KIA Motors
reviews and complaints

Windshields have significant history of cracking within a short period of time following impact (star) damage from road debris or rocks. Cracks progress before chips can be filled which then necessitates full replacement. With calibration, replacement costs are approximately $900 (I have $500 deductible).

In Nov 2019, then Kia VP, Greg Silvestri issued a letter to customers and service managers that Kia would replace the windshields that had the above problem free of charge, until Kia could identify the defect that was causing the problem. I had a chip/crack the following year and was able to get Kia to honor the replacement pledge only after a month of haggling with California HQ.

Replacement was the same OEM windshield as original and just recently experienced a chip/crack almost exactly the same as before. Again I went to the dealer who gave me a shrug and stated that chips were not covered. So again, I contact CA office customer satisfaction and they knew nothing of the letter, so I sent them a copy. Oh, now I see, but it doesn't cover rocks (which it specifically said it did). It only covers spontaneous cracking (as if that were a thing). So I sent a copy of the service managers' letter from Silvestri which specifically cited rock damage leading to a crack. So then they call me and state that it's a once only offer (guess rocks were covered) and I already had mine.

The Silvestri letter promised satisfaction until the cause could be determined. Unless the windshield has been reengineered or manufacturers have changed, I fail to see how the problem was solved. Very unhappy as I will be on tap to keep replacing windshields at a hefty price until this is resolved.

I purchased a 2014 Soul from the Kia dealership in Virginia Beach, VA. I have been regularly taking the vehicle to the service center. Recently, my ABS warning light came on. I contacted this dealership service center as well as the service center of the dealership in Greenbrier, Chesapeake, VA, to inquire about the cost of replacing a speed sensor, as that was the likely issue. I could never get a straight answer. I researched and did extensive due diligence about the average cost of this replacement in the area and discovered it would be $250-$300 for the part and labor. I took the vehicle to the Virginia Beach service center for a diagnostic, which confirmed the issue was a rear wheel speed sensor. I asked how much the replacement would be. The service person could not tell me until hours after I left the service center. The cost was outrageous. I needed the car, so I said to proceed. The bill came to $638.66, including some silly $50 miscellaneous charge shop fee. That cost was more than double what I had expected from my online research. The labor charge alone was $510.61. What the heck does this service center pay its techs? $150 an hour? I tried for two days to get an estimated installation charge from the Greenbrier service center and never - never - got anyone to provide the price. I am extremely unhappy and dissatisfied.

In the last 2 mths I have brought my car in because of acceleration issues. The piece was replaced (it was a recall) but since then my cars computer has been going crazy, It beeps that I will be having a collision without me even being next to a car. The check engine light continues to come in, and my car went idle with my kids in the car in the middle of the highway.

I absolutely love my car BUT the one I have is not safe for me and my family. I spoke to my sales rep and their manager and they had the nerve to tell me that will get me out of my lease (I have 11mths left), they came back and literally DOUBLED my monthly payments on an issue that I HAVE NOT fault over. I am not asking for an upgrade I want my same exact car BUTTTT not the one I am currently driving. I am making monthly payments on a vehicle that my family and I are NOT safe in... my car is currently in BX Kia you can speak with Edwin, Keith, Iris, Irma or Sal...

Front end fell off our 2018 Kia Sorento. Just backing up and fell off all the screws and latches cracked and broke off. There never has been front end damage. Car is kept up with maintenance and proper car washing. Front end literally just fell off. Thankful we were not driving with our family on the highway.

January 10, 2022 I picked up

My car and as I was driving home my sensor light came back on and when I arrive home my back-up camera went out again I video it and I went back to dealership the next day Jordan Calhoun he would call my extended warranty to add the tire sensors and to replace the Radio system/back up camera he never did Submit the claim to the insurance people because he keeps tell me that my Insurance did not pay claim and the Insurance people said he didn’t complete the invoice I had an appointment with Kia on March 8, 2022 told me My claim was close and it was not close he had me to sign this paper to send it to the Insurance company and he never sent it So my car is not mix properly for 3 months because of Jordan Calhoun did do his job correctly my Insurance has all documentation Conversation my City backplate sticker expired March 31, 2022 my car will fail because these issue wasn’t complete on a timely basis and another I have with Jordan Calhoun and the store Head manager Ziggy of Kia I was badly harass about my extended warranty Car Shield Ziggy talked it so bad about car Shield that was so unprofessional to talk to a customer about her preference off car insurance warranty then Jordan Calhoun didn’t make it no better with is input this happened on APRIL 1.2022 when went to the dealership she to talk to the manager Ziggy he was very unprofessional very aggressive to me about my situation then he told the Service department as of today April 1, 2022 do not take no Insurance from Car Shield the customer will have to pay the full amount and get reimbursed with their car insurance they're not talking no Car Shield Insurance no more I had got my car fix at this dealership before with my car shield insurance I had no problem and they didn’t have no problem

