top rank motorsports, Cypress, CA

A forum for owners and fans of the legendary Nissan Skyline and Nissan GTR.
iamareplicant
Posts: 28
Joined: Mon Jul 08, 2019 3:10 pm
Car: 1990 Z32 TT, 2018 VW GTI SE, 1993 Nissan Cima, 1990 Mazda 626, 1990 Fairlady Z 2+2 TT, 1983 Honda City Turbo, 1993 FD

Post

For anyone considering purchasing a car from TopRank motorsports in Cypress, CA:

I purchased a JDM 1993 Nissan Cima in May of 2019 from TopRank Imports.

After purchase and before I took delivery of the car, Brian - the sales manager - said he was in Minnesota visiting and came by my house to talk about Japanese cars that they import, as well as other cars I was interested in purchasing from them. Among topics we spoke of was me being able to source parts for my car, and registering and titling my car as the car had never been titled in the United States. I told him this was my first JDM car, and I asked him if he would help me if I ran into any issues when I tried to register the car. He said, “Absolutely.” I also asked how I would be able to find parts for my car, and he told me he would help me. I said to him, “Do you mean to tell me that you help all your customers find parts for their cars after they purchase it from you?” He replied, “Absolutely.”

He also said my car had another issue: the heater/air conditioning control. This is a complex/unique part that controls the a/c, heater, and navigation/TV screen used to visualize the settings.He told me that it was repaired. In fact, it is permanently broken and cannot be repaired, nor can the unit be replaced as a replacement part does not exist.

I took delivery of the car in September of 2019: the heating and a/c unit was inoperable, the driver's door panel was water stained, and there were large chips on both bumpers that do not show on their website's pictures. The ac/heater will work for a few seconds, then die. The video he showed me was the few second when the unit is working.

I sent an email to the Brian describing the issues, and he called me back to discuss them. He stated he did not know how neither the water stains nor chips happened, and reiterated to me that the heating and a/c unit was fixed before the car was shipped to me. He concluded the conversation by telling that he would contact his repair person regarding how to fix the heating and air conditioning unit (again, this unit, I have since found ou, cannot be repaired nor replaced anywhere), as well as finding me a detailer in my city that could remove the water stains on the door panel. He told me he would contact me the next week. I never heard from him, and he has ignored my emails and voice messages.

Several weeks ago I tried to register the car and was told I didn’t have the proper paperwork. I called Brian – the same man that had come to my house and assured me he would help me register the car if I had issues - while I was at the department of motor vehicles and asked that he return my call to discuss the problems. After working with the dmv for 2 hours, they did take the paperwork and issued me a temporary registration, but told me the state may reject the paperwork, and regardless if they do or don’t, I should contact the dealer to discuss the issues that were found.

It's been 2 months since my last contact with the TopRank. I have sent multiple messages, all have been ignored. I currently have a car that is not yet registered, and may not be able to be registered at all, as well as a car with no heating or air conditioning that cannot be repaired.

The only thing I've asked for is information that was promised to me - how to repair my car’s heating/ac control, and how to register my car. It would cost them nothing to call me and spend 5 mins on the phone.

I've purchased 40+ used cars in my life, and this is the first time I've had to file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and retain an attorney. I've also filed a complaint with the California DMV dealer investigations unit. All of this because this dealer won't return my call.

Before you purchase anything from this dealer, ask yourself: If you spent tens of thousands of dollars on a car, and they forgot to give you the paperwork to title your car, and then refused to call you back, how would you feel? As well, how would you feel purchasing a car with no a/c or heater that can never be repaired? They knew this was so, lied to me that it was repaired, and sold me the car anyhow.


vicelord
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Dec 06, 2019 1:35 pm
Car: R32 GTR

Post

Hey, I lurk this forum from time to time but created an account because I wanted to respond to your thread.

I purchased a vehicle from Toprank back in September and like you I had similar conversations with Brian about my purchase and ever answer he gave me was conveniently the one I would want to hear. I started to question his honesty after a while because no one has the right answer every single time in my recollection.

