Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Spectra Paint Quality?

canuckkiafancanuckkiafan Member Posts: 21
Hi,
I am still loving my Spec 5 overall but recently have noticed how easily the paint chips - approximately 15 spots on my hood and front side panels. I took it to the dealer for a routine service & pointed out these spots - zero feedback from the dealer other than to say that this is to be expected nowadays that leadbased paints are no longer used & I should invest in a hood deflector. I have read earlier posts that the paint quality was a problem, but am seriously unhappy with the feedback I received - I can't believe that this is to be expected from a new car (1 year) driving primarily on paved roads. Plan to take it to another Kia dealer in town & see what they have to say - told the dealer as much but received no further response.
Feedback sought & much appreciated.
Cheers,
Still a Canuckkiafan
«1

Comments

  • dekandekan Member Posts: 7
    Really sorry to hear that the dealer is turning the deaf ear to your issues. I too have had a few issues with the paint on my Spectra5 but each time my dealers response was "ok, well take care of it". They have repainted my hood twice now without any hesitations. We all get the dings and such from rocks but my issue was the paint peeling/chipping off. The next time I had it in for an oil change they gave me a loaner car for a few days and repainted it.
  • sanaesanae Member Posts: 1
    I agree with you totally! I love driving me kia spec5 i bought 3 weeks ago, BUT... the paint is chipping in certain areas and I'm finding all these cracks (well, cracks in my opinion) that don't look like scratches and I got a good run around at the dealership and service department saying it's expected of "ANY CAR" and that people will sometimes "bless" your car and that there's no technology at the autobody shops to match paint so if they fixed it, it wouldn't match and probably look worse than a big [non-permissible content removed] chip filled with non-matching touch up paint! :mad:
  • princessmelissprincessmeliss Member Posts: 19
    My 2005 Spectra5 is having the EXACT same problem. Chips on the hood and all over the driver side door. It's at least 15 on mine as well, some down to the metal even. The dealerships gave me the same lines about the lead being out of paint, this is just normal on any car, and it's not their problem. I saw 1 Kia rep for Ohio and not only did he say it was just rock chips he said HIS Spec5 had the same problem too. Hmmm.. making me wonder why Kia is letting all of this go. And btw my husband saw one in a parking lot yesterday and guess what.. paint is chipping off of it too. We seriously need to do something about this. Kia has to take some responsibility for their poor quality. Granted, these cars aren't luxury cars but the paint should last longer than a year and the price of Kias is on the rise. I've never owned a car in my life with this problem I've had a mazda, ford, dodge, and chevrolet. Not wise for Kia to be jerking us around when we're in the market for a new car. You can guess where we WON'T be buying a car. It's a good warranty but if your car is going to look like trash in 8-12 months who cares.
  • spectramanspectraman Member Posts: 255
    Sorry to hear about the paint and dealership issues that the recent posters are experiencing.

    Can you all post some specifics about your cars on here? Things like:

    - Color of your car
    - Road conditions you primary drive on (gravel, pavement, etc.)
    - Month year and month/year built

    My 2004.5 Spectra EX sedan has 23k miles, and is sand beige (gold).

    My paint looks fantastic. I drive almost completely on pavement, so flying gravel usually isn't an issue. I've had two small nicks by a headlight that I've had to touch up, and that's it! Was there a paint formulation change between 2004.5 and the more recently built models? I was at my dealer today and mentioned this this thread to the service department, and they said that they haven't had any out-of-the-ordinary cases of paint chipping on Spectras or Spectra5s coming through.

    My dealership experience(s) have also been good. Waaaayyyy better than any experiences I've had at the Ford dealers I've frequented in the past.

    The bottom line is that I think it would be good for you all to use this forum to compare (specific) notes in the open where everyone can see them... including Hyundai/KIA.

