Kia Motors America Kia Motors " The Power to Surprise". Timing Belt = Dead Engine, Twice !! Irvine California

Kia does spell out, and is supposed to provide trip protection insurance if you break down outside of your home area. The reimbursement rate is $100/day.

I do not work for Kia, but GENERALLY, Kias are becoming more reliable than once were. Sure it will take some time for the stigma to wear off, but by saying author cannot be a mechanic because he purchased a Kia is nonsense.

Check ebay or classifieds and you'll find many later model Kias with high miles. This should reflect the upswing in quality over the past few years.

Unfortunate the timing belt broke, and good customer service probably should have helped you out, even if out of the warranty terms.

Not that I need to justify my experience but for the sake of the complete moron the posted...

MTA Automotive School/3 years Firestone/11 years Sears (Tech 3)
ASE in suspension/steering/brakes
MOOG Suspension and Steering remote
too many other classes to list... (rack and pinion/advanced brakes/advanced alignment/etc.. etc..)
EPA 609 certified

Tools: hand tools alone exceed $8,000

When there is piston damage they replace the long block not just the head and valves. Ever heard of punching a hole in the piston or "pinching" a ring. Only if you are extremely lucky there will be no piston damage.. Since the majority of the engine is aluminum... hmmm

Trip interruption is in the warranty guide and I was 400+ miles from home.
Maybe you should read more...

"I am a certified mechanic with 15 years of experience..."

Sure you are. The cars you list as owning are the two CHEAPest cars ever made. Even the YUGO was better. No real wrench turner would own any of them. Having a Sears $99 tool kit does not make you a certified anything.

The dealership(2 of them) never told you anything about "problem on every Kia ever made". This issue is not a problem at all.

"May 21, 2008 (112k on the car) squeal...on the side on the road in seconds.. pulley froze throwing the timing belt destroying yet another engine..
Shouldn't the timing components be changed when changing the belt and a new engine?"

They would not have replaced the engine. They would have replaced the cylinder head and the timing belt. A "certified mechanic with 15 years of experience" would know that.

"What happened to "trip interruption"??"

There is no requirement for KIA to provide you with anything that is not written in the Warranty. They follow this booklet to the letter, just as they expect the consumer to do so. If they did provide anything beyond their Warranty, it was on the consent of the GM at the Dealership as a customer service only.

While I do actually think you got a bad deal, it does not rise to the claim of being ripped off. After all, a "certified mechanic with 15 years of experience" would have known better than to ever buy the CHEAPest car(2 of them) ever made.Real mechanics own cars/trucks that have excellent reliability, and low repair costs. Amazing how we know about these things.