Some of the things he did felt misleading but I have no proof, other things were puzzling and totally in my favor. Things he did for me that were nice were:

1. dash had two bubbles and they were (mostly) removed before the car was shipped to me.
2. The car has BBS LM on it and I noticed in the pictures they looked pretty curbed. I told him I didn't want the wheels due to this and prefer if they put different wheels on. About 4 hours later he sent me photos of the wheels repaired, apparently they had a guy in the neighborhood who could do the work. They look fine now.
3. I asked for a radio that does bluetooth streaming and he put one in the next day.

But those were easy things to do to sell a car, there were some other things he did that were just purely puzzling:

1. He called me one day and said "I think this car's been hit. It looks like it was repaired great and probably minor. It's on the passenger rear fender, there's definitely a repair weld but it's not significant". Turns out after we put a paint meter on this car it has a new front end, paintwork on the aforementioned "hit" area and a few other areas with paint work. The meter was jumping all over the place. I don't expect them to know the whole history of the car they bought at auction in another country but this stuff was beyond obvious and it was not disclosed - I didn't go to California to look at the car before hand so I have to take some of the heat for that.
2. I was told it would be no issue to get a Virginia title for the car this way I can go to Arizona MVD and do a state to state title transfer instead of all the import BS. Eventually I got the VA title but it took almost a month and I had an attorney queued up if we passed the allowed time to receive title (I don't remember the conversation 100% but I believe the attorney told me they only have 30 days, maybe 45 but either way we were getting close). Communication was non-existent during this wait when I had the car for almost a month but no title.
3. I was told repeatedly "our business is strong from word of mouth and if you can't drive your car we aren't getting any exposure. We send our cars out ready to drive and yours is solid as can be". I was told several variations of this during the purchase. When I received the car my steering wheel was cocked 45 degrees and it was beyond obvious the shocks were blown and you could hear springs compressing on all four corners. The car also had a torn CV boot. I had to get new coilovers and a boot. The coilovers on the car were Greddy and would have to be rebuilt in Japan. It was easier for me to buy new stuff than pay for round trip shipping and 6-8 week turnaround. The car also needs the transfer case rebuilt and two mechanics have told me the leak isn't significant enough to do it right now but I should plan on it with the next clutch change. Oddly enough Toprank just put a brand new clutch in the car so there is NO WAY they didn't know about the leak.
4. He gave me the same speech he gave you about how they keep parts for all their customers and can source anything and while that's probably true my calls to him about the transfer case and suspension went ignored. A promise isn't worth s*** if you ignore people.

I bought from these guys because all the Youtube personalities rave about their stellar reputation and unmatched knowledge. Since buying the car I've felt Brian has no more integrity than any stereotypical used car salesman. He seemed to really know these cars inside and out but over-promising and under-delivering is something I wouldn't tolerate from my employees. At the end of the day you and I both bought cars from foreign markets with limited parts availability and we have to be reasonable about our expectations from the cars - they all have stories and they all are going to have worn out or broken s*** - but we also are reasonable to expect solid communication and honest/straightforward answers.

Brian is just telling people anything to get his paycheck and that's the worst kind of salesman. He's the kind of guy who will work himself out of the industry after pissing too many people off. I've owned a number of really expensive cars - you think Porsche salesmen act like him? No chance. Not if they want to keep their jobs. I'm a business owner and make enough money to support this hobby. I'm definitely the kind of guy who is a repeat customer if you treat me right, but he will not have my repeat business. It would have been so easy to lock me up as a lifer customer, too.

iamareplicant
Posts: 28
Joined: Mon Jul 08, 2019 3:10 pm
Car: 1990 Z32 TT, 2018 VW GTI SE, 1993 Nissan Cima, 1990 Mazda 626, 1990 Fairlady Z 2+2 TT, 1983 Honda City Turbo, 1993 FD

Post

I'm sorry you, too, had a similar experience to mine. I still have no idea what I said or did to deserve the worst imaginable customer service from a car dealer I've experienced in 45 years of purchasing cars.

Re: your car being "as solid as can be." Brian told me every one of their cars is given a 126 point inspection 3 times: once before they ship it from Japan, once when it arrives in the US, and once before it leaves for the customer.

