KIA Motors Damaged engine at 70,000 miles - no warranty from Kia ripoff Nationwide

Tom -

I feel your pain. I just learned the same hard lesson that you did. I bought a new 2003 Kia Rio in Sept of 03. My car was well taken care of, oil changes every 3000-4000 miles, all maintnance required done on time with exception of the timing belt. My car had 76,000 miles on it and I knew the timing belt needed changed.

One day while driving, my car died. I had it towed to the Kia dealer ship to have it looked at. $250 dollars later they told me it was the timing belt and it destroyed the engine. They would put a used engine with approx 50,000 miles in it for $3000. I almost fell over!! I went in and seen the belt and it did not break. It was intact, but a tad bit loose.

I have had Many new cars and waited much longer to replace the timing belts than the 76,000 on the Kia.

I changed my xxx belt at 200,000 miles.
I changed my xxxx at 150,000.

Granted the manual states in black and white to replace at 60,000 miles. I knew it needed changed, but did not do it, based on the fact that many others and I have went well past the recomended timing belt changing. I gambled and I lost on this account.

I stilled owed $6500 on that piece of junk. Against my better judgement, Kia helped me get into another new Kia. A Kia Spectra had a $2000 rebate and the dealership discounted the car to eat up some of the negative equity. I am now driving a 2006 loaded Kia Spectra SX.

I am still very skitish about buying another Kia though. I played Russian Roulette and lost on the Rio. It was an expensive lesson and I GUARANTEE you I will make sure the timing belt on this one is changed at 55,000 miles!!

By the way. I dont call my car a Kia. Its name is: POKC (Piece of Korean Crap)

Robert

Tom -

I feel your pain. I just learned the same hard lesson that you did. I bought a new 2003 Kia Rio in Sept of 03. My car was well taken care of, oil changes every 3000-4000 miles, all maintnance required done on time with exception of the timing belt. My car had 76,000 miles on it and I knew the timing belt needed changed.

One day while driving, my car died. I had it towed to the Kia dealer ship to have it looked at. $250 dollars later they told me it was the timing belt and it destroyed the engine. They would put a used engine with approx 50,000 miles in it for $3000. I almost fell over!! I went in and seen the belt and it did not break. It was intact, but a tad bit loose.

I have had Many new cars and waited much longer to replace the timing belts than the 76,000 on the Kia.

I changed my xxx belt at 200,000 miles.
I changed my xxxx at 150,000.

Granted the manual states in black and white to replace at 60,000 miles. I knew it needed changed, but did not do it, based on the fact that many others and I have went well past the recomended timing belt changing. I gambled and I lost on this account.

I stilled owed $6500 on that piece of junk. Against my better judgement, Kia helped me get into another new Kia. A Kia Spectra had a $2000 rebate and the dealership discounted the car to eat up some of the negative equity. I am now driving a 2006 loaded Kia Spectra SX.

I am still very skitish about buying another Kia though. I played Russian Roulette and lost on the Rio. It was an expensive lesson and I GUARANTEE you I will make sure the timing belt on this one is changed at 55,000 miles!!

By the way. I dont call my car a Kia. Its name is: POKC (Piece of Korean Crap)

Robert

Tom -

I feel your pain. I just learned the same hard lesson that you did. I bought a new 2003 Kia Rio in Sept of 03. My car was well taken care of, oil changes every 3000-4000 miles, all maintnance required done on time with exception of the timing belt. My car had 76,000 miles on it and I knew the timing belt needed changed.

One day while driving, my car died. I had it towed to the Kia dealer ship to have it looked at. $250 dollars later they told me it was the timing belt and it destroyed the engine. They would put a used engine with approx 50,000 miles in it for $3000. I almost fell over!! I went in and seen the belt and it did not break. It was intact, but a tad bit loose.

I have had Many new cars and waited much longer to replace the timing belts than the 76,000 on the Kia.

I changed my xxx belt at 200,000 miles.
I changed my xxxx at 150,000.

Granted the manual states in black and white to replace at 60,000 miles. I knew it needed changed, but did not do it, based on the fact that many others and I have went well past the recomended timing belt changing. I gambled and I lost on this account.

