Complain about a product or service

Kia

Save up to $379 on Your Auto Insurance. Compare Quotes from Top Providers Now! Find the Best Deal and Apply! - Adv.

Common Kia Problems • Brakes • Stalling • Sudden acceleration • Transmission • Collision Damage • Just everything! --- News • Kia.com Rated Best Web Site for New-Vehicle Shopping • Kia Owners Awarded $6 Million in Class Action • Hyundai Offers $85 Million to Settle Horsepower Suit • Kia Aces J.D. Powers Survey • Horsepower Overstated

Kia's parent company, Hyundai, admits it overstated the horsepower on certain Kia and Hyundai models. Oh, but don't worry, the CEO said, people don't buy these cars for their power anyway. that's an understatement.

In fact, there are so many problems with Kias it's hard to know where to start. Most cars have one or two problems that tend to be dominant -- Ford's 3.8l V-6 engine, to pick an infamous example. But with Kia, pretty much everything seems to go wrong.

More recently, Hyundai and Kia raised eyebrows when they finished unexpectedly high in the J.D. Powers Initial Quality Survey. The Powers Survey is highly regarded but perhaps "initial" quality isn't the problem? Check the complaints listed to the right and judge for yourself.

Teresa of Elizabethtown, KY June 21, 2009

We bought a used 98 Kia Sportage a few months ago. When we first got the car, it would not run. So,we replaced the crank position sensor, and the car ran fine without any problems for a few weeks. Now the problems that we are having, is that the car will run fine, and then randomly it will start, but when we put it in drive or reverse, it will stall. We found that we have to let the car sit for over an hour and then go back and start it. it will run like nothing happened. But, the hold like will flash, and we have a really bad vibration in the engine, until the hold light finally goes off.

I have been bugging my husband about taking it to the dealer, until I read the complaints on this website. it seems like all the problems you talk about on here is what problems we having. Does anyone have a solution for these problems, besided getting a new car? I have to drive this back and forth to work, and drive my kids around.

Leesa of yakima, WA June 18, 2009

I have a 2007 Kia sedona Van and it has been in the shop 12 times for the same thing and no on can figure out what is wrong with.Know it is in a totally different citity because my dealer ship here will not work on it anymore.I would be driving down the road and my car will just want to take off.. All my dash lights come on when ever thay want.. My door locks when your sitting in the van or walking away. my DVD player oly works when it wants. But when thay look at my Van thay say thay fix it but i always still have the same problem.

Terese of Wichita, KS June 17, 2009

I took my 2008 Rondo in to Steven Kia on 4/10/2009 because the check engine light was on. They still have not fixed my car and it has been in their shop for over 60 days. They say the engine has defective parts.

I want to know if Kia will return my purchase cost. If this car is defective then I want to get another car. I bought it for my daughter and I no longer trust that she will be driving a safe vehicle.

gloria of jacksonville, FL June 16, 2009

I was having car trouble just recently, I made an appointment to find out the problem along with my engine light that has given me problems for one year. first I was told that Kia would inform me of what they have came up with about the engine light in which it was going on one year to be exact and still nothing from them. well recently my car was having problems starting and found out that it was a battery problem. Never explaining in the past about engine light before battery problem. The service department told me it would be 240.00 for the service for the battery. Telling me all she could go on was what was happening now. I have proof that the engine light was a matter last year.

At the time I said I would bring the car back for service, while driving home I notice that my glasses was in the car and I started reading that I was told about my front tires and 30,000 miles service that was offered. I quickly call them and she said she offered the service to me, Which never took place. My family member was outside the car and witness all she did was look at the mileage. I would have made an appoitment for that if she would have told me of the situation.

The twoo young ladies have a very nasty attitude and are very loud about it. They were two gentlemen before me, that was there at the same time. This day was June 16, approx. 8-8:30 am. I heard them saying how nasty they are. I didn't witness there unprofessionalism until time of picking up my car. I am still under warranty and would like to continue even after that. I will continue to take good care of my car. I am not neglectly services just to have record that this happen and i did see to it that i got the situation fixed. Very disrespectful to customers. Also have voice mail on focusing only on battery.

Sean of Kirkland lake, ON June 15, 2009

I have a 2003 Kia sorento, the crank bolt failed on me at 73132 kms, this was covered under a recall however i had to have it towed to the dealer in Timmins at my expense of over 400 because it is an AWD I needed it flat bedded. I have the timing belt replaced at the same time so i still end up spending 900 on this plus the tow. KIA gives me back 190 , big deal. Now at 84655 kms, the same crank bolt fails again causing a dangerous situation on the highway at night with no power steering etc, as the belts all fall off when this happens.

