D & B Auto Brokers

First of all, don’t go here expecting a polished auto showroom and smooth sales people. Bill runs a tiny lot out of a cramped a cluttered office. He’s a decent guy.
My wife’s PT Cruiser was totaled in an accident and she wanted a replacement. She found a great Cruiser on Craigslist. We went up yesterday. It’s a one man show, so if Bill is helping another customer be prepared to wait. But once we had Bill’s attention, he let us take the car out for a test drive. Back in the office, the paperwork went smoothly. We chatted a little, and will be picking the car up Tuesday. The guy who does his smog certifications was unavailable.
D&B sells clean used cars for a great place. But if you are shopping for a used car, be smart and spend the $ 65 for a CarFax unlimited account. Forewarned is forearmed.
I’d recommend this lot to friends.

Bought a VW Golf here 4 months ago. Was told by Bill that the car is good and running. Turned out that I’ve got myself a lemon and that the transmission was down in 3 months due to a ‘poorly put together’ job by D&B. Shady, dodgy and how can a car broker not know what a timing belt is? Pure, utter rubbish. 0 stars if I could.

At the time we went to the lot, there were 2 cars I saw on Craigslist that I had been considering. I was most excited about the 2003 Toyota Corolla S (the upgraded package) 5-​speed with 150,000 miles for $ 4,000. Sounds great, right? I was so excited, I was ready to go for a test drive. Bill tells me it was in an accident so I told him I wanted to take on the freeway, over 65 and see if the wheel shakes. I wanted to hit the brakes and see if there is any pull on the steering wheel in either direction. We get in the car, he tells me he would need to pull out of the lot but that I would be able to drive. He drives around the block and pulls back into the lot. At no time did I get to test the frame to see if it was straight. I asked him why he didn’t allow me to drive it and he said it was because I seemed more excited about the other car I was interested in. My husband was more excited about that other car. I made it very clear that this is my money, my car and that I would be the one making the decision. Truth be told, I think I was more irritated with my husband than Bill at this point.
According to the Car Fax (I had to read it over his shoulder. For some reason, he wouldn’t hand it to me to allow me to inspect it myself) the Corolla had structural damage. Bill tells me that structural damage means the bumper and/​or quarter panel (s) was replaced. I don’t know if this is true. I’m putting it out there as a direct quote so you, the consumer, can make an informed decision. Upon closer inspection, the hood, front quarter panel and bumper were slightly misaligned. You should be able roll a marble between the panels of your car. If not, it’s likely the frame is bent.
The second car I was excited about was a 2002 VW Passat V6 GSE, loaded leather interior, 1 owner, 96,000 miles, 5-​speed in a perfect shade of blue, excellent maintenance record with a kick ass stereo $ 3,400 (again, I had to read the Car Fax over his shoulder).
I wanted to test drive the car. I thought to myself, here we go again… He told me he needed to pull out and that and he would then let me drive. I drove a few blocks. Bill then told me that my husband should be the one to test drive it on the freeway. I am used to driving a 5 speed Ford Ranger with a «squishy» clutch. Up to that point, I had never driven a European clutch. In all fairness, I could smell the clutch, as a result of my test drive. In the end, I drove out in the most gorgeous car I have ever owned. It’s a smooth luxury car and I paid $ 3,966 out the door. In pricing this car, I was unable to find one in much worse condition, under $ 5,000!
The Bad: Bill is not the most personable guy around. He is brusque and a control freak. I asked for the Car Fax and was made to read it over his shoulder. He drove me to the bank so I could take out the money for the car. It took forever to get out of there on that Friday afternoon. He admitted that he would have assumed I didn’t want the car and not waited for me to return.
The Good: Bill sells some really CLEAN cars at well BELOW cost. He does not offer financing and he doesn’t have a sales staff or a flashy office. That’s why he is able to sell some really clean cars at the price he does. He wasn’t at all pushy, in that there wasn’t any hard sell. He’s been in business for over 25 years. I actually used to wait for the 5L in front of D&B after high school.
I plan to purchase my daughter’s first car here and my husband’s next work truck.
In reading the other reviews for this place, you’ll notice the principal complaint is Bill’s personality, the cleanliness of his office and the fact he doesn’t adhere to any office hours. I bought a car, not Bill or his messy office. I feel I got the best deal around! I hope he doesn’t retire too soon!

Dont like customer service from Bill is awful, he should retire soon. OUT Bill, go and take a break, The office is nasty, and well the cars seem really sketchy

Bill left his lot abandoned with a note saying be back soon on his shack. I called him and he said he would return in 25 minutes. I said I’ll come back. Called him at 5:25 and asked if he could show me the car below and was curtly informed that he closes at 5:00.
Well it was okay for this jerk to expect me to wait around his vacant unattended lot for 25 minutes but he was too grand to return and sell me a car!
This guy is an ass so don’t waste time like we did today driving 2 hours to see a car only to get asked to wait for him and then told he closes at 5:00 without any offer to come back and sell the dawn lemon he was posting on Craigslist anyway! Craigslist
2000 Jaguar XK8 Convertible — Loaded! — $ 5495
(NO EXTRA CHARGE FOR THE BIRD CRAP ON IT!)
(160,000 miles probably a lemon anyhow)
2000 Jaguar XK8 Convertible
4.0L V8 DOHC 32V FI Engine
5-​Speed Automatic Transmission
Clean title
New Bridgestone tires
Concourse Condition
Owned and maintained by an airline pilot
Navigation System
Alpine Audio System
Leather Seating
Anti-​Theft Alarm System
Alloy Wheels
Traction Control
4-​Wheel ABS
Driver and Passenger Front Airbags
Power Front Passenger Seat
Steering Wheel Audio Controls
Cruise Control
Power Steering
Remote Trunk Release
Leather Steering Wheel Trim
Wood Shift Knob Trim
Air Conditioning
Automatic Climate Control
Intermittent Windshield Wipers
Power Windows
Power Door Locks
Automatic On/​Off Headlights
Auto-​Dim Rear View Mirror
Power Convertible Roof
Bucket Seats
Center Console
Fog Lights
Garage Door Opener
Power Heated Mirrors
Keyless Entry System
Power Brakes
Rear Window Defroster
Sport Suspension
Tinted Glass
Premium Audio System
17 Inch Wheels
Power Driver Seat w/​Memory
Power Tilt and Telescopic Steering Wheel
Tachometer
Trip Computer
Stability Control
Freeway Miles
D & B Auto
155 El Camino Real
Redwood City, CA 94 062
(650) 365‑2021