I wish I had been warned about Brian. Consider leaving a review on google reviews for top rank as I did.

I posted a comment like mine above on another forum 3 weeks ago:

https://www.supraforums.com/threads/top ... t-13904057

In less than 24 hours, Brian responded to my comment with the following online comment. He ignored every call and email I sent him (8 total) over a 2 month period, but as soon as he read my online comment, he left the below. Note that he states I had 2 numbers to call (I have only their 844 number, and he states in another thread that I was "blowing up his cell phone"). Again, I do not have a cell number for top rank, and I left 8 messages over a 2 months period trying contact them about what was already promised, as well as trying to contact them about titling my car because the DMV has issues with the paperwork.

Note the last sentence:

"Jeff, you sent me this email 6 days ago, while I was out sick with the flu.. additionally we do have a phone other than my personal number which you also have... either way I get back to work today to a slu of you spewing garbage all over the internet. We left our last conversation at you saying you were going to have a shop up the road from your house have a look at it. So before I even begin any sort of civil conversation with you about helping you fix something we already fixed once and sent you proof of ≥.. I am dying to know what your saying about not being able to register your car. I sent you everything you needed to do so. Is this a lack of competence on your part or is something truly missing? You have not been ignored, I do not exist to serve only you. You left one voicemail on our general office line and sent one email while I was out of the office and you instantly turn to the internet to slander and degrade me because you lack the knowledge to register a vehicle despite having "purchased 40+ cars" anyone who has ever registred a car knows the temporary registration is issued before you receive your title and registration in the mail, which according to your DMV is being mailed to you. Finally, you didn't spend 10s of thousands you spend 10... and i've given you above and beyond service just as I have with all of our customers regardless of the dollar amount. Yes the car took time to deliver because 1) as per your request we replaced all the window regulators with parts that needed to be sourced and shipped from Japan and 2) you wanted us to get the car shipped enclosed for as cheap as possible, which we did.

"I don't know what you're doing on a Supra Forum but I pity the person that you have your next JDM transaction with.



Here is the last email I sent to Brian, on 11/19/19, which was ignored as were all the rest. Does my email sound like I am being unreasonable after 2 months and 7 previous messages being ignored?

"Hi Brian,

A few months ago, you told me that when you were in town, you would contact me about where to get the Multi/AV unit in the center console of my car fixed.

If you recall, importavehicle had repaired this prior to shipping the car to me, but it did not work when I took delivery of the car. My car has no a/c or heat.

I also have some questions about what other car and year (for example, a 1998 Infinit Q45) share parts with my car, so that I know what I can use for parts.

You also told me you would give me the name of a detailer to take out the water stains on the drivers door.

Finally, you said you would send me the 100 dollars I’m owed for shipping.

Please call me:XXX XXX XXXX

Thanks


And here is the final email I sent to Sean (on 11/19/19) who appears to run toprank. I sent this because my last email to Brian was ignored, too.

Do I sound unreasonable?:

"Hi Sean,

I purchased my 1993 Nissan Cima from toprank in May of this year. Just after purchasing the car, Brian came to my house near Minneapolis for a chat about my car, and in general JDM cars. My Cima is my first JDM purchase, but I had wanted to purchase additional JDM cars and have toprank locate them for me. Brian told me this is something that toprank does, and that he could help.

Regarding my Cima, I asked him about parts availability and locating them. He told me all customers of toprank can use toprank to source parts when needed. I said to him, does that mean I can call you whenever I need parts? He said absolutely. I asked him about registering and titling my car in Minnesota, and he said there would be no issue. I asked, if there is, will you help me as needed? He said he would.

When my Cima was ready for shipping, one of the window regulators died. It took a while for that to be repaired, and then another regulator failed. That, too, took some time. During this I interval, Brian had told me that the Multi/AV unit, which controls the heat and a/c, had failed, and that it, too, was being repaired. I appreciated it then, and now, that toprank took car of these repairs before shipping the car to me.

