ComplaintsforGermain Kia of Columbus

• Initial Complaint

  03/28/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Just paid Payment number six on a certified used car from Germain Kia Grove city Ohio. I had my oil changed a few days ago and they would not rotate my tires when I was getting my oil changed at Tuffy because they said the tires on the back were so bad that it would make my car vibrator. Tires are one of the inspection points required on a certified used car the two back tires are so bad they’re basically without tread on the inside of the tire and they’re very rounded and there’s metal showing in the tread. I went to the dealer several times about driving the car when I first got it in the snow and how it was sliding so bad going 5 miles an hour they said it was due to the traction and the way the car was built I don’t believe that I think they left the car with horrible tires on it which is now going to cost me about $600 to put new tires on this car. Also we just found out that the car did not have a spare tire or a jack apparently they didn’t check out the car well enough and I trusted them that this was a certified well checked over used car at Kia it Is a 2017 Kia Sportage. They tried to tell me when I put on the brakes and it grinds that it’s the way the car was built the more I think about this the more upset I am that they did not check this car out well and I wanna know what they’re going to do about it

  Business response

  03/29/2022

  Spoke with Ms. ***** Today and she will be bringing in her vehicle this Friday (4/1) to inspect the tires and we will assess. 

• Initial Complaint

  02/14/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Built 22 telluride in Aug 21. Got it Oct 21. Dec 21 I started hearing a weird noise. Took to Germain Kia for fixing bc that is where I bought it. They claimed it was a wheel bearing bad at the factory. Jan 10th was the 1st date we were to bring it. We drove an hour to bring it and they didn’t have a rental for us. They rescheduled us for Jan 19th and said (on jan10) that they were ordering the bearing. On the 19th we came back and they never put in a rental request for that day either. We ended up with an old dodge journey as a rental. after 2 weeks with it being terrible and oil light coming on, we complained. Two days later they finally came and switched out vehicles. Still telling us nothing about the telluride. we had to call and text many times asking for updates. Finally feb 10th we called another Kia dealership and they let us know that there is a way to check all kia’s for parts they can share and that there were a total of 10 wheel bearings available among a few diff dealerships. We called and complained and mysteriously the next business day “our wheel bearing arrived”. Well i had valet mode turned on and got a notice that my car was outside the perimeter i set. Their techs drove my car over 30 miles and took it to lunch at Roosters for an hour, using it for personal use that day. Also went to a tire discount store for 20 mins ! I have screen shots of all of the activitiy on my app. I called and complained and they wouldn’t do anything about it at all and just kept telling me that my car was ready. They had my car for a month and also used it for personal use and no one wants to make it right. This dealership is dishonest and very unprofessional. I pay over 900 a month for my loan and they had it for a month and drove it for personal use. They could have at least covered a month on my loan, to try and make things right. Terrible service and i warn others against going there.

  Business response

  02/15/2022

  *********

   

  I am extremely sorry with the experience you had with your Kia and our dealership.  We pride ourselves on our customer service and we definitely did not deliver.  There are supply chain issues in multiple industries that are affecting how day by day business is ran and it is extremely frustrating for the consumer and and businesses within those industries, as you experienced with having to order and wait 2 months for your Telluride, the delay in the wheel bearing arriving for the repair and the lack of inventory with all rental companies.   So just to clarify a couple of things, on Jan 10th we requested to have the Telluride left with us to perform the required diagnosis of the noise, unable to leave it at the dealership we planned to schedule an appointment to leave it with us and receive a rental paid for by Kia Manufacture America on the January 19th.  On the 11th you can see that we set up the rental for the 19th, with Enterprise (they are not affiliated with our company but do have rentals for customers that need alternate transportation).  Once we where able to diagnosis the Telluride you can see the part was ordered on the 20th and shipped to us on the Feb 8th arriving to us Feb. 12th and we performed the repair on the Monday the 14th.  After repairing the wheel bearing the vehicle needed to be road tested to assure the part solved the noise issue and to then perform any additional diagnosis for excessive heat coming from the floor board.

   

  With all that being said we dropped the ball by not returning your calls and how the technician was going road test the vehicle while out to lunch and we should have disclosed that too you ahead of time.  

  We are not able to reimburse a monthly payment for you but we did speak with Dallas Holbrock yesterday and had worked out an additional good will repair of the second wheel bearing at no cost to you valued at $300.  Hopefully you find that as a sufficient solution.

   

  Business response

  03/02/2022

  A solution has be reached.  A $884 check was mailed out yesterday per an agreement between our Service manager and ****** ********.  

  Customer response

  03/05/2022

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I accept the business's response to resolve this complaint. 
  
  Regards,
  
  Samantha Mccurdy

• Initial Complaint

  12/09/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I began leasing my new car with Germain Kia on June 19th of 2021. I had issues with them scamming me out of $255 that I was never able to speak with anyone about. I also am still waiting to receive my registration and hard plates from the dealership 6 months later with little to no help from the dealership.

