General Questions

[stinger541]

Hello everyone,

I have been around on here asking some specific questions and you guys have been really helpful. I learned from one person who 'took the hit' for the community and tried to swap the 2.0 bottom grille for the GT, which did not work.

Has anyone tried the upper grille? I really like the metallic look and if I buy this car, I will want to swap that out.

I have also been reading about the problems with the cars given that they are first-gen and the dealer experience seems to not be so good. I would hate to lease a Stinger and be stuck driving a Forte, as I have seen some people have to do. So I wanted to just ask outright if people are seeing problems with their cars now? I have heard that they are starting to exhibit electrical problems in various forms. Also have seen some people having fuel pump and various hose problems (TSBs issued), along with paint recalls at least on the yellows. I have read a thread that talked about one Stinger being really warm/hot all the time. Or that the speakers pop when changing drive modes. Or that MPG is way lower than advertised.

All these things add up to a lot of concerns about quality, and for someone that is on the fence about the car I wanted to ask what you all thought....are you happy with the car? I mean, genuinely happy and not just defending the purchase/living with it? I am looking at a 2.0, not a GT so that is what I would be referencing. So it would not have the crazy power and fun factor that comes with that. I am interested in value and from what I have seen, the Stinger is the only car that offers 29mpg hwy with awd, hatch versatility, android auto/car play, 250+ hp, various amenities (Sunroof, power folding mirrors, etc) and premium sound system anywhere near this price point. But the other issues really do concern me. I do not want to lease it and then not have the car all the time b/c it is at the shop.

Thanks

 

[Paul32]

Hello everyone,

I have been around on here asking some specific questions and you guys have been really helpful. I learned from one person who 'took the hit' for the community and tried to swap the 2.0 bottom grille for the GT, which did not work.

Has anyone tried the upper grille? I really like the metallic look and if I buy this car, I will want to swap that out.

I have also been reading about the problems with the cars given that they are first-gen and the dealer experience seems to not be so good. I would hate to lease a Stinger and be stuck driving a Forte, as I have seen some people have to do. So I wanted to just ask outright if people are seeing problems with their cars now? I have heard that they are starting to exhibit electrical problems in various forms. Also have seen some people having fuel pump and various hose problems (TSBs issued), along with paint recalls at least on the yellows. I have read a thread that talked about one Stinger being really warm/hot all the time. Or that the speakers pop when changing drive modes. Or that MPG is way lower than advertised.

All these things add up to a lot of concerns about quality, and for someone that is on the fence about the car I wanted to ask what you all thought....are you happy with the car? I mean, genuinely happy and not just defending the purchase/living with it? I am looking at a 2.0, not a GT so that is what I would be referencing. So it would not have the crazy power and fun factor that comes with that. I am interested in value and from what I have seen, the Stinger is the only car that offers 29mpg hwy with awd, hatch versatility, android auto/car play, 250+ hp, various amenities (Sunroof, power folding mirrors, etc) and premium sound system anywhere near this price point. But the other issues really do concern me. I do not want to lease it and then not have the car all the time b/c it is at the shop.

Thanks

Don't need to dwell on minimal reports of issues. Leased my GT1 in May, never been back to the dealer........ 2,200 miles.

 

[Luminary]

I can say that overall I am very genuinely happy with my 2.0 Premium. I do have paint issues, but that is a whole 'nother thread. I currently get 32+MPG (highway speeds for most of my commute). The car is an extremly fun car to drive and I get tons of looks, questions, people taking pictures and one guy in a Focus RS even followed me into my (very long) driveway to ask about it.

I had a 2014 Optima SX Turbo previously, and as much as I loved that car, my Stinger blows it away in everyway possible.

 

[stinger541]

Thanks, your red GT is gorgeous! Wish those wheels came on the 2.0 Premiums!!

 

[stinger541]

Thanks Luminary, jeez, that is a bit creepy though, someone following you home! Thanks for the input....the paint issues sound like they suck. I read that blue was the other color affected but not recalled. I am looking at white pearl.
I almost bought a 2015 SXL. Really nice car, but was worried about the Theta II engine issue and wanted the adaptive cruise that my car has now.

