Dissatisfying service from KIA

I am writing this email as a dissatisfied client from the service received from KIA Vereeniging.

I own a KIA and have been servicing my car with KIA Vereeniging every December for the past four years, in this period of service I had received both dissatisfactory and some years satisfactory service, however, this last service KIA let me down.

I booked in my car for service at KIA Vereeniging on the 23rd of December 2021 through a telephonic conversation, I was told that KIA would be able to drop me off in the morning, however, in the afternoon I would have to come in myself, and that there are no drivers in the afternoon for pickups. I took in the car in the morning at about 8am. The staff service advisor that was responsible to assist me was a lady by the name of Angelique. I handed in my car and let her know to please contact me should there be any advancements on the car, and that she should keep me updated at all times as to what the service requires. I also explained that I have a mechanical cover (Innovation Hub) that would be able to assist on some of the advancements that they would pick up on the car. She let me know that they do not work with such insurances. However, I emphasized that I should be called first should there be any required advancements or to simply inform me on the progress on the car. After handing in my car, I waited for a driver for close to an hour, to be dropped off.

The day went by without me receiving a call on the progress of the car. I called in at 4pm, knowing that Angelique had communicated, earlier that morning that the latest time for pick ups are at 4:30pm and that KIA closes at 5pm. Without any form of communication on her end prior to me calling in, she then tells me that my car is ready for pick up, and that there are few items that I may need to fix. Confused as I was, I wondered why was I not called to be told about this prior so that, so that I could be given an opportunity for some items picked up on the car to be fixed on the very same day. I got to KIA Vereeniging at approximately 4:40pm to pick up my car. As soon as I get there, only is she letting me know about the other items that the car would need. That to me is a bit undermining when I initially communicated to be told of any advancements on the car. I then was handed a list of items that the car would need as part of the service. On that list was Aircon service for R930. I asked, what that R930 would be for, so that I understand if it is specifically for ragas or other services that need to be done for the aircon to work. She then explains that, that would be to fix the aircon so that it works properly.

I agree for the aircon to be fixed for R930 as per the list of items (that I was given) that the car needs. To my shock and surprise I wondered how would that be when two years ago, when I brought my car in for service at KIA Vereeniging, I was told that my aircon does not work and it would require a hefty R19 000 to fix the aircon. The aircon had not been fixed until then. As I drive home that day I could hear a wired sound (as through air was coming out) from the back right side of the car, towards the tyre. A sound that I am not fami**** with and that I first heard after the car was taken in for service.

On the 24th of December 2021, as I was driving to the mall, I can feel that the car drives differently, initially I did not understand what was happening. I would press the accelerator but the car would not be responsive or have much power. I drove my car as per normal but something wired was happening. A few minutes into driving, the car was jerking/ yanking. That went on for a while until I decided to call KIA Vereeniging and told them that the car was faulty and that I am coming to them immediately. I was then told they are closing and that they my not be able to help me. I insisted and told them that I was already on my way. By the time I got to KIA Vereeniging my car was misfiring and jerking so much that it felt like the engine would stop working at any time. I parked the car in the workshop and waited on them to let provide feedback as to what the problem was. A few minutes later the mechanics took out my car out of the workshop and parked it for me outside without any form of communicating as to what the problem was and I was told that the car is now okay and that I could leave. Utterly unprofessional and very much so rude to a paying client. I then asked Angelique what the matter was, as she was closing the doors to the service office and bluntly told me that she doesn’t know, with a very rude and condescending tone. I then ask the mechanics and the service assistance what the problem was with my car. I was then told that the plugs in the engine were not closed properly and that when they washed my engine water penetrated through my engine. No one cared to apologies for the inconvenience caused.

On the 30th of December 2021 as I was driving from the Vaal to Johannesburg, the same problem persisted, the car was still jerking. I called in at KIA Vereeniging the following morning demanding for my car to be fixed because I had not had jerking problems before my car was taken in for service. I also told KIA Vereeniging to locate me to the nearest KIA in Sandton for the car to be taken in. Fortunately I was not very far from that specified KIA. I was then told my KIA Sandton that my coils are now not working. It is such a convenience that soon after KIA Vereeniging pour water through my engine that now certain performance parts of the engine stopped working and KIA still insisted it is not their problem. Instead of fixing the mess they created they then call my insurance (Innovation hub) to cover the costs of fixing the coils in the engine that they damaged!

I am utterly disappointed by the service received from KIA Vereeniging, knowing well that I handed in my car for service with no misfiring or jerking problems and now after service the car comes back with misfiring and jerking problems. KIA Vereeniging is used to misleading their clients as this was not the first time something of this sort was done to my car. I previously took in my car for service and they gave back my car without replacing the oil, luckily I have a father that has an eye for cars where he picked this up soon after it went for service. KIA is very much unreliable and unprofessional. I incurred unprepared costs because of your staff’s negligence, that I had to cancel my vacation because of a car that was not performing as it should!