Russell & Smith Ford

This dealership is by far the scummiest I have ever encountered. After test driving the certified pre-owned 2017 Ford Explorer XLT that I was interested in, the salesman retrieved the CarFax and I noticed that there was an open recall. I asked what the recall detail entailed and he was unable to answer my question as he fumbled through the paperwork. I asked to see the paperwork and immediately identify the recall description which states, “Seat Frame Burred Edge”. I asked the salesman a series of questions in regards to the recall and he was unable to answer accordingly. Then the sales manager arrives after the salesman asked him to clarify and he assures the recall has been cleared and presents an offer that was in short, absurd. He attempted to charge me $1499 for an “insurance tax” (which is an attempt to charge you an extra fee on top of the warranty fee that is already included in the overall price), an interest rate of 5% with a monthly payment over $500, with a total charge over 30K. The original price listed showed $23,361 and an estimated payment of $329 per month. The payment details listed, “Estimated payment based on 3.59% APR for 72 months with $2,363 down for well qualified buyers.” I decline his offer and counter that the fee be removed, windshield replaced with a Ford manufactured windshield for free (there was a crack in the windshield and certified pre-owned vehicle repairs are to be replaced with Ford manufactured parts and not off-brands) and that my payment cannot exceed $400. After an hour he agrees to my terms and the total cost was around 25K. He asks me to wait for a finance manager to go over the terms of purchase. After sitting around for about 30 minutes the sales manager approaches me and says, “I apologize, but we cannot sell you this vehicle. The recall has not be taken care of and it could take anywhere from 2 weeks to 5 months to fix.” A quote from a report regarding the recall on September 12, 2019 states, "The problem: The edges of seat frames may be sharp. Customers could come in contact with the sharp edges when reaching between the power front seat and center console and be injured. The fix: Ford dealers will install tape to the exposed edge, at no charge to owners.” So let me get this straight, it would take from 2 weeks up to 5 months to put a piece of tape on a burred edge on the seat? Furthermore, on the listing it states “Some vehicles may be subject to manufacturer safety recalls. Before purchasing, be sure to ask the dealer for an up-to-date status on any recalls.” At no point did any of the employees provide me with the accurate details of the recall when asked. Not only was my time wasted for over 3 hours, but they went from more than willing to sell me a vehicle that was deemed certified pre-owned, to not being able to sell it because the recall had not been completed and putting a piece of tape on the burred edge could take anywhere from 2 weeks to 5 months. In addition, the car was deemed certified the same day I was there by a report shown to me by the employees despite the fact that it was advertised for weeks with an open recall. I suspect they refused the sale because the total I negotiated was a good deal in hopes to sell the vehicle substantially overpriced to some poor sap and attempted to sell me a vehicle that was clearly never certified. Needless to say, this dealership is full of [non-permissible content removed] employees that will waste your time and attempt to sell you a vehicle that you can buy for a substantially lower rate. My advice to anyone reading this is obviously to not shop at this dealership, but also do your research. Walking into a dealership without an understanding of the auto industry makes you an easy target to be taken advantage of. Save yourself and your bank account from the manipulation and bamboozlement of dealerships such as Russell & Smith Ford.