    -SM
  • princessmelissprincessmeliss Member Posts: 19
    Mine is red and is driven on paved roads. Can't say much about the month and year built, where would I find that information? Called yet another dealership yesterday that I will go to Thursday to get a second opinion from them and try to get an appointment with the Kentucky Kia rep ( I live near Cincinnati so we're only 15-20 miles from kentucky). Talked to the service dept and he said they have seen a couple of these come through for paint.

    Keeping my fingers crossed,

    Melissa
  • spectramanspectraman Member Posts: 255
    Melissa:

    If you open up the driver's door, the sticker showing the build year/month will be either on the "B pillar" section of the body (the part to the right of the door opening), or the end of the door (facing you) itself.

    Mine was built in March 2004.

    -SM
  • princessmelissprincessmeliss Member Posts: 19
    Thanks, mine was October 2004

    Melissa
  • canuckkiafancanuckkiafan Member Posts: 21
    Hi,

    My Spec5 is Volcano Blast red. The date built is listed as 01/05.

    I drive only on paved roads - have taken approximately a dozen trips on gravel over the past year, but since I don't drive rally style, definitely do not think this would be a contributing factor.

    I do not have a hood deflector yet, but will likely get one. Thing is, there are marks all over it - side panels, doors too - it just does not make sense to me. I've owned & driven various vehicles in my 20+ years of driving, and and have never ever seen the likes.

    I actually purchased the clear coat warranty, so have to take it in soon for it's annual inspection. If not satisfied with service at the original dealer, will ask for the cost of this back + be taking business elsewhere.

    As I said, I still do enjoy the car overall, but because of this, am disappointed with both the quality + service.

    I'll post once I've taken it in, likely next week.

    ckf
  • princessmelissprincessmeliss Member Posts: 19
    They take zero responsibility for the driver's door being chipped. I came across yet another chip in the hood, but this time the paint around the chip was visibly raised as if it had bubble up prior to chipping off. I also found 2 small bubbles above the back door and took those in for inspection. The Kia representative for this part of Ohio was in town and unable to deny that these were bubbles. He agreed to have the entire hood repainted and sand and repaint where the small bubbles were on the back door, but still maintains that the driver's door chips are unrelated and caused by rocks. Even worse, I will be without my car for a minimum of 3 days and they will NOT provide a rental car. Kia says it's not their policy to provide a rental for warranty work. So basically they built a car improperly and will only now fix it after 5 months of refusing to do so, and I'm without a car for 3 days because of their poor workmanship. To me the chips on the door seemed more unusual than the hood. How do you get hit by rocks on the side of your car like that? #1 Hard enough to chip the paint #2 All over the door #3 more so on the upper portion of the door than near the road where you would expect rocks to come from. A good 80-90% of these spots are above or around the door handle area. It just seems out of place to have "rock chips" there. At least I got somewhere this time, although I'm still not very happy with the results. I warned the Kia guy if the repaint and touch up didn't hold up I would be back again. I think he figured as much.

    Melissa H
  • smulveysmulvey Member Posts: 139
    By way of confirmation- water based paints, they are the standard now world wide do exhibit this flaking people talk about, when they are defective.

    My 2002 Kia Spectra GS has the " CLassic Red" paint and it is still gorgeous. The clear coat is there and doing its job.

    The car has numerous chips from stones and such , but we used the touch up paint to keep them in check.

    We are located inn upsate New York near canada and we park the car indoor from Dec to March. The rest of the time it is outdoors.

    once a year we wax it.

