Friday September 1st 2017-Picked up my 80 year old mother from a assisted living facility to take her to a Dr. appointment. Unfortunately, my new 2 month old Kia Sorento would not start. I Received a message on the dash that said Check TPMS with an exclamation point in a triangle. I called Covina Valley Kia Service Department and asked them if they new what that meant and they said TPMS was related to tire pressure but that would not cause the car not to start. They gave me the Kia roadside assistance number. Service tried and luckily before they were going to give up and have me call a tow truck, got the car started, he didn't know how he did it, but running the key around and under the dash and then trying to start it got it to start. This took 2 plus hours so we missed my mom's Dr. appointment. Now we need to reschedule and take more time off work to do that. The car worked fine the rest of that day.
Saturday September 2nd 2017- I was visiting my mom at the same facility, and my brand new 2017 Kia Sorento again would not start giving me the same message as above. I again called Kia Roadside assistance and the same service man came and this time they could not get it started. I called Covina Valley Kia and the Service Department they told me that it sounded like a computer or fuse issue and that they wouldn't even have a tech on site for that type of issue until Tuesday September 5th. I left my brand new 2017 Kia Sorento there all Labor Day and used Uber all weekend to get around.
Tuesday September 5th 2017- I took an Uber to the facility and called Kia Roadside assistance at 9:48am. I receive a text that G1 Towing Corp roadside assistance would arrive at 11:27am. I get a call at 11:18am saying that they were 10 minutes away. They never showed up, I called G1 Towing and at 11:39 and they told me it would still be 45 minutes. I called Kia Roadside assistance again and asked them to send another company. They sent Golden Eagle Tow, who was there in 30 minutes. They got me and my new 2017 Kia Sorento towed to Covina Valley Kia in 30 minutes. I had already called and explained to Mike that I was getting towed, but he was busy so another associate helped me whose name I did not get. I explained to him what was happening and he asked if I wanted to wait or get a ride home. I was hungry and tired because now it was after 1pm so I told him I wanted to get home, but that I lived in Monrovia, which isn’t close and that if they would pick me up if they got the car fixed. He went to talk to Sam his boss, and Sam came out and was very understanding and approved a Enterprise Rental Car. Which really was the right thing to do, and should have been offered from the start since my new 2 month old 2017 Kia Sorrento did not start. I did not get my car back no one called me Tuesday with any updates, but since I had transportation I was understanding.
Wednesday September 6th 2017- 12:28pm I had not received any updates on my new 2017 Kia Sorento so I called and left a message for Mike. 2:23pm-Mike calls me back to say his techs are working with Kia engineers and are still troubleshooting the issue. No mention of an ETA or if it was ok to keep the rental. 4:40pm-I call back and speak to Mike and he asks if I received his message. I said yes, but I told him I wanted to make sure that they ok the rental with Enterprise. He said they would.
Thursday September 7th 2017-2:12pm-Mike leaves me a message and explains they believe there is a problem with the Powertrain Control Module and have ordered the part overnight and that they would need keep me in the rental and then install and test it on Friday and then hopefully I would be in my new 2017 Kia Sorento sometime then.
Friday September 8th- 12:11pm- I receive a call from a female whose name I did not get at Covina Valley Kia, who tells me that part has been delivered. There was a few seconds of silence and I said, “Are you going to install it?†She replied “Oh your car is already here, I didn’t even check.†I was beyond angry at this point and told her to make sure Mike gets that part and calls me back. I have not had my new 2017 Kia Sorrento a week. It is 5:19pm and I have not heard from anyone at Covina Valley Kia.
This entire experience is unacceptable. I have zero confidence in Kia at this point. I work in service and would never treat my customers like this. I should be getting regular updates daily, not to mention apologies for buy a new car that 2 months in…WON’T START!
To make this worse, I get home today and in the mail is a letter from Greg Silvestri, Executuve Director, Service Operations at Kia. The letter congratulates me on my new Kia purchase and how their devotion to my satisfaction began when I drove off the lot. Well let’s flash back the July 2nd, 2017, I bought a new 2017 Kia Sorento drove a loaner off the lot, not the new car. I am a very unhappy customer and feel like it gets worse every day.
Update from Sep 11, 2017: Monday September 11th-I did not receive a call from anyone at Covina Valley Kia Service Department today. It's amazing how bad their service is and it keeps getting worse. The last I heard from them with an actual update on what was being done was Thursday 9/7. I called today at 4:25pm and was put on hold for 10 minutes by the operator and hung up and then called back at 4:35 was transfered 3 times and finally got one to on guy who sounded irritated. I asked him for Mike and he said that Mike would not be back until tomorrow. I asked if he could give me any status on my Sorento, he asked for my last name I said Morales, he said there were 4 Morales, I gave him my first name of Robert and he said they were waiting on some wire bracket part that would should be in tomorrow, but that I could try Mike tomorrow. What happened to good old customer service, and letter your customers know what is going on? I guess that went out the window with expecting my brand new 2 month old Kia Sorento to work.
Meanwhile, not one call or email has come my way from Kia or the original Sales Representative who sold me the car. Incredibly bad experience in so many ways.
Update from Sep 12, 2017: Just received a call from Kia and they said that the Powertrain Control Module was installed and the car still will not start. They thing it could be a wiring harness issue and they have ordered that part and hope to have it delivered tomorrow. They said the would call me tomorrow with an update.
Update from Sep 27, 2017: Good news. KIA installed the wire harness and my car is now fully functional. I've had it back since 9/19. As frustrating as this situation was, I am happy to have it back and am in contact with KIA regarding this and service issues. They have been partnering well with me and understand my concerns. Keeping my fingers crossed that no other issues come up.
