2002 Kia Optima

2002 KIA OPTIMA LX, VIN#: [XXX] W/ APPROXIMATELY 55,000 MILES. MY FIRST WARRANTY CLAIM: THE REPLACEMENT OF MY TIMING BELTS. ON 9/1/2006, MY CAR STALLED WHILE DRIVING. I HAD A TOW TRUCK MY CAR TO THE SERVICE CENTER WHERE I BOUGHT MY CAR, BRONX AUTOMOTIVE GROUP INC. D/B/A, TOYOTA OF THE BRONX. THE MANAGER AGGI SARATIS ENDED UP IN AN DISPUTE WITH THE TOW TRUCK DRIVERS REGARDING ACKNOWLEDGMENT WARRANTY AND ADVISED THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER TO REMOVE THE VEHICLE FROM HIS PREMISE. MY CAR WAS TOWED TO THE NEAREST AVAILABLE SERVICE SHOP. THE REPAIR WAS A REPLACEMENT OF THE TIMING BELT. MY VEHICLE HAD 51,720 MILES AT THE TIME OF REPAIR. THE TIMING BELT IS UNDER WARRANTY UP TO 60,000 MILES. I PAID THE TOTAL INVOICE FROM BRONXDALE AUTO REPAIR CENTER IN THE AMOUNT OF $603.40. I FAXED A COPY OF THE INVOICE TO THE SERVICE MANAGER ON 9/7/2006. I HAVE TWO WITNESSES, TOW TRUCK DRIVERS, WHO WILL CONFIRM THAT THE SERVICE TEAM WAS UNPROFESSIONAL.A TECH MADE A COMMENT TO ME STATING "I DO NOT SPEND ANY MONEY HERE" SO WHY WOULD I EXPECT TO CLAIM ANY WARRANTY. I DISAGREE.I PAID FOR THIS CAR! MY SECOND WARRANTY CLAIM IS THE REPLACEMENT OF MY TRANSMISSION.ON 3/10/2006, I BROUGHT MY CAR TO SERVICE BECAUSE MY CAR COULD NOT MANEUVER IN REVERSE.MY VEHICLE AT THE TIME HAD 45,147 MILES. ON 3/13/2006, SERVICE ADVISED ME THAT THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION NEEDED REPLACEMENT AND SINCE THEY HAVE NO SERVICE RECORDS, THIS WOULD NOT BE CLAIMED AS A WARRANTY.I DECIDED TO GO BACK TO MY MECHANIC AND AFTER FURTHER INSPECTION, ADDITIONAL WORK NEEDED TO BE DONE.THE INVOICE TOTAL WAS $1,920.40. MY MECHANIC FURTHER ADVISED ME THAT THIS VEHICLE HAS A PRODUCT QUALITY DEFECT ON THE TORQUE CONVERTER. IN FACT, THERE IS OVER A PAGE AND A HALF OF TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS ITEMS!I NEVER RECEIVED ANY NOTICE OF A RECALL. I HAVE NEVER HAD A WARRANTY ACKNOWLEDGED AND I FEEL THAT THE SERVICE TEAM IS HIGHLY UNPROFESSIONAL AND UNSKILLED.CONSIDERING THAT I HAVE HAD THESE PROBLEMS BEFORE 60,000 MILES IS SUSPICIOUS. *NM *JS

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WERE TWO ACCIDENTS WITH THE VEHICLE WHERE THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. IN THE FIRST ACCIDENT, IN 2003, NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. IN THE SECOND OF THESE ACCIDENTS WHICH WAS MORE SEVERE, THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED, AND NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED EITHER. IN THE BOTH ACCIDENTS, THE OCCUPANT WERE WEARING THEIR SEATBELTS HOWEVER THE CONTACT EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT THERE MUST BE A PROBLEM AIR BAG SENSOR OF THE VEHICLE.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE WAS FILLED WITH THE SMELL OF BURNING RUBBER. THIS WAS CLOSELY FOLLOWED BY AN APPEARANCE OF WHITE SMOKE. THE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE SEAT BELT HARNESS AREA ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER, WHERE THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEM.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WITHOUT WARNING, AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STALLS. THE VEHICLE WILL NOT RESTART AND MUST BE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP HAS REPLACED MULTIPLE COMPONENTS, BUT THESE ATTEMPTS HAVE NOT RESOLVED THE PROBLEM. THE COMPONENTS INCLUDE; CLUSTER PANEL, KNUCKLE ON STEERING WHEEL, KEY SUBSET, BOX ASSEMBLY PANEL JUNCTION, IGNITION SWITCH, AND ETACS ASSEMBLY.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING 35MPH. THE DRIVER SEAT BELT WAS IN USE AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT AND THE BRAKES WERE NOT BEING APPLIED. THE SUDDEN DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIRBAG STARTLED THE CONTACT AND THE STEERING WHEEL WAS JERKED IN REACTION TO THE AIRBAG. THE VEHICLE LEFT THE ROADWAY AND STRUCK A CURB, THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE PASSENGER SIDE AND THE OIL PAN WAS RUPTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A SERVICE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE AIR BAG SENSOR/ACTUATOR WAS SET TOO HIGH CAUSING THE AIR BAG TO DEPLOY PREMATURELY.

