KIA Motors
Reviews and Complaints

Dear Gentlemen,

My name is Armando Sampedro, I reside at 5529 SW 40th Street, Bell, Florida. My contact number is [protected].

On May 21,2022 I purchased a 2013 KIA Sportage SX (VIN # 5XYK43AF9PG021788) from:

Friendly KIA

5819 US Hwy 19

New Port Richey, Florida 34652

[protected]

This vehicle was literally purchased off a transporter truck that had just arrived at the dealership. During purchase process, I dealt with the following individuals:

Internet Sales: Mandy Cohrs

General Sales Manager: Curtis Tucker

Salesperson: Anthony Diaz

Finance Manager: Skye Cheney

The following monies charged by above-mentioned dealer in question are as follows:

5 Year Protection Package: Dealer charged $1995 for this protection package which I suspect was never properly installed given the time they had the vehicle to do it in. When I shopped this package around, it was actually worth approximately $600 at best. As mentioned before, the vehicle had just arrived at dealership, so I requested that package not be installed and was flatly told that they did that to all the vehicles they sold, would not negotiate price and added that if I did not want protection package, I could not buy vehicle and someone else would.

Pre-Delivery Fee: Dealer charged $899 for this vehicle across the board for all their vehicles, despite the fact that the PDI performed was very lacking due the amount of trim and paint damage found during my inspection. PDI was done I suspect in approximately 1 hour. Vehicle PDI and protection package were performed in less than 3 hours which I also find suspect. When I got vehicle home, found that tires were over inflated, some fluids were low, and vehicle had not been totally cleaned. And as for this fee, the general consensus is that the manufacturer normally compensates the dealership for this work so why was this fee sneaked into Contract?

Electronic Registration Filing Fee: Dealer also charged $159 for this work which I find ridiculous given the scope of work involved.

Market Adjustment: Dealer charged $1000 over MSRP which I found to be very unethical being that a fair profit is already provided by selling at MSRP.

F&I Process: All signing of Contract documentation was done in tablet form which did not show all that you are signing for. Never was informed of pre-delivery or electronic registration fee during signing that I can remember and did not see it until Contract was printed out at which time it was too late. Was never offered any extended warranties or maintenance packages which gave the perception that they were trying to get us out of dealership in a hurry.

Sales: I was told by salesperson that I would be receiving a KIA for which he provided a "cheat sheet" showing how I should answer survey questions. Turns out that the next day I received an email from KIA showing my survey comments when I had not done the survey yet in the first place. Found this to be very disturbing.

My interest in KIA vehicles stem from the fact that many in my family have purchased KIA vehicles around the country and experienced very few problems. It has not been my experience to date though. Some if not all of my concerns above seem to be in some sort of violation with the State of Florida Statutes as well as the Federal Trade Commission regulations. I thought it best to contact you both and apprise you of my experience before going any further up the chain with my complaints.

Your attention to my concerns will be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Armando Sampedro

About midnight last night my 2021 kia Forte front passenger tire blew out or ran over something sharp in road got it to parking lot close by called kia roadside assistance its 630 my time and all I've got from them is keep pushing me back 2 hrs again to get tow truck here to tow it to kia barnes crossing dealership to fix it because my make and model has no spare tire to it. I think the service should bring spare to me but if not shouldn't take over 6.5 hrs and will be longer because after 8 or later if a provider takes it then. I can't leave car its push start and unlocked with key in it. This service should get some tow service provider or not to take the job and kia pay more so customers don't wait over 8 hrs. to keep them happy and satisfied. Don't trust that kia will reimburse me out of pocket and after that long of I wait this dept needs to do something different to make it right. Horrible business or horrible providers that don't want to come out at night do their jobs tow services 24/7 and can't tell me everyone turns job down. This is pathetic and shows no concern for the customers strained places also makes me not want to do any business with kia in the future all places roadside assistance dealership service parts detail shop and any others. I want answers for this matter promptly back to me if not file BBB report also write corporate and call them as well.

My Kia Sonet seat covers are tearing off, threading is off. I want to get my seat cover replaced.

I have filed complaint in Kia Service Centre in Sector-11, Noida, India. But i am not getting any positive response although it was assured to be get replaced initially after looking at the problem and taking pictures of it.

My Sonet numbet is UP16CW9792

I had an oil change and recall inspection (3rd recall inspection on piston rings in the pass year) on our 2021 Seltos. Three week later the check engine light comes on. We are told that the piston rings were bad and leaked oil and my engine is being replaced After 10 days no one at Napleton Kia in St. Peters, Missouri can give a timeline on getting my Seltos back. They keep saying its Headquarter call on part shipping. I find it very hard to believe in this day and age that tracking a shipment is this difficult. As of today July 27, it`s been 12 days without our Kia that`s over a third of a month. I am sure Kia finance will not be giving us a credit for the time we have been without the kia that we are paying for.

