Thinking of buying a Stinger, but I have quality issue concerns

[Stinger73]

BTW if any of you experience Christmas tree dash light/limp mode issue. Put the car hazards on as you won't be able to drive past 30mph, when all the dash lights light up. Find a safe place to pull over and shut off the car. Then restart it and you will only have the check engine light and the car will run as normal. Well until you get it serviced. If it won't restart then you have bigger issues. Then again this was my experience and doesn't mean it will happen to everyone and for the same reason. But I didn't choose an Alfa Romero Giulia because folks complained of the car acting up and going into limp mode....

 

[taichizi]

Timing is the most personal aspect of making a decision. Waiting is always viewed as prudent. But waiting sometimes means it will never happen at all. Age, health and random chance play into this the older you get.

Totally agreed. As per Nike slogan: “Just Do It!”

 

[MerlintheMad]

.... But I didn't choose an Alfa Romero Giulia because folks complained of the car acting up and going into limp mode....

"A man cannot escape his weird." (Some Havamal wisdom.) Really, though, after a rough start you should get past this okay.

(edit: I hesitated to add that last bit, because it seems uncomfortable to offer encouragement from a trouble-free position. But I think we all know what dealing with a persistent car problem or set of problems feels like!)

 

[Stinger73]

Well it's been one week and they still do not know exactly the issue with it. If the car sits in the heat long enough they can duplicate the dash lighting up with errors but they get a different diagnostic error every time. So far even the Kia engineers are stumped. The local service representative has been doing really well in keeping me up to date since last time.

Buuut I have not heard from Kia Consumer Support until I called them today. I was told someone will call me tomorrow. Just sad I had to call them this time. Last few times for hatch rattle and sound system balance issue they called with a quickness, now something really important and not a word. Very concerning about my car in general and really concerning on how Kia Consumer Support with the supposed premium representatives for Stinger are not taking it seriously.

 

[taichizi]

Well it's been one week and they still do not know exactly the issue with it. If the car sits in the heat long enough they can duplicate the dash lighting up with errors but they get a different diagnostic error every time. So far even the Kia engineers are stumped. The local service representative has been doing really well in keeping me up to date since last time.
B
Buuut I have not heard from Kia Consumer Support until I called them today. I was told someone will call me tomorrow. Just sad I had to call them this time. Last few times for hatch rattle and sound system balance issue they called with a quickness, now something really important and not a word. Very concerning about my car in general and really concerning on how Kia Consumer Support with the supposed premium representatives for Stinger are not taking it seriously.

Can't read the post... is the font in white?

 

[AV8R]

Can't read the post... is the font in white?

Fixed it for you.

 

[taichizi]

Fixed it for you.

Thanks

 

[MerlintheMad]

Well it's been one week and they still do not know exactly the issue with it. If the car sits in the heat long enough they can duplicate the dash lighting up with errors but they get a different diagnostic error every time. So far even the Kia engineers are stumped. The local service representative has been doing really well in keeping me up to date since last time.

Buuut I have not heard from Kia Consumer Support until I called them today. I was told someone will call me tomorrow. Just sad I had to call them this time. Last few times for hatch rattle and sound system balance issue they called with a quickness, now something really important and not a word. Very concerning about my car in general and really concerning on how Kia Consumer Support with the supposed premium representatives for Stinger are not taking it seriously.

Just heating up in the sun causes your errors? I read that the Stinger was tested in the deserts of S. California. Your individual vehicle must have issues, it isn't a problem with the car's design.

 

[Bobby]

So I went to the dealership tonight to look at a Panthera Metal GT (really cool color; almost black from afar and when you get closer and the light reflects, more grey). I randomly looked at 4 Stingers (dealer had 14 on the lot!) to look for the paint issues folks here have talked about where the paint is coming off where the headlights touch the front bumper. 2 of the Stingers were 2.0L and 2 were 3.3L. One Blue, Red, White and Silver. 3 of the 4 Stingers had paint coming off at the bumper! I was very surprised. It wasn't a huge that was impacted and I'm assuming the front bumper is plastic so it wouldn't rust, but still, this is a disappointing issue to have cars with this issue this long after initial launch.

 

[AV8R]

So I went to the dealership tonight to look at a Panthera Metal GT (really cool color; almost black from afar and when you get closer and the light reflects, more grey). I randomly looked at 4 Stingers (dealer had 14 on the lot!) to look for the paint issues folks here have talked about where the paint is coming off where the headlights touch the front bumper. 2 of the Stingers were 2.0L and 2 were 3.3L. One Blue, Red, White and Silver. 3 of the 4 Stingers had paint coming off at the bumper! I was very surprised. It wasn't a huge that was impacted and I'm assuming the front bumper is plastic so it wouldn't rust, but still, this is a disappointing issue to have cars with this issue this long after initial launch.

Which colour was ok then?

 

[Bobby]

Silver was the only color with no peeling. I wonder if this is happening during shipping process b/c I can't imagine this getting past Kia's QC process, but maybe I'm wrong.

 

[taichizi]

Silver was the only color with no peeling. I wonder if this is happening during shipping process b/c I can't imagine this getting past Kia's QC process, but maybe I'm wrong.

