CDK Global fires back at Tekion’s anti-trust lawsuit

The battle between dealership management system (DMS) firms Tekion and CDK Global is heating up. 

Driving the news: CDK Global has responded to Tekion’s recently filed federal anti-trust lawsuit calling it “low on substance and high on rhetoric” and a “marketing stunt"  in a statement made to Automotive News.  

• “We believe Tekion filed it in retaliation to a cease-and-desist letter CDK sent to Tekion related to unauthorized access to our systems that was detected by our security monitoring protocols,” the statement said. 

Flashback: Earlier this week, Tekion filed the suit in U.S. District Court aiming to end CDK Global’s “data monopolization.”

• Tekion is claiming CDK has a history of anti-competitive and unfair business practices to compensate for its “outdated” technology, including an attempt to block dealer group Asbury Automotive from participating in a new Tekion pilot program.

Why it matters: At the heart of the dispute is control over dealership data. Tekion’s accusations against CDK raise bigger questions about who truly owns dealership data, how accessible it should be, and whether current contracts play fair.

Bottom line: If Tekion comes out on top, it could set a precedent for a more competitive market, allowing dealers to switch platforms more easily and pushing DMS providers to improve.

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