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J H Barkau & Sons Cedarville

Cedarville, IL

Overview
Employees
Reviews
Vehicles
4.9
1,091 Reviews
Since 1952, J.H. Barkau & Sons has served the Northern Illinois, Southern Wisconsin stateline area for their automotive needs. We can proudly boast to over 70,000 customers in those years and have had thousands of customers purchase multiple vehicles and generations of families that have allowed us to serve them. When John H. Barkau founded the business, his goal was to bring quality, affordable transportation to the local area. Jim (2nd generation), Rick (3rd generation), and Willie (3rd generation) Barkau have continued in that tradition while expanding our marketplace to be worldwide. We have had vehicles shipped to Russia, Sweden, Australia, Turkey, Mexico and many other locations. We have vehicles purchased by customers in 49 states and commonly have customers fly in to pick up their new vehicles. In all of this, it has been a pleasure for the Barkau family to help fulfill the transportation needs of a varied clientele. J.H. Barkau & Sons has accomplished this feat by continuing to offer quality, hand-picked vehicles at very competitive prices. We believe in offering our customers an incredible selection that is second to none, with over 1100 vehicles available for purchase. We believe in a no pressure sales environment and in quality reconditioning of our inventory selection. Our sales teams at our Cedarville and Freeport stores each have over a century of experience in helping fill the needs of our vast customer base. The funny part is, we remember a lot of you years later and we are genuinely happy to see you. But selling cars is not all that we do. We believe in supporting the local community through donations, Toy Drives, Food Drives and many other local charities and fundraisers. We also run the “Excellerate” program for Aquin Catholic Schools and have facilitated over 113 donated vehicles. That may be part of the reason that we have been voted the “Best In Region” Used Car Dealership for 15 straight years. Great vehicles, great people, great exp
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200 North Stephenson Street

Cedarville, IL

61013

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Showing 1,091 reviews

March 30, 2024

We were in a position where we needed to purchase a different vehicle after hitting a rather large buck that demolished the front end of the car we had had for 17 years. It was going to cost too much More

by papas4bees
Sales Price Transparency
Purchase Time
Finance Experience
Recommend Dealer
Yes
Employees Worked With
Nils Sandstrom
5.0
This rating includes all reviews, with more weight given to recent reviews.
Other Employees : Matthew Meyers
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Apr 05, 2024 -

J H Barkau & Sons Cedarville responded

Ouch, sounds like that buck got totaled! We're so sorry to hear about your car, but glad you weren't hurt. It's awesome that you trusted J.H. Barkau after your great service experiences in the shop. Thrilled to hear Nils helped you find the perfect replacement ride – that's what we call shifting gears into a positive situation. Thanks for the kind words, and of course, the shoutout to Nils. We hope you never need another car due to unfortunate deer encounters, but if you do, Nils will be waiting with a friendly wave and a full tank of car-buying expertise. Welcome back to the J.H. Barkau family, and next time you're cruising by for service or just wanna chat (deer-free topics preferred!), swing by and see us!

Helpful
March 28, 2024

Super quick yet down to earth experience, affordable prices, and just great service all around! More

by Its.motivv
Sales Price Transparency
Trade-in Experience
Purchase Time
Finance Experience
Recommend Dealer
Yes
Employees Worked With
Tim Border
5.0
This rating includes all reviews, with more weight given to recent reviews.
Erick Santiago
5.0
This rating includes all reviews, with more weight given to recent reviews.
Adam Sherman
5.0
This rating includes all reviews, with more weight given to recent reviews.
Korey Korosec
5.0
This rating includes all reviews, with more weight given to recent reviews.
Brendon Mayor
5.0
This rating includes all reviews, with more weight given to recent reviews.
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Apr 05, 2024 -

J H Barkau & Sons Cedarville responded

We're stoked you found our service super quick, down-to-earth, and affordable. That's the winning formula we strive for! Thanks for the shoutout about the great service all around, our team will be doing a victory lap reading your review. Welcome to the happy driver club, and next time you need a tire rotation or just wanna refuel with some good conversation, swing by and see us again!

Helpful
March 23, 2024

Tim took the time to walk us through our options within our established critiera. More importantly, Tim took the time to explain everything to our daughter who is the primary driver. Very much appreciate More

by gv.fire
Sales Price Transparency
Purchase Time
Finance Experience
Recommend Dealer
Yes
Employees Worked With
Tim Border
5.0
This rating includes all reviews, with more weight given to recent reviews.
Korey Korosec
4.0
This rating includes all reviews, with more weight given to recent reviews.
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Apr 05, 2024 -

J H Barkau & Sons Cedarville responded

Tim sounds like a real champion for taking the time to explain everything to your daughter, the future driver of the car. That's what we call going the extra mile (or should we say, the extra test drive?). We know how important it is for everyone to feel comfortable with the car buying process, and Tim definitely deserves a high five for that. Thanks for the appreciation, and next time you're cruising by for service or just a chat, feel free to bring the whole family!

Helpful
March 18, 2024

Nils was amazing to work with. This is the second car he sold me and I would highly recommend him!! More

by Cassidynicole0916
Sales Price Transparency
Trade-in Experience
Purchase Time
Finance Experience
Recommend Dealer
Yes
Employees Worked With
Nils Sandstrom
5.0
This rating includes all reviews, with more weight given to recent reviews.
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Apr 05, 2024 -

J H Barkau & Sons Cedarville responded

Repeat customer alert! We love hearing that Nils knocked it out of the park again for you. Selling you not just one, but two cars - that's some serious loyalty magic! Nils is definitely a superstar on our team, and we highly recommend him too. Thanks for the shoutout, and next time you're cruising for a hat trick (third car from Nils!), be sure to stop by and see him! We'll have the checkered flag ready!