When I took delivery of the car in September of this year, the Multi AV unit was not working, and there were water stains on the driver’s door panel that were not there in the pictures on toprank’s website. As well there was a problem with paying the shipper, and I was owed $100. After talking on the phone with Brian about the shipping fee and the Multi/AV unit (see email below), he said he would contact the person that fixed the Multi/AV unit to find out how to repair it, and also would speak with the shipper. Finally, he told me he had found a detailer here in the twin cities that would address the water stains I mentioned above. He said he would be in the Twin Cities the follow week and would contact me then. It's been about 2 months, and though I have sent him several emails and left several messages, I have not heard back from him. I also sent him links to several cars I was interested in purchasing, as well as a list of the cars I was interested in, and again heard nothing back.

I’m seeking a contact so that I can discuss the Multi/AV unit repair. My car has no heat or A/C, and as you know, this is a very rare part. Also, I need some information on my car, such as what parts are compatible with it. For example, I think the Q45 from 1993-1999 may have parts that are interchangeable (specifically, my car needs shocks/struts), but I need to be able to ask questions about these things as issues arise. Overall, I need help with sourcing parts for my car, and Brian assured me toprank would be there for my part needs.

Also, when I went to title the car, they initially said they could not title it because there was no title. As soon as they told me this, I called and left a message for Brian. I never heard back from him. The DVS did eventually take the paperwork, but said there is chance the state will reject it. I will find out by Dec 19th, 2019

I want to mention that the overall condition of the Cima is excellent, just as Brian had initially described to me. There is not a single ding in the body, and it the power train is solid. It’s a very nice car. The original owner took very good car of it, to say the least. If not for the Muti/AV failure, I would be driving this car as my daily driver. Here in MN, winters are a bit cold, and with no heat, it is not doable.

Could you reply back, if you know, with someone that I can contact to get my Multi/AV unit fixed, as well as someone that can help me with titling my car if need be, and finally, a contact that I can have a conversation with about my car, its peculiarities, and how to get certain parts for it?


Thanks


I still have not heard back from Sean or Brian. About 10 days ago, someone from top rank called (my caller ID showed the call was from their 844 number) but they did not leave a message. I called them back the same day and left a message asking that they call me back as I had seen they had called me. They never returned my call.

I will post this thread on other RX7, Supra, Cima, R32 and JDM websites to get the message out about what this dealer considers "good service". And I care nothing about whether toprank has the best cars, and sells them to the movie stars and/or the wealthy, and how respected toprank is. I will post my experience to warn others.

iamareplicant
Posts: 28
Joined: Mon Jul 08, 2019 3:10 pm
Car: 1990 Z32 TT, 2018 VW GTI SE, 1993 Nissan Cima, 1990 Mazda 626, 1990 Fairlady Z 2+2 TT, 1983 Honda City Turbo, 1993 FD

Post

Consider leaving a google review for toprank as I did.

iamareplicant
Posts: 28
Joined: Mon Jul 08, 2019 3:10 pm
Car: 1990 Z32 TT, 2018 VW GTI SE, 1993 Nissan Cima, 1990 Mazda 626, 1990 Fairlady Z 2+2 TT, 1983 Honda City Turbo, 1993 FD

Post

I've also filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, which you can too.

nitrous36
Posts: 30
Joined: Tue Jun 07, 2011 9:10 pm

Post

Sorry, late to the thread. Havent been here in a while. Read this and had to share my experience dealing with Top Rank/IVI.

I stayed quiet about them for a while. Because I didnt know if it was just me and I didnt want to be that guy spreading bad information about them. At the time there was only 1 negative google review regarding the shop/Brian and the poor/slow communication while all their other reviews were great. Also Sean is/was held in high regards in the Skyline community, so I didnt want to go bad mouthing his(?) company.

I wasnt sure if it was the company as much as it was Brian. I wanted to believe it was a good company because it was headed up by Sean Morris supposedy. I imported a car through them 2 years ago. I got the car I wanted with their help and all the paper work was good luckily. Registering the car wasnt an issue. From my experience Sean(or anyone else) is no where to be found, you deal with Brian exclusively. I guess Sean is there taking care of the legal/paperwork side of things, which he is good at. Brian wasnt rude to me, but communication was poor and he was very difficult to get up with. Sometimes Id have to call multiple times in a day to finally get a hold of him and move forward with the process.

