Bad Boy Oh Boy - Dayton Area KIA Dealers

[Stingin' Away]

I've had a fun couple of days here trying to call and get the recall for the fuse box done on the Stinger. Two different dealerships, both bad experiences. I want to sell than d*mn car; the service was that bad...

Kia of Dayton - Called there two weeks ago to set up an appt for an oil change, tire rotation, and the recall. The third party idiots down in Bowling Green, KY said okay and we'll see you soon. I show up to get the oil change done and they said they do not have the part for the recall and that they have to order it (2-3 day turnaround). Also, the service shop looked a mess and I have no confidence my car would be treated correctly and that service would be performed how it should. Now why wouldn't the idiots tell me that when I went to schedule the oil change? That's rhetorical because I know the answer; KIA service.

Castrucci KIA - Call them after I left Kia of Dayton because I wasn't going back there. Service manager takes my number and has a service tech call me back. The fuse box recall takes roughly 6-8 hours is what they said. Castrucci, apparently, is not doing loaner vehicles and I would have to pay out of pocket for a rental car while they perform the service. Ohhhhh man.....

Kia of Dayton - I have to take the car there due to not being able to go without a car from the dealership due to long hours at work. I get anxiety jus thinking about taking it to Kia of Dayton. There is another dealership down in Cincinnatti where I bought the car, Superior, but that's too far out of the way.

I had a stigma at first with KIA and it shed since my ownership with the Stinger over the past year. It's been a great experience up until now. I may not even get the recall done for reasons I've stated above, no confidence in the service techs. I didn't want to be "that" individual that says "I bought a $40k car and I'm getting treated as if I bought a $15k Rio". It's my fault though, I should have trusted my gut with the stigma because it IS still there. I hope you all have difference experiences with your dealerships. This type of service is what I expected from KIA but dealing with it first hand is not fun. Hell, I don't even want them changing the oil in the thing. Again, NO CONFIDENCE. Shame....

Rant for the day. I'll keep this thread updated as I move closer to having the oil change done. I may or may not have them do the recall; more of a headache than not.

Cheers

 

[WRXtoStingerGT]

Your experience with service was the same as mine. Nothing wrong btw of being "that guy" that complains about owning a $40k+ car and being treated like you purchased a sub $15k car. Nothing at all. A big reason I think people dump serious money on a car is for the treatment and experience of when they have to bring their car in for service at the dealership. I never had my BMW, Subaru, or Stinger have any service or work done at any dealership except for warranty or recall. Granted... my BMW was old as dirt and falling apart... but Subaru and Kia and Toyota are... well... "entry" brands... nothing wrong with that since they produce incredible machines but yes... the dealerships for Kia are mixed to say the least...

Good luck!

 

[AJG]

Jeff Wyler Kia is just as bad, I've spoken to Kia of Beavercreek and they seemed OK but I havent actually tried them for anything yet.

 

[Stingin' Away]

Your experience with service was the same as mine. Nothing wrong btw of being "that guy" that complains about owning a $40k+ car and being treated like you purchased a sub $15k car. Nothing at all. A big reason I think people dump serious money on a car is for the treatment and experience of when they have to bring their car in for service at the dealership. I never had my BMW, Subaru, or Stinger have any service or work done at any dealership except for warranty or recall. Granted... my BMW was old as dirt and falling apart... but Subaru and Kia and Toyota are... well... "entry" brands... nothing wrong with that since they produce incredible machines but yes... the dealerships for Kia are mixed to say the least...

Good luck!

I've had my fair share of entry level cars but nothing tops KIA. It really just is the recruiting with the people they hire. Seems the actual problem isn't KIA itself, more-so the dealerships that don't put money into things that aren't their bread and butter; I get it. But it pushes me to sell the car and probably others as well with the Tellurides, other Stingers, and K900s.

Jeff Wyler Kia is just as bad, I've spoken to Kia of Beavercreek and they seemed OK but I havent actually tried them for anything yet.

I've heard bad things about Wyler as well. I may look into Beavercreek but it's about a 45 minute drive. Not terrible but two others are closer.

