Kia regret

[V10enomous]

Beginning to wonder if I regret buying my Stinger. From my experience of only several weeks and all of the nightmares I read about on here, it seems Kia’s provide ‘value’ by providing cheap ‘value’ customer service. I’m not sure I can even drive the car without them saying any problem is cause of something I did. Such a damn pathetic joke! Dealer service manager tried telling me my 22 door grab handle that broke after week, was because I got the windows tinted. Which was done after the handle was found to be broken. Disheartening because I really do love my car.

I was looking at new Stingers yesterday and the car on their showroom floor had a broken driver's interior door pull. I went to close the door from inside and the top of the handle separated about an inch from the door card. No problems and no regrets with our 2018 though...

 

[V10enomous]

We had an 2012 Optima Hybrid that we traded in on our 2018 Stinger. The car was perfect for 99k miles and there were things I actually liked better about that car than our Stinger. But at 99k miles it just died with some sort of Hybrid Trans Failure Message... We were like,,, Thank God the power train is covered for 100k miles. So they tow the car in and a week later they call to say that they can't diagnose the problem. I was like... Just fix it. They said they couldn't. So after two weeks going back and forth with Kia Corporate the best they could do was to tell me that it would cost $3k to tear it down and do further diagnosis and that their files show that there's an 85% chance that the problem is electrical and not mechanical and would not be covered. After doing a little research there were a number of instances like this on Kia's early attempts on building Hybrids. The dealer did give us a great trade in value on it though.

 

[vipeboy2000]

the ridiculous part on the dealer side is that there is a tsb out about those 22 door handles..... let me find a link to what someone here posted a few days ago... TSB for MY22 internal Door Handle Issue

 

[Legendsk]

I believe Kia service is the locus of several problems.

Surely the worst of which is Kia dealerships specialty is cheap cars, cheap service, cheap, cheap, cheap. This leads to the owner wanting cheap labor and minimum investment in their training to keep costs down.

And then with all dealers
Their desire to sell new cars steers them toward making you unhappy with your current car if they can, without totally alienating you. Can't fix it. Won't fix it. Don't know how to fix it. Don't care.

Normally workers are about average, due to the Peter Principle. "In a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence... in time every post tends to be occupied by an employee who is incompetent to carry out its duties... Work is accomplished by those employees who have not yet reached their level of incompetence."

But the virus has skewed that because as businesses shrank / shut down, the newest employees were laid off, then old employees and as things began to pick up again the people available to hire were untrained and the odds of your encountering a competent experienced employee are even worse than normal.

The current younger generation seems to lean toward getting their satisfaction from obtaining stuff. Satisfaction from a career of being so skilled at your job you can make it look easy, earning gratitude and respect isn't on their radar.

The arrogance problem W. Edwards Demming ran into. Management is so arrogant they believe they can design and operate all the processes of their business, better than anyone else on the planet. This flies in the face of process improvement where EVERY SINGLE PROCESS CAN BE IMPROVED! A successful improvement could be by making the process output better, or by making the process cost less. But the goal should be both. And usually is. When Demming approached Ford, GM and Chrysler with the concept they laughed at him. When he finally took his ideas to Japan they were embraced and in a few years Honda was outselling the US manufactures and they never recovered. But oddly enough, their arrogance and attitude still remain?

The Kia dealerships are making great money, believe they really have a handle on this and their arrogance won't allow them to even consider the possibility that they could lower costs and provide a better product at the same time. So they aren't going to change. Get used to poor to bad service as the standard. If you find a dealer with great service, good on you. Please help them and the rest of us by spreading the word.

 

[GenesisG70]

Need to know people that have bad experiences will be the one posting their frustrations on the internet but those happy with their experiences won't be inclined to post. Oh boy if you know the headaches I had to endure with my Porsche and audi stealers... it doesn't just happen with Kia dealers. My porche dealer declined repair on warping door panels due to heat stating it was wear and tear, audi never fixed a cracking noise I have on my r8 when going on a bumpy surface and the list of headaches goes on and on. So let's not just demonize all the Kia stealers on planet earth or Kia coporation.

 

[Kamauxx]

You got it! I know when I drop damn near 60K on a vehicle, I expect service to match.

That's part of the problem. You paid too much. Kia doesn't even offer premium service to people in K900s, and those STARTED at $60k!