Michael Maley

[protected]

Email [protected]@sbcglobal.net

A month ago I realized that the clear coat of the vehicle is peeling off. I wash my car properly and frequently and do what I can to prevent anything that will lead to paint damage. Bird poop or any contaminants get washed off right away. I took it to a collision shop and they said it looks like a faulty clear coat. I am very disappointed. I called the dealer and they said they will not cover it since I have 186,000 miles on my vehicle despite it only being a 2016 Kia.

Car leaking fuel which is problem states in a recall. Car was hit by a driver on the freeway with any insurance and now car is totaled. I am without a car due to Kia being more concerned with quantity than quality. Motor was also replaced last yr due to another recall issue. Worst car I have ever purchased and I am now without a car or money to buy another.

On March 4, 2022 the engine on my 2016 Sorento seized while driving on a highway with my daughter. I paid $500 to have it towed to the nearest dealership (Bob Moore Northwest in OKC). I was using the Sorento to earn income as an Uber driver while my son had been hospitalized and had therapy (needed my own work schedule to earn income). The dealership acted as though they knew nothing about the recall and wanted to charge me over $9,000 to replace it. Apparently when I had purchased the vehicle (Sept. 2018) used at Hudiburg in Midwest City, OK they knew about the recall but did not service and sold it to me anyway without notice. I have still been making the payments on the Sorento as well as insurance that is required by the lender but have zero use of the vehicle. It is now July 24, 2022 and I am tired of wasting my time going back and forth with everyone to try to resolve this issue. The dealership just wants money, they do not want to help do the right thing and fight for the customer on this. If Kia admits they produced/manufactured bad engines then there should be no limit on replacing these engines at no cost to those of us who were convinced they had purchased a reliable vehicle. Dealerships should do the right thing and always make sure whatever cars they are selling have any recalls addressed prior to selling as well as helping resolve issues with the manufacturer.

This is the fourth time filing. First three I received an emailed response back that complaint was received and I would be contacted 1-2 business days. Never happened. Most recent complaint number is #24700.

Initial complaint summary:

On 2/7/22 I pulled into Renaldo Kia in Shelby NC due to my engine light coming on. After the service tech determined it was code P200400n Intake Manifold Runner Control stuck open and care needs an Intake Manifold replaced. The service manager Billy explained all and cost. I showed him I had a warranty first the 100,000-mile power train and an extended warranty with Cost Guard. Billy said he would contact extended warranty to inquire. He did in fact call and was told it was covered under initial power train warranty. Billy told me that it was not covered under the power train warranty and charged me a $89.95 plus tax diagnostic charge. I was told if I had coverage I would not have been charged. I shared my concerns with doing damage to my car or putting myself in harm's way. Billy stated along with another gentleman in service that there was nothing else they could do for me That I would need to contact Kia corporate. He (Billy) also told me that I may never have that issue again and was safe to drive. I paid my bill and left. I contacted Cost Guard myself on 2/8/22 speaking with Rick who told me directly he was the one who told Billy at Renaldo Kia I was covered. I then contacted Renaldo Kia spoke with Billy told him I was covered and needed to set appt. Billy scheduled for 2/12/22 at 9am. I arrived to be confronted by Billy with a piece of paper stating I was not covered and unless I was paying cash for service, he could not help me. Again, wasted time off work as well as my husband so I had a ride to work repairs would take at minimum 5 hours to be turned away not further discussion. I then contacted Paramount Kia in Hickory where I purchased car and warranty. I was referred to Colton in finance who pulled my records and assured me I was covered by the 100,000-mile power train and extended warranty. Set me an appointment for service earliest was 2/28/22 I am out of town so set appt 3/8/22. Issue was fixed under extended warranty at Courage Kia in Gastonia NC.

My problems started not long after the car was purchased. New engine & multiple blinker light bulb changes, same bulb.

I dropped off my car last night because of the light bulb. I called this morning, and they didn't know where my car was.

When I was called back, I was told it is an interior problem that will cost $1500.00. I had to pay $190.00 to get my car back.

Now the blinker works fine. I have gone days without a car. I work 6 days a week transporting Seniors to Dr. appointments ect.

I have missed work, paid for car rental, because Kia of Irvine doesn't provide it.

Kia won't fix engine that is under warranty because they claim I didn't get a recall fixed. They claimed it was mailed to me. When I called and gave VIN number, I was told they didn't even have me as the owner of the vehicle. They asked for my name and number. After being disconnected and getting a 3rd person, they tried to tell me that the address they mailed the recall to was my current address. Can't be possible if they didn't even have me as the owner of the vehicle.

