Discussion of Stinger paint quality (Was - Paint Chip Issue)

[Ucinn]

Can see them good with the pictures.. I'm sure the darker the color, the more they stand out.

 

[MicroBlue]

I probably would not pay for a clear bra at this time. If a recall is made you could possibly be wasting your money.

We had a clear bra and ceramic tint done within two weeks of ownership. In late February people were framing the paint chipping more as people complains. We went ahead and got the bumper, hood, a pillars, leading edge of the roof, and doors inline with the brake vents clear bra’ed

 

[StingerGT68]

I got an update call from KiasK escalation hotline and they said the field Tech's report is being reviewed by their department and I'll be updated on next steps shortly. Fingers crossed I don't have to go nuclear.

 

[Joseph Spiegel]

Not sure if the damage is visible in these pics...
The company that did the clear bra tried to use a paint match to fill the damaged spots. You can clearly see the chips through the clear and base coats.

Can bee seen all too well. Sigh.

 

[somedudedontknowwhoheis]

855-454-2847 is the Kia Stinger Customer Service number. Make sure you have your VIN handy because it sounds like you didn't get the card in the mail with the info, but you should have. They are EXTREMELY nice and more than willing to help and put a dealer in their place for giving us the run-around.

The paint flaking issues start with them and getting a case number, then seeing what they say. Probably will tell you that they need pics from the dealer referencing your case number. Trust me though, they will help you, that's what they are there for and they don't answer to a dealer so they have no problem helping you deal with them.

Thanks for the information. I'm sure my card is with the same neighbor that got my headphones (really, after changing my statements to be electronic after buying the car, I haven't gotten anything).

I'll be giving them a call today or sometime this week hopefully. By the way if the build date is the number on the inside of the door where the VIN is, then mine is 10/17, must be one of the earliest, probably why mine was so bad.

I hope my pictures are enough, taking my car to the dealer is a pain (so the trip needs to be worthwhile) I don't see what they could get out of it post-clear-bra/touch up paint.

 

[StingerGT68]

Thanks for the information. I'm sure my card is with the same neighbor that got my headphones (really, after changing my statements to be electronic after buying the car, I haven't gotten anything).

I'll be giving them a call today or sometime this week hopefully. By the way if the build date is the number on the inside of the door where the VIN is, then mine is 10/17, must be one of the earliest, probably why mine was so bad.

I hope my pictures are enough, taking my car to the dealer is a pain (so the trip needs to be worthwhile) I don't see what they could get out of it post-clear-bra/touch up paint.

Yeah, my Micro Blue is 11/17 and it's not been great. About fifteen chips of varying sizes on the hood/fenders.

 

[A Member Who Left]

UPDATE 29MAY18: Just got off the phone with Benson Kia here in Spartanburg, SC. I can go pick up the car today and drive it until Kia corporate in Korea has their engineers go over the pics, writeup, etc that the Benson body shop did on the car yesterday. The manager at the body shop was EXTREMELY nice and easy to deal with, as were the 2 ladies up front. The manager explained everything, and even called me after he did a full writeup about the car to send to Kia. This was done after the car was cleaned and wiped down (it's been raining here for almost 2 weeks...) and pics were taken in a paint booth under the lights. The estimate from the body shop was ~$3800 worth of damage from the paint flaking off, no it's not rock chips, lol.

The dealer service department called me this morning with the info about everything having to go to Korea and be looked at there. These instructions came from the Kia district rep and Kia corporate, not even the field tech in the area is going to look at it. It will be a couple of weeks before I hear back, but this lets me know that they are taking this seriously and I couldn't be happier at the treatment so far. I am amazed by how quickly Kia took care of getting the detailed information they need and keeping me in the loop about what is happening. The dealer and their body shop have been super nice throughout this experience as well.

I am impressed with the response from Kia so far. I can definitely say that using our options such as the Stinger Customer Service line is awesome to get help. Also, I have been nice in every dealing with everyone and I'm sure that goes a long way in people being more willing to assist. I will post more updates as I get them.

Hello from up the mountain one hour north in Hendersonville! May be down the mountain soon if the rain doesn’t stop. Best of luck with your issue. I’ve aksed Paramount Kia up here in Asheville a few times but they claim not to have heard of any paint issues. Got my silky silver there and so far so good......maybe two actual chips but the paint seems very “soft”......scratches if you look at it funny. Just finished applying more “front end protection” as well.

 

[somedudedontknowwhoheis]

Well, I called the customer service line. Jamie, was the gal I spoke with. She mostly repeated back to me exactly what the dealership did, and didn't seem to have knowledge of (or was willing to admit) this having occurred for anyone else. Pretty disheartening.

I went ahead and made a case number regardless, wants me to take it to a dealership since they have to verify it, but like I told her I touched up the paint and had it protected back in February destroying most of the evidence. I'm not opposed to taking it to a dealership, but I'm not sure if I should take it to the same one, I've been there 3 times for different issues and never had anything resolved. She also didn't mention anything about reimbursing me for my paint protection even if they did decide it was a defect and repainted the car, I asked her that point blank.