Normally the dealers would touch up before deliver the car to the customers as the Long process of supply chain from factory to customer could have “damaged” the car. But your observation of high number of occurrence on that specific area is indeed an alarming sign.

 

[Paul32]

Normally the dealers would touch up before deliver the car to the customers as the Long process of supply chain from factory to customer could have “damaged” the car. But your observation of high number of occurrence on that specific area is indeed an alarming sign.

If you can, check the build date on each. Not just you, but anyone looking at potential purchase, choose a build date as late as possible in 2018.

 

[taichizi]

If you can, check the build date on each. Not just you, but anyone looking at potential purchase, choose a build date as late as possible in 2018.

That's a good suggestion. I did that with my previous ride.

 

[Bobby]

All - an update sort of. Went to the dealer to check out Ceramic Silver, the only color I have not seen in person. I believe I am leaning that color over the HiChroma Red (both are beautiful). I took both my sales contact and the Stinger specialist around the parking lot and had them look at most of the Stingers on their lot (~15). A few conclusions: roughly 60% of the Stingers have the headlight paint peeling issue; it is overwhelmingly on the drivers side headlight vs. passenger. This is the first the Stinger specialist had heard of this issue but I referred him to this forum as it is a known widespread issue. He did confirm the front bumper is all plastic and no issues with rust potentially happening. I was hoping this would help spread the word to Kia corporate to get current owners more help on the issue.

Another interesting tidbit (you all may know this already): production on 2018 has completed and if you want an 2018 you'll need to find on existing dealer stock (according to him).

I am going to buy this car eventually, the only question is when. Aggressive July incentives vs. MY2019s. There is no guarantee Kia changes the paint on these vehicles with the 2019s, so who knows. Still thinking here.....

Hope everyone is well. Take care.

 

[Bobby]

One more note. I checked the production date on a few of these cars and most are May 2018 (they had just gotten several of them in).

 

[Waynerm002]

I think it was in May that the Korean site announced the 2019 version. I had heard that the production of the 2019 would start at that point as well so that info was good. The fact that you pointed out the paint issues to them, one would hope they report back to KIA the issues and get those fixed. I’ve heard from some dealers that the 2019s wouldn’t be out until the end of the year, if that’s true, we have a bit longer to wait. If this means they are doing that to resolve the issues, so much the better for us.

This is their flagship vehicle as of now (until the 2019 K900 comes out) so KIA wants to make sure those getting this vehicle has a great experience. Some dealerships are not going to behave in that fashion which is why we recommend folks with issues open a case with KIA Customer Care so it gets escalated. These issue detract from the whole experience for some but in no way do they make this a sub par product. Most manufactures have issues with first year cars, which is why a lot of folks don’t buy a car in it’s first year. I’ve done so over the years and have had good and not so good experience, when there is an issue though, they are resolved. I’ve been with KIA for 6 years, with 3 cars and 2 were first year cars (current car included) and have had great experience with all.

 

[taichizi]

All - an update sort of. Went to the dealer to check out Ceramic Silver, the only color I have not seen in person. I believe I am leaning that color over the HiChroma Red (both are beautiful). I took both my sales contact and the Stinger specialist around the parking lot and had them look at most of the Stingers on their lot (~15). A few conclusions: roughly 60% of the Stingers have the headlight paint peeling issue; it is overwhelmingly on the drivers side headlight vs. passenger. This is the first the Stinger specialist had heard of this issue but I referred him to this forum as it is a known widespread issue. He did confirm the front bumper is all plastic and no issues with rust potentially happening. I was hoping this would help spread the word to Kia corporate to get current owners more help on the issue.

Another interesting tidbit (you all may know this already): production on 2018 has completed and if you want an 2018 you'll need to find on existing dealer stock (according to him).

I am going to buy this car eventually, the only question is when. Aggressive July incentives vs. MY2019s. There is no guarantee Kia changes the paint on these vehicles with the 2019s, so who knows. Still thinking here.....

Hope everyone is well. Take care.

If you could wait for MY2019, then go for it..... who knows.... maybe there are some improvements over the 2018 batch....

 

[taichizi]

I think it was in May that the Korean site announced the 2019 version. I had heard that the production of the 2019 would start at that point as well so that info was good. The fact that you pointed out the paint issues to them, one would hope they report back to KIA the issues and get those fixed. I’ve heard from some dealers that the 2019s wouldn’t be out until the end of the year, if that’s true, we have a bit longer to wait. If this means they are doing that to resolve the issues, so much the better for us.

This is their flagship vehicle as of now (until the 2019 K900 comes out) so KIA wants to make sure those getting this vehicle has a great experience. Some dealerships are not going to behave in that fashion which is why we recommend folks with issues open a case with KIA Customer Care so it gets escalated. These issue detract from the whole experience for some but in no way do they make this a sub par product. Most manufactures have issues with first year cars, which is why a lot of folks don’t buy a car in it’s first year. I’ve done so over the years and have had good and not so good experience, when there is an issue though, they are resolved. I’ve been with KIA for 6 years, with 3 cars and 2 were first year cars (current car included) and have had great experience with all.

Glad to read some good customer experience on KIA...