hey all … so yesterday i bought a 2014 kia soul from a dealer and took it out for a drive today … out of nowhere it just caught fire after i parked. i had the dealership tow it back, but they’re saying there’s nothing they’ll do since ‘this doesn’t just happen.’ unfortunately, i didn’t get comprehensive insurance, so my insurance company won’t cover it.
is there anything i can do about this? i’m in new york.
kia had a big recall for engine fires for this model and year … you should check if yours is part of it. if it is, show it to the dealer. they probably already know about it but are hoping you don’t dig into it.
@Luca
even if the dealer doesn’t do anything, you could still contact kia directly or maybe reach out to a consumer advocate group. if your car is part of the recall, they’re responsible for selling you a defective car.
@Luca
some states let dealers sell cars with open recalls. it usually doesn’t make the dealer responsible.
Rene said:
@Luca
some states let dealers sell cars with open recalls. it usually doesn’t make the dealer responsible.
that’s rough
Rene said:
@Luca
some states let dealers sell cars with open recalls. it usually doesn’t make the dealer responsible.
how can that even be legal … it really shouldn’t be
Rene said:
@Luca
some states let dealers sell cars with open recalls. it usually doesn’t make the dealer responsible.
how can that even be legal … it really shouldn’t be
i don’t agree. dealers shouldn’t be the ones to lose out because the manufacturer couldn’t build a safe car. buyers have to check for open recalls too.
@Rene
just curious, how exactly does a dealer ‘lose out’ by just fixing a recall issue?
@Rene
you think they don’t bill the manufacturer for the hours? that’s why recalls can be done at any dealership. i once bought a used car and was assured everything was good only for it to break down twice within a month. i say, forget dealers who don’t do their job.
@Drew
did you even ask for the service record? sounds like just another buyer who didn’t do the work before buying something important. dealers do what they do because they know they’ll get away with it.
@Rene
i didn’t! honestly, i thought buying from a dealer meant i didn’t need to go through all that. it was my first time buying a car, and i learned a lot the hard way. but dealers should do right by their customers instead of blaming us for not knowing.
@Drew
well, any used car sale is kinda ‘buy as-is.’ unless there’s a specific warranty, they’re not required to fix everything … but yeah, it’s still frustrating.
@Luca
the sales team doesn’t always know about recalls but service departments usually do. if the original poster got it from a kia dealer, they should’ve checked.
Zeke said:
@Luca
the sales team doesn’t always know about recalls but service departments usually do. if the original poster got it from a kia dealer, they should’ve checked.
in most places, dealers have to do recall-related repairs before selling a car. there are databases just for this.
@Jesse
not always true … under federal law, new cars with open recalls can’t be sold until repaired, but that’s not the same for used cars.
Brett said:
@Jesse
not always true … under federal law, new cars with open recalls can’t be sold until repaired, but that’s not the same for used cars.
looks like you didn’t fully read what i said earlier.
@Jesse
i think this only applies to brand-new cars. for resales, dealers don’t have to check for recalls.
Zeke said:
@Luca
the sales team doesn’t always know about recalls but service departments usually do. if the original poster got it from a kia dealer, they should’ve checked.
i disagree. i’m in the auto industry, and any used car should go through a check process that flags open recalls before it’s sold.
when you say dealership, was it a kia one or just any used car lot?
Camden said:
when you say dealership, was it a kia one or just any used car lot?
this matters a lot because there was a recall on that model for this exact issue.