Kia of Port Charlotte

Reviews

• AF

  Angelic Foster

  1 day ago
  1.0
  I had a very unpleasant experience with this dealership. The vehicle I came to purchase was listed at $31,253, and I was already pre-approved through Chase Auto Finance. Because this was a planned trip and a 3-hour drive, I called four days in advance and clearly explained my financing, strong credit score, and $2,500 down payment to ensure everything would be transparent before I arrived. However, once I got there, I was told by the finance manager that I could not use my own financing—even though Chase is an approved lender with their dealership. Instead, they insisted I finance through TD Bank with a “certified” loan. On top of that, they added nearly $8,000 in warranties I explicitly declined and about $4,000 in dealer fees. By the time I walked out, the total had jumped to $43,851 for a vehicle with 11,000 miles that is less than two years old and still under factory warranty. This felt extremely misleading and like a complete lack of transparency. I would strongly advise others to be cautious, get everything in writing ahead of time, and be prepared to walk away if the terms change when you arrive. Now I love the vehicle however I would definitely NOT recommend anyone going there thinking your going to purchase a car for the price plus TTT and dealer fees. It's like they will not let you leave without any extra warranties.
• HA

  H A

  3 days ago
  5.0
  We had an absolutely great experience working with Alex! From start to finish, the entire process was smooth, easy, and completely stress-free. Buying a car can sometimes feel overwhelming, but Alex made everything simple and straightforward. He was professional, patient, and really took the time to understand what we were looking for. He answered all our questions clearly and never made us feel rushed or pressured. What really stood out was how much he genuinely cared about making sure we were comfortable and confident in our decision. Alex went above and beyond to make the whole transaction seamless. His attention to detail, honesty, and dedication truly made a difference. We couldn’t be happier with our purchase and the level of service we received. If you’re looking for a hassle-free car buying experience, we highly recommend asking for Alex!
• CB

  Courtney Bachtel

  3 days ago
  1.0
  I’m extremely disappointed with my experience at this dealership. What should have been a straightforward warranty repair turned into a months-long ordeal filled with poor communication, delays, and a lack of accountability. My vehicle sat at the dealership for an extended period of time with very little communication or updates unless I repeatedly reached out myself. There was no sense of urgency, and it often felt like no one was actively pushing the warranty company to move forward or do their job. As a customer, I should not have had to follow up constantly just to get basic information about my own vehicle. The situation escalated to the point where I felt I needed to seek advice from a lawyer just to understand my options and how to proceed. That alone speaks volumes about how frustrating and stressful this process became. No customer should ever feel that they need legal guidance just to get a warranty repair handled properly. Overall, the lack of communication, prolonged delays, and minimal effort to advocate on my behalf made this a very frustrating experience. I expected far better customer service, transparency, and professionalism — especially from a dealership handling warranty work. I hope this feedback helps improve communication, accountability, and customer care moving forward, because this experience fell far short of expectations.
• TJ

  Tyler Johnson

  Apr 6, 2026
  1.0
  Been a customer for a couple years now and have had tons of work done here at this location. Never had any issue and the people have always been outstanding. But these past few visits have been awful as far as billing and accountability goes. It took 2 separate visits which they held my vehicle for multiple days to find the problem with me AC, which ended up being a leak at where the condenser bolted on. I spent tons of money on recharges, diagnostics, labor and shop fees just to get my AC in working condition. Now my cooling fan wont turn off do to a bad ambient sensor which is draining my battery. KIA not only charged me an additional $200 diagnostic test but also want $350 for the ambient sensor... a $20 part and a 30 minute job. KIA of Port Charlotte is no longer here to help the locals of Charlotte County. They are here to reap the rewards of all the rich Northerners. Thanks for nothing KIA of Port Charlotte. Update: bought the sensor from autzone for $12 and had it changed out before my first beer was finished. Yall should be ashamed at KIA. Lost a customer today for life and I will make sure you lose more. 😂😂
• JK

  Jared Katz

  Apr 3, 2026
  2.0
  First off, no one was unpleasant to deal with. People were genuinely accommodating and at the end of the day I have a pretty nice car. But it was a journey to get here. I purchased a 2020 Kia Niro EV and ran into serious issues from the start. Before I even get to the mechanical problems, buyers should know: this vehicle was marketed as "certified," but what I received was the Kia CPO Lite program — not standard Kia CPO. The difference is significant. Standard Kia CPO includes 12 months/12,000 miles bumper-to-bumper plus the remainder of the factory powertrain warranty. CPO Lite is powertrain-only, 6 months/6,000 miles, administered by a third-party company (Fidelity Warranty Services). I only learned the full distinction after closing. Ask specifically which program applies before you sign anything. Two miles off the lot, the Check EV system light came on, a steering wheel button fell off (it had been cheaply glued on), and the car wouldn't charge past 70%. When I asked to unwind the sale within what I believed was a 48-hour window, they declined — explaining that clause existed to protect them from buyer fraud, not to protect me. To their credit, they did work to fix the issues under warranty — first misdiagnosing a wiring harness, then ultimately replacing the battery. That process took about a month total, including two separate two-week waits for parts (one battery arrived damaged in freight). During that time, a dealership employee backed into my car in their lot, which they did repair at a body shop. The steering wheel control was a separate ordeal. They promised it would be fixed, but when I picked up the car for what I thought was the final time it was still not fixed. I followed up after about three days and they said "it would be a while" Then the next day I got a repair appointment via email in which the repair was listed as a "house deal". But when I finally came in for the final repair, they attempted to charge me $501 with no prior pricing discussion. After refusing and escalating to a manager — who actually argued that waiving the charge would cost the dealership money. I said I had serious concerns about how the car was certified and she told me that process "hundreds" of vehicles a month and they look for the "big issues" not the small ones. That is despite missing a pretty big issue of a faulty EV battery. They ultimately did it for free, but it took a real fight. Every resolution required me to push. If you buy here, get everything in writing, confirm exactly which CPO program applies, do your own inspection, and follow up relentlessly.