    so I think you have defective paint, and the automated robot painting that day was malfunctioning.
  • supratunersupratuner Member Posts: 9
    Well, you can't really blame kai. A lot of manufacturers are now using this type of paint, because it is more environmental friendly...
  • helenedhelened Member Posts: 2
    I own a 05 spectra 5, red with 17,000 miles. The paint is chipping off mostly on the hood, and some on sides. The windshield is also showing ware. I have owned many cars and trade in around 60,000. I drive carefully, do not tailgate, nor stay behind trucks. My driving habits have not changed. What i am seeing is "POOR QUALITY". If i wait until 60,000 my car will be down to the primer. This is unacceptable. Of course i got the run around from the dealer, basically it is my fault. This is wrong and kia needs to be held accountable.
  • fergie22fergie22 Member Posts: 2
    I have a Kia Sedona 05 with similar paint problems that are being discussed here. Anyone have a satisfactory solution from Kia?
  • princessmelissprincessmeliss Member Posts: 19
    Kia repainted my hood that had a visible bubble on it and the many chips, but only because I was able to catch the paint in mid bubble. My driver's door is trashed they won't touch that. Found 8 more bubbles on the car as well. Kia authorized for the dealer to sand and repaint but they just "buffed them" instead. Now my bubbles are all little specks in the paint. Found 4 more bubbles on the front quarter panel that I will be going back to have worked on. I will not allow them to simply buff them and I am demanding that the other spots now be fixed. Tough part is now the body shop is denying that they even touched some of the bubbles. If they didn't, why are the bubbles now gone and specks in their place? I am so sick of Kia. I'm hoping to trade in ASAP and move on to another make of vehicle. I've never dealt with a company like this is my life, and I've dealt with some real doozies. Bottom line: Kia doesn't stand behind their product. We need to let them know that and hopefully they will listen.
  • canuckkiafancanuckkiafan Member Posts: 21
    I finally took my car back in to have them assess the paint issue. I have to say that they have obviously taken my less than happy customer feedback seriously and have been actively staying in contact and acknowledging my frustration. They submitted a claim under warranty to have the hood & side panel repainted this past week, will now wait and see what the outcome is. If it gets covered I will be pleased and have faith in them; not sure what I'll do if not. In any event, I'll post when I get word.

    Apart from this, I really am still enjoying the car and have absolutely no other complaints.

    CKF :)
  • helenedhelened Member Posts: 2
    hi
    well the regional manager looked at the paint job 3 weeks ago, but never returned by call. I have been very busy, but this week i am going to followup on this. other than yourself, how many people have you been in contact with that are having paint chipping off their Kia.
    Helene
  • canuckkiafancanuckkiafan Member Posts: 21
    Hi Helene,

    There are about 5 folks on this site that have had similar complaints; other than on this forum, however, I haven't been in contact with anyone. There have been replies on this site that indicate this issue is not unique to KIA, but I still think it's completely unnacceptable...my car is just over one year old and it's scary to imagine what it will look like in another year.

    As I said, I did provide feedback that I was not satisfied after my previous service visit and they now appear to be trying to resolve this issue....stay tuned for details on the outcome!

    CKF
  • spectramanspectraman Member Posts: 255
    Hey folks....

    For the benefit of the rest of us KIA owners out here, could you grab a digital camera, snap some shots, and post them up on Yahoo or freeservers.com, or somewhere like that for us to see?

    I'm reading some intriguing descriptions above about "bubbles" on doors, massive chipping, etc.

    Since my 2004.5 Spectra EX hasn't shown any signs at all like those above (even after 25k miles), I'm really curious to see these.

    The quality of the paint on my Spectra was one of the first things that caught my eye when I looked it over. It's the Sand Beige metalflake, and it was perfectly smooth, glossy, and with no orange peel. I just looked over a friend's new Chevy Malibu, and though it was a nice car, the car's paint job made look for a 'SunKist' sticker on it. :P