A couple of years ago a brand new GT2 could be had for low-mid $40s. Now those (nearly) exact cars are selling for MSRP approaching $57k. Due to inventory shortage/lack of incentives they are no longer "value" cars as you put it. So you were actually shafted TWICE since you paid a premium price for a "value" experience.

I know it'll pain you but you should look at it as a mid-$40k car instead of a near-$60k car. That will probably help temper your expectations.

 

[JSolo]

Nearly a decade ago I paid $38K +TTL for my '12 G37S sedan from an Infiniti dealership. The service was top notch. In fact, this place even had a complementary breakfast/lunchbar one could use simply by showing a card (given to buyers). That was fancy. I've been in other Infiniti dealers since which didn't offer this level of service.

Fields Infiniti in Glencoe IL. Sadly the Fields autogroup dropped infiniti few years ago. The place is now a Mini dealership.

The best you could hope for at kia is a bottle of water. So yes, with folks dropping $40K+, kia dealerships need to up their game. Regardless, the same basic expectation exists at any dealership. Problem will be fixed properly the first time at a reasonable price (if not under warranty).

 

[Ohiocruiser]

Nearly a decade ago I paid $38K +TTL for my '12 G37S sedan from an Infiniti dealership. The service was top notch. In fact, this place even had a complementary breakfast/lunchbar one could use simply by showing a card (given to buyers). That was fancy. I've been in other Infiniti dealers since which didn't offer this level of service.

Fields Infiniti in Glencoe IL. Sadly the Fields autogroup dropped infiniti few years ago. The place is now a Mini dealership.

The best you could hope for at kia is a bottle of water. So yes, with folks dropping $40K+, kia dealerships need to up their game. Regardless, the same basic expectation exists at any dealership. Problem will be fixed properly the first time at a reasonable price (if not under warranty).

Giving free shit away didn't work very well for infinity ,did it?

 

[JSolo]

I don't recall the details, but since the early 2010's, things at infiniti management have been going down hill. In 2014 they did away with the 6mt option and subsequently most (all?) of their cars are cvt. Then there was this stupid steer (and brake?) by wire. Any/all infiniti products fell off my radar about that point. I don't want to be driving a video game.

Reading some article recently, it looks like they are reverting back to a traditional trans next year for their qx60.

Confident Power: All-new 2022 INFINITI QX60 introduces new 9-speed automatic transmission, improved refinement

Quiet confidence is the best kind.

usa.infinitinews.com

Wonder if this will trickle down to the sedans too. I will say this, that '12 G37 seemed more solidly built than even the stinger. For example, the fender panels with the hood open seem more robust (thicker). It would be an interesting question if the kia panels of the thinner gauge have the same actual rigidity as the thicker infiniti panels.

In my view, at the end of the day, infiniti, acura are really nothing more than over glorified versions of their respective mainstream brands. I don't have experience with lexus, but do believe their engineering goes through more R&D before release than the other brands.

 

[terrylharris]

Beginning to wonder if I regret buying my Stinger. From my experience of only several weeks and all of the nightmares I read about on here, it seems Kia’s provide ‘value’ by providing cheap ‘value’ customer service. I’m not sure I can even drive the car without them saying any problem is cause of something I did. Such a damn pathetic joke! Dealer service manager tried telling me my 22 door grab handle that broke after week, was because I got the windows tinted. Which was done after the handle was found to be broken. Disheartening because I really do love my car.

I loved my 2018 Silky Silver Stinger GT. I drove it for 3 and 1/4 years, sold it to Carmax for $34,000. No regrets at all.

 

[WRXtoStingerGT]

You got it! I know when I drop damn near 60K on a vehicle, I expect service to match. The dealer didn’t even have loaner cars. That was a first for me. This was and is one reason I wont get a Genesis, even though I really like them. I refuse to have to deal with a Hyundai dealer network, when I’m supposed to be getting luxury level service.

On a positive note, I LOOOOVE that I can take 360 degree pics of my car and get valet mode alerts when it’s driven and such. Ive had to lock my car every damn time they’ve moved it, since they don’t lock it.

Yeah I'm completely with you.

But the funny thing is my buddy who is on his 3rd hellcat gets the same nonsense service/treatment at his local Dodge.