I have a 2015 Kia Sorento and there is a recall on my vehicles engine. A couple of weeks ago, I was driving my vehicle and the vehicle started jumping, then smoke came out of vehicle, finally as I am going thru the intersection, the vehicle shuts off. I could have been killed. I tow the vehicle to where I purchased (Rick Case in Duluth, GA). They were less than helpful and say that it is my engine, but my vehicle is not covered. The recall covers [protected] Kia Sorentos and I have a 2015 Sorento. They want me, a single mother, to pay $10k to fix it. I do have a case open with KIA, but no resolve and I have no vehicle to drive. Someone please help. I am not going to stop until this is resolved.

At about 40,000 miles my Kia Sorrento (Pearl White) started flaking off badly. Like most of them I have seen, it started in the on the column on the driver's side front windshield. This is my third Kia (I have two currently) and nothing like this has ever happened. The manager at the dealership said this is new to him even though there was one in the parking lot right across from the maintenance area. I would really like this fixed before there is a class action lawsuit from all the upset Kia owners. I know it is not environmental because most of the cars have it happening in the exact same places.

Please help me keep faith in the Kia brand.

Steve Bockenfeld

steve.[protected]@abilenetx.gov

[protected]

The “Kia Boys” are taking over and my car a 2014 Kia Sorento was almost stolen from right outside my house and I was wondering what are y’all planning to do with this weak secured ignition system?

I lease a Kia Sedona 2019, still in warranty, my fuel pump was broken, I took IT TO KIA DOWNTOWN1945 SOUTH FLOWER STREET LOS ANGELES, ON 4/20/2022 I WAS TOLD TO RENT CAR FROM ENTERPRISE, NEXT DOOR BECAUSE THEY GIVE THEM A CERTAIN RATE, AND WHEN I PICK UP CAR SUBMIT MY RENTAL CAR CHARGES TO KIA CONSUMER, I was CALLED TO PICK UP 5/11/2022 three weeks later, by Christine Romero sale advisor, I noticed she had the wrong date for the end of service 5/7/2022, I addressed it with her Manager Manuel Salinas, who at the time said there was nothing could be done just submit my enterprise receipt and Christine Romero will have a follow-up email to explain. She did nothing Manuel Salinas did nothing and Kia Consumer said its a courtesy they are doing me for their car that's damaged by giving me $562, $200 less than my rental car payment because of the mistake that was made by the service department, Also they need proof which of course both Christine and Manuel are not providing. I have r never been insulted by a car company that refuses to pay for me for my full car rental while the broken car was being repaired.

My wife has a 2013 Kia Sportage, that she has cherished since she purchased it in 2015. It has served her well, other than a few electrical issues. She has serviced it regularly. 3 weeks ago it began making a knocking sound. We were told not to drive it due to this issue. We had it towed to the dealership where we bought it 7 years ago, at Geweke Kia in Yuba City Ca. We found out there was a recall, that we never were contacted about in 2017. The recall was due to “machining errors during the engine manufacturing process” It continues that it may cause premature bearing wear within the engine. After the dealership checked our vehicle they confirmed we had bearing material come apart internally, thus they would have to replace the engine. They told us that it would cost us over $13,000 to repair. I recently checked the value of our car and it was closer to $5000 at the most $6000. But nowhere near the repair cost. We are extremely frustrated, due to not being notified that our car needed this recall so we wouldn’t basically lose a vehicle that we paid off. Especially in our current situation where used cars are so expensive. We really loved our Kia and were planning on staying with Kia. But at this time we are having second thoughts.

Bought my 2019 Sorento new in 2019. Complained about radio since new. Service writer kept telling me not to worry about getting the car in as it was under warranty for 3 years. Every time I take the car in for the problem, they keep saying they have to hear the problem, even when the tech was in the car and agreed with me. Finally they said they were putting in a radio, which they did and no change. It's so bad you can't turn the radio on. Showed the manager the problem one day and he went off and came back with another antenna off a car on the lot. No change, he said he had to order the mast head and would have it and would call me within 3 days. The story of my life with this guy. Checked with parts dept. and they said he does this all the time and No he had not ordered it. No I call and find out he is no longer there, so now my service adviser tells me that the tech has to see and hear the problem. Have done this many times with them. An hout before I was supposed to bring car down I get a call that the will have to get back to me as they were swamped with motor jobs. Excuse me, I have been waiting for 3 YEARS. No rescheduling from them yet. Car is off warranty in 2,500 mi.

I bought my new Kia optima 2015. I never had a problem with it. change the oil when scheduled I shipped the car to phoneix and gave it to my son Sept 2021. Car had 110,000 miles on it. I drove the car for a while in Phoenix everything was working okay

7/5:2022 : Car starts making a ticking sound

7/15/2022. Car as 118,000 miles on it. Took to the Dealer he told me I need a new engine.