    Here's my ride:
    image

    -SM
  • princessmelissprincessmeliss Member Posts: 19
    I tried getting pictures of my bubbles and such, but you can't get a shot to actually see them. It's not like the bubbles are the size quarters or anything and I can't get a picture close enough without it looking blurred. I tried to do that before I even let them touch it just to have documentation of the issue and nothing would come out clearly and still be able to see the bubbles.
  • princessmelissprincessmeliss Member Posts: 19
    Seems like most of these 05 spectra5 paint issues are red. I mentioned that to the rep and took in print outs of these posts and he said every car in the world does this we just notice it on our cars because they are red. He said silver or white cars the problem isn't obvious because the paint matches the primer. Also said that his red 05 spectra5 has the same problem, but it's just his son's fault, not a defect. A while back we were asked about the year our car was made and only a couple of replies. Maybe we should all get together and compare notes on our cars.
  • hamlin04hamlin04 Member Posts: 2
    WE BOUGHT OUR 05 KIA SPECTRA 5 IN SEPTEMBER 11 2005.THREE MONTHS AGO WE NOTIFIED RICART DEALERSHIP IN COLUMBUS,OHIO WHERE WE PURCHASED THE CAR THAT THE CAR WAS COVERED IN PLACES THAT HAD PAINT THAT LOOKED LIKE IT HAD BEEN MELTED.IT STARTED OUT LIKE A PAINT CHIP BUT THEN BECAME WORSE ALL OVER THE CAR,BUT ONLY ON THE METAL NONE ON THE BUMPER.RICART FILED A CLAIM WITH KIA BUT THEY REFUSE TO FIX THEY SAID IT WAS DO TO US RUNNING THROUGH SOMETHING.OUR KIA IS RED.KIA CLAIMS THAT THEY HAVENT HAD ANY COMPLAINTS WITH THIER PAINT .THEY REFUSE TO FIX IT.MY HUSBAND HAS LOOKED AT OTHER KIA CARS IN OUR AREA,THEY HAVE THE SAME PAINT ISSUES.WE HAVE TRIED TO TALK WITH OUR AREA REP BUT THEY REFUSE TO GIVE US HIS CONTACT INFO.
  • princessmelissprincessmeliss Member Posts: 19
    The cincinnati kia rep is from columbus. His name is Don Bower, any dealership should be able to at least have him get in contact with you or call the kia national number. Although he was supposed to call me thursday and never did. If you would like to email me privately that would be ok, we can discuss the issues here further.

    princessmelissa @ yahoo.com
  • hamlin04hamlin04 Member Posts: 2
    That is the same rep kia said was over our area.I contacted the kia number 1-800-333-4kia.They have done nothing but argue with us.They claim you can only go through your rep through the dealership.We have repeatedly ask our dearlership to get a hold of him but they dont. I have emailed your private addresse.
  • guestguest Member Posts: 770
    Paint chipping off spectra 5 (05) UPDATE....
    I got two estimates per the Kia dealer shop manager. Both stated that that the chipping was excessive and one felt the bonding process was the problem. I gave the estimates to the dealer who said he wanted a cause for the chipping. Maybe he would be happy with a chemical analysis....regardless, they have not been honoring the paint warranty and certainly are not customer oriented. I will pursue this through the channels as appropriate.
    Do they want a happy customer? I wonder.
  • canuckkiafancanuckkiafan Member Posts: 21
    Hi

    It's been awhile, but thought I'd give an update. Service rep at my dealership in Ottawa took photos & sent them in for feedback & tried to make a claim under the warranty. As per most other attempts on here, it was refused.

    Am still happy with performance of the car which is good, guess I'll be paying for the paint job myself. Not sure what the cost will be, just took it in for an assessment for both paint & body work, lower side doors were schmucked by a [non-permissible content removed] when parked!

    If anyone else has any news, do post!

    ckf
  • mobilemecmobilemec Member Posts: 8
    Hi, Im new here but just wanted to point out a paint problem w/ my 05 spectra. At 12,000 miles the paint behind the rear door towards the bottom was chipping and causing rust to set in. I called the KIA dealer and they said that they were aware of the problem. They repainted and readjusted the doors all under warranty
  • princessmelissprincessmeliss Member Posts: 19
    Perhaps your difference was the rust. My paint chips/bubbles haven't resulted in any rust, and as far as I know none of the others either. Out of curiosity, what color is yours? So far this seems to be a major problem for red 05's.
  • mobilemecmobilemec Member Posts: 8
    Mine is black with the silver trim.
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    Talk with Ian Beavis – Vice President of Marketing of Kia Motors of America about building the Kia brand in the U.S. Get exclusive takes from an industry leader about Kia's quality, safety, product development and globalization in the automotive marketplace.