I again eat the tow to a dealer as I am 6 hours away from home. I spring 168.45 for a rental car for 4 days, PLUS I lose 2 days at work which is 290.65 . 12 days later, at 85750 kms, the same damn thing happens, luckily I am a few blocks from home. Now I am contacting KIA Canada again as I right this. The dealer in Peterborough who did the second repair had a machine shop put in a Heli Coil to accept that bolt and stated that failing that, the entire crankshaft will have to be replaced ! This job will have me without a vehicle for over a week guaranteed.

Vanessa of Lemoore, CA June 15, 2009

We purchased a 2009 Borrego ls 4x4. After signing the contracts we were told they would have it for us later that day. The one we wanted was having to be brought in from another dealership. Later that afternoon we recieved a call from Eli saying it would be the next morning before it would be ready. We agreed to wait until the next morning to get the vehicle. When we got the call the following morning from Gurdep the sales manager he said they found a vehicle for us but it had grey leather interior and that it would cost us an additional 1200.00. We refused to pay for the upgrade and Gurpep said he'd call us back if he was able to work it out.

A short while later he did in fact call us back and said he was able to get on shipped to us and it would be at the port on Monday and we would have it Monday afternoon. Then on Sunday afternoon Eli calls to tell us that the vehicle was being shipped to the port and that it would be 2 weeks before we'd get the vehicle. I explained to Eli that they have already delayed in getting us a vehicle and that I would not wait for another 2 weeks. Not when I know for a fact the vehicle we want is sitting on another Kia dealership lot a few hours away. I know this because I called around myself to locate the vehicle. Which is what Gurpep said was one of my options. Eli then told me that "it is what it is".

So basically I was being told that what I wanted as a paying customer isn't important. I felT the promisses made to me about being able to deliver my vehicle were all lies just to get me to buy the vehicle. Because as soon as I gave them a check for the 31,000.00 the excusses started. This isn't the first time I've bought from [KIA], but it will be the last. The way this dealer represents company is totally unprofessional.

After making the deal and while waiting on the contracts to be prepared our salesman Eli started talking about car audio with me. After learning that I was once an installer he began to ask questions about the problem he was having with his car and wanted my advice on how to fix it, he even went as far as to pull uip the schematic for his vehicle (a 1998 honda civic i believe) and asked me to explain it to him. I offered him my advice, but when he called later that night to inform us that it would be the next morning before the car would be ready for delivery he once again asked about his car. He even went as far as to ask if i would look at it for him the next morning when we came to get the new car.

That as a professional should not have happened. It is unethical to ask clients for favors during the process of making a deal on a new car. Which leads me to question the reasoning behind the dealership not being able to deliver the vehicle I paid for as promised.

James of Bonneau, SC June 12, 2009

Back in February I started to have some issues with my vehicle stalling out at that time I noticed a gas smell. I had spoke with a friend of mine who owns a vehicle repair shop he said it sounded like I needed a new fuel filter so I myself replaced it and it was fine for about two weeks, then the exact same problem started happening again at this time I chaulked it up to being bad gas. So I replaced the fuel filter once again. Well this time my wife who drives the 2000 Kia Sportage had said that she was still smelling gas, but it didn't stall anymore.

So this morning I get right onto the computer and start looking into recalls on this specific 2000 Kia Sportage. I noticed that the recall was all the exact same problems that we have been having. I had my wife call the number that was listed on this web site for Kia she spoke with a man named Ezekiel he ran the vin number and says no there is not a recall for this on that specific vin # but you can take it to Stokes Kia in N. Charleston. My wife said that the man was not any help at all he said that he can just tell me to have it looked at and if that's the problem I should have it taken care of right away.

Well she then questioned why should we pay for this when there has been a recall on so many 2000 Kia Sportages with this exact problem. He said that it is not a recall but a repair issue that should be looked at by a Kia tech that would know if this problem is serious enough to have the gas tank replaced. He proceeded to give the number to Stokes Kia and she spoke to a man Brian there that told her basically the same thing and said that these web sites are just trouble makers and that they don't have a clue. He had asked my wife to read to him what it was she was referring to and she told him she would call him back.

She then called me and I had her call the numbers that I found on the web site for the Lemon Law which they referred her to the NY attorney general. She left a message on there and she also e-mailed this problem to the attorneys on the Lemon Law site. I have to replace the fuel tank which I priced today at Kia of Charleton for 161.60 and the cover will come later 146.00

Erika of Lorain, OH June 11, 2009

On March 27,2009 I had my 2001 kia rio towed into Kia because after not being driven every day and sitting for a few months, EVERYTHING locked up. Absolutely nothing worked. Before I had it towed, a friend of mine came over to look at it and determined that the 80amp fuse had blown (which is odd) and that definately the shifter going into the transmission was locked. At that point, he didnt want to get involved further because of the warranty that is still on the vehicle. I told Kia the 2 issues but also told them I wanted the car back up and running.

