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Kia Motors Complaint - Kia Warranty Worthless - Won't Honor Warranty
Won't Honor Warranty - Complaint
GILBERT, ARIZONA -- I have a 2005 Kia Spectra with 32,000 miles on it that I bought brand new. The car just stopped running with no prior symptoms while driving down the freeway 6/11/2007 and the car was towed to the nearest Kia dealership, Desert Kia in Gilbert, AZ. They told me the car needed a new battery. I told them I had put a new one in after the car died and it still wouldn't start. Then they said I needed to use a Kia battery because aftermarket batteries won't work in some of their cars. My ex-husband just happens to be a battery expert, and he called and told them that was a load of crap. They changed their story while talking to him and said there was an electrical problem, but they were having difficulites diagnosing exactly what the problem was.
On 6/21/2007, they finally told me the car needed a brand new motor and they would not honor the warranty because I live in Arizona and did not have the severe weather maintenance done at 15,000 and 30,000 miles. They hadn't even asked me for those records (which I don't have because the owner's manual says they are "recommended.") All they asked me for was oil change receipts, which I provided to them.
After 10 days with no car and no word on what was wrong with it, now they're telling me I need to pay them $7,000 for a new motor. They're saying the flex plate cracked and went up into the motor and damaged the motor. But they're refusing to honor the warranty due to lack of maintenance records which they have never requested from me and don't even know if I have or not?!? And $7,000 seems like a lot for a car that was $11,000 brand new...?
I called Tempe Kia to see if I could have the car towed over there to have the warranty work done. Someone named Bill told me not to bother because if the warranty was denied at one Kia dealership, another one cannot then do the work. He also said that if Kia is able to find a loophole in order to not have to honor the warranty, they will find it - whether it is related to the repairs needed or not. Oil changes and severe weather service would not have prevented my flex plate from cracking, but they are using that as an excuse not to honor the warranty and there's nothing I can do about it.
I have asked them repeatedly to provide me with something in writing showing exactly what is wrong with the car, what caused it, what it would take to fix it and if the warranty doesn't cover it then why not. They will not provide me with the info in writing. They will tell me over the phone what is wrong, and their story changes every time I talk to them and is completely different when my ex-husband calls, but they will give us nothing in writing.
Now I'm faced with filing bankruptcy because I am neither willing nor able to pay for a car that doesn't run while I find alternate forms of transportation and I can't afford an attorney to try to sue them. I am a single mother working 2 jobs and I bought the car because it was inexpensive and had a good warranty, and Tempe Kia told me if it broke down they would provide me with a loaner car until it was fixed. It seemed like the perfect car for someone who can't afford to have unreliable transportation. Desert Kia wouldn't give me a loaner car for those 10 days because they say Kia dealerships each have their own loaner car programs and they don't honor each others' programs even though they are all Kia dealerships.
Please don't ever buy a Kia, and if you already have one, make sure you get all the maintence work done at the Kia dealership at the proper times - otherwise your warranty will be worthless, regardless of the work that needs to be done.
On 6/21/2007, they finally told me the car needed a brand new motor and they would not honor the warranty because I live in Arizona and did not have the severe weather maintenance done at 15,000 and 30,000 miles. They hadn't even asked me for those records (which I don't have because the owner's manual says they are "recommended.") All they asked me for was oil change receipts, which I provided to them.
After 10 days with no car and no word on what was wrong with it, now they're telling me I need to pay them $7,000 for a new motor. They're saying the flex plate cracked and went up into the motor and damaged the motor. But they're refusing to honor the warranty due to lack of maintenance records which they have never requested from me and don't even know if I have or not?!? And $7,000 seems like a lot for a car that was $11,000 brand new...?
I called Tempe Kia to see if I could have the car towed over there to have the warranty work done. Someone named Bill told me not to bother because if the warranty was denied at one Kia dealership, another one cannot then do the work. He also said that if Kia is able to find a loophole in order to not have to honor the warranty, they will find it - whether it is related to the repairs needed or not. Oil changes and severe weather service would not have prevented my flex plate from cracking, but they are using that as an excuse not to honor the warranty and there's nothing I can do about it.
I have asked them repeatedly to provide me with something in writing showing exactly what is wrong with the car, what caused it, what it would take to fix it and if the warranty doesn't cover it then why not. They will not provide me with the info in writing. They will tell me over the phone what is wrong, and their story changes every time I talk to them and is completely different when my ex-husband calls, but they will give us nothing in writing.
Now I'm faced with filing bankruptcy because I am neither willing nor able to pay for a car that doesn't run while I find alternate forms of transportation and I can't afford an attorney to try to sue them. I am a single mother working 2 jobs and I bought the car because it was inexpensive and had a good warranty, and Tempe Kia told me if it broke down they would provide me with a loaner car until it was fixed. It seemed like the perfect car for someone who can't afford to have unreliable transportation. Desert Kia wouldn't give me a loaner car for those 10 days because they say Kia dealerships each have their own loaner car programs and they don't honor each others' programs even though they are all Kia dealerships.
Please don't ever buy a Kia, and if you already have one, make sure you get all the maintence work done at the Kia dealership at the proper times - otherwise your warranty will be worthless, regardless of the work that needs to be done.
Comments:
Posted by Sail27 on 2007-06-27:
I'll be first to admit that Kia's are not too high on my list. Try contacting the media - they love stories like this.. Alternatively - Small Claims Court - it may not pay the entire cost - but the public exposure is never good for them
Good luck!
Good luck!
Posted by adzidek on 2007-06-27:
Small claims court is for claims. She would have to pay the $7000, then go to court and claim it back. Also, $7000 doesn't qualify as a small claim.
