HW Kia of West County

I had an extremely disappointing experience with this Kia dealership and their customer service. In the beginning, when you are interested in purchasing or leasing a vehicle, the staff is very welcoming and dealership and their customer service. In the beginning, when you are interested in purchasing or leasing a vehicle, the staff is very welcoming and attentive. Unfortunately, once the sale is complete or you need assistance afterward, the level of professionalism and customer care completely changes. I visited the dealership multiple times seeking help regarding my vehicle title and paperwork after buying out my lease. The staff’s behavior was extremely unprofessional, and rather than trying to assist or guide me through the situation, they repeatedly redirected blame to Kia Finance. Kia Finance already caused several issues on their end, including sending our title to the wrong address, delaying important paperwork. The dealership made no real effort to help resolve the situation. Instead, both sides continuously blamed each other and sent us back and forth with no accountability or genuine customer support. At this point, I honestly have to ask — where exactly is the weak link in this entire process and endless circle of miscommunication? Because clearly there is a major lack of organization, accountability, and professionalism somewhere. What's even more concerning was the response I received from management. When I asked to speak with a manager due to the way the situation was being handled, I was informed that the employee I was already speaking with was in fact the manager. That alone was shocking and speaks volumes about the leadership and customer service standards at this dealership. If that is how management conducts themselves, it is not surprising that the rest of the staff reflects the same attitude. During the conversation, he stated that once customers are dealing with Kia Finance, they are “their client, not ours,” and that the dealership could not do anything further to help. I explained that I had already contacted Kia Finance multiple times and continued to be redirected back to the dealership. I respectfully asked whether he could contact Kia Finance on our behalf to better understand the issue or assist in resolving the matter. His response was simply that he could not help and that we needed to continue calling them ourselves. What also stood out to me was the lack of professionalism during the interaction. Before the conversation was even fully concluded and before I had left the office, the manager turned away and walked off mid-conversation. That interaction alone reflected the overall attitude and level of customer care we experienced throughout this process. What makes this even more frustrating is that I did my part as a customer. I made my payments on time, fulfilled my lease obligations, and paid everything required to purchase the vehicle at the end of the lease. Yet somehow, after doing everything correctly on my end, I have now been delayed for almost 4 months trying to simply transfer the title into my name. Why is it so difficult to complete a basic buyout and title transfer process after the customer has already fulfilled all of their responsibilities? Because of these delays and mistakes on their end, I am now facing late fees and registration penalties for not being able to register the vehicle and complete the title process on time. That is completely unfair and frustrating. Customers should not have to suffer financially because a dealership and financing company cannot properly handle paperwork and communication. This review honestly still does not fully express how upsetting and frustrating this experience has been. It is sad to be treated this way by a dealership you trusted and financially supported for years. The complete lack of empathy, professionalism, communication, and accountability throughout this process was unacceptable. A simple apology, respectful interaction, or sincere attempt to help would have made a huge difference. Instead, I left feeling frustrated, disrespected, and unsupported as a customer. More

I purchased a 2025 Telluride from HW Kia of West County and while I’m happy with the vehicle, the finance process raised several concerns. Optional products, such as an extended warranty, were not clear and while I’m happy with the vehicle, the finance process raised several concerns. Optional products, such as an extended warranty, were not clearly presented as optional and were rolled into the payment without proper explanation. There was no clear walkthrough—just an expectation to sign. Many customers could easily miss that these add-ons significantly increase the total purchase price. I had to question the numbers multiple times to understand what I was actually being charged for. And forcefully insist they remove the warranty from the purchase price. I was also asked to sign a blank version of an incentive-related document during the process, which, when questioned, the F&I guy brushed off as “just in case he needed it for his file”. This is not an appropriate business practice and should not be part of any customer transaction. After the sale, I discovered that a customer satisfaction acknowledgment had been submitted under my name with responses I did not provide, including an electronic signature that is not mine. When I raised this with management, the concern was minimized despite documentation confirming the submission. I’ve attempted to resolve these concerns directly with management, but the responses have been inconsistent and have not fully addressed the issues. If you’re purchasing here, don’t. But if you are going to I would strongly recommend reviewing every document carefully and asking detailed questions during financing. More