I Bought Charged $765 for My Kia EV9 Alignment, They Billed Me $325 Per Hour for 4 Hours of Work

Every so often, the digital campfire of social media and automobile boards sparks to life with one other story of dealership malpractice, half comedy, half tragedy, at all times involving a receipt that feels extra like a ransom observe. This time, the sparks flew on the Kia EV9 Homeowners USA Fb group, the place one proprietor’s expertise with a easy alignment become a four-hour ordeal and a $765 lesson in dealership chaos. The story, like a foul comedy routine, unfolded at Eide Ford in Mandan, North Dakota, the place miscommunication and disconnect managed to show routine service into headline materials.

A $765 Mischarge

Let’s paint the scene. You pull in for what needs to be a simple alignment. Perhaps your EV9 is pulling a bit to the best, or perhaps you are simply attempting to maintain issues tight after a winter of cracked roads and salty slush. As a substitute of the anticipated hour or so and a invoice of round $150, you end up ready 4 hours. The techs say they’re nonetheless working. You allow together with your SUV and a receipt that reads like a punchline: $325 an hour, multiplied by 4. Whole: $765. Not for diagnostics. Not for transmission work. Simply an alignment. Because the proprietor wrote:

“Anybody else get gouged this difficult for an alignment? Lmao(Up to date Edit).

They really gave me a refund as a result of they did not apply their sister location Eide Kia’s alignment charges.

Fords obvious personal charge is 325$ an hour(we stayed for 4 hours), however then we got here again at this time to speak to the supervisor, and yea their very own group did not go by Kia’s charge since they needed to be those to service Kia’s till they transfer their methods to their new renovated constructing, all is nicely.”

To their credit score, the dealership didn’t double down. They admitted the error. Seems the Ford aspect of the operation had billed at its inner labor charge, not realizing that Kia automobiles have been imagined to be serviced beneath the decrease pricing mannequin of the model’s sister facility. 

Kia EV9 Comparability: Affordability, Area, & Household-Pleasant Options

• The Kia EV9 presents a extra budget-friendly choice with out compromising on important options. With a beginning MSRP of roughly $56,395, the EV9 is considerably inexpensive than the Tesla Mannequin X, which begins at round $81,380. This value distinction permits shoppers to entry a three-row electrical SUV with superior know-how and luxury options at a extra accessible value level. ​
• Designed with households in thoughts, the EV9 gives beneficiant inside area. It supplies 41.4 inches of front-row legroom and 42.8 inches of second-row legroom, surpassing the Mannequin X’s 41.1 inches and 38.7 inches, respectively. This extra area enhances passenger consolation, significantly on longer journeys. Moreover, the EV9’s boxy design contributes to better headroom, making the third row extra accommodating for grownup passengers in comparison with the sloped roofline of the Mannequin X. ​
• The EV9 introduces distinctive options, reminiscent of second-row seats that may swivel 180 levels, fostering a extra interactive and versatile cabin surroundings. That is significantly advantageous for households, facilitating simpler little one seat entry and making a communal area throughout the automobile.

This mishap, the results of a system not but migrated to their new Kia-dedicated facility, was corrected after the shopper raised the problem straight with administration.

The $765 was refunded, and peace was restored. The proprietor took it in stride and shared the story on-line, laughing about it on reflection. However one wonders, what if he hadn’t spoken up?

How a Easy Alignment Error Might Injury Popularity

Conditions like this are how manufacturers bleed loyalty. For all of the billions automakers spend crafting identification, buzz, and buyer relationships, a rogue bill can undo it in a second. Significantly within the EV area, the place patrons are typically early adopters, tech-savvy, and vocal, these tales unfold like wildfire. You purchase right into a automobile just like the EV9 not only for the product however for the ecosystem it represents. A premium possession expertise is anticipated, and for good cause. In any case, the Kia EV9 begins within the excessive $50,000s and competes in opposition to the likes of the Rivian R1S and Tesla Mannequin X. It can not afford dealership-level clownery.

There’s an added sting of irony once you notice that Firestone, a series hardly identified for its high-touch service, gives a lifetime alignment deal for $199. That’s lower than a single hour on the charge this Ford retailer charged. Alignments, thoughts you, aren’t a high-frequency service. Except your automobile is visibly pulling or your tires are displaying uneven put on, there’s not often a necessity for one outdoors of a collision or main suspension work. But dealerships persist in pushing them as routine upkeep, proper alongside cabin filters priced like medical gear and $40 “complimentary” fluid top-offs.

Kia EV9 Security Recollects: Addressing Bolt, Software program, & Parking Help Glitches

• In December 2024, Kia recalled roughly 22,883 EV9 automobiles as a result of potential lacking mounting bolts within the second and third-row seats. This subject arose from an meeting error on the Gwangmyeong plant in Korea, doubtlessly compromising seat stability and occupant security throughout a collision. Sellers have been instructed to examine and set up any lacking bolts freed from cost. ​
• In October 2024, a recall was issued for round 14,163 EV9 automobiles to handle a software program error inflicting the instrument panel display to fail. This malfunction might forestall the show of important data reminiscent of pace and warning indicators, rising the chance of accidents. The treatment concerned updating the instrument cluster software program, both by dealerships or over-the-air updates. ​
• In September 2024, Kia recalled roughly 12,400 EV9 automobiles outfitted with the Distant Good Parking Help characteristic. A software program glitch might trigger the system to miscalculate stopping distances, doubtlessly resulting in inadequate braking throughout low-speed distant parking maneuvers and rising the chance of collisions. Sellers supplied a free software program replace to rectify the problem.

What makes this all so irritating is the broader context. Kia has come a good distance. It wasn’t that way back {that a} Kia or Hyundai badge was automotive shorthand for

“finances compromise.”

These have been automobiles to procure since you needed to, not since you needed to. However prior to now 20 years, these manufacturers have gone from joke to juggernaut. The EV9 and EV6 are beautiful examples of what Korean automakers can now produce: world-class EVs that undercut their American and European competitors in value, tech, and typically even efficiency.

Report Gross sales & Innovation Amid Recollects

Kia’s success within the EV area has been significantly noteworthy. They set new EV gross sales data within the U.S. final 12 months because of sturdy demand for the EV6 and EV9. Critiques have been glowing, with critics praising the EV9’s inside high quality, vary, and aggressive styling. The IONIQ 5, Hyundai’s sibling to the EV6, is even nipping at Tesla’s heels by way of innovation. These aren’t simply good Korean automobiles anymore. They’re good automobiles, full cease. This makes experiences like this one, the place the dealership system fails spectacularly, so maddening. If Kia desires to keep up its upward trajectory, its seller community must catch as much as the standard of the automobiles it’s now promoting.

In the end, this story ends nicely. The dealership acknowledged the error. The client obtained his a reimbursement. And due to a wholesome dose of humor and transparency, what might’ve been a PR catastrophe turned a cautionary story with a punchline. But it surely shouldn’t take a foul overview on Google to make issues proper. The dealership expertise, the Achilles heel of the car-buying course of, stays the ultimate frontier for enchancment. 

Picture Sources: Kia EV9 USA Fb Group, Kia Media Heart

Noah Washington is an automotive journalist based mostly in Atlanta, Georgia. He enjoys protecting the newest information within the automotive trade and conducting opinions on the newest automobiles. He has been within the automotive trade since 15 years outdated and has been featured in outstanding automotive information websites. You’ll be able to attain him on X and LinkedIn for suggestions and to comply with his automotive protection.