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.
In This Article...
Do Kias require a lot of maintenance?
Maintaining the factory-recommended maintenance plan and taking care of problems as soon as they appear are the best ways to maintain your Kia in good working order. Any material or workmanship flaws should be covered by the Kia guarantee that comes with new and certified pre-owned cars, but these protections ultimately run out.
If your car needs repairs after the first warranty period has passed, an extended warranty might assist cover the cost of such unforeseen expenses. Kia has an extended warranty that may be purchased directly from the company, but you can also acquire coverage from third parties.
Independent extended warranty providers frequently provide more options for coverage, older vehicle coverage, a larger network of repair facilities, and more comprehensive benefits. Endurance and CarShield are two companies that we suggest.
Endurance: Best Coverage
Up to 8 years or 200,000+ miles of additional warranty coverage are possible with Endurance. Additionally, Endurance offers some of the market’s most comprehensive contracts. There are five different coverage options available, ranging from straightforward powertrain coverage to complete bumper-to-bumper warranty protection.
CarShield: Best Value
Additionally, CarShield provides extended warranty protection for cars with up to 300,000 miles on the odometer, potentially doubling the Kia factory warranty’s scope of coverage. CarShield offers a solid reputation in the market, a wide range of coverage options, and some of the most affordable contracts available.
For more information, see our comprehensive CarShield review. To get a free, no-risk CarShield quote, click the button below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Kia is a dependable automaker. Overall, Kia receives a reliability rating of 4.0 out of 5.0 on RepairPal, placing it third overall (out of 32 brands).
Both Kia and Toyota are well-known for their dependability, and both have a 4.0 out of 5.0 RepairPal reliability rating. Kias may be marginally more reliable, while RepairPal puts Toyota seventh overall and Kia third.
Kias require an average of 0.2 unforeseen repair shop visits year, according to RepairPal. This is half of the 0.4 visits per year average for all brands. This means that you have around a one in five chance of needing an unplanned repair each year.
Previously, the Kia name was associated with low-cost, subpar vehicles. This is largely because the brand’s vehicles had a lot of issues when it first appeared in the United States. Since then, Kia has made fleet improvements and has earned a reputation for having great reliability.
Yes, Kias have a reputation for lasting just as long as other trustworthy cars like Hyundai, Honda, and Toyota. Although the powertrain is covered by the manufacturer’s warranty for up to 100,000 miles, many owners keep their Kias for much longer.
Reliability of Kia vehicles
To obtain their overall reliability ratings, the RepairPal team considers a number of different variables. Simply put, your out-of-pocket ownership expenditures will be cheaper the more dependable your car is. The cost, frequency, and severity of repairs are some of these variables. In order to calculate an individual brand’s total RepairPal reliability rating, these categories are averaged.
In the RepairPal reliability rankings, Kia came in at number three, including second place when only non-luxury brands were included. The Kia Reliability Rating is 4.0 out of 5.0, placing it third among all car brands out of 32. This evaluation is based on the average of 345 different models.
“Kia had three well-liked models, including the Soul, Rio, and Forte, in the top 30 with Excellent ratings. The Optima and Sorento, two of its most well-liked cars, kept their Excellent rankings within the top 100.
Which automaker’s maintenance costs are the lowest?
Your car’s maintenance costs are equally as essential as its purchase price. It is one of the most important factors we must think about while buying the automobile.
However, how are these maintenance expenditures calculated? How can we distinguish between cars with “appropriate” maintenance budgets and those without?
First off, in some situations, the purchase price of a brand-new car from a particular model line is a good indicator. It stands to reason that a car that is extremely expensive will certainly have high maintenance expenditures.
Depending on where one is based, some cars seem to have problems with spare component availability. That makes that car more difficult to maintain and makes repairs and servicing it more difficult.
Low maintenance vehicles nonetheless imply that skilled mechanics and service personnel are readily available to meet your repair and servicing needs.
Extremely expensive cars can have insurance problems in some countries since some insurers are reluctant to cover certain car brands. Therefore, it is wise to consider it as well before buying a new model.
Here are the top five car brands with the lowest maintenance expenses, without further ado.
The average annual cost to maintain a Toyota is $441, according to RepairPal.
The Toyota emblem comes with very manageable maintenance rates when compared to the $652 annual industry average.
And that’s not all; under its ToyotaCare program, Toyota gives free maintenance for brand-new cars for the first 25,000 miles or two years after purchase.
If the car is still under warranty, the offer remains with it and is even transferable to new owners. Toyota Harrier, Toyota Probox, Rush, Prius, Corolla, and Vitz are just a few of the popular Toyota vehicles with affordable maintenance costs.