 

[Luminary]

Anyone please correct me if I am wrong but from what I understand, the paint issues on the Micro Blue are mostly in Stingers with build dates of November & December of 2017. Mine is a November 2017.

 

[Falaris]

Stingers with build dates of November & December of 2017

Possibly but not all. My 11/17 build has flawless paint and no headlight fit issues either. I have almost 7k miles on it and zero issues.

-Fal

 

[DaBears4Lyfe]

I love my 3.3TT GT1.... Cant speak on all of these issues, but i have had ZERO issues with my car. Have had it now since Mar and have 6K miles on it.

 

[bumble bee]

DaBears, i agree no problems. But I do say, I feel extremly bad for the people that do.

 

[mldavis2]

HiChroma Red, Nov 2017 build, 10,000 miles, perfect.

 

[stinger541]

Anyone know about that upper grille being swappable with GT? Some sellers list it as yes, but they also list the bottom as yes and we know it is not.

 

[Kamauxx]

I love my 3.3TT GT1.... Cant speak on all of these issues, but i have had ZERO issues with my car. Have had it now since Mar and have 6K miles on it.

Same here. Purchased in early February. November build. Ceramic Silver. 12k+ miles and none of the issues mentioned.

Never even heard of some of the issues, actually.

 

[stinger541]

Here you go, just so you know I am not making anything up, links below! As you can see, I have really been doing a LOT of research on this car. I talked to a guy in Jersey who works at a dealership and apparently that market has sold a high percentage of these cars. He said their service dept has been flooded with Stinger electrical problems like the folding mirrors not working, dead batteries, sunroof motors not working. Of course, I have been specifically searching for 'Kia Stinger Problems' so my sampling will naturally be full of negative experiences. I just worry that my luck will get me into one that is messed up and that I should wait until a new year so they can work out kinks.

Paint, now also recalled here in USA: Kia's Stinger Has a Big Yellow Problem - The Truth About Cars
Creaking/Ratting Recalls: https://www.motortrend.com/cars/kia/stinger/2018/2018-kia-stinger-gt-review-long-term-update-3/
Various Problems: My Issues at 4000 :(
Hoses TSB and Fuel Pump Issues: https://stingerforum.org/threads/kia-stinger-2-0-performance-issue.4391/
Another Stutter Issue: https://www.reddit.com/r/cars/comments/7uxp4k/update_on_my_kia_stinger_issue/
Another forum, a ton of issues: https://www.stingerforum.org/forum/...intenance-Warranty-Issues-amp-Troubleshooting

 

[Paul32]

Here you go, just so you know I am not making anything up, links below! As you can see, I have really been doing a LOT of research on this car. I talked to a guy in Jersey who works at a dealership and apparently that market has sold a high percentage of these cars. He said their service dept has been flooded with Stinger electrical problems like the folding mirrors not working, dead batteries, sunroof motors not working. Of course, I have been specifically searching for 'Kia Stinger Problems' so my sampling will naturally be full of negative experiences. I just worry that my luck will get me into one that is messed up and that I should wait until a new year so they can work out kinks.

Paint, now also recalled here in USA: Kia's Stinger Has a Big Yellow Problem - The Truth About Cars
Creaking/Ratting Recalls: https://www.motortrend.com/cars/kia/stinger/2018/2018-kia-stinger-gt-review-long-term-update-3/
Various Problems: My Issues at 4000 :(
Hoses TSB and Fuel Pump Issues: Kia Stinger (2.0) Performance Issue
Another Stutter Issue: https://www.reddit.com/r/cars/comments/7uxp4k/update_on_my_kia_stinger_issue/
Another forum, a ton of issues: https://www.stingerforum.org/forum/...intenance-Warranty-Issues-amp-Troubleshooting

Checked out a couple of your links, I would not put too much concern with single complaints. I think there are many more positive comments for every single complaint. This is not to say that the single complaint is not accurate, but maybe an exception. You will find these kinds of reports for anything you want to buy. I have reviewed some reviews on Amazon and you will see several 4's - 5's and then maybe a 1 and more 4's and 5's. Can't be perfect all the time.

 

[stinger541]

Oh I know...which is why I was putting the question out there, to get positive views.

 

[Paul32]

Oh I know...which is why I was putting the question out there, to get positive views.

