Man Buys New Car. Then His Dashboard Goes Completely Blank: '20 Percent Failure Rate'

When buying a new car, the expectation is that everything will work properly because it’s new. So when the new vehicle has issues right off the bat, it seems valid to get irritated with the dealership you bought it from. 

Well, a man recently bought a new car from a South Carolina dealership only to have issues with the dashboard shortly after buying. 

Brooke English Guy (@brookebuyscars) reveals how a customer is frustrated with their buying experience at her Coastal Saves dealership in Pawleys Island, South Carolina. As the general manager of the dealership, she documented this story in a TikTok that generated over 2,360 views as of this writing. 

“I feel so bad,” English Guy begins.

The post reflects on how a customer recently bought a new vehicle, hoping to avoid the issues their previous vehicle had. However, that’s not the case, since right after buying the new car, issues with the dashboard began to occur. 

“Their dash just went completely blank. Obviously upset,” she shares.

As the GM, English Guy understood the customer's frustration. 

“You have to put yourself in their shoes. Look, if I was expecting my brand-new car to work—which, I mean, yeah, that’s why you buy a brand-new car—and it doesn’t, there’s definitely a good reason to be upset,” she adds.

The vehicle is in the shop being diagnosed, and the situation is bothering English Guy.

“I hate it for them. They were expecting to have zero issues, and now it’s like two months later and already having issues,” she concludes. 

Disappearing Dashboard: Viewers Speculate What The Issue Is

The viewers put on their thinking caps and decided to share what they believe the issue is in this situation.

“I worked at a car lot last year. The magic touch screens have a 20 percent failure rate. Get the warranty from the dealer, not TV,” one TikTok commenter shared. 

“Depending on the model and trim level, I think there’s a recall on this scenario. Shop mechanic should open a case with TechLine and get some help,” another added. 

Other viewers complained about the lack of quality control in new vehicles nowadays. 

“The quality of all brands has gotten extremely disappointing given the extremely high prices they charge for them,” one shared. 

“The fatigue from lack of [quality control] is real,” another commented. 

What Ended Up Being The Problem?

Motor1 spoke with English Guy via email and received an update on what exactly was causing the issue with the customer's car.

English Guy told Motor1, ”It was from an aftermarket radar device they had plugged in. They kept it plugged in constantly rather than removing it overnight, so it was draining the battery, which caused the dash to go out.”

She also shares that the dealership will cover the cost, despite it being outside a warranty issue. 

“My manager is calling the customers now so I’m hoping they will be happier now seeing as we are covering it for them even though it’s not a warranty issue,” she continues.  

Additionally, English Guy says disclosing the use of aftermarket parts to the service advisors during diagnosis is crucial. 

“It’s important for customers to know that if they’re using anything aftermarket in their car to always lead off with that because we have seen it many times turn out to be the issue behind things and it would save people a lot of time, money, and stress upfront,” she says. 

Why Do Car Dashboards Go Blank?

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According to CarParts, potential causes of a dashboard going blank include blown fuses, battery or wiring issues, a faulty alternator, ignition switch issues, or a bad starter. As mentioned, aftermarket parts can also be a factor in making the dashboard go blank. 

Outside of a car part malfunction, human error, such as having the dimmer knob turned down by accident, can be an issue.

 

 

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