Kia vehicles have been in the news recently, and not for reasons the company would likely enjoy.
In 2022, the “KIA Boyz” trend took over TikTok. Users reported that they were having their Kia and Hyundai vehicles stolen, and numerous younger users posted videos of themselves nabbing the vehicles off of the street using rudimentary tools.
The issue, it appeared, was that the cars could be easily hijacked by pulling back the steering column, and then circumventing the key system by using something as simple as a screwdriver or USB cable.
As it turns out, that may not have been the only issue being reported against Kia. Last year, a Kia driver reported that her car shut off while she was driving at 55 mph. Then, there was the saga of the woman who claimed a dealership sold her Kia without her consent. This isn’t even mentioning the numerous mechanics who have warned against buying Kias, not only due to theft concerns but owing to issues with transmission problems and blown-up engines.
Now, another TikTok user has sparked discussion after revealing their own problems with the car brand. In a clip with over 586,000 views as of Friday, TikTok user Freeman Arthur (@freemanarthur) advises against buying vehicles from the brand, citing car issues and shady business practices.
“My wife has a 2012 Kia Sportage that had an engine recall,” says Arthur. “We took it to the Kia dealership and they told us that, because the engine is so old, that they didn’t need to do the recall. So we were like, ‘OK, whatever.’”
However, Arthur’s wife’s vehicle died soon after the visit, resulting in them needing to have the car towed to a different Kia dealership. According to Arthur, the car sat in the lot for “three days before anyone even [did] a diagnostics on it at all.”
When they did, the dealership revealed that the car would need a full engine replacement and that it would take one to two weeks to complete. As the car was still under warranty, Arthur remained unconcerned about the problem.
But three weeks later, the car is still not repaired—and Arthur says he’s been inundated with calls trying to get him to exchange their Kia for a new one.
“They’re more concerned with trying to get us to sell them the car than to actually fix it because it’s under their warranty,” he explains.
The calls, he says, may be part of a scheme.
@freemanarthur My wife and her car problems 😓 #kia #nashville #trnnessee #country ♬ original sound – Freeman Arthur
“I think they’re just trying to wait us out to see if we will just wait and sell them the car—which, that’s not gonna happen, because like I just said, I’m never going to buy another Kia again in my entire life,” Arthur details.
Arthur further notes that the dealership with whom he’s been working is “shady” before advising viewers once more to not buy a Kia.
In the comments section, users shared their gripes about Kia.
“I’d buy a used Toyota before buying a new Kia,” a commenter said.
“I always see mechanics say Kia is horrible and they would never buy one,” added another.
“My husband sells parts and he has said NO to any KIAs,” shared a third. “Just bought a Toyota RAV4 last year and spent the extra money for a bumper to bumper full warranty. Love my ride!”
The Daily Dot reached out to Greenway Kia of Rivergate via the website contact form, Arthur via Instagram direct message, and Kia of America via email.
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