Vehicle was bought while still under warranty. Clutch was slipping and there was evidence of oil at rear of engine. Kia denied clutch coverage (not unusual) and insisted there was no oil leak. I had my shop (I was a Subaru service manager) remove the transmission to find that the MT input shaft was leaking lubricant. KIa dealer asked to have vehicle towed back to them. This required transmission re installation, but left the oil soaked clutch in the trunk for inspection. The dealer continued to claim that there was no leak. After some debate, they finally relented to order a transmission (Kia does not allow repair). They wanted an obscene amount of labor to install the clutch and when asked for an explanation of the charges, they had none to offer. I asked for a courtesy call from the service director, who refused to speak with me. I called Kia Customer No-Service and was treated very rudely. I was professional throughout, yet was continually met with resistance. After calling Kia corporate for guidance, the dealer service advisor (not the manager) informed me that Kia had voided my warranty. Customer Service said that the District Manager made the decision because I had the transmission removed - something that I was given no choice to do since the dealer refused to acknowledge the concern! The District Manager also refused to speak with me. The overwhelming lack of competency and customer service from the dealer to the corporate level has convinced me that Kia does not deserve my business at any level. They have nicely styled vehicles, but if you don't service what you sell and do so in such a rude fashion... Kia can just go to hell! I WILL NEVER PATRONIZE KIA AGAIN!
Vehicle was bought while still under warranty. Clutch was slipping and there was evidence of oil at rear of engine. Kia denied clutch coverage (not unusual) and insisted there was no oil leak. I had my shop (I was a Subaru service manager) remove the transmission to find that the MT input shaft was leaking lubricant. KIa dealer asked to have vehicle towed back to them. This required transmission re installation, but left the oil soaked clutch in the trunk for inspection. The dealer continued to claim that there was no leak. After some debate, they finally relented to order a transmission (Kia does not allow repair). They wanted an obscene amount of labor to install the clutch and when asked for an explanation of the charges, they had none to offer. I asked for a courtesy call from the service director, who refused to speak with me. I called Kia Customer No-Service and was treated very rudely. I was professional throughout, yet was continually met with resistance. After calling Kia corporate for guidance, the dealer service advisor (not the manager) informed me that Kia had voided my warranty. Customer Service said that the District Manager made the decision because I had the transmission removed - something that I was given no choice to do since the dealer refused to acknowledge the concern! The District Manager also refused to speak with me. The overwhelming lack of competency and customer service from the dealer to the corporate level has convinced me that Kia does not deserve my business at any level. They have nicely styled vehicles, but if you don't service what you sell and do so in such a rude fashion... Kia can just go to hell! I WILL NEVER PATRONIZE KIA AGAIN!
- David L., Decatur, GA, US