After the first two years, the cost of maintenance will normally fall between $100 and $200 for light maintenance and $200 to $500 for high maintenance.
In this scenario, minor service would comprise items like an oil change and wheel alignment, but major service might involve replacing a wheel or a headlight.
The world is home to the reliable service centers operated by Toyota. There are a total of 14 centers in the Gulf area. Abu Dhabi has three, while Dubai alone has four. The remainder are dispersed uniformly throughout the remainder of the area.
There are authorized collision and repair facilities for the brand. All Mazda models can be serviced and repaired by these experts.
The experts have the specialized training to identify any problems that might arise with your beloved Mazda.
Additionally, the business provides a loaner car for you to utilize during the repair or servicing time within the warranty period.
The loaner car is only offered to customers whose service is anticipated to take four hours or longer, though.
Compared to other auto manufactures, Mazda vehicles consistently have cheap basic servicing costs across the board. For instance, the cost of an oil change for a Mazda Miata is around $81.
For minor maintenance, the manufacturer advises taking your Mazda in every 12 months, or after 10,000 km for smaller cars and 15,000 km for bigger models.
This is only a rough estimate, though, as the actual cost could vary based on how the car handles and your driving style.
For a Honda Accord, the lowest service fee on the Honda line is between $107 and $138 inclusive of parts and labor.
A Honda CR-V, on the other hand, requires about $965 in annual maintenance.
For each of their Honda models, the automakers provide thorough instructions.
You are given a service manual for each model that details when the vehicle will need maintenance.
There are specifications for both dangerous driving situations and everyday driving for each model.
Based on their driving behaviors, these are intended to accurately tell car owners of the best approach to maintain their automobiles.
The company encourages automobile owners/drivers to utilize unleaded fuel, refrain from abrupt stops and starts, and steer clear of traveling short distances or on uneven roads in order to further lower their maintenance costs.
When it comes to warranties and after-sales support, Hyundai may be the top performer. This directly affects how much the buyer’s car upkeep will cost.
In the past, Hyundai has provided a ten-year warranty or coverage for the first 100,000 miles on the powertrain of its vehicles.
Not only that, but the vehicles would also include a 5-year or 60,000-mile warranty.
It has so far been one of the brands in recent years with the most aggressive and alluring warranties.
However, the business increased things even further in early 2020 by adding a second, complimentary 3-year or 36,000-mile guarantee to its extensive warranty package.
These warranties significantly reduce your maintenance expenditures, especially if you buy a new car.
The average cost of Hyundai Accent maintenance is $50, compared to $294 for Hyundai Sonata.
You can anticipate your brand-new KIA to function effectively without much of a budgetary impact for ten years with adequate care.
The vehicle’s powertrain is covered by a ten-year guarantee, which means that, as long as you maintain the warranty’s conditions, the manufacturer will fix any mechanical problems for the first ten years. The KIA Rio has the lowest yearly maintenance cost out of the range of KIA vehicles, coming in at about $434.
Do Kias have many issues?
Kia stated that 100,000 of their vehicles were susceptible to engine stalling in 2019. Since then, they have claimed that software, not a hardware option, is at blame. But it has come to light that several of their other models also have real issues.
For instance, the oil rings on the Seltos and Kia Soul crossovers that are impacted are overly stiff. This hardness may cause cylinder bore and piston wear over time, leading to excessive oil leaks and engine knocking.
What are some typical Kia issues?
bulletins for numerous vehicles that have had engine issues. among the most
Owners and tenants frequently report the following Kia engine issues:
- power loss or stalling
- A knocking noise
- Seizing
- Overheating
- Leaks
- Non-collision flames
- Unpredictable engine failure [1]
Is Toyota superior to Kia?
According to a J.D. Power research from 2019, Kia has the highest initial quality in the non-premium segment in the United States. The 2016 Kia Soul, 2016 Toyota Corolla, Prius, and Prius V were all rated as being among the most dependable vehicles on the road by J.D. Power.
How durable are Kias?
People used to love to despise Kia as a brand. Although Kia is now known for producing high-quality cars like the Telluride, the South Korean carmaker has had a difficult past. You may have be aware that Kia has turned the corner and is now one of the most well-known brands on the international market.
There are undoubtedly plenty of Kia models available if you’re interested in purchasing one. However, some individuals may still remember Kia’s previous reputation for being unreliable, leading them to wonder: How long do Kias last?
In this article, we’ll examine the typical lifespan of Kia automobiles. How many miles should your Kia last? Is it a dependable, enduring brand? Which Kias have the longest lifespan and are the most dependable? These inquiries and others will be addressed.