 

[vipeboy2000]

wow.. that is horrible.. you aren't being "that guy" when you are legitimately frustrated and angry at poor customer service.. all of us would or should be upset if treated poorly. I'm grateful my experiences at our local kia dealers have been great! Far better than the service I had to help my parents with through a toyota dealer service AND sales department... bad service can be found with other brands but I definitely hear about it more with kia.. even more so than it's sibling company hyundai.

 

[ScottM]

I'll be honest, I haven't had any major bad experiences with the dealerships...but just bad vibes. I stopped getting my oil changed with them because they just give off this "who the hell are you and why are you here" vibe. I've had that sunroof rattle for a little bit now, but I don't want to take it in. I just feel that it's going to be a freakin' ordeal. I agree, I don't think it's KIA...I think it's some of the schmoes that work at their dealerships. SMH...

 

[EClapp3]

Go to Kias website and fill out a complaint. When this happens higher ups tend to get involved and the dealers bend over backwards for you. Or at least it was this way a few years ago. Hopefully its the same way. I have found the same thing as you though. All the Dayton area Kia dealers are TINY and driving to cincy or CBus is over an hour out of the way. I will never go back to Eastgate either. Their sales staff just like to play games.

 

[MerlintheMad]

I've had a fun couple of days here trying to call and get the recall for the fuse box done on the Stinger. Two different dealerships, both bad experiences. I want to sell than d*mn car; the service was that bad...

Kia of Dayton - Called there two weeks ago to set up an appt for an oil change, tire rotation, and the recall. The third party idiots down in Bowling Green, KY said okay and we'll see you soon. I show up to get the oil change done and they said they do not have the part for the recall and that they have to order it (2-3 day turnaround). Also, the service shop looked a mess and I have no confidence my car would be treated correctly and that service would be performed how it should. Now why wouldn't the idiots tell me that when I went to schedule the oil change? That's rhetorical because I know the answer; KIA service.

Castrucci KIA - Call them after I left Kia of Dayton because I wasn't going back there. Service manager takes my number and has a service tech call me back. The fuse box recall takes roughly 6-8 hours is what they said. Castrucci, apparently, is not doing loaner vehicles and I would have to pay out of pocket for a rental car while they perform the service. Ohhhhh man.....

Kia of Dayton - I have to take the car there due to not being able to go without a car from the dealership due to long hours at work. I get anxiety jus thinking about taking it to Kia of Dayton. There is another dealership down in Cincinnatti where I bought the car, Superior, but that's too far out of the way.

I had a stigma at first with KIA and it shed since my ownership with the Stinger over the past year. It's been a great experience up until now. I may not even get the recall done for reasons I've stated above, no confidence in the service techs. I didn't want to be "that" individual that says "I bought a $40k car and I'm getting treated as if I bought a $15k Rio". It's my fault though, I should have trusted my gut with the stigma because it IS still there. I hope you all have difference experiences with your dealerships. This type of service is what I expected from KIA but dealing with it first hand is not fun. Hell, I don't even want them changing the oil in the thing. Again, NO CONFIDENCE. Shame....

Rant for the day. I'll keep this thread updated as I move closer to having the oil change done. I may or may not have them do the recall; more of a headache than not.

Cheers

Excellent rant.

"My" dealership is different; very clean and professional.

What you do is get that TSB HECU kit and hang onto it until you find another Kia service center that inspires enough confidence to let you let them touch your car. Ditto oil change and maintenance: it doesn't have to be a Kia shop for that, you just need the receipts (I would even have them sign and date your service book - all that would be different is that there would be no "KIA" stamp).

 

[Stingin' Away]

Go to Kias website and fill out a complaint. When this happens higher ups tend to get involved and the dealers bend over backwards for you. Or at least it was this way a few years ago. Hopefully its the same way. I have found the same thing as you though. All the Dayton area Kia dealers are TINY and driving to cincy or CBus is over an hour out of the way. I will never go back to Eastgate either. Their sales staff just like to play games.

