 HealbotPremium
join:2003-07-16
Vancouver, WA | KIA owners check your tail lights I'm a delivery driver and at least a couple times a day I see nearly brand new kia's with brunt out tail lights and headlights.
This is more of a rant on how cheaply made kia's are, producing cheap cars all the way down to the light bulb? |
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 docutechDream With Color
join:2000-12-22
Saint Louis, MO | I have an '05 Optima as a daily driver. One of the headlights did burn out really fast. I think I only had about 20k miles on it when it happened. Now I have a tail light out. I have been procrastinating in getting the bulb replaced. Despite the inexpensive build, this is the best 10K I ever spent. The car is VERY reliable, gets really good gas mileage and I haven't had a single problem. I am at 68K miles now and still rollin'...Knock on wood! |
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 TA63ST215WPremium,MVM
join:2000-11-23
there
kudos:2 | reply to Healbot
said by Healbot:This is more of a rant... Here you go...
»Rants, Raves, and Praise
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Overheard: "I could careless matter of Fact"
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cahiattPremium
join:2001-03-21
Smyrna, GA | reply to Healbot
VW must be using the same parts vendor. I don't think I can drive anywhere without seeing a late model VW car with one or both tail lamps not working. |
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| reply to Healbot
Maybe the owner of the car removed the bulbs to lower the draw on the alternator and get better gas mileage?  |
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 viperpa33sWhy Me?Premium
join:2002-12-20
Bradenton, FL | reply to Healbot
I own a Toyota and the 3 years I have so far owned it, 60,000 miles on it, only 1 of the foglamps went out. It all amounts to the part supplier that Kia uses and they are getting bad parts. In some cases you pay cheap, you get cheap. |
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 MadMANNPremium
join:2005-08-19
kudos:2 | reply to Healbot
To Hell with the tail lights. Check your motor, tranny, a 4WD! I have a '98 Kia Sportage that I would like someone to total for me. There has been more put into that damn thing than what I paid for it 5 years ago. Most of it was under a warranty, so luckily it wasn't me footing the bill. But it was still a PITA and lots of wasted time:
-4WD went out 5 times in 2.5 years
-Transmission was replaced
-Engine was taken apart and put back together
And all of the small things that went wrong:
-The power mirrors stopped working
-The radio/CD player turns on when it feels like it.
-When it does feel like it, the track button will turn the radio off or the volume button will change tracks on the CD
-The trunk latch broke last year.
Once this POS is paid for or someone does me the above mentioned favor, there won't be anything with the KIA name ever parked in my driveway again--EVER. |
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| reply to Healbot
KIA and HYUNDAI.... Those things are made from cardboard and chewing gum. I saw an accident a few years back between a Hyundai and a Chevy Impala. The Impala had minimal damage to it while the Hyundai looked like it was totalled. |
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wthPremium
join:2002-02-20
Iowa City, IA Reviews:
 ·Mediacom
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said by MadMANN:To Hell with the tail lights. Not quite, since a burned out bulb is cause for the cops to stop/pull you over....and start checking everything else. |
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macaholicPremium
join:2003-08-31
Jackson Heights, NY
1 edit | reply to s bassaw
said by s bassaw:KIA and HYUNDAI.... Those things are made from cardboard and chewing gum. I saw an accident a few years back between a Hyundai and a Chevy Impala. The Impala had minimal damage to it while the Hyundai looked like it was totalled. Read the reviews of the 2006 KIA Rio before you make statements like this... I own the 4 door with automatic everything. It was less than $15,000 brand new. As the reviews will state the suspension is on the rough side but the car handles great, has 6 airbags front and side and mileage is great.
Oh did I mention the 5 year full warranty and included road side assistance for lock outs, flats and other issues. 10 yr power train warranty.
Ben
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"You don't subject minority rights to a referendum." Justice Minister Irwin Cotler of Canada |
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 Combat ChuckToo Many CannibalsPremium
join:2001-11-29
Erie, PA
1 edit | reply to Healbot
said by Healbot:This is more of a rant on how cheaply made kia's are, producing cheap cars all the way down to the light bulb? If the worst you can say about a car is that they use a cheap part that costs about 3 dollars to replace if you buy the expensive replacement that's actually pretty good.
And I think you'll find that most people who have purchased a Kia (or Hyundai for that matter since they're owned by the same company now) from about 2001 on are quite satisfied with them with the opinions getting better each new model year.
I'll take my "cheap" Hyundai Elantra over the overpriced, alternatives any day. My biggest complaint is that the stupid pinstripe the dealership put on it is coming off.
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Revolution!!!... or some such nonsense. |
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DodgePremium
join:2002-11-27 | reply to Healbot
Not to defend kia (although I do think their quality improved a lot recently), but look at the tail lights on mercedes and bmw cars. Most of them have some section burnt out, or lighting up out of sync, or permanently on. These problems are not bulbs either, and will probably cost around a price of a kia to fix |
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MadMANNPremium
join:2005-08-19
kudos:2 | reply to wth
said by wth:said by MadMANN:To Hell with the tail lights. Not quite, since a burned out bulb is cause for the cops to stop/pull you over....and start checking everything else. Yeah, but you can't be out on the road at all if the tranny and engine are not working. I would trade all of my problems that I have with my KIA if it meant I had to replace my tail light every month.
Besides, I don't have anything in there that I would have to hide from the cops anyway. |
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| reply to macaholic
Still.. the materials that go into the car aren't comparable with higher end models that the Kia and Hyundai try to compare their cars to... I saw a commercial on TV just yesterday where Hyundai was saying how much better they are than a Lexus. |
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aryobaPremium,MVM
join:2002-08-22
kudos:1
1 edit | reply to Healbot
I have 99 KIA Sephia. When I bought the car, the mileage was around 10,000. Today at 2007, the mileage is around 342,000 with still having the original engine and original everything. And yes, the car still runs good without any leakage anywhere ...
I plan to have transmission rebuild next month for the 1st time after 342,000 miles |
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MadMANNPremium
join:2005-08-19
kudos:2 | Wanna trade?  |
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| reply to Healbot
My family has had nothing but good luck with our 2003 Hyundai for the time we have owned it as well. If I remember correctly, I think Consumer Reports rated the new Hyundai Sonata as having greater reader-reported reliability than new Toyotas.
Somehow burnt out bulbs that cost a buck to replace don't seem like an indication of shoddy manufacturing, but that may just be me ...
When the Hyundai Genesis comes out, Hyundai will have successfully transferred to that status of "car I would want to have, rather than "car that I can afford." I think the distance they have come in the past few years is amazing. Makes me wish they were an American automaker.
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Been around the world and found
That only stupid people are breeding
The cretins cloning and feeding
And I don't even own a TV. |
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| reply to s bassaw
I bought a brand new 05 Sorento. Love it I like it so much I bought an 03 for my son. Nothing wrong with KIA SUVs anyway. have one the highest safety ratings out there. Give me KIA or give me some gas to go with my KIA. |
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 MooJohn
join:2005-12-18
Milledgeville, GA | reply to MadMANN
Kia/Hyundai's from 10 years ago have nothing in common with today's offerings except for the name. They went from making disposable cars to making Toyota and Honda worry about losing market share.
I'll take a Hyundai Azera any day over an Impala!
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John M - Cranky network guy |
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1 edit | reply to Healbot
i had 2000 sephia a while back, never had any major issues, but, like the OP said, it ate light bulbs. i replaced 2 head lights and a tail light on it in the 10 months i had it, before i totalled it in an accident. |
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