Posted by *Brenda* on 2007-06-27:
AZ Small Claims limit is $2,500.00. That definitely is not an option for the OP.
Posted by eelyak on 2007-06-27:
With Kia, you get what you pay for. A cheap, unreliable car..
Posted by poppapia on 2007-06-27:
First, I would see if the second dealer would put in writing what he told you about Kia and their warranty tactics, and how this problem would have occured regardless of the maintenance schedule followed. Second, I like sail27's suggestion of contacting the media and trying to get a story started on this. Third, there are legal aid services available to you if you can't afford to hire a lawyer. Look for them through your state's bar association.
Posted by adzidek on 2007-06-27:
Legal aid services are available for defense only, and usually only criminal, not civil. In a claim against Kia, she would not be the defendant, and therefore would not be able to get legal aid.
Posted by rhondam718732 on 2007-06-27:
Get on the phone to KIA HQ and start working your way around. Make them clarify why the warranty isnt being honored. At the very least they should be able to get in writing, from the dealership why they denied you. Also, get your car to another KIA dealership and don't say a word. See what they come up with.
Posted by Starlord on 2007-06-28:
Contact the people at 5 On Your Side on TV Channel 5. As Brenda pointed out, small claims limit in Arizona is $2,500. You claim the guy told you on the phone that line about Kia using any excuse to avoid doing warranty service. I find that hard to believe the guy would be that stupid. BTW, in Arizona, a telephone conversation may be recorded as long as one of the parties to it gives their permission. Give you any ideas? I said the first time I ever saw a Kia taht I didn't think they would ever sell any to a veteran. The wife asked why, and I said because vets know what KIA means.
Posted by Audious on 2007-08-30:
A "battery expert"? wow, I am impressed. First of all, a KIA was purchased, what was the expected quality of this purchase? Second, if you don't follow the manufacturers recomended maint. schedule you dont have a leg to stand on, sorry, buy a quality product next time.
Posted by Guardian on 2009-06-21:
If you contact an attorney who specializes in consumer law, and specifically, Magnusson-Moss or 'Lemon Law,' most will be happy to take your case for a nominal fee, as if they win, Kia will have to pay their attorney fees under most state laws dealing with these types of cases.
I think you should pursue this with a lawyer who handles lemon law cases.
I think you should pursue this with a lawyer who handles lemon law cases.
Posted by A Tale of Two Warranties on 2011-01-15:
Pay close attention to this review; her story is virtually identical to mine at Kia of Duluth (MN). Aside from the part that failed, the service was the same: incomplete and shifting evaluation of the failure, neglecting to check the computer readout (done at our request and supporting our position), additional expense for every test that might have supported a warranty claim, nothing in writing, confrontational service managers who asserted that challenges to the diagnosis were "threats". Every step in the process was another outlay of cash or a monumental inconvenience (an arbitration process could take 45 days once it was scheduled). We also were advised to seek a second opinion at another Kia dealership (the nearest one is probably 150 miles distant) if we felt they were "lying", a word I never used or suggested. When calling the company's 800 number, I was advised that there was no one I could speak to who would discuss the decision process further.
As a friend said, this is not their first rodeo. Other mechanics who have looked at the car have pointed out a number of possibilities for the engine failure, and refuted point-by-point Kia's contentions. I will never again own or recommend a Kia. Although I liked many of its features, I wouldn't wish this dismal warranty experience on anyone else.
As a friend said, this is not their first rodeo. Other mechanics who have looked at the car have pointed out a number of possibilities for the engine failure, and refuted point-by-point Kia's contentions. I will never again own or recommend a Kia. Although I liked many of its features, I wouldn't wish this dismal warranty experience on anyone else.
Posted by A Tale of Two Warranties on 2011-01-15:
I should have mentioned in "A Tale of Two Warranties" that I bought my 2008 Kia Optima new. It had 11, 608 miles on it when the engine blew December 29, 2010.
Posted by Richard in Charlotte on 2012-05-05:
In the real world, Kia's warranties appear to be
awful. When you're shopping Kia, the salesman
will most certainly tell you how great the Kia
warranties are and emphasize how protected a Kia owner will feel. But the real story appears different. The Kia warranties are long and complicated. The average person does't have time or automotive/legal savvy to understand Kia's warranties. The Kia warranties also channel
Kia owners into Kia dealerships for maintenance and repairs, where as captive customers, they are
routinely overcharged for labor, parts, fluids,
diagnostics, and extra services. The warranties
themselves seem to be full of loopholes, escape
clauses, and non-coverages. And it wouldn't surprise me if Kia service personnel are compensated for rejecting warranty claims. They appear abnormally unfriendly to a major warranty claim and expert at rejecting a warranty claim for "frivolous and even fictitious reasons" (my words) and giving a disatisified customer the classic run around. No more Kia vehicles or Kia warranties for me.
awful. When you're shopping Kia, the salesman
will most certainly tell you how great the Kia
warranties are and emphasize how protected a Kia owner will feel. But the real story appears different. The Kia warranties are long and complicated. The average person does't have time or automotive/legal savvy to understand Kia's warranties. The Kia warranties also channel
Kia owners into Kia dealerships for maintenance and repairs, where as captive customers, they are
routinely overcharged for labor, parts, fluids,
diagnostics, and extra services. The warranties
themselves seem to be full of loopholes, escape
clauses, and non-coverages. And it wouldn't surprise me if Kia service personnel are compensated for rejecting warranty claims. They appear abnormally unfriendly to a major warranty claim and expert at rejecting a warranty claim for "frivolous and even fictitious reasons" (my words) and giving a disatisified customer the classic run around. No more Kia vehicles or Kia warranties for me.
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