McGrath Kia of Highland Park

Spoiler Alert: In the end, it was totally in vain! TLDR; Don’t waste your time dealing with McGrath Kia of Highland Park. If I could leave a negative star rating, I would. This kind of operation i TLDR; Don’t waste your time dealing with McGrath Kia of Highland Park. If I could leave a negative star rating, I would. This kind of operation is what gives salespeople a bad name. The level of unprofessionalism shown by Joanna and her sales manager, Angelo, made it readily apparent that my experience can't be a one-off, it’s their practice. Spend your money somewhere else - especially if you’re shopping for a vehicle online. You’ve been warned. When I sent an email inquiring about a VW Atlas that was listed at McGrath Kia of Highland Park, there were immediate and continuous responses over the course of nearly a week from sales reps that provided details about the vehicle I was interested in purchasing. I was straightforward in letting them know that I was located nearly 3 hours from their location and fully intended to buy the Atlas, but couldn’t make it there in person until Saturday. I verified that the vehicle had all of my specifications and requested updates on the availability. Mid-week, I was sent an email indicating the SUV was claimed by someone else from out of state, but it was still being offered since it hadn’t been picked up from the lot. On Friday, I responded with an inquiry of availability and asked for an invoice with out-the-door pricing, as well as conditions for holding the vehicle until I could arrive the next day. Joanna sent over the pricing details but told me that she couldn't prevent the vehicle from being sold that day, however, if it hadn’t by the next morning that I could provide her with a screenshot of my mapped trip and eta and she would reserve it for me. I was guaranteed in writing by Joanna that my 150 mile trip to their lot wouldn’t be made in vain. Early Saturday, prior to the dealership even opening, I texted her a photo of the cashier’s check I had endorsed to McGrath Kia of Highland Park for the amount specified plus the screenshot per her request. I let her know that I was on my way from Michigan and wanted to confirm the message was received. In her reply, she indicated that the information was forwarded to her manager and she would have the Atlas waiting for me when I arrived. When I was about an hour away, I provided an update with a slightly earlier ETA. Unbeknownst to me, as I was not receiving notifications while continuing my drive, Angelo, her sales manager, sent me an email when I was about a half hour from their location indicating that the vehicle was sold, followed by a text from Joanna asking if I received the message. I had not checked my phone prior to entering the dealership, so when I was directed to Joanna’s desk and she hastily ran off, I was both confused and concerned. After waiting for nearly 10 minutes, Angelo approached the desk and told me he had upsetting news. He crouched down to where I was sitting and asked if had received his message and then said that another customer came in from Ohio and the Atlas was sold. As I began to respond, Angleo’s dismissive and condescending excuses for selling the vehicle out from under me were nothing short of infuriating. Then, he had the audacity to offer me compensation for my gas expenses to their dealership as a consolation for leaving without the SUV I was already promised. What an insult!? After that pathetic display, you can be certain that McGrath Kia of Highland Park will not receive a penny of my money. Don’t be like me and save yourself the trouble of wasting the better part of a week on a vehicle from this place. More

Great experience so far. Nice location, helpful sales and finance team. Smooth process, will return Nice location, helpful sales and finance team. Smooth process, will return More

Had a very good experience Helpful salespeople and not pushy. Happy to recommend to others pushy. Happy to recommend to others More

My salesman Ben couldn't be nicer. He bent over backwords to make sure my wife and myself were happy. He bent over backwords to make sure my wife and myself were happy. More

We came to this dealership because I was interested in a specific vehicle listed in their inventory on their website (make, model year, color, interior). Turns out the vehicle wasn’t yet available and woul specific vehicle listed in their inventory on their website (make, model year, color, interior). Turns out the vehicle wasn’t yet available and wouldn’t be for weeks, but Ben was able to find us another one at a nearby Kia dealership and we were able to get the deal done that day with delivery the next day. Way too much back and forth to the manager’s office when we were settling on sales price/terms which I’m never a fan of, but once we made it to the finance office the process went relatively smoothly and quickly. My car arrived with an almost empty tank of gas, but Ben helped rectify that with a free fill up at the service department a couple weeks later. Overall a decent car buying experience. More

I had a great experience working with Joe. He was patient with me and allowed me to test drive a couple different vehicles before I ultimately found the one that I decided to purchase. He was He was patient with me and allowed me to test drive a couple different vehicles before I ultimately found the one that I decided to purchase. He was knowledgeable and not pushy at all. More

