Vehicles from Kia are reasonably priced and generously backed. The automaker’s claim to fame is the 10-year/100,000-mile Kia warranty, which is available on all models sold in the U.S. It’s one of the reasons the brand has gained greater public favor since 2008. Although it has without a doubt one of the longest guarantee terms in the sector, the warranty itself contains a number of restrictions that shouldn’t be disregarded.
1. Limited Transferability
When a used Kia is sold, the vast majority of new car factory warranties are completely transferable to the new owner. The renowned Kia powertrain warranty, however, is not entirely transferable to new owners. The powertrain warranty immediately shortens from a 10-year/100,000-mile term to a 5-year/60,000-mile term once the car is sold.
Although this shouldn’t deter potential buyers from buying a Kia because the second owner will still be entitled to a warranty period equivalent to that offered by other automakers, it is an essential distinction to be aware of.
2. Exceptions to Bumper-to-Bumper Warranties
Another thing we discovered is that many things that would have the full five years of the limited basic warranty coverage have shorter periods. For instance:
- Refrigerant charge for air conditioners is covered for 12 months/unlimited kilometers.
- Any Kia’s original battery is only guaranteed for three years or 36,000 miles. Only a battery that is totally damaged is considered replacement.
- The audio, entertainment, and paint of the vehicle are covered for the same 3-year/36,000-mile period.
3. Unexpected Limitations
The guarantee for Kia covers several items, but not all of them. Unexpected exclusions like some repairs using the UVO system (Kia’s in-vehicle media controller and entertainment system) are also specified in the contract along with the expected exceptions brought on by things like negligent maintenance by the car owner and accidental damage. Additionally, owners must service their Kias at a Kia dealership that has been approved by the manufacturer in order to receive warranty coverage.
4. Benefits of Kia Warranties
The Kia Roadside Assistance Program provides roadside assistance for five years and 60,000 miles. This provides drivers with a great safety net because they will always have access to a Kia-staffed toll-free hotline, even on holidays.
With up to $75 in coverage per occurrence, additional benefits include petrol delivery, flat tire assistance, towing to a Kia dealership or alternative service site, and more. There is no cap on the number of roadside assistance incidents that each vehicle or driver is insured for under the Kia warranty contract. When claims or service requests are made too frequently, Kia does have the right to restrict or refuse these services.
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What nullifies the Kia warranty?
Most repairs and replacements of items that fail owing to flaws in the design or construction are covered by the Kia warranty. The automaker, based in South Korea, offers coverage lengths that are above normal. Powertrain coverage is provided to new owners for 10 years/100,000 miles, and bumper-to-bumper protection is provided for 5 years/60,000 miles. In addition to the bumper-to-bumper guarantee, new Kias come with 24-hour emergency roadside assistance for the same period of time.
The warranty terms offered by Kia are among the longest in the industry. Only a few other automakers, like Hyundai and Mitsubishi, can match the brand’s powertrain, bumper-to-bumper, and roadside assistance terms. Corrosion protection is an area where Kia lags behind; on the short end of warranty coverage periods, it is tied with Ford and Toyota. Kia was contacted by our staff for a reaction regarding its corrosion protection restrictions, but we did not hear back.
The Kia factory warranty, which is included with all new cars, is broken down as follows:
- Basic limited warranty: Kia offers bumper-to-bumper protection. Except for a few exclusions and parts that are broken through natural wear and tear, this guarantee covers almost all of the vehicle’s components.
- Limited powertrain warranty: This comprehensive guarantee covers the engine, gearbox, drive axles, and associated components that enable the vehicle to move.
- Limited anti-perforation warranty: Under this warranty, body panels that rust and corrode from the inside out are replaced.
- Roadside assistance benefit: The Kia roadside assistance benefit provides towing to the closest Kia dealership, battery jump-starts, flat tire changes, and other services at a cost of $75 each time you seek service.
As you can see, the Kia warranty is actually composed of various auto warranties, which is customary in the auto sector. Despite the fact that Kia models have longer warranties than many other cars, it’s vital to remember that some parts have lesser guarantees:
- Battery: Kia will only swap out your car’s factory-installed battery if it entirely fails within the first three years or 36,000 miles of ownership.
- A new Kia vehicle only receives a year’s worth of air conditioning refrigerant charge coverage.
- Audio system: Your speakers and entertainment system are insured for three years or 36,000 miles, much like the battery.
What else is excluded from the Kia warranty?
