KIA Motors review: Maintenance service

Good day,

I am writing this letter to formally bring to your attention a severe mechanical issue with my vehicle and to express my deep disappointment regarding the potential lack of service integrity within your authorized dealer network.

I am copying both Kia Romania and Kia Bulgaria on this email. Kia Bulgaria has maintained this vehicle reliably for years, but given the recent timeline of events, I am deeply concerned that the root of this catastrophic failure stems from the recent servicing handled by Kia Romania.

Vehicle Background & Service Loyalty: In 2017, we purchased a brand-new Kia Sportage from an authorized Kia dealer in Bulgaria. Since day one, we have been the sole owners and have followed the official service schedule to the exact letter. Because our lives and work are split between Bulgaria and Romania, we utilized authorized Kia service centers in both countries to ensure the vehicle was always maintained on time by Kia professionals. Our last two official services were completed by Kia Romania.

The Timeline of Escalating Issues: Our troubles began at approximately 103,000 km—immediately after the 7-year warranty period expired:

At 103,000 km: The vacuum pump on the brakes failed, and some electronic parts burned out. Looking back, we now suspect the engine may have been running much hotter than normal due to underlying oil issues.

At 106,000 km (Turkey): During a trip to Turkey, the car completely broke down in Bursa. An emergency service center determined that the starter motor and surrounding electronic components had burned out. Crucially, the mechanics noted that the oil level was dangerously low. They performed an emergency oil change in front of me at 107,000 km and warned me to check the oil level constantly.

At 110,000 km (Varna, Bulgaria): Four days ago, my wife drove the vehicle to Varna. Upon arrival, the engine began making a loud, violent noise, sounding like a tractor. Afraid to drive it further, she had the car inspected by a local mechanic near where she parked.

The Independent Mechanic’s Findings: The independent mechanic in Varna informed my wife that the engine had suffered catastrophic internal damage. He stated that the failure appeared to be entirely due to a severe lack of maintenance, showing her that the inside of the engine was choked with thick, black, burnt oil sludge. He also pointed out metal shavings inside the engine, likely from destroyed bearings or pistons.

When my wife explained that the car had been exclusively and recently serviced by Kia, the mechanic was shocked. He noted that these are excellent, highly durable engines that do not fail like this under normal conditions, and that this level of sludge typically only forms if the oil has been left unchanged for an incredibly long period.

Our Disappointment and Concerns Over Employee Integrity: I want to be clear: I am not making direct accusations because I know that since the last services happened a few months ago, I cannot prove malpractice with 100% legal certainty.

However, if the independent mechanic’s findings are accurate and the oil was indeed never properly changed, it means that there are dishonest people working within your official service network.

We trusted the Kia brand and paid premium dealership prices assuming your employees were performing their duties with integrity. If a technician simply "topped up" the oil and pocketed the rest instead of completing a full flush and filter change, it is more than just a petty workplace crime. It is a severe safety hazard. If this engine had completely seized or blocked while my wife was driving at high speeds on the highway, it could have caused a fatal accident.

Conclusion and Request for Internal Oversight: I am writing this letter because I want Kia corporate to understand why you are risking the loss of a loyal customer. I value the engineering of Kia vehicles, but I can no longer confidently rely on the safety and honesty of the service network.

My primary reason for writing to you is to urge Kia Europe and Kia Romania to investigate their workshop protocols. There must be a stricter internal control system to monitor employees, audit their work, and ensure that customers are actually receiving the critical maintenance they are paying for. Dishonest workers actively destroy your brand's reputation and risk customer lives.

If your corporate quality team wishes to review the service history of this vehicle or examine our official invoices, please let me know and I will gladly provide all documentation.

I expect a formal review of this matter and look forward to your response.