So I am dropping my Stinger off for Repaint...

[Mach_Tuck]

Yes, hard to comment with no pictures or details to the same.

In any event, this highlights the need to find a highly rated body/paint shop and further underscores the need to know exactly what outcome should be and what is recourse should outcome not be met.

 

[Stevo]

Sorry for the bad news. Love to see it.

 

[Luminary]

Yeah I know about the pictures. I am hessitant to post the pictures until I hear back from my dealership. First, I spoke directly (one on one, he came to the dealership when I dropped my car off) with the body shop, and was assured that the body panels will be removed from my Stinger, brought to bare metal and then repainted correctly. At the suggestion of another forum meber (I think it was @KiaofMuncie), I asked for pictures during the work. Well in the pictures you can clearly see that they DID NOT remove the body panels as promised. They just did a sand down, and paint. They did remove the mirrors and the door handles though.

The panels to be repainted were: Passenger side fender, front door, rear door and quarter. Drivers side rear door and quarter. Rear bumper. KIA would not approve anything on the front due to raod/rock damage (I have 10K+ miles on her already). Nor would KIA approve the chipping/peeling around the driver's side headlight.

Again once I hear back from my dealership I will update everyone.

 

[KiaofMuncie]

Yeah I know about the pictures. I am hessitant to post the pictures until I hear back from my dealership. First, I spoke directly (one on one, he came to the dealership when I dropped my car off) with the body shop, and was assured that the body panels will be removed from my Stinger, brought to bare metal and then repainted correctly. At the suggestion of another forum meber (I think it was @KiaofMuncie), I asked for pictures during the work. Well in the pictures you can clearly see that they DID NOT remove the body panels as promised. They just did a sand down, and paint. They did remove the mirrors and the door handles though.

The panels to be repainted were: Passenger side fender, front door, rear door and quarter. Drivers side rear door and quarter. Rear bumper. KIA would not approve anything on the front due to raod/rock damage (I have 10K+ miles on her already). Nor would KIA approve the chipping/peeling around the driver's side headlight.

Again once I hear back from my dealership I will update everyone.

I do not see how you prep plastic to be painted when it is much easier and cheaper to order front/rear bumpers and paint fresh. You use your removal/install labor as if you were prepping the old. The sensors are a bitch to switch over and take time and would be additional. I do not see how you can guarantee a paint match if you leave pieces not re-painted. The headlight concern is a known issue on just about all cars. At least from what I have seen. This is a fit and finish issue. I have a feeling more to come on this front. I would almost bet without front bumper off the old headlight rub is bare plastic. Road/Rock damage? Man......SMH but they paid for a complete paint job or almost complete paint job? Most issues from what I have seen have been on the hood.

Did you drop off at dealer and go through your dealer to handle or did you take to a third party such as a paint facility? Sometimes a vendor will back out and leave you dealing with the sub contractor they chose. Keep in mind......your agreement might be with a dealer and not a paint shop. Make sure you know who you are dealing with if something goes bad and ask who is going to fix if an issue comes about?

 

[A Member Who Left]

Not standing behind the headlight peeling issue AND a crappy paint job on non-removed panels AND nothing redone on the front?!? Time to take it to a higher level, meaning public or an attorney. I’m sorry, but I don’t have patience for incompetence when someone takes my $35-45k. Very sorry you have to deal with this but it is unacceptable. Period. End of story.

 

[forzanerazzurri]

Update...

So after two weeks I picked my Stinger up from the dealership. First, I want to say that my dealership is awesome in all ways service. Great people there. Unfortunately I do not have much to update except that I am not very happy (make that pretty damn disappointed) with the repaint that was completed by the 3rd party body shop. I am still in talks with my dealership about it, and as soon as I know something, I will update you all (for those that are interested). I do have some pictures, but am holding off at this point until I hear back.

On a side note, the damn Hatch Rattle is back... again. 2 "fixes" for it so far, SA322 and the newer one that I cannot remember the SA number for. It is really loud this time as well. Uggg.

And so it beings....

 

[StingerGT68]

And so it beings....

Just saying, my experience has been very different and very satisfactory. As we assumed, seems like this will be case-by-case (at least for colors other than yellow).

 

[jondyer]

Just saying, my experience has been very different and very satisfactory. As we assumed, seems like this will be case-by-case (at least for colors other than yellow).

It would help both Kia and the customers if there was some sort of consistency across the board though.

 

[PieceOfChum]

Kia should just pay to wrap each car with plastic/film protection and then have dealers do a ceramic coating. That should keep the paint great for a while anyway. Maybe even offer two applications for free for the first 10 years or ceramic every other year for 10 years. A lot cheaper than repaint and they could setup dealerships to do it to make the process more consistent. After 10 years most cars paint jobs are ruined anyway. Then the car doesn't have to be pulled apart which can lead to more rattles and problems.

 

[KiaofMuncie]

Kia should just pay to wrap each car with plastic/film protection and then have dealers do a ceramic coating. That should keep the paint great for a while anyway. Maybe even offer two applications for free for the first 10 years or ceramic every other year for 10 years. A lot cheaper than repaint and they could setup dealerships to do it to make the process more consistent. After 10 years most cars paint jobs are ruined anyway. Then the car doesn't have to be pulled apart which can lead to more rattles and problems.

