Donna723 - Kia info

[flutterbee]

So, I finally got my car fixed. It took them a few times to figure out what was wrong.

I have a 2001 Kia Optima. They had to replace the entire engine cradle. One of the support brackets was almost rusted completely off where it attaches to the cradle. The other side looks fine. It's where the A/C was dripping on it. It's a design flaw and a serious safety issue. Had it completely broken through while driving, my tire would have tried to depart from my car. They put a cradle in from a 2005 Optima and it has surface rust in that spot. They added a hose to the A/C to redirect it so it no longer drips on it.

They are going to hold onto the cradle for me for a few days. They told me to raise some hell with Kia to see if I can get them to reimburse me for the repair. If I don't get anywhere with them, I will also be calling the Highway Division of Safety (or whatever that dept is that oversees recalls and such).

Just thought I'd let you know so you can have yours checked and have the A/C drip redirected if needed.

 

[donna723]

Wow, Heather! Thanks for telling me! That's really scary! I have to get my oil changed pretty soon and I'll have them look at it. Mine is a 2001 Sephia, the little one. It's been bumping and bouncing but I know there is a broken belt in one tire - I don't know if it's from that or something else. I kind of lucked in to this little car when I was desperate for a way to get to work. A deer ran out in front of my other one and totalled it. My extremely nice landlord also owns a car lot and he has a half dozen or so Ford Tauruses that he uses as insurance rentals. Those were all out but he had this little one that he had been driving himself because it's so good on gas - he had bought it to sell on the lot because it only had 54,000 miles on it. So he let me use this one as a rental first with the insurance company paying and then let me drive it until the check came in from my other one, which almost completely paid for this one.

I sure hope it's not something like that because I'd never be able to pay to have it fixed! I already paid over $220 to have the plugs, plug wires and air cleaner replaced after a plug wire burned through. All in all though, I like this little car. I can get in to all the really tight parking spaces at work that nobody else can get in to!

Again, thanks so much for filling me in. I had never heard of that. I'll make sure to have it checked out!

 

[Lothlorien]

Don't they have like a 10 yr/100,000 mile warranty on Kias? What's up with that?

 

[flutterbee]

It's 10yr/100,000 mile on the powertrain. 5yr/60,000 mile on the rest.

 

[donna723]

That's which ever comes first, right? Mine is seven years old but still hasn't gotten to 60,000 miles yet.

 

[flutterbee]

Yep, it's whichever comes first.