A man trying to buy a new Ford F-150 says he walked into a dealership ready to make a deal. Instead, he was offered a 12% interest rate, even though he says his credit score is 700.
He refused the offer and went to his credit union, which approved him for a much lower rate of 4.9%. With the money lined up, he returned to the dealership to finish the purchase.
But he still couldn’t drive his new truck home. This time, the dealership told him the truck had an open recall.
After two days of trying to buy the same vehicle, the man decided he’d had enough. Now he’s sharing his experience on TikTok and explaining why he won’t return.
A Deal Gone Wrong
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@mateocpr As a car salesman you letting this deal walk or would you stayed and closed the deal? #carsales #fordf150 #carsalesman #finance ♬ original sound – Mateo | CPR
In his TikTok video, Mateo (@mateocpr) explains that he wanted a brand-new 2026 Ford F-150 Lobo.
He normally gets vehicle loans through State Employees’ Credit Union. However, he was excited about the truck and decided to try the dealership’s financing.
That decision quickly became a problem.
Mateo says the finance manager offered him a 12% interest rate and tried to make his credit look worse than it was.
“Mind you, I got a 700,” Mateo says.
He told the employee that his credit union could offer something between 4% and 7%. If the dealership couldn’t match that range, he wanted a bill of sale so he could arrange his own financing.
Instead, Mateo says the manager returned with his credit report and began explaining why the dealership couldn’t offer a better rate.
Mateo wasn’t interested in arguing. He asked for his keys back and left.
Another Failed Visit
The next day, Mateo went to his credit union and received approval for a 4.9% interest rate.
He then waited for the dealership to send over the bill of sale. When it didn’t arrive, he drove back to pick it up himself.
Later that evening, he realized he could complete the financing through the credit union’s phone service. He collected his trade-in vehicle and headed back to the dealership.
He arrived around 7:30 p.m., just 30 minutes before closing.
According to Mateo, an employee immediately pointed out how late it was. Then the employee checked the computer and told him the truck had a recall.
That meant Mateo couldn’t take it home.
He says nobody had mentioned the recall earlier, even when he visited to collect the paperwork.
As he prepared to leave, the employee asked what time he could return the following day.
“You won’t, bro,” Mateo replied.
“Two days in a row I’ve had to do more of the work than y’all trying to put in to sell me this truck,” he explained.
Mateo identified the business in the comments as Town & Country Ford in North Carolina. His account of the dealership visits has not been independently verified.
He says the dealership has continued calling him, but he has no plans to return for the truck.
Is 12% Too High?
A 700 credit score isn’t perfect, but it generally falls into the good range.
According to myFICO, scores between 670 and 739 are considered good. That doesn’t guarantee anyone a low interest rate, but it can help borrowers qualify for better loan offers.
Data from Experian shows that borrowers in the prime credit category received an average new-car interest rate of 6.15% during the second quarter of 2026.
The average was 13.52% for subprime borrowers.
That makes the 12% offer Mateo described considerably higher than the prime average.
However, lenders consider more than credit scores. Income, outstanding debt, loan length, and other details can all affect the final rate.
There’s also another reason shoppers should compare financing offers.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau explains that dealerships can offer customers a higher interest rate than the lender’s rate. The difference can help compensate the dealership for arranging the loan.
That doesn’t prove what happened in Mateo’s case. It does show why getting a second offer can be worth the effort.
What About The Recall?
The dealership may have had a valid reason to keep the truck.
Under federal law, dealers generally cannot deliver new vehicles covered by an applicable, unresolved safety recall until the required repair has been completed.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also allows consumers to check for open recalls using a vehicle’s identification number.
Mateo didn’t identify the recall affecting his F-150, so it’s unclear what repair the truck needed or when it could have been completed.
His complaint wasn’t simply that the truck needed work. It was that nobody told him about the issue until he returned that evening, ready to buy it.
Salespeople Weigh In
The video sparked a debate about how dealerships should treat customers who are ready to make a purchase.
Some viewers believed the dealership cared more about arranging financing than selling the truck.
Others questioned whether a 700 credit score was good enough to qualify for a lower interest rate.
One commenter who identified himself as a Ford finance manager mentioned promotional financing rates. Mateo responded that the dealership had told him those offers couldn’t be combined with certain rebates.
Another commenter, who said he had worked as a general sales manager for 15 years, challenged Mateo’s claims and pointed out that advertised rates aren’t guaranteed.
But some people who said they worked in car sales thought the dealership should have done more to close the deal.
One salesperson said he would have stayed late, made coffee, and done whatever was needed to finish the sale.
Mateo, meanwhile, says he’s done trying. Although he still wanted the F-150, he wasn’t willing to make a third trip to the same dealership.