BE WARNED! I bought a used 2001 Audi Quattro from this dealer in July 2013 and was completely lied to and ripped off. The car appeared in good condition and I was told of it’s ONE notable problem: the automatic door locking was broken. Fine. I still wanted to be sure and so I took the car to a local mechanic and they said the car was in good condition and was a great buy. On top of that the owner told me that the car had just had the timing belt replaced. All of this sounded amazing and like a great find so I purchased the car. When I took it in to get the locks fixed I was told of a myriad of problems that the car had. For starters the timing belt was most definitely NOT replaced. Which is a common thing for used cars and I probably would have purchased the car all the same if I had known this. BUT considering that the owner lied to me (AS WELL as the mechanic. Who I later found out was the dealer’s mechanic) I could have assumed that there was nothing wrong with the car and not replaced the timing belt and then it would have gone out and the car would have been completely destroyed. SO the lie I was told of the replaced timing belt could have been catastrophic. MOVING ON. On top of the timing belt not being replaced there were several other small issues that the mechanic and dealer did NOT address. One of them being that the car was previously «fixed» through a total hack job. They drilled into an oil pipe to hold on the bumper. STRAIGHT INTO IT! So after $ 3,000 extra I JUST NOW got my car out of the shop in October. My great little $ 5,000 car turned into a money sucking $ 8,000 car. Had I encountered an honest salesman I would have NEVER purchased this car. But an honest salesman would NEVER EVER even have the gaul to try and sell a car that was so poorly fixed. Not even it was BROKEN to anyone. I would NEVER buy a car from this dealer if not for the soul fact that he is a DISHONEST con man and in my opinion, SCUM.

Why pay more to buy a car from an auto dealer? Presumably so the dealer can do some screening on the condition of the vehicle. At best, Bill is incompetent at his job. At worst, Bill is a crook. The car I bought was in terrible condition, but all the holes were plugged just long enough for Bill to get the car off the lot.
Also, Bill told me that buyer’s insurance would cost me $ 200 (which allows the buyer to return a lemon in two days), which I foolishly turned down. I found out later that Bill can not legally charge more than $ 75 for buyer’s insurance based on the price of my vehicle. So, Bill either can not count, or he is a liar*.
Note to others: If a place only has a few great reviews, and a few terrible reviews, the great reviews are probably fake.
Avoid this place! Do not make the same mistake I did!
*Hint: Bill is a liar.

I bought a Honda Civic from D & B a few months back. It’s been a great car as I’ve had no problems or surprises. I wanted to upgrade the stereo in my car and Bill was more than happy to recommend a good installation shop.
Purchasing the car was pretty much stress free. There was no hard sell and Bill, the owner, seemed to be a straight shooter. Other dealerships I visited during my hunt seemed to be pushy and a bit sketchy but that was not the case at D&B.which is probably why I bought my car there in the end. D&B has a lot of high-​mileage cars, but by my research, the prices reflect fair Blue Book value. If you’re on the hunt for a new whip, check these guys out. It’s a much better experience than I had elsewhere.

Recently bought an Audi wagon at this dealership. I went with them because they had the best price around for what I was looking for. This is def a «mom and pop» type dealership but the owner Bill has had it for over 25 years so he knows how to treat a serious customer. His window prices aren’t sky-​high like a lot of other dealers — this doesn’t leave him with much room to drop prices I guess but he was still willing to work with me on a few things and he was open about his pricing (Thanks Bill). So far the car’s been driving well and it’s very pleasing to the eye — so I’m happy. My brother is looking to get a used SUV, I’m sending him to D & B. Definately recommend this place.

I wish i could give these people no stars! The guy Bill was such a jerk. I was really interested in a car. I had asked him a simple question about if the car power outlet worked or if he had anyway way I could test it and he flipped out about. He also flipped out about my shifting and told me to get out of the car in the middle of my test drive. I was in love with the car but really upset that I was gonna buy from such a jerk. Then I ask for a carfax which on the window to the crummy office said will be provided, and the guy gets all crazy about how the car is in great condition and that he doesn’t have a computer to get one. He made up some excuse how he has to call his son who works a full time job somewhere else to get it for him and then he will email it to his iphone and then he would show me on his iphone. Then he flipped out again saying that the car is great and that I should walk to kinkos and get it myself. F*** you Bill! I hope your crummy place goes out of business and your f** as* is on the street. And worst of all… i checked the carfax and it had 45 records. Don’t buy from this place unless you want a lemon and the worst service imaginable.