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CDK Global — DealerRefresh Vendor Library
One of the largest dealer management system providers in North America, offering DMS, CRM, and dealership software solutions.
CDK Global
a Brookfield Business Partners company
18% · Criticized
35 DealerRefresh discussions
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About suggest a correction →
One of the largest dealer management system providers in North America, offering DMS, CRM, and dealership software solutions.
What you do with it
run core dealership workflows through an integrated DMS, so they can operate the dealership from a unified system with OEM and third-party connectivity
When a dealership needs to manage operations across sales, service, and finance on a single platform
access and share dealership data with approved vendor partners via CDK's integration program, so they can enable a connected technology stack across the dealership
When a dealer needs to connect third-party tools — CRM, chat, payments, or marketing — to their DMS data
continue operating within CDK's platform while sourcing incremental solutions from CDK's partner marketplace, so they can add capabilities without replacing the core DMS
When a dealer is locked into CDK's ecosystem through OEM mandates or existing infrastructure
Brands & Products 21 under this umbrella
AIVA (Artificial Intelligence Virtual Assistant)
AVRS
CDK Managed IT Services
CDK MenuVantage Platinum
CDK PartScan
CDK Security Awareness Training
CDK SimplePay
CDK Unify
CVR (CVRconnect)
Dashboard
12 discussions
Dealership Xperience Platform (DXP)
eLead CRM
27 discussions
Fixed Operations Suite
Fortellis
14 discussions
Foundations Suite
Fundamentals Suite
Hailer
Intelligence Suite
Modern Retail Suite
Roadster
13 discussions
Vehicle Inventory Suite
Community evidence → Stable
The DealerRefresh community's dominant narrative around CDK Global is one of compelled usage rather than chosen value — members describe a vendor whose scale and OEM integration make it difficult to avoid, but whose data access fees, integration barriers, and anticompetitive conduct generate deep and sustained frustration. Multiple lawsuits (Tekion, Cox Automotive, Authenticom) are cited approvingly by forum participants, who view them as long-overdue challenges to CDK's practice of charging recurring fees to access dealers' own data. Positive sentiment exists at the margins — specific integrations like ActivEngage's Concierge Chat and truPayments are welcomed — but these are framed as partner wins rather than CDK wins. The community also expresses concern that CDK's acquisitions of well-regarded tools (eLead, AutoMate) risk degrading those products, a fear reinforced by what participants describe as CDK's track record in digital marketing.
Data access fees and anticompetitive integration practices7 mentions
Antitrust litigation (Tekion, Cox Automotive, Authenticom)4 mentions
Compelled usage due to OEM mandates and market dominance3 mentions
Acquisition strategy degrading acquired products3 mentions
Third-party partner integrations adding incremental value3 mentions
Corporate ownership changes and strategic uncertainty4 mentions
Digital marketing product quality and divestiture3 mentions
Breadth of offerings not translating to quality or value2 mentions
35 mentions · 3 positive · 14 negative · Scored from 20+ years of candid DealerRefresh discussion. Scores shift as new conversations happen.
POSITIVE
"truPayments, LLC announced its inclusion in the CDK Global Partner Program, making its tru Shop-by-Payment™ tool available to auto dealers using CDK websites."
truPayments, LLC Joins CDK Global Partner Program →
POSITIVE
"ActivEngage announced a new integration with CDK Global's Elead CRM that enables inbound chat lead data to be securely pushed directly into the Elead platform"
ActivEngage Advanced Chat and CRM Integration with New Elead Lead Delivery API →
POSITIVE
"ActivEngage and CDK Global announced a partnership to unveil Concierge Chat, a new communication tool integrated into CDK's Next Gen website platform, at the Digital Dealer 23 conference in Las Vegas."
ActivEngage Joins CDK at Digital Dealer 23 to reveal Concierge Chat within CDK Next Gen Website →
NEGATIVE
"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 →
NEGATIVE
"CDK (formerly ADP Dealer Services) has implemented a new "SecurityFirst" certification program that dramatically increases vendor access fees to dealer DMS data from ~$70/month to $250-$300/month per data package, with costs to be passed to dealers. Forum participants view this as a revenue grab rather than genuine security enhancement"
CDK (ADP) DMS Now charging vendors for dealers Data →
NEGATIVE
"CDK is sending intimidating emails to dealers and vendors labeled "Hostile Integration," warning against unauthorized DMS data access and pushing them toward CDK's paid Dealer Data Exchange service instead... CDK actively shuts down vendor accounts that access the system outside approved channels"
CDK DMS Access - Hostile Integration Warning →
NEGATIVE
"Cox Automotive has filed a lawsuit against CDK Global alleging anticompetitive practices, particularly around integration fees and data access restrictions that dealers must pay repeatedly to multiple vendors. Forum participants universally support the suit, citing years of frustration with CDK's practice of charging recurring fees for software integration and using vendor contracts to artificially restrict data distribution and limit competition."
Cox sues CDK, cites anticompetitive practices →
NEGATIVE
"We are setup with Lightspeed EVO (a CDK Global product) for our dealership DMS and over the last month I have been comparing the Lightspeed CRM to others that are available on the market. Part of that comparison involves looking at what would be required to integrate a 3rd party CRM. I reached out to Lightspeed to see what data can be sent to the CRM through an API and what the cost would be. They replied that it will cost $2000 per location for a setup fee and $175/mo per location to maintain the API."