I stilled owed $6500 on that piece of junk. Against my better judgement, Kia helped me get into another new Kia. A Kia Spectra had a $2000 rebate and the dealership discounted the car to eat up some of the negative equity. I am now driving a 2006 loaded Kia Spectra SX.

I am still very skitish about buying another Kia though. I played Russian Roulette and lost on the Rio. It was an expensive lesson and I GUARANTEE you I will make sure the timing belt on this one is changed at 55,000 miles!!

By the way. I dont call my car a Kia. Its name is: POKC (Piece of Korean Crap)

Robert

Tom -

I feel your pain. I just learned the same hard lesson that you did. I bought a new 2003 Kia Rio in Sept of 03. My car was well taken care of, oil changes every 3000-4000 miles, all maintnance required done on time with exception of the timing belt. My car had 76,000 miles on it and I knew the timing belt needed changed.

One day while driving, my car died. I had it towed to the Kia dealer ship to have it looked at. $250 dollars later they told me it was the timing belt and it destroyed the engine. They would put a used engine with approx 50,000 miles in it for $3000. I almost fell over!! I went in and seen the belt and it did not break. It was intact, but a tad bit loose.

I have had Many new cars and waited much longer to replace the timing belts than the 76,000 on the Kia.

I changed my xxx belt at 200,000 miles.
I changed my xxxx at 150,000.

Granted the manual states in black and white to replace at 60,000 miles. I knew it needed changed, but did not do it, based on the fact that many others and I have went well past the recomended timing belt changing. I gambled and I lost on this account.

I stilled owed $6500 on that piece of junk. Against my better judgement, Kia helped me get into another new Kia. A Kia Spectra had a $2000 rebate and the dealership discounted the car to eat up some of the negative equity. I am now driving a 2006 loaded Kia Spectra SX.

I am still very skitish about buying another Kia though. I played Russian Roulette and lost on the Rio. It was an expensive lesson and I GUARANTEE you I will make sure the timing belt on this one is changed at 55,000 miles!!

By the way. I dont call my car a Kia. Its name is: POKC (Piece of Korean Crap)

Robert

Hello Amber,

I live in Grand Rapids, MI. The dealer that quoted me $388 to replace the belt is Keller Kia in Grand Rapids. This was last September, so prices may have changed. The phone number is 616-784-6600. It sounds like your quote includes more than just the timing belt - you may want to ask for a quote to get just the timing belt replaced. Whatever you do, make sure you get the timing belt replaced - you could get stuck like I did, with a wrecked engine and no warranty.

I would also suggest that you ask them if there is any other maintenance that MUST be done to keep your warranty valid.

I guess that is how they can offer the 100,000 mile warranty - by making you pay for this kind of maintenance along the way.

Best of luck, Amber!

Tom

Grand Rapids, MI

Hello Amber,

I live in Grand Rapids, MI. The dealer that quoted me $388 to replace the belt is Keller Kia in Grand Rapids. This was last September, so prices may have changed. The phone number is 616-784-6600. It sounds like your quote includes more than just the timing belt - you may want to ask for a quote to get just the timing belt replaced. Whatever you do, make sure you get the timing belt replaced - you could get stuck like I did, with a wrecked engine and no warranty.

I would also suggest that you ask them if there is any other maintenance that MUST be done to keep your warranty valid.

I guess that is how they can offer the 100,000 mile warranty - by making you pay for this kind of maintenance along the way.

Best of luck, Amber!

Tom

Grand Rapids, MI

Hello Amber,

I live in Grand Rapids, MI. The dealer that quoted me $388 to replace the belt is Keller Kia in Grand Rapids. This was last September, so prices may have changed. The phone number is 616-784-6600. It sounds like your quote includes more than just the timing belt - you may want to ask for a quote to get just the timing belt replaced. Whatever you do, make sure you get the timing belt replaced - you could get stuck like I did, with a wrecked engine and no warranty.

I would also suggest that you ask them if there is any other maintenance that MUST be done to keep your warranty valid.

I guess that is how they can offer the 100,000 mile warranty - by making you pay for this kind of maintenance along the way.

Best of luck, Amber!

Tom

Grand Rapids, MI

I have a manual 2002 Kia Rio and I am at 68K miles and have been looking at that timing belt on the maintenance schedule like, "...for real?" This is my first new car so I don't know about how often that should be replaced and I stick to my manual like the Bible. However, in my area the dealers are talking about $500 to $800 for the service which will also replace all the drive belts.

