Greg L

I purchased a “Run and Drive” vehicle on 10/21/24, using RideSafely.com. The car was delivered on 10/23/24. When the car arrived it sounded like it had an engine knock, and some type of grinding coming from under the hood. The car also had a coolant light on although there was coolant in the reservoir. I let the car idle for a few moments and noticed smoke coming from the tailpipes and under the hood. I quickly turned the car off. The car smelled like fire and I suspect it could have easily been a fire hazard. I can't link the video here but I did send it to Roman, the "VP" of RideSafely.com.

The coolant hose held together with black electrical tape, not something you could see from pictures or notice unless specifically looking for it. I scanned the car for codes and the car had the following 6 DTC codes;
P0299: Turbocharger/Supercharger Underboost
P0300: Random/Multiple Cylinder Misfire Detected
P0301: Cylinder 1 Misfire
P0302: Cylinder 2 Misfire
P0447: Evaporative Emission system vent Control Circuit open
P0304: Cylinder 4 Misfire Detected

Combined with the metal sound coming from the motor, I was not confident that this car could “Run & Drive”. Within a few hours of the car being delivered, I towed the car to a local mechanic and had the car looked at. They confirmed the following issues:

“Note: Vehicle presented with significant upper valve train noise. Broken coolant hose duct taped. Engine codes for misfires cylinder 1 2 and 4. Boost pressure code for turbocharger 1. Coolant level message on cluster. Various codes in other systems that do not affect drivability such as tailgate function and EVAP system codes. Engine sounds like it may have been run without oil. Recommend oil analysis for bearing material and proper type. Vehicle is not drivable. continued driving will damage the catalytic converter. We can quote you for repairs on any of these items but significant engine assessment is needed to determine if it is worth fixing or would need an engine replacement. Significant diet is needed to determine the failure mode on turbocharger 1.”

This vehicle will require hours of labor and thousands of dollars in diagnosis charges alone including engine disassembly and cylinder compression tests, and/or complete engine replacement. No where in the auction did it show engine issues. No mechanical issues were listed anywhere on Copart or RideSafely.com. Not these or any mechanical damages were disclosed in the listing. The car was listed as “Run & Drive”, Primary Damage: Minor Dent/Scratches. Nothing listed as mechanical damage. This car is mechanically totaled and was clearly staged. I ran a VinDoctor report and the previous 6 times this car ran through the auction, non listed mechanical damage. All listed “Minor Dent/Scratches. Again, giving me false confidence this car would not need extensive engine and transmission work. I purchased a car with dents and scratches and RideSafely sent me a car with extensive mechanical damage.


Taken directly from the RideSafely website: “The ‘MC – Mechanical’ code indicates the presence of mechanical issues in a vehicle. This can include a range of problems, from engine troubles to malfunctioning transmissions or other vital mechanical components. Mechanical damage or defects are defined as any harm to a vehicle’s parts that makes it unusable, except for issues related to routine maintenance items.”


I attempted to work directly with the GM of the Copart yard but they could not assist me without RideSafely’s involvement, and RideSafely has no interest in helping me reverse this transaction.


The “VP” Roman, doesn’t return calls, is never “available” and takes 2 business weeks to reply to an email. If you don’t believe me, call and ask to speak with him. This whole company is a joke and borderline SCAM.


RideSafely will likely reply to this (like they usually do) and say I was wrong and I didn’t do my research (like they usually do). I know where I went wrong, it was trusting RideSafely. There is ZERO customer support after purchase. I wish I would have listened to the reviews, but here we are.


If you are considering purchasing a car via RideSafely.com or AutoMoto Deals LLC, you still have time to run as fast as possible in another direction.


PS: RideSafely, you have my telephone number if you want to make this right.
But if you want to just offer a generic apology for the internet, do what you usually do and reply below. I’ll keep posting this review on every site possible.

UPDATE AFTER RideSafely's REPLY:
"We are keen to resolve this situation to your satisfaction and will reach out directly to discuss potential resolutions"
You have already denied me any compensation or resolution over the phone 2 weeks ago. Not sure why you put this on your online response. #WeDontBelieveYou ;)