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Reynolds and Reynolds — DealerRefresh Vendor Library

Reynolds and Reynolds is a major dealer management system (DMS) and dealership software provider offering integrated solutions for sales, F&I, service,…
Reynolds and Reynolds logo
Reynolds and Reynolds
DMS
8% · Criticized 136 DealerRefresh discussions
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Reynolds and Reynolds is a major dealer management system (DMS) and dealership software provider offering integrated solutions for sales, F&I, service, and parts operations.

What you do with it

consolidate their core dealership workflows into one integrated DMS ecosystem,, so they can operate from a unified system without managing disconnected point solutions
When a dealer needs to run sales, F&I, service, and parts operations on a single platform,
establish certified integrations through Reynolds' RCI platform,, so they can enable data flow between Reynolds and external vendor systems
When a dealer needs to connect third-party CRM, inventory, or OEM data tools to their DMS,
leverage Reynolds' brand dominance and deep fixed-ops functionality as a baseline standard,, so they can anchor dealership operations to a system recognized across OEM and vendor ecosystems
When a dealer is evaluating or renegotiating their technology stack,

Community evidence → Stable

The DealerRefresh community—spanning dealers, vendors, and industry observers—acknowledges Reynolds and Reynolds as one of two dominant DMS providers with recognized depth in fixed ops and an integrated ecosystem, but sentiment is overwhelmingly negative in practice. The most persistent complaints center on data ownership: dealers and vendors consistently report that Reynolds restricts, filters, or blocks third-party data access through its RCI platform, removes self-service tools like Query Builder, and implements security measures the community views as pretextual consolidation of control rather than genuine protection. Fee structures draw sharp criticism, with one thread citing six-figure upfront costs and per-rooftop monthly charges passed through to OEM dealers. Multiple threads show dealers actively seeking to leave Reynolds, with urgent warnings to extract data before contracts expire, and at least one community member describing the vendor relationship as exploitative given the lack of industry-wide resistance.
Data ownership and vendor lock-in9 mentions
Third-party integration restrictions (RCI, API access)7 mentions
Fee structure and pricing concerns4 mentions
Dealers actively migrating away from Reynolds4 mentions
DMS as industry-standard baseline alongside CDK4 mentions
CRM and DMS integration quality (native vs. third-party)3 mentions
Support responsiveness and issue acknowledgment2 mentions
OEM relationship disruptions caused by Reynolds system changes2 mentions

136 mentions · 5 positive · 55 negative · Scored from 20+ years of candid DealerRefresh discussion. Scores shift as new conversations happen.