Wish I had known about that number in Jan/Feb and I would have done that before taking it to be protected.

 

[MicroBlue]

This honestly could be the issue that turns the table for or against Kia and their attempt to make an impact in the performance market.
If they come at this issue, own that their is a problem, fix the problem areas, provide compensation for owners who applied paint protection products, and resolve future issues they will create a lasting legacy.
If they tell us to go pound sound, then I believe that this issue can become th negative defining issue for Stingers.

 

[KiaofMuncie]

The customer service representatives are probably told to say very little. They have zero decision making in any of this. All they are doing is taking the info and passing it along. So far so good from what I am hearing. If you've read anything about KIA in the past two years they are killing everyone in the quality department. I highly doubt they are going to abandon Stinger owners. If anything, they will go above and beyond.

 

[xot1]

Zero chips after 1 year of ownership and 8000 miles (dark chroma blue). Sorry to hear about this problem, I hope it gets handled properly...

 

[gilthanis1]

Well, I called the customer service line. Jamie, was the gal I spoke with. She mostly repeated back to me exactly what the dealership did, and didn't seem to have knowledge of (or was willing to admit) this having occurred for anyone else. Pretty disheartening.
I went ahead and made a case number regardless, wants me to take it to a dealership since they have to verify it, but like I told her I touched up the paint and had it protected back in February destroying most of the evidence. I'm not opposed to taking it to a dealership, but I'm not sure if I should take it to the same one, I've been there 3 times for different issues and never had anything resolved. She also didn't mention anything about reimbursing me for my paint protection even if they did decide it was a defect and repainted the car, I asked her that point blank.

The customer service reps you call can't answer any questions about fixes, reimbursement, solutions, etc. They can do only what they did which is give you a case number and how to start moving forward. You will have to go to a dealer for them to take pictures and submit everything under your case number. From what it seems like, Kia is taking these issues on a case by case basis but they definitely aren't telling us to go pound sand.

If your normal dealer gives you the run around, call the Customer Service line back and tell them the dealer won't follow simple instructions and could they recommend another dealer or correct the problem with your current one. My local dealer tried to blow me off until I told them I had already spoken with Kia, therefore any decision making is out of their hands. I just need them to do what Kia asked and take pictures to submit. Now I am waiting to hear back from Korea about the next steps. Don't let anything slide, but make sure and be a squeaky wheel. There's more than 1 Kia dealer available to any of us, it may not be the most convenient or closest, but if they help us/you get things done, then what does it matter.

We put our trust in KIA for this car, not a dealer. Great dealers just make the experience better, and bad ones........we have our own dedicated customer service to handle them. My days of bitching at dealers for being shitty is over, I let someone with more pull handle it.

 

[MicroBlue]

I’m just saying. We all know as car enthusiast how a forum issue can rather it be a real issue or a perceived issue can define the car. Evo MR and blown clutches, E46 M3 and vanos issues, main bearing wear, and subframe failures.

I hope that Kia does nail it in the customer service aspect on this issue.

 

[Joe Kraebel]

While detailing car this weekend i noticed 4-5 of these chips on lower part of front bumper mostly by the two side vents.

Car is Hichroma red and purchased mid February. Not much highway driving at all.

 

[Joseph Spiegel]

I had an interesting experience today. Stopped by my installer I use for mods. He loved the car! Thought I said Stingray! LOL He looked at my chip. Without a beat he said it was touched up. I didn’t notice this as I must be dense. I saw the chip but there is something going on there. It’s multi level so I’m not sure of anything anymore. Going to bring it in and let the dealer fix it. I didn’t touch it up and it wasn’t a rock as I’d have a chipped windshield.

 

[Tonkabob]

I have blue with a 11/17 build date. Probably 20+ chips on the front after 3500 miles. Looks like 50k miles of wear. Most are very small but 5-6 are pretty good size.

 

[saltee]

have 5 chips on the rear passenger side which is not where stone chips would hit. Been dealing with Kia Canada on this and they have offered to repair the chips i am concerned that the paint will never match if these panels get resprayed. advice?

 

[Falaris]

11/17 build Blue, 4700 miles on it and no paint chips. I did have a ceramic coating applied at the 3 month point but no chips before that. I checked it over well yesterday but everything looks good to me.

Just wanted to report when things are just fine.

-Fal

 

[StingerGT68]

Hello from up the mountain one hour north in Hendersonville! May be down the mountain soon if the rain doesn’t stop. Best of luck with your issue. I’ve aksed Paramount Kia up here in Asheville a few times but they claim not to have heard of any paint issues. Got my silky silver there and so far so good......maybe two actual chips but the paint seems very “soft”......scratches if you look at it funny. Just finished applying more “front end protection” as well.

I 100% agree. It scratches so easily. It's like the clear coat is very soft or thin. I have never brought my car to a car wash and it still has such weird little imperfections/swirls/marks in the paint.

 

[A Member Who Left]

I found some weird fine scratches on the back end down low by the reflectors.....now blacked out, which is how I discovered them.....and have no idea how they would have gotten there. Will take some scratchx to them when I can.