Subaru of Glendale

I had a great test drive experience with Chris. He was quick to respond to all my messages and provided a detailed, friendly explanation of the car. His enthusiasm and professionalism made the whole process smooth and enjoyable. Highly recommend his service!

I finally took the time to write this review after recently finishing paying off my car. A few years ago, I went to this dealership to buy a new car, and it turned out to be one of the worst experiences I’ve ever had. As a first-time car buyer, I had done my research, knew what I wanted, and thought I was well-prepared to make my purchase. Unfortunately, the salespeople and finance department were incredibly sleazy and employed bait-and-switch tactics.

They kept me there for an entire day, deliberately complicating the process and confusing me at every step. They clearly took advantage of the fact that I was new to buying a car. I had agreed on a price with the salesperson before arriving, but once I got there, they marked up the price, blaming it on a supposed car shortage due to the pandemic.

To make matters worse, the salesperson and office manager intentionally muddled the numbers right before sending me to the finance department. I had planned to finance only half the price of the vehicle, but somehow, I ended up putting down half as a "down payment" and still financing the full cost of the car—plus more. Ultimately, I overpaid for a car I didn’t think would cost that much.

My biggest regret is not realizing I had the power to say "no" and walk away, even after spending an entire day at the dealership. Unfortunately, I didn’t have anyone experienced to accompany me or offer guidance. It wasn’t until I got home and thoroughly reviewed the paperwork that I realized how badly I’d been duped. What should have been a proud milestone—purchasing my first car—turned into one of the worst memories of my life. I learned a very hard lesson that day.

Since then, I haven’t returned to that dealership, not even for car service, and I absolutely don’t recommend them to anyone. Their operations are shady, and their tactics are unethical.

On a side note, I had a funny moment a few months ago while watching an episode of Cold Case (Season 6, Episode 6). The episode featured a shady, greedy car dealership from the ’80s that was scamming customers with underhanded tactics. I couldn’t help but laugh out loud because Subaru of Glendale used every one of those tactics on me—and likely on others too.

All that to say, I strongly discourage anyone from doing business with this dealership. For new car buyers, here’s my advice: YOU have the power to walk away at any time. Don’t let them waste your day or pressure you into a bad deal.

I am extremely disappointed with my experience at Subaru of Glendale's service department. The handling of my 2020 Subaru Ascent's repairs was unprofessional and riddled with miscommunication, resulting in unnecessary delays and unfair charges. Here's a timeline of what happened:
Timeline of Events
1. October 21, 2023:?I brought my vehicle in for repairs. A loaner was issued to my husband, but it couldn’t accommodate our three car seats.
2. October 25, 2023:?We approved the engine teardown and requested to be placed on a waitlist for a larger loaner that could fit our family.
3. October 28-29, 2023:?After being asked for maintenance records, I brought them in and switched to a larger loaner.
4. November 18, 2023:?I received another request to approve the engine teardown—despite already approving it on October 25—and was asked to return the loaner, which I questioned.
5. November 22, 2023:?I spoke to Alvin, who admitted that no progress had been made due to internal miscommunication. He assured me I could keep the loaner until further notice.
6. December 10, 2023:?Alvin called to inform me Subaru would cover the engine repair and requested the loaner’s return. I contacted Subaru of America and was advised to keep the loaner until they called me.
7. December 17-20, 2023:?After consulting Subaru of America on December 17, I attempted return the loaner on December 18. The service department was unaware of the return when I arrived. Loaner was returned December 20.
Disputed Charges
On December 21, I received a message stating Subaru would pay for the engine repair but that I was responsible for $1,750 in loaner charges. If I did not agree they would not continue working on my vehicle. The breakdown was:
* Subaru of America covering 5 days,
* The dealership covering 11 days,
* Me paying for 35 days at $50/day.
Why This is Unfair
1. Service Delays Were Not My Fault:?Alvin admitted delays were caused by their internal miscommunication, not me. I wasn’t contacted about the loaner until November 18, and there was no follow-up until November 22.
2. Unfair Loaner Charges:?Based on the timeline, the dealership should cover a minimum of 34 days, not just 11. It’s unreasonable to hold me responsible for their mistakes.
3. Contradictory Information:?I was told Subaru would fully cover the engine repair, yet I’m being charged for the loaner. Per the text message sent, “per subaru this is what they are authorizing for you to pay the $1750.00 for them to do the engine repair”
Requested Resolution
I urge Subaru of Glendale to review this case and fairly adjust the charges. It’s unjust to shift the financial burden of their errors onto my family.
This experience has been incredibly frustrating, and I hope Subaru of Glendale improves its communication and customer service in the future. As it stands, I cannot recommend this dealership.

I have been dealing with the Service Manager Alvin Fike. I’ve emailed the general manager Jobe Atashi as well.

Apparently "warranty" means nothing to them, especially their smarmy manager (tire was only a year old and had a bulge with no major rim damage, should've been under warranty but they first "forgot" to check and then refused to provide the warranty after initially saying they would) - next time I have an issue with my tires, I will go to a tire store rather than get lied to and ripped off here

I believed in dealer. Unfortunately they are the worst scammers. They said there is major damage in my engine and need to tear down my engine. The cost will be 6000$. Unbelievable!!! Spent a week there. I didn’t believe them and I declined their suggestion. I went to another common repair shop and they just did an oil change. Because oil change due was passed but mileage wasn’t reached. It was short 1500miles. Unbelievable dealer didn’t know or they just tried to scam me. Now everything is fine drove 1300 miles and month passed already!!! Bullshit dealers

Subaru of Glendale provides phenomenal customer service! Berj was the best representative we could have asked for. He was attentive, patient, and truly listened to our budget and needs. Not only did he help us find the perfect car, but he also went above and beyond to negotiate the best deal for us. The entire process was smooth and stress-free thanks to his dedication and professionalism. We couldn’t be happier with our experience and highly recommend Subaru of Glendale!

JC helped us get a Forester and made the experience easy and enjoyable.

We have owned Subaru vehicles for as long as I can remember. They are very good cars, particularly in Massachusetts yeoman where we moved to Pasadena in 2021. We bought an Outback from this dealership. Since then we have had nothing but problems. Radio not working. GPS doing its own thing (it took 8 months to get a replacement!). Electrical shorts. Etc. The quality of the customer service and the dedication of the staff to customer satisfaction is NON existent. They make you feel as they are doing you a favor. Writing to the General Manager and to Subaru US did nothing. Now they have suspended the loaner car during repairs and they charge you rental. Clearly the quality of the brand is going down. It is time to look for another vehicle with a customer support service that cares about the customer. Just to paraphrase from a known medical aphorism; "the secret of caring for the 'customer' is to CARE for the customer." Not an Subaru Glendale. No stars.

Went for service and a couple of days later found out they had overfilled the oil, their “20 something point inspection” doesn’t mean anything because they don’t do it. My engine air filter was filthy, my fluids weren’t topped off and I bet they didn’t even rotate my tires. I’m not going back and you shouldn’t either. Make the drive to Sherman Oaks for peace of mind.

I understand the parts department is theoretically separate but wanted to post here to express overall dissatisfaction with the phone-based customer support because nobody from the entire dealership seemed able to tell me if I could even get help with parts. Terrible.