Although the Kia guarantee covers a number of components, it does not cover all potential problems with your car. The following situations are exempt from your factory car warranty’s protection:
- Services for routine maintenance, such as oil changes or inspections
- Damage resulting from owner abuse or negligence
- Damage caused by a vehicle accident
- wearable components such as brake pads and wiper blades
- damage to the environment caused by a disaster such a flood, storm, or fire
- damage brought on by poor repairs
Does the Kia warranty continue?
Another owner may inherit the Kia warranty. Remember that when you sell the vehicle, the 10-year/100,000-mile limited powertrain guarantee is changed to a 5-year/60,000-mile limited powertrain warranty. The remaining coverage will be given to the next owner.
What is covered by the 10-year Kia warranty?
Kia is unbeatable with one of the best powertrain warranties available. By putting a strong statement of faith in the quality, workmanship, and materials used in its products, Kia conveys a positive message about the efficiency of its automobiles.
For 10 years or up to 100,000 miles, the Kia powertrain guarantee will cover any damage or flaws from the manufacturer. This guarantee covers all of the critical components of the vehicle, including the engine, driveshaft, propeller shafts, differential, axle, and transaxle.
Repairs on Kias are they expensive?
With an annual repair cost of about $474far less than the $652 average for vehicle maintenanceKias tend to be substantially less expensive to maintain than the average car. This is because they are an affordable brand with strong reliability ratings.
The sticker price of a Kia is just the beginning of the costs you’ll incur over the course of ownership, but you’ll receive a lot for your money. However, it’s essential to maintain your Kia properly to make sure it functions smoothly. Additionally, bear in mind that some Kias will cost more each year than others.
Notice to Our Loyal Service Customers Regarding Your Kia Warranty And Kia’s New Synthetic Oil Requirement
All Kia vehicles built after April 2021 must now use 100% synthetic oil in order to remain protected by factory warranty. Any vehicle that is still covered by a factory warranty after June 2022 will need to use full-synthetic oil to stay protected. Your guarantee may be void if conventional or semi-synthetic oil is used.
Will my engine be changed by Kia?
Recently, a relative of mine wanted to have her car seriously fixed. She went to one of these mechanics, but he refused to execute the expensive fix because she could get it done for free.
Specific Kia automobiles are included in this. This is not the current Kia recall that you may have heard about because of possible engine compartment fires.
The number of automobiles in this volunteer initiative was once much higher. In order to preserve the engines of 624,460 Sorento, Sportage, and Optima automobiles from specific years, Kia launched the product improvement campaign (PI 1803) in 2018.
According to Kia, customers should be on the lookout for vibrations in these vehicles because they “may signify the beginning of excessive connecting rod bearing wear in the engine” and cause knocking noises. The campaign’s goal is to have sensors identify conrod bearing deterioration over time before the driver may feel vibrations.
“Kia additionally voluntarily provided lifetime warranty coverage to both new and used vehicle owners for engine long block assembly repairs needed due to excessive connecting rod bearing damage,” the carmaker continues.
The vehicle models that underwent the initial remedy but may now require engine long block assembly repairs are addressed by the most recent fix.
If you or your mechanic noticed a Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) P1326 (Knock Signal Range/Performance), you may have realized you needed the second patch.
You might have to wait if you need to bring your car back for a second fix.
While Kia was unable to provide wait times or an estimate of the number of vehicles waiting to be evaluated or repaired under this program, it did acknowledge that, contrary to what has been widely reported in American media, challenges with employee staffing levels and parts supply are not specific to Kia or automotive dealerships in general.
My acquaintance inquired with a Kia dealer in the Dallas area earlier this year to see if they could inspect and fix her car. There were around 40 others in line before of her for the same thing, so she was told that she would need to drop the car off and wait a few weeks before they could examine it.
She waited for Kia to decide if her car was eligible for a free installation of a remanufactured engine for several weeks (Kia says the replacement engines are primarily re-manufactured).
After Kia confirmed her vehicle was qualified, there was a further delay of several additional weeks while the engine was ordered and replaced.
However, Kia does provide compensation for automobile rentals during this period. With the rental, you might have to get creative. Kia will provide coverage up to $40 per day, which would have been sufficient in earlier, more normal times.
You might be entitled to compensation from Kia if your mechanic failed to inform you that you might be eligible for a free replacement or repair and you previously paid out of pocket to fix a car that was experiencing this problem.