So after a week of having my car, they replaced the transmission (under warranty), replaced rear breaks & shoes, wheel cylinders and machined rear drums. (not under warranty), replaced both inner and outer wheel bearings, clips and seals (under warranty), machined front brake rotors (not under warranty), replaced all spark plugs, spark plug wires, air filter, fuel filter, cleaned throttle body, oil change and filter, complete fuel injection system cleanup, rotated and balanced tires, changed all belts as the timing belt, ac belt, alternator belt (not under warranty) with a bill of 1500.00.

After all that I picked up the car and my redio and ac still didnt work. I questioned them about that and they said they could take it back in and rehook it up to diagnostic(for a fee) and see what the problem is. YEAH, i dont think so. A week later I took my car to Best Buy to have them look at the radio(which they did fix) but they advised me that my 80amp fuse was blown. I then called Kia and to let them know that they did not replace it as I asked them to with all the work they did. They then had to order the part, which they dont even know what that does,

in the mean time of waiting for the part to come in, my car started to make a clunking noise from the right front tire. I took it in to them and they drove it and took it apart and said they couldnt come up with anything wrong. Everything was tight and there. But, the 80amp fuse had come in so they did put that in for me. On 4/20/09 the noise was still going strong so i took it back to Kia and demanding they go w/ me for a test drive to hear the noise I keep hearing.

After that they determined it was the wheel bearing so they replaced it. they had replaced it just on 3/27/09. I drove away and all was fine....until 4 days later when the noise started back. I then took it back to Kia and then they determined it was a warped front rotor so they remachined it again. they also did that back on 3/27/09.

I drove away again and all was fine....until 5/3/09 when the noise started back. At that point I was fed up with Kia so I took my car to another local mechanic. He took a look at it, not knowing any previous problems and determined it was the front rotor. He machined it and I have not had a problem with it since. I just recently took my car back to my local mechanic to have the AC checked out since after Kia it didnt work and he said its electrical. I also thought i was a having a muffler problem and turns out the humming is actually a wheel bearing.

I called Kia this morning 6/11/09 so that I could talk w/ someone about this issue because they said they dont have a corporate number, and after being disconnected and calling back, i was informed the general manager was in a meeting and he would call me back about this issue. It is not 5 1/2 hrs later and still havent heard a word. I want my car fixed and fixed right. I do not want to go back to the dealership that cant seem to fix my car.

Berenice of Wesley Chapel , FL June 10, 2009

I have had to replace the o2 sensors in my car 3 times because they keep malfunctioning, in a car that is only 2 yrs old, bought brand new. As if that wasn't enough last time they replaced the sensor since I was there i also changed my oil. One month later I went to a different place to change my oil out of convenience and boy am I glad I did. They found that Precision Kia had left the knob loose on my oil tank so i had been leaking oil for a month, but more astonishingly they LEFT A FOOT-LONG LED work light next to my exhaust pipe, it was literally melting onto the pipe!

When i called Precision Kia the HEAD MANAGER OF THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT didn't even return my calls, I called for three days straight before I was able to reach him and he told me "oh these things happen" and proceeded to be very rude and condescending. i WILL NEVER BUY A KIA AGAIN!

Joseph of Wabeno, WI June 9, 2009

We purchased a new KIA Sorento in 2005 and it currently has 51,000 miles. In October of 2008 I had to replace the driver side rear brake caliper and pads.In June of 2009 I had to do the same with the passenger side rear brakes. The caliper locks up and wears the pads. I have owned many vehicles and have NEVER had to replace calipers and brakes after such a short period. I have a 32 year old Ford pickup and have replaced one caliper during its life. I have made these repairs myself to save money plus the dealer that I purchased the vehicle from is no longer in business. Each repair has cost me about 150. Another problem with this vehicle occurred almost from the begining. For no apparent reason the battery will be completly dead after setting overnight. Our first thought was that we had left the lights on but that was not the problem. We even remove the keys from the ignition when parked. It will only do this a couple of time a year and has cause me to carry a spare battery in the rear to cover an emergency. The dealer could find nothing wrong. We love our KIA and we were ready to purchase another but now I have my concerns. Does my 10year/100,000 miles warranty cover these costs?

Report Your Experience
If you've had a bad experience -- or a good one -- with a consumer product or service, we'd like to hear about it. All complaints are reviewed by class action attorneys and are considered for publication on our site. Knowledge is power! Help spread the word. File your consumer report now.

Share		Follow us on Twitter.

Back to the top |