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This is going to be lengthy, so let me summarize: Over $63,000 financed, 2 defective new Hyundai Ioniqs (2019 & 2020), and what appears to be a difficult time at this dealership later, I am driving a 14 year old Mazda from another dealership because (despite me all but begging) they wouldn't help work out a deal on a used car of another brand from another Johnson dealership, further in debt than I would have been had I not ever bought a Hyundai from them, and would still recommend them because of the amazing level of service, care, and consideration the dealership had shown me in the past and the time leading up to whatever kind of disaster they're currently working through and I feel that the General Manager Ryan Meagher was sincere in his apology to me after it TOOK OVER A MONTH for me to receive my prorated refund from the prepaid maintenance and GAP insurance.
Aside from financing over $63,000 with this dealership and having two brand new cars prove to be defective, each well before 30,000 miles, I would have to recommend buying a car from them...as long as it is from another brand, which can be done by finding one on their family of dealership pages or as a used car on their lot. Up until the second one started throwing codes that triggered the check engine light around two months ago, my experience had been mostly great with the dealership. My sales person, Mark Priest, was even helpful in getting me into the second Hyundai Ioniq (a lovely 2020 Limited) for a reasonable price after the first one needed a transmission at 27,000 miles (after several complaints on my end) and then a fuel injector a couple of weeks later. The only issue with the purchase of the second one came with having to roll in negative equity because the first one depreciated like a Hyundai (they fall quick, and there are reasons), because I added in prepaid maintenance and GAP, and because the service contract I had purchased for the first one was SOLD TO ME as one plan but was another entirely (I was sold a "severe maintenance" plan because I was told that was what was recommended, but then found out that I had paid for the severe, but was actually given a normal one and had used almost all of it up...).
Anyway...the second purchase went well enough, the car was behaving well, and I enjoyed the features of the Limited over the 2019 Ioniq SEL...
Until...*ominous music* around 22,900 miles when the check engine light came on. Not cool. Okay, I tried scheduling service with the person using the car's built in service button link (BlueLink), and that was useless. So I was able to schedule an appointment with the great service department, and had the car looked at within a couple of days. By that time, the light had turned off, but there was a stored "radio code," but it couldn't be diagnosed. So a lunch break, drive across the county, shuttle ride, and Uber ride on my dime later, no diagnosis and no loaner car. Small price to pay for good service...
Okay... Next day? Day after? Light is on again, so I call again. Can't get me in for WEEKS, and don't even think about getting a loaner car, because they've all been loaned out due to so many people needing them because their cars are in the shop (red flag!?). I was able to make some more calls, and the service department was able to shoehorn my car in between appointments, because they're accommodating like that, and I was able to use their shuttle to get back to work. Bummed a ride from a friend, it only cost me dinner, to get back to the dealership for more of the same (light off, it's a "radio code," and no loaners in sight). I even sent service a technical service bulletin that could have lead to a resolution, I will never know because it didn't last until getting to service again. By this time, I am about done with my car. I did not finance over $30,000 for a car to last less than a year. So I ask my sales buddy to help get me into another car, I even sent links to multiple vehicles on a Johnson family dealership's lot, and was told that there was no way that a used car could absorb the negative equity that this car would have on it (especially since they low-balled me on trade value for it...).
Okay. Getting less than satisfied. Another day or two, and ANOTHER CHECK ENGINE LIGHT! This time I've had it. I stopped driving the car for several days and found alternative ways to work, All the while I was in contact with service and sales, trying to get something done. Their hands were tied, there were no loaners, and my car would have to stay with them for an undetermined amount of time to get a proper diagnosis and repair completed. Nope. I did not pay this much money to have a car I cannot drive without fear of it breaking down, or that would fail inspection. So I reached out to several other dealerships, waited for the check engine light to turn off, crossed my fingers that it would stay off, didn't mess with the radio or remote features, and traded it in at a dealership 130 miles away on a 2008 Mazda MX-5 with low miles (many owners and limited history on Carfax, but I'm hoping for the best). The dealership I traded the 2020 Ioniq to gave me several thousand more in trade in than Johnson offered, and was able to help me roll the negative equity into the new loan (ouch. . . hence getting the cheapest and oldest Miata they had and putting $3,700 down to make it work because I was that frustrated with Johnson Hyundai's unwillingness to help and the Hyundai brand in general). That was on February 4th. I was told to contact my selling dealership regarding the refunds on the prorated amounts of GAP and pre-paid maintenance. Not a big deal, right? WRONG! It took OVER A MONTH, multiple phone calls and e-mails, an email to MULTIPLE managers, being told that the finance person had been out sick (I don't doubt it, and I hope he's fully recovered from whatever it was), then told that the refunds would happen automatically, waited some more, then finally emailed the original finance person and explained that I wanted to talk with their General Manager Ryan Meagher. The next day I received a call from Mr. Meagher, and he took ownership of the issue. I took it upon myself to print off all of the documentation I had, which was at least 15-20 pages of e-mails, and dropped it off at the dealership for him to review to see that I tried to stay in the Johnson family, that I understood that cars depreciate, that I understood I had willingly financed both of the cars, and that I was ultimately responsible for my purchases and such - however, that I thought a little deference would be shown, maybe a courtesy, or some sort of customer retention when I was all but begging to get into another car. Mr. Meagher and I were finally able to meet on 03/08/2022. He was kind enough to step out of a meeting to meet with me, held good eye contact, sat with me, and humbly and sincerely apologized as we went over the two forms I needed to sign to receive my refund check. He had even offered to have the check and forms brought to me the day before, but after waiting OVER A MONTH for my check I figured it was worth my time to meet with the General Manager to put a face to the name beyond the website picture. He was incredibly pleasant, and I can say I feel he was sincere. There was a lapse in the service I received from Johnson, but I can still honestly recommend the dealership. I would buy another car from them tomorrow if I needed one, especially now that Mr. Meagher and I have spoken in person. However, I cannot in good faith recommend the brand and will do all I can to dissuade others from purchasing said brand...but I will direct friends and family to Johnson Hyundai for vehicles from other manufacturers without hesitation. I believe that I fell through the cracks of burnout and apathy, heck maybe because they didn't want to keep me as a customer, but whatever the reason I can no longer give this dealership the five stars it used to deserve. I'm not going to be unpleasant and give them fewer stars, because I would like to believe that it was a lapse for whatever reason (we're ALL going through a lot right now), that they had no loaner vehicles because they are generous with loaning out their loaner fleet and they have to do that often because of the unreliability of the brand, and I will just have to eat the SEVERAL THOUSANDS of dollars I lost due to falling through this crack and the lack of care I received during this lurch. . . actually, after typing all of that and realizing how far several thousand dollars would go and looking out at my 14 year old car that I (chose to...I know it was my choice) overpaid for to get out of the SECOND unreliable car from this dealership, I will knock my ranking to 3 stars, but that is only out of frustration and hurt I feel from holding them in such high esteem prior to this costing me as much as it did, it taking as much time as it did, and getting an apology. Yes, it was sincere. I won't even diminish it again by saying I "feel" it was sincere, because I believe Mr. Meagher's sincerity regarding this issue, but actions speak louder than words and doing the legally required minimum to rectify a situation doesn't set well with me.