2003 Kia Rio

2003 KIA RIO WITH DEFECTIVE ENGINE. CUSTOMER STATES THAT THE DEALERSHIP TOLD HER THAT A NEW ENGINE WAS PUT IN THE CAR IN JUNE 07 BUT IT CONTINUES TO SMOKE, OVERHEAT AND CUT OFF**CC THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THE HEAD GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE TAIL LIGHTS WERE INOPERATIVE. THE DEALER REPLACED THE BULBS. THE LIGHTS INSIDE THE VEHICLE WERE INOPERATIVE. THEY REPLACED THE MAIN WIRING HARNESS. THE CONSUMER HAD TO PLACE THE GEAR INTO NEUTRAL, IN ORDER TO START THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER ADJUSTED THE TRANSMISSION RANGE SWITCH. *JB THE CONSUMER STATED THAT HER VEHICLE IS AT THE DEALERSHIP YET AGAIN BEING FIXED. UPDATED 08/23/07. *TR

THIS 2003 KIA RIO WAS PURCHASED USED AT A DEALERSHIP A.V. KIA, PALMDALE, CA, , BUT SOON DEVELOPED PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION. OUR INSURANCE COMPANY REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION, CITING PROBLEMS WHICH OCCURRED DUE TO OUR SON, WHICH WERE ALLEGATIONS MADE BY A. V. KIA. SHORTLY AFTER THE CAR BECAME INOPERABLE AND STOPPED ON THE FREEWAY QUITE SUDDENLY. NO ONE WAS HURT, BUT OUR SON AND HIS PASSENGERS WERE RATHER SHOOK UP. FIXED ONE MORE TIME, WHILE OUR SON WAS DRIVING THE CAR WHEN THE LEFT FRONT AXLE FELL OFF. THIS HAPPENED AFTER A. V. KIA REPAIRED THE TRANSMISSION. AFTER BEING FIXED ONCE AGAIN WITH ANOTHER NEW TRANSMISSION, WHILE MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING THE CAR IMMEDIATELY AFTER PICKING IT UP FROM THE DEALERSHIP IT ONCE AGAIN DEVELOPED TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. THE CAR STOPPED AT A BUSY INTERSECTION IN ROSAMOND, CA. THE CAR WAS FIXED, (SENSOR PROBLEM, AND SOON TAKEN TO A CAR DEALERSHIP IN LANCASTER, CA. TO BE SOLD ON CONSIGNMENT. WHILE THE SALES REPRESENTATIVE WAS TAKING IT OUT TO SHOW AND ATTEMPT TO SELL THE CAR AGAIN IT STOPPED, THIS TIME ON VERY BUSY SIERRA HIGHWAY. THE DEALER CALLED US TO IMFORM US OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE CAR. A. V. KIA TOOK THE CAR IN FOR REPAIR ONCE AGAIN, REPLACING THE TRANSMISSION!. WITH ALL OF THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS THIS CAR HAS HAD WE FOUND IT EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, NOT ONLY TO OUR FAMILY, BUT POTENTIALLY TO SOMEONE ELSE. A. V. KIA CONTINUED TO JUST PASS THE BUCK WITHOUT REALLY GETTING TO THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM. WE DIDN'T REALLY KNOW WHERE TO TURN, BUT WE FELT THAT FILING A COMPLAINT WITH THE DOT WAS A GOOD START. A. V. KIA AND KIA OF AMERICA SHOULD BE HELD TOTALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DANGEROUS JUNK THAT THEY WERE SELLING AND MANUFACTURING.*AK

AT 53,000 THE VEHICLE BECAME IMPOSSIBLE TO SHIFT FROM ONE GEAR TO ANOTHER. DEALERSHIP TECHNICIAN ADVISED IT NEEDED A NEW CLUTCH AT A COST OF $1600.00. I HAVE DRIVEN THIS VEHICLE PRIMARILY BETWEEN DETROIT MICHIGAN AND CARY ILLINOIS. EIGHTY PERCENT OF THE MILES DRIVEN SO FAR HAVE BEEN HIGHWAY MILES WITH LITTLE NEED TO CONSTANTLY SHIFT GEARS. WHEN THE TECHNICIANS LOOKED AT THE VEHICLE HE COMMENTED ON HOW SMALL THE CLUTCH WAS. I BELIEVE KIA HAS INSTALLED AN INFERIOR CLUTCH SYSTEM TO KEEP THE PRICE OF THE VEHICLE DOWN AND THEN REFUSES TO COVER THE REPAIRS UNDER WARRANTY. *AK

