Bad London's Airport Kia, London, ON

[Licorice]

Just had my '21 Stinger in for Service #1 (oil change, check fluid levels) this past Saturday. I'm choosing to take it to the dealer, however I may go to a different Kia dealer after this. First of all, they tell me at about the 20 minute mark that they don't have enough synthetic oil on hand, so have "sent out" for some and it would delay me a bit. Well, it turned into a 2 hour appointment, which is a bit crazy for an oil change. But the thing that pi$$ed me off most is that, as I'm driving home, I notice that the GPS cable AND the power cable to my dashcam have been unplugged. Of course, the Service Manager wasn't in on a Saturday, and he didn't call me today even though I left a request on Saturday for him to call ... but I just called him to express my annoyance about the dashcam. He said he tells his techs to advise the owner they're going to disconnect the dashcam (which they didn't). When I asked why, he said it's a matter of privacy. On one hand, I can understand that - I wouldn't necessarily want someone watching me do my job ... but on the other hand, what's the big deal?? So, I'm not sure how to feel ... the Service Manager did apologize and agree that they should've asked me first, and re-connected it before I picked it up (which makes me think that they've likely disconnected it on all the previous services, but remembered to re-connect it so I was none the wiser). Is it a legit invasion of privacy, do you guys think? I've never looked at the dashcam after a service, it's never dawned on me before now, TBH ...

 

[Snicklefritz]

it smells. some modern service centers have picture windows to their waiting areas so that customers can be watching what goes on all the time. if there is ever a job that should include complete transparency it is auto maintenance.

 

[Grump]

These guys are terrible, worthless even. They do not respond to phone calls, voicemail or email, their staff is in a revolving door, they kicked the can on warranty repair for over 6 months. They f&*%ed up my rocker panels twice. I'm done with them, they've lost my business. I suggest Woodstock if you don't mind taking the trip. Wharncliffe is no faster for an oil change, nearly 3hr the last time I was there.

 

[Licorice]

Ouch! Makes my complaints look a bit trivial in comparison ... I bought the car at the Wharncliffe location, but Airport is 5 minutes away, and they did me a solid with my Forte back in 2017, but I'm sure staff has changed since then. I looked at my rocker panels on Saturday when I got home and they look fine, thankfully. Hey, any excuse for a road trip, I'll give Woodstock a whirl next time, thanks for the recommendation!

 

[cwfl]

I wouldn't trust the dealership to handle even a simple oil change. I've seen so many examples of them f*ck up their job.

 

[Buzzman12]

I wouldn't trust the dealership to handle even a simple oil change. I've seen so many examples of them f*ck up their job.

How about not doing the job at all?
Happened to me at a Ford dealer.
Took in my (then) van for an oil change. They took it out back to the service area, which is not visible from anywhere in the dealership,
and brought it back out 20 minutes later. I checked under the hood when I got home, and the oil was still dirty, and the filter had not been replaced. They billed me though.
I took it back right away and voiced my extreme displeasure with the Service Manager, who refused to acknowledge their scam.
I insisted on them doing the oil change again, only this time I went into the garage with the van to see it being done.
The mechanic who did it, bless his heart, admitted the original oil change was never done because they were too busy and just wanted the van out of there. The manager never admitted the "mistake" or took responsibility, even after I put it all in writing to the dealership.
To this day, I always insist on seeing my vehicles being worked on. If any garage gives me a hard time about it, I go elsewhere.

 

[cwfl]

How about not doing the job at all?
Happened to me at a Ford dealer.
Took in my (then) van for an oil change. They took it out back to the service area, which is not visible from anywhere in the dealership,
and brought it back out 20 minutes later. I checked under the hood when I got home, and the oil was still dirty, and the filter had not been replaced. They billed me though.
I took it back right away and voiced my extreme displeasure with the Service Manager, who refused to acknowledge their scam.
I insisted on them doing the oil change again, only this time I went into the garage with the van to see it being done.
The mechanic who did it, bless his heart, admitted the original oil change was never done because they were too busy and just wanted the van out of there. The manager never admitted the "mistake" or took responsibility, even after I put it all in writing to the dealership.
To this day, I always insist on seeing my vehicles being worked on. If any garage gives me a hard time about it, I go elsewhere.

Sorry to hear that. At least they finished the job they were supposed to do in the first place. Did you seek for any compensation? After all the bad things I've heard of the dealership, not just KIA, I much prefer go to a mechanic shop that I trust. Although I'm still on the road of finding the best mechanic in my area. I care too much for my own car, I want them to last. And although I'm not mechanically incline, but I like to see my cars during the service. Just to make sure they don't over tighten filter cap etc.
And one interesting side story, I've been to three different shops, none of them have ever serviced on a Stinger, and they were all shock that it took 7.3 qt of oil. So that was fun for me to see their reaction. One of the reason I would take stinger over the audi, bmw.

 

[Buzzman12]

FYI, the Ford dealer reluctantly gave me a voucher for a free oil change. I never went back and used it.
What pi$$ed me off more than anything was the attitude (save for the tech who was honest).
All I wanted from them was an admission that they screwed up, and an apology. That's it.
I would have respected them if they had just owned up to what they did. Nope. Nothing but deflection and BS.

I hope you find that elusive honest and competent mechanic. They are hard to find.
I had a guy I trusted and used for a while, but then he just got fed up with the business and shut it down.
I have been looking ever since.