Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Kia of St. Cloud's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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  Kia of St. Cloud

  901 2nd St S Waite Park, MN 56387-1396

  
• 

  Kia of St. Cloud

  PO Box 797 Waite Park, MN 56387

  

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/27/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I brought my 23 Sportage in March 18th from *** of St Cloud. I brought the car into the service **** on April 18th for a concern I had on the vehicle shifting hard between 22-30mph. They confirmed my concern and reset the shift adaptations. After picking the vehicle up and driving the it 3 more weeks, it was still occurring. I brought my vehicle back to the service **** on 5/14 and they were unable to duplicate my concern. I once again picked up my vehicle, and the next day the issue was still happening. I brought the car in again on 5/16 and asked if it would be helpful if I left them with the vehicle for a week. ***** **** (service advisor) had said yes, that would be great and said they would be driving it once a day, if not, multiple times a day. From 5/16 - 5/22 they had preformed 2 test drives. We had talked to the service manager ***** and he said that ***** needs to stop promising customers things they are not 100% sure of. I understand this, however I am frustrated that I was left without a vehicle and they failed to drive it as often as promised. I received a call from ***** on 5/22 asking what I would like to do. I expressed that I was at a loss because I just bought this car, and there seems to be no urgency. I agreed to pick my vehicle up and on my drive home, I experienced 3 hard shifts. We both know there is a problem since *** got it to do it instantly the first time. We both know this vehicle needs to be repaired whether that be solenoids or the whole transmission. I am upset that this situation could not have been made right by the dealership. I can understand the need to duplicate the concern in order to prove this issue to ***. However this was clearly not an urgent situation to them being my vehicle was there for 6 days and only driven for 40 minutes. Side note, ***** **** treated me with such disrespect that they lost me as a customer. Besides that fact, the communication about updates on my car was awful. I didn't hear anything unless I asked.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/27/2025

  We have test driven this vehicle, scanned for trouble codes, checked transmission fluid and electronically monitored the transmission opperaation. We have not verified a problem with this transmission. This vehicle is equipped with an adaptive transmission. If the vehicle is driven aggressively, the transmission will learn to shift hard and aggressive. If the vehicle is driven conservatively, the transmission will learn to shift soft and smooth. On the first test drive, the technician did notice that the transmission had learned an aggressive shift behavior. The technician reset the adaptives to restart the transmission learning process. During the following 2 visits we were unable to verify any concerns and all testing indicated a transmission that is operating normally. What the customer is feeling is a characteristic of the 8 speed transmission. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/29/2025

   I am rejecting this response because:
  
  I can understand the fact that the issue needs to be proven to **** However, I feel as if this dealership was not following through on their word. I am at a loss at this point because I just bought this car and would have thought my concern would be taken serious.. When I dropped my vehicle off on 5/16 and said I would leave it there for a week, ***** **** had said that would be perfect so they could take it on a test drive once a day, if not multiple times. I was thrilled to hear this response so we could get this repair underway. On 5/22 I picked my vehicle back up since the technician could not get it to act up. I am most upset at the fact that I had to go out of my way to borrow someone else's vehicle and come to find out it was only taken on two 20 minute test drives from 5/16 - 5/22... after I was told it would be driven daily. I picked my car up on 5/22 and on my way home (I live about 8 miles from the dealership) it shifted hard a total of three times. Now, I am not trying put the blame on the tech, however it was the fact that the service advisor over promised me and the service was under delivered. When picking my car up on 5/22, I felt very pushed around by ***** J as if my questions and presence were a nuisance.  I just bought this car and I had high hopes since I was told it would be driven daily and that my concern could be resolved. At this point, the vehicle is still acting up for me six out of seven days of the week and I am unsure what to do. I am willing to work with **** however if my vehicle comes into the shop again I would appreciate a different service advisor, and someone who will follow through with their word. Thank you for your time.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/10/2025