AUG. 12, 2006 THE HARRELL-SWATTY COS. 6 CONCOURSE PARKWAY NE ATLANTA GA 30328-6117 DEAR MR. X: I AM EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED IN KIA AT ARBOR PLACE. I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR WARRANTY SERVICE IN MARCH BECAUSE THE BRAKE LIGHT KEPT COMING ON. I BROUGHT IT BACK THREE MORE TIMES, BUT THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN FIXED. NOW THAT THE CAR HAS MORE THAN 60,000 MILES ON IT, THE DEPARTMENT WOULD NOT WORK ON IT AGAIN UNLESS I PAID THEM. BUT THEY TOOK IT IN TO DIAGNOSE IT AGAIN AND DID NOT TELL ME UNTIL I CAME TO PICK UP THE CAR THAT IT WOULD COST ME $88 DIAGNOSTIC CHARGE TO GET IT BACK. THE BRAKES COMPLETELY FAILED ONCE. I WAS FORTUNATE THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT. I KEEP ADDING BRAKE FLUID WHEN THE LIGHT COMES ON. EVIDENTLY THERE IS A LEAK IN THE BRAKE SYSTEM. THE CAR IS UNSAFE. I WANT MY $88 BACK, AND I WANT THE CAR FIXED, AT NO COST TO ME. YY ZZ HAS NOT REPLIED TO MY TWO PREVIOUS LETTERS. *NM

JUNE 2006 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2006 MY KIA RIO HAS LOCKED UP IN THE PARKING GEAR NOT ALLOWING TO REMOVE TO REVERSE OR DRIVE. DEALER HAS HAD IN THE SHOP FOUR TIMES AND HAS CHANGED BREAKING LIGHT TWICE ALONG WITH GEAR CONSOLE. NOW STATING EVEN WITH THE VEHICLE BEING AT SHOP SINCE THE END OF SEPTEMBER 2006 CAN NOT ENACT PROBLEM. *NM

DRIVING DOWN I-65, AND A SEMI TRUCK TRIED GETTING OVER INTO MY LANE. I DROVE INTO THE MEDIUM, LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND SPUN OUT AND HIT THE SEMI TRUCK. IT ENDED UP RUNNING OVER THE TOP OF MY CAR. MY CAR WAS TOTALED. EVERYTHING FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR TO THE STEERING WHEEL WAS DESTROYED, MELTED, ETC. LUCKILY I WASN'T HURT, BECAUSE I LOCKED MYSELF AGAINST THE SEAT; HOWEVER THE AIRBAGS NEVER DEPLOYED. I LUCKILY ENDED UP ALRIGHT PHYSICALLY; HOWEVER SOMEBODY ELSE WITH THE SAME CAR MAY NOT HAVE MY STROKE OF LUCK THAT I HAD THAT DAY. *JB

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE CAR LOST TOTAL POWER WITHOUT WARNING. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO STEER AND CONTROL THE CAR AND COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. SEVERAL CARS HAD TO SWERVE OUT OF THE WAY AS THEY WERE GOING THE SPEED LIMIT BUT THE CAR CONCERNED WAS GOING SIGNIFICANTLY SLOWER. UPON INSPECTION, THE TIMING BELT SPROCKET WAS HANGING OUTSIDE OF THE PLASTIC COVER WHICH WAS BURNING FROM MELTED PLASTIC. THE CAR IS WITHIN THE LIMITS OF THE WARRANTY AND WE ARE AWAITING A FINAL DIAGNOSIS FROM THE DEALER AND COVERAGE DETERMINATION FROM THE MANUFACTURER. *JB