Fitzgerald Lakeforest Toyota, Scion

I only chose one star because it doesn’t let me do 0 stars. Below is a letter I wrote to John Albright after my experience last spring. I never received an email message or any kind of response from Phil Formechelli the general sales manager at Fitzgerald Automall, whom I cc’d on this email.
A few months later when I went in to have a service done a nice service employee listened to my complaints and resent my letter to Phil Formechelli for me — apparently Phil really doesn’t care about loyal customers.
John,
I received the check from Toyota last week. I am putting a check in the mail to you today. I just want you to understand how I feel – as it was apparent that you seemed to have no idea of how frustrated I was the day I came in to get my tags.
As you may recall, I first came to Fitzgerald based on a recommendation from my friend, whose father worked as a sales person at Fitzgerald. The service I received from my friend’s father was outstanding. Not only did he take his time as I chose my first and second cars from Fitzgerald, but he always went the «extra mile» by always giving me all the information he had about a car, explaining the process of buying/​leasing a car (as I have never purchased a car before this), and always maintaining a positive disposition.
From that, I ended up leasing two more cars, my current 2015 Rav 4, my previous 2012 Rav 4, as well as encouraging my partner to lease a 2015 Scion.
When you first emailed or called me about this $ 300+ dollars that was owed to Fitzgerald, I was very confused. In response, I called Toyota and found out that indeed everything was fine with my past and present leases and that I did not owe them any money. I let you know this, but you still made it seem unclear and you did not tell me explicitly that indeed it was (apparently from your perspective) my responsibility to resolve this issue that I would not receive my tags until I did so. You continued to make me think that «I» owed Fitzgerald that money because I must have missed a payment on my 2012 Rave 4 and therefore Toyota needed more money to pay off my car when I leased the 2015 Rav 4. When Toyota told me everything was fine with my accounts I assumed you had resolved the «issue.»
It wasn’t until the day that I went in to pick up my tags (was confused about that too because I wasn’t sure why I had not received the notice to come pick them up) and they weren’t there that you told me that you were withholding my tags from me because I «owed» you the $ 300+. It wasn’t until I called Toyota again and told them that you were withholding my new tags that they looked into it further and discovered what you already knew — that for whatever reason you or your accounting office arbitrarily or accidentally overpaid Toyota when you paid my 2012 vehicle off. This information is VERY frustrating to me for so many reasons. It is frustrating because:
1. it became so obvious that this was not AT ALL my fault (and you never apologized for that or for making me think it was my fault) and yet you made it my problem – it was NOT my problem, it was Fitzgerald’s.
2. I had to spend well over two hours dealing with being on the phone with Toyota, emails/​calls with you, etc
3. I had to go in to your store 2 times (and it is very far from where I currently live) in order to get my tags
4. I have been a VERY loyal customer to Fitzgerald
5. $ 305.80 is nothing to Fitzgerald
Because of all of this, I will no longer do business with Fitzgerald. I will find another dealership to resolve any vehicle related problems, to provide maintenance/​repairs, and to get new cars from. In addition, I will make sure that everyone I know knows that dealing with Fitzgerald is no longer what it used to be.
Unrelated to the above, if/​when you hire sales people who smoke, advise them to never get into a new car with someone who is not a fellow smoker. The last thing anyone wants in their new car is the smell of cigarettes.
Sincerely,
CB

Evan Adu and his service team are outstanding!!!

Excellent from start to finish! Phil and David were amazing with me and explaining everything. Very honest and I didn’t feel pressured to do anything i didn’t think was right. I will always go here for my car purchases.

Very efficient and courteous! Repair work meets expectations!!! Best service advisor: Patrick Nugent.

