Dealer Reviews
Service Reviews
Cars for Sale
Dealer Log In
All Salespeople
Sales Department
McGrath Arlington Kia
Palatine, IL
302 Reviews
This rating includes all dealership reviews, with more weight given to recent reviews.
Sales Price Transparency
Service Price Transparency
Trade-in Experience
Purchase Time
Finance Experience
Workmanship
Service Time
Service Communication
Filter Reviews by Keyword
By Type
Showing 302 reviews
August 25, 2022
I would give it no stars, but I can't, buying a car from this dealership ranks as one of the worst decisions of my life and I am 60 years old, from the time I walked into the dealership, the lies that were this dealership ranks as one of the worst decisions of my life and I am 60 years old, from the time I walked into the dealership, the lies that were told to me was so that I should have walked out! I can't adequately express how disgusted, upset and angry, with this dealership, I wouldn't advise even my enemies to go to this dealership. RUN!!!! More
by shasalshe3
Employees Worked With
Cody Hamel
July 27, 2022
WORST EXPERIENCE EVER! This is the second time I got totally disappointed from this dealership, but there's not going to be a third one for sure. BUYERS AND CUSTOMERS BE This is the second time I got totally disappointed from this dealership, but there's not going to be a third one for sure. BUYERS AND CUSTOMERS BE AWARE! HERE IS MY SERVICE EXPERIENCE: Today I had a scheduled appointment for 11:45am to check a couple of serious issues with my Kia Sportage 2020 /with only 14000 miles on it/ before I go on my 4000 miles road trip. I left my car there and the service advisor told me he will call my in the next 45 minutes to an hour to let me know what is wrong with my car. No one called me and 2 and half hours late at 2:10pm I decided to go back there again and check on my car. Guess what my car was sitting there for the last 2 and a half hours WITHOUT EVEN ANYONE CHECKED ON IT. There was a different guy at service desk / with a blond hair / I asked him why is my car is still sitting there. He gave me that rude attitude and said that the issues that I mentioned are going to take more than 45 minutes to get checked and they will start working on my car at 3pm..? Almost 4 hours later than my scheduleed appointment. I asked him why no one gave me a call or something to let me know about it and why I scheduled an appointment for 11:45 after all... no one knows. I told him that my work shift starts at 3pm and he said THE KEYS ARE IN THE CAR YOU CAN GO. Wow really??? Is that how you treat your customers there? He didn't even bother to say "I'm sorry" or offer me a loaner. You just waisted my entire day there. If that's the way you deal with your customers I'm not sure who I would going to give you more than 1 star rating. But if you guys treat only my like that, we are talking for something absolutely different. You know what I mean! I live 10mi away from there....driving back and forth absolutely nothing. * AND HERE IS MY BUYING EXPERIENCE. A little over than 2 months I bought my brand new Kia Forte 2022 from this place. And guess what it wasn't any better than what I mentioned above. Our salesman was Zack. These days most of the dealerships try to sell their inventory for thousands above the sticker price because of the "Chip Shortage". Zack told us we also adjust the price with $2500 above the MSRP, but they will give us something compared to the other dealers. He said that we HAVE to buy "McGrath Protection Package" which includes, at least that's we were told: Exterior, Interior and Windshield protection coat that will last up to 5 years, 2 oil changes, carpet and rubber floor mats and nice discount on a spare tire, because the car doesn't come with one. None of this wasn't mentioned in a "We Owe You" document or something. Exterior/Windshield protection coat washed out after our first car wash. And I mean hand wash, not automatic car wash. We bought the car on Friday and Zack said "Come back on Monday and I will give you the spare tire and the floor mats". I went back on Monday, our salesman wasn't there and different guy give me the rubber mats only, saying the carpet mats are not included and I have to pay for them $160?? I called Zack and he said "Sorry I made a mistake, they don't come with the car"???... and also no one placed an order for the spare tire. I talked to the parts department person and he told me he is going to place an order for one and to come back in the next day an the morning to pick it up. Guess what the tire wasn't there the next day either. The same service person said "I'm sorry I will deliver the tire to your address ones it's here" which he did and I appreciated it. About the discount... it was $30 on almost $400 for a spare tire. My advice to all of you... If you willing to do business with this place do yourself a favor and ASK THEM TO RIGHT DOWN EVERYTHING THAT THEY OWE YOU, because they will try to do anything possible to get your money and after this you should go there asking for your missing items day after day....or better go somewhere else where you'll receive AT LEAST a little respect. More
by Jotsy83
Employees Worked With
Service and Sales Department
July 09, 2022