    Don't miss your chance to chat with Ian Beavis, a veteran in the automotive industry the inside questions you want to know.

    Please join us for this chat with Ian Beavis – Vice President of Marketing of Kia Motors of America tonight from 6-7pm PT, 9-10pm ET
  • amk2amk2 Member Posts: 1
    My husband and I bought a brand new Kia Spectra about 8 months ago. Its white, and I didn't drive it today, so I don't know the month and year it was made...but its a 2006.

    We have about 15,000 miles on it, and the paint is already chipping AND rusting!!! My husband mentioned it to the dealer today, they said its not covered under the warranty, but they will see if they can buff the rust spots out. My husband's concern (& mine) is if its chipping and rusting already...what is it going to look like in 2 years? 5 years? 10 years? It will be a rust bucket and the warranty won't mean diddly! We knew that Kia's weren't high end vehicles, and we purchased this as our work vehicle, but c'mon. Rust after 8 months and 15,000 miles??? That is just crazy.
  • proudnaniproudnani Member Posts: 1
    I Purchased a RED Kia Spectra 05 in August 2005, and I myself noticed right away, I had some spots on the hood of my car and I told the Kia dealer and they told me they were just smudges...LOL...and when the guy washed my car, he said they went away. Yeah Right... Ughhh...

    So the next time I went in to have the car serviced, the Manager tried to say, that because a rock had hit my windshield in between time that was the cause of
    my paint problem... Well if you saw these spots you would know that was impossible and he knew it was also, he was just being a well, u know what..... These spots were from the factory, it was like they didn't have enough paint left in the can, it was like someone got lazy and forgot about refilling the can. They are white and have gown since. Also I am getting chips, I have one on my passengers side door.. It really saddens me... I could cry to be honest with you.. I have taken good care of my car.. I only have 13,000 miles on it.

    It upsets me to think all of us pay dearly for our cars and the paint is under warranty for three years or 36,000 miles I checked in the book. I don't see what the
    problem is. People will say bad things about them, They will get a bad name, and now they do not get my money anymore for service every time. I go to someone
    else, because I do not trust them. So they have lost a customer and I will always tell people to stay away. Why encourage people to buy a car that the company does not honor their warranty. Don't get me wrong I love my Kia, aside from the paint and the customer service... This is my very first brand new car, I am 47 years old.. I was so proud..But now I discourage people from purchasing a Kia, why would I want others to have the same problems.

    To me GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE is everything. GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE brings people back every time. Some companies just don't realize that. Obviously KIA is one of them. I would willingly travel a distance, to get good customer service as I know most people would. If they would HONOR THEIR WARRANTY then I would change my mind, but until then, it stays as is. I have one more dealer I am going to try.

