Hi

I wondered if anybody could give me any advice on a predicament I find myself in after buying a used car please?

Brief story is that I purchased a 56 Kia in May from a Dealership. On the 25th of September I find the engine management light illuminating intermittently. After having it checked by a Kia dealer on 1st October, they inform me that the car is now out of warranty (27th September 2009) and I will have to pay for the repairs. I have 2 issues here:-

A) The Kia Dealership are being very unfair on not repairing my vehicle under manufacturers warranty are they not? After all the fault exhibited itself within 2 days of expiry of the warranty.

B) I was told (verbally) that the car had a warranty until September 2011 (5 year warranty) when I bought the car and that he went away and made a phone call to check (probably went to the loo!). I stupidly did not insist on this in writing and they since deny categorically all knowledge of this (spooky!).

I'd just like to know where I stand on both these points as I would like to take the appropriate action with the two Dealerships. Thank you.

A) Forget the dealers, write directly to Kia UK for the attention of their customer services dept. Provide a nice polite well rounded and balanced letter informing them of the full facts and the issues you are left facing, asking them to kindly intervene in the unfair problem you are enduring, as a gesture of, "goodwill".

Manufacturers often step in to keep good customer relations and as a PR exercise. If you are succesful they will take-over and authorise the dealers to do the work for you at the direct cost of Kia. Their warranties are now Seven years, so your old warranty could well have been Five years. !

http://www.kia.co.uk/About-Kia/Customer-Services.aspx

B) Try not to argue that fact keep it diplomatic and sweet... you need their co-operation, as it is otherwise difficult if not impossible to prove what was verbally said, and only serves to sour relations, if you were to continue along this line of reasoning.

PS - Love the name. !

Hi

That's good advice, thanks very much. I'll contact Kia as you suggest and bite my tongue with the Dealership. What I'd love to know if whether the Dealership actively encourages this type of Salesman's underhand deal clinching or merely turns a blind eye! I'd bet my bottom dollar they don't actively prevent it! LET THE BUYER BEWARE is very true.

Thanks again for your help :-)