Kia Corporation, Hiro, Eddie, Tom, Chris ripoff, guarantee, bold face lie, stand off, Tempe Arizona

I have read some "rebuttals" posted here and there are some severe flaws in the "logic" (or lack thereof) in the postings.

As stated before, "there are no perfect machines." This much is true, and being an engineer, I can tell you that the life expectancy of a product is no greater than the quality of its design.

That being said, it is illogical to state that a product with an inherently bad (read: defective, flawed, or otherwise more statistically prone to failure) design can have problems eliminated by "average expected maintenance."

Tamara, your experience is not unusual. I personally had a close friend who went through the same experience with a Kia, and ultimately had to exercise the "lemon law" statutes after multiple failed "repairs" (read: service department's guesswork at patching the problems) due to the fact that the automatic transmission in a Kia was inherently (meaning by nature) not reliable, and unpredictable.

No offense to the average service department, but you simply cannot fix a poor DESIGN using maintenance. Prolong it, yes. Patch the symptoms, MAYBE. Eliminate the cause? Generally NO.

The remedy for a poorly designed/unreliable/or otherwise unsatisfactory vehicle, Tamara, is to rid yourself of the faulty car, do your research, and purchase a proven reliable car.

I prefer to deal with facts, not opinions. I base my statements on the Consumer Reports (and general market) history (long term) and resale value of the Kia line. I have personally seen the cars in and out and have not been impressed. If they improve, I'll change my statements respectively.

NEVER purchase a vehicle until you know its predicted reliability. Use FACTS, don't take RISKS! You see what can happen!

Usually, stupid is as stupid does. I said consumers, and that includes me. I have done some stupid things in my life and I can admit them. Actually, some of them were pretty funny. If stupidity is defined as loyality, protecting one's employer, doing what is right no matter what, then I am the epitome of stupidity and proud of it.

For those of you owning Kia's or thinking about buying a Kia, please do not let this blog stop you from doing the right thing. Go with your gut. Visit a dealer and talk to people who own the product. Test drive a Kia. Price a Kia. If it isn't what you need or want, don't buy it. On the other hand, if it feels right go for it and be happy like millions of other Kia owners.

I do not sell cars, I fix'em when they break. Maintain'em and they last a long time.
I will not return to this site. My conscience is clear and my direction straight. God bless you all and have a great life !!!

In this case, if I were the dealer, no matter whether the new dealer, existing dealer, or even the manufacturer, I would replace the transmission. When I opened the lady's Ripoff page, the large, bold print hit me in the face like a ball bat. You've (the dealer, or manufacturer)got 10 years worth of bad publicity on this site.

Additional complaints toward KIA, or the dealership can do a lot of damage. A few dollars invested in public relations can go a long ways. Or, refusing to turn around the bad publicity can go a long ways the other direction. Since the Tempe dealership is under new ownership, I would do what it takes to keep this lady coming back for sales and services.

Needless to say, that's what pays your bills. You guys have to maintain and possibly grow that dealership (remember your quota). Give her the transmission with an apology. Hopefully, she will reciprocate and bring in new customers. I've been in customer service 35 years. That's how it works.

Considering the fact that you are responding via the internet to a customer's, whether previous or current, complaint and are in the process of "rebuilding" your service department I would start by not referring to my customer's actions ,regardless of circumstance, as "stupidity."

I am not a employee of Kia Motors America. I work for an independent dealer. I found your blog quite by accident while looking for information about our dealership. Opening up the issue was not my intention except to protect future readers from associating my service department with the previous service department.

I have no interest except to protect the reputation of the service department I am in charge of rebuilding. I want readers to know that whatever happened during the previous regime is old history and there is a new sheriff in town.