I feel like certain brands bride themselves on dealership experience such as Lexus and Mercedes. Other brands produce high-quality and high-value vehicles but do not worry about how their dealerships operate. I am only going off the experience of my friends, family, and other forums. Even Maserati, Porsche, and McLaren give mediocre experience at many dealerships.

Idk... just my 2 cents

 

[WRXtoStingerGT]

I believe Kia service is the locus of several problems.

Surely the worst of which is Kia dealerships specialty is cheap cars, cheap service, cheap, cheap, cheap. This leads to the owner wanting cheap labor and minimum investment in their training to keep costs down.

And then with all dealers
Their desire to sell new cars steers them toward making you unhappy with your current car if they can, without totally alienating you. Can't fix it. Won't fix it. Don't know how to fix it. Don't care.

Normally workers are about average, due to the Peter Principle. "In a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence... in time every post tends to be occupied by an employee who is incompetent to carry out its duties... Work is accomplished by those employees who have not yet reached their level of incompetence."

But the virus has skewed that because as businesses shrank / shut down, the newest employees were laid off, then old employees and as things began to pick up again the people available to hire were untrained and the odds of your encountering a competent experienced employee are even worse than normal.

The current younger generation seems to lean toward getting their satisfaction from obtaining stuff. Satisfaction from a career of being so skilled at your job you can make it look easy, earning gratitude and respect isn't on their radar.

The arrogance problem W. Edwards Demming ran into. Management is so arrogant they believe they can design and operate all the processes of their business, better than anyone else on the planet. This flies in the face of process improvement where EVERY SINGLE PROCESS CAN BE IMPROVED! A successful improvement could be by making the process output better, or by making the process cost less. But the goal should be both. And usually is. When Demming approached Ford, GM and Chrysler with the concept they laughed at him. When he finally took his ideas to Japan they were embraced and in a few years Honda was outselling the US manufactures and they never recovered. But oddly enough, their arrogance and attitude still remain?

The Kia dealerships are making great money, believe they really have a handle on this and their arrogance won't allow them to even consider the possibility that they could lower costs and provide a better product at the same time. So they aren't going to change. Get used to poor to bad service as the standard. If you find a dealer with great service, good on you. Please help them and the rest of us by spreading the word.

Beautifully written and well put!!

 

[monusa]

I've been saying this for over a year. Kia is used to working with people who just want the "lowest monthly payment possible idk what apr means I just need a car right now dude!" and therefore when someone who comes and drops anywhere from $35k-$55k on a car... they don't give them the service to match the price...

I believe this to be SPOT ON!!!!

To the OP, when I had my Stinger, I have nothing but great reviews from the service dept. at the dealer I purchased my Stinger from. i had an engine replaced and although I had to wait an entire month before getting my car back, they were nothing but great during the process. The month wait was at the beginning of COVID so I can't blame them for the delay.

I do agree with @WRXtoStingerGT that the majority of their customers are looking for the cheap new car and don't take customer service into consideration. It is a shame that you have to deal with crap like that but as another poster stated(I paraphrase here); "stand up to them and get it resolved to your satisfaction'. If the window malfunctioned after you had them tinted, then I might look at things from the dealer POV but in your case, NAHHHHHHH.

 

[Kimberly Lazarski]

You got it! I know when I drop damn near 60K on a vehicle, I expect service to match. The dealer didn’t even have loaner cars. That was a first for me. This was and is one reason I wont get a Genesis, even though I really like them. I refuse to have to deal with a Hyundai dealer network, when I’m supposed to be getting luxury level service.

On a positive note, I LOOOOVE that I can take 360 degree pics of my car and get valet mode alerts when it’s driven and such. Ive had to lock my car every damn time they’ve moved it, since they don’t lock it.

Do the 360 camera views work in your phone app? They aren't working for me on a Samsung S10+ 1024G

 

[WRXtoStingerGT]

I believe this to be SPOT ON!!!!

To the OP, when I had my Stinger, I have nothing but great reviews from the service dept. at the dealer I purchased my Stinger from. i had an engine replaced and although I had to wait an entire month before getting my car back, they were nothing but great during the process. The month wait was at the beginning of COVID so I can't blame them for the delay.