How Far and Long Can You Drive a Kia?
What’s the real scoop on how long Kias last? Kia vehicles are predicted to last up to 200,000 kilometers when driven responsibly. Owners that provided their Kias with the necessary TLC report that they were able to get 200,000 to 250,000 miles out of them and keep them on the road for ten years or longer.
Of course, each driver’s experience with car longevity will be different (pardon the pun). Numerous elements, such as ownership maintenance and driving conditions, have an impact on longevity.
The more recent Kia lines can clock 200,000+ miles on the odometer; these are numbers that can compete with brands like Honda and Toyota, even though the older Kias from around 20 years ago won’t win prizes for dependability. For instance, Reader’s Digest claims that the Kia Rio subcompact vehicle can travel up to 250,000 miles, and J.D. Power & Associates rates it highly for dependability. Power.
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Kias Reliability Ratings
The general reliability of a vehicle is one of the most important variables affecting its longevity. This raises the issue, are Kias trustworthy? How durable are Kias?
In a nutshell: Kia is a trustworthy company. Please, though, don’t take our word for it; instead, let us direct you to the professionals.
Kia has a reliability score that is above average. Although Kia first gained a reputation for being unreliable when it entered the American market, the South Korean manufacturer has since gotten its act together and is now one of the most dependable companies.
It currently ranks as the third most reliable car brand on the market with a RepairPal dependability rating of 4.0 out of 5.0. Only Honda and Acura, two businesses renowned for their legendary dependability, can surpass Kia.
With a low yearly repair cost of $474 as opposed to the country’s average of $652 for all models, Kia also received top marks for cost of ownership. Kia vehicles stay on the road longer than many brands thanks to 0.2 times as many unscheduled maintenance visits per year and a 10% likelihood of significant repairs.
Which Kias are the Most Reliable?
Kia sells premium automobiles for reasonable pricing. Like many automakers, Kia has some models that are better engineered than others. A vehicle has a better probability of remaining on the road and traveling farther if it is more dependable. Some of the most dependable Kias that will last you a long time are listed below:
Kia Rio
As basic a mode of transportation as you can find is the Kia Rio. The Rio won’t blow anyone away, but it provides adequate comfort, usefulness, and acceptable fuel efficiency at a fair price. The base Rio models are quite basic, but the higher trims are fully equipped cars that do the job admirably.
The Kia Rio will last you for a very long time with the right care and maintenance thanks to the combination of Kia’s top-tier guarantee and excellent safety ratings. As previously noted, some Rio owners asserted that their tiny car had logged 250,000 miles.
A quick check of RepairPal reveals that the Rio ranks 6th out of 21 subcompact cars with a dependability rating of 4.5 out of 5.0.
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Kia Soul
The boxy sheet metal Kia Soul is a big-hearted vehicle that usually draws attention. The Soul, however, is more than simply a quirky SUV since it has great utility, great fuel economy, and a ton of contemporary technology. Although many individuals find the base trim to be a little too basic, the Soul’s low price is undoubtedly its biggest selling point.
The Kia Soul requires proper care and maintenance, just like any other vehicle. The Soul may travel up to 200,000 miles and even more if you give it the proper care. The Soul will reward you with 1013 years of dependable service if you maintain your oil changes and dealership servicing.
Kia Sportage
The Kia Sportage belongs in the classy subcompact SUV category. If you’re searching for a chic and versatile suburban SUV, the Sportage is a good choice. It’s not just one of the more visually appealing subcompact SUVs on the market; it’s also lavishly furnished with contemporary features and cutting-edge safety technologies. The Sportage is an SUV that will last even though it doesn’t have a powerful performance.
Again, assuming the Sportage is well-maintained, it should have no issue reaching 200,000 miles or more. Many Sportage owners with more over 200,000 miles on the odometer can be found if you visit some well-known automotive forums. Kia offers 5-year/60,000-mile standard and 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranties, so you can drive more miles with greater confidence.
According to RepairPal, the Sportage is ranked sixth out of 26 compact SUVs with a dependability rating of 4.0 out of 5.0.
Make Your Kias Last
How durable are Kias? Actually, as the owner, it will also depend on you. It would be beneficial if you drove carefully and responsibly, in addition to adhering to your routine maintenance plan and taking care of repair concerns as soon as they arise.
You might not be particularly knowledgeable about your car’s brakes unless you’re a mechanic or a super-committed auto enthusiast. How much time do they usually last? How frequently should brakes be replaced? We have solutions.
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