Most important is for you to remember that Kia is a quality product and for any Kia owner or perspective owner, I promise that this service department will be the best Kia service department in Arizona. Kia owners can take that to the bank. I wish you the best and when you buy your next Kia you will see the difference.
I only wish my team could have addressed your issue, cause it would have had a different ending.....Bill

Thanks for all your responses I find it funny no one has commented on this issue for one full year and just now people have taken interest, especially people who appear to be affilated with Kia. I am longer interested in this issue and have moved on. I will just say this in closing, I will NEVER buy another KIA.

i have worked as a tech in the field of auto repair for years and i do work for a company that has a similar warranty, basically if the manufactuer says to change your trans fluid every 30,000 miles than you have to do it, also if you have a family member changing the oil, they have to buy the oil and filter, so there is a reciept, therefore paperwork, kia has every right to dishonor the warranty for your car if you arent going to take care of it.

what do you think, the warranty work is free, no it costs someone money. kia will not authorize a tear down of a unit if it moght be a warranty issue, because they get them rebuilt inexpensively. even if you as the customer and owner of the car you cannot authorize a tear down because you want it. you need to produce service records if you want your car fixed.

What does the manual specify about transmission maintenance? If the fluid needed to be changed before your 58,2XX miles and you didn't do it, then you have no warranty. And a judge will agree with that.

If not then you do have a case. However, you made it a lot more complicated by having a third party work on the transmission.

Not changing the oil in the ENGINE or any other unrelated part has no bearing on your transmission warranty.

I am not bashing the employees; I am only stating the facts with names attached. I am not interested in going rounds with you about Kia service or products. I wrote this only as a warning to someone else that may have transmission problems on a KIA product and there would be a record somewhere that this is a issue with KIA.

I find it clever and peculiar that KIA Corporation would need to have an employee respond to the complaints posted on Rip-off.com. Are the complaints so numerous that an employee would need to be assigned to write rebuttals on behave of the company?

I am not bashing the employees; I am only stating the facts with names attached. I am not interested in going rounds with you about Kia service or products. I wrote this only as a warning to someone else that may have transmission problems on a KIA product and there would be a record somewhere that this is a issue with KIA.

I find it clever and peculiar that KIA Corporation would need to have an employee respond to the complaints posted on Rip-off.com. Are the complaints so numerous that an employee would need to be assigned to write rebuttals on behave of the company?

I am not bashing the employees; I am only stating the facts with names attached. I am not interested in going rounds with you about Kia service or products. I wrote this only as a warning to someone else that may have transmission problems on a KIA product and there would be a record somewhere that this is a issue with KIA.

I find it clever and peculiar that KIA Corporation would need to have an employee respond to the complaints posted on Rip-off.com. Are the complaints so numerous that an employee would need to be assigned to write rebuttals on behave of the company?

I am not bashing the employees; I am only stating the facts with names attached. I am not interested in going rounds with you about Kia service or products. I wrote this only as a warning to someone else that may have transmission problems on a KIA product and there would be a record somewhere that this is a issue with KIA.

I find it clever and peculiar that KIA Corporation would need to have an employee respond to the complaints posted on Rip-off.com. Are the complaints so numerous that an employee would need to be assigned to write rebuttals on behave of the company?

I speak from almost 50 years of experience in this business and your insinuations that Kia is a bad product are completely without merit!!Mankind has yet to build a perfect machine so it doesn't matter if you drive a Yugo or a Rolls, they all have problems. While you may have had a unusual problem, if the truth be known there has to be another side to this story and you are not telling it.

We(readers) do not care about your sales experience because that has nothing whatsoever to do with a vehicle repair and you should not confuse the two. If you allowed yourself to be taken advantage of, then shame on you. That is not the products fault. If you had a problem with a car and you did not get it resolved then we (readers) deserve to know why. Kia has millions of owners and I assure you that more of them love their Kia's than hate their Kia's. Personally, I own a older Kia and I have been completely satisified with the product. So, from a satisified owner(me)to a not satisified customer(you)my suggestion is move on with life. Your bad service experience is certently not typical and from my perspective is not going to stop many people from buying a Kia if for no other reason, you simply have failed to present your case in a fair unbiased format. I suggest you direct your energy at finding a way to end your dissatifaction rather than continue chasing a historical event that has no apparent ending. One last thought, if you want to experience really good service for Kia products you should try our new service team at Tempe Kia. Bashing folks you don't know (Tempe Kia service)makes your case even less convincing to readers like me.

