy HHR with low miles. Chinda showed me the vehicle. The exterior condition was worse that I expected from the pictures on autotrader but that's not the dealer's fault. The paint color made it hard to see dents in photos. The engine was very clean and the fluids all looked good. So, we went on a test drive. Unfortunately the interior was stained and the car had a very funky smell which literally stuck to my clothes. I almost gave them four starts because they need to get better detail staff.

I told Chinda I believe they had improperly priced the vehicle and that I was not interested. She told me they had just gotten a low mile PT Cruiser, which is a similar body type, in stock and it was in service awaiting detailing/inspection. I actually prefer to see a car pre-detail because it tells me a lot about the previous owner.

The car was clean and had only very minor dings. It was priced right and had the cleanest engine box I'd ever seen for a car this age. It was an usual desirable color and priced below KBB. I feigned minimal interest and returned the second it was out of detailing with a friend who is also into cars and has worked at dealerships. We looked at the vehicle and struggled to point out any minor flaws to improve our negotiating position. All we could really find was the brake fluid was a little dirty and there were a few minor dings.

So, I demanded a 48 hour no fee no hassle return if my mechanic red flagged it during a detailed inspection. They agreed. I probably could have gotten a few hundred knocked off but the price was actually fair and wanted to save any leverage for the service plan. I was able to negotiate a reasonably priced service plan. The finance guy acted like a typical finance guy. IMO, it is their job to sell you expensive add-ons at inflated prices. A good one will realize you know what these things really cost and try to negotiate something that gives them a reasonable profit and actually benefits you. This was my experience here. Since I purchased in cash I can't comment on how they handle loans.

So I walked out with a car that is low miles, 10+ years old, has a 3 year / 36K service plan and looks nearly new for under 8K. Took it to my mechanic the next day and he confirmed the brake fluid was a little dirty but could wait till next service and described the car as cherry.

Nobody lied to me here. The sales people at dealership are generally not too knowledgeable about cars. Sometimes they say something wrong but at large dealers it is more about ignorance that dishonesty.

I read a lot of reviews on this dealership. Some complaints seem legitimate but on the used car side I saw a lot of people who bought a used car that had problems down the road and were upset at the dealership. If you don't do your homework you can't blame the dealership for problems that occur weeks/months later. They are not going to do things like check engine pressure for you. They should sell you a car that passes a safety inspection, smog check etc. If there are issues requiring a deep diagnostic that is on you to find. If there are stains, dents, etc it is up to you to find it. I looked at 5 used cars in person and 100s on-line before finding this car. I purchased one from a reputable dealer and had to return it when it failed comprehensive inspection. It would have passed a non-comprehensive inspection and had major engine failure down the road. If you do the work you can find a great used car. Or, you might lucky or you might get one that blows an engine or transmission a few hundred or thousand miles down the road.

My advice to used car buyers is as follows:
1. Avoid small lots. They don't have the constraints of a large corporate dealer and when reputable places dump cars they find defective this is where they go to be fixed to pass a test drive and dumped on naive buyers.
2. Negotiate a 48-72 hr no fee return. If they won't do this they are probably selling junk and know it.
3. Pay $100-$200 for a comprehensive inspection.
4. Demand a car fax and check dealer price and reputation on-line.

I saw no red flags at this dealership and was able to purchase a cherry used car below blue book value. Chinda was helpful and professional and I was happy with my negotiations with the finance manager.

This review is for their sales team, specifically Kirby and David Zeng.

Three years ago, my sister and I came here to negotiate a new leased car for my parents. We worked with Kirby over the phone first before going in to test drive a 2021 HRV and went home to think about it. Parents decided they wanted the car, my sis and Kirby hashed out the deal over the phone, and we went the next day to fill out the paperwork and pick up the car. Easy peasy mac n cheesy.

Three years later (aka today), my sis and I were waffling between signing a new lease or buying the 2021 after the lease expired. We ran the numbers and decided before going into the dealership that if they gave us a specific deal, we would sign a new lease.

We worked with Kirby again (who was really responsive during the entire process), along with David Zeng. David went along with me and my parents for the test drive, and he was *amazingly* patient with my parents' repeated questions about the same features. He's also fluent in Cantonese, so was able to communicate and explain the car's features to them directly, which I greatly appreciated (I had absolutely no idea how to translate "Pearl White" into Canto, so attempted to explain that it was not a "flat white" color before David chimed in lol.)

Kirby patiently worked with me and my sister on the numbers until we all arrived at a deal we were happy with. Parents are happy with their new car, and my sis and I were happy with the really painless process.

TL;DR: If you go here for your next Honda, I highly recommend asking for Kirby or David Zeng OR ask for them both if they're working together as a team. They were both friendly, responsive, upfront, and incredibly easy to work with.

Response the the below review:
Thank you for your response and for your willingness to discuss how you can better serve me and all other Honda of Serramonte customers in the future.
As a customer, being placed on hold or transferred can often be frustrating, especially when the individual I have to speak with is not familiar with my situation and then has to struggle through the call. I understand that this entire situation could have been avoided if proper attention had been given, but unfortunately, that was not the case. To avoid further frustration, I would appreciate it if you could use the number in my file to contact me directly so we can discuss how you can improve service going forward.
Additionally, I want to mention that Summer, one of the managers in service, asked me to remove my review. While I'm open to discussing this, I will keep my current review posted until I receive a call from your office. I also plan to add a second review based on my communication with Summer.
Thank you for your understanding, and I look forward to our conversation.

Original Review:
I recently had a troubling experience with Honda of Serramonte after needing some urgent repairs on my car following a blowout. I took my vehicle to them for what I expected to be reliable service, but the outcome was far from satisfactory.

