Carter Subaru

I have dealt with Carter Subaru now for over ten years and I am really angry with this dealership. I bought a brand new 2002 LL Bean edition Subaru Outback which was a disaster from day one. I put new brakes on every 10,000 miles and they told me that it wasn't Subaru's fault it was just the added weight of the LL Bean package and they couldn't do anything about it. The sunroof leaked badly and the water ran into the trunk where it turned to mold. The car was sick/toxic. When I asked the service people about it they said they did not have a solution. I lost big money in this exchange and the best we could do through the dealership was to eat most of the equity that the car should have had and get the minimum blue book towards another vehicle. We then accepted a 3 year lease on a Forester which was ok (worst milage I have ever seen) but when we turned it in, the dealership would only give us $4,200 towards a replacement vehicle. We ended up being sold a 2005 Saturn Ion with 65000 miles on it and were assured by the salesman that this was a safe and reliable car and that his wife had owned one...yadda yadda... This was an incredible nightmare for us. I had lost my job in March and as a result, I lost my home as well. Things were very difficult financially and we were hoping the Carter Dealership would try to help us and instead they sold us an even worse lemon than the original outback (the Saturn Ion only started occasionally because of some computer lock out glitch that there is no cheap fix for). The milage on the vehicle was so bad that we were getting about 120 miles to a full tank. The Starter began to go and once again we went back to Carter Subaru to seek assistance in rectifying the mess they created for us. It is pretty obvious that they wanted that car off thier lot and we were just the folks, trusting and gullible enough to believe the salesperson and take on a certified DUD! Finally, 3 months later the same salesman said that he was sorry but he was unaware of the problem we were having with the Saturn but that he did have a few other cars that we could look at. Swallowing hard we were shown a Ford Taurus station wagon which sounded like it was ready for the scrap heap when we test drove it and a Honda CRV which we ended up buying. Here is the last kick to the head. This was a definite down grade from a 2005 Ion with 65K miles on it to a 1999 Honda CRV with 89K miles on it and we had to pay an additional $1800 to take it home. When my wife asked if they would take $1000 dollars instead and call it good they said no. We were stuck once again and forced to spend money we didn't have. The final straw on this camels back was when we asked to have the bicycle rack attachment removed so that we could use the roof rack, they instead removed the entire roof rack and disposed of it without the courtesy of even calling us to see what we wanted to do...No Courtesy! So please be very wary of this store...they claim to be a family dealership but they are hard as nails merchants with little or no heart when it comes to helping their loyal customers! more

Some years ago I purchased a Subaru Forester and had a great experience. Over the years they have provided great service on my vehicle. Recently, I needed to trade in my car. Due to budget constraints, I traded in my car for another used car. The service dept and sales department worked with me to find a car within my budget. Debbie McCallum, a sales manager, was sympathic and supportive, and asked Warren Haynes to help me out. Warren Haynes is an awesome, down to earth, knowledgeable sales guy who helped me out. He helped me find the right vehicle for my needs, no pressure, and with a big smile! When I am ready for a new vehicle, I will give them a call. I will continue to have my service done at this dealership and the loaner car program is very helpful. This way I don't have to miss work! This sales person and dealership will work with you and give excellent customer service. more

Carter is a great dearlership! And WARREN HAYNES of Carter Subaru in Seattle is a professional, caring and helpful salesperson. We would not normally make a recommendation of a car salesman – but Warren gave such outstanding service that we have to let others know about him. It’s worth going to Carter Subaru just to meet Warren! more

Bought my second Subaru today--went to Carter Subaru in Shoreline, through David North. I found David to be an excellent salesman--friendly, polite, and completely appropriate. No high pressure, no smarmy oily salesman behavior. I've purchased 6 cars over the last 30 or so years and this was by far the easiest and most comfortable purchase I have ever made. I feel like I got an excellent deal and didn't have to claw my way to a resolution. David North and I communicated via internet for a few days before I could get over to the dealership. When I changed my mind about the car I thought I wanted, he had no problem looking at multiple cars and working through the process of finding what I wanted--even though it was 25 degrees and snowing and he'd forgetten his coat! Travis Bleken was very helpful during the financing. Everything was easy going and completely honest and above board. If you're smart enough to buy a Subaru, you're smart enough to buy one here. Be sure to talk to David North. more

