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Kia Motors Of America Ripoff Dishonest horrible customer service horrible mechanics Nationwide
I was told by friends and family to buy a new car. They said "Jen, you're a widow and you still have three children to take care of, don't bother with a used car. It will only wind up in the shop all the time and you'll have expenses you can't afford and no car." What a joke. So instead I purchased a brand new Kia Optima for $16,000 (car payments are $456.00 per month and because I reside in NJ I pay absorb anent amount for car insurance) and the car is a hunk of junk!
The car was in for service only a month after I purchased it. The "check engine light" came on 2 or 3 times within the first 3 months I owned the car and I had it in for service for days at a time. They even tried to tell me it was because squirrels had climbed into my engine and chewed my wires while the car was still on the lot. Since I've purchased this car I've had the car in for service several other times for engine repair and at one point the power locks went. They had to rip my car door off and then I had to drive around without a car door interior until one came in.
About 9 months after I purchased the car it stopped starting. I brought it in to the Newark, DE dealership and they claimed the clutch needed an adjustment. Well this was still under warranty. So once again I left my car with them and was unable to drive the car I was paying $456.20 per month for. Fast-forward to the following winter. Same thing. Car won't start unless I crank anywhere from 50-100 times. But here's where things get really ugly. I had originally purchased the car in DE. The salesmen, John Justice, told me all about their wonderful Roadside assistance. He also told me about "car rental coverage" which is exactly what he termed it as. He assured me that as long as the car was under warranty that I was covered by Kia Roadside Assistance and Car rental. Well this was a REALLY big lie. Apparently there is no "car rental assistance" having anything to do with Kia Roadside Assistance. All it was is that this particular dealership gave you a loaner car, that is if one was available and that wasn't very often, little did I know what kind of nightmare it would be for me when I moved back to good ol' NJ.
So back to the car not starting last winter. I take it into Global Kia on Rt. 22 in North Plainfield, NJ and I leave the car there. Then they call me and say, "well it needs a clutch adjustment because the weather is changing but its starting right now so we can't adjust it until it stops working" I was furious! I told them they were crazy I had a clutch adjustment already the previous year! On top of that, the clutch was no longer under warranty and it would have cost me $50 to do this "clutch adjustment". So I'm thinking I'm supposed to have to shell out $50 every spring and fall for a clutch adjustment??
Meanwhile, I have mechanic friends who said they never heard of such a thing with a new car like that. So the car acts up all winter and then it just stops acting up. Now here we go again in the spring of this year. Last week I am stranded at work. Car won't start. I am a widow and have very little to no resources. My dad is in a sling from rotator cuff surgery and cannot pick me up. I am begging Kia Roadside to honor what John Justice told me and give me a car rental. NOTHING DOING. All they kept saying is "sorry, we can tow the car to the nearest dealer but we have no way to get you home." I had to take a taxi which cost me $45! Now I'm missing work because I have no ride and I'm not getting paid for days off.
So now I'm without a car, missing work and paying off a piece of crap car. The car gets towed to Brunswick Kia. They keep the car for 3 days waiting on a "clutch switch". Finally I get my car back and I start it and its making this grinding noise. The service department, which has banker hours btw, has left for the day. The noise stops after a few times starting it and I'm just fed up at this point. But for one week the car seemed to run fine.
Today I get in my car...I have to pick up my daughter from work, get groceries because there is no food in the house and run other errands and I get in this piece of crap car and here we F-ING go again! I call Brunswick Kia irate, of course 2pm on Saturday, can you imagine mechanics being on duty at a dealership?? I start telling Jason (the person reception gave to me when I asked who was in charge there) and I give Jason a good what for. Conveniently Jason is no longer the person in charge. Now I get this incompetent person named John who sounded and spoke like the janitor of the place. Immediately I got attitude from him like HE WAS BEING INCONVENIENCED! I just went off I couldn't help it anymore. He hung up on me. When I called back he told me he would call the police on me if I called there again. Of course I knew the cops would do nothing and I just pretty much told him to go to hell.
So I'm now on the phone with Delaware where I purchased the car. And I'm talking to Stephanie who is usually the one who helps me all the numerous times I've had to bring the car down to Delaware. I am crying at this point, literally in tears sobbing, telling her what is going on. And all she can say is "I'm sorry, there is nothing I can do" she managed to tell me to get under the hood and check the battery wires but I know nothing of these new cars and battery wires looked fine. Then I asked for John Justice the original salesman that sold me the car and he was in but he conveniently was not available. So at this point I know I'm going to start a major consumer campaign against Kia and so I want the main corporate address to make my first of many formal written complaints and fist they send me to a Honda manager.
Then he sends me to Matt a Kia manager. I tell him everything that has gone on and all he can say is, "sorry, there is nothing I can do, you'll have to call Henry (I guess another manager in charge) on Monday morning. So here I am...my daughter is stranded at work, I have no groceries and no stores in walking distance. I have no way to work on Monday. I just barely get by with rent and bills each month and I live paycheck to paycheck. This incident can cause a chain reaction that puts my family at horrible risk. If I can't get to work on Monday and probably Tuesday and more than likely Wednesday (knowing the pattern of this situation) how do I pay my rent on the first when I'm missing half a week of pay? I have no milk in the house. My father is still in a sling and can't drive. I literally have no one else, now that my husband is gone, to help me. Imagine, I bought a new Kia off the lot so I had reliable and safe transportation. I never asked to be a single mom. I have a huge burden to carry. I am struggling in one of the most expensive states in the union to feed my kids and keep the lights on. I have incredible stress in my life that caused my asthma to flare up and causes me to experience anxiety attacks. I have no health insurance. I cannot afford to get on pills or to make sure that I'm in good health. I cannot imagine that the stress I am constantly under is very healthy. I had heart palpitations and trouble breathing this afternoon. I was hysterical. I just can't take this anymore.
