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Tekion — DealerRefresh Vendor Library
Tekion is an independent, cloud-native automotive retail software company founded in 2016 by former Tesla CIO Jay Vijayan. Its flagship Automotive Retail…
Tekion
50% · Mixed
25 DealerRefresh discussions
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About suggest a correction →
Tekion is an independent, cloud-native automotive retail software company founded in 2016 by former Tesla CIO Jay Vijayan. Its flagship Automotive Retail Cloud (ARC) platform is an AI-native dealer management system (DMS) that unifies sales, service, parts, F&I, CRM, accounting, payroll, and analytics for car dealerships in one connected system. As of 2024, Tekion serves over 2,000 automotive retailers and has raised $665M in funding at a valuation exceeding $4 billion.
What you do with it
replace their legacy DMS with a single cloud-native platform covering sales, service, parts, F&I, CRM, and accounting, so they can reduce software costs and own their data without vendor lock-in
When a dealer is trapped in a fragmented, closed-ecosystem DMS (CDK, Reynolds) with high costs and limited data access
deploy an integrated service scheduling and shop management toolset, so they can deliver a smoother, more connected service experience for technicians and customers
When a dealer or dealer group wants to modernize their fixed ops and service lane experience
adopt an API-open, OEM-backed platform built for modern automotive retail, so they can position the group ahead of industry consolidation and legacy-platform disruption
When a forward-looking dealer group is planning for EV retailing and next-generation digital operations
Community evidence → Stable
The DealerRefresh community broadly recognizes Tekion as the most credible challenger to CDK and Reynolds & Reynolds in years, citing genuine cost savings, an open API, OEM investor backing, and a modern integrated suite as differentiators. However, enthusiasm is consistently tempered by real-world friction: understaffing during migrations, inconsistent implementation across rooftops, and a CRM that community members — including at least one dealer actively looking for a single thrilled Tekion CRM user — describe as uncompetitive, especially for multi-rooftop groups. Service tooling earns more praise than CRM, with one dealer group preferring Tekion's Service Scheduler over XTime. The prevailing community posture is that Tekion is a promising but still-maturing platform best suited to dealers willing to absorb implementation pain, and not yet the safe choice for risk-averse operators.
Promising but unproven — 'not yet ready for risk-averse dealers'6 mentions
Painful / understaffed migrations and implementations4 mentions
CRM functionality lagging behind sales pitches, especially for multi-rooftop groups4 mentions
Open API and integrated suite as a competitive advantage over closed legacy DMS5 mentions
Service Scheduler / fixed ops tooling praised over incumbent alternatives3 mentions
Cost savings vs. legacy DMS providers3 mentions
OEM investor backing and EV-era positioning as a long-term differentiator3 mentions
Antitrust / data-access conflict with CDK Global2 mentions
Large dealer group migration interest growing3 mentions
Significant capital raised yet execution challenges persist2 mentions
25 mentions · 4 positive · 4 negative · Scored from 20+ years of candid DealerRefresh discussion. Scores shift as new conversations happen.
POSITIVE
"Service/Connected Car Tech: Tekion [URL]https://www.tekion.com/[/URL] -A former Tesla CIO got told by his Telsa service techs that he had unknowingly created a pretty rad service experience tool. Turns out they were right."
Coolest Lead Response Tools →
POSITIVE
"That's why I believe we'll see more large groups migrating to platforms like Tekion and investing in building in-house solutions."
A.I. ain't A.I. in automotive. It is B.S. →
POSITIVE
"This is rapidly changing as dealers are moving to Tekion and Fortellis is launching more APIs and people are starting to open up."
QR Codes - In or Out? →
POSITIVE
"Multiple respondents strongly recommend avoiding Dealer Socket in favor of options like DriveCentric, Vinsolutions, or Tekion"
Is anyone using Dealer Socket? Are you happy with it? →
NEGATIVE
"Tekion's CRM is also discussed as a future contender, but currently considered uncompetitive — particularly for multi-rooftop groups — and requires bundling with Tekion's DMS."