Highly Recommend Kia McGrath of Highland Park! Our experience with Kia McGrath of Highland Park was absolutely outstanding! Pejman made our car purchase smooth and incredibly pleasant. From the Our experience with Kia McGrath of Highland Park was absolutely outstanding! Pejman made our car purchase smooth and incredibly pleasant. From the very beginning, it was clear that this dealership prioritizes transparency and customer satisfaction over anything else. Unlike other dealerships we’ve dealt with, they truly focus on selling you what you need rather than pushing whatever they have extra on the lot. This approach made us feel valued and respected throughout the entire process. What stood out the most was their dedication to ensuring everything was perfect for us. The team even stayed later than usual to finalize our transaction, going above and beyond to make sure we drove away happy. If you’re in the market for a vehicle and want to work with honest, professional, and genuinely kind people, Kia McGrath of Highland Park is the place to go. Thank you, Pejman and the entire team, for your exceptional service! We’ll definitely be recommending you to friends and family. More

THE WORST EXPERIENCE POSSIBLE. I RECOMMEND STAYING AWAY FROM MCGRATH KIA OF HIGHLAND PARK. F--- I RECOMMEND STAYING AWAY FROM MCGRATH KIA OF HIGHLAND PARK. F--- More

Buyer beware! McGrath Kia of Highland Park loves to slip in EXTRA charges! I was told by the internet sales team that this was my out-of-the-door price... Picture McGrath Kia of Highland Park loves to slip in EXTRA charges! I was told by the internet sales team that this was my out-of-the-door price... Picture 1 - $26,691 after all fees and taxes, OTD price. I went to the dealership, and they gave me Picture 2 - $34,477. They charge an extra $2495 for a "new pro pack" and $2995 for a "First Place Finish". (I was told they could remove these extras already installed on the car). These are garbage extras, this dealership decided to add themselves. They then tried to charge $899 for Dealer Prep (WTH, Relly, if a dealership charges a prep fee, leave immediately). While I’m not 100% sure, I think they may have been trying to charge me the destination fee of $1155 twice since that fee was already on the car's sticker price and included in the final MSRP. I am not sure why it was broken out again on this sheet, but I could be wrong. Please be on the lookout for this dealership; yes, I will admit I was looking for a deal; I offered 22k out the door for a car I was told was $26691 out the door by the internet sales team after I looked at their OTD worksheet. I didn't expect to get it for 22k out the door, but when the finance manager told me $26691 was the best they could do. If I financed (I told him I was paying cash earlier), he said they were losing money on this already and that if I paid cash, the price would be more than $26691 (the original price the internet team quoted me out the door). Not only did they not honor the price they told me it would be, but they also tried to charge me an extra $8000 and made it seem like they were doing me a huge favor to finance the deal at $26691. They did also make sure to tell me that the internet sales team does not work for them and consumers should not listen to the prices that they give out, even though it came directly from the McGrath Kia of Highland Park website. Sorry for the rant, I never post negative reviews, but WOW!!!! Someone needs to investigate this dealership. There is some shady stuff going on. Unfortunately, for the consumer, they are doing nothing illegal, just reemphasizing what people think about dealerships. This is very unfair because there are many great and honest dealerships out there. Do your homework before you go out, best advise I can give you. This site would not allow me to add pictures, if you want to see those please go to my google review. More

I would give 0 stars if I could. If you’re considering using this dealership for service, save yourself the frustration and go somewhere else. This is the absolute worst dealershi If you’re considering using this dealership for service, save yourself the frustration and go somewhere else. This is the absolute worst dealership I have ever dealt with. I dropped off my car for service and called them more than 10 times, left over 3 voice messages, and sent 3 text messages, but never heard back. Finally, one lady called and said she would follow up with the manager but never did. When I finally went to the dealership in person, the manager, David (I believe), had the audacity to suggest that if I was unhappy, I should just take my car elsewhere. He didn’t even bother with a simple apology! This manager acts like he’s doing me a favor by taking my car elsewhere. The level of disrespect and unprofessionalism is beyond shocking. Avoid this place at all costs if you value your time and sanity. They don’t care about your time, do terrible business, have zero communication skills, and don’t even know how to say “we’re sorry.” If you want a nightmare, service your car at this dealership. More