Kia Forte

I have requested for the Advisor who made the decision to give me a call no one ever did. I was then told to email to get in contact with the advisor the advisor never emailed me back nor called. After calling again I was then told I can't speak with the advisor who made the decision. This is very frustrating. I have been spending money on a rental vehicle for 2 months. No one seems to care I guess because it's not coming out of their pockets. I have never had to experience or go through something as such and then I am told it will cost $3200 to repair for a new engine on top of paying my car note for it to sit at the dealership lot.

I am very disappointed in Kia service dept and I want answers as to the real denial and how Kia can help me resolve this issue. I am now left stranded not getting reimbursed for the rental vehicle I have, Not getting repairs and still having to pay my car note for my vehicle that's been sitting on the lot no one has offered me any real help and as a customer of 3 years I am not satisfied and will go to the highest level of corporate to resolve my issue.

Today 9/8/22 Fitz said I can come get the car, the light is still on, it has no tag and can't get a tag because the check engine light is on, "Sir why would I come get the car when you have not fixed the car, I can't drive it." He/They do not care and don't give out loaner cars, so I have been without a car for a month, paying Uber/Lyft fees to work and home. They barely answer phones, you have to pop up to get questions answered.

After 2 months of going back and forth, Kia corporate determined they can not find what caused the electrical fire. Therefore they are not responsible. It was not declared arson. My car caught fire in the parking where I work in Southern Louisiana while I was in Northern Mississippi on the job. The car was locked and both keys were with me. The wires, the trunk door, the cloth covering over the top of the trunk, and back window burned. Some water bottles, Sprite bottles and the empty bag of cat food that were placed on the day before burned. The plastic binders, the bottom of the trunk, and the spare tire space did not burn.

It is clear the car had a defect. The wires burned casing the fire. The car set itself on fire. Even though the car is under the 10 year, 100,000 mile Warranty. They will not acknowledge the defect, the warranty, or responsibility. Do Not Buy A Kia. If I could rate the maker and the dealership with how this was handled, it would be a 0. 1 star is the lowest it would let me rate them. Do Not Buy A Kia!!!!

Flash forward to Jan 13 2021. The car has had all its maintenance done on time and even earlier and despite a pretty long commute, I still am consider a low mileage driver, so I really tried to take care of my car. We're tight on money and this year I finally decided to go back to school to better my situation. Clearly my Kia thought different of my idea to temp while I'm in college again because the car engine seized at 67,000 miles, just over the original warranty as the woman on the phone pointed out, on the highway. I had cars coming up on me blowing their horn while I panicked trying to figure out how to get the car into a parking lot. Looking back, probably not a good idea to push a car with a hernia, but what else are you suppose to do when your car breaks down with no warning lights on a busy highway? I get it to the parking lot and get Triple A to tow me to our private mechanic.

After getting it to the mechanic I started researching right away what could have happened to my car, pretty much out of desperation because I'm not exactly rich enough to pay for major repairs. I started finding out that this is a common problem not just among fortes but Kia in general. I called my mechanic and told him not to touch the car since we changed our mind and wanted to bring it to the dealership.

After towing it a second time, we got it to Jim Shorkey Dealership for a Monday appt. On Tuesday I didn't hear anything so I called to check. They had a mix up and didn't even know the car was already there. Appt was rescheduled for Wed. Once again Thursday I heard nothing so I call in. They say the engine is knocking and is done. I asked them about the potential recall. They tell me they didn't know what I was talking about. They advised using my 3rd party warranty. I asked if we should wait until they release the vin in a few days for the recall, they tell me no because I only have so much time to make a warranty claim. I said okay. Friday I get a call I need to call the 3rd party warranty and have them go over the contract with me.

I'm talking to the warranty company and let them know what's going on with the recall and he asks why I wouldn't just wait the few days until the recall is announced to avoid potential charges if the warranty won't cover the engine, one of my biggest concerns. I explain the time limit for filing. He tells me I have no limit and can file the warranty at any time! Basically they lied so I would use to warranty and I found out later by that date corporate had sent the dealerships all the info about the recall, just not the vins affected. So I call Jim Shorkey back to let them know to wait for the recall.

Now I had to wait and finally I was able to pull the car up via vin about a week later. I call the dealership and they check the vin and start the process of the recall. About 6 days later I get a call I can finally pick up a loaner car which couldn't have come at a better time because I had been out of work the whole time my car was down. I pick up the loaner and didn't hear from Kia/dealership for weeks. Until today, I had a voicemail from them and think, finally my car is ready. It's been a nightmare because I can't have the dogs in the loaner, couldn't bring my dogs to the vet. One was really sick and needed put down and we couldn't take him to see anybody or go anywhere and had to find a mobile vet.

I've been wanting to travel to see family and feel like I can't because I need to be around to turn the loaner in if my car ever got done. Ect. Well to my surprise its the dealership asking me to authorize charges because my rotors are now bad from the car sitting for so long waiting for the new engine. Rotors I had just replaced 6 months ago. Rotors that should not being having any warping. I go to call jim ** back and get the answering machine. I've gotten no call back from them.

My next step was to call Kia corporate. Certainly they will care that the dealership damaged my car while it was being repaired for the faulty engine they put in it. Lol. Joking. Of course they don't care. I talked to the eastern regional manager, Michael J. Now I will admit I'm huffy because I haven't had my car now for two months. Lost income. Paid to tow it twice (over $200 I was 35 miles away from home on a toll road when it seized the first time). Have to make arrangements to take my dogs to the vet, had to spend extra on a mobile vet because I wasn't allowed to put my sick dog in my loaner car, and this regional manager has the nerve to tell me I should be grateful they're replacing the engine and it's not his fault the dealership didn't move the car and the rotors are now damaged.

Hmmm. Let me say thank you to NHTSA for suing Kia and forcing them to recall and replace my engine and bring my car up to a proper safety standard. Kia would have never replaced the engine if their hand wasn't forced. I know this because I called them before the vins were released and all I heard was how I was just over my warranty. I also don't know who to blame for the rotors being damaged because yes, the dealership should have been moving the car to keep parts from sitting, but it's also easier to move a car with an engine that works and if that was the case the car would have never sat in the first place.

I'm sure when I finally talk to the dealership, because I haven't, I have no idea what's going on with the rotors, how damaged they are, or anything and who knows when I will actually talk to them because communication has been zip pretty much, but I'm sure the next thing they will say is, "Oh your battery is bad from the car not being started as well," something else I just replaced brand new this summer. In the end I hope some of you will refrain from buying a Kia. Avoid the nightmare that is their staff and improperly and unsafely built cars that is their product and I hopefully I can stop someone from experiencing the headache I've now had to endure for months.