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Are my expectations too High. We bought our 08 Kia Sportage new partly because of Kia`s 7 year Warranty. The car (30000miles) "failed" its first MOT because a bush in the o/s lower suspension arm had split £180, advisd that the other side was splitting too ,another £180. I wrote to Kia asking for some goodwill and was told that the Warranty only covered "defective parts". The split bushes were wear and tear...what after only 35months and 30k miles? I asked how I could show that a part was defective should ANY part fail, the respose was "you can`t".

I could have accepted these problems after ,say 5 years, but not after 3.

I now wonder whether my 7 year warranty is actually worth anything.

Now a front wheel bearing has collapsed £170.."better have the other one done too" another £170. Once again no help from Kia...wear and tear.

Very dissappointed in Kia and my local dealer whom I felt could have fought harder for me.. We also have a Kia Picanto touch wood ok so far!!

Anyone else had any similar problems?

Not wishing to rub it in but my car is 8 years old 80,000 miles and still on its original bearings and lower suspension bushes, even then they are only £15 each

Jon

Our last Sorento had a new steering rack and turbo both under warranty, no problems at all.

This one had a new alternator again sorted straight away

My Saab had to have 2 new springs, both cracked at less than 40K miles. apparantly a known fault on Saab and Vauxhalls. New ones are better quality.

It was about three days out of the used car network Q warranty! Cost £169 Doh!

I once bought a Kia Sportage, but lived to deeply regret my purchase after no less than 120 faults were found at independent inspection, including paint faults that demanded a total respray at only 4months old. The car was featured on the front cover of Autocar magazine, as well as reported on by the Caravan Clubs 'tried and tested' team with an article published in their magazine.

Throughout the dispute Kia were less than helpful in rectifing these faults, and it was only with the help on trading standards and our home insurance legal cover that we managed to get the car back to Kia's HQ where it was totally resprayed and the engine stripped down and rebuilt including a new gear box and head gasket, plus several smaller faults such as brakes jamming regularly and the electrical loom needing replacing.

Needless to say that we couldnt afford to keep this car beyond its warantee period of three years, and we sold it for less than half what we had paid and went back to buying our tried and trusted Hondas.

Julia    

I'm afraid I'm on Kia's side here - bushes are only rubber protective covers and are very exposed under the car - they get a real bashing. You can be lucky and have them last 10 years or you could go over a stone on the way out of the dealer on the day you buy the car which could tear a hole in it.

All cars have the same things and I don't think you can reasonably expect a manufacturer/dealer to replace them under warranty, unless they went in the first 6 months, say, and they wanted to show some goodwill.

If they're worn out, just think how much protection they've given to the much more expensive parts they cover.

By the way, how much do you trust the place doing your MOT? Did your dealer not warn you at the last service they were showing signs of wear? 'Worn bushes' are a potentially easy scam item - there's no way you can tell before the MOT they were actually a problem...sorry, just me being cynical...

Quote: Originally posted by nelmo on 21/3/2012

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I'm afraid I'm on Kia's side here - bushes are only rubber protective covers and are very exposed under the car - they get a real bashing. You can be lucky and have them last 10 years or you could go over a stone on the way out of the dealer on the day you buy the car which could tear a hole in it.

All cars have the same things and I don't think you can reasonably expect a manufacturer/dealer to replace them under warranty, unless they went in the first 6 months, say, and they wanted to show some goodwill.

If they're worn out, just think how much protection they've given to the much more expensive parts they cover.

By the way, how much do you trust the place doing your MOT? Did your dealer not warn you at the last service they were showing signs of wear? 'Worn bushes' are a potentially easy scam item - there's no way you can tell before the MOT they were actually a problem...sorry, just me being cynical...

 

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I am sorry, but as a mechanic, I have to say you are talking nonsense, bushes are not rubber covers protecting anything. You are confusing bushes with something completely different.

Steve W

Quote: Originally posted by jsparkes201148 on 21/3/2012

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Nelmo, if the bushes could be replaced it wouldn`t be so bad but the whole suspension arm has to be replaced fo the sake of a worn bush

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