University Ford

I bought my first car, a 2016 Ford Focus, from University Ford and had a lovely experience. Terrence was my point person and he made the infamous process relaxed, personable, and stress free. I didn’t feel pressured, hurried, or uncared for. I went in knowing what I was looking for and they figured out my best options, completely willing to work with me. I would recommend anyone in Durham trying them out and seeing if University Ford is a right fit for them when buying a new car, and I suggest requesting for Terrence to guide you to your destination.
Cheers.

Review is for the sales department — I worked with Derek Dellafosse and it was a great first car buying experience.

This review is for the sales department specifically. My wife and I came in and worked with Xan and Wes on a used VW Jetta. Before we arrived, Wes stayed in touch about the vehicle and was happy to text us additional pictures of the car when we asked. Xan had the car pulled around and ready to go by the time we arrived. He let us inspect the car while he did the test drive paperwork, and came along with us to take the car for a drive.
When it came time for numbers he was able to provide us with a price that was almost exactly what KBB, etc told us we should pay. He gave us reports on the car from two different agencies without us even asking, and they were both pristine (which we were grateful for, having just come from a Honda dealership that tried to sell us a Civic with a severe odometer inconsistency).
The paperwork took a bit longer than we would’ve liked given that we were just paying for the car upfront with a check, but overall I think we were in and out of there in about 2 hours. They offered to mail the plates and registration to us when they came in so we wouldn’t have to make a second trip.
Thanks for the good service, guys!

I strongly advise you to stay away from the service dept. While my experience with the sales department was good, their service department is the worst I have encountered in 35 years of buying new cars — that is not an exaggeration. I went in twice — the first time was terrible so I thought maybe they were having a bad day and gave them another chance. The second time was just as bad. The service writers have an attitude that you’re bothering them. On the 2^nd visit, I had to park and go looking for a service writer. I found him sitting behind the counter reading the paper. He looked up and said «what do you need?» I blame myself for not walking out immediately. Then followed an argument about whether a broken engine mount was covered under warranty. At my insistance he called Ford only to find out that it was covered. He then told me that the car would be ready at 5:00. I called at 4:30 to check and was told that it was ready. When I got there, they had not even started on it. No apology offered and when I asked when it would be ready the guy said «when we get to it». I took the car and left. Had to go 30 mi to the next nearest dealer, where the service was superb. I like Ford cars but would never set foot in University Ford again.

If you’re interested in looking at cars here, I recommend working with Ron Johnson. Of all the dealerships I’ve visited this week, I had one of the most pleasant experiences at University Ford, working with Ron. We’d called in ahead about two vehicles, and he had the keys ready for us when we arrived. Oddly, we didn’t get a temp registration before test driving — though he did photocopy our license. We test-​drove both cars and then joined him at his cube to ask a few questions and go over the Carfax reports. Ron was patient and courteous. He asked how long we’d need to make a decision and then handed us his card saying to be in touch if we had questions or wanted to move forward. It was no pressure, and really relaxed (unlike other places that make a point to say «We’re not trying to rush you into anything,» but then turn right back around and say they’ve had X number of people looking at the car that week, or attempt to semi-​sweeten the deal to get you to sign something on the spot. Worth a visit if you’re in the market for a vehicle.