The car had been running fine. I definetly changed the oil

Vin

5XXGN4A73FG369204

On July 12, 2023, I drove over 180 miles to purchase a 2023 KIA Seltos EX. The reason I drove so far is because they were the only dealership within 200 miles that had the car I wanted to buy. I spoke with Luis over the phone and made arrangements to meet him at the dealership between 9AM - 10AM. When we arrived, he met us and showed us the car. We took it for a test drive and then went into his cubicle to discuss the purchase. We waited over 5 hours for the paperwork to be completed. Once we went into the finance office and finally completed the paperwork, we then went out so I could be schooled in all the features of the car. The exterior looked beautiful; the interior was another story. It was filthy, there was even a ring left over from what appeared to be soda can on the front passenger’s seat and the rear-view mirror was so cloudy it was difficult to see out of. All the plastic that is placed inside the car from when it’s manufactured was still on and I noticed what appeared to be a burn spot on the rear of the back passenger seat. When I pointed out the burn spot Luis said, "Let me talk to my manager". When he returned, he told me I would have to file a claim to have it fixed. Mind you, I haven't even driven this car off the lot, and I already must file a claim! I was then told I could file the claim and it could be fixed at any KIA dealership. I then told Luis we were going to go and get something to eat (because by now we have been at the dealership for over 6 hours). We would be gone for about an hour, please have this car's interior cleaned so when we return, I can leave for home. It was 2:30 PM when we left to eat. We returned at 3:30PM and the car wasn't ready. We had to wait another 30 minutes. Once the car was finally cleaned my salesperson Luis left. I am not quite sure where he went, but I went into dealership and met a saleswomen named Samina. She was the one bright spot of the day. I hadn’t been given any instruction on how to use ANYTHING in the car. She showed me how to set the navigation system, how to set stations on the radio, and how to use the key. She also showed me how to charge my phone and let me know that all the doors needed to be closed for it to charge. I then drove my new car home over 180 miles away. I truly had no idea what the beeps were that I heard every time I put the turn signal on...although I kind of got the idea what it was for. I also had no idea why my steering wheel seemed to move itself. This was very unsettling for me. No customer should ever be put in this position. A couple more issues: My KIA was not linked to your KIA Access app. Many attempts were made at the dealership, but they simply were not able to link it. John (another bright spot in the day) attempted and thought it might be linked up by the next morning. When I woke up the next morning, I checked the app and it still showed that it was not linked to my car. I called John (this young man was again, so helpful even though he was not my salesperson), and he gave me a toll-free number for assistance. Fortunately, I was able to link it up thanks to your employee at the KIA Access desk. I am a retired U.S. Air Force Veteran; I was told I would receive a Veteran’s discount. When it came time to apply the discount, I was asked for my DD Form 214. At NO time was I told to bring this form with me. After much discussion, it was decided we would write two checks: one for the total purchase price of the car, and the other for the amount of the Veteran’s discount. If I failed to fax them a copy of the DD Form 214, they would cash that check too. I scanned the form the minute I got home and emailed it to the finance employee. When we originally spoke to Luis over the phone, we informed him we would be paying by check for the entire amount. We asked him if a personal check would be ok, and he said yes. Once it came time for us to pay, we were told that a cashier’s check would be the preferred method. Our bank is not in the area of the dealership, it would be impossible to obtain a cashier’s check. We offered to call our bank and have them wire the money, but Luis said that would not be acceptable as it would take too long. Luis knew we were driving over 180 miles, yet he failed to mention many of the things we would need to purchase this car. It is still amazing to me that I didn’t just tell everyone at the dealership to forget the whole thing and leave without buying.

Now I must make an appointment to take my new car to the dealership near my home, Visalia KIA so that I can have the burned area of the seat fixed.

This whole experience has soured me on KIA. I sincerely hope I learn to like my car and learn all that it has to make my driving experience a pleasant one.

Sincerely yours,

Jacqueline Cardoza

P.S. It is not my intention to get Luis or anyone else at Stockton KIA in trouble. It is hoped that they learn from their mistakes because currently, they are not good representatives for KIA.

Unprofessional my car broke down in June and nobody will help me get it fixed it’s still know how to 2018 Kia Sportage. Kia dealership in Stockton told me that they could get me into a different car they ran my credit 20 times and then at the end of the day they still couldn’t help me. They still have my car they said they were going to see it was going to be about $9000 to fix my Kia. Which I still owe one and it’s worth 15,000. Nobody has helped me I piled filed and filed complaints to see if there’s any other thing I could do with no response.

My vehicle has been in an accident well over 30k in parts. Kia does not make the parts for my brand new vehicle and or the parts are on a back order and they are unable to tell me how long it will take. It could be up over 6 months. I am still having to pay for my vehicle plus now i have to pay for a rental to be able to get to work and pay for my Kia i am unable to drive, I feel because Kia cannot provide parts for my vehicle i would like my payments stopped until parts can be delivered and I am driving my vehicle again