NEGATIVE
"According to one vendor the fee structure for Reynolds can be as much as $100,000 or more one time upfront plus $x amount per rooftop per month... Subaru dealers late last year were informed that they will pay $881 per month as a pass through to Reynolds and Reynolds for the Subaru Data Exchange Interface."
Our DMS appears to be taking advantage of us - WHAT ARE YOU PAYING FOR API INTEGRATION? →
NEGATIVE
"Reynolds DMS implementing CAPTCHA-style security questions to restrict third-party access to dealer data, which they view as ineffective security theater that complicates integrations without meaningfully preventing unauthorized access"
Reynolds Locking out Third Parties →
NEGATIVE
"I use mailchimp... not because I want to but because my CRM (ReyRey) is a FAIL. MailChimp does what a real CRM should do... but can't."
web based email marketing →
NEGATIVE
"Holding data hostage so they can attempt to sell products like this: [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnsoMMH5JS4]Automotive Digest Interviews Ron Lamb of Reynolds and Reynolds, Clip 1 - YouTube[/url]"
Is Reynolds up to no good??? →
NEGATIVE
"Frustrated with reliability and cost issues at Rey Rey and CDK, a former DMS vendor representative recommends switching to alternative providers"
IF you are FED up with ReyRey and CDK!!! →
NEGATIVE
"Dealers debate whether ADP and Reynolds intentionally maintain profit streams through paper sales and support fees rather than improving product reliability, with participants sharing frustrations about excessive printing costs, convoluted support tier systems with unclear billing"
ADP & ReyRey - is it just about Paper and Chaos? →
NEGATIVE
"A dealer using Reynolds DMS reports an issue with Line 4 (Model Description) in used car listings, where redundant terms like "4DR" and "SDN" cannot be removed or replaced with important features like "NAV" to accurately reflect the vehicle's selling points... The thread concludes with the user successfully making changes but expressing a wish for Reynolds to allow direct custom edits to Line 4."
Reynolds Line 4 Model Description work around →
NEGATIVE
"Remember REYREY does NOT care ! REYREY offers VPN access ! Get a security report from REYREY and good luck."
Integration? What's that and what do I do with it? What about my DMS? →
NEGATIVE
"service appointments from their Reynolds DMS system create duplicate customer records, preventing sales staff from seeing existing customers' service activity—a problem they've had open with support for months"
Autobase-DDS Issues →
NEGATIVE
"Reynolds and Reynolds previously managed but is now locked with unknown credentials; Reynolds refuses to support it since the dealership no longer uses their DMS"
Reynolds and Reynolds Hardware →
NEGATIVE
"A dealer named Alex Snyder shares news of an Arizona court ruling against CDK and Reynolds & Reynolds that prohibits vendors from charging for access to dealer data, requires written permission before vendors can act on that data, and allows dealers to terminate vendor contracts with 90 days' notice."
CDK & ReyRey lost to NADA in court →
NEGATIVE
"significant concerns about Reynolds' restrictive data ownership practices—including contractual fine print that limits vendor access and the company's history of withholding dealer data during DMS migrations"
FOCUS CRM from Reynolds and Reynolds →
NEGATIVE
"A dealership using ReyRey Contact Management discovered that a prospect record with associated notes mysteriously disappeared from one salesman's account after another salesman closed a deal with the same customer, raising concerns about potential intentional deletion to hide the lead source."
ReyRey Contact Management issue: Skating someone and erasing the evidence? →
NEGATIVE
"the platform has significant usability issues (poor filtering, complex interface, dysfunctional status-based automation) but acknowledge its steep learning curve can be overcome with time and tech support, though several respondents are actively replacing it with alternative CRM solutions like Dealer.com and Auto Accelerator"
ReyRey Contact Management Questions →
NEGATIVE
"legacy players such as Reynolds and Reynolds"
Why I Started Dealer Authority and Why It Still Matters Today - Tyson Madliger →
NEGATIVE
"Reynolds and Reynolds posted a job opening for Business Consultants nationwide (excluding East Coast), but a forum member immediately challenged the company's credibility by pointing out documented instances of them locking dealership clients out of services (citing Nissan, Chrysler cutoffs)"
Business Consultant →
NEGATIVE
"As a prior employee of Reynolds and Reynolds I cant state facts about the Cobalt buy-out but I can express my deepest sympathies for the current and employees at the new Reynolds and Reynolds Company. Back a few years ago I was a Field Service Technician with USC and after about 12 months of constant torture and verbal abuse hurled my way"
Reynolds & Reynolds buys The Cobalt Group and Whos Calling? →
NEGATIVE
"Reynolds and Reynolds - worst place to work, according Glassdoor"
Reynolds and Reynolds - worst place to work, according Glassdoor →
NEGATIVE
"I'm on the record for my anti-reyrey rants"
I am BEYOND frustrated with Dealer.com →
NEGATIVE
"Reynolds and Reynolds has implemented an automated security process that disables user IDs suspected of third-party vendor access, with locked accounts showing an 'AUTOMATED ACCESS ATTEMPTS' message and no admin unlock capability in the standard interface. Dealers and IT professionals report frustration over the policy's impact on legitimate internal automation (like ERA Access scheduler scripts) and Reynolds' apparent reluctance to unlock accounts unless vendors obtain RCI certification, with some suspecting the measure is designed to stifle competition rather than genuine security threats."
New Reynolds and Reynolds process to prevent third party data collection. →
NEGATIVE
"Billfred flagged a post by Jlewis74 in the Reynolds and Reynolds forum as a "pitch alert," indicating the post appeared to be promotional or sales-oriented rather than genuine discussion."
Reported Post by Billfred →
NEGATIVE
"ReyRey's too much of a cluster*, why not get in our dealers face and show them a few VDP tricks?"
AutoTrader.com Buys VINSolutions →
NEGATIVE
"UCS, a DMS company founded in the 1970s that acquired Reynolds and Reynolds around 2005-2006, with the merged entity planning to consolidate into a single product offering. Key concerns raised include UCS's historical reputation for hostile contracts and poor customer relations"
UCS DMS →
NEGATIVE
"other users express general frustration with Reynolds and Reynolds' limited automation capabilities compared to competitors like ADP"
reynolds and reynolds eraccess automatic supersession of part numbers →
NEGATIVE
"like reynolds and reynolds controls our accounting"
DealerRater Reviews on Google - What Happened? A Quick Q & A →
NEGATIVE
"Highly considering the switch from Reynolds and Reynolds to TK"
TK Carsites - Dealer Website Services Profile and Reviews →
NEGATIVE
"The ReyRey and CDKs of the world are probably scared of everything that could come in (ie: DealerSocket making a DMS, Silicon valley entering their space, etc) and they're being incredibly rigid and difficult."
What ways could dealers be more transparent, IDEAS anyone? →
NEGATIVE
"Then here: [url=http://www.reyrey.com/]Reynolds and Reynolds | Automotive Dealership Solutions | DMS | Sell and Service Vehicles Profitably[/url] Hmmm....."
Best Dealership Websites EVER! →
NEGATIVE
"Reynolds and Reynolds Launches CarLocate.com: A Vehicle Search Portal for Consumers... I chuckled as I went back and read this..."
R.I.P. Automotive Sites that have FAILED. →
NEGATIVE
"the company moved from Reynolds and Reynolds to this system about 2 years ago"
Arkona - down and out??? →

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