Kia of West Nyack — Local services in Town of Clarkstown

ANOTHER UPDATE 8/12/2024 Just needed to change my registration and had to change my license plates. The back license plate was NOT put on correctly AT ALL. Instead my license plate was DRILLED INTO MY BACK BUMPER! I had to get someone to cut the screws out of the bumper, stay away from this place.

UPDATE DO NOT BUY FROM THIS DEALERSHIP. I wish I'd updated this post sooner but life gets in the way. This is something all car buyers need to hear before buying from this dealership. Originally I gave this dealership 5 stars. I bought a Preowned CERTIFIED 2019 KIA Soul last December in 2022 and initially, it was a perfect experience. The day after I decided to celebrate by driving to a movie with some friends, after filling up at the gas station my car would not turn back on. It stalled over and over again, luckily I was able to get a jump and luckily that worked but the next morning my car was again not starting!! My brand new (to me) car that I chose to get through a certified dealership to avoid EXACTLY this. I then called up the dealership and they offered no remorse even though I had just bought this vehicle not even a week before. My boyfriend and I had to go personally to the dealership with my jumped car, praying it didn't shut down on the way there because the dealership refused to pay for a tow truck. Once there the manager was rude, dismissive and overall unhelpful (short round man with glasses) Granted we were mad and rude as well, I won't sugarcoat that but for good reason!! The manager took to hiding in the back room and refused to offer us any help in fixing the issue, it was only the financial manager who actually helped us. He was a gem, no complaints with him whatsoever! He told us he'd make sure the issue was taken care of and fixed on-site for no charge (the original manager was trying to charge me for the fix even though it was well within my warranty). I also insisted that they give me all new tires as they had also sold me the car with worn-out tires that were basically unsafe to drive. I hadn't noticed that initially as a first-time car buyer, my boyfriend had noticed it after inspecting the car. I was ready to just return the car because the seller had told me, my father, and my mother that they would take the car back within 30days if we were not satified. When this happened they said that was an entire lie and that the seller had never said such a thing despite myself and my family all hearing this and remembering that they had said this initally. We even talked it through in the moment because my dad had said that was unheard of for a car deal and asked if it was certain that this was a clause in the contract and the seller reassured us that it was. Altogether this place seemed amazing upfront but when it came down to actually taken care of their customers they don't just fall short, they cower. It was a truly disgusting experience, I've never had a worse experience in my entire life when dealing with buying a service or product and considering the amount you're spending when buying a car, the consideration and customer service should be MUCH MUCH higher. So to the next person buying from this dealership, CHECK EVERYTHING!! And do it thrice, because they obviously do not. (PS the issue was a faulty spark plug in the engine, luckily not the engine itself. Regardless this is exactly why you get a certified vehicle and they should be checking for issues like these before they go out onto the floor) Literally cannot rave enough about the service. Went in with the goal of driving away with a car same day and Johnathon made that possible! Very knowledgable, will work with you throughout whatever you need and also super chill as a plus! I even had to leave to get my mom so we could co-sign and while I was on the road he got everything ready so when we came back all we had to do was sign! Absolutely a great experience, even put the Xmas bow...

Hybrid Safety Warnings Ignored—Sportage Totaled; Dealership’s Only Response: Silence

Follow-up (28 Jun 25): I replied in the same January 2025 email thread - copying your Service Mgr, GM, parent-company execs, and Kia Corporate - on 11 Jun, the day this crash totaled my Sportage. No one replied, not even to ask if anyone was hurt. You took no action to resolve the safety defect back in January, and now the only response is this copy-and-paste comment. Actions speak louder than PR.

Update – 19 Jun 25: Five months after Kia West Nyack and Kia Corporate ignored and failed to resolve the “Check Hybrid System / Stop Safely” defect in my 2023 Sportage Hybrid, my vehicle was involved in an accident resulting in a total loss. While I’m uncertain if the previously reported defect directly caused this accident, the vehicle’s automatic braking system did not activate. Despite repeated requests and escalations, Kia provided no resolution and never arranged for a field engineer to inspect the car. If you’re experiencing unresolved safety concerns, I strongly encourage filing complaints with NHTSA and your state Attorney General—before something worse happens.

13 Jan 25 - After 2 weeks at Kia West Nyack, my car remains unrepaired, with no resolution or timeline provided for a dangerous defect that causes sudden loss of acceleration.

My 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid suffers from a recurring ‘Check Hybrid System Stop Safely’ error, causing sudden loss of acceleration—a grave safety risk. I provided the dealership with a video of the error, yet the issue persists unresolved.

