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Unprofessional salesman

Gliderman8

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I am “casually” looking for a daily driver. Yesterday I went to the local KIA dealer to look at a 2015 Optima. The car was immaculate; it had 26,000 miles and was loaded with just about every gizmo they offer. It was an in-line 4-cylinder GDI engine. I started it up and IMMEDIATELY SHUT IT DOWN. There was a horrible knocking sound. I looked at the salesman and said “is there oil in this engine?”
His reply was that “they all do that on startup”.
I checked the net and found that Kia/Hyundai recalled 1.2 MILLION engines from 2011-2014. The 2015 has the same engine!
Next I checked the NHTSA website and found THIRTEEN pages of complaints regarding BLOWN ENGINES. There’s a class action lawsuit regarding these engines. Seems there was metal shavings left in the engine when manufactured.
Makes me angry that Kia is trying to sell this car to someone who will end up with a blown engine.
 

NutmegCT

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Wow - sure glad you cranked it up, instead of buying sight unseen over the 'net!

Is the 2015 engine covered under the recall? Are the NHTSA complaints about the 2015?

TM
 
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Gliderman8

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The 2015 engine is NOT included in the recall. Kia states there is not enough complaints to warrant including it.
All of the thirteen pages of engine failures were specifically related to the 2015 4-cylinder GDI engine.
 

NutmegCT

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I wonder if the salesman says "they all do that" to anyone who asks why the engine dies? Somehow I doubt he'll make any sales.

For_c42bea_447381.jpg
 

TR3driver

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Then don't google "Takata airbags". For several years, auto makers went on selling cars with defective airbags that could kill the very occupants they were supposed to protect!
 
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Gliderman8

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Then don't google "Takata airbags". For several years, auto makers went on selling cars with defective airbags that could kill the very occupants they were supposed to protect!
Point taken Randall but I suspect the Takata airbags have been more publicized than the Kia engine problem. What are the automakers doing.... are they using a different airbag supplier?
 
D

Deleted member 8987

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I wonder if the salesman says "they all do that" to anyone who asks why the engine dies? Somehow I doubt he'll make any sales.

For_c42bea_447381.jpg

until the local gangs stripped it one night and left it on wood blocks....
 
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Gliderman8

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I wonder if the salesman says "they all do that" to anyone who asks why the engine dies? Somehow I doubt he'll make any sales.
Unfortunately, there are too many uninformed people who will buy that car without ever investing its background and then suffer the burden of getting a new engine.
Kia also refused to cover the engines under their 10 year/ 100,000 mile powertrain warranty.
 

Alfred E. Neuman

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Unfortunately, there are too many uninformed people who will buy that car without ever investing its background and then suffer the burden of getting a new engine.
Kia also refused to cover the engines under their 10 year/ 100,000 mile powertrain warranty.
We've done "post purchase" inspections on some fairly high end cars and had to tell the new owner that they just bought a multi-thousand-dollar mistake. Corner lot dealer just had codes cleared to get the lights off the dash long enough to rope some poor soul into buying it. One person had a copy of the sales paperwork from a corner lot used car place and they were in at way too much for the car to begin with, and THEN had a loan rate that was north of 20%. I find it incredibly sad that these car salesmen are basically thieves preying on uniformed people. I also find it incredibly sad that people feel the need to stretch so far beyond their means just to wealth signal to other people by buying a flashy car that's nothing but a money pit, especially when it obvious that they don't have used Corolla money, much less high end European luxury sedan money.
 
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Gliderman8

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You would think any uninformed buyer would have you do a PRE-Purchase inspection. It's way better to pay someone knowledgeable to evaluate the car prior to purchase than to get stuck for thousands of $. And you're exactly right about buying beyond your means.... "wants" and "needs" are two entirely different things.
 
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Gliderman8

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NutmegCT

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"You would think any uninformed buyer would have you do a PRE-Purchase inspection. It's way better to pay someone knowledgeable to evaluate the car prior to purchase than to get stuck for thousands of $."