Long process was there for more than 3 hours. First time car experience. Stressful. And exhausting 2^nd time. Car salesman was nice that’s the only thing about it. There is no great offers I signed an contract for an 2014 used car. We get 2 car keys but 1 key chain how cheap. I asked so you only get.1 key chain car salesman said yeah. They really want to save $. They don’t do summer deals for used car like other dealership does. So I signed a contract they called me 7 days later want me to sign another contract saying oh my interest rate went up so they want me to pay more. Ugh excuse me that’s not how it works after yu sign a contract that should be it. I was really upset was going to return the car find an luxury for that monthly rate. Financial manager is arrogant. Was like it’s just 3 dollars more. I don’t care what it is ! You have a job I don’t have a stable job no one is a billionaire. I need to eat and live. You should have gave me that. Amount on the first contract anyways. You wasted my gas $ and time. Another experience Then a week later I saw a white crack or scratch on the window I call the service they said I have to talk to the manager tell him what’s going on. So I can bring the car in so they can look at it. I talked to the cars manager he said once it leaves the lot we can’t look at the issue of the car. This place is dis organized .i recommend getting an used car at other dealerships like Honda they do deals. Toyota has nice cars don’t get me wrong but it shouldn’t take more than 5 hours. I believe sales person should call and ask how do you like your car? That’s how you get referrals and stuff. I’m not a car salesperson but I would do that. And I asked the sales person what’s ECO? He made something up.

This is a review for a new vehicle purchase at Fitz mall. Ended up purchasing a 2016 Toyota Corolla LE. I started with the L, got it home and realized the majority of the keys they gave me were for a different vehicle and did not work on the one they gave me. I specifically asked if the car came with a key fab. They handed me 3 keys — 2 with fabs and 1 without. I must have drove home with the one without the fab bc I figured out the next day that they did not work for the car. Apparently the «L» doesnt come with a key fab (incorrect information #1) and they gave me keys to the wrong car. I asked about the differences between the L and LE and all the guy talked about was the backup camera which I could care less about (and was clear about this fact). I did mention I drove back to a different state frequently and not once did the salesman mention the L model did not come with cruise control. I asked if the higher model had automatic lights, the salesman said yes (the LE does not have automatic lights, incorrect information #2). I also specifically asked what type of oil the car took and stated I did not want a car that took synthetic and was told by this salesperson that of course it wasn’t synthetic (it was — both the L and the LE, incorrect information #3).
There was no «negotiation,» and I felt it was a little like a bait and switch. I went into speak with the financial person who was «surprised» they haven’t spoken to me about payments yet or even the final cost. My fault for not calling off the whole thing then.
I understand some of these problems were my fault for not looking into further, but one would assume if I asked a direct question I wouldn’t be given incorrect information (and I think I was just told what the salesperson thought I wanted to hear). Additionally, the manager’s solution was for me to pay the difference for the better model, like he was doing me a favor. At this point, I felt I was caught between a rock and a hardplace and had to pay the difference. Overall, this place had decent prices, but unless you go elsewhere first and know exactly what you are getting I would go elsewhere (don’t ask any questions because what you are told may not be correct). We will have to purchase another car very soon and will be going elsewhere.

Just want to forewarn all consumers in 2016 to not purchase a used car from this dealership. They sold me a car that died right after purchasing it and of course refused to take the car back& refund my money. They did however offer to fix the car at a discounted additional rate of $ 4k. so I have been stuck with a loan of over $ 8000 and no car. Currently have a law suit in the works to recoup my money. Purchase from a used car dealership with integrity to save yourself from having to deal with a situation like mine.

REALLY UNPROFFESIONAL! I came in today around 8 am For an oil change, and Wheel rotation and the man that attended to us upon arrival said that with out an appointment it would be an hour and my husband and I agreed to wait around as everything was getting done, unfortunately when we got the service representative he told us that it wasn’t going to be finished till around 5pm and my husband and I couldn’t do it since we both needed to go to work but we asked about the rental cars and he said we could get one for 35.00 a day and so we decided to go ahead and get one since we really needed to get to work and after a few questions back and forth we went to the rental car agent and she as well asked a few questions and was setting up the rental and at the end she said it would be 80 a day for a rental which is something we were not prepared for but we decided to go on and get it how ever she said that she needed to charge a credit card first 225.00 to finish setting everything up and my husband and I said that was too much and decided to cancel everything since we felt we had been lied to since the beginning and when we went back to the service representative to cancel everything he asked a gentlemen to bring our car back out and this is where we became really upset because we were waiting outside in the cold for it to arrive and the guy just kept walking around back and forth until he told us that he was getting it washed for us and that if we could wait in the waiting room for a bit that he would go get us but after 40 minutes of waiting we finally saw our car and we went outside and saw that it had definitely not been washed and he finally told us that he had been looking around for the keys and that he had finally found him, I think that this is really unprofessional and I will not be returned Ever to this location!!! I recently moved from VA to Maryland but I will stay be taking my car to the dealer in VA for service from now on!