we are the customers who invest our money into Kia cars as a 3 time Kia owner the customer service and the manager for Kia should treat all the customers with respect and with courtesy and professionally it do matter if your extended warranty came from the dollar store don’t disrespect know one's business you don’t want no one disrespecting your business these two employees Kia cooperate need to take discipline action thank you

2013 Kia Optima, Pearl white, 90,000 miles. Bought new from Family Kia, March of 2013. Serviced by same dealer with one exception while in Georgia.

Same issues with paint peeling and blisters. Would like resolution to this issue for myself and others experiencing this same problem.

Feb 27.2022 car wreck not my fault

driving a 2020 forte leased via kia finance.

car was determined to be total loss on March 10, 2022

all paperwork was submitted to KIA via insurance company

ALL insurance company needed was letter of guarantee so they could pay this car off.

every call was documented and who we spoke to

every call was a different story all which turned out to be lies

today is March 24th STILL no letter of documentation, KIA took my lease payment for the month, meanwhile, I have no car to drive.

I have a pearl white 2013 kia optima and my paint started peeling about a year ago. I got the ok from kia to get estimates and found a shop that has dealt with this exact situation. They told me they have painted about 150 cars that Kia has covered and paid for. They also told me that when the care was made in Georgia.. they did NOT use a primer. This is not ok. There should be a recall.

I bought a Kina Nero EV Premium on February the 8th, 2022. This is the 1st Kia car that I have ever owned. I have always owned Hyundai's before. But, I can say that, as with the Hyundai cars, I am very happy with my Kia. However, I was charged a market adjustment of 2K over MSRP. They used the rebate that should have come to me of 2K to pay for the markup. And, I found out today that Hyundai does not allow, or let dealerships charge more that MSRP. I was not aware of that. I thought the manufacturer was aware of this, and knew and is letting dealerships charge more than MSRP. But, as I say, I found out that Hyundai is not allowing dealerships to take advantage of customers like this and will have their shipments curtailed and have their advertising support cut. This is according to Randy Parker, a top Sales Executive Agent for Hyundai. As, he says this will alienate customers and they will shop elsewhere for their car purchase. So, my complaint is that I want that 2K that was supposed to be used as a rebate, be used as such, and not to pay for the 2K above invoice that the dealership charged me. Ford is telling their dealerships the same thing. I hope Kia is a great car company like Hyundai and Ford as well as other car manufacturers and can make me a happy customer again. So, I hope you can get this resolved for me as this is not fair to be taking advantage of consumers like this. Now that I am aware that the dealership is not allowed to do this, I want this 2K refunded back to me. Again, I am very happy with the car, thank you, Kia, I just want you to help me get the 2K back and so that I end up paying MSRP that I should have to begin with.

I hope you can help me out with this issue.

Thank you so very much!

Sincerely,

Jeff

Dear KIA Customer Service,

I purchased a USB Memory Stick PN 156U5W B with Update NAM 14.41.43.xxx (Version 15) from KIA Mapcare to simplify the MAP Update and prevent any software errors that might occur from downloading the update file.

After reading the instructions in the Map Update Manual, I opted for a Quick Update and started the process. The update screens matched the manual illustrations until the end of the update when there was an error instead of the expected ‘OK’. The system automatically restarted and updated the entire system.

The three-section display was changed to a split screen that has very small font for the stations on the bottom of the screen and fewer presets. The presents now have numbers only without the channel name, which was displayed in the original software. The artist and title of the song playing are miniscule within a text box under the large 'vacuum tube display' numbers.

Map displays are typically split screen, however, on occasion the map display transforms from a split screen to a three-section display with the 1st and 3rd sections having the same content.

The UVO link button on the top console no longer functions. Instead, the Navigate button on the radio must be pressed.

My 2015 Kia ex v6 Sorento’s engine seized with no warning. My certified pre-owned cars warranty just expired at 100,000 miles and I have 108,000 miles on the car. The dealership says there is nothing they can do to help with the repair payment. I know there is a class action suit on some Kia models for engine problems but they tell me it’s not on my model. They also can’t tell me why it seized.