2002 KIA OPTIMA AIRBAG DRIVER'S SIDE DEPLOYED GOING 35 MILES PERHOUR WHILE IN A RIGHT HAND CURVE. WHEN THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED IT HIT THE LEFT SHOUDER CAUSING MY DAUGHTER TO TURN THE WHEEL MORE AND GO OFF THE ROAD. THERE WHERE NO IMPACTS ON ANY PART OF THE CAR .WE ARE LUCKY NO ONE WAS HURT OTHER THAN A STRAINED NECK AND A HOLE IN THE OIL PAN. KIA RECALLED SOME 2001 FOR THE SAME PROBLEM .*AK

KIA MOTORS OF AMERICA INC. REF: VIN# KNAGD12693513835 COMPLAINT CASE NUMBER K1056698 FORMAL COMPLAINT AGAINST KIA MOTORS OF AMERICA INC. NOT HONORING PARTS AND LABOR WARRANTY & UNSCRUPULOUS BUSINESS PRACTICES. THE TIMING BELT FOR 2002 KIA OPTIMUM SERVICED A YEAR TO THE DAY IT LEFT ME ON THE ROAD SIDE. IT WAS NEW YEARS EVE THE CAR BROKE DOWN. NEW YEARS HOLIDAY WEEKEND SERVICE DEPARTMENT FOLGER KIA OF CHARLOTTE NC CLOSED. UNABLE TO REACH THEM UNTIL TUESDAY JANUARY 3RD, 2006,RETURNED HOLIDAY WEEKEND. TOLD WARRANTY EXPIRED DECEMBER 31ST, 2005. THAT MY WARRANTY FOR THE PARTS & LABOR WOULD NOT BE GUARANTEED. PLEASE SEE THE ORIGINAL RECEIPT DATED DECEMBER 31ST, 2004 EXACTLY 365 DAYS FROM WHEN THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED. BANK STATEMENT SHOWS MY CHECK CARD CLEARED $601.87 ON JANUARY 3RD 2005. I WAS INSTRUCTED ALL PARTS & LABOR WOULD BE HONORED FOR ONE YEAR. I RETURNED THE CAR TO FOLGER KIA ON FEBRUARY 22ND 2005 CONCERNS THE CARS TIMING MAY HAVE BEEN IMPROPERLY SET. ON THE INVOICE THAT I WAS CONCERNED THAT THE RPM'S WERE OVER THEIR ORIGINAL SETTINGS BY 1000 RPM. NO MENTION OF TEST DRIVE TO DIAGNOSE PROBLEM LISTED ON INVOICE DECEMBER 31ST, 2004. TECHNICIAN STATED ALL READINGS WERE NORMAL. THIS MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE PREMATURE WEAR & BREAKING OF TIMING BELT. I WAS INSTRUCTED JANUARY 3RD, 2006 BY JEFFREY STEPHENS TO CONTACT THE KIA CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS. WHERE I WAS TOLD THAT GUS THE SERVICE MANAGER FOLGER KIA'S REQUESTED TO HONOR MY PARTS & LABOR WAS DECLINED BY A MR. BOB STRICKLAND. KIA MOTORS OF AMERICA INC., THEIR CUSTOMER NOTE FOLGER KIA ACCEPTED MY MONEY ON JANUARY 3RD 2005. THE CAR WAS WAITING AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR THEM TO SERVICE ON MONDAY 01-02-2006 WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. HAD MY LOCAL FOLGER KIA BEEN OPEN FOR BUSINESS ON THE EVENING OF DECEMBER 31ST ,2005 MY CAR WOULD HAVE BEEN TOWED THEIR. I WOULD APPRECIATE IF YOU WOULD LOOK IN TO THE MATTER. SUSANNE FARRAR 12016 ALABASTER COURT CHARLOTTE, NC 28269 704-488-8039. *NM