This would never fly for cars traded in and or sold on the used market. I'd much rather be able to wash and wax a vehicle instead of looking at a 3-5 year old wrap. I do not think the best ceramic coating will help these paint problems.

 

[AV8R]

All I want to say is that if you are going to do a job, do it properly. Take it to the media expose the issue and watch Kia dance at your feet.

 

[MerlintheMad]

What is this "hatch rattle" exactly? I am now curious how such a simple mechanical fit like a hatch can rattle without resolution. At the very least it should be possible to "pad" the seals so that the entire joining edges are tighter. Why do maintenance and repair people have such a problem fixing such a simple thing?

 

[PieceOfChum]

They absolutely should have done it right the first time and they should have far better quality control I totally agree. I would be afraid though of a paint shop pulling apart a brand new car I am sure for some it will be fine but I feel bad for those that get a shop that does less than a stellar job. I don't think Kia would do a buyback although that would be the honorable thing. At least in the US and in Mass they are not legally required to repaint the entire car only the areas affected I know this because I had a Honda that was incorrectly painted and it was a nightmare to get them to take it back which eventually the dealer did.

 

[gilthanis1]

Yeah I know about the pictures. I am hessitant to post the pictures until I hear back from my dealership. First, I spoke directly (one on one, he came to the dealership when I dropped my car off) with the body shop, and was assured that the body panels will be removed from my Stinger, brought to bare metal and then repainted correctly. At the suggestion of another forum meber (I think it was @KiaofMuncie), I asked for pictures during the work. Well in the pictures you can clearly see that they DID NOT remove the body panels as promised. They just did a sand down, and paint. They did remove the mirrors and the door handles though.

The panels to be repainted were: Passenger side fender, front door, rear door and quarter. Drivers side rear door and quarter. Rear bumper. KIA would not approve anything on the front due to raod/rock damage (I have 10K+ miles on her already). Nor would KIA approve the chipping/peeling around the driver's side headlight.

Again once I hear back from my dealership I will update everyone.

I agree with @KiaofMuncie on this, how in the hell do you paint plastic/fiberglass bumpers and not take them off the car? And not covering the headlight rubbing? This is WAY to effed up to say that Kia refused to fix it. It sounds like a district rep is trying to shield Kia from hearing about it or something.

Have you spoken directly with Kia? If so, then who? If it's just a rep you get to on the phone then that's not good enough. I want a manager, or higher, before I accept any work or sign off on anything.

 

[StingerGT68]

The lesson here: demand to have the work done by a shop you know and trust.

 

[Luminary]

The lesson here: demand to have the work done by a shop you know and trust.

That only works if you *know* any shops that have earned your trust. I personally have never had a car repainted before so I have no experience here.

 

[KiaofMuncie]

I agree with @KiaofMuncie on this, how in the hell do you paint plastic/fiberglass bumpers and not take them off the car? And not covering the headlight rubbing? This is WAY to effed up to say that Kia refused to fix it. It sounds like a district rep is trying to shield Kia from hearing about it or something.

Have you spoken directly with Kia? If so, then who? If it's just a rep you get to on the phone then that's not good enough. I want a manager, or higher, before I accept any work or sign off on anything.[/QUOTE
I was involved in the insurance industry for years and handled thousands of claims......here is what I learned. If you present an insurance claim to an adjuster and you happen to leave off X number of items and you submit that estimate do you think the adjuster is going to say....."hey,you left these items off. Let me re-write the estimate for you and make sure we pay you for the items left off" Same thing applies here. KIA says go out and get two quotes. One might be high and one might be low however the details matter. Line items and detail of what is going to happen matter. If one quote says to remove and replace front bumper and the other is to prep and paint front bumper you have two very different methods. KIA is not paying the claim twice. They probably want to pay the Cheaper of the two claims. Speak up when your shop is writing the estimate. If you see an estimate with prep/paint and a total, run! I'd probably use our Australian member as a guide for what was done. At least the end result turned out the way we all hope our Stingers do. I am still in the dark as to what the "Special Paint Process" is for the Red and Blue as KIA mentioned in Stinger training. My question is can this be duplicated by a paint shop? I am hopeful that it can. I am a little upset that owners have been granted repaints with no official announcement. I'm sorry.....I am a details guy. I want to know why it failed,how it failed and what KIA engineers are saying to do to correct the issue? If we follow what KIA says to do we should all be fine. If we follow what ABC paint shop says to do are we setting ourselves up for failure in the future? I have zero clue. If this is a base-coat issue I want to know how the vehicle must be properly prepped for paint.

 

[eflyguy]

Exactly.. The average consumer does not know who to trust, they would depend on their dealer - and we all know how that will go (Jason excluded, and it's a shame you're the exception, and not the rule!)

 

[Ucinn]

That only works if you *know* any shops that have earned your trust. I personally have never had a car repainted before so I have no experience here.

Contact your insurance company and ask who their customers prefer and who they use... usually they will use a respectable shop that does good work.

 

[Luminary]

Anyone have the KMA VIP Phone Number handy? I would like to give them a call but I am at work and do not have the number with me.
Thanks!