Autonet Dallas Rip-Off Report

Autonet, these guys are AutoNet's salespeople are Crooks, dishonest, and misleading. They will tell you that everything is good with the car, but in reality, many buyers end up discovering major problems with their vehicle within 1 to 20 days after purchase. Over 12 different customers getting ripped off of damaged vehicles at lease $100,000 of what I have seen from this report, just from the 12 stores.

Here is my story about Auto Net, 1365 Regal Row, Dallas, TX 75247, which sells vehicles they purchase from auctions, such as CarMax, without properly inspecting them, and then tells customers the vehicles are fine when they are not.

I purchased a 2019 Nissan Frontier from Auto Net paid $15,500. I was told the lower price was due to end-of-year inventory, not mechanical issues. The salesman, Jorge Hernandez, claimed that the truck was good-looking and running well. I placed a $250 deposit.

Before completing the purchase, I had a mechanic perform basic testing. At that time, there was no check engine light at the time, and no issues appeared during the inspection. That same night, I drove the truck back to Fort Worth. about 65 miles

The very next day, while driving to the gym, the truck began losing power, and both the check engine light and oil warning light came on. I immediately took the vehicle to my mechanic in Fort Worth. I was informed that when diagnostic codes are cleared, the check engine light can remain off for 50 to 75 miles before coming back on if the underlying problem has not been fixed.

After disassembling the engine, the mechanics found severe oil sludge throughout the engine. It appeared the oil had never been properly changed and had only been topped off. I have photos of the engine showing thick oil sludge throughout. The sludge is so heavy it resembles grease or petroleum jelly and has damaged other components, including the oil pump and timing chain. I have attached photos showing the engine taken apart and the sludge.

I then took the truck to a Nissan dealership, where they confirmed the engine was destroyed and would need to be completely replaced. They stated the damage was not recent and had been developing over a long period of time. The estimated cost to remove and replace the engine is approximately $12,000. I paid $15,000 for the vehicle.

I was also told by CarMax, where the vehicle was originally purchased, that there are two main reasons a vehicle is sent to auction. One reason is if the vehicle is over 11 years old, and the other is if the check engine light is on or there is a known mechanical issue. Based on this, it appears the vehicle may have been sent to auction because of a pre-existing problem that was not disclosed to me at the time of sale. If this has happened to you, a subpoena of the auction sale invoice reveals notes listing known problems with the vehicle. also proof from the vehicle trade-in shows problems before it was sent to auction.

Based on statements from multiple mechanics, the engine problems clearly existed before the sale. The check engine light should have already been on, but the diagnostic codes were likely cleared so the truck would pass inspection and not show problems during a short test drive. This would be considered a hot sticker, meaning a bad or fraudulent inspection. This is how they get vehicles to pass the inspection process when they should not.

After researching Auto Net, I found multiple online complaints from other customers reporting similar issues, including hidden engine problems and cleared diagnostic codes.

Auto Net has refused to take the truck back or resolve the issue. I am filing a report with the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles Enforcement Division, which takes these matters seriously. I will also be including information regarding other customers who report being scammed in a similar manner.