Consumers who made legitimate engine repair claims by August 9, 2021, according to the business, “have been paid for their repair charges.” “For repairs completed beyond that time, Kia will examine each one individually to determine if reimbursement will be granted in light of its particular circumstances.
Does Kia offer a warranty with 100,000 miles?
The limited warranties included in the Kia 10-year/100,000-mile warranty package* include limited basic, limited powertrain, and limited anti-perforation warranties, in addition to a roadside assistance and travel interruption program. Please download the complete Kia 10-year/100,000 warranty program information.
What models of Kia engines are on fire?
According to Brooks, “the recall did not address the fundamental faults with the engine design that gave rise to these difficulties in the first place.”
Brooks informed the I-Team that a consumer alert is unavoidable in light of the most recent allegations from the I-Team as well as the continued complaints of flames and engine failures that the Center for Auto Safety is receiving.
We’ll start notifying consumers, he said, and work to spread the news to others looking at used autos.
The 4 million Kia and Hyundai vehicles produced between 2011 and 2019 that could be included in the consumer advisory all feature the Theta 2 engines that have been involved in multiple recalls.
- Hyundai Sonata 20112019
- Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, 20132019
- Hyundai Tucson, Models 20142015, 20182019
- Kia Optima, 20112019
- Kia Sorento, 20122019
- Kia Sportage 20112019
According to Brooks, the only way to avoid these complaints from coming in “is to warn people to prevent them from owning one of these vehicles in the first place,” as stated by ABC Action News.
Regarding the announcement from the Center for Auto Safety, we contacted both automakers.
Hyundai’s reaction was
In order to solve engine problems, Hyundai has taken a variety of proactive measures, such as carrying out a number of recalls, introducing a new engine monitoring and diagnostic technology, offering extended warranties, and improving our customer service response. Hyundai promotes a culture of openness and responsibility because customer safety comes first in all we do.
Kia answered:
The safety of our cars is our first concern at Kia America. We promote an environment of openness and accountability, and we take great pride in the reliability of our products and our excellent safety record. As part of ongoing monitoring efforts, we regularly assess our vehicles, and we submit quarterly reports to NHTSA detailing any consumer complaints, notices, or claims for any safety issues. Every Kia car marketed in the US complies with or surpasses all requirements for vehicle safety set out by the federal government.
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration declared in December that it would look further into the extent of the recalls and the efficacy of its remedies. NHTSA reported 158 injuries and over 5,000 fires as of December. Two deaths involving on-fire Kia Souls were covered by the I-Team.
Multiple flaws are linked to the fires in recent recalls. They include fuel line leaks that can cause vehicles to catch fire while moving, electrical issues with the anti-lock brake system, and defective recall repairs.
Thousands of Kia Optimas from 2011 to 2014 were recalled in 2018 as a result of the I-exposure Team’s of subpar recall repairs. The 2011 Optima owned by Mathias was exempt from the recall, though.
We requested Meier Fire Investigations’ Richard Meier, a fire investigator, to look over Mathias’ car. He came to the conclusion that there was a fuel pipe gas leak.
The fuel line connector coming off and spilling gasoline is the most likely reason, according to what Meier has seen so far.
According to Mathias, “You must correct those. That only increases the risk to more people.”
Several Kia fire victims, like Yolanda Lawson, informed us that their brakes failed after their cars caught fire. Both the conventional and emergency brakes, according to Yolanda, failed. To get the automobile to stop, she forced it into the median.
Fourteen months after his leased 2019 Kia Soul caught fire, Jordan Carlton passed away in 2020. Becky, his mother, who was in the car with him, got away. Jordan’s father, Robert Carlton, claimed that the brakes failed and kept his son from exiting the car in time to save himself.
The I-Team discovered that Yolanda’s 2017 Sportage was recalled by Kia in March 2021 due to a potential electrical fire hazard. Yolanda said that she was never notified of a recall.
Kia was requested by The I-Team to inspect Maureen Huckler’s 2015 Soul. According to a report that Kia gave to Maureen, the engine’s catastrophic failure, which left a hole in the engine block and caused engine oil to spill over the exhaust system, was what started the fire.
However, records indicate that the car was recalled in 2020 for an engine inspection to check for flaws that can cause a fire. In March 2021, the examination was carried out by a Kia dealer. After six months, the Soul caught fire.
2020 saw a $760 million settlement between Kia and Hyundai in a class-action lawsuit involving engine fires. As a result, Mathias and Yolanda might be eligible to receive funding to make up for their losses. Regarding the Kia Souls, litigation is still going on.