Brand new telluride was in my driveway for a week…and has been in the shop for over 120 days

Models
1

I bought my 2024 Telluride SX Prestige X-Pro on April 27, 2024, but soon noticed several issues: loose roof rails, a crooked spoiler above the back hatch, uneven doors on the driver’s side (front door higher than the back), and some cosmetic problems like improperly installed carpet near the 3rd-row seats. I contacted the salesperson and scheduled a service appointment for May 6. The service manager said he hadn’t seen these issues on a new car before and recommended starting a claim with Kia, thinking the roof rail issue could be an assembly problem, possibly due to missing hardware, and the other problems might be structural damage during shipment. My car has been in the shop for 121 days now, with no resolution in sight. The service manager is giving us the runaround, Kia America hasn’t been able to reach him, and our BBB Autoline claim has gone silent too.

Has anyone else dealt with something like this? Still paying for a new car we can’t even drive…

2

Check if your vehicle qualifies under the lemon law. You may be able to have the dealership repurchase it.

3

It’s unfortunate you ended up with a car that clearly wasn’t assembled properly. BBB likely won’t help much, so you might have better results by consulting a lawyer.

You could also try taking the car to a different dealership that works with Kia America, and be sure to share the name of the dealer to help others avoid them.

See if Kia can compensate you for the months you’ve been without the car or even buy it back. However, getting a lawyer involved would probably speed things up.

4

Check your state’s lemon laws and review your sales agreement and warranty documents to understand the process you need to follow.

Our new Telluride had deep scratches on both front fender panels, and the paint on the rear passenger door wasn’t done properly. We’re currently working with the dealership to resolve the issue—they’ve been fairly reasonable but not flawless. Best of luck!

5

My car has been in the shop for 121 days.

I would have waited a reasonable amount of time, maybe around 4 days. After that, I would have gone back and requested a loaner car until mine is ready. If they’re going to take 4 months, I might as well be putting miles on their car in the meantime.

6

Just wondering, did you do a walk-around inspection before finalizing the deal? Based on the issues mentioned, it seems like these should have been noticed at the dealership.

7

It likely should have been identified before leaving the manufacturer and never placed on the sales lot. If these issues were present during the post-completion inspection, they could have easily been missed due to the rain and darkness.

8

It’s essential to check your warranty and consumer manual to see what Kia requires based on your state’s regulations. You may need to send a certified letter, and I think they have 10 days to repair your vehicle. If they can’t resolve the issue within that time, they are obligated to provide some form of solution.

9

Notice to Hawaii consumers: “If your vehicle doesn’t meet its warranties and Kia or its dealers haven’t fixed it after a reasonable number of attempts, or it’s been out of service for a specified amount of time, you may qualify for a replacement or repurchase under your state’s Lemon Law. You need to provide WRITTEN notification of the issue to Kia at the address provided below, and they must have the chance to repair it before you’re eligible for a replacement or repurchase.” It seems your state requires written notification (I’d recommend sending it certified).

10

I don’t understand why the car is still in the shop if all the issues are non-mechanical.

Address each problem individually when the dealer has a solution for one at a time.

I’m not trying to be critical, but I’m puzzled as to why the car isn’t with you if no solutions are forthcoming.

I’m in Canada, so the trims are a bit different, but we’ve had an X-Line since July 23 with no issues.

However, we did have a 2013 Santa Fe that needed many repairs due to being a first-year redesign.

I understand the challenges. For each non-mechanical issue, we had them fix one at a time.

11

Sometimes I wonder if the negative comments here are from Kia competitors. I don’t mean to be rude, but how did you miss these apparent issues (assuming they’re even real) when you bought the car? And how did the dealership overlook them?

12

I have the same 2024 model as you, which we got in January. About three weeks ago, the glass on the front sunroof shattered while I was driving on the highway. There was no impact and we don’t use the sunroof, so it just broke into pieces.

The dealership we bought it from got Kia’s approval for a one-time “goodwill repair,” but I’m still waiting for the part to arrive because Kia limits dealership inventory, meaning many parts have to be ordered. I’m also waiting for parts for two other safety recalls.

Right now, the vehicle is just an expensive paperweight in my garage with a battery tender attached. I’m extremely frustrated, especially since this is peak outdoor season. I bought this car to transport my camping gear and tow my trailer, and now I’m unable to use it.

I miss my 2007 Honda Pilot that this car replaced—it never had any issues. If I could do it again, I would choose the Highlander or the Passport. I don’t think I’ll buy another Kia.