    ProudNani
  • spectra1spectra1 Member Posts: 1
    I leased my spectra 05 red color two years ago in Vancouver. About two weeks ago I noticed that in several places the paint is damaged. It is like the paint is flaking off in different places and in different sizes, some the size of a quarter and some the size of a dime.
    I took the car to two KIA dealerships without results. They say the external damage is not covered after the first year.
    There is no impact from rocks and we drive the car in the city on the paved roads. I have never seen anything like this before and called KIA Canada only to hear the same excuse from them. They say in order for them to fix the problem there must be a hole underneath of the areas that the paint is coming off. They also try to blame the problem on bird dropping or some other material. The fact is that
    we keep the car very clean and as a matter of fact about
    a month ago that I took the car for general service to
    a KIA dealership they washed the car very well ant did not mention any paint problems to me.
    I appreciate any suggestions.
  • princessmelissprincessmeliss Member Posts: 19
    I wish I could offer a suggestion, but if you have read all of the other posts you will see that Kia is completely ignoring this problem. My 2005 Kia Spectra5 has had the same problems and they blamed it on everything but the paint. They even tried to tell me that this is just what happens to all cars now because paint no longer has lead in it. Now, in the last couple of weeks I've noticed the clearcoat peeling off of my car as well. My car has no bird droppings on it and there isn't a single tree in my front yard, so they can't blame it on sap or birds. The clearcoat is bubbling and coming off though on the rear spoiler. Per my warranty, the paint warranty is only 36,000 miles and wouldn't you know my car turned 37,000 the first of September. I am done with Kia and have actually been able to talk several people out of buying them in the past year. I show them my car and they cringe and thank me for the advice. At least I'm helping others not get screwed over.
  • selboneselbone Member Posts: 1
    the 2007 red kia spectra i bought has had problems from day 1 all 4 tires were no good made car pull hard to the left took it back car sat there 2days problem still knott corrected they lied said it was fixed and had really did nothing williams kia of naples now the paint has bubbles drips paint seperation i have only had this car 30days my trade was 2000 chevy caviler and it was better than this peace of crap i think i will get lawer and sue them because i have sufferd so much mental agguish behind this i have been to the dealer 10 times in 30 days .17000.00$ WORTH OF JUNK BUT ITS TIME TO STOP THEM THERE IS NO EXCUSE THE CAR IS NOT EVAN 30 DAYS OLD .
  • red01red01 Member Posts: 2
    I bought a 2006 KIA Spectra LX a 1 1/2 years ago, I bought it brand new, I have had my car into the dealer two times for rust on the rear quarters , behind the back doors, the first time was just about 6 months of owning it and I just took it in again for the same problem, apparently it is poor design of the car itself, the rear quarters sit out farther then the doors itself, I have noticed on the 2008 spectras this problem has been resolved, well I would think for the most part. This still will not change my decision about buying another KIA, this was my very first brand new car, and so far it has left a sour taste in my mouth, and will not purchase one again. I have contact KIA, with the problem, they have for the most part, not said its not covered under warranty, but my question is, am I going to have to keep taking this car in for the same problem every 3 months, until my car is out of warranty. I would not recommend this car to anyone.
  • fiveohmanfiveohman Member Posts: 3
    PM:

    When you mention rust on the rear quarters "behind the back doors", are your referring to the area near the bottom of the rear doors that tends to get stone chipped?

    I've noticed stone chipping going on in that area of the quarters, but no rust. It probably helps that I've touched up the 3-4 I've gotten on both sides with my factory touch up paint.

    My 2004.5 EX is pushing 50k miles on it, and it has been a wonderful car for me.

    I can't believe that you would not recommend a Spectra to someone based on this one problem (if that's all you've experienced).

    I've eyeballed SEVERAL Spectras over the past 3 years here in rustbelt Michigan, and I've never seen any rust on the rear quarters of them. Not even in the touch-up zone I described above.

    What color is your car? White? Just curious, since any type of minor rust speck would be magnified on a white car.