I have a GT1, March 2018 build date. No paint, hatch, rattles, creek, leather problems or anything else I can think of. It is 2 months old with 2.3k miles. I've had 47 cars in my 80 years and this is in the top 5 of most liked.

 

[MerlintheMad]

But the other issues really do concern me. I do not want to lease it and then not have the car all the time b/c it is at the shop.

That's the bottom line. 2.0T or 3.3TT, our choice for our reasons. The "fun factor" is in the choices. If you know what you want to have fun in, then your choice will satisfy as much as possible.

I chose the V6, because I want to zoom on road trips. After literally decades in underpowered or simply not fast cars/vans, I'd had it up to here with languishing behind semis, or being shut down as I was sliding up to pass one, and have the guy following the semi pull out just in time to ruin my pass and steal my momentum. I scan ahead now, and forestall such developing situations by bursting far ahead of them before anyone else makes a move. Lovely! I've had the car up to 155 MPH. That was FUN!

I've had mine since late March. Not a whiff or hint of trouble like you have read about on this forum. I have read about everything you mentioned in your OP too, and more. But these are the few and far between failures out of the thousands. There are over 4K memberships on this forum alone, out of over 10K Stingers sold in the US alone this year; and almost twice that number when you add in worldwide and sales from last year (which was actually the first year; 2018 is a second year production run). Here are many members from all over the planet. So out of all those Stingers, the puny number of complaints is impressive testimony to the car's solid quality.

Kia developed the Stinger over six years, from Finland to Death Valley. They "kicked the tires and slammed the doors", put 165 lb dummies in and out of the seats 20K times, beat the crap out of it on the Nurburgring, and so forth. This is not a flash in the pan model based on existing platforms: it is brand new, a concept car taken to production. That history is what sold me on the car, in its first year (in the US), above all other factors AFTER how it looks and claims to behave. The hype was all well and good: love the appearance, the 70s retro flourishes on a "genuine gran turismo", and all that: but the sound pathway to production is what made me keep paying attention, until I pulled the trigger.

This is my very first brand new car in almost half a century of driving. It has quirks. Any complicated machine with this many electrical/computer systems integrated and interdependent will exhibit quirks. But they are few and far between and, as with most quirks, are intermittent and so far not repetitive. I saw my fuel economy gauge acting schizophrenic over the weekend, for the first time. It settled down, back to normal (which is, I am told, a mile or two on the generous side anyway).

Dealerships are a crapshoot. I got a good one. Even the worst can be compelled to behave, especially if you can choose between two or more in your area.

Kia's warranty is the best. But so far, it looks like my car won't need any warranty work anytime soon. *knock on wood!*

(Edit to add a short version like @Paul32: Leased mine in late March; bought out the lease in June; been back twice for scheduled oil/filter/maintenance; I have just over 8K miles on mine; not been back for any issues whatsoever; totally happy; the FUN factor has not diminished a single "ounce".)

 

[MerlintheMad]

Oh I know...which is why I was putting the question out there, to get positive views.

And your thread will perversely attract any passing naysayers as well: they can't resist a chance to diss the car. So, gauge the responses here as a window into the world of Stingers at large. As far as I heard, Sal's forum is the biggest, bestest Stinger forum going. Lots of traffic. So your query will produce results you can count on.

Your fear of being unlucky is a separate issue. Only you can tell your history. Go with your feelings. I didn't hesitate a moment when I said, "I am going to buy one, today, if all goes smoothly: if not smoothly, then I will know it isn't for me." And I didn't hesitate or overthink this thing.

 

[BlaydeX15]

The Stutter + Fuel Pump is the 2.0, known and covered. The hatch/creaking is on all, but is covered under a TSB that should be applied pre-purchase (Ask for it if it hasn't been). The shift logic has a TSB, but I didn't notice anything wrong with mine. Paint is pretty binary. Either it's bad, or it's not. You'd find out pretty fast. Chances are if it's a 2018 production car (check the date inside the driver's door jam), it won't have paint issues. Some electronics do some weird stuff, but not that big of a problem.

Some other weirdness, but it's not enough to turn me off of the purchase.

Honestly, just grab a 2018 dated car, and you'll skip the first round of production issues (Paint, Hatch, etc).

 

[stinger541]

Thanks Merlin, nice answers!