I agree that warranties are warranties but when a costumer can provide information that there was a transmission problem before any OIL changes were needed the problem of a FAULTY transmission should go back on the person or company that sells that product. A customer has rights and the big companies aren't willing to do what is right with the information that is in front of them.

If I were to have taken this to court I believe the judge would have looked at the proof and information provided by the customer from the dealer and ruler for the customer hands down. BUT Bill sold the customer another car because of her hurried circumstances and still got the best of her with crafty salesperson writing. So not only did she get a bum deal on a warrantee item but was like you said STUPID enough or desperate enought to buy another Kia.

Kia is a huge mistake for anyone and whoever reads this DON'T buy one.

Our new service department should not be held hostage for actions committed by others. Everyone has to remember that auto dealers do not build cars nor do they dictate warranty. Warranties for every manufactured product in the world are issued by the manufacturer of product. Dealers are bound by contracts to perform warranty on behalf of the manufacturer via written policies and procedures.
Customers are bound by manufacturers to perform recommended maintenance in accordance to the written maintenance schedules. Failure to maintain a vehicle in accordance to those written requirements is the owners obligation if the owner expects the manufacturer to honor a specific warranty. Consumers who expect a manufacturer to condone a consumers stupidity usually get nothing. As it should be. Consumers who maintain their product and maintain their product according to the required schedules usually get everything they have coming and then some.

In review, my life experiences prove that if a consumer maintains a product as suggested, the life expectency of a given product will consistantly outlive its design expectations.

I spoke to Hiro the service manager at Tempe Kia on Thursday, March 23, 2006. I contacted him since I had not received the information I requested: how much for a new transmission and why it was not covered.

ANYWAYS, I inquired if I would receive a new transmission, he replied "no, it is remanufactured; therefore I replied "does that mean you would want my core (to rebuild)? He replied "yes"; I replied "thanks for the information, very interesting."

I find it very interesting they can rebuild a CLOSE unit, but they cannot and will not "tear it down", with authorization from the owner! This is total B.S. What are they afraid of, finding a mechanical defect? Maybe I need to pursue the LEMON LAW, due to a faulty transmission from the manufacture from the day it rolled off the factor floor; and not a rebuilt transmission due to a mechanical defect.

The next day I called the corporate office and the service rep. could not explain to me why a closed unit could be rebuilt. Her reply was I can only tell you what is written on the report from the dealership from the service rep. We can call and talk to him together if you want. I do not have time for this double corporate talk. It doesn't ever make sense. Funny, huh?

Unfortunately, if you are expecting Kia corporate to help you, you are probably in real trouble.

In my case, I had the transmission in my Kia replaced for the 2nd time. About a week later, the brakes completely locked up. When I had it towed back to the dealership, they told me it was due to transmission fluid in the brake line. The entire brake system had to be replaced at a cost of around $1800.

I started with dealership management. Noone had worked on the car but Kia. They had just replaced my transmission. How else could transmission fluid have gotten in the brake line? No luck with dealership management so I toook it up to corporate.

I really wasn't concerned. I'd had an issue once with a Ford dealer's service and ended up calling Ford corporate. It tooka couple of days, but eventually Ford Corporate got it worked out. Surely, Kia corporate would see "the big picture".

Surely, not. They gave me the run around for 4 weeks. Passed from person to person, V-P to V-P.

Basically, you need to understand that Kia is little better than the "fat burning" scams on late night TV. They are purely a marketing company with no apparent interest or skill in building a decent car. The only goal appears to be to get you to buy just 1 of their cars. Long term customer care, brand creation, etc. are not in the picture. They are the "churn and burn" of the auto industry.

Run away. Get a new car. Take the bus. Buy a bike. Do anything you have to do to get away from the money-sucking leeches of Kia.

I just want the warranty work to be done this is a mechanical defect, not a maintentance issue!