To me that is just an obscene amount of money when my car has been great. I have has zero issues with it and up to this point, but again, I have followed the maintenance schedule. First, since I am close to 70K I am seriously looking to take my car in this week, I mean, after reading this it just seems logical and I have some kind of trans leak anyway I think so I need to have that examined.

I know, I know, I have never had any problems but I am mentioning a trans leak. I just hope its warranty.

But Tom, what dealer told you $388? I can swing that but $500 or $800 is just too much.

Thanks in advance!
Amber C.

Tom and anyone else who has had this happen to them... What dealerships and manufacturers wont tell you is that each dealership is provided with Technical Service bulletins that tell technicians and dealerships how to correct problems that are due to poor parts, or any other number of reasons.

The reports can be requested from the dealership the manufacturer, ordered on line or ordered by the courts. There is in fact one on timing belts from 2005 called "improved timing belt" There have been 70 TSBs since 98 and nearly 50 since 2000. Just something to think about. Read LemonAid by Phil Edmonston. It is full of a wealth of information on how to fight bottom line protecting car companies and dealerships. I have just asked my dealership for that particular TSB and they say that they are getting me a copy.

I had a belt replaced in my 2001 Rio in 2004 and just over 60,000 km or 37000 miles it broke and destroyed the engine. Filed complaints with the better business bureau, emailed consumer advocates and am preparing a case for small claims court if the car is not fixed. Read the book...or check it out on line!

Toby,

I would say that you should continue to evaluate the Kia, but I recommend that you thoroughly understand the warranty and what your obligations are before committing to purchase. I would suggest getting a copy of the Kia warranty and going over it with your potential Kia service rep (not sales rep) until you fully understand your obligations. There are a few requirements for periodic maintenance that must be performed by the dealer in order to keep your warranty valid, and you would not necessarily think of them on your own.

The maintenance schedule for my 2002 Kia Rio is listed in the owners manual, but it does NOT make it clear what maintenance must be performed in order to keep the warranty valid, so don't rely on your owner's manual for that purpose.

Since I had my issue last fall I have seen that Kia offers an "improved" timing belt, so it would appear to me that they are adressing some of that concern.

Best of luck!

I have had to replace a timing belt only once and that was on an 87 Camry at about 120k. No damage was done. It just quit. Had it towed to dealer and replaced. All cars I own now have mileage ranging from 100k to 278k(mb). None have had their timing belt replaced.

I have recently been looking into getting a Kia Optima. I am wondering now about this 100k warranty and what all it involves.

Toby
Michigan

Marc,

What you say makes a whole lot of sense. It would have cost me about $850 to repair the head, valves, and pistons (yes, there was piston damage as well). That's with $0 in labor. I can get a used engine for anywhere from $500 - $800, depending on how new it is. It is much easier to replace the engine that to rebuild the existing one, and, in this case, less expensive.

Keep replacing those belts!

I'm also the guy that sends a lot of cylinder heads to the machine shop becuase of people testing the manufacturers stated life-limit of the belts, usually costing the owner an additional $400 or so. I'm the guy that tows about 50% of these cars to the scrap yard because the owner simply can't afford to dump money into repairs that may or may not fix all
the damage. Additonal damage can be very expensive to repair (trueing cam bearings, etc) I'm the guy that automatically changes the belt on any high-milage car I'm going to sell, because I don't want to screw people over. Most people know two things about a car. (Put gas in it and drive it.) I think changing a belt is easier than installing a used or new engine, or worse, buying a different car. My reward is zero comebacks, zero complaints, and I've been in business since 1993. I cater mostly to low-income people, and they appreciate NOT being ripped off on a car that pops it's belt at 70,000 and leaves them stranded on the freeway.

Robert, Marc, Shawn, Laurie, and Alan - I would like to thank you for your banter on this issue. Even though it is clear that this is just going to have to be an expensive learning experience, I do feel better being able to vent. :-)

Best of luck to you all!

Hello Tom,
It sounds like you gave the dealer every opportunity to check the timing belt. I am surprised they did not offer to do this since they make good money replaceing these belts. If they looked at it the wear on the belts may have been evident and this would have saved your engine. A poor dealership indeed. On future cars you may want to make sure the engine is a non-interference engine, that way if the belt does break the car simply will stop dead in its tracks but the engine will survive. Check out a Toyota Camry.