    -SM
  • princessmelissprincessmeliss Member Posts: 19
    It's not that I wouldn't recommend a Spectra to anyone, it's Kias overall. Their customer service is garbage and they do not honor their warranties. I have never dealt with another company like this in my life.
  • princessmelissprincessmeliss Member Posts: 19
    I got rear ended a week ago by a woman and she did some damage to my rear bumper and back quarter panel. I spoke with the bod shop today to see how things were coming along. The guy was impressed with my car overall and asked if I had any problems with it. I mentioned all of the paint issues and he said "I bet! If this paint was sprayed on any thinner, your car wouldn't even be red." He said it was the thinnest coat of paint he had ever seen and that the clear coat was either equally as thin or non existent. I am going to have him really check into it and double check the clear coat and make sure it is there. I checked my warranty manual today and can only find anti perforation warranty for 100,000 miles. Will call kia to verify some information and see where this goes. Unfortunately, in the midst of all of my fighting with them previously my brother died suddenly and I had no time to waste dealing with a company about paint. I had bigger issues to deal with and unfortunately may have given them the advantage because of it. If nothing is resolved due to my waiting, then no big deal, but if this truly is a problem I will get it looked into. I hate to say I'm lucky that I got hit, but if I hadn't nobody would have been doing this paint work on my car to see what a crappy job it was. And BTW, my car held up surprisingly well considering the accident. Hit in the back and into a pole in the front. Almost zero damage to the front other than spoiler getting pulled off, back was a bit worse, but still fixable.
  • knowbtr42knowbtr42 Member Posts: 8
    I bought my Red Spectra 5 6 months ago and my hood looks polka dotted. I am printing all these complaints and taking them to the dealer with me. The first sign that they will not honor the warranty and I will put a sign in my car window in bold letters saying kia doesn't honor the warranty, then I file with the state of MA for the Lemon Law protection. If everyone having this problem can get organized and go after Kia they would have no choice but to listen. Feel free to eback and let me know if they helped you & I will do the same next week when I take my car in.
  • princessmelissprincessmeliss Member Posts: 19
    Everyone PLEASE, let's band together and force Kia to take care of these problems. I find it an odd coincidence that we have so many cars with identical problems. If we all get together and share our information Kia can't deny a problem. I will take it to the local "troubleshooter" on the news and smear Kia's "good name" to everyone if I have to. I have been in contact with another owner willing to fight this, but we have to do it together. Email me with general info on your car (year, color, month/year built if you know, dealerships and reps you've dealt with, what you were told about your paint). Let's get this taken care of, we have all tried our hardest to be nice about it... it's time to get tough. princessmelissa @ yahoo. com
  • knowbtr42knowbtr42 Member Posts: 8
    Hi, I am trying to organize a collective attack on KIA by all the Red Spectra owners ranging from 2005 to 2007 all having the paint chipping and peeling and being denied warranty by KIA. We must all be driving in gravel pits all day.
    If you have any information on who you delat with and the outcome in your case and are willing to share this info with me who knows we all might benefit from a ruling against Kia. I am filing with the State of Mass under the Lemon Law because I bought the car in MA. Since I can't prove defective paint I am making a case of design flaws using their own words against them. If Kia knowingly sold cars starting in 2005 that were desgined so badly that normal road conditions will peel the paint off in under 15,000 miles then it was deceiving the consumer. They also told me that my windshield is severly pitted which means the quality of glass is so poor normal conditions in New England will destroy the windshield.
    Any help will be help for all of us. Depending on how I do in MA I will speak with an attorney that handles class action law suits if enough of us are willing to go against them.
    Thanks for your time and I hope to hear from you.
    Anna Golderese
    knowbtr42@yahoo.com
  • knowbtr42knowbtr42 Member Posts: 8
    Please join with us to get Kia to hold up their end of the warranty. Refer to my other posts as well as the posts by princessmelissa.
    Collectively they can't stand against us.
    knowbtr42@yahoo.com
  • prairiewriterprairiewriter Member Posts: 5
    I have already discussed my dealings with a local Kia dealer in a previous post. Suffice to say it was a miserable experience.

    I purchased my red, 2007 Kia Spectra5 LX in September of last year and the roof and trunk have already been repainted due to rough welds (on the trunk) and leftover welding residue (on the roof). In addition, the rub strip was replaced (at my cost) due to blistered paint and an interior trim piece was replaced (again at my cost). This all occurred with approximately 3500 kms on the odometer.

    Now, with only 8000 km on the odometer, the paint is chipping off the hood and left rear door. I was amazed to discover the paint chips yesterday – they weren’t on the car when I drove it to work. As the car is new I park it in a location that is away from other cars and can see the car from my office window. No other cars were parked next to mine and the car was not moved all day. In addition, the rear door faced the lawn and not another parking spot. When I left the office there were two chips on the left rear door. There is no other explanation than the paint simply flaked off in the bright sunlight. I am about to discuss these issues with my local dealer, but my expectations are low that anything will be done.

