• PLEASE! It is VERY important that this area is not used for the discussion of technical issues with your Stinger. This section is for posting about regional-specific things like Stinger clubs, events, local vendor or dealer recommendations, KiaStinger.com member sightings, etcetera... In other words, I do NOT want people to need to scour through several different sections to find answers about their heads up display. That's why there's a section dedicated specifically to discussions like that. THANK YOU!
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Intro - newbee buying his first Stinger

Buying any used car is a gamble. The more miles/years it has been pre-owned, the more you're likely to find skeletons in the closet. Ideally, you'd find a lady-owned low-miles, no more than 1-2 year old. Lack of performance mods doesn't automatically mean it hasn't seen it rough, but any visible mod(s) should be viewed with extreme prejudice. Good indicator of previous owner's mindset Peruse these forums, and you'll see that these cars are prone to be thrashed about.

Last thing you'd want is to buy somebody else's headache.


This car only has 23K on the clock. It was a rental car so im sure it got thrown into a wall or two. The exterior damage was fixed but nothing else. Dealer said car was purchased at auction in GA over the summer.
 

2 accidents reported​

No damage reported.

1 previous owner​


That's from the car offer page. How does that square with "light" and "moderate"? But Ima thinking that what you are feeling, along with limited RPM output, and the valved exhaust on the refresh '22 models, they go into "limp mode" as a quirk, particularly when you WOT before fully warmed up. It's a reported thing on here. And it won't go away until the car is shut down and restarted. While in limp mode of course it won't run right. As you described it, that might be most or all of the car's issues. Anyway, if they make good on fixing everything and another test drive doesn't show anything amiss, and they sell for c. $20,000, what would you do then? I think that sounds doable.

How do you know it was a rental? I haven't heard of the Stinger being a rental. "1 owner" was the rental company? That would be super rare and weird.
 

2 accidents reported​

No damage reported.

1 previous owner​


That's from the car offer page. How does that square with "light" and "moderate"? But Ima thinking that what you are feeling, along with limited RPM output, and the valved exhaust on the refresh '22 models, they go into "limp mode" as a quirk, particularly when you WOT before fully warmed up. It's a reported thing on here. And it won't go away until the car is shut down and restarted. While in limp mode of course it won't run right. As you described it, that might be most or all of the car's issues. Anyway, if they make good on fixing everything and another test drive doesn't show anything amiss, and they sell for c. $20,000, what would you do then? I think that sounds doable.

How do you know it was a rental? I haven't heard of the Stinger being a rental. "1 owner" was the rental company? That would be super rare and weird.

Ill have to see what they say on Monday. The car was warmed up, it had been driven over from storage and then i sat and had it idle for 10 mins. i agree it felt like limp mode but only when you punched it. If they wanna fix whats wrong and offer it to me at 20K, and i have all the proof the job was done right then maybe. However that doesnt explain why all the codes were intentionally cleared. Ive had 2 cars in the past at dealerships like this have codes cleared..my wifes Chevy Traverse had its ECU cleared before we bought it. Turned out a CAT was bad and they had to fix it before i bought the car. Dealers do this all the time.

It was listed as a fleet vehicle or corporate use. The dealer told me that usually equals it was a rental and possibly a Turo rental. Copied over carfax report below.

Not all accidents / issues are reported to CARFAX

Event 1

08/31/2022

  • Accident reported: minor damage
    • Vehicle involved in a sideswipe collision
    • Functional damage reported
    • Airbags did not deploy



Event 2

05/09/2023

  • Accident reported: minor to moderate damage
    • Functional damage reported
    • Airbags did not deploy
Not all accidents / issues are reported to CARFAX[/th]
[th width="220.875px"]Owner 1[/th]

[/TR]
 
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Yikes! Sounds like a trip to a Kia dealership is in order.
 
Yikes! Sounds like a trip to a Kia dealership is in order.

Yeah..like mentioned previously the car did feel like it was in some sort of limp mode..when you first hit the gas it starts to take off and then dies. When you floored it the car went to take off, and then suddenly felt like it was towing a trailer loaded with boulders. It could be a simple fix or major problems. Reflecting back on yesterday, it was clear as day these snakes selling the car knew it was a huge issue and they hoped i somehow wouldnt know. They are so stupid they thought i wouldnt try to launch a twin turbo V6 and wouldnt realize something was wrong. Cant wait for them to follow up with me tomorrow, ill post the email here.
 
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From interior to exterior to high performance - everything you need for your Stinger awaits you...
BTW..when i drove the modded car, i felt no differnce in the suspension from comfort to sport mode, i was thinking maybe thats because its not the OEM suspension but wasnt sure
I have driven ECS for almost seven years now. There is no perceivable, to my butt, difference in any of the ECS drive modes. That same optional selection applies to all of the electronic gizmos. For instance, I can tell no difference in the steering feel between Sport and the rest of the drive modes.
Just chiming in to confirm: in my GT2 I feel no difference in shock settings, or steering speed, between Eco, Comfort, and Sport.