I do agree with @WRXtoStingerGT that the majority of their customers are looking for the cheap new car and don't take customer service into consideration. It is a shame that you have to deal with crap like that but as another poster stated(I paraphrase here); "stand up to them and get it resolved to your satisfaction'. If the window malfunctioned after you had them tinted, then I might look at things from the dealer POV but in your case, NAHHHHHHH.

Yeah I mean... look... the Stinger itself is an amazing car... I really do genuinely stand by that statement... but the overwhelming majority of Kia dealerships and service centers are a complete joke. Now don't get me wrong, I know other brands have issues too with their dealerships and service centers. I have seen people deal with rudeness or incompetency from BMW, Maserati, Porsche, etc. but I am willing to wager that if we took 100 Kia locations and 100 Lexus locations (just picked Lexus randomly) I know more people overall will have bad experiences with Kia than Lexus.

Also it makes me feel "off" about having a ten year warranty. I genuinely am worried bringing my car in for warranty work and inspections and recalls because I am paranoid they will mess something up or take 8 hours instead of 2 hours.

 

[MerlintheMad]

I have seen people deal with rudeness or incompetency from BMW, Maserati, Porsche, etc. but I am willing to wager that if we took 100 Kia locations and 100 Lexus locations (just picked Lexus randomly) I know more people overall will have bad experiences with Kia than Lexus.

This is true, by the Consumer Reports survey I saw a couple of years ago. But that's because Lexus, et al. scored higher than Kia on customer satisfaction with the dealership experience. But the difference is not that big. (And I'm not positive that Lexus scored higher than Kia: but if they did it was marginally better.) Going off memory, the rough number comparison is (out of a 1,000 point score) Kia 735, and Porsche (the highest scorer as I recall) right around either side of 900. The survey says that well over half of Kia dealerships satisfy their customers. So, I disagree with your assertion that "... the overwhelming majority of Kia dealerships and service centers are a complete joke." Remembering that those complaining are over-represented on car forums, and going by my own experience, I have to side with the CR survey results.

 

[GenesisG70]

Yeah I mean... look... the Stinger itself is an amazing car... I really do genuinely stand by that statement... but the overwhelming majority of Kia dealerships and service centers are a complete joke. Now don't get me wrong, I know other brands have issues too with their dealerships and service centers. I have seen people deal with rudeness or incompetency from BMW, Maserati, Porsche, etc. but I am willing to wager that if we took 100 Kia locations and 100 Lexus locations (just picked Lexus randomly) I know more people overall will have bad experiences with Kia than Lexus.

Also it makes me feel "off" about having a ten year warranty. I genuinely am worried bringing my car in for warranty work and inspections and recalls because I am paranoid they will mess something up or take 8 hours instead of 2 hours.

I agree mostly what you said but do you have any studies to back your statement regarding the quality of service between kia and Lexus dealers around the country and the world?

 

[monusa]

Again, I can only speak for the dealer I purchased from and I took my Stinger to the dealer for every oil change/warranty work/engine replacement, etc. If I had a top of the line GT2, then I would expect a high quality of service but I had a base 2.0............ Maybe it has a lot to do with the kind of people they hire to work for them??????? I can also see the opposite side of things were the people are just crap!

For the OP, hope you get your issues resolved.

Shout out to CAR TOWN KIA!!

 

[Legendsk]

When I first got my Soul, I went on a trip that took me through Cheyenne, WY. I needed an oil change there and stopped at the Cheyenne Kia dealer. They were great. Very helpful and worked me in, although I didn't have an appointment. That was where I got my first look at a Stinger GT2. I didn't get my Stinger until I got back to Texas about a year later, so I can't speak to how they care for Stinger customers, but based on how they treated a Soul owner, I sure recommend them.

 

[ecko04]

All I have to add is that even though dealerships may be owned by the same group, the management of those dealerships can vary. The dealership that’s 3 miles away has a horrible sales staff but terrific service. The other dealer that’s 7 miles away has great sales but abysmal service. I bought my Stinger at one and, for recalls, went to the other. I know everyone doesn’t have the luxury of having competing dealerships in relatively closely close locations. My Dad, who lives on the outskirts of Newport News, VA, will not take his BMW for service in Newport News because he hates their service. He would rather drive up to Richmond, over an hour away.

Long story short, you shouldn’t have to settle for poor service or service managers making excuses, and to the OP, don’t let that experience stop you from enjoying your car.