Our DMS appears to be taking advantage of us - WHAT ARE YOU PAYING FOR API INTEGRATION? →
NEGATIVE
"struggles with tracking form submissions and abandonment on CDK Global and Dealer.com platforms, which lack standard thank you pages needed for ROI measurement"
Thank you pages, Form abandonment tracking →
NEGATIVE
"Ansira's 2020 acquisition of CDK's digital marketing business (rebranded as Sincro) is discussed alongside speculation from 2023 that the company may be preparing to sell the division again due to reported financial troubles and mass layoffs. Contributors note that while the underlying technology has never been particularly advanced, the business previously differentiated itself through exceptional customer support and talented staff—assets that have reportedly deteriorated significantly post-acquisition."
Ansira Completes Acquisition of CDK’s Digital Marketing Business →
NEGATIVE
"A federal court granted Authenticom a preliminary injunction in July 2017 against CDK Global and Reynolds & Reynolds for blocking data integration services, finding the companies likely violated antitrust laws."
Authenticom CDK Lawsuit Update →
NEGATIVE
"the technology platform alone doesn't determine success—implementation, user experience, and page speed matter equally. Now that Wordpress is the backbone to over 1/3rd of the Internet I have to believe it is much more robust than what dealers get from the non-Wordpress CMS systems out there like: CDK, Reynolds, Dealer.com, DealerOn, etc."
Is Wordpress better than the rest? →
NEGATIVE
"CDK Global charges third-party vendors substantial fees to access dealership data—including application fees, integration fees ($10,000-$40,000+), and recurring monthly charges ($200+/rooftop)—which vendors typically pass on to dealers. Forum members argue these high barriers create an unfair marketplace, limit vendor competition, and favor CDK's own solutions"
CDK Third Party Access Pricing Guide →
NEGATIVE
"how CDK Global's acquisition transformed a well-regarded independent tool into a cautionary example of what corporate consolidation can do to a dealer-focused product"
Community Review: eLead →
NEGATIVE
"its prolonged antitrust legal battle with CDK Global and Reynolds & Reynolds"
Authenticom Set to Lay Off 55 Employees Due to Antitrust Battle →
NEGATIVE
"the thread reveals only three to four options exist (CDK, Naked Lime, Search Optics, and possibly Dealer.com), though participants caution these vendors deliver limited results"
Companies for SEO Overhaul on Website →
NEGATIVE
"concerns that CDK will mismanage or ruin eLead's technology"
CDK buys eLead CRM - No more private or small CRM players →
MIXED
"CDK's scale and OEM integration make it hard to avoid, but the community consistently questions whether breadth of offerings translates to quality or value"
Community Review: CDK Global →
MIXED
"CDK Global announced it was divesting its Digital Marketing Business (websites, advertising services) to focus on core DMS software, prompting industry speculation about whether the move signals an imminent economic downturn, CDK's inability to compete effectively, or GM's push to open dealer choice to competing providers. Dealers and vendors expressed a mix of relief (viewing CDK's digital services as underperforming) and uncertainty about service continuity and pricing under a new owner... The thread also surfaced operational concerns, including CDK's poor internal communication about the divestment and a billing error example, reinforcing perceptions that CDK struggled in the digital marketing space."
CDK Exits Digital Marketing Business! →
NEUTRAL
"The largest software companies serving franchise automotive dealers include CDK Global, Cox Automotive, Dealertrack Technologies, Dominion Dealer Solutions, and Reynolds & Reynolds."
The Missing Ingredient To Automotive Enterprise Software Recipes →
NEUTRAL
"CDK Global has released a mobile app called Service Connect Mobile that allows dealers to manage support cases, access knowledge resources, receive alerts, and contact their account manager directly from iPhone or Android devices."
CDK offers Mobile App for Dealer Support →
NEUTRAL
"CDK Global's acquisition of AutoMate, a competitor in the DMS space, is announced and discussed among dealership professionals."
CDK aquires AutoMate →
NEUTRAL
"CDK Global is reportedly preparing to bid for Cars.com, a major automotive marketplace platform."
CDK Global expected to make bid for Cars.com →
NEUTRAL
"CDK Global's acquisition of Roadster, a digital sales platform, sparks discussion among dealers about whether it will replace CDK's Connected Store offering and triggers broader speculation about consolidation in the automotive technology space."
Wow! CDK Acquires Roadster →
NEUTRAL
"A group of automotive industry professionals speculate about potential acquirers of CDK Global, suggesting candidates like venture capital firms, Cox Automotive, Microsoft, Salesforce, and even Amazon before the actual deal is announced. The thread concludes when a member shares breaking news that Brookfield Business Partners acquired CDK in an $8.3 billion deal, with another member revealing that Cox Automotive had competed in the bidding war."
If CDK were for sale, who would buy it? →
NEUTRAL
"CDK Global, a major dealership software provider, was acquired by investment firm Brookfield Business Partners for $8.3 billion in a deal taking the company private."
CDK sold for $8.3 Billion →
NEUTRAL
"A CDK Global study reveals that Gen Z car shoppers spend significantly more time researching vehicles and find the purchase process more difficult than older generations."
Study Finds Gen Z Car Shoppers Spend More Time Researching →
NEUTRAL
"Mr. Frey's most recent previous roles are EVP and Chief Strategy Officer at CDK Global, leading their M&A, product strategy and global strategy"
Ron Frey and David Metter Join The TradePending Board →
NEUTRAL
"CDK Global, a major DMS provider spun off from ADP, is exploring a potential sale with private equity firms, with a reported valuation around $7.8 billion."
CDK is up for sale →
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