The day after I dropped off my car, a technician called to inform me they couldn’t replicate the error during testing. Since then, I’ve had to call repeatedly for updates—no one from the dealership has proactively followed up. Keeping customers informed should be standard practice, especially for safety-critical issues like mine.

Despite early knowledge that the issue couldn’t be replicated, Kia West Nyack failed to escalate the matter to Kia Corporate’s tech line or involve a specialist. Corporate confirmed no tech line case has been opened (Case #16941525), contradicting what the dealership has repeatedly told me. I’ve escalated to the Service Manager, customer service, and even the General Manager, yet no one has taken ownership or provided a clear resolution plan for this safety-critical defect.

To make matters worse, no loaner vehicle has been provided, leaving me stranded without transportation for 2 weeks, disrupting my daily commute, family responsibilities, and work obligations.

What’s deeply concerning is that this issue isn’t limited to my car. Reports across online forums show that many Kia and Hyundai hybrid owners have experienced the same dangerous defect for months, if not years, without a recall or resolution. These hybrids, still on the road, pose a significant safety risk to the community. Sudden loss of acceleration on highways or in traffic could lead to serious accidents. If this issue hasn’t already caused collisions, it’s only a matter of time.

This lack of action from Kia and its dealerships to address a known defect is unacceptable and highlights their disregard for customer safety. Kia must take immediate steps to issue a recall, escalate unresolved cases like mine, and provide loaner vehicles to affected customers.

Potential customers, think carefully before purchasing a Kia or Hyundai hybrid vehicle. If the manufacturer and dealerships are this negligent after the sale, imagine the risks you’d be taking.

Kia West Nyack, how do you plan to resolve this issue and protect not just your customers but everyone on the road? This safety-critical defect demands accountability and immediate action. I hope this review pushes you and Kia Corporate to address these failures and prevent...

If you are thinking about buying a Kia from here - please read this first.

We purchased a new Sportage about a year or so ago. Everything was fine until the screen went black. There was a recall at the same time so i brought it in to service on a Monday morning and mentioned the black screen. The service rep, Mike did not call me back that day with any kind of update so i called him. He said there was an issue that they needed to look into and asked if they could keep it there another day. I agreed, expecting to collect it the next day. Again, not one call. I spoke to someone in service who said he had left for the day so another day passed. On the Wed morning i was able to talk to him and he said they were still looking into it. I asked for a loaner and he said they didn't have any. He said 'you can rent a car if you want'. I have kids and things to do. Of course i want. He sent a Lyft to pick me up and took me to Enterprise. The only car they had available (and they said i was lucky to get one) was $89 a day. Left with no choice, and assuming that Kia was going to pay for it anyway, i took it. At no point did Mike mention anything about a limit on the rental. On Thursday they finally called and said the car was ready for pickup. I returned the car, picked up the Kia and submitted the invoice.

One week later the black screen returned. I spoke to Mike and asked if i should rent a car again. At this point my invoice from the prior week has not yet been reimbursed. I asked him then if there were any restrictions with the rental. Then he told me the max they would pay is $49 a day, I told him about the previous week and he said i should' just call corporate' as they will 'give you more money'. It took me 90 mins to get through. When i did they told me that a rental is not part of the warranty so they are not obligated to pay anything. If they do its a courtesy and the max is about $49.50 a day. I told them i was not happy and they said there was nothing they can do as the dealership is privately owned. I asked if there was one that wasn't privately owned that i can take the car to as i didn't trust them anymore and they said there was none.

I then complained to the service manager, Ruben. He was courteous and helpful, but his response after back and forth was to call corporate.

Since i was going on vacation for a week (and didn't want to rent again), i told Ruben i could take the car in and they could deal with the black screen issue. I did so... went and returned from vacation... and amazingly it STILL wasn't ready for pickup. This time around the car was with Kia ten more days. They eventually called me and sad they tightened all the cables or something and the issue seems to have been fixed.

The amount of calls i made to service in this whole period was insane. I was always the person calling. The communication was so poor.

As of today, I received a check for $90. They refuse to pay the difference. For the sake of about $84, they wont do the right thing. As if my experience was not bad enough with the car being there for 14 days or so, they have made it much worse by not fully reimbursing the two day rental.

If you do decide to buy Kia - the car itself has been great (black screen aside). Just keep your fingers crossed that you have no issues. Don't be misled by the awesome warranty everyone talks about. Corporate wont look after you and service is at the mercy of your local privately owned dealership. So be prepared to be left without a car for however long it takes them.

In complete contrast, we also purchased a Honda at the same time from DCH Paramus. They couldn't be...