    In the past when I have approached my local dealer they insisted that I take the car to the purchasing dealer. When I spoke to a Kia Canada representative they indicated that I could take my car to any Kia dealer to have issues reviewed and (hopefully) resolved. Yet, the dealers refuse to work with owners who purchased their vehicles elsewhere. To get issues reviewed I must drive for two hours to the purchasing dealer.

    As an example of a past service experience, I provide the following example:

    Several years ago I purchased a used 1989 Toyota Tercel DX from a Chrysler dealer. I had the car serviced at a local Toyota dealer and they noticed small bubbles in the paint on the rear hatch. They informed me hat they would repaint the rear of the car and provide me with a loaner while the car was being painted. When the car was returned I indicated that there was a small amount of overspray and that the work wasn’t all that great. They agreed and had the car repainted. Although I had not purchased the car from the dealer they understood that they represented the Toyota brand and took responsibility for resolving quality issues quickly.

    Like many who posted here, this is my first new vehicle purchase. I am very angry that the quality of the paint is sub-par and the service I have received to date is appalling. I would recommend that anyone considering the purchase of Kia look elsewhere. Save a little extra money and purchase a Mazda3 or a Saturn Astra. They are much better vehicles. Please, don’t make the same mistake I have.

    If anyone doubts the veracity of the claims made in this email, let me know and I will provide photographs and receipts for the work done to date.

    PW
  • knowbtr42knowbtr42 Member Posts: 8
    Hi PW,

    I appreciate your re-capping these events. And nobody beleives you as much as I do. My hood, the front panels, side door panels and the roof all chipping as we speak.

    If you could send me photos via email that I can use in court to prove you and your car are real. The name of your dealership and even your name if you do not object. I will gladly provide you my information.

    You can email me at knowbtr42@yahoo.com

    Again, thanks for responding, maybe I can get some help for all the Kia Spectra owners.

    Wish me luck.
    Anna Golderese
  • red01red01 Member Posts: 2
    I would be more than willing to help, I posted a while ago, I have a 2006 Kia spectra, mine is silver, I have had nothing but problems with the paint, the last time they fixed it (painted chipping on the rear quarters, behind the rear doors), they said they were doing me a favor, they painted it and put a chip guard on the area, well it hasn't been more than two months and it is rusting again, I am so frustrated with this, I bought it brand new, and have had nothing but problems with it. And now I don't know what to do, because contacting them again, I have a feeling they won't do anything this time, because the last time they said there needs to be a hole, which anyone knows a hole won't show up for a few years, after the warranty is already up. You can contact me at red8133@yahoo.com.
  • caliberchiccaliberchic Member Posts: 402
    Please avoid posting email addresses in the forums, trolls scan forums to gather email addresses to spam. You can email each other through your member profiles or via Carspace! Thanks!
  • ipwinsoripwinsor Member Posts: 1
    Hey Prairiewriter, et all,

    Apparently this is not a unique for Spectra's or red. My black 07 Magentis with just less than 20,000km on it is similarly afflicted. I dread talking to Kia after reading your experiences.

    Ian in Ontario
  • knowbtr42knowbtr42 Member Posts: 8
    You will be in for a heck of a fight since you have alot more mileage on your car. The rest of us started at much lower mileage.

    I will post updates on my progress as it happens. I am going to implement whats called the Lemon Law in Massachusettes and it may take a few months but I plan to nail Kia to the fence.

    Good luck to you and keep us posted.
  • andigirlandigirl Member Posts: 1
    The Sapphire Blue paint seems to have a similar problem, too with the thinness of the paint and clearcoat. I bought my car last September, only 3000 mi. I love the car but started noticing little scratches with white underneath after only 4 mos, or so, being told all dark color paint have that problem. The touch up paint hadn't even been on the market yet. I love the car, very safe even though the mpg is a litlle less than advertised. I bought touch up paint today, but don't plan to use it for a few days until I get Kia to make good on their paint warranty. I'll update all.
  • rogerparentrogerparent Member Posts: 1
    How many persons do you got for the collective attack on KIA ?
Sign In or Register to comment.