Crain Team Kia Ripoff sells a horrible product and they know it North Little Rock Arkansas

I dragged my beyond dead 95 Pontiac Grandam (which will be the next report I file)into the Kia dealership with the hope of a good car, great price, and something that I was not afraid I was going to meet my maker in.

Lucky me that I was fortunate to have been priviledged to already know how to handle a death trap since now I have another one with a nice little bonus. A $300.00 car payment. Yea!

Almost from the day that I drove it off the lot I have regretted the purchase. The main issue that I had until recently was the lack of power. It is completely my fault cause I should have test drove it better or longer. I never for a moment thought that anyone on the planet would make a 4 cylinder SUV! Much less what idiot would buy one? Surely not me. But that is just what I did.

I have had it a week and the check engine light comes on and stays. Hmmm ok so I roll out to my local dealership. With much eye rolling they explain very slowly to me that if I don't tighten the lil gas cap thingy then the check engine light will stay on. As the big strong man tries to remove the "too loose" gas cap he finds it takes using 2 hands. You can see the look of total surprise which he makes a futile attempt to hide. It turns out to be a burnt out fuse or something like that. Hmmm

Here is my experience in the last few months. It all begins with a strange noise and a shake. The thing rattles any way so I did not pay it much attention for a few weeks. But then when it begins to act like a person having a seizure at the stoplights I carried it to the dealership. Figuring it was a little thing like the idle I waited while they looked at it. An hour or so passes and in walks the non mechanic guy to tell me well the cooling fan is broken and could have pierced the coolant reservoir.

Recently I have started to hear from other owners that the cooling fan is guaranteed to break and Kia knows it. Oh great.

So I have a sweet Kia Optima as a rental car. This car can move and the sound system is awesome. I am so excited to get back into my lil weak death trap.

I get the car back assured that the problem is fixed only to find out the problem is now worse.

The vehicle has developed a cute little hobby of playing dead. It begins like this: I shift into reverse and wait for it to wake up and kick into the gear. As I hit the gas pedal to back up it acts like the parking brake is on until is suddenly lurches backwards. Barring you have not been flung into any other objects parked around you. Now shift into drive with the same results. It is a good thing that I have a large parking lot. I live on a fairly busy street so pulling out is like taking your life into your own hands (kinda like driving this car). So there is ample room for me to join traffic as I turn onto the road the car just dies. No warning nothing. Dead and now this delivery truck that is coming down the almost 90 degree hill is going to make me...dead. The driver has to risk a head on collision in order to not hit me. I called Kia and told them that I would like to charge my car with attempted murder. They found no humor kinda like me when the delivery truck was coming to take me to the great post office in the sky. Told me to bring it in.

So I take it in. Citizen's Arrest? They look at it for an hour. Then tell me that they think it needs a tune up at 21000. Which is the only thing that they can figure out. While I am there they try and sell me another car. Which falls thru. I am not getting a tune up with out talking to other mechanics. I call a local mechanic and asks him when do you need to get a tune up on a car. He says about 60000. I asks him if he ever did one at 20000. He said that was ridculous and that if a car needed a tune up at 20000 then it was a lemon and I needed to seek arbitration. I called Kia and told them what he said and they told me "he doesn't know what the hell he is talking about." Wow.

Well by God this thing is under warranty so I call the dealership that is farther away. The first question: At how many miles does the Sportages need a tune up. 70,000-100,000 Oh really? So I tell him that I am bringing the car to him and not to call me until it is fixed. It has been 3 days and I have heard nothing from them. Thats fine I am once again in a powerful car on their dime so take all the time you need.
I won't hold my breath.

To finish this.
I will tell you why this car is bad.

The cup holder: is placed right over the clock, radio, and air controls. Right in front of the air vents so if you run the heat you can't feel it but it makes your drink hot so when you go to get ya a swig....

The noise: is like being in a convertible with the top down. I took it out and they gave the car a "redneck adjustment" Two big guys grabbed onto the doors and jumped up and down. Wish I'd taken a picture. This seems to have made the noise worse. When I asked if they could put in seal or tighten the doors or something besides the tug-o-war trick. I was told no cause the doors are pressurezied and I just needed to slam it harder. Right, cause that is good for your doors not to mention the windows.

Power:
Who cares it if has 4 wheel drive it goes slow enough as is that it feels like it is crawling.
Unless you have a team of horses to get you up the hill you are better off leaving the car at the bottom and walking up.
Don't turn on the air the car will practically stop.

Wind:
Please don't anyone sneeze as I pass by they might just blow me off the road. A man told me one time that in a 40 mph wind the car spun around in the road like a top.

Traction:
If some one spits on the street the car will slide halfway over to the other side.

Rough ride:
I have a friend who has back problems and she can not ride in my car. She actually cried once she got out. How do you think that made me feel?

Shoody Workmanship:
I was driving down the road one day and the glove box flies open and it continues to still quite often.
I tell people that my car is weak.
The sun visors are so pathetic that they are not strong enough to hold up a cd visor holder. And then they fall off and I have to ram it back onto the bar as I am driving down the road.

Did I mention I hate this car!

Well that is my story.

Melissa
Little Rock, Arkansas
U.S.A.

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