1-Star
1-Star — Sold Two Defective Trucks, Refused All Accountability I purchased two used Freightliner M2 reefer trucks from Penske Used Trucks — Unit 353950 from their New Jersey location and Unit 224843 from their Colorado location. Both trucks arrived with serious pre-existing mechanical and structural issues that were never disclosed at the time of sale. Unit 224843 arrived with the cargo box visibly off-center — the boards were misaligned to the point where the truck had a noticeable lean. Correcting it required removing the U-bolts and physically recentering the box on the boards. This is not a subtle defect. This is something anyone walking around the truck during a pre-sale inspection would have seen. It was either missed through negligence or ignored entirely. Unit 353950 came with a clogged DPF filter, a turbo requiring full replacement, and electrical issues. It later developed an engine leak that my mechanic traced to a radiator component that was never properly bolted down before delivery — the unsecured part collided with the engine block during normal operation. Again, this is a pre-delivery failure, not a buyer-caused one. Between repairs, towing, and diagnostics across both units, I am out approximately $4,500 — and that figure does not fully capture the month of lost road time while these trucks were out of service instead of generating revenue. When I contacted Penske seeking reimbursement or even acknowledgment of responsibility, they declined everything, pointing to the fact that the trucks had been driven over 3,000 miles since purchase as their justification for walking away. That response ignores the reality that these defects — a structurally misaligned box, an improperly secured engine component, a clogged DPF, a failing turbo — do not develop in 3,000 miles of normal commercial operation. They existed before I ever took delivery. Penske sold me trucks in this condition, charged me to have them delivered, and then refused to stand behind them when the problems surfaced. I am a small business owner. These trucks were an investment in my livelihood. Penske had every opportunity to make this right and chose not to at every turn. I would strongly warn any owner-operator or small fleet buyer to avoid Penske Used Trucks and seek sellers who actually stand behind their inventory. The aftercare staff were particularly unresponsive. Particularly if you ever have to deal with Jeremy Copeland or Gregory Brown, they will almost certainly provide excuses in place of actually helping you.