This review is more for the body shop as we have never dealt with sales. However we were unimpressed. My husband was involved in an accident in August 2014. The other driver’s insurance company told us to go on their site and search for a shop close to our home and we ended up choosing Fitzgerald. Big mistake! The car was rear ended and had some frame damage. The first time they called to say it was ready, we got there and just doing a cursory inspection we realized that the trunk was not closing right so we left it. The second time we went back we drove it a few hundred yards out of the shop parking lot and the car was making a horrible sound. We immediately stopped and upon inspection noticed a bolt the size of my finger sticking out one of the rear tires. So we just turned around and left the car with them again. Finally around 6 weeks after the initial drop off we were able to take the car away. A few weeks after that he noticed that there was a spot of paint missing on one of the trims so we returned it again. By this time they were clearly annoyed with us even though there were clear issues with their workmanship. They had zero level of accountability. They claim to stand by their repairs and supposedly its covered by a lifetime guarantee but then they get annoyed when you try to exercise your right to have mistakes corrected. Almost a year later we decided to use this car for a long weekend getaway so we started checking to make sure we had everything we needed in case we would get a flat tire etc. Well lo and behold we open up to where the spare is and they never put our wheel locks back in the car after they used it to repair the tire. We called and spoke to them about it and in their usual flippant way they basically said yeah its too long ago sorry. So we had to replace it ourselves. My advice if you go here for auto body work, thoroughly inspect your vehicle after you get it back. Make sure they didnt take anything out and not put it back. Check your tires, all your trim and make sure all your doors close well. But in general I do not recommend this place. Honestly if we could have give them zero stars we would.

I am really disappointed with my experience at Fitzgerald. I emailed my contact there asking for help but never got a response. Funny, because she was emailing me every so often kind of nagging me to shop at Fitzgerald. The sales person that I ended up with really didn’t know much about the features and different models of the Toyota I was looking at. He kind of told me stuff about the car that I knew was not true. I was at Fitzgerald for at least 4.5 hours buying a new car. The manager made a recommendation during the paperwork signing that didn’t make sense to me and was out of line. Before that I asked the finance manager for some options but he never came back to me with options. I feel I got a nice car and it was close to home but the process was painful and the sales person was not helpful at all. Next time I will probably shop elsewhere.
The sales person was concerned about a survey Toyota would send me. I feel he should have been more concerned about making sure I found the right car and that I got the best possible service. However, that was not the case.
I will say I am happy with the car and that I know this is a good business. I just got a sales person that was not very experienced. In addition, Fitzgerald needs to work on the sales process. It took way too long to buy a car there. There was allot of waiting around and time wasted. Fitzgerald should make efforts to educate their sales people.

Leased a 2015 Toyota Camry LE. My salesperson was Garnik «Gus» Boghosian. Let me just start off by saying he exceeding my expectations at every point of the process. He went above and beyond to make the entire process as smooth as possible. His communication skills are impeccable and he touched base with me throughout the entire process, notifying me of any changes, if any at all. There was no negotiation needed and he made that very clear from the start, which I appreciated. I let him know what I could afford and he got me an outstanding car that fit my monthly budget. The entire process took less than 2 hours and I could not be happier with the outcome. He showed me everything there was to know about my car and what comes with my leases agreement. He earned my business every step of the way. If you stop by Lakeforest Toyota I HIGHLY suggest that you ask for him!!!

I just bought a Toyota RAV4 here last week and couldn’t be happier with my experience! Woody was our contact and he was awesome!!! I highly recommend asking for him if you are interested in buying a car here. I will be referring him to my friends! He is super friendly, very knowledgeable, and goes out of his way to make sure that you are satisfied with your experience. I enjoyed how easy the entire process was. I’ll never buy a car anywhere else again!

