In a TikTok, with over 3M views, car salesman Rick (@officialrickthecarguy) issues a warning to stay away from any new Hyundai and Kia cars. What issues do these new 2024 and 2025 Hyundai and Kia cars have?
In his TikTok, Rick shares his opinion on the five worst cars you can buy right now. You might be thinking, what are Rick’s credentials? Rick has self proclaimed himself “The King of Cars” for owning a car lot, mechanic shop, and an import company.
So, let’s dive into what cars you should avoid buying.
Are Hyundai and Kia are bad cars to buy?
Rick believes that everyone should stay away from Kia, Hyundai, Ford, Nissan, and Mitsubishi. For the purpose of this article, we’ll be focusing on just Hyundai and Kia.
In the video, Rick claims “Both Kia and Hyundai are absolute junk. Stay away.” He elaborates saying that the engines from both brands blow up out of the blue and with no warning.
Rick told the Daily Dot, “Without a doubt, Kia and Hyundai are probably the worst two brands in existence. They are aware of all the problems and they won’t do anything about it. Their recall is so strict that no one can really use it. If I had to recommend a car it would be the new Chevrolet, Honda, or Toyota.”
So when did Hyundia and Kia have engines blow up?
According to NHTSA, in 2023 Hyundai and Kia had to recall over 3.3 million vehicles due to the risk of fire. These fires were happening while the vehicle was parked and turned off or while driving. The recall also advised Hyundai and Kia drivers to park the car outside away from building structures.
Consumer Reports link the fires being caused by the engines and antilock braking systems (ABS). Allegedly, most of the engine problems involved a faulty connecting rod bearing. When this occurred, the driver would experience a knocking sound, excessive vibration, or engine stall. There were a few cases where the connecting rod punctured the engine block causing an oil spill that could start a fire.
The anti-lock braking systems would also leak brake fluid leading to an electrical short. When this happened, significant over current in the ABS module would take place increasing the risk of an engine fire in both driving or parked.
Do Hyundai and Kia motors still have engine troubles?
When a massive recall like this takes place, the problem needs to be resolved for future cars. So let’s take a look around and see how the 2024 and 2025 Hyundai and Kia models are holding up.
Currently, there are no issues being reported directly with engine fires. However, there have been two recalls and the target for thieves as of lately.
First recall took place in November due to power loss in electrical vehicles, Consumer Reports reported. The recall included over 208,000 electric vehicles spanning from 2022-204 models.
In February, KBB reported that 80,000 Hyundai and Kia cars were recalled for airbag deployment issues. Hyundai and Kia informed the NHTSA that factory workers may have not properly crimped a wiring harness that deployed the rear side airbags. The loose connection of this might prevent airbags from activating in a crash.
In addition to these two recalls, Hyundai and Kia have dealt with a rise in car theft. The Kia Challenge went viral on TikTok where thieves targeted and stole Hyundais and Kia’s by using a screwdriver and a USB cable. Thieves were able to do this because of the lack of engine immobilizers which are standard anti-theft devices that prevent people stealing cars without the right key.
The thieves would steal the car by first breaking into the car. Once the thief was inside, the entire steering column cover would be ripped to gain access to the ignition system. Instead of using the normal key, the USB would be inserted in the key spot which would turn on the car. In a matter of moments, the car was basically hot-wired and the thieves would drive away in seconds.
Right now, 2024 and 2025 Hyundai and Kia models do not have any major engine problems.
What did the Viewers think about this?
“Sorry, I disagree with Kia/Hyundai. I had each for over 10 years with no issue except regular maintenance,” shared one user.
“Disagree with the Kia. Kia are good cars,” wrote one user.
“2014 Kia Sorento w/ 150k miles. Never had a problem,” one added
“Just get you a Honda or Toyota,” commented another.
This TikTok has more than 3M views with over 58.8K likes.
@officialrickthecarguy #fypシ゚viral #foryourpage #foryou #fyp ♬ original sound – RickTheCarGuy
Daily Dot received a statement from @officialrickthecarguy over the phone. We also contacted Hyundai and Kia over email.
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