Is Sonic Automotive a good company to work for?

Sonic Automotive has an overall rating of 3.5 out of 5, based on over 856 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has decreased by 3% over the last 12 months. 59% of employees would recommend working at Sonic Automotive to a friend and 46% have a positive outlook for the business. The best reviews about Sonic Automotive have been left by employees working as Manager , Sales Manager and Service Manager .

Does Sonic Automotive pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Sonic Automotive employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.4 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Sonic Automotive. This rating has decreased by 2% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Sonic Automotive?

59% of Sonic Automotive employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Sonic Automotive 2.9 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.3 for culture and values and 3.4 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Sonic Automotive?

Sales Associate (61) , Sales (29) , Sales Manager (29) , Finance Manager (16) , Manager (16) , Technician (16) , Client Advisor (15) , Automotive Service Advisor (14) , Sales Consultant (14) , Sales Representative (14) , Salesperson (14) , Receptionist (12) , Service Porter (11) , Service Manager (10) , Cashier (9)

What are the pros of working at Sonic Automotive according to real employee reviews?

"Benefits are good and the future is bright." ((in 52 reviews)); "Pay was good and the associates I worked with at the store level were great." ((in 48 reviews)); "people are great there friendly" ((in 38 reviews)); "As a "Sonician" of over 12 years, I can attest to the great values and culture across the entire company." ((in 21 reviews)); "Great management and leadership." ((in 18 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Sonic Automotive according to real employee reviews?

"poor management and underpaid for work completed" ((in 51 reviews)); "Long hours (10.5 hours per day to be exact) and can get incredibly busy." ((in 45 reviews)); "There is no work life balance" ((in 31 reviews)); "Managers always blabbing about making calls to your lead everyday even if they expressed disinterest" ((in 24 reviews)); "Very corporate and upper management is only focused on numbers and metrics" ((in 15 reviews))

What are employees saying about Sonic Automotive layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about Sonic Automotive layoffs and their outlook for job security at Sonic Automotive in 2026.

What are the top reviewed Sonic Automotive locations?

Charlotte , Houston , Atlanta , Denver , Fort Myers , Los Angeles , Birmingham , Montgomery , Richardson , Colma , Nashville , San Jose , Dallas , Columbus , Calabasas , Monrovia , Clearwater , Lowell , Chattanooga , Buena Park , Santa Monica , San Rafael , Las Vegas , Fort Mill , Concord , San Francisco , Walnut Creek , Santa Clara , Fairfax , Katy

Sonic Automotive reviews

3.5

59% would recommend to a friend

(842 total reviews)

David B. Smith

71% approve of CEO

46% positive business outlook

Company ratings over time

Ratings trend for the last 6 months (842 reviews)

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Sonic Automotive has an employee rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars, based on 842 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Sonic Automotive employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Retail & Wholesale industry (3.5 stars).

Reviews by job title

842 reviews

1.0

Mar 3, 2013

They have no clue of what's in front of them.

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

I learned a lot from other techs,service advisers,managers and i was promoted 3 times.

Cons

Iv worked there 8 years and have seen 8 different gm's and service managers.

2.0

Jan 4, 2013

A pawn in a chess game you cannot win

Service director

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Decent wages and a great GM at the dealership.

Cons

Upper management did not have a clue. They are so focused on bottom line they neglect their most important asset.......the employees!! Micromanagement would be an understatement. If they would trust the GM and allow them to do their job Sonic would be a greater attraction to top rate employees. Employee turnover is over the top for the very reasons I have stated, Local managers are nothing more than "yes men". Sonic has dealerships all over the country, but think they can all be run the same. That is why they need to allow local GMs to manage the dealerhip in a way to blend with the local invironment.

2.0

Nov 28, 2012

Going in the wrong direction

Salesperson

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The company has a nice focus on using the latest technologies to improve efficiency. 401k employer matching (50% company match for the first 5% of employee contributions).

Cons

Sales staff is underpaid and unappreciated. While interviewing, management grossly inflated the dealership's average monthly pay for salespeople, which led to unrealistic expectations. Annual all-inclusive corporate meetings are a huge expense to the company and are of absolutely no benefit to the average employee.

Viewing 826 - 828 of 842 Reviews

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