I purchased a 2016 Kia Sorento in 2018 with 48, 855 miles on it.

I have to say it has been my wife's favorite car I have purchased, until now. She loved the way it drove, heated seats and steering wheel...are was super happy.

Then, in Oct 2021 the engine seized 3 hours away from home, with my wife and daughter on the highway. We were able to get it towed home, and the dealership said it was a recall on my engine and they would fix it. Apparently the recall was know about before they sold it to me off the lot!

It took them 62 days to fix the car. They were "unable," to provide me a loaner. So I had to pay out of pocket to rent a car, and am still waiting to be reimbursed.

Now, all the paint is chipping off the hood, and the drivers side door. I took it to get it repainted, and the guy told me that is definitely "delamination,desalination,, peeling" of the paint. So it is faulty paint. He said it had to Bea recall. I looked for the recall and discovered my vehicle has 3 other recalls, but NOT fir paint. So, now am I supposed to pay out of pocket again for all these other recalls?

Why would a KIA DELEARSHIP sell me a vehicle KNOWING it had an engine recall? My wife and child could have been killed on the busy highway where her car seized up?!

And now all the paint is chipping. It is am absolute mess! Not only that,but how can I trade a car in knowing there are 3 other recall on this model?

Someone has got to be able to do something about this whole mess. I understand recalls, but provide your customers with a loaner car, and fix all the warranties at once. Why should your customers suffer for trusting you to provide them with a safe secure vehicle?

I have the lease of a Sorento 2021 since the following week that I have it in my possession, it has faults in the sensors and cameras after it rains or it is too cold, I have taken it to technical service on several occasions and the response I have from the technicians is that there is no call for this type of case and they cannot solve anything.

1 month ago I had a small accident due to the damaged sensors that the Sorento has and I have taken it to technical service again, They said that they were going to solve the problem that would take it to the following week and they took charge of the sensors and the repair of the body of the car because it was their fault and they did not pay attention from the first moment this happened.

BUT AT THE TIME of taking the day of the repair they tell us that they are only going to repair the sensors and that the crash of the body is not their fault and they are not going to repair the body...I don't understand why Kia waits for something to happen so that the car service is provided on time, the service of Kia Hollywood is terrible there, nobody knows anything and the truth is that we wanted to take this whole case on the right track, but this is it pathetic when it was a shock because of your negligence

Engine seized back in Nov 2021. Sat at the dealership waiting for a new Engine for 3 mo. Ended up paying $1600 for a rental for a month before the dealership took over the payments. Was told that I would be reimbursed to only find out months later after I've emailed and called several times to find out what the status was that they only reimburse $40 a day which only added up to $1000. On top of that they say its going to take another 3 mo to get the check mailed. Been complaining, emailing whoever I can to try and get the difference bit keep getting transfered to people who know nothing. And still no email back.

Hello I purchased my first Kia ever in April 2021.. I absolutely love my Kia K5 Gt Upline. I purchased the car at Jim Butler KIa in Chesterfield Missouri.. Great and easy car buying experience I have ever had.. July of 2021 I went back to Kia in Chesterfield Missouri and purchased another vehicle for my son.. I was taking my car back to Chesterfield dealership for my service needs. Which is 45 mins out of the way for me one way.. I can't remember the exact month but In or around September or October I had taken my car in for service and they broke the oil seal or something like that and somehow the metal shield under the car also got broke. I had mentioned to the service department that the paint was coming off of my car.. They took pictures and never heard back. When I left the dealership that day I kept hearing a loud noise like I had a flat tire so I pulled over and everything looked fine.. My son looked under the car and seen the shield hanging down. I called and talked to the lady that sold me the Car Cherly Cooper. She told me the service department is closed now because it was a Saturday.. I took the car back after some argument and they acted like it was a big inconvenience to give me a rental car. I told that was my only form of transportation. The service manager called me that Monday and told me they don't know what happened but they order a new shield and it was no cost to me.. There was oil all over my engine. So Kevin stated that the next time I came in they would put the part on. I asked about getting the paint fixed and he stated that kia is not going to fix it bc it is rock chips. I do not live on gravel and drive on gravel roads. Their is a film pealing from my lower ground affects and I got no response. So when I had my son take my car back in for a oil change they did not put my part on.. So at this point I was getting no where with this getting resolved. So I went and left a review on Dealer rating in the beginning of November about my experience with the service department. So they reached out to me and agreed to get my car fixed including the paint after the holiday so I said that was fine because I want to put a clear bra on the front. I had not, heard from this when I reached out to them again February 7,2022. So the gentlemen I talked to took my name and phone number and why I was calling and stated he would call right back. By that Friday I left another review on their Google web page and I put I would contact my attorney and contact the BBB.. The owner responded to me saying '"Ms Newsom, we are glad that you are not coming back to our store. Please have your attorney contact me directly. Brad" I even bought a extra warranty for the paint, wheels and body and rims. I just want my paint fixed. Their is paint chips on the front of my car and on the hatch and the side of my car. I do not appreciate buying two cars from this dealership in less than a year and I don't appreciate being lied to saying they would fix these issues and it not happening. I keep up with the maintenance on my car. I take very good care of my car and I want it to continue to look nice. My car is Pearl White and I got the window tinted out and it makes the car pop and I get so many compliments from other people. I tell everyone how much I love my Kia because I do. I just don't appreciate being treated like this and he should of never said that to me on a review because that looks bad for him and the kia..