The car. There were no major issues with the car, just a few disappointments. While discussing its condition before any bidding, I was notified that the car had some rust in the rear rocker panel area , but was otherwise clean and rust free. That wasnt the issue. I said ok and asked for pictures of the rusted areas so I could see the corrosion. They sent a ton of pictures of everything else, all over the car, but none of the undercarriage and the mentioned rust despite me asking. I also asked for pics of the engine bay, which they never provided. When the car landed at their shop and went through their "inspection" Brian contacted me saying the car drove and ran well. When I received the car, its condition was as the pictures had indicated, and to their credit the car ran and drove well mechanically. But the corrosion in the rear of the rocker panels was much much worse than indicated. Am currently fixing that now. Really wish they had provided pictures of it, then I might not have bought the car. While the car ran ok, there was a burning electrical smell, which I later found out was a bad alternator. Found out on my 3rd drive with a buddy showing him the car. Luckily I had him with me to push it back to the house lol. I wasnt expecting them to fix this, but that seemed like something they would have caught while inspecting the car and at least notified me of out of courtesy. Over all the alternator was nothing serious and I replaced it a week later. If I had to pick a problem to have with a 25 year old car, that was it. The last issue I had was that the coolant was brown like coffee, it had never been changed in some years I guess. I flushed the coolant and luckily there were no head gasket issues. But this again seems like something they would have caught in their inspection, notified me and maybe offered to flush it if they were truly professional.

So my problems were mainly with slow responses, poor contact, some oversights or neglected details. I did accept some this is on me not being able to fly to California to see the car in person. But it still seems like they could have disclosed more information than they did and at least provided the pictures I asked for. While my experience was not terrible, it could have definitely been better.

iamareplicant
Posts: 28
Joined: Mon Jul 08, 2019 3:10 pm
Car: 1990 Z32 TT, 2018 VW GTI SE, 1993 Nissan Cima, 1990 Mazda 626, 1990 Fairlady Z 2+2 TT, 1983 Honda City Turbo, 1993 FD

Post

Consider yourself fortunate.

And, the only call I finally got from Brian was to tell me "Id rather burn your car to the ground than help you", and "I will fly to Minnesota [from CA] and come to your house and sh1t all over your life," this because of posting my experience with him and toprank on social media.

I recorded the call, sent it to my attorney, and gave it to the county sheriff's office where I live.

Again, all of this because brian refused to return my calls and give me the promised info he told me he would give me if needed. The call would have cost him nothing and would have taken less than 5 mins.

Seems as though he has enough time and money to buy a plane ticket to fly to MN to "sh1t all over [my] life," but not enough time and money to make a promised 5 min. phone call.

Go to google and read some of the other reviews. I am not the only one given this treatment.

nitrous36
Posts: 30
Joined: Tue Jun 07, 2011 9:10 pm

Post

Will do. Thanks to you and the other guy for sharing your experiences. Im glad more people are coming forward. I had pulled back on sharing my subpar experience with them, because no one else had really complained about them at the time.

A few months after landing my car, there was only 1 google review detailing their slow and terrible response times, and interactions with Brian. This while all the other reviews raved about their greatness. So I didn't say anything, not wanting to create tension with them.

Im glad more people have come forward about them. Will go read the new reviews now. Im disappointed Morris/tyndago would run such a company. He was very helpful on the forums back in the day. And would even go after the shady importers and call out their practices. This and his knowledge is what made me choose his bussiness.

iamareplicant
Posts: 28
Joined: Mon Jul 08, 2019 3:10 pm
Car: 1990 Z32 TT, 2018 VW GTI SE, 1993 Nissan Cima, 1990 Mazda 626, 1990 Fairlady Z 2+2 TT, 1983 Honda City Turbo, 1993 FD

Post

I don't know morris, nor care if he is the skyline god. My experience with his company was bizarre. There is no guaranty that others will go through what I went through, but it is guaranteed that, unless you know someone at toprank, you will run the risk of it.


Return to “GTR Forum / Skyline Forum”