Best CRM for dealers in 2024? →
NEGATIVE
"citing Tekion's well-funded decade-long effort as evidence of the challenge"
Dealership Management System Offer →
NEGATIVE
"Tekion serves as a prime example of this - they purchased two dealerships to use as incubators for their DMS."
Improving our Inventory Processing Process →
NEGATIVE
"Look at Tekion burn millions $$ struggling with bringing order to the mayhem."
My New Adventure - Al West Nissan →
MIXED
"Tekion's Service Scheduler seems to be a preferred tool over XTime within our auto group. We moved, and it was painful, from DealerTrack and XTime to their DMS and Service tools end of last year... I'm waiting for their CRM team to give me the name of a single dealer who is "thrilled with their Tekion CRM". *crickets*"
DealerRefresh Top100 →
MIXED
"Dealers discuss Tekion's emergence as a potential disruptor in digital retailing, particularly for EVs, backed by major OEM investors like GM, BMW, and Nissan. Key advantages cited include a robust API and integrated suite (DMS, CRM, Finance, Service), which contrasts with competitors' closed-off systems, though one participant questions whether Tekion's digital retailing tool is actually being used by dealers in production."
Tekion - EV Digital Retail solution for car dealers? →
MIXED
"Dealers report genuine cost savings and a modern, integrated suite that covers DMS, CRM, F&I, and service — positioning it as the most credible challenger to CDK and Reynolds & Reynolds in years. However, the community cautions that 'promising' should not be mistaken for 'proven,' with nuanced real-world experiences tempering the enthusiasm."
Community Review: Tekion →
MIXED
"Tekion offers cost savings and has generated significant interest (selling out 2023 installations at NADA), users report issues with understaffing during migrations, incomplete CRM functionality despite sales pitches claiming otherwise, inconsistent implementation across locations, and a disillusioned implementation team—suggesting it's a promising but still-maturing platform not yet ready for risk-averse dealers."
Tekion? →
MIXED
"We just made the (maybe insane) leap to use Tekion as our DMS and crm for a new point. should be interesting. we are excited and terrified at the same time"
Rank the CRMs →
NEUTRAL
"early feedback on Tekion dealership software"
The October 2021 Auto Biz News | DealerRefresh →
NEUTRAL
"Meanwhile the operational data sitting inside CDK, Reynolds, Tekion etc. goes largely unanalyzed."
CDP - Customer Data Platforms? →
NEUTRAL
"The discussion pivots to alternatives like DriveCentric, eLead, Tekion, and DealerSocket, with a consensus that the best CRM depends entirely on individual dealership needs, integration requirements, and vendor support quality rather than any single 'best' option."
Is anyone using Autoalert CXM? →
NEUTRAL
"The discussion also touches on how this acquisition might impact Tekion, a competing automotive software company."
If CDK were for sale, who would buy it? →
NEUTRAL
"concluded that Reynolds and CDK are aggressively consolidating software products to compete against emerging platforms like Tekion"
Reynolds & Reynolds Acquires Gubagoo →
NEUTRAL
"questions about EV adoption trends, Tekion's competitive threat to DMS providers, and broader market dynamics"
End of 2023 Cliff Banks send off! What is coming in 2024? →
NEUTRAL
"Tekion has filed an antitrust lawsuit against CDK Global, alleging anticompetitive practices that obstruct dealer access to their own data and unfairly disadvantage DMS competitors."
Tekion Lawsuit Against CDK →
NEUTRAL
"OEM partnerships with newer platforms like Tekion and Salesforce may disrupt the traditionally concentrated DMS market"
If someone else controls access and use of your data, do you really own it? →
NEUTRAL
"half were on MacBook Air M1's with no issues and the other half on Lenovo ThinkPad's (Tekion, VinSolutions, Volie). The PC users were the ones needing IT support on occasion."
Mac compatibility in a dealership →
NEUTRAL
"Holy cow. Tekion friendly?"
Dealership Phone Systems? From apps to CRM Integrations, what you got? →
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