Buyer beware: A tale of two car-purchasing experiences in Grand Junction

Two western slope residents purchased 2022 Hyundai Kona EVs around the same time last year. They both shopped at Red Rock Hyundai in Grand Junction. One ended up buying their car from Red Rock, while the other went to Red Rock first, felt uncomfortable, and ended up buying from Ralph Schomp Hyundai in Aurora, Colorado. Neither buyer left the western slope to complete their purchase or obtain their vehicles. The two report having had two vastly different experiences, as well as incurring vastly different total expenditures for their purchases.

Here is a side-by-side comparison of their buying experiences:

  10 comments for “Buyer beware: A tale of two car-purchasing experiences in Grand Junction

  1. Bozarth’s has been selling Chevy Volts and Bolts since 2012. Their service department is fully versed in the care and maintenance of their EVs. We have been driving electric since 2012 with absolutely NO issues with Bozarth’s service department. Don’t be soured on EVs by the shysters at Red Rocks. I will be speaking about women and EVs at Edgewater Brewery on Feb.16th at around 5pm. I will endeavor to answer questions. If I don’t have the answer, I will help you find your answers. Benita Phillips

  2. They did this to my daughter. Put her into a 2022 car with payment off 800 then a van with payment of 400. They put her into something she couldn’t afford.

  3. Then of course, Heidi is a woman, and Evan a guy. That probably counts too. I’ve had my bad experience with Red Rock Kia. I’m still trying to find someone to change my power steering system hose, which I bought online, because KIA installed a regular hose and tweaked it to do the turns it needs. The oil in the hose is kind of choked and it might ruin the pump. But I’ve had enough fights with them and never want to go back. They had overfilled the engine with oil and it was dripping and ruined parts that later were charged to me!

  4. I sold cars in the grand Valley for 20 years. My repeat and referral business speaks for itself.
    Once your car buying dollars, leave the western slope they never comes back…

  5. There are many ways to purchase vehicles elsewhere. You can call dealerships and make a deal over the phone. I think there is only one dealer left here that is locally owned. Or there are car buying services—Consumer Reports has a free one (cr.org/buildandbuy). AAA has one, but you have to buy a membership, though you could cancel afterward. You can sell your car through various companies such as Carvana and Vroom. Their finances are precarious, but they may give you a better deal than a dealer. The trade in is an issue with any car that takes months to get to the dealer, but people manage it. You can also search the internet for good deals in Colorado and nationally. Grand Junction dealers have a reputation for high prices, but nearby cities like Delta, Montrose and Glenwood Springs have dealers too. Unless you are an experienced purchasing agent, a lawyer, or someone else with professional negotiating experience, never go to a dealer alone. The allure of a new car is powerful, a virus that is hard to cure. Though Red Rocks has been amazingly blatant, many dealers use deceptive tactics and work to push a customer toward buying things. This is especially true when you are a minority buyer. That includes women as well. Sales people use psychology to expedite sales and you have to be ready for that.

    • Dear Ann (not Landers )

      I’m surprised red rocks auto, and the mini dealerships at Owens in Grand Junction, are not being investigated by the Colorado automobile dealers association. They are licensed by Dora and should be investigated. I only say this because I’ve seen way too many complaints.

      • Hi Wess! Long time no see. Red Rock dealerships ARE currently under investigation by the Colorado Department of Revenue’s Auto Industry Division (AID), and you’re right. There have been so many complaints about them that the AID recently brought in a 2nd investigator to help with them. And that’s particularly significant since they’re short of investigators across the state.

  6. I have wondered about buying EVs in this valley. Where would one go to get them serviced or repaired? They don’t need much. It is also nice to hear that you can buy one and have it delivered from Denver! I think that is awesome!
    This story just keeps getting worse and worse for Red Rock dealerships.

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