I'm sure that everyone has seen the ads for Kia and their 10 year/100,000 miles warranty. Just wanted to warn everyone that Kia and/or their dealers are refusing to honor the warranty. I have made a web page describing my problems which you can see at http://www.pcpages.com/kiario/index.html I'm not alone in this complaint. Many many people are complaining about Kia, the service, quality of products, and their safety. I wish I had not bought one and hope that anyone considering one will think twice.
You bought a Kia and you were expecting good service? On your website you even admit that you're going after the wrong party. The manufacturer is the one who gave you a warranty, not the dealer. If you want your car fixed, go to the manufacturer and seek assistance. If they won't help, sue them in small claims court. The time spent on the website could have been used to sue Kia and get your money. Why waste the time building a website that no one in your town will care about? Kia's are purchased mainly by lower income people who don't have much pull in a community... the Kia dealer knows that.... that's why they don't care about the website. Now, if you had a website that trashed a Mercedes dealership, it might do some good.
I should perhaps phrase that differently on the website but the manufacturer is not completly responsible. If you had read it completly you would have noticed this statement. "At one time the manufacturer was responsible for all warranty costs. When you took your car, or any product, to a dealer they would find all kinds of things that needed repairs and the manufacturer would be charged. The manufacturers finally got smart and many now require that the dealer share the cost of warranty work. At one company I worked for we, the manufacturer, only covered 50% of the warranty cost, the dealer paid the rest. This was part of the price to be a dealer of our products and warranty costs dropped." Perhaps the web site won't do me any good. I will take them to court if I have to and I will win. I hope it makes someone else think twice before they buy a Kia. As for Kia being the car of "low income" people I find little true in that statement. I found many good reviews on Kia prior to buying it. I know people that I'm sure you would consider well off who have bought them. Most I think fell for the 10 year 100,000 miles warranty.
Re: Re: Don't Buy From Kia Don't get me wrong, I applaud you for trying to get your money. I'm just saying that there are more direct ways to approach it. File a small claims lawsuit against Kia (the manufacturer) for a reasonable amount, and you'll get a phone call from their registered agent within a week offering a settlement.
too much, I did change the paragraph on the front page of my web site. That particular part was not well written and did not express my thoughts well. Thanks for pointing that out. Still, I did find your letter somewhat confrontational and I do not understand why. Did it offend you that I made a web site spot lighting what I consider to be a crooked car dealer? Are you a car salesman yourself? Why the reference to Kia being the car of low-income people? Are you a class conscience type person? Also, in my state this would not be a small claims court case. In my community people are more concerned with a business that rips people off rather than their income status.
Kia's are humongous pieces of sh_t. You can throw them in with Hyundai... they'll give you a big warranty and you will need every last mile of it!
Wahhhh, thanks for the info. Down here where we live you can get a KIA for change, because the local government has a customs deal and KIA can bring their contingents without paying much customs and taxes on them. A KIA dealer offered me their Sorento 4x4 for about $19,000 fully equipped, diesel. I guess you can tell where I am going to put this guys business card now that I have read your post. PawMix
zyzy1688, if you should hear anything about that class action suit post it on here. I'd be real interested in that.
There was a class action against KIA for brake failure in their Sepia (spelling?) models. Do a Google search on KIA class action, a lot of articles will pop up. PawMix
KIA NAMED IN CLASS ACTION SUITS Brake Defects in 1998, 1999, 2000 Kia Sephias PHILADELPHIA, March 13, 2001 -- Class action suits have been filed in Pennsylvania and New Jersey against Kia Motors America, Inc., of Irvine, California, alleging brake defects in the company's 1998, 1999 and 2000 Sephia models. The lead plaintiffs are Philadelphia resident Shamell Samuel-Bassett and Plainfield, NJ resident Regina Little. More than 166,000 Sephia automobiles have been sold in the United States between 1997 and 2000. http://www.bigclassaction.com/class_action/complaint_form_kia.html
The following law firm are after Hyndai & Kia for overstated the horsepower rating on over 1 mill cars sold in US from 1992. http://www.edcombs.com/FSL5CS/Custom/TOCSpecial.asp http://www.litigation-results.com/hyundaikia.htm
Thanks zyzy1688. I'll post that info on my web site tomorrow. I'm sure a few of my visitors would be interested in that. http://www.pcpages.com/kiario/index.html
Alot of finance companies won't finance Kia or Hyundai (or Daewoo)... seeing a pattern here? Cheap parts = cheap cars.
I have a 1996 KIA that I bought brand new from the manufacturer. I spend around $300 on it a year, which is acceptable for me. Once I'm hit with a $1000 bill, I'm dumping it and leasing. Since it's paid off, I'm riding while I can. Cosmetically it looks pretty good. The worse part if the top of the dashboard which is peeled back, but it all looks pretty decent for a 7-year-old car (on May 31st of this year). Blue book value is $2000 in new condition, so I'm estimating $1000-$1500 for mine. That's why I don't have comprehensive insurance. I have everything for the other guy and uninsured (I don't have medical for me because I have great health insurance through work).
I financed it through Ford credit easy enough but a at higher interest rate than I would like. Wonder if they charge the higher interest on these car in order to get the principal back before the car falls apart?
I financed it through Ford credit easy enough but a at higher interest rate than I would like. Wonder if they charge the higher interest on these car in order to get the principal back before the car falls apart? http://www.pcpages.com/kiario/index.html
I wonder if Ford credit and other finance companies might be interested in what the dealer and Kia are doing. Were I loaning the money I might be a little more cautious if I thought they would not honor the warranty and their cars are junk. http://www.pcpages.com/kiario/index.html
I have a 1999 Kia Sephia which, and I may just be one of the lucky few, looks great and runs perfectly. I've kept up regular maintenance on it and when your credit is not the best and you would rather a new car - Kia and Hyundai fit the bill. It won't however, be my choice when I hit the 700 club!!!
