Transparency Verdict
Kearny Mesa earns an F.
Buyer beware.
We consistently see inflated fees, surprise add-ons, or big gaps between listing and OTD price. If you shop here, bring our data and be ready to walk.
Moderate confidence — based on 16 verified out-the-door quotes and 4 tracked negotiations · San Diego, CA
Collected Nov 3, 2025 – Apr 25, 2026 · Updated Oct 5, 2026
The full story
Why Kearny Mesa earned this grade
Between November 2025 and April 2026, CarEdge negotiated or logged 16 verified deals with this dealership. We pulled the doc fee, the add-ons, and the gap between advertised and out-the-door price from each one. Then we graded them the way a friend in the business would: on the things that actually cost you money.
! Where to push back
1 thingThey never put a doc fee in writing
Across 16 verified quotes we could not confirm a single documentation fee. Almost every dealer charges one, and the CA average is $109, so a blank here usually means the number was left off the quote rather than left off the deal. An undisclosed fee is a fee you find out about at signing, and it costs this dealer the entire fee portion of their score.
TipAsk for the doc fee as a dollar figure in writing before you go in, and make sure it appears on the out-the-door quote. If nobody will name it, treat that as the answer.
16 verified OTD quotes from Kearny Mesa
Real out-the-door worksheets, not reviews. Click “View Quote” on any row to see the price breakdown.
Recent Quotes
Verified out-the-door prices from real transactions
9 vehicle transactions — 16 individual quotes
Most Common Add-ons
At a Glance
Tips for Kearny Mesa
- No doc fee on any quote we have from this dealer. Ask for it as a dollar figure in writing before you go, and check it appears on the out-the-door price.
- Low-rated dealer. Get everything in writing. Ask for an itemized OTD quote before visiting.
- Minor add-ons (~$187) may appear. Ask what's included and if they can be removed.
- Dealer markup is about 5% below listing (excluding taxes). This dealer keeps fees very low.
Keep researching
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does Kearny Mesa add mandatory add-ons?
Kearny Mesa adds an average of $187 in dealer add-ons when present. Ask for an itemized breakdown and negotiate to remove non-essential items like paint protection, nitrogen tire fill, or VIN etching.
Is Kearny Mesa a good dealer?
Kearny Mesa has a transparency score of 58/100, earning a Grade F. This score is based on their doc fees, add-on behavior, dealer markup, and data quality from 16 verified OTD quotes. This is below average. Consider getting quotes from other dealers in the area for comparison.
Explore California dealer data
How we know this
Every number on this page came from a real deal.
Most dealer review sites scrape star ratings and count angry posts. We do the opposite. CarEdge shops for cars alongside thousands of real buyers every week — and when we negotiate on their behalf, we capture the full out-the-door breakdown the dealer sends back.
For Kearny Mesa in San Diego, CA, that has meant 16 verified OTD quotes across 4 negotiated deals logged into our database. Each one is a PDF, an email, or a screenshot showing the actual doc fee, the actual add-ons, and the actual final price — not a salesperson's promise.
Fee Transparency
30%Is the doc fee reasonable, or is it just profit? We compare it against the state average — and the legal cap, where one exists.
Add-on Behavior
30%How often does the dealer stick you with mandatory add-ons like paint protection or theft deterrent — the kind you can't say no to? Add-ons the dealer discloses as optional don't count against them.
Price Accuracy
30%Does the advertised listing price match what you'd actually sign for? We flag dealers whose out-the-door diverges from the listing.
Data Quality
10%More data = more trustworthy grade. Dealers with lots of recent, complete quotes score higher for consistency.
The four numbers behind the grade
Weighted ScoreThe raw component scores — the math that led to F.
Pulled 16 quote records · Grades update as new data comes in · Dealers cannot pay to change their score.
Don't face this dealer alone
Let us negotiate for you. We push for the out-the-door price in writing, strip junk fees and add-ons, and you only approve the final offer.
Let CarEdge negotiate*Information provided for general informational purposes only. Scores are independently calculated and do not imply endorsement of or affiliation with any dealer. Verify all information independently before making a purchase decision. See our Terms of Service.