I called KIA corporate after I left and filed a complaint with the dealership. I really can't blame them other than their customer service level. It comes to the scheduling vendor that took my call and did not inform me that the work could not be done. All of the individuals in the mix though are employed or paid by KIA so it's everyone's fault.

I'm not losing sleep over it. It is what it is.

 

[Revvdmedia]

Kia is in such a weird spot. They're putting out vehicles purported to be floating into the "near luxury" segment, yet they haven't standardized their dealerships to "near luxury" service. I've heard this same story echoed by Corvette owners. They bought the 100K+ flagship car, only to bring it in for service, in a mediocre dealer, and be given a Chevy Sonic as a loaner, LOL.

The German dealerships in my city are on a whole other level compared to the Kia dealers here. In fact, the west end Kia dealer out here just felt downright slummy, it severely needed a facelift.

I think the route Genesis took with the valet service and you never need to see the [Hyundai] dealership works to their advantage. It's one thing to have a Stinger and feel this way with Kia, could you imagine bringing your Genesis G90 to a Hyundai dealership?

 

[EClapp3]

Kia is in such a weird spot. They're putting out vehicles purported to be floating into the "near luxury" segment, yet they haven't standardized their dealerships to "near luxury" service. I've heard this same story echoed by Corvette owners. They bought the 100K+ flagship car, only to bring it in for service, in a mediocre dealer, and be given a Chevy Sonic as a loaner, LOL.

The German dealerships in my city are on a whole other level compared to the Kia dealers here. In fact, the west end Kia dealer out here just felt downright slummy, it severely needed a facelift.

I think the route Genesis took with the valet service and you never need to see the [Hyundai] dealership works to their advantage. It's one thing to have a Stinger and feel this way with Kia, could you imagine bringing your Genesis G90 to a Hyundai dealership?

This is SOOOOOO true. We have 2 KIA dealers in the area where the whole dealership is like 1000 sq ft and only a couple desks. They look like they haven't been updated since the early 2000s. I fully agree on the G90 comment lol. I just imagine bringing in a g90 to a Hyundai dealer lol.

 

[Stingin' Away]

Kia is in such a weird spot. They're putting out vehicles purported to be floating into the "near luxury" segment, yet they haven't standardized their dealerships to "near luxury" service. I've heard this same story echoed by Corvette owners. They bought the 100K+ flagship car, only to bring it in for service, in a mediocre dealer, and be given a Chevy Sonic as a loaner, LOL.

The German dealerships in my city are on a whole other level compared to the Kia dealers here. In fact, the west end Kia dealer out here just felt downright slummy, it severely needed a facelift.

I think the route Genesis took with the valet service and you never need to see the [Hyundai] dealership works to their advantage. It's one thing to have a Stinger and feel this way with Kia, could you imagine bringing your Genesis G90 to a Hyundai dealership?

Funny you mention the Genesis position. I had a 2015 Genesis sedan (now known as the Genesis G80) and would take it to the Hyundai dealership. I worked there so that experience was above average. Very updated and large showroom and the service department was always friendly and welcoming.

What it comes down to is the amount of money the owner of the dealership will put in for a specific manufacturer. Wyler BMW is going to look/present itself better than Wyler Kia; that's a given. What's holding back Kia/Hyundai is the dealerships. KIAs brand image is comparable, if not better, to most mainstream brands now (Subaru, Toyota, Chevrolet, etc). As long as the customer service lacks like it does, Kia can't compete. My daily driver is a Malibu and the service at Chevy far exceeds what Kia was able to offer, and the Stinger MSRP was double.... Odd.

 

[WRXtoStingerGT]

Kia is in such a weird spot. They're putting out vehicles purported to be floating into the "near luxury" segment, yet they haven't standardized their dealerships to "near luxury" service. I've heard this same story echoed by Corvette owners. They bought the 100K+ flagship car, only to bring it in for service, in a mediocre dealer, and be given a Chevy Sonic as a loaner, LOL.

