Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Southern Auto Group's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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  Southern Auto Group

  1300 S. Military Highway Chesapeake, VA 23320-2514

  
• 

  Southern Auto Group

  912A Live Oak Drive Chesapeake, VA 23320-2516

  

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:01/24/2025

  Type:Customer Service 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 have had ongoing issues with the driver side mirror. I’ve had several different people try to set it , including your service department with either button one or button two and it works fine when you initially set it, when you shut off the vehicle, the mirror goes down like it’s supposed to and it’s supposed to go back up to where you had it set when you returned to the car with the same key fob and start the car. Unfortunately, the mirror goes all the way down to where you’re looking at pavement or all the way up to you’re looking at the sky.
  I’ve brought it back three times, and the service department is telling me that I should learn and look at the manual on how to set the mirror properly, I’m 66 years old and I’ve had 20 cars in my lifetime and I surely can tell you I know how to set the mirror and seats as specified in GMC’s manual. *****, in your service department, looked at my vehicle and has seen the same problem and agreed something needs to be fixed. They scheduled me a date to drop the car off and said the problem was fixed. It seemed to have worked for two days, and when I got another survey in my response to the survey was how happy I was that it was finally fixed. Three days later, it started doing the same thing and I cannot get a response as to when it’s going to be fixed.
  *****, from your service department, has been very nice, but he doesn’t seem to be able to get an answer from GMC as to what the problem could be and what the fix might be.
  I’m starting to think that I purchased a lemon because there has been other problems with this vehicle as well.
  I feel as if the service department is waiting until my three-year warranty is up in March so that GMC would not be responsible for fixing this issue.
  Hoping that you can get this resolved.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/31/2025

  Customer will be back in on Tuesday for us to take another look at his mirror. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/03/2025

  Why would you close out the claim when they are working on the car to try to fix it.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/10/2025

  Type:Customer Service 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.

  On December 18, 2024, we traded in our Lexus for a 2021 Jeep Wrangler at the Southern Norfolk Airport dealership. While initially excited, the experience quickly turned into a nightmare.
  
  The day after purchase, we discovered a water issue: a sloshing sound from the passenger side and water dripping onto the seat. It hadn’t rained during the 10 hours we had the vehicle. Concerned, we contacted the dealership, and they assured us the problem would be investigated and resolved. They provided a loaner vehicle and performed an emergency plate transfer for our custom plates.
  
  Unfortunately, communication from the dealership has been terrible. Every call to the service department resulted in us being transferred repeatedly between Sales, Parts, and the Service Center, with no one taking responsibility or giving clear updates.
  
  On December 23, I visited the dealership in person after receiving no answers. They replaced the loaner with a Grand Cherokee and assured me my plates would be properly reinstalled. On January 3, they informed us the Jeep was ready for pickup. However, upon arrival, the front license plate was missing, and the rear plate was hanging by one bolt. The front plate was later found in a filing cabinet.
  
  More concerning, the original water issue persisted. The sloshing sound remained, and a mechanic confirmed the roof would need replacement. Despite their assurances, as of January 9, 2025, we’ve received no meaningful updates. Our requests to speak with the General Manager have been ignored.
  
  This dealership’s lack of communication and professionalism has been infuriating. We have never experienced such poor service. At this point, we want to undo the transaction and request the return of our Lexus. I also plan to consult the base legal department about our options.
  
  From unresolved vehicle issues to mishandling our concerns, this entire process has been unacceptable and unprofessional.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/17/2025

  Spoke to Mrs. ******** and apologized for the issues they had been going through. Had the vehicle repaired and delivered back to customer 1/16/25. Spoke with General Manager *** **** and he agreed to refund the ********'s 2 car payments. So having check sent to them for ********** Customer was happy with this decision.

   

  Mike Owen 

  Fixed Operation Director 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/07/2024

  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 purchased a 2024 Hummer EV on November 6, 2023. During the sale I noticed the back gate of the vehicle would not open. I reported to the salesman. His response was “ it is in transport mode it will resolve itself” it never did. It only got worse. Also within 30 days of having the vehicle. All forms of cruise control stopped working. I tried several times (more then 20) yo get thru to service, no answer or call back. I finally took it to service on December 22nd 2023. I was not called until after the new year with any updates. I was told that the vehicle needed 90 modules reprogrammed. It took them until March 30, 2024. I picked the vehicle up. After 1 drive the above problems came back- except this time when trying to open the back gate the light would flash and horn would honk- the only way to make that stop was to try to open manually. This caused the vehicle to not drive since the door was open. I drove the vehicle the 100 miles back to the shop where it sits today.. I was notified it needed coolant pump. Not sure how this will make the door open or Cruise control work. Long story short I think they should take the vehicle back since it’s been in the shop nearly 1 year.. Also they never once offered a loaner vehicle. I had to go buy another vehicle in February as I travel back and forth 160 miles daily. The Hummer currently has 2500 miles on it..