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Friday September 1st 2017-Picked up my 80 year old mother from a assisted living facility to take her to a Dr. appointment. Unfortunately, my new 2 month old Kia Sorento would not start. I Received a message on the dash that said Check TPMS with an exclamation point in a triangle. I called Covina Valley Kia Service Department and asked them if they new what that meant and they said TPMS was related to tire pressure but that would not cause the car not to start. They gave me the Kia roadside assistance number. Service tried and luckily before they were going to give up and have me call a tow truck, got the car started, he didn't know how he did it, but running the key around and under the dash and then trying to start it got it to start. This took 2 plus hours so we missed my mom's Dr. appointment. Now we need to reschedule and take more time off work to do that. The car worked fine the rest of that day. Saturday September 2nd 2017- I was visiting my mom at the same facility, and my brand new 2017 Kia Sorento again would not start giving me the same message as above. I again called Kia Roadside assistance and the same service man came and this time they could not get it started. I called Covina Valley Kia and the Service Department they told me that it sounded like a computer or fuse issue and that they wouldn't even have a tech on site for that type of issue until Tuesday September 5th. I left my brand new 2017 Kia Sorento there all Labor Day and used Uber all weekend to get around. Tuesday September 5th 2017- I took an Uber to the facility and called Kia Roadside assistance at 9:48am. I receive a text that G1 Towing Corp roadside assistance would arrive at 11:27am. I get a call at 11:18am saying that they were 10 minutes away. They never showed up, I called G1 Towing and at 11:39 and they told me it would still be 45 minutes. I called Kia Roadside assistance again and asked them to send another company. They sent Golden Eagle Tow, who was there in 30 minutes. They got me and my new 2017 Kia Sorento towed to Covina Valley Kia in 30 minutes. I had already called and explained to Mike that I was getting towed, but he was busy so another associate helped me whose name I did not get. I explained to him what was happening and he asked if I wanted to wait or get a ride home. I was hungry and tired because now it was after 1pm so I told him I wanted to get home, but that I lived in Monrovia, which isn’t close and that if they would pick me up if they got the car fixed. He went to talk to Sam his boss, and Sam came out and was very understanding and approved a Enterprise Rental Car. Which really was the right thing to do, and should have been offered from the start since my new 2 month old 2017 Kia Sorrento did not start. I did not get my car back no one called me Tuesday with any updates, but since I had transportation I was understanding. Wednesday September 6th 2017- 12:28pm I had not received any updates on my new 2017 Kia Sorento so I called and left a message for Mike. 2:23pm-Mike calls me back to say his techs are working with Kia engineers and are still troubleshooting the issue. No mention of an ETA or if it was ok to keep the rental. 4:40pm-I call back and speak to Mike and he asks if I received his message. I said yes, but I told him I wanted to make sure that they ok the rental with Enterprise. He said they would. Thursday September 7th 2017-2:12pm-Mike leaves me a message and explains they believe there is a problem with the Powertrain Control Module and have ordered the part overnight and that they would need keep me in the rental and then install and test it on Friday and then hopefully I would be in my new 2017 Kia Sorento sometime then. Friday September 8th- 12:11pm- I receive a call from a female whose name I did not get at Covina Valley Kia, who tells me that part has been delivered. There was a few seconds of silence and I said, “Are you going to install it?†She replied “Oh your car is already here, I didn’t even check.†I was beyond angry at this point and told her to make sure Mike gets that part and calls me back. I have not had my new 2017 Kia Sorrento a week. It is 5:19pm and I have not heard from anyone at Covina Valley Kia.
This entire experience is unacceptable. I have zero confidence in Kia at this point. I work in service and would never treat my customers like this. I should be getting regular updates daily, not to mention apologies for buy a new car that 2 months in…WON’T START! To make this worse, I get home today and in the mail is a letter from Greg Silvestri, Executuve Director, Service Operations at Kia. The letter congratulates me on my new Kia purchase and how their devotion to my satisfaction began when I drove off the lot. Well let’s flash back the July 2nd, 2017, I bought a new 2017 Kia Sorento drove a loaner off the lot, not the new car. I am a very unhappy customer and feel like it gets worse every day.
Update from Sep 11, 2017: Monday September 11th-I did not receive a call from anyone at Covina Valley Kia Service Department today. It's amazing how bad their service is and it keeps getting worse. The last I heard from them with an actual update on what was being done was Thursday 9/7. I called today at 4:25pm and was put on hold for 10 minutes by the operator and hung up and then called back at 4:35 was transfered 3 times and finally got one to on guy who sounded irritated. I asked him for Mike and he said that Mike would not be back until tomorrow. I asked if he could give me any status on my Sorento, he asked for my last name I said Morales, he said there were 4 Morales, I gave him my first name of Robert and he said they were waiting on some wire bracket part that would should be in tomorrow, but that I could try Mike tomorrow. What happened to good old customer service, and letter your customers know what is going on? I guess that went out the window with expecting my brand new 2 month old Kia Sorento to work. Meanwhile, not one call or email has come my way from Kia or the original Sales Representative who sold me the car. Incredibly bad experience in so many ways.
Update from Sep 12, 2017: Just received a call from Kia and they said that the Powertrain Control Module was installed and the car still will not start. They thing it could be a wiring harness issue and they have ordered that part and hope to have it delivered tomorrow. They said the would call me tomorrow with an update.
Update from Sep 27, 2017: Good news. KIA installed the wire harness and my car is now fully functional. I've had it back since 9/19. As frustrating as this situation was, I am happy to have it back and am in contact with KIA regarding this and service issues. They have been partnering well with me and understand my concerns. Keeping my fingers crossed that no other issues come up.
- robjm28, MONROVIA, CA, United States