AP
Andrew Patrick
Aug 15, 2026
A few months ago, I needed a “new” used vehicle after being an accident that was not my fault. As such, this was a hassle I didn't want. My previous car purchases had been through Carvana and had been excellent experiences, so I initially started there. However, I found Carvana’s prices and especially its shipping costs noticeably higher than in the past, so I began looking at traditional dealerships within a couple of hours of me. I had avoided traditional dealers because of their reputation for inflated prices and poor service, but after extensive research and an exhaustive search, my wife and I made the trip from Beaumont to Houston to look at some Nissan Altimas. My totaled car had been a 16 Altima that I loved, so I specifically wanted another Altima in the 15–19 range.
Our 2nd stop was Baker Nissan, which had a 17 Altima that appeared to be in excellent condition. We test drove it and liked it, although the price was somewhat higher than we had hoped. Before deciding, we asked about purchasing the vehicle without a return period or comprehensive warranty; with Carvana, we had seven days to have a mechanic inspect the vehicle. Baker’s salesperson dismissed the question and assured us that their vehicles were inspected extremely thoroughly and that we wouldn’t find issues like that.
Unfortunately, we decided to purchase the car. The purchase process was the first indication of what we were in for. Despite paying cash, the process took essentially the entire afternoon. We were passed between multiple salespeople, spent far more time waiting than doing anything productive, and repeatedly had to remind employees about things they had promised to do.
Then, before we had even made it out of Houston, the check-engine light came on. I called the salesperson, Cesar Vivas, who suggested they probably hadn’t tightened the gas cap after filling it up. I eventually stopped at an auto parts store to have the code checked. It had nothing to do with the gas cap; the code indicated a problem with the front grill system. I called Cesar again and was told I would have to bring the vehicle back to Baker to have it fix. So much for the “thorough” inspection.
Before making another two-hour trip back to Houston, I had my local mechanic inspect the vehicle. They found that the washer-fluid pump was bad and that BOTH engine mounts needed replacement! These were clearly pre-existing problems that Baker’s supposedly thorough inspection had missed.
Getting Baker to address these issues was another ordeal involving multiple phone calls to multiple people. When I finally drove back to Houston for my appointment, the person I had been told to ask for was unaware of both my appointment and the problems. It took about an hour just to get things straightened out and nearly the entire morning for Baker’s mechanic to just inspect the vehicle and confirm the problems.
Then came the most frustrating part: despite the assurances I had received before purchasing the car, the service manager refused to replace the engine mounts, as they were due to wear and tear. I had to have my mechanic replace the mounts--a nearly $800 cost out of my pocket. Baker did inform me that the battery was going bad and offered to replace it for $312.28. I declined as it is a $150 battery, but it did indeed fail a couple of months later.
If I could title this review, it would be “Sorry, Carvana”. I wish I had simply paid the extra $1000–$2000 and bought from Carvana. I ultimately spent nearly that much getting this vehicle into a quality used condition--not accounting for the time, fuel, and energy, and frustration involved. Needless to say, I will NEVER due business with Baker Nissan again! I gave them multiple opportunities to make this right, and they failed every time. This experience has made me extremely reluctant to buy from traditional dealerships in the future.
p.s. Baker , DO NOT reply to this, asking me to contact you to “make things right”; I gave you multiple opportunities to do exactly that during this process, and you failed at every turn.
JA
Janet Allen
Aug 12, 2026
I initially experienced good customer service; however, my overall experience with Baker Nissan was extremely disappointing.
I was invited to apply for a vehicle lease and agreed to a hard credit inquiry based on what I understood from the advertising and information presented to me. After spending approximately six hours going through the process, I was presented with terms requiring a $5,000 down payment and payments of approximately $757 per month for 84 months. Those terms were far from what I expected and did not seem reasonable for what had been presented as a lease opportunity.
More concerning, I discovered that applications for financing were submitted to lenders that I did not knowingly authorize. Multiple credit inquiries can have consequences for a consumer’s credit profile, and I take this matter very seriously.
When I later contacted the salesperson by text to question what had occurred, my messages were ignored.
As a senior citizen, this experience left me feeling that I was being taken advantage of rather than treated as an informed customer. I strongly believe dealerships should clearly disclose financing terms, down-payment requirements, and exactly how and where a customer’s credit information will be submitted before proceeding.
I would encourage anyone considering doing business here to carefully review every document, ask exactly how many lenders will receive their application, and make sure they understand and authorize all credit inquiries before proceeding.