The German dealerships in my city are on a whole other level compared to the Kia dealers here. In fact, the west end Kia dealer out here just felt downright slummy, it severely needed a facelift.

I think the route Genesis took with the valet service and you never need to see the [Hyundai] dealership works to their advantage. It's one thing to have a Stinger and feel this way with Kia, could you imagine bringing your Genesis G90 to a Hyundai dealership?

This is what I've been saying for over a year now.

Someone dropping anywhere from $35k-$55k is expecting a certain level of service and experience... driving a car with an MSRP north of the 50's approaching $60k and not getting a loaner or being given garbage service is laughable to say the least...

I've had my fair share of entry level cars but nothing tops KIA. It really just is the recruiting with the people they hire. Seems the actual problem isn't KIA itself, more-so the dealerships that don't put money into things that aren't their bread and butter; I get it. But it pushes me to sell the car and probably others as well with the Tellurides, other Stingers, and K900s.

^ Yup! Agreed! I 100% agree with every word here!

The cars themselves are pretty good but it seems that a lot of the dealerships and service/sales experience is very bad...

I'll be honest, I haven't had any major bad experiences with the dealerships...but just bad vibes. I stopped getting my oil changed with them because they just give off this "who the hell are you and why are you here" vibe. I've had that sunroof rattle for a little bit now, but I don't want to take it in. I just feel that it's going to be a freakin' ordeal. I agree, I don't think it's KIA...I think it's some of the schmoes that work at their dealerships. SMH...

Those "vibes" I have seen at multiple dealerships. It's not you. I've step foot into Mitsubishi, Honda, Toyota, Subaru, VW, Ford, Chevy, Dodge, and any other "common" or "entry-level brand" and never saw such comical nonsense as I did with Kia. What blows me away was my experience being in two different Genesis dealerships was fantastic!

 

[colnago1331]

So I'm over in Columbus, and I didn't have any problems with my dealership - Crown Kia in Dublin. When I received the recall notice, I reached out to them and got an appointment scheduled specifically to do the recall. I was informed that even though this was a recall, Kia had not authorized loaners, which I found a tad annoying, but it was in no way a deal breaker. I was also told it would take about 2 - 4 hours, and because of COVID I wasn't really interested in hanging out in their waiting area that long, so I arranged for a ride from and to the dealership. This morning I dropped off the car, and 3 hours later it was done. All of the people I interacted with - from the person on the phone when I scheduled the appointment to the service advisor I worked with - couldn't have been nicer.

And FWIW - in December I took the Benz wagon to the adjacent Crown Mercedes for service and had a similarly awesome experience.

 

[Stingin' Away]

So I'm over in Columbus, and I didn't have any problems with my dealership - Crown Kia in Dublin. When I received the recall notice, I reached out to them and got an appointment scheduled specifically to do the recall. I was informed that even though this was a recall, Kia had not authorized loaners, which I found a tad annoying, but it was in no way a deal breaker. I was also told it would take about 2 - 4 hours, and because of COVID I wasn't really interested in hanging out in their waiting area that long, so I arranged for a ride from and to the dealership. This morning I dropped off the car, and 3 hours later it was done. All of the people I interacted with - from the person on the phone when I scheduled the appointment to the service advisor I worked with - couldn't have been nicer.

And FWIW - in December I took the Benz wagon to the adjacent Crown Mercedes for service and had a similarly awesome experience.

I'm glad your experience was positive. To be honest, all dealership experience in the past has been par or better. This is the first time I've felt this way towards a dealership. I've always thought of them as "stealerships" but that did not pertain to the individuals that work there.

When/If I get the recall done, I hope for a 3 hour turnaround like your experience.

 

[vipeboy2000]

I'm glad your experience was positive. To be honest, all dealership experience in the past has been par or better. This is the first time I've felt this way towards a dealership. I've always thought of them as "stealerships" but that did not pertain to the individuals that work there.

When/If I get the recall done, I hope for a 3 hour turnaround like your experience.

hopefully less, i was fully in/out for the recall in 80 minutes!