  Business response

  12/17/2021

  ******* ****** was able to assist *** *******. Here is the communications. 
  

  Please see attached, this will keep you on the road legally!
  
  They are sending new hard plates in the mail to the following address
  
  **** ****** *** **** ******* ** *****
  
  So very sorry for all the hassle, please reach out to me directly in the event the tags do not show up!
  
  ******* ****** ******* *** * ***** ******* **** ******** ** ********* ** *****

• Initial Complaint

  11/23/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased my 2017 Ford Escape in July and they are still unable to produce my title so I can register my vehicle. I came up here today 11/23 to get my 4th 45 day tag and they refused to give me one. I want my title or I want a full refund of the roughly $7000 I have paid for the car so far. I have reported them to the Ohio attorney General

  Business response

  11/24/2021

  Good morning *******,

  I just left you a voicemail.  Please call me when you get a second.  ###-###-####.

  **

• Initial Complaint

  10/30/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  October 7, 2021, I received an email from ***** **** of Germain Kia, Columbus. He was interested in my car and wanted me to trade it in. I replied that I didn't want to buy another car but was willing to sell my car if he was interested. He responded that he was interested and wanted me to bring it in. I stated I lived over an hour away and that the car is a 2014 Kia Soul with around 55,000 miles on it. At this point, I wasn't sure if a deal would happen so I felt there was no need to cover all the information. I wanted to know if his price range was even worth my time so I ask him what price range he would offer. He told me to sent the VIN # , pictures and a brief description and he could give me a "value through email". I sent the enclosed email with the VIN# and stated specific information about the car and the engine, thinking he would read it, ask any questions or even decide not to buy the car, but he didn't. He immediately made an offer and agreed upon buying the car for $8000. He sent someone to my bank with a loan payoff and papers for me to sign. At this time they took my car and were supposed to return with the remaining $ owed to me and get the title. That day, he backed out of the deal, canceled the check to my bank, blamed me and denied that I told him the engine had been replaced and had more miles on it. He in turn offered me $2000 less for the car or wanted to cancel the transaction, which he did. I spoke with my lawyer and he told me to file a complaint because this is a bait and switch move that is illegal. Since then, they have been sending me email wanting to sell me a car!! My car's trade-in value on ***** **** **** is over $9000 with total mileage and over $13,000 with the 52,000 miles currently on the engine. A car identical to mine with 103,000 miles is listed for sale for $18,000! I had to replace the engine bc Kia sold me a car with a faulty engine to start with. Now Kia wants to devalue my car at my expense!

  Business response

  11/01/2021

  *******
  
  As I stated before I am very sorry for any inconvenience this has caused, and tried several times to come up with a solution with you but you would not return my calls or emails for 6 days.  I don't believe this was any ones fault just a simple misunderstanding.  Even in this message to the BBB you state again the your soul and I quote "I stated I lived over an hour away and that the car is a 2014 Kia Soul with around 55,000 miles on it"  I gave you an offer for your vehicle with the expectations it had roughly 55,000 miles on it but upon it being delivered to our store it in fact 126,497 miles on the odometer.  With the comps that you have shared and in this market you should be able to sell you vehicle with no issue, as for Kia buying the vehicle back for $10,000 I don't see that happening.

   

  ***** ****

• Initial Complaint

  10/29/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I bought a used car from this dealership. I was told there was no know major issues to the vehicle. A couple weeks into owning the car I now owe 5,000$ plus dollars in repairs because the dealership neglected to tell me everything wrong with the car and didn’t fix a leak prior to giving me the car. Though it came “as is” , they didn’t tell me about the damages in the engine nor about the leaks in my car.

  Business response

  11/02/2021

  *******,

   The vehicle was sold 100% "As is" as you acknowledge and you where also given the opportunity to take the vehicle to your own mechanic to have it inspected with it being a Germain Value Vehicle.  ******* ****** attempted to call you yesterday and **** **** will be reaching out this morning to gather additional info.  

  ***** ****

  Customer response

  11/02/2021

  As a transgender man I feel threatened by these actions because during the sale I was purposely giving a broken car that endangered my safety and made me fear for my life. Although “sold as is” or as known as a GVV vehicle — I was told this car was safe to drive and had been through service and everything checked out in great condition to drive. Not only did this car to break down a couple weeks later and put my life in danger while driving — the actions the dealership did made me feel to me as though there has been an attack on my identity done on purpose. For all I know this is another hate crime against my identity because of blatant misrepresentation in the sale because what other grounds would someone have to misrepresent the car to me to me. You are currently rated a 4.4 out of 5 , I do not believe this is the general practice of this dealership due the ratings and standards. All I’m asking for is for the car to be repaired to the status the car was represented as during the sale “safe and good to drive”.

  
  Regards,
  
  ****** *******

  Business response

  11/10/2021

  ******,

  I'm sorry you feel that way.  I believe our offer is more than fair and hope that you will take us up on it.  I will give you 30 days to decide to have us repair the head gasket/timing belt for the $1350, which we would have to be paid up front.  Thanks again for you time.

  ***** ****

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