On December 18, Kia called me to bring my car in to complete open recalls. I confirmed and also asked them to do an oil change.
On December 19, I dropped off the car for the recalls and oil change. But then, the dealership drove it to the carwash without oil and blew up the engine. We haven’t gotten the car back since.
Now it’s January 3, and the motor hasn’t even been ordered yet. They also haven’t given me any trade-in price options.
This is a 2023 Telluride SX-Prestige X-Line with just 11,000 miles on it.
Cindy said:
Tell them they need to cover the cost of a rental car until your motor is replaced and installed.
This sounds like an issue with the dealership, not Kia itself. You might want to consider getting legal advice, but don’t tell the dealership you’ve spoken to a lawyer unless it’s absolutely necessary. If you mention a lawyer, they might stop trying to resolve the issue directly and just wait to deal with your lawyer instead. Be careful with how you approach it.
Cindy said:
Tell them they need to cover the cost of a rental car until your motor is replaced and installed.
They should either give you a rental or loan you a car from their lot. It’s not like they don’t have cars available. Replacing the car is another option they should consider. Those are the only fair solutions.
I should add that they’ve agreed to replace the motor at no cost, but they’re waiting for their insurance to approve it before they even order the motor. I don’t really understand this process.
KIALady said:
I should add that they’ve agreed to replace the motor at no cost, but they’re waiting for their insurance to approve it before they even order the motor. I don’t really understand this process.
That helps explain things a bit. Dealerships have insurance policies similar to auto or home insurance. If their insurance company doesn’t approve the repair before they start it, the dealership might be stuck covering the full cost. By waiting for approval, they’ll only need to pay the deductible instead of the full price of the motor, which could be around $7,000. Still, they should absolutely provide you with a loaner car until your vehicle is fixed.
Just so you know, Kia dealerships are independently owned franchises. This isn’t a warranty issue, so Kia Motors won’t really get involved. It’s between you and the dealership.
LillyGrace said:
Just so you know, Kia dealerships are independently owned franchises. This isn’t a warranty issue, so Kia Motors won’t really get involved. It’s between you and the dealership.
Actually, Kia will care if you take it up with them directly. Dealerships often take things more seriously if they know you’ve gone over their heads. Last summer, I had a major issue with my engine, and the dealership was giving me the runaround, insisting I pay for unnecessary tests. Once I involved Kia directly, everything changed. They started handling the warranty service properly.
@ElizaFord
I can back this up. I had a similar experience with Hyundai. When I escalated the issue to corporate, they resolved it quickly and made sure the dealership followed through.
Johnstone said: @ElizaFord
I can back this up. I had a similar experience with Hyundai. When I escalated the issue to corporate, they resolved it quickly and made sure the dealership followed through.
Most car companies will step in like that. They know bad dealership experiences hurt their overall reputation and sales.
LillyGrace said: @ElizaFord
Was this one of those cases where they charged you a diagnostic fee just in case the repair wasn’t covered under warranty?
Not exactly. They were insisting I pay upfront for all the tests they wanted to run before they’d even consider anything. They didn’t plan to honour the warranty from the start. It was a frustrating experience.
@ElizaFord
Your dealer was clearly in the wrong. They’re supposed to explain that if the repair isn’t covered under warranty, you’d be responsible for the costs. But asking for prepayment before confirming whether it’s a warranty issue is just bad practice. Kia stepped in and did the right thing in your case.
This situation with the original poster is different, though. Here, the dealership admitted they caused the problem and offered to replace the motor. Now it’s a matter of them dragging their feet to get it done.