  We would like to invite Ms ********* into the dealership to test drive with the Service Manager. Please call ***** ****** at ************. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/27/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I strongly discourage anyone from purchasing a vehicle from KIA of St. Cloud. In less than three months of owning a 2020 KIA ********* with ****** miles from this dealership, I have already had to replace the alternator, the transmission, and the batteryan alarming sign that the dealership fails to properly inspect their vehicles before sale. The vehicle has also required three tows since purchase.The service departments lack of accountability is equally troubling. Upon purchase, they were supposed to replace a faulty seatbelt. Instead, they ordered the wrong part and installed it in the wrong seat, highlighting a serious lack of attention to detail.The most alarming issue occurred when the vehicle lost power completely while I was driving 65 mph on the highway, leaving me without brakes or power steering, and resulting in a collision. Despite the gravity of this incident, the dealership showed no sympathy and even attempted to charge me for a new battery that should have been checked when they replaced the alternator. It was later determined that the wrong battery had been installed, causing the alternator to fail.*****, the sales manager, exhibited unprofessional behavior throughout this ordeal, insisting that "a battery test isn't done after an alternator is replaced" and attempting to manipulate my words to avoid responsibility. He also admitted that the dealership does not perform safety checks after every service, which raises significant concerns about their overall commitment to customer safety. After much resistance, they finally replaced the battery, but the experience has left me with serious doubts about their service quality.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/27/2024

  Alternator was replaced under a service contract on 8/9/24 at ***** miles. Vehicle was towed back in on 8/27/24 at ***** with a dead battery. *** of St Cloud replaced the battery at no charge to the customer as a courtesy. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/28/2024

   Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/29/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I brought my 2012 ****** outback to *** of Saint Cloud for an oil change they did not place my car parts right properly in my car due to my oil plug coming out after 2 days of getting a oil change *** of Saint Cloud replaced my engine with a faulty engine with a bed head gasket which caused my car to smoke and burned my radiator that I just got replaced due to *** telling me that was a problem needing to be fixed on my vehicle

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/29/2024

  Vehicle came in on 12/20/23 at ****** miles and an oil change was performed. Vehicle left. Vehicle was towed back on 12/29/23 at ****** miles. ****** died and would not restart. We found the oil drain plug was missing. ****** was replaced at the expense of *** of St Cloud. 12 month warranty was provided. Vehicle left. Vehicle came back on 4/1/24 at ****** miles leaking coolant. We found the radiator was cracked at lower radiator hose and radiator was in need of replacement. Customer declined the repair and vehicle left. Vehicle was driven back in on 7/1/24 at ****** miles overheating. Customer stated other mechanic just replaced the radiator. At this time we found the cylinder head gasket was failed. Vehicle drove approximately 7065 miles with a leaking radiator which eventually resulted in the head gasket failing. Since the engine did have a warranty on it we again replaced the engine. During the engine replacement we did find the new radiator that was installed by another mechanic was not holding pressure. We provided and estimate to replace the radiator and the customer. They declined the repair and said they would go back to the mechanic that installed the radiator. After the engine replacement we also found the heater core is plugged not allowing coolant to properly flow through the engine. We provided and estimate to replace the heater core to the customer. The customer has declined the repair at this time. This vehicle can not be driven with a leaking radiator or a plugged heater core. Both repairs are necessary to make the vehicle drivable. If the vehicle is driven with these cooling system failures it will result in another engine failure. If the vehicle is driven from the dealership with these failures the warranty on the engine will be void. We are recommending the customer either authorize *** of St ******************** to perform the repairs or the vehicle be towed to the repair facility that will perform the repairs.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/31/2024

   I am rejecting this because My vehicle, has been repeatedly brought in for service, resulting in significant financial and personal inconvenience.
  I have paid $160 for multiple diagnostics, and my car was kept for more than two weeks as the dealership attempted to identify the issue. Despite being told that my car was in good condition, I continued to experience problems. Initially, I had my radiator replaced. due to a faulty engine with a bad head gasket provided by ***. This faulty engine caused my new radiator to burn out.
  *** then informed me that the new engine was overheating because it needed a heater core, which is connected to the radiator. Which also cost me $1,354.73 just for the heater core. As a result, my recently replaced radiator was damaged and is no longer functional. I was asked to pay $2,093 for the repair of the radiator and gaskets for the engine. After negotiations, *** offered to reduce the cost to $203.94 for coolant and gaskets, which I still find unfair given the circumstances.
  Furthermore, during a previous service, the dealership failed to replace the oil plug after an oil change, leading to further complications. These repeated issues have caused me significant financial damage, forced me to rely on alternative transportation, and left me paying for a car that I cannot drive.
  Before the engine replacement, my car was working perfectly fine without any issues. I believe that the damages to my car are a direct result of the faulty parts and service provided by **** I am requesting a resolution that does not require me to bear the financial burden of these damages and repairs.
  
