Kia Motors AmericaReviews of kia.com

Bought a preowned 2018 Kia optima. Drove it around with no issues for like 60k miles. I bought the extended warranty with the car (it wasn’t cheap). Ended up having oil consumption issues. Took it to the dealership where they made me pay 100 bucks for an oil consumption test, whatever. Drove it for 1k miles and found out it burns 1.3L of oil in 1k miles. They proceeded to tell me it’s normal, and they can do a combustion chamber cleaning, which was priced at 1k dollars. I got very upset with this because apparently the extended warranty doesn’t cover it. Do not recommend, they lost a customer forever

Have a 2019 kia soul with 85,000 miles that I bought brand new in 2019... May 18th of 2024 I was on my way to work when the oil light started flashing and my car sounded like it ate rocks, and the engine seized immediately after. Had it towed to Kia Country in Charleston, SC. Dealership does not provide loaner cars, and they only submit for a $240 max reimbursement AFTER you have a Kia diagnosis. Engine spun a rod bearing, they told me it would be two weeks before they could even look at my car. Dealership had my car for 29 days, replaced the short block assembly and upon inspection they told me I only needed new brake pads. Took my car to have brake pads replaced and ended up needing four new rotors, which was $900 dollars. I've had my car back for two weeks to the day, and had the exact same thing happen again, leading to an engine seizure. I started calling Kia country at 0900 on 7/1 when they opened asking to speak to the service manager, and was not able to get in touch with them until 1500. Kia Country refuses to have my car towed in, although I strongly feel they should as I've had my car back for 2 weeks. Now they are telling me they won't be able to look at my car until August. Customer service is awful, and accomplishes absolutely nothing.

I rated this review as a five star because that has been my previous experience with Kia over the last 16 years. But I am writing this review mainly to tell you how I feel about Kia since Covid. Covid made everything crazy and no one could get cars. And Kia had cars sitting in lots, incomplete without parts and computer chips for a very long time and then did not have the ability to get them to dealerships for a long time. That’s long discussion I won’t go into more than that But I will say this, Kia has gone downhill. Part of it is our own government, forcing such strict mileage regulations on cars that they had to shrink engines from V8 to V6’s And then down to V4’s Or turbo V4’s To get enough power. Their engines stopped holding up, and the problems with Kia engines was massive. V4’s Just weren’t cutting it. They forced customers to start putting in synthetic oil with every oil change, which is ridiculous and defeats the purpose of using synthetic oil. I would never encourage anyone to buy any kind of an engine with a V4 In it even if it’s turbo. They are louder engines and feel like the car is working harder. And then after Covid, all the chrome seemed to disappear on most of their new cars, if not all of them. They now have shiny plastic painted bumpers, grills, window trim, etc. Virtually no chrome at all just fake chrome colored plastic pieces. I suppose they did all this to hold the pricing down, but the cars aren’t close to what they used to be. I have a 2019 top-of-the-line Kia Sorrento Prestige with all the chrome and trimmings and it is absolutely beautiful and the best car I’ve ever owned. I would normally have traded the car in at 4 1/2 years for a new one but won’t do that anymore. The cars keep getting worse. As the saying goes, “they ain’t what they used to be.” And if you do some research, you’ll see that Kia has as many problems and recalls as anybody else which did not used to be the case — recalls without solutions. And it can take over a month to get a service appointment. Kia is still a very decent product, but it is so far less than what it used to be. And I am so saddened that Kia has lowered their craftsmanship and their standard, You may find a that Kia is still a decent car and does well and I wouldn’t contradict that. My wife and I have owned over ten of them. We sold her 2016 Sorento that she loved and got her a new Sportage. The v4 engine is loud and the ride is not as good. I used to think Kia had the best cars in the industry for the money. I don’t anymore. The best thing that they have got going for them is their warranty that is better than any other company except Hyundai, which is Kia’s parent company. I would have bought a new car two years ago if they had not lowered all of these standards. I hope Kia brings in new Top management with a higher standard that brings them back to the car company that they were with the quality product that they had pre Covid! If they do, I will be their customer for life!

When KIA was hacked they refused to accommodate their customers and insisted that you have a VIN number to make an appointment even though they could not input the information. Obviously, VIN numbers are not one of those numbers that customers memorize so this is an inconvenience for the customer. The message is you are reliant on us so you are just the customer and you will do it our way or there will be no appointment. Take it or leave it. That is poor customer service however you slice it.

I purchased a new 2022 Sorento SX Prestige in February 2022. After a few months, a friend was following me and after reaching out destination stated excessive exhaust fumes were emitting from my vehicle. A few weeks later my grandson was riding in the third row and complained about the fumes. Since I had a less than 2k miles on the vehicle, I contributed it to a burn in period. It is two and a half years later and the problem has gotten worse. I took the vehicle to a dealership in West Covina, CA and they stated in order for them to conduct a diagnostic, the vehicle would have to remain on the lot for at least 3 week while they work through other scheduled diagnostics. Like other customers complained, they do not provide courtesy cars. Needless to say, when people inquire about purchasing a Kia, I warn them about poor customer service. Keith

2018 Kia Soul engine died at 104000 miles, proof of regular oil changes. Denied new engine due to not having the KSDS update. I am the 3rd buyer and was never notified of the update needed. This is Kia’s loop hole to not stand behind their faulty engines that they knew were faulty and kept putting them in cars anyway. The KSDS update does not show up on the recall lists either. I learned of this law suit from a mechanic after my engine died. Now I’m stuck with an expensive yard ornament that I’m still paying for. Never Never buy a Kia or Hyundai.

Kia Corporation Fails to Honor Buyback Agreement – Six-Month Ordeal My experience with Kia Corporation has been nothing short of a disaster. After my 2020 Kia Telluride suffered from persistent engine and transmission problems that couldn't be fixed, Kia offered a buyback as a resolution. I signed the buyback agreement, expecting a prompt resolution. However, it has now been six months, and Kia has failed to honor their commitment. From the moment the buyback agreement was signed, I was assured that the process would be quick and straightforward. Unfortunately, that has not been the case. I have been met with endless delays and a lack of communication from Kia. Each time I reach out for an update, I'm given vague assurances but no concrete action. The six-month wait has been incredibly frustrating and inconvenient. I'm left with a defective vehicle that I was promised would be bought back, causing me significant stress and financial strain. The lack of urgency and accountability from Kia is astonishing and unacceptable. Kia's customer service throughout this ordeal has been disappointing. Despite numerous follow-ups and attempts to escalate the issue, I have yet to receive a satisfactory resolution or even a clear timeline for when the buyback will be completed. The lack of transparency and responsiveness from Kia has left me feeling neglected and betrayed. This experience has completely eroded my trust in Kia. For a company that claims to value its customers, their actions have shown the opposite. The failure to honor the buyback agreement in a timely manner is a glaring example of poor customer service and management. I strongly advise anyone considering a Kia vehicle to think twice. The company's inability to follow through on their commitments and the lack of support during this challenging time have been extremely disappointing. Save yourself the frustration and choose a brand that stands by their word and values their customers.

Take timely responsibility on a dangerous recall, and not put it on the customer by telling them to park the vehicle outside for 2 months. Unacceptable response to issue involving possible malfunction and fire hazzard with Telluride seat. They should fire everyone in customer service for the main company. No help what so ever and very rude. I will never buy another one and I'll be sure to tell everyone that i know not to.