I do immediately notice the higher shift points (flipping to Sport while cruising steadily at lower revs will usually downshift), the more sensitive throttle pedal, and the seat bolsters tightening. The valved mufflers (2022+, I believe) also make a subtle difference.
 
Near average mileage. These are going to get harder to find. But, the basic engine/drivetrain are available because of

the Genesis line. Check it out.
 
Near average mileage. These are going to get harder to find. But, the basic engine/drivetrain are available because of

the Genesis line. Check it out.
Hey man yeah... 2 dealers i went to offer me a Genesis G70 after I passed on the Stinger, I said no as it’s not what i want. As for this car today, HARD PASS. This place wants me to drop 24k in total out the door, with no maintenance history, a BS 30 day warranty that covers really nothing and wont budge on the price with a car at 83K miles. The oil was dirty, i mean at least do a simple oil change to show me you really looked over the car. I looked right at the guy and was like I’m not the sucker you are looking for, but I’m sure some buyer, full of emotion and no logic, will come take it off your hands. I’m a hard customer, I get it..but I will get the right deal for me I’m not falling prey to these scumbags. I don’t care of it takes a year..
 
Time to ressurect this old thread! The hunt is over! As of this coming Wednesday it looks like I’m part of the crew, as long as the test drive and ODBC check out. Found this Micro Blue 2022 Stinger GT1 3 hours from me in NH. I always wanted the Micro Blue and for some reason it been hard for me to find. The check is cut! Deal done! Just have to go give the car a drive and thorough lookover and she comes home with me Wednesday. Already know at 65K I’m doing plugs, transmission and differentials as the Carfax has no history of them being done. The fluids I can do, the plugs look to be pain and ive already watched every YT video on every way to do it. My S2000 is my #1 but she is babied and only for summers, and ive never had a real performance daily until now. Really stoked I hope they aren’t trying to hide stuff. Got pics of the motor, looks all stock which I want. I’ll give the car a major look over before I sign. Anything I need to look out for let me know fellas, when I get her home ill update this thread!!

 
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From interior to exterior to high performance - everything you need for your Stinger awaits you...
Micro Blue is hard to find for two reasons. It was deleted mid 2022 so Kia made no more for the final year of production to April 2023.

The Micro Blue wasn't that popular and dealers simply didn't order them hence that's why they were deleted. I looked for a new one at the time.....

So you wont see any models manufactured from mid 2022 or if you find a couple it's because they were pre ordered before the colour was deleted. It's that simple.

I would make up a check list to test each feature. Use the glossy brochure for your model attached and tick the items off and test that they all work.

On any car you should go for about a half hour drive and ensure the aircon is working fully and the heating, that the car cooling does not overheat and naturally how it drives, no vibrations, shudders, braking etc.

Park it somewhere for another 20/30 mins after the drive and see what runs out of it indicating rear main engine seal leaking etc

You can also look at all angles to ensure the paint is consistent. Often cars have a different shade panel indicating a repair or shit eyesight by the colour mixer.....

This looks like the brochure for it and lists the features point by point.

The one thing I would say is the kms/miles are high. That's 60,000miles/100.000kms here in 3 years and makes it a high mileage car though in the states you drive them much more. The average car here would only do 18,000miles/30,000kms in that time.


Price is consistent with the miles/kms.

Check the brochure for the difference between GT1 and GT2 so you don't get any big surprises

You will be missing things in the GT1 as opposed to the GT2 like
electronic suspension
7 inch instrument cluster (4.2 inch)
9 speakers instead of 15
smart opening tailgate
surround view monitor
blind spot monitor
forward parking distance monitoring
heads up display
nappa leather
16 way adjustable driver seat, extension and side bolsters (12 way)
12 way adjustable passenger seat (8 way)
ventilated front seats
heated rear seats

"According to the attached brochure USA 2022 Stinger"

It looks to me like it is out of warranty at 60,000 miles except power train/perforation
 

Attachments

I also notice it does not have the shift by wire transmission so not sure when that came in as it is in the MY23 models and front camera and side mirror cameras which show in the instrument cluster when indicating left and right
 
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Micro Blue is hard to find for two reasons. It was deleted mid 2022 so Kia made no more for the final year of production to April 2023.

The Micro Blue wasn't that popular and dealers simply didn't order them hence that's why they were deleted. I looked for a new one at the time.....

So you wont see any models manufactured from mid 2022 or if you find a couple it's because they were pre ordered before the colour was deleted. It's that simple.

I would make up a check list to test each feature. Use the glossy brochure for your model attached and tick the items off and test that they all work.