Helpful
March 18, 2024

Such a great experience with Dylan and the whole team! First car purchase ever and it couldn’t have gone any smoother. The first car I wanted to look at was sold but Dylan helped find a new ride that was More

by Gina Strauss
Sales Price Transparency
Trade-in Experience
Purchase Time
Finance Experience
Recommend Dealer
Yes
Employees Worked With
Willie Barkau
5.0
This rating includes all reviews, with more weight given to recent reviews.
Adam Sherman
5.0
This rating includes all reviews, with more weight given to recent reviews.
Korey Korosec
5.0
This rating includes all reviews, with more weight given to recent reviews.
Dylan Toelke
5.0
This rating includes all reviews, with more weight given to recent reviews.
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Apr 05, 2024 -

J H Barkau & Sons Cedarville responded

Sounds like Dylan at Cedarville went above and beyond for your first car purchase. First car jitters are real, but it's awesome that Dylan shifted gears and found you an even better ride! That's what teamwork is all about. Thanks for the shoutout to the whole Cedarville crew, they'll be doing a victory lap around the showroom!

Helpful
March 14, 2024

Tim and the dealership were fantastic, Super happy with our purchase! Highly recommended and much appreciated! More

by chairezlandscapellc
Sales Price Transparency
Trade-in Experience
Purchase Time
Finance Experience
Recommend Dealer
Yes
Employees Worked With
Tim Border
5.0
This rating includes all reviews, with more weight given to recent reviews.
Adam Sherman
5.0
This rating includes all reviews, with more weight given to recent reviews.
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Apr 05, 2024 -

J H Barkau & Sons Cedarville responded

We're thrilled you had a fantastic experience with Tim and the dealership. Sounds like Tim helped you drive away in the perfect car, and that's what makes our wheels spin! We appreciate the high recommendation, and of course, the shoutout to Tim. He'll be doing a victory lap reading your review.

Helpful
March 13, 2024

Very informative. Both Nils and Corey are rated a 10. Would recommend J H Barkau to everyone that needs a vehicle More

by martians10
Sales Price Transparency
Purchase Time
Recommend Dealer
Yes
Employees Worked With
Nils Sandstrom
5.0
This rating includes all reviews, with more weight given to recent reviews.
Korey Korosec
5.0
This rating includes all reviews, with more weight given to recent reviews.
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Apr 05, 2024 -

J H Barkau & Sons Cedarville responded

Nils and Corey are definitely all-stars on our team. We're pumped they could steer you in the right direction and give you all the info you needed to find the perfect vehicle. Sounds like they deserved their five star ratings! Thanks for spreading the word, and next time you cruise by, be sure to wave to Nils and Corey!

Helpful
March 12, 2024

Tim was amazing! He helped me so much! This was my first time buying a car and he made it such a pain free experience! He answered any questions that came up and was More

by ashley97kleist
Sales Price Transparency
Purchase Time
Finance Experience
Recommend Dealer
Yes
Employees Worked With
Tim Border
5.0
This rating includes all reviews, with more weight given to recent reviews.
Korey Korosec
5.0
This rating includes all reviews, with more weight given to recent reviews.
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Apr 05, 2024 -

J H Barkau & Sons Cedarville responded

Buckle up, this review is awesome! Tim's a champion, we're so glad he could make your first car buying experience a smooth ride. Buying your first car can be a bumpy road, but it sounds like Tim was there with a full tank of patience and knowledge to answer all your questions. That's what we call five-star service! We second the recommendation – Tim's definitely the go-to guy for all your future car needs.

Helpful
March 12, 2024

This dealer required a $500 UNREFUNDABLE deposit in order to hold the car until we could get to them and test drive it. We live in Wisconsin; they're in Illinois. And the deposit as UNREFUNDABLE!!! Who does More

by daniel_carol_smith
Recommend Dealer
No
Employees Worked With
Nils Sandstrom
1.0
This rating includes all reviews, with more weight given to recent reviews.
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Mar 13, 2024 -

J H Barkau & Sons Cedarville responded

Hello Daniel, We are sorry that this happened and after review, we are hoping that we can work through this and be able to move forward. Deposits are refundable if you don’t take the vehicle, there must have been a misunderstanding, we are not going to keep your money for a no-sale. The vehicle in question was sold as was discussed with you that there was interest in the vehicle. After the vehicle had been sold we have been trying to get in contact with you from our sales representative Nils. He is ready to go over this information as again we will not hold your money if there is not a sale. Please reach out to discuss this further if you would like to come in contact with our team and we would also be more than happy to find you something else!

Helpful
March 07, 2024

I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Tim he understood what I was looking for got me what I needed he was up front and told me the truth I did most of my looking online and if I had any questions he was there More

by timmerkitten
Sales Price Transparency
Purchase Time
Finance Experience
Recommend Dealer
Yes
Employees Worked With
Tim Border
5.0
This rating includes all reviews, with more weight given to recent reviews.
Korey Korosec
5.0
This rating includes all reviews, with more weight given to recent reviews.
Report | Print
Apr 05, 2024 -

J H Barkau & Sons Cedarville responded

Wow, thanks for the stellar review! Tim's definitely a gearhead whisperer, happy he could get you behind the wheel of the right ride. Sounds like you did your research online, that's what I like to hear! But Tim's always there to kick the tires and answer any questions that come up down the road.

Helpful
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