  I hope to resolve this matter amicably and look forward to your prompt response.
  
  Sincerely,  
  ************************;
  
  
  

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/01/2024

  The failure of the heater core is not related to the head gasket failure. Its possible that the heat core was the cause of the failure of the 2nd engine. Understanding the circumstances we decided to cover this engine the 2nd time. There is no coverage for the heater core. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/02/2024

   I am rejecting this response because:
  
  Before the engine replacement, my car was working perfectly fine without any issues. My heater core was in perfect working condition before this situation arose. I brought my car to *** of Saint Cloud multiple times for diagnostics to identify any potential issues, and each time I was told that my car was fine and that I should not have any more problems. This is **** second time replacing the engine in my car due to previous inconveniences caused by ************* I believe the damages to my car are a direct result of the faulty parts and improper diagnostics and service provided by *** of Saint Cloud. I am requesting a resolution that does not require me to bear the financial burden of these damages and repairs.
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/14/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On 11/10/23 I had an appointment with Kia of St. Cloud to have a repair done on my car. Upon arriving, I requested the replace the door motor actuator (part ***** 4D500). They refused to do the work as requested. They mandated I must pay the $159.95 diagnostic. I begrudgingly agreed assuming that would be credited back in a labor reduction when they confirmed the issue and replaced the part. Unfortunately, they came back with the requirement that I buy an entire new sliding door drive unit for $1,565 (R/O #*******) if I wanted them to fix the issue. Knowing that they have attempted to sell me on unnecessary expensive repairs in the past. I immediately recognized this as another scam. I refused to buy the expensive part so they refused to complete the repair. However, I did go to the service desk and purchased the needed motor actuator for $25.40 and installed it myself the following weekend to complete the repair. I find it highly unethical that *** refuses to conduct requested services. Instead they mandate one pays for a fake diagnostic. They have the consumer on the hook for either paying an expensive diagnostic fee or better yet, the purchase of expensive unneeded parts. I did reach out to both *** about my concern through their complaint resolution portal and they responded there is little they could do because the dealership is independently owned. I responded to Kia of St. Cloud through their satisfaction survey where I selected the option that I wish for a manager to contact me. It has now been over 90 days with no acknowledgement. For reference: As I mentioned earlier, this is not my first issue with Kia of St. Cloud. They installed a new serpentine belt and pulley incorrectly causing a squeal. When I returned, I was told the noise was a bad power steering pump and high-pressure line (R/O #*******/1). I went home, corrected the improper tension and have past five more years of driving on the "bad" power steering pump.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/14/2024

  We will reimburse customer $159.95 as a goodwill gesture

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/14/2024

   Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/28/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I purchased a truck from *** of Saint Cloud 98 days ago (9/21/2023) and picked up the vehicle the following day (9/22/2023). I was issued a *********************************************************************************** my county. They claimed it would only take a couple weeks but they still have not been able to send anything for me to legally drive my vehicle. They claim they do not have the lien released from the previous owner so therefore they can not do anything for me, how could they sell the truck in the first place if they have no way to send registration information? They will not issue me another temporary tag or have any sense of urgency for the situation. I have paid for the vehicle and have not been able to drive it for 53 days now with the temporary tag being expired. It is a 380 dollar ticket in my state if I drive it on the road while un-registered and a **** on my driving record. This issue needs to be resolved immediately and there needs to be repercussions to the dealership because this should not have ever been a problem in the first place.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/02/2024

  Our office manager ************************* has since been in touch with the customer. And has all the proper title work in and clear now.