I attempted to buy a car from this place, and it was astonishing how they attempted take advantage of the customer. I am well aware that because of the shortage of cars, dealers have all the control re astonishing how they attempted take advantage of the customer. I am well aware that because of the shortage of cars, dealers have all the control regarding price. I was working on purchasing a used car, I had negotiated an end of month price, knowing it had to be done that day. It was a net of $2,500 including my trade in. I could not consummate the sale that day. The car was still available the next week. Same list price of 16K. I went through the final checks on the vehicle and sat down with a sales person to get their price, while the ever elusive sales manager who had all the control was stashed away in some other room. I realized that I was going to pay more than the $2,500 we had the previous week. When they came back with their offer, they had added 25% to the advertised price, through a maintenance plan, a $500 administrative fee and a “newly” conceived electric vehicle certification charge of $1,495. This ghost fee didn’t exist the week before. They also changed my trade in value, which was their prerogative. The $2,500 out the door price was close to $10K. Now all of this was of course negotiable, but I would rather give my money to people who respect the customer and not try to fleece them. And of course I got the “well what is it going to take” to make a deal. A little respect for my intelligence would have been a good start. This was a perfect example of why some car dealerships have very little credibility. And now this dealer has worked hard to gain zero credibility with me. Carvana and Carmax are clear on what you will pay and what you will receive for your trade in, with a return policy in place. They have clear pricing and no games. More
by TM
Employees Worked With
I worked with Zachary, who was fine, but his sales manager pulled the strings
July 06, 2022
Saw they had a vehicle on their website advertised with a decent price. I spent some time texting back and forth with the internet manager, and when I asked what the out the door price(OTD) would be, I was p decent price. I spent some time texting back and forth with the internet manager, and when I asked what the out the door price(OTD) would be, I was put in contact with a salesman. The car was listed on their site for under $25k. The salesman quoted me an OTD of over $32k!. I asked why such a high OTD price and I was told that price included their "protection package" and KIA certified warranty. I told them I didn't want the "protection package" nor the KIA certified warranty(the website says the car is KIA CPO "eligible" whatever that means). The salesman told me that without the protection package, the OTD price was still over $30k. I asked what the price then would be without the KIA certified warranty and I was told they cant remove that from the car. I then asked, if they cant remove it, why are they advertising the car for under $25k rather than the +30k I was quoted. The salesman told me that's because the KIA certified warranty is a "separate" charge. This is shady car dealership tactics at its finest. Folks please educate yourself about these kinds of practices some dealerships will use on unsuspecting people. It doesnt take much internet searching to learn what to look out for. Fortunately the FTC just proposed legislation to outlaw such shady tactics. Shame on you McGrath Arlington Kia. More
by Ted R
Employees Worked With
Cliff
July 02, 2022
This dealership is truly unethical and extremely rude. I went to ask about my buyout my lease, how things work and what are the numbers going to look like. I did not day I wanted to buy the car today. But I went to ask about my buyout my lease, how things work and what are the numbers going to look like. I did not day I wanted to buy the car today. But I surely wanted the car within a week or two. They ran my credit and showed me some numbers. They tried to rip me off by $10,000. I was going to put $5,000 down and they somehow played the number game and were trying to add $5,000 on top of what I was paying which was $27,600 approx. So the number should have been $22,600 not $32,600. Then later when I explained the whole calculation is wrong to Mr. Firas Syriani, he blamed to the inside guys and said 'They must have made an error by accident'. I let it go did not say anything. When I everything was discussed I asked him If I could make an appointment for Saturday since Its my day off and It will give me a couple days to go shop for a loan. They did not make me aware about this but they GROUNDED MY LEASE. Meaning they paid KIA the owed balance since they "ASSUMED" I was buying the car today. Nowhere I mentioned that I wanted to take the car home. So this guy named John Res calls me inside their office, starts yelling at me loud that "I just paid Kia $23,000 because you were going to buy the car and I am not letting you go anywhere until I get my money. Either you sign the papers or I'm calling the cops and I want my car in my lot because the car is ours now." He said all this in a very unprofessional way and really rude, seriously! I told him do you realize the way you are talking to me. I never said I was buying the car today and now I'm being forced to buy it. The biggest reason I wanted to wait till saturday is because I had my dad as a co-signer on my lease and they need him to sign a couple documents. I told Mr. John that he is at work right now and he csnt come here right away. They said we'll go to his work right now and get the papers signed, easy! And I was seriously? You are not going at his work like are you actually serious. In the end my dad had to come