Bad I thought KIA would be better

[TriPaulyD]

It has been a long time since I have set foot in a dealership. I recently lost one of my key fobs (long story) and needed to get a replacement. I was looking online and saw prices from $89 for a refurb unit, to $225 for a new unit from an online dealer. I decided to give my local dealer a shot just to see if the Kia Dealership experience would be any better then past dealerships I have dealt with (Toyota and Mazda).

Well, my KIA dealership was what I should have expected. Terrible.

I went to the parts department window, no one was there. I rang the bell twice over the span of about 5 minutes until someone showed up. I had my VIN ready and they disappeared for another 5 minutes. He came back to tell me "the key fob will be $300 plus $100 to program it." Yea, no thanks on that buddy. Needless to say I will never be going back there. If MSRP is ~$250, why are they charging $300? How difficult can it be to program a FoB that it would cost $100 to do so?

I went back online and found an KIA specific parts place and got a new one for $145. Now I just need to find someone to program it without robbing me.

 

[Devin]

$100 to program it sounds about right. Actually, none of those figures really surprises me for a dealer.

 

[DoctorStiches]

That is standard dealer experience lmao
But yea anyone with a pulse in the car industry will rob you blind

 

[Ohiocruiser]

 

[Landshark]

a simple phone call could have saved you the trip.

i'd expect inflated prices at ANY dealer, good or bad. that's why you never buy tires or batteries at dealers, unless you're a gullible old lady with money to burn.

i traveled 2 hours to buy my CPO car from a "good" KIA dealer ... ended up being a Scorpion Ed. without being advertised as such, fantastic condition other than the two front grab handles being loose and a small crack in the front windshield corner - both of which the dealer volunteered to fix before i even saw the car. i saved $8000 vs the local "bad" dealer ... they advertised a car online at one price, then inflated it by $6000 after my test drive due to "chip shortage/low inventory" B.S. i laughed in the guy's face and left. heard horrible things about their service dept., too ... which is my main criteria about whether a dealer is good or not.

 

[D.J.]

It has been a long time since I have set foot in a dealership. I recently lost one of my key fobs (long story) and needed to get a replacement. I was looking online and saw prices from $89 for a refurb unit, to $225 for a new unit from an online dealer. I decided to give my local dealer a shot just to see if the Kia Dealership experience would be any better then past dealerships I have dealt with (Toyota and Mazda).

Well, my KIA dealership was what I should have expected. Terrible.

I went to the parts department window, no one was there. I rang the bell twice over the span of about 5 minutes until someone showed up. I had my VIN ready and they disappeared for another 5 minutes. He came back to tell me "the key fob will be $300 plus $100 to program it." Yea, no thanks on that buddy. Needless to say I will never be going back there. If MSRP is ~$250, why are they charging $300? How difficult can it be to program a FoB that it would cost $100 to do so?

I went back online and found an KIA specific parts place and got a new one for $145. Now I just need to find someone to program it without robbing me.

my only question...

Why would you think Kia would do better?

Is this entirely just a matter of the Keyfob + programing price?

 

[D.J.]

two front grab handles being loose

Grab handles?

Door handles?

 

[TriPaulyD]

my only question...

Why would you think Kia would do better?

Is this entirely just a matter of the Keyfob + programing price?

Honestly, I don't know. I have hated car dealerships since I bought my first new car at one. KIA seems to get a lot of good press for being a good car company. I am guessing that only is a reflection of the quality of the cars themselves. I should have known better that car dealers will always be terrible places to take your cars to be worked on and they will always overprice everything past the entry door.

Sometimes I try to give the benefit of the doubt. In this case it wasn't warranted. Never again.

 

[Devin]

Grab handles?

Door handles?

OS handles

 

[D.J.]

OS handles

My 2018 doesn't have OS handles.

I'm kinda jealous.

 

[Devin]

My 2018 doesn't have OS handles.

I'm kinda jealous.

Maybe I'm wrong. That's what I was thinking though.

I have literally no idea if my car has handles!

 

[DoctorStiches]

Im confused

 

[Landshark]

Grab handles?

Door handles?

not the mechanical door handle that you pull out to open the door from the inside ... the "grab handle" (pull handle?) connected to the inside door's armrest that you pull to close it.

there is a TSB for it ... only 2022's affected i think.

 

[Ah GetFd]

All dealerships are the same and I think the reason they provide a high price is that unless you are buying from them all the time they figure you are only coming to them when you can't find it elsewhere. I don't expect to be buying parts because I bought new with a 7 year unlimited km warranty but my previous GM cars I found by going to the same dealership they got to know me. The price came down to trade and they also matched any genuine part price online.

 

[D.J.]

All dealerships are the same and I think the reason they provide a high price is that unless you are buying from them all the time they figure you are only coming to them when you can't find it elsewhere. I don't expect to be buying parts because I bought new with a 7 year unlimited km warranty but my previous GM cars I found by going to the same dealership they got to know me. The price came down to trade and they also matched any genuine part price online.

7-year, unlimited kilometer warranty, that sounds kind of amazing.

Can you share what that warranty is worth?

 

[Ah GetFd]

This is the standard new car warranty in Australia for all new Kia vehicles. It's full replacement for any defect for 7 years unlimited kms. Google Kia Car Dealer Australia. Look at the new vehicles offered and warranty. It's a new car warranty....