Not one person offered ANY type of solution to my crisis. But I will say this, I am going to embark upon a campaign like they and the likes of them have never seen in their professional careers. I'm going to start at the top and work my way down to every community bulletin board in every town I pass through, every internet message board and group I have a platform in and I am going to make sure that as many people as possible know to NEVER EVER DO BUSINESS WITH KIA MOTORS OF AMERICA!
At the end of the day this is approximately the 8th (could be a few more, I've lost count at this point) time the car has been serviced since I bought it in October of 2004.
I will find a way hopefully to sell this piece of crap and get the payoff amount on this car and go buy a used Honda. I will feel safer in a '95 Honda than a brand new Kia. I think I'd feel safer in a '85 Honda than a brand new Kia.
KIA SUCKS!!
Jen
Somerset, New Jersey
U.S.A.
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5 Updates & Rebuttals
Jen
Somerset,New Jersey,
U.S.A.
Thanks cory
#6Author of original report
Wed, April 18, 2007
Cory thanks for clarifying that. You can imagine how hyper sensitive I am being as the car was towed twice in one week.
the reason my payments are $456 is because i had no downpayment money. i traded in a grandam that i was still paying on and there was still a little bit of that loan that carried over. also unfortunately when my husband passed unexpectedly he had a lot of debt connected with his construction business that i was unaware of.
to make a very painful and long story short my credit score went from the high 700's to mid 500's. it was devastating but that is a whole 'nother topic.
i appreciate you taking the time to point out what was pretty obvious. thanks so much!
-Jen
Cory
San Antonio,Texas,
U.S.A.
No Offense Intended
#6Consumer Comment
Tue, April 17, 2007
Jen, no offense intended. What I was trying to point out is that at for $456 per month you should have been able to get one of the other vehicle. Much of it depends on your credit situation, though we won't go into that. A $456 per month vehicle payment for 60 month could easily have gotten you a $22-$25,000 vehicle.
A $12,000 usually equates to a $2-$250 per month vehicle payment. They sell baseline camries for around $18,000 around here and well equipped accords for $20 to $22,000. What kind of terms did you get from kia? I wasn't trying to insult your intelligence, I was trying to get your frame of mind.
Elaine
Boise,Idaho,
U.S.A.
In Defense of Kia
#6Consumer Comment
Mon, April 16, 2007
While I cannot condone what you went through in New Jersey, I bought my first Kia Sportage in Las Vegas in 1995. It worked great. Once, the power windows broke in the down position (during the 120 degree summer months, of course!) but the Las Vegas Kia Dealer called me right in and fixed it. I don't remember if I waited at the dealer or they gave me a loaner, but I DO remember I wasn't pissed off because of the time I had to wait.
I moved to Montana and bought my next Kia in 1997, I upgraded to another Sportage. A terrific car, the dealer was terrific, I even spoke frankly to the dealership owner about his tacky commercials. He laughed and knew me by name. I had a meeting out of state once and had something wrong with the brakes. I took it in, they took a NEW car off the lot and gave me the keys and a tank of gas and a dealer plate and I had the loaner for 3 days while my car was being fixed. No problems after that. I bought my newest Kia, a Sephia, only because Montana started charging enormous registration fees for SUVs, and I decided to go with a cheaper to register car. Again, I loved it. I have over 120K miles on it, the dealerships I've dealt with have been great, the mechanics very helpful. The 3 of my Kias were like Timex watches...they took a lickin' and they kept on tickin'. I would have another Kia but my husband is talking me into getting a Mini Cooper.
So, Jen, I'm sorry you had such bad luck with your service people, but I've not had problems with my Kias, and given the opportunity (and the cash) would buy one again. I had to defend the company here, due to my good history with the cars.
Take care and good luck.
Jen
Somerset,New Jersey,
U.S.A.
In response to Cory in TX
#6Author of original report
Mon, April 16, 2007
Cory, "why in the world did I buy a Kia you ask?" Because a Toyota or a Honda IS NOT a little bit more money.
After the the rebates and sales on this hunk of junk the sticker price was reasonable of about 12 G's. You tell me what brand new Honda or Toyota with enough passenger space for a family runs at that price tag, especially here in the North East.
I thought I made myself clear that I was a widow (at the early age of 31 with three kids in tow) and that I needed something under warranty and that was somewhat affordable.
So your rebuttal seems to insult my intelligence as a consumer. I did my research and and Kia seemed to be getting off to a good start according to some of the consumer reports I looked over.
Unfortunately I lacked the good fortune to know an actually purchaser of a Kia to ask them if they liked the car or not.
Anyways Cory, PLEASE let me know where in NJ or NY I can find a new Honda or Toyota off the lot in the $12,000 range that will fit 5 passengers comfortably.
Thanks.
-Jen
Cory
San Antonio,Texas,
U.S.A.
Why A Kia"
#6Consumer Comment
Mon, April 16, 2007
Why in the world did you buy a kia? For that kind of money or a little more, you could have bought a toyota or a honda or a mazda, but a kia? What were you thinking? You state; "Ripoff, dishonest, horrible customer service, horrible mechanics" but the headline ought to be about how bad the vehicle is. They figure they'll sell a total of ONE car to each person, one time and that'll be the end of it.