In less then owning a new 2021 KIA Sorento we have experienced

1 crack windshield

2 Navigation system kicking off multiple times in one destination

3 while driving down rd the emergency break, breaks! The message on dash reads emergency brake with 2 red lines swerving.

4. While driving car does not excel, it’s as if my foot is not on the gas pedal

5. Sunroof sticks so now I’m afraid to even open it that it may not close.

To say the least I am extremely disappointed in this car! I feel that I have bought a lemon and kia does not stand behind there product. When I bring my car in of course some of these things do not happen so there for I go unfixed and I continue to drive an unsafe vehicle.

Pierre Boucicaut

55 Broadfield Road

Hempstead, NY 11550

C# [protected]

Greetings,

I am writing this letter to make a formal complaint to Kia Motors after a negative experience with Ray Alam, the Finance Office at Auto World Kia located at East Meadow, Long Island, New York.

My wife and I purchased a Kia Sorento X-Line Prestige on February 11, 2022. The finance officer, Ray, did NOT explain an extra charge of $4999.00 and even failed to give a grand total cost or explain the extra options for the vehicle. We noticed this extra charge only when my wife and I reviewed the invoice after arriving home after spending several hours finalizing the sale.

Currently the atmosphere at dealerships is very arduous with the shortage of cars- I feel dealerships are charging arbitrary figures above MSRP on to the consumers. This issue of overcharging for us an additional $4,000 is another matter entirely and is not the reason for this letter.

When I met with Mr. Alam on the morning of Tuesday February 15, 2022 once I realized this overcharge, he was argumentative and seemingly upset about me inquiring about the charge and for it to be removed. For reasons unbeknownst to me, Ray decided to curse at me twice, using the F word twice. I was immediately shocked and appalled, and called the salesman Mr. Ingardi into the office who also witnessed Ray's insulting absurd behavior. The level of unprofessionalism and outright disrespect to a customer, a long standing customer of Kia, is what compelled me to write this letter. Given the current climate of this country in regards to racial injustice, this experience makes me wonder what else Mr. Alam was capable of given he felt it appropriate to curse and insult me.

I have been a long time customer of Kia since 1993. I have purchased three other vehicles from the same dealership prior to this latest purchase. Two new vehicles, a 2014 Sorento, a 2015 Optima and a used 2009 Hyundai Accent, never having any issues and with pleasant experiences. We also bring the cars there for servicing at all scheduled appointments.

I trust that Kia Motors will resolve this matter to my satisfaction and avoid me taking legal measures which are warranted for this outrageous behavior by someone who represents your company at such an important level. Frankly, this type of behavior is abhorrent and should not be tolerated at any professional capacity. I am looking forward to hearing your response.

Sincerely,

Pierre Boucicaut, Dissatisfied Customer

I came across forums regarding defective paint. I purchased my Kia Optima new in 2013. Less than 6 months later the paint began peeling on the sides of the windshield. Despite my car being so new and garage kept the dealership stated there was nothing they could do and the peeling was sun damage... on the sides of the windshield. The car has been great despite the paint.

I have a 2015 Kia Optima and the paint clear coat is coming off in numerous places I’ve never seen a car do this. I already had the clear coat fixed on one part now it’s the hood this is ridiculous. The clear coat should not start chipping off for no reason. I have babied this car and took very good car if it and having the paint fixed out of pocket is very expensive. Someone needs to own up that this is a common issue with these cars and fix it. It’s the red Kia Optima and it makes my car look awful.