On any car you should go for about a half hour drive and ensure the aircon is working fully and the heating, that the car cooling does not overheat and naturally how it drives, no vibrations, shudders, braking etc.

Park it somewhere for another 20/30 mins after the drive and see what runs out of it indicating rear main engine seal leaking etc

You can also look at all angles to ensure the paint is consistent. Often cars have a different shade panel indicating a repair or shit eyesight by the colour mixer.....

This looks like the brochure for it and lists the features point by point.

The one thing I would say is the kms/miles are high. That's 60,000miles/100.000kms here in 3 years and makes it a high mileage car though in the states you drive them much more. The average car here would only do 18,000miles/30,000kms in that time.


Price is consistent with the miles/kms.

Check the brochure for the difference between GT1 and GT2 so you don't get any big surprises

You will be missing things in the GT1 as opposed to the GT2 like
electronic suspension
7 inch instrument cluster (4.2 inch)
9 speakers instead of 15
smart opening tailgate
surround view monitor
blind spot monitor
forward parking distance monitoring
heads up display
nappa leather
16 way adjustable driver seat, extension and side bolsters (12 way)
12 way adjustable passenger seat (8 way)
ventilated front seats
heated rear seats

"According to the attached brochure USA 2022 Stinger"

It looks to me like it is out of warranty at 60,000 miles except power train/perforation
Thanks for all the great info. I don’t care much for GT2 features that all $hit that will eventually break. If this car was a standard GT I would have taken it, at a better price but still, I could let go of all GT1 features and wouldn’t be bothered. I want this car for its motor, performance and styling. The car will have a 3 year / 125K limited power train warranty so I’m not too worried about a main seal leak, but the car will be checked thoroughly before sign and the car coems with an extended wartranty for the powertrain up to 3yr or 125 miles. Where I live in CT, the price would be closer to 26.5 to 27K with the light damage on Carfax. When looking for a Stinger I find many up north are cheaper than those closer to major areas like NYC. Not sure why maybe it’s because NH people need trucks and SUVs due to the cold over sports sedans. I’m old school JDM and have to learn this new tech because I do all m maintenance myself. Already know the front diff fluid swap is a pain and so are the plugs but I’m doing all fluids and plugs within the first month of having the car as they are due and I will not skirt on my maintenance, ever. Already watched all the videos on trans fluid change and will go with Amsoil fluids they have been bulletproof in my S2K. This car will be cared for like I care for my S2K, only the best fluids and OEM parts. I buy my cars to last a lifetime and my current Acura TL-s is at 225K and runs perfect for a reason. Do your maintenance, dont cheap out on parts, dont beat on or overmod the car and 9/10 times your car is golden. And other than intakes and exhaust, I won’t be doing any other mods, etc. Ive looked at many stinger and every one I found with evidence of JB4 i walked away from.
 
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I also notice it does not have the shift by wire transmission so not sure when that came in as it is in the MY23 models and front camera and side mirror cameras which show in the instrument cluster when indicating left and right
Yeah i dont care much about that stuff..i want the car for its performance and styling not the GT2 tech or any of that crap that will one day just break.
 
the plugs look to be pain and ive already watched every YT video on every way to do it
The plugs are not a pain, if you have a couple swivels and extensions. I probably spent 20 minutes on cylinder 3 to make sure I wouldn't get stuck there, another 20 doing the other two passenger side plugs, and 20 more doing the driver's side bank.

Including a bit of extra time to get your bearings (remove engine cover, locate coil pack connectors & bolts, etc) and to check plug gaps, call it an hour and a half if it's your first time under the hood.
 
From interior to exterior to high performance - everything you need for your Stinger awaits you...
The plugs are not a pain, if you have a couple swivels and extensions. I probably spent 20 minutes on cylinder 3 to make sure I wouldn't get stuck there, another 20 doing the other two passenger side plugs, and 20 more doing the driver's side bank.

Including a bit of extra time to get your bearings (remove engine cover, locate coil pack connectors & bolts, etc) and to check plug gaps, call it an hour and a half if it's your first time under the hood.
yeah man ive watched a ton of YT videos on it. One of my buddies who is a great mechanic lives down the road from me, we already plan to do the plugs and all fluids. As soon as i get back Wednesday im ordering all Amsoil fluids and a new transmission fluid pan, and the plugs and coil packs. Anytime i get a new ( used ) car i do all the fluids. I might even gravity bleed the brakes out if i have time. I admit im a bit intimidated as i work only on older JDM but the trans fluid drain fill and pan doesnt look too complicated.
 
might even gravity bleed the brakes
Don't forget to do all 8...

(If you're doing the gravity bleed because you're working solo, you can just use a piece of wood and the seat to hold the pedal in place after a couple pumps...don't need a ton of pressure)
 
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