Hardin Irvine Automotive Inc Dba Kia of Irvine

“I knew exactly what I wanted, called and spoke it Ali and confirmed they had it on the lot and made an appointment to go in. I had my own financing and was told that was not a problem. Went in for my appointment and Ali happily greeted me and my Dad. He already had the car pulled to the front and quickly got us out for a test drive. Confirmed it was exactly what I was looking for and Ali set off to work with financing. They were a little busy but I felt like they were moving as fast as they could. There was a small misunderstanding about the numbers but Joe was able to quickly fix it and we moved to the finance guy’s office. I am so sorry I cannot remember his name because he was so friendly and truly respected my decision to turn down optional add ons as well as answering my questions about the details of the warranty being offered. He was also able to beat my financing rate which was a great surprise. Signing the paperwork was so easy!! Everything was clearly written out and he didn’t rush me to sign anything until I read and understood it all. The documents were quickly put onto a usb for my records, I appreciate not having that huge contract to file away. Ali was able to give me a run down of all the new features of my car and I felt comfortable right away. I have had my car for a month now and I have received at least 3 calls to confirm I am happy and express their willingness to answer any questions I have now that I’ve driven the car for a while. I would recommend and already have recommended Kia of Irvine to others.”

“I had a great experience at Kia of Irvine. I initially had my car appraised and worked with Yesenia, who was helpful and easy to work with. From there, I connected with Ali in Sales; he was very easygoing and made the entire process feel comfortable and completely non-pushy. Ricky, the Sales Manager, was transparent and straightforward. There was no haggling, and he was respectful of what I was prepared to pay. I appreciated that he was perfectly fine if a deal didn’t happen that day since I still had a year left on my current lease, but they were able to make it work. Tien in Finance was thorough and made sure I understood all the available options and add-ons, again without any pressure to spend more than I was comfortable with. Overall, I really appreciated the transparency, relaxed sales approach, and how efficient everything was. Considering I had a car appraisal, test drive, found the trim-level I wanted, prepared the new car, and completed financing...being in and out in just a few hours was impressive. The team was personable and friendly throughout. I’ll definitely be back again :)”

“Do NOT buy a car from this dealership — they are scammers. They forced me to purchase an extended warranty and an anti-theft system that were supposedly “required.” They literally told me: “If you want to buy this car, you have to purchase these.” After buying the vehicle, I reviewed the contract and saw that these items were completely optional. I tried to resolve the issue, but no one responded. I called multiple times, left voicemails, and sent emails. They use an AI bot named Angie, so I couldn’t reach a real person. I then contacted KIA USA and explained the situation. Two days later, the dealership contacted me and said they would help me only if I changed the negative survey rating I had given them. I documented this and added it to my complaint. KIA USA told me to resolve the issue with the dealership, but nothing gets resolved with scammers. I absolutely do not recommend this place. Their sales tactics are based on deception and gaslighting. If you read other reviews, you’ll see similar experiences.”

“I very rarely write negative reviews, but I am becoming increasingly angry at how dishonest and manipulative this dealership is. I originally came here because they had the exact car I wanted. I arrived with my own financing and wasn’t even trying to haggle. Despite this, I had to wait almost three hours to get into the finance office. I truly believe they made us wait—not because they were busy—but to ensure my wife and teenage child were bored and hungry before we started the paperwork. Once in finance, I requested a warranty extension and all maintenance included up to 100k miles. I was told repeatedly that I was receiving full maintenance to 100k. The finance manager then told me that if I agreed to keep their 'second tracker' in the car for free (since I refused to pay $1,500 for a system inferior to the standard Kia one), he would get me a lower interest rate through Kia Finance. After 6.5 hours, my family was exhausted and irritated. I signed the papers, not realizing I had been lied to. Not only was I charged $1,500 for the 'free' tracker (which they eventually reimbursed after several emails), but my '100k maintenance' only covers oil changes up to 60k, and my financing is NOT through Kia. Furthermore, it is illegal to require the purchase of a product to secure financing. One year later, the Service Department is showing the same lack of integrity. My car has had random misfires, and I’ve been blamed every step of the way. First, they claimed it was 'Arco gas' (2 days in the shop). Then, they claimed it was mis-gapped spark plugs (7 days in the shop). Finally, they claimed my dash cam and LED strip—which draw less power than a phone charger—destroyed my alternator and battery (25 days in the shop). It took 34 days total for them to address a factory defect while blaming me the entire time. I am writing this from the lobby to keep my sanity. The service desk just tried to charge me for a brake fluid flush, claiming it’s due, even though the Kia maintenance schedule says I’m only halfway there. Every negative stereotype about dishonest car dealerships started here. Update- The head of the service department reached out because he received the review i put in after my last service. He explained that they are taking the customer service side of the dealership very seriously. I was able to discuss the issues with the service department and he understood my frustration. He went over each issue and offered some coupons for my next service. The fact he called and took the time to listen to the whole story ment alot. He could not do anything about the Finance issue which i understand except to tell i was not the only one and they have replaces all but one of the finance manager and new one are expected to have more honesty. I changes from 1 to 3 stars and am waiting for future visits to make sure this was not just a responce to a bad review but a change with the service department and a move to genuine interactions and integrity.”

“I had a terrible experience at Kia of Irvine and strongly warn others to stay away. They utilize deceptive "bait and switch" tactics. I went in for a Sportage Plug-in Hybrid promotion shown on their website, but once there, I was told the website pricing "is not real" and the actual price was thousands of dollars higher. I was eventually pressured into a regular model at a significantly higher price. The most disappointing part was dealing with the Sales Manager, Ricky. He explicitly promised me that if I brought in a quote from Kia Mission Viejo showing the lower price, he would exchange my car and honor that pricing. I did exactly as he asked and provided the quote. Instead of honoring his word, he refused to help. When I told him I would have to file a lawsuit if he didn't stand by his promise, his response was simply, "Go and file a lawsuit, I won’t help you." Next Steps: Since management refuses to take responsibility for their broken promises and deceptive advertising, I am now filing a formal complaint with Kia America Corporate and the California DMV Occupational Licensing division. I will also be pursuing this through the Better Business Bureau. Save yourself the headache and go to a dealership that operates with integrity.”