KIA
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Oh it's my fault! - Alloy Corrosion Beware/Dodgy Battery!
2year old Kia Soul (8K miles only). At the 2 year service we noticed the alloy wheels were starting to bubble and corrode. Apparently if you drive your car on the road it will get stone chips which allow condensation under the protective layer which causes the corrosion to happen. This is not covered by warranty so those nice looking expensive wheels start looking shabby. There are no visible perforations on the wheel but apparently even the smallest microscopic or invisible pinprick can start the chain of events, therefore the warranty is effectively invalid before you drive the car! I also own a Saab 95 Aero which I bough new 18 years ago, 140K harsh European weather miles at high speed on Germany Autobahns, yes scratched and very stone-chipped but still no sign of corrosion on any of the alloy wheels. Clearly Kia Diamond Cut Alloys are not fit for any purpose, ranking alongside the chocolate teapot- other than they look nice, if you're stupid enough to drive your Kia on a road (who would do such a stupid thing)! the warranty if worthless. In fairness, the problem seems to be with the Diamond Cut process as other brands also suffer the same problem, but other brands have acknowledged the problem and acted in good faith. Like the Niro 2.2 owner below, we also had a battery issue within the first few months. RAC diagnosed a faulty battery, but again Kia insisted it was my fault for leaving the interior light switch on (it auto switches off after 30 seconds). Apparently its not for lighting up the interior of the car so you can see to get in when its dark, its so you can see after you've fallen in and sat on your muffin! Oh, my fault again! Fortunately it failed again within days and when the RAC diagnosed it was a faulty battery they were not happy as it should have been replaced first time around. They're cheap for a reason but just as expensive in the long run. The bells and whistles are nice until they break, then you have to live with the fact it will be your fault for some inexplicable reason like the wind changed direction! Lost all my future business, I was looking at a Stinger to replace my tired Saab, but think I will keep it another 10 years or spend a little more to get an honest warranty where I won't be blamed for driving normally. Better than spending my time and money repairing, replacing and being fobbed off with loophole excuses and feeling the need to write extensive reviews because Kia can't honour their promise.