Elliot - you sure hit the nail on the head there. But how many car forum members buy a car sight unseen? Then when it gets delivered they discover some surprises. I'll bet a good deal of ebay, BAT, etc. purchases are made sight unseen - and without having someone do a pre purchase inspection. Yikes.

TM

 

TR3driver

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Point taken Randall but I suspect the Takata airbags have been more publicized than the Kia engine problem. What are the automakers doing.... are they using a different airbag supplier?
I believe Takata declared bankruptcy last year, so thay must have found new suppliers by now. As I understand it, the problem was the use of a specific (cheap) propellant in the air bags (which are basically explosive devices) that could degrade and become unstable.

Takata had already switched to using a better propellant, but didn't have enough air bags made with it to meet global demand; so they went on supplying the defective ones. Of course, they initially denied that there was a problem, then tried to blame it on someone else, then claimed it was only a problem in damp climates (eg south Florida) and so on.

Lying seems to be part of the job description for used car salesmen; they (almost) all do it. Few years ago, a salesman was busy telling my wife that a used Subie she was looking at was made in Japan; while I was reading the sticker on the window saying it was made in Lafayette, Indiana. He didn't even blink when I told him I knew he was lying.

If you're bored sometime, look up "Used Cars" with Kurt Russell on Netflix or whatever. "What's this yellow paint? Was this car a taxicab?" "No ma'am, that's yellow primer. Helps prevent rust. It's being used on a lot of cars these days."
 
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DrEntropy

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Randall said:
Lying seems to be part of the job description for used car salesmen; they all do it.


Ummm.... I sold AMC, Alfa Romeo, Lotus and Porsche cars in the mid and late seventies. We also sold the used cars traded in. If there was a dog, it went to auction. Small dealership, two salesmen, a familial small town environment. Nobody lied to sell a car, there was no incentive to do so, return clientele was too important. I once had a family come in to look for a used station wagon, we had a Ford on the lot that had some minor issues and I disclosed what they were. The man then says: "If you're telling me about those, what's REALLY wrong with it?!?" I gave them the same answer I've posted above, they left without buying. He came back a few days later and bought the Ford and apologized! A couple years later he came back, traded the wagon for a new Ambassador wagon.The Ford went to auction.
 

pdplot

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My first car - a 1934 Ford convertible - had a rust-through hole with a heavy coat of green paint over - are you ready? - Scotch Tape. Cost me $150, sold to Ronnie Colosi for $125. Even then (1949) I was losing money on cars. The trend continues.
 

HealeyRick

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One thing about the internet, when a car is a dog we find out about it pretty quick. Used to be you'd bring in a car with a problem and the service manager would say, "Never heard of that one before." Now widespread problems are spread all over the internet and it can be very satisfying handing the service guy a forum printout with 30 other folks complaining about the same problem.
 

Popeye

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Ummm.... I sold AMC, Alfa Romeo, Lotus and Porsche cars in the mid and late seventies. We also sold the used cars traded in. If there was a dog, it went to auction. Small dealership, two salesmen, a familial small town environment. Nobody lied to sell a car, there was no incentive to do so, return clientele was too important. I once had a family come in to look for a used station wagon, we had a Ford on the lot that had some minor issues and I disclosed what they were. The man then says: "If you're telling me about those, what's REALLY wrong with it?!?" I gave them the same answer I've posted above, they left without buying. He came back a few days later and bought the Ford and apologized! A couple years later he came back, traded the wagon for a new Ambassador wagon.The Ford went to auction.

Thank you. There are some good and bad in all trades. We could go on about car mechanics, plumbers, and the gangsters that design our wi-fi appliances! Bottom line, if you are shopping on price and glitz, expect that. If you are shopping on brains and substance, expect to (likely) pay a little more (in the short run).
 

TR3driver

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