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Date Posted: 15:34:23 02/09/05 Wed
Author: lim
Subject: My KIA story ... hope someone learns from it

On December 9, 2004, my wife and I purchased a brand new KIA Optima LX from a local dealer, located in Bayside, Queens. While the vehicle was purchased at the KIA dealer, the services are being provided at the Chrysler dealer, located across the street from it. Apart from an inoperable cruise control (that I would discover two days later after trying to work it out in the highway), the car was fine when we drove it out of the dealer’s lot. However, three weeks into ownership of the vehicle, the car began to exhibit very rough intermittent idling problems. As of this writing, these problems have been plaguing the car since. Furthermore, the vehicle sustained significant body damage on the driver and passenger side doors, while it was in the dealer’s care. I would discover the damage on the vehicle when I decided to pick it up on Friday, February 5, 2005, due to the fact that the dealer claimed that they could not find anything wrong with it.

I brought the inoperable cruise control to the dealer’s service department during the dates: December 16, 2004, January 5, 2005, and on January 11, 2005. During those dates, the so-called part #9644038100 (module) was the reason for its inability to function, thus it needed replacement. During the above-mentioned dates, the customer service representative claimed that part had to be re-ordered; therefore no work could be done to it. As per repair records, the part was replaced on January 27, 2005. As of January 28, 2005, the cruise control was still inoperable, thus it made a return trip to the service department on February 2, 2005.

The vehicle began to show its intermittent idling problem around the week of December 26, 2004. The problem was brought to the service department’s attention on January 5, 2005, January 11, 2005, and on February 2, 2005. The vehicle exhibits the following symptoms (as of 02/02/4005).
?The car staggers (shaking) when idling.
?Exhibit intermittent jerky-thrusting-like movements. Sometimes it could be felt as if the car is choking, and attempts to accelerate when at a traffic light and/or stop sign.
?The problem appears when the car is driven for an indefinite amount of time (45 minutes or more) ?once it has been warmed up and has reached a certain temperature.
?The problem becomes apparent when the vehicle is driven in city driving conditions, where it is more likely to accelerate for very short distances, brakes are utilized more often and stop at traffic lights and/or stop signs in every block (almost always). Also noticeable during “rubbernecking?traffic jams on the interstate.
?The vehicle does not exhibit any problems in (high speed) highway driving conditions. Sometimes, the problem “mysteriously?disappears, and it will be a matter of time when it will show up again.
?The idling problem is not detectable on cold starts.
The dealer could not detect any problems when it was first brought to their attention on 01/05/2005.
The problem was brought to their attention for the second time on 01/11/2005. At that time, the car was exhibiting the above-mentioned symptoms and was verified by an employee at the service shop, due to the fact that I demanded that the employee drove the vehicle around the block (in its present “acting out?state), and find out what was wrong with it. As per “computer diagnostics,?they “believed?that a mass airflow sensor could be the cause of the problem. For the reason that I refused to take the car home until the problem would be fixed and it would save me the inconvenience of dropping off the car (over and over) and vice versa, it spent two-and-a-half weeks under their care. On January 27, 2005, the service department claimed that the part was replaced and the car was ready for pick-up.

I picked up the vehicle on Friday morning, January 28, 2005 only to find the cruise control still inoperable, and that the idling problem was still present as I would discover later on my way home from work, while being in the middle of “rubbernecking?rush hour traffic on the interstate. I immediately called the service department as soon as I arrived home, and told them about the vehicle’s on-going problems. The car was scheduled to make a return trip to the service department on Wednesday, February 2, 2005.

On Friday, February 4, 2005, I decided to pick up the car after being in their care since Wednesday, February 2, 2005. After two days, the service department claimed that the car was not exhibiting the idling problems, even after driving it around for an indefinite period of time. The cruise control needed a switch, in addition to the module that was replaced, thus the part will have to be ordered. I then decided to pick up the vehicle, drive it around so I could commute to work and run my errands with it. I verbally stated that should the idling problems appear, I would bring it to their immediate attention. However, the vehicle was delivered to me with the driver and passenger side doors destroyed. While the vehicle was in their care, apparently, an unknown hit-and-run motorist caused the collision. The dealer claimed that they “will take responsibility?for the damage done to the vehicle’s body. Also, the dealer claimed that the vehicle was “drivable,?thus encouraged me to drive the vehicle home at its present physical condition. I refused, and as of this writing, the vehicle is still in their care.

For two months of ownership of this brand new vehicle, with 2,200 miles (give or take a few), it spent nearly equal amount of time in the repair shop as it did in the driveway. The bad news is ?after contacting two law firms ?it has been concluded that I do not have a case against the dealership or the manufacturer. Practically, I’m SOL (s*** out of luck!). I’m stuck with a car, that while it looks immaculate on the surface, it’s practically a piece of garbage underneath it. All this time, I convinced myself that I should not have problems with it, since I was purchasing an Optima, as opposed to the entry-level ones, such as the Rio or Spectra. I am not here to discourage you from buying a KIA. I just hope that my story from hell with this vehicle, will you make you think twice, and consider other vehicles before purchasing one.

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