Alyssa Nicole (@lyssnicole_) has a bone to pick with Kia. And it seems like other folks who’ve had issues with auto manufacturers, she took to TikTok to trash the company. In other cases, like this one Volkswagen buyer, this approach has seemed to help.
Nicole treats her clip as if it’s a down-to-business congressional hearing. In the video intro, she talks directly to the camera, addressing the Korean automaker. Next, she goes on to detail that she purchased a new Kia Telluride and references recalls associated with it.
The Telluride is a popular whip that quickly became a fast-selling favorite among car buyers. Drivers attribute the public’s warm embrace of the model to a variety of factors. Kia’s 100,000-mile powertrain warranty is a big selling point for many consumers. Also, there’s the Telluride’s Land Rover-esque styling and plush interior options at a competitive price point.
Add a third row into that bad boy and you have a practical, large family SUV with excellent standard coverage. It won’t break the bank and you can feel a little cooler when you go on Costco runs with your kids in tow.
Nicole’s got problems
Some of the recalls Kia’s had to make for the Telluride, however, were for serious issues. Like this massive fire risk potentially affecting “nearly 463,000” vehicles that came to light in June of 2024. Cars.com has listed other recalls associated with specific model years, too.
Nicole says the recalls didn’t concern her as “new technology” will always have some hiccups. However, what did bother her was how the dealership handled other issues she had with the vehicle. According to Nicole, Kia failed to adequately address a passenger front tire that was leaking air.
She says that two separate mechanics worked on the issue and had conflicting stories as to why it was leaking. The Kia customer says she was willing to forgive this problem, but the next one was a much larger concern.
A safety issue
A few days after receiving the vehicle back from the dealership, Nicole says its emergency break began deploying at random intervals causing her vehicle to randomly stop. And it wasn’t just occurring when she put the car into park or when she was braking, either. Nicole alleged the e-brake would turn on while the Telluride was “very much in drive.”
She refused to drive her car until it was fixed and was denied a loaner car from the dealership in the process. According to Nicole, Kia only offered her a shuttle service “to and from the dealership.”
“I have two small kids and a full-time job,” the TikToker pointed out.
Nicole says the dealership wasn’t telling her what was wrong with the vehicle, but it seemed like a prevalent problem. That’s because there was another woman at the business with the same car. She had the same issue with the e-brake engaging while driving as Nicole did.
Kia was no help
Nicole says she contacted Kia of America to alert them to this potential problem with her Telluride. Two months later (as of her video’s posting) she still has heard nothing from the auto manufacturer.
During this time, she says there was yet another recall issued for her vehicle. There were “tire and braking issues” emanating from her Telluride and “whooshing” noises too.
After bringing her car into the dealership for the recall, Nicole says employees tried gaslighting her. Attributing the issue to her tires never being rotated, the TikToker pulled up proof that they were. She presented receipts from the dealership’s service department stating a rotation had been performed months prior.
Furthermore, she says the auto techs claimed her tires weren’t balanced either. Again, she pulled up their own previous documentation that said her wheels were indeed balanced. Nicole says neither Kia of America nor the dealership has helped her with her Telluride. Ultimately, she concluded that she purchased a lemon and consulted with a lawyer for further action.
TikTokers had differing viewpoints
Some commenters stated the issue was that she purchased a Kia in the first place. “Buy Toyota,” one particular user recommended.
Another person believes the service department was sabotaging her car. “That sounds like a dealership service dept is screwing you.”
“People forget-even with all the fancy things, at the end of the day it’s still just a KIA,” someone else remarked.
One individual, who said they work at a Kia dealership, wrote that the fault lies with the dealership.
“I work at a Kia Dealer, in sales. This is definitely on the dealership. Recall is a recall, no matter what brand you are loyal to,” they wrote. “Didn’t Toyota, the most reliable brand they say, recall over 400,000.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Kia via email and Nicole via TikTok comment for further information.
Internet culture is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here. You’ll get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