We had a long drive but worth it. The internet guys at Carter Subaru of Seattle gave us a good deal. I was conversing with one guy the night before we went up there via text message and he even sent a picture to let me see the car. I would have had to wait for one to be delivered in Auburn and really couldn't wait that long seeing as I needed a car right away due to an accident that totaled my other subaru so i was relieved about that. We went up and the original guy wasn't there which he let me know that already and that I would be dealing with a man named David North He got me an even better deal and exactly what we wanted for a great price. I really was impressed when he sat out in the car with me and went through all the wonderful bells and whistles that this new Subaru Outback had which was a few :) Also gave me his card and let me know I could call anytime and I tested that and he was there and very helpful. Overall I would rate this as a great experience and very worth the drive. more

Tasked with finding my 86 year old mother in law a new car I started out looking online. I was fortunate enough to find her a 2009 Legacy at Carter Subaru that fit all of her needs. After contacting James Bennett, he gave me a great price with no hassel. We went down on sunday and EVERYONE at the dealership was extremely patient with my family and knowledgeable. The whole process was very quick and unlike other dealerships, they actually did what they said they would do with no run around. Thank you again to Dan Murphy (Sales Manager), Ward Fleischmann (Sales Manager) and James Bennett (our wonderful Salesman). I will recommend you all very highly to all my friends and family and have no doubt that my next purchase will be from you guys again!!! And a very special thanks again to James Bennett for watching my 2 year old son while we met with the finance manager, that was above and beyond the normal call of duty! more

I'll never shop Carter Subaru because they managed to talk down to me before I even stopped in. When I input my information I put a real email but preferred not to disclose my phone number or name on their "Car Finder" feature. It did not return search results but instead entered me into their contact database. Not a big deal until... -----Original Message----- From: Carter Subaru To: Sent: Sat, Dec 5, 2009 10:16 am Subject: Customer Number[xxxxxxxxx] David North@Carter Subaru in Shoreline No Name.....No Quote! David North Fleet/Internet Sales Manager Carter Subaru (in Shoreline, Seattle) 425-753-9294 Mildly amused at this guy's smarmy tone, I responded: Dumb website that signs me up for spam instead of returning search results when I input information, no business! I figured that would be the end of it. UNTIL... -----Original Message----- From: Carter Subaru To: Sent: Thu, Dec 10, 2009 8:55 am Subject: Customer Number[xxxxxxxx] David North@Carter Subaru in Shoreline Serves you right.......use your real name for real results.... I would totally have considered this dealership as a source for my next car, lack of search results notwithstanding, until the sales rep decided to lecture me about the horrible offense of not dumping all my personal information into a nameless faceless database for his sales contact convenience. With this type of anti-customer service attitude, where the internet sales manager is put out that I didn't follow their process EXACTLY right rather than treating me politely as a potential customer I wouldn't even consider walking through the door. more

To make a long story short- DONT BUY FROM CARTERS SUBARU! In 2003 I bought a brand new Legacy Outback and its been an expensive and painful mistake. The head gasket had to be replaced twice. The first time at 35,000 miles then again at 85,000 miles. The second time due to the mechanics at Carter Subaru incorrectly replacing the original head gasket, which in turn caused more damage to the motor. it cost me $3600 to fix Carters mistake. two years ago i had all four brakes replaced, the I had to have the front brakes replaced again as the mechanics at Carter installed the front brakes incorrectly. Carter refused to compensate me for the repairs. Customer service is terrible. Carter Subaru has managed to lose a life long subaru customer and fan. I will never by subaru again. Pros: NONE Cons: DEFECTIVE PRODUCT and EXTREMELY POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE more