We had my daughter’s Kia Optima towed to Rick Case Kia of - Yankee35
We had my daughter’s Kia Optima towed to Rick Case Kia of Sunrise on July 11, 2025, after breaking down in Weston. After being there for three days, I had yet to hear from the service department. I finally made contact with Lorenzo Long who advised me that it would be at least two weeks before anyone would be able to look at the vehicle. He advised further that while the vehicle was being taken off the flat bed, the tow tuck driver allegedly attempted to jump start the vehicle causing smoke and flames to come out from under the hood. I asked Lorenzo if I should contact Triple AAA and the tow company to report the incident but he advised me to wait until they diagnosed what caused the vehicle to breakdown. Based on what supposedly transpired, I asked Lorenzo to preserve any surveillance footage that may have existed showing the tow truck driver’s negligence to which he said he would. Another two and half weeks went by and I still heard nothing. I was finally able to get a hold of Lorenzo who advised that they were finally able to diagnose the car and found the engine to be blown. Lorenzo stated that it should be covered under the extended warranty and he would get back with me. After another week of not hearing anything, I drove to the dealership and made contact with service manager, Joe Benitez. Upon speaking with Joe, he advised that they would not be replacing the engine in the car because of the damage that was potentially done by the tow truck driver. He advised further that I should contact triple AAA and the towing company directly. When I explained to him that I was told by his service advisor, “TO HOLD OFF!” he said: “He gave you bad information and should have never told you that!” When I asked if anyone preserved the surveillance video of this alleged incident, he said they did not. Joe did offer to have one of his techs look at my daughter’s vehicle to assess the damage allegedly caused by the tow truck driver for a nominal fee of $500 to which I refused. Joe then took it upon himself to have the vehicle looked at. About an hour later, he called me back stating that the starter was “Fried!” And the engine harness was shot! They estimated the damage to be approximately $3000. On September 2nd, I drove back to the dealership for the final time in hopes of speaking with the general manager and coming up with a resolution. Upon arrival, I spoke to the General Sales Manager, Anthony Larson. I found Mr. Larson to be extremely professional and polite but he too refused to offer any assistance. When I asked him how much they would give me for my daughter’s vehicle he stated” $500 and I’m losing money on the deal!” Subsequently, I made a claim with my insurance company and they have been a tremendous help.
For a dealership that prides themselves in customer service and customer satisfaction, they should be ashamed of themselves. The lack of communication and the length of time they took to diagnose our vehicle in and of itself was pitiful. Lorenzo Long was absolutely horrible and never reached out to me one time. I’m not even sure what he gets paid for? I found service manger, Joe Benitez, to be somewhat arrogant, unprofessional, and uncaring. I will never go back to Rick Case Kia and am in the process of filing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. I’m sure there are countless other victims that have had the same experience.
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