  Business Response

  Date: 10/23/2024

  We are well aware of the customer. However there's a little bit missing in his complaint about his vehicle being done out of the shop however we had some legalities that we were dealing with between the customer and the dealership. If he would like ******* ****** to buy the vehicle back then he needs to contact them through their customer care department and state that he wants a Buy Back started. That is not up to us as a dealership 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/20/2024

  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.

  My car broke down in the highway and it was towed to the Kia repair where I bought the car in April it’s been a month in half and they have yet to look at the car to tell me what’s going on. I’m under warranty so taking it to another mechanic other than the Kia can break my warranty.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/20/2024

  Good Morning 

  We received this vehicle on our lot without keys. Customer stated that the tow company left them inside the car but they are not there. We have ordered keys and should get them in 72 hours so that we can diag the vehicle and fix the problem 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/20/2024

  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 am writing to file a formal complaint against Southern Kia *********r, located a* **** ***** ******** **** *********** ** ****** regarding the unresolved repair of my vehicle under warranty and the lack of communication from the company. My SUV, a 2023 Kia ******** ******* has been in the possession of Southern Kia *********r since April 26, 2024, and the repair has yet to be completed. The vehicle's initial issue, covered under the manufacturer's warranty, was reported to Southern Kia *********r on or about April 5, 2024. After an initial assessment, I was informed that the repair would take a few weeks. However, it has now been over four months, and my vehicle remains unrepaired. Despite my numerous attempts to contact the service department at Southern Kia *********r for updates, I have received little to no communication regarding the status of the repair. I’ve even enlisted the assistance of the Kia Customer Care team and they also receive little to no communication from the service department at Southern Kia *********r. This delay has caused me significant inconvenience, as I have been without my vehicle for an extended period. Additionally, I have been making monthly car payments for a vehicle that I have been unable to use due to the protracted repair process. This situation is unacceptable, and I believe that [Repair Company Name] has failed to fulfill its obligations under the warranty agreement.
  
  Seeking the following resolutions:
  
  1. Immediate replacement of my vehicle with a comparable model, as the repair has not been completed in a reasonable time frame.
  
  2. Reimbursement for the four months of car payments I have made while my vehicle has been out of service, totaling **********
  
  I believe this is reasonable under circumstances and the inconvenience I have experienced. Seeking the Better Business Bureau's assistance in resolving this matter promptly.
  
  Thank you for your attention to this issue.
  
  **** *** ***** *****

  Business Response

  Date: 08/20/2024

  Good Morning

  In response to the ****** on the repair of their ******** we have been trying to get the proper diag of the vehicle. It seems that there has been a little of miscommunication because the original advisor that was working with them is no longer here. However we have been with the tech line of Kia since late April/ May. Upon our tech getting the details with tech line they suggested that it was a tensinor that needed to be replaced. After a few weeks we received the part and installed to the ******* but it did not fix the problem. We have now noticed that the pulley is rusted and circulating dust so we have a new part on order that should be here within the next few days. We will resolve hopefully very soon and get the customer back in their car. Customer was in a loaner but is not currently in one. We can help with the loaner if possible 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/26/2024

  
  
  Complaint: ********
  

  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Understanding there is a process is not a problem. We are very intelligent people. But we can only understand what we are told which has been little.

  We had a loaner for 2 weeks. We were told by Southern Kia ********** service department that to keep it any longer we would need to speak with KIA Customer Service, which we did. KIA customer service stated they needed to speak with Southern KIA ********** service Department  to determine what the problem was before they could offer us a loaner for more than the 5 days. We started receiving INVOICES for the loaner vehicle requesting payment so we returned the vehicle. Since then neither Southern KIA ********** or KIA CUSTOMER SERVICE has offered us a loaner vehicle. If Southern Kia ********** Service Department is offering us a loaner vehicle NOW, we will be glad to take it as long as they are not expecting us to pay for it.

  This back and forth is NOT resolving the issue. Our concern is NOT and has NOT been about a loaner vehicle. IT IS the lack of quality customer service and having to pay for a vehicle we CANNOT use because it has been with Southern Kia ********** service department since April 26, 2024 with no repair date in sight and little to NO communication from Southern Kia ********** service department on the status of the vehicle. 

