My car was damaged while in DARCARS Kia of Lanham’s - John Kenniebrew
My car was damaged while in DARCARS Kia of Lanham’s possession, and what followed became the most frustrating dealership experience I have ever had.
I had dropped off my 2018 Kia Soul for a Kia-approved repair that was being provided at no cost to me. While the vehicle was still on DARCARS’ lot, someone attempted to steal it. The rear passenger window was shattered, and the steering-column/ignition area was torn apart.
I was told to file an insurance claim. My deductible was $1,000.
From there, what should have been a straightforward question of responsibility turned into months of poor communication, changing explanations, unclear authority, and repeated escalation.
DARCARS ultimately agreed to cover only $500 of the deductible and required me to pay the remaining $500. I paid because I needed my car back, not because I believed I should have been responsible for that cost.
The problems went well beyond the deductible. One Customer Relations representative repeatedly seemed unfamiliar with the details of my case and refused my requests to speak with a supervisor.
One manager also failed for about a month to answer a question I had asked about the attempted theft that I intended to include in a police report. That same manager later contacted me, not to answer the question, but to collect payment.
There was also a separate dispute between DARCARS and GEICO over labor charges that DARCARS attempted to pass on to me. That charge was eventually removed after I protested.
After I finally got the car back, I discovered additional issues, including a steering wheel that was no longer properly centered, damage around the repaired window area, and dealership tools left inside the vehicle. The car had to go back again.
Over the course of the ordeal, DARCARS had my vehicle for roughly two months. I spent more than $2,000 on alternative transportation, and the logistical strain on my family, especially with a small child, was significant.
I continued challenging the $500 I had been required to pay. When I later contacted Kia for an external review, DARCARS told Kia that the matter was “resolved” because the dealership had paid half of the deductible.
I disagreed and filed a complaint with the Maryland Office of the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division.
Once the Attorney General’s office formally contacted DARCARS during the mediation process, the matter that had dragged on for months was resolved very quickly. DARCARS agreed to reimburse the remaining $500. I received the check, deposited it, and it cleared.
I appreciate the person at DARCARS corporate who ultimately handled the matter. Once it reached her, the response was refreshingly efficient.
But that contrast is exactly the problem.
It should not have taken months of calls, emails, insurance involvement, repeated escalation, Kia involvement, and a Maryland Attorney General consumer-protection complaint to reach a fair resolution.
My car was damaged while it was in DARCARS’ possession. They tried to make me share the out-of-pocket cost of that damage. I eventually got my $500 back.
It should never have been this difficult.
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