I bought a 2017 Kia Niro from a used dealer last year. It had 63k miles and I drove it for about 10k miles before the engine failed out of nowhere. I had the oil changed every 3k miles, and just had it done a week before it broke down.
Warranties:
A mechanic told me that Kia cars have had these issues, and it should be covered by warranty.
The used dealer said I was still covered by the manufacturer’s warranty at the time of purchase. Since the car was already over 60k miles, I thought I would be covered by the 10-year powertrain warranty. But now they’re saying only the battery is covered.
Kia Roseville said it’s not covered because I bought the car from a used dealer. They said I have a third-party warranty, but that doesn’t cover it. It only covers the battery because the car is a hybrid.
Lawyers say I should be covered, and Kia should fix it or pay me for the issue.
The sales team at Kia Marin agreed, but they were also trying to sell me another car.
As of this week, it’s been hard to reach the lawyers. I spoke to a receptionist at another law firm, and they told me that the California Supreme Court decided on November 1st that manufacturers don’t have to honor warranties for cars bought from used dealers. This might explain why I haven’t been able to get through to my lawyers.
The dealership says it will cost over $6k to repair the car, and I need to decide by Saturday or they’ll charge me $50/day for storage.
GAP insurance is saying this isn’t considered a total loss.
I just can’t afford to take on a $20k loan right now.
I’m from Canada, so we only get a 5-year/100k km warranty.
From what I understand, in the US, the 10-year/100k warranty offered by Hyundai/Kia doesn’t transfer to the second owner. The warranty gets downgraded to a 5-year/60k warranty unless the car was bought as a Certified Pre-Owned (CPO).
@Cynthia
That’s what Kia is saying. I’m just wondering why the used dealer told me I was covered when the car was already over 5 years old and had more than 60k miles when I bought it.
@fabian
What does your paperwork from the dealer say about the warranty? It should be clear in writing whether or not there’s any warranty, and what it covers. What the dealer “said” doesn’t count if it’s not in writing.
@jonces
It’s on my buyer’s guide that I’m covered by the manufacturer’s warranty. But the only warranty I could rely on would be the 10-year/100k. All other warranties would have been voided after 60k, and the car had 63k when I bought it.
@fabian
Yeah, I think the 100k only applies to the original owner. I have a 2018 model, and it’s been great. Some of them have gone over 200k miles with no issues. Sorry you’ve had trouble though.
RadiantRogue said:
Sounds like you didn’t do enough research before buying the car.
Not sure how I could have researched a Supreme Court decision that just happened last week. Maybe I should start consulting oracles before making purchases in the future.
@fabian
You bought a 2017 Kia in 2023 with more than 60k miles. Kia’s powertrain warranty has been well known for a long time. Did the used dealer offer you an extended warranty when you bought it?
@fabian
Had you searched that model online, you would’ve seen that the Theta II engine has known issues. Kia cars are usually great, but that engine is one to avoid.
If you’d done a little research, you could’ve avoided this problem.
It’s a tough situation, but no matter what car you’re buying, it’s always best to look into its reliability first.
With your Kia, since it was bought second-hand, the 10-year/100k mi warranty doesn’t apply. Instead, you only had a 5-year/60k mi warranty, which has already expired. Technically, you’re out of warranty. You could try calling Kia Corporate, but they will probably deny your claim.
Sorry about your situation, but it seems the used dealer didn’t give you the full details, and there wasn’t enough research done by both parties. I hope you can get it sorted.
It looks like the dealer was just trying to get rid of the car. If you have paperwork showing the warranty should have been the 10y/100k, maybe you can get somewhere or pay only half of the repair cost.
If it’s the knock sensor, you might be able to get it fixed for free. I bought my car 3 months ago, and there was a recall for that issue. Kia told me there’s a warranty for 15 years or 150k miles. There was also a recall for the anti-theft system, and they should fix that as well. Call Kia and give them your VIN number. If there are any recalls on your car, they’ll let you know.