Laurie,

This is not a case of being too lazy to read the manual, and I doubt very much that I am anything like your "hubby". I am very diligent about maintenance on all my vehicles - I have 2 college students and one high schooler who all drive "verrrry used cars", as you put it. I would have gladly paid the $318 to have the timing belt replaced had I known it needed to be done.

Just before my daughter's trip, I went through the car with a fine toothed comb, checking the brakes, checking for leaks, I even checked the clutch, to make sure that everything was in working order. I even called the dealership and asked if I should bring it in or if there is anything else I should check. They told me that because it is the most basic model (manual transmission, no power steering, etc.) that there really isn't anything to check. My point is that the dealership had many opportunites to remind me or alert me to the need for this maintenance but never did.

For every other new car I have ever owned, either the dealer or the manufacturer sent me reminders of recommended maintenance. Every time I brought it in, even for an oil change, they told me about maintenance needed.

This vehicle is the only vehicle I have ever owned with a mandatory timing belt replacement requirement at 60,000 miles. So, someone could make the argument that it's my own fault for not reading the manual, taking the legalistic way out. I am saying that Kia needs to do a better job of letting their customers know about these maintenance requirements, because they are different and more stringent than other cars.

Maybe I just dealt with a poor dealership. Has anyone else had their Kia dealership remind them of this critical maintenance?

Tom,

I am on my 3rd Kia...not the best cars in the world, certainly not the worst. But each one comes with an owners manual.

If you keep track of your maint, then you would know that at certainl milage there is MORE required than just changing the oil and rotating the tires.

My hubby is the same way - he's just about destroyed his 2nd car since I've known him, because he waits 10k miles to change the oil, never rotates the tires, and unless I bring the truck into be serviced, it would never have things like the antifreeze or belts checked.

I guess because until I bought Kia's I was only able to buy veryyyyyyy used cars, I belive in taking care of my investments.

You weren't ripped off, just too lazy to follow directions CLEARLY printed in a book, handy in your glovebox!

Hey Tom, I don't know if you read my (Shawn - Phelan)report, but just in case you haven't, you might think about pulling out the keyway and seeing what "condition" that is in. The pin is supposed to fit snug(actually tight - to replace it, it should take a light "tapping" to set it in place), if it is loose such as it was in my case, you may have some recourse as this SHOULD be covered by warranty. I suppose it will probably take a death or two before Kia opens their eyes and recalls these pieces of "Kiarap."

By the way, who is this guy hopping from post to post telling everyone that all timing belts need to be replaced at 60,000 miles? (My guess is a Kia representative in "disguise" lol) I have owned something like, um... 17 cars so far (4 of them new off the lot) and I have yet to see or hear of a timing belt "going out" at or around 60,000 miles. I have always waited until the 100,000 mile mark to even check the belts of previous cars and most of the time that resulted in another 25,000 - 50,000 miles before actual replacement. On vehicles with a timing chain, even longer (except I find the tensioner and/or guide often need replacing at about the 100,000 to 150,000 mile mark.

The long and short of it is this, Kia makes inferior cars and sells them based on a solid 10 year/100,000 mile warranty and then refuse to honor the warranty when your car breaks down. Some korean "fat-cats" are lining thier pockets with ripped-off American money and nobody has stepped up to help us ....yet!

Good luck to all - Kia lies!

In California, the manual says to CHECK the belt at 60K and 90K, with replacement at 105K. All other places on Earth, the manual says to replace every 60K. It seems California is having troubles with the space/time continuum.

I wish they would teach young drivers this in high school. Almost every car on the road requires the belt change at 60,000 miles, along with the belt tensioner and water pump at the same time. I'd bet there are more cars in the junk yard for this than any other cause. Tom, this would happen no matter what the make of car, at any dealer. Too bad you're learning it the hard way. I'd like to see a "belt change warning" light in every car. I doubt you'll get it repaired for $300 at this point, as you probrably have incurred cylinder head damage too. This is one of the bad things about modern engines, but rest assured you have a lot of company.

It will specify the required maintenance. That pretty much says it all.