Woody made the experience of purchasing a car fun and simple. He is a down to earth, energetic, and fantastic human being. He is wonderful to chat with and is also really knowledgable about the cars on the lot. He seems to truly care about his customer’s experience and what they will get out of it for years to come.

So — I purchased a 2014 Toyota 4Runner — and I has over 9,900 miles. At 10,000 I was due an oi changes.
I SCHEDULED an oil change (free for first 2 yrs or 25k miles) for 11am at Fitzgerald.
My other appointment was shorter than expect, so I arrived at 10:30. Thirty minutes early
I was told it would take «about an hour»… ok, kewl… I figured I’d go walk the dog, since my previous appointment was the vet.
The «meet & greet» staff was helpful and attentive.
After an hour, I returned. No vehicle. I inquired inside with my «service manager» — I was told that I was NEXT in LINE… Mind you they had the vehicle for an HOUR (for oil change, tire rotation & wash)… I was told it would be 30 – 40 more minutes. So an hour and a half for an oil change?!
45 MORE minutes later my car arrived. Scant apology from my «service manager» and I was outta there. I’d rather spend the $ 60 at Jiffy-​Lube and be in an out in less than 30 minutes then spend 1 hour and 45 minutes for a simple procedure.
Now I’ll look for another Toyota Dealer for my next servicing.
Only bright note: One service manager did bring me an extra bottle of water for my dog, because his first bottle ran out — because I was waiting so long!

I went there looking for a used car. Their KBB prices seem to be high based on conditions of the car. Plus they don’t negotiate. You’re better off going someplace else for a deal. The used car manager was a bit of a jerk as well. This isn’t the first time this dealer tried to screw me.

We went looking for a newer car/​suv and decided to check three different dealers. I have to say Fitzgerald was wonderful to us out of the three which we decided to stick and work with them. Caitlin went out of her way to help us and find the right vehicle for our budget and something we would enjoy.
After picking the right car Phil the manager helped us even more by offering many options to both work with our budget and what we wanted. The process took a little longer then we thought but in the end it worked out great. If you are looking for a new or used car I highly recommend Fitzmall and Caitlin —

In search of my new car I decided to visit the Fitzgerald Subaru, Hyundai, and Toyota/​scion. I asked for assistance and Ali introduced himself and offered to help me in finding the right car.
I was only interested in the FRS, so I looked over the floor model and then he set me up for a test drive. We drove around for several miles and he allowed me to get a good feel for the car. This is critical as buying a car is more than likely your second largest investment in your life. I’m young so it’s actually my largest investment ever in my life.
He went over the price, worked with me some on the already low price, explained financing options and even gave me some excellent advice on how to improve my credit score.
I inquired about the warranty and student discounts he thoroughly explained, he is knowledgable.
The student discount through scion is $ 750 which is a nice discount, Subaru did not offer me that deal on the BRZ which is essentially the same car.
At the end of the day my experience was a great one, however I became sold on the Subaru BRZ world rally blue color over the navy blue that the frs could offer and thus I purchased a BRZ from the next door Subaru dealer (both part of the fitzmall)
If you’re considering a car here certainly ask for Ali, he will do what he can for you.

I recently bought a new Corolla from Fitzgerald Lakeforest Toyota. I comparison shopped with several dealerships, and no matter what offer I brought back (or how often I brought back an offer) to Woody and Khy they kept to the Fitzway promise of undercutting the competition by $ 100.
Woody was excellent, and a straight-​shooter. This dealership does not engage in the «bait and switch» sales tactics that are so very common amongst other dealers. The sales process was exceptionally transparent. I would recommend Fitzgerald Lakeforest to anyone I knew that was interested in purchasing a Toyota.
The entire team at Lakeforest Toyota was professional and extremely competent from Marcus in financing to Bobbi in titling. I have never had a car buying experience be so seamless and not leave me feeling screwed over. Thanks, guys!

Fitzgerald is a great place to go but over two hours for an oil change with an appointment that’s just ridiculous

Lisa Lam at Fitzgerald Lakeforest Toyota was wonderful in helping me find the right car, worked with me to ensure that I got a good price, and worked to ensure that everything was understood. I would highly recommend using her if you go to this dealership.
She also speaks Chinese if you have the need.
Joe