to the dealership after working a 12hr shift because these guys decided to play this ridiculous game. I was basically forced to buy the car same night. I want the car and I want an experience not is attitude. Very rude I hate to say this but John you really shouldn't be a General Manager. I work in the customer service industry and you dont seem to be aware about the basics which is how to talk to a customer. I am giving you business you are not doing me a favor alright? And whoever is reading is this just know that I also got charged for some bs fees. One of them being a diposition fee. For some who are not aware about this, Its a fee that dealership charges at the END of your lease when you DECIDE NOT TO BUYOUT YOUR LEASED CAR. This fees takes care of cleaning the car getting it detailed and fix any wear and tear If needed. This fee is already stupid to begin with. And they charged me this. I explained that I dont have to pay this fee because I'm buying my own car. Its even mentioned on the website of Illinois Department Of Revenue. They even charged me for an acquisition fee which could easily be negotiated. In the end, they said we are not even making any money this. You are kidding me, why were you in such a hurry to Ground the lease If you were not making money? I really would like to talk to some upper management or owner of this place. Because apparently the GENERAL MANAGER ISN'T AWARE ABOUT THE BASICS OF WORKING IN A CUSTOMER SERVICE INDUSTRY WHICH IS HOW TO TALK TO CUSTOMERS. I am never coming back to this dealership, enough is enough. I will make sure that I let my family, friends and co-workers know about this place so they wont come here. Just an FYI, I have some friends that own KIA and some that are planning to get one. Well I'll make sure they dont come here from now onwards not even for any service. Thankyou for giving such an "unforgettable" experience. I am really, really upset about this experience. If you guys have some decency left, reach out to me so we can talk about this. Thanks! More
by sumrit
Employees Worked With
Firas/Ferris Syriani, John Res
April 15, 2022
The staff at this dealership are deceptive and blatant liars. I have included evidence of my conversation with one of the sales associates. I asked if they are still selling at MSRP and she told me there liars. I have included evidence of my conversation with one of the sales associates. I asked if they are still selling at MSRP and she told me there is “no market adjustment.” My experience here has resulted in a hard inquiry on my credit report against my wishes, and I will be disputing the inquiry and reporting them for false advertising to the appropriate agencies. I have been in the market for a new car since my Optima was in a total loss accident last month. I live in Georgia, where the cheapest markup for a 2023 Sportage is $1723. I had been calling dealerships on the east coast for the past few weeks trying to find a Sportage at MSRP. I spoke with Gigi at McGrath Kia about purchasing a Kia Sportage. I asked her twice over the phone if there was a market adjustment/markup on the vehicle. She told me NO and kept pushing me to fill out a credit application. She told me that I could not reserve the car I was interested in but that I had to purchase the car before it got on the lot. I once again asked her via text if they are selling at MSRP and she said “there is no market adjustment.” The following day, I told her that I need the out the door price of the vehicle before they run my credit. I told her I did not want to begin the financing process without an out the door price. She kept telling me the sales specialist would call me with the out the door price. Today, I texted her to remove my name from their system and that I was no longer interested in purchasing a vehicle from them, because after two days, I still hadn’t received an out the door price. Hours after sending her that text, she had the specialist call me who told me that the price of the vehicle was 37,xxx which is $3000 above the MSRP of $33,xxx. I told him that Gigi said there was no market adjustment. He responded that the $3000 isn’t technically a market adjustment because it is a “value add-on” instead of just “air”. I asked him why I would travel all the way to Illinois from Georgia if I still have to pay a $3000 markup … there’s a dealer 15 minutes from me with the exact trim level I want and they are charging a $3600 markup after negotiations. In the end, he did not honor what his colleague told me about there being no markup/market adjustment. They ran my credit without my permission and now I have a hard inquiry in my report for the next two years. I understand that I am not local, but this is no excuse for such blatant lies, carelessness and deception. More
by demetramb
Employees Worked With
Gigi
February 26, 2022
I worked with George’s Res and Firas Syriani to find a vehicle for my 70+ mother who was looking to replace her 2006 car. They understood what we were looking for and my concerns. Good salesman and good s vehicle for my 70+ mother who was looking to replace her 2006 car. They understood what we were looking for and my concerns. Good salesman and good sales manager. Appreciate that they were willing to work to get a deal done. As a former salesperson it is good to come across people who make it a pleasure and easy process. Cody Hamel made the finance process seamless and easy. More
by E83
Employees Worked With
George Res, Firas Syriani, Cody Hamel