Initially, everything appeared fine when I picked up my car from the dealership. However, just a day or two later, I began to hear a disturbing rattling noise while driving through a parking lot. Concerned, I pulled over to investigate. To my dismay, I discovered that a piece of debris--specifically a hand bill from the protective order portion of the carriage--was lodged around where the engine is stored. This not only indicated a lack of thoroughness in the inspection but also raised serious questions about the quality of the work performed.

As if that weren't enough, I ultimately had to have my car towed back to the dealership due to the ongoing issues. This was incredibly frustrating and added unnecessary stress to an already difficult situation. To make matters worse, I had to purchase multiple Uber rides just to get around while my car was in transit and being assessed by a professional.

It's incredibly disheartening to find that a supposedly reputable service provider could overlook such critical details. Given the stakes involved in car maintenance and safety, I had expected much better care and attention to detail. I trusted Honda of Serramonte to operate with professionalism, but their negligence has left me questioning the integrity of their service.

In summary, my experience with Honda of Serramonte was anything but positive. If you're looking for reliable automotive repair, I would strongly advise exploring other options. This level of incompetence and the resulting inconvenience is simply unacceptable, and I would not recommend them to anyone.


Response from the owner 6 hours ago
We are disappointed to learn of your experience here at Honda of Serramonte, but will take this opportunity to improve. If you would be willing, we would like to have you contact our manager at (855) 983-9852 to discuss ways we can better serve you in the future.

Will no longer go here, if I need service I will go to other dealerships

Bought my Honda Clarity here in 2019

Took it first time yesterday April 2024. Made an appointment on the phone with their AI bot for that afternoon. Everything seemed on track.

However Needed to find out if it was covered repair under my extended warranty which I bought at the time of purchase. Service didn't know and said they would have an associate contact me. The day passed without a call, I couldn't wait any longer and 45 minutes before the appointment I called.
4x times called service or the front desk and every time they disconnected the line during transfers to different departments.

Finally the 5th time I called sales dept and the guy was able to confirm my warranty coverage. Ok finally everything is on track, right?

Arrive on time for my appointment at 3:30 and waited in the car for 10 minutes (there was no back up of cars I was the only car)
The service rep comes and tells me without even looking at the car that it needs to be left overnight!

Why they let me schedule an appointment in the afternoon or tell me the issue I have would take a minimum 5 hours is beyond me.

The next day went to a dealership in PA. 100x better.

Don't expect service from the Service dept of Honda of Serramonte

Excellent customer service and prompt work in getting my new 2025 Honda Pilot Trailsport!! Shout out to Omar and especially Abbas, today. Abbas is a very sweet man, who always think of his customers over any sales. Hooked me up big time!

Amazing experience buying my first car with the help of Simon and Luis. They made the process fun and fast, definitely recommend!

Everyone was very respectful! I made a same day appointment with Abbas over the phone and I was able to see the used car I wanted. When I got to the dealership, Abbas was very respectful and we were able to negotiate a good price fast. Both Abbas and Matt, who worked in finance, made sure I was taken care of, as well as my parents who came to the dealership with me. I would recommend Honda of Serramonte to all of my friends and family!

I guess everyone's car buying is a personal experience but this guys hit it out of the water as far a loosing touch with personalized service. Doesn't exactly give you the warm fuzzies when possibly looking to spend $50,000 there. The moment we walked in we were clear we were in the market for 2 possible cars. Before even looking at them we had to sit down and give them our drivers license and contact information.

We looked at the vehicles in the main lot and asked the salesman to run the numbers. Later that day we got a text addressing us as "Calvin" pretty sure that name is no where in our contact information...AND YOU TOOK A COPY OF OUR LICENSE AND CONTACT INFO! A week later they call back and say at 9am "I hope you have a great evening!" Really guys? Strike 2! Yall can't even tell your head from the bottom. Thanks but no thanks. I'll hold out for another dealership.

They promised me $22,500 , but scammed me. They put the original price of $23,999 on the contract and would not tell you until you finished signing! We waned to cancel the contract, but refused. Do not come here! They are all scammers! They give you ridiculous interest rates of 11.99% on a 760 credit score.

DO NOT BUY A CAR FROM HERE!!!
Absolutely garbage customer service. One star doesn't do it justice. No stars is what I would give them.

I bought a certified pre owned HRV in March of 2024 only to come to find out the vehicle had a broken left axle at the time of sale, a digital display (gas and mileage) that is faulty and they have taken their sweet sweet time getting the license plates settled with the DMV.

After spending days trying to contact some one I was connected with the DMV clerk, Luis, who placed the blame on me, the customer, by saying that "I bought the car too fast" and that "they weren't sure what was going on with the DMV" and why I haven't received my license plates yet. After giving me the run around for over two months they finally admitted that they had not filed the correct paperwork and had failed to do their job properly.

I wrote a review on Google and the GM commented on the post asking me to call and speak to him. After ghosting me for an entire week, the GM finally got back to me only to again try and place the blame on me saying that "I bought the car too fast" and "sometimes the DMV just takes a while, nothing we can do for you."

After 5 months, I still don't have license plates and have to continually follow up with them to check on the status of the permit stickers and to track where the plate is, instead of them giving me updates, calling to check the status and making sure the car is registered and street legal. They do not care about the customer. They get what they need ($$) and then hang the customer out to dry.

Do not buy a car from them, if you do, take it somewhere you trust and have it inspected first. Don't let them pressure you to buy the car that day/night.

I came there because my mechanic failed to disclosed that parts from Oreillys can be defective,
i bought a battery sensor, then ended up buying an alternator through Honda.
This experience was already stressful and felt like the people i was dealing with should've educated me enough. But when I spoke to Raza and met him, he gave me a sense of community, someone i can rely on, who educated me about parts.
So thank you Raza, i'll never forget my experience with you.