There are many online discussions about car reliability. Frequently, brands like Toyota and Honda make the top of lists of cars that one can depend on to be drivable for years and years.
However, one brand that commonly gets mentioned for reliability problems is Kia. Internet users have shared a host of problems stemming from Kia vehicles, ranging from a woman complaining that her newly purchased Kia simply didn’t work to their ease of theft, alongside a plethora of other issues.
Now, an internet user says that her family’s Kia broke down while going 110kph (68mph)—and it gets worse.
A dangerous situation
According to TikTok user @croissantwoman in a video with over 1.3 million views as of Saturday, her family was driving their 2014 Kia Sorento when it suddenly broke down.
“The motor just stopped working and the car slowed down to a full stop in the middle of the road,” the TikToker says. “We got out of the car safely, but it was an extremely dangerous situation.”
After the incident, @croissantwoman says they visited a Kia dealership, only to be shocked by a staff member’s lack of surprise at the issue.
“’Yeah, this model is just known for having engine problems,’” the TikToker recalls the staff member saying. When pressed on why such issues would not warrant a recall, the TikToker’s shock continued. The staff member allegedly responded, “‘Kia just couldn’t spend the money to recall all of the cars and change all the motors on the cars because it would just, it would be too expensive.’”
“I was like, ‘So, we could have died.’ Like, we genuinely could have died. We could have been rear-ended going 110 on the highway. The car stops in the middle of the road. There’s nothing we can do,” the TikToker states. “And your excuse, or what you’re telling me right now is, ‘Oh, we know we’re in the wrong, but it’s just too much money to recall the cars and change all the motors.’”
Despite the severity of the situation, the TikToker says the dealership staff seemed to take it lightly, talking down to them and even making jokes. The staff member also offered what they claimed was an “amazing deal” on a 2021 Kia for $25,800, which she found unacceptable given their recent experience.
“Actually, I said, if we’re gonna spend $25,000, it’s not gonna be a Kia after what you just told me, after what we’ve just experienced. That’s not a deal. We’re not gaining anything out of this,” the TikToker shares. She also claims that oil was “just disappearing” in the car, and that the dealership’s solution was to simply top it up.
“What’s your excuse on that? What’s your excuse? The engine broke because the pipes were clogged. That’s why the oil was burning. There was no oxygen, but you know that,” the TikToker concludes.
@croissantwoman I can’t believe he said this to me with a smile on his face. #kia #storytime #viral #car #canada ♬ original sound – Croissant Woman
Kia doesn’t know how to respond
In a follow-up video, the TikToker says she called Kia and informed them of her millions of TikTok followers. This apparently flustered the customer service agent and could not confirm or deny the statements made by the dealership.
However, she was then told that the car may have been part of a recall, but that they were not informed. This was curious to the TikToker, as the car had been subject to two previous recalls. This idea was also complicated by further statements from the customer service agent, so the TikToker was left uncertain about the status of their vehicle.
Regardless, the TikToker describes the customer service worker as helpful and says that the car will be towed for testing in the coming days.
@croissantwoman Excuses, excuses.. I’ll keep you updated #fyp #kia #car #viral ♬ original sound – Croissant Woman
Commenters share their opinions on Kia
In the comments section, users shared their own problems with Kia vehicles.
“I had a 2014 Kia Sorento. I had two engines in it recalled,” a user wrote. “Never buy a Kia again.”
“Basically they’ve calculated that lawsuits would be less than recalls,” suggested another.
“Worked for a Lemon Law firm in CA and Kias are terrible!” exclaimed a third.
“This literally just happened to our Kia Telluride three days ago,” said a further TikToker. “Our car suddenly slowed down on the freeway at night with my two babies in the car. So scary!”
The Daily Dot reached out to Kia and @croissantwoman via email.
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