At about 5,000 miles or maybe even sooner I began to detect and hear something that sounded and acted like the transmission. Each time taking vehicle for oil change I told the service technician to check the transmission. It jumped in 2nd gear while in reverse. They forgot each time, and due to the fact that my appointment was either cancelled or no oil change person was there when I took vehicle at scheduled time, it went unresolved until the oil change on January '6, 2006. During the January 6, 2006 oil change the mechanic said that transmission didn't sound right. Made another appointment to bring vehicle back for inspection. It took 3 more weeks to get the appointment. I left the car at 9 am, went 5 miles home, and they advised me on the telephone that it was the clutch not the transmission. The warranty on the clutch expired at 12,000 miles. The mileage at time of the failure exceed that by 2,000 miles. The charge would be $668. 00. I think bill byrd Kia of panama city Florida purposely let the warranty expire by putting off appointments. I bought the car from a dealer in another state, and they didn't want to do the warranty work, and they knew it was the clutch. By the time for next scheduled appointment 3 weeks later it would be over the 12,000 miles. I was furious and did not intend to take this without a fight. The mechanic said it was a problem of wear and tear, and improper driving of a standard shift. I think a clutch should last longer than 12,000 miles. As far as improper driving of a standard shift I have been driving standard shifts for 48 years, including school buses and dump trucks.

- Panama City, FL, USA