  Finally, is Southern Kia ********** service department saying they have no expected date for this second/third repair, specifically, none that will be completed within the next 2 weeks? Is Southern KIA ********** not willing or able to provide us a replacement vehicle as requested in the original complaint? Is Southern KIA ********** not willing or able to provide us reimbursement for the car payments we have made since April 26, 2024? 

  Please answer these questions and not waste anymore of our time with these nonsense responses, so we can move forward with the proper steps.
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  ***** *****

  Business Response

  Date: 08/27/2024

  Good Morning 

  Please contact [email protected] or ************ to set up a meeting so we don't have any more back and forth over a chat line and we can get down to what we can or can't do. I am sorry you are having difficulting with your vehicle and we would like to resolve it however once you start talking about Buy Backs and monthly payment pay backs that really needs to go through KIA corporate not the dealership. We still can not figure out the noise in your drive area and have opened another tech line case with Kia for them to tell us the next steps. 

   

  I look forward to hearing back from you 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/12/2024

  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.

  My 2008 *** ****** had a recall on the breaking system, the brakes locked up and was grinding against the rotor which caused me tire to catch on fire and blow up. They said they'll only cover the recall specifically free of charge and not the damage that the recall caused. They also said they would reimburse me with a rental car, but they told me they would only reimburse me till after the car is fixed in October. Which means I will have to be paying out of pocket up until then which doesn't benefit me as I don't have the money to pay for that. I need them to cover the rental while im waiting for my car to be fixed not after. I need the damages that was their fault fixed free of charge and the rental car covered for the time of me waiting for my car to be fixed.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/12/2024

  I have reached out to the customer in regards to handling the complaint. He understand that this is between him and *** and we have supplied him with all the info to do so. He understands and is waiting for us to send everything to ***

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/18/2024

  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.

  This complaint is accompanied by *** Corporate Complaint #********* NHTSA Complaint #********. On June 6th my ****** experienced sudden engine failure. on a search for a *** dealer who wasn't booked months in advance, I finally reached ******* from sales on the phone who assured me I could have my vehicle in for diagnostics in just 4 days! I promptly had my car towed to Southern. Upon arrival I was met with Sean who explained to me September was the best he can do. After speaking with the ********* ******* Manager I explained that ******* blatantly lied about the service departments capabilities and that I paid *** dollars to have my vehicle towed under false pretense. My car reached service on 11th. The warranty advisor reached out on the 12th. My warranty provider requested photos according to ****** update to me in person on the 12th. On the 17th (Today) Sean explained the photos requested by warranty were sent. Upon a phone call to my warranty to verify this information, I found Sean lied and never sent the photos as requested. This is gross negligence to customer service. I have called and texted ****** number multiple times with no reply and sometimes fail to even get ANY service rep on the phone. I have had to make 3 in person visits for the smallest of updates by a new person each time. aside from ********s lying he shows poor professionalism with his disheveled clothes and upside down name tag. As an active duty service member I am getting treated like prey on the sales floor. I feel terrible for the less knowledgeable *** owners.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/22/2024

  In response to Mr. ******* complaint. There was some misunderstanding and the communication from the techs to the service writers were not great. However that has since been resolved and everything is with the Warranty company that needs to be. Hopefully we will have a resolution and a fixed vehicle soon

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/06/2023

  Type:Customer Service 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 purchased a Genesis GV70 in June 2023. Found cracked windshield/interior scratches & was assured any further issues would be handled. 4wks later, rear view bracket cover fell on me. Classic ******* **** **** stated whoever replaced windshield broke the cover & glued it in place. Several attempts were made to sales Mgr & General sales Mgr to address this issue. As of today, I have gotten no response & the matter is still unresolved.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/28/2023

  Thank you for your
  feedback. This dealership is no longer Hall. It was bought out by ******** **** ****** Please contact them directly ***** ******** as all of the same people still work there. They should be able to help you. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/17/2022

  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 called in September 2022 and got an appointment for a Safety Recall for my Kia Sportage vehicle on November 15th. I explained the Recall letter I received, and Kia said they would fix it when I got there. I arrived at 9:00 am and did not leave until 12:30 pm for a service that was not performed. They told me everything else I needed but failed to fix the Recall. Nothing was done on my car and their explanation was that they did not have the parts. They gave me everything but what I came for. I think this is very unprofessional. I waited in the waiting room for three hours and everybody else that was in the waiting room left prior.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/25/2022

  Unfortunately, with these recalls we had to inspect the vehicle, before we could order parts to complete them. It appears that there was a miscommunication with the customer when she first scheduled the appointment. We have received the parts for both recalls that we ordered, and the customer is scheduled to come in on 11/28/2022 to have them completed.