A little on the fence with the gt awd still

[Brichinelo]

The more l’m digging into the Kia community forum I’m discovering that these interior noises (creaks, squeaks) are pretty common and most members deal with them while some try to go the warranty route with no luck. My question to the members who experience this is does Kia offer any solution and are the creaks/ rattles constant or on and off some days ? Seems like Kia just sweeps this issue under the rug since alot of ppl have this issue. Would better padded material inside help with the nosies or what ? I don’t care how much money you make dishing out $40 to $50 grand isn’t cheap and I want quality. I’ll guess I’ll found out my answer this Wednesday when I go test drive a 2019 gt model with about 28k miles on it . Also around what mileage are members experiencing these interiors nosies ?

 

[Ohiocruiser]

Looks like there are no solutions for all those rattles. Some "fixes" can lower it a little, but if you buy a stinger, just be ready to live with them. It is not that bad after all. I always have radio on, so i dont hear any rattling. Also i got the the one without sunroof specifically because of that problem. And also went for the first 2018 production year. My idea behind it was that since it was a first major step up for kia, they would make sure it was built to high standards. And looking at newer models with falling plastic pieces i might be right. But obviously not gonna argue about that. Still stinger is a wonderful machine for the most part.

 

[MerlintheMad]

I can answer all of these. (I read a lot.)

My car has c. 45K miles and has never given forth a single creak, rattle, squeak, thud, crackle, buzz or any other extraneous descriptor. I do have a low volume creak in the front sway bar, but that's an aftermarket part, and it only sounds at slow speeds not highway speeds. I mention my experience because it is far from rare: most Stingers are not noise makers.

Most extraneous noises emanate from either the sunroof or hatch. Far fewer are from the headliner, pillars or doors (even fewer still from the dash or steering wheel). Clearly, there are many causes, not just a single noise making issue with one fix.

The most common noise making parts are the stops and latch on the hatch; the hatch hinges (not fully tightened); not quite tightened down interior panels, or even the hatch lid cover not tightened down (recently someone shared that one of the two nuts holding the hatch lid cover was missing and the other one was loose); rubbing together of foam blocks with the frame inside the headliner over the doors; the overhead door handles not being tight; B pillar noises related to the seatbelt take up spool; the headliner around the sunroof not being fully fastened (hard upward pressure snaps the Velcro back into place, evidently); the rocker panels coming loose along the underside (can be pushed firmly back into full connection); crackling/grinding turning the steering wheel has been stopped by discovering loose airbag rubbing, or similar interior parts not fastened down; popping/buzzing/crackling dashboard is the rarest and so far as I can tell most baffling/frustrating extraneous noise (nothing short of a full disassembly has any hope of finding the cause, and who wants to face that??).

Buffeting in the cabin and whistling side mirrors are two extraneous noises that seem to have no ready remedy (who wants to replace an expensive mirror with the chance that the replacement will do the same thing???; and door seals, what?)

In short, there is no common cause, or timing. But I'm going to have confidence that a car with 28K miles on it that does not make noises is not likely to pick them up.

 

[JSolo]

Looks like there are no solutions for all those rattles. Some "fixes" can lower it a little, but if you buy a stinger, just be ready to live with them. It is not that bad after all. I always have radio on, so i dont hear any rattling. Also i got the the one without sunroof specifically because of that problem. And also went for the first 2018 production year. My idea behind it was that since it was a first major step up for kia, they would make sure it was built to high standards. And looking at newer models with falling plastic pieces i might be right. But obviously not gonna argue about that. Still stinger is a wonderful machine for the most part.

I share your feelings about the sunroof. However disagree about first model year bugs. IMO there will always be bugs - in the electronics, assembly processes, etc. Updates are made after x many units produced and feedback received.

Nissan/infiniti has been making the G37 since 2007. From then until sometime in 2011 (12?), they were using a paper gasket in the front timing cover. Over time, use, heat cycles, this created interal oil leaks on some engines. You don't know you have a problem until the dummy light comes on. By then you've got major problems. Repair is not cheap, akin to replacing the timing chain/sprockets - significant surgery. In MY vehicles 2012 and newer they changed the gasket material to some form of metal.

I think the best time to buy a car is near the end of that iteration's cycle. By then most issues should be known/resolved, production processes optimized, etc.

Kia is special, they some how manage to introduce new bugs along the way - ie broken door grab handles in MY 2022 cars.

 

[Ohiocruiser]

I share your feelings about the sunroof. However disagree about first model year bugs. IMO there will always be bugs - in the electronics, assembly processes, etc. Updates are made after x many units produced and feedback received.

Nissan/infiniti has been making the G37 since 2007. From then until sometime in 2011 (12?), they were using a paper gasket in the front timing cover. Over time, use, heat cycles, this created interal oil leaks on some engines. You don't know you have a problem until the dummy light comes on. By then you've got major problems. Repair is not cheap, akin to replacing the timing chain/sprockets - significant surgery. In MY vehicles 2012 and newer they changed the gasket material to some form of metal.

I think the best time to buy a car is near the end of that iteration's cycle. By then most issues should be known/resolved, production processes optimized, etc.

Kia is special, they some how manage to introduce new bugs along the way - ie broken door grab handles in MY 2022 cars.

I agree with you. And i have never purchased a first year model car before. Like i sad, maybe they went extra foot, trying to set up a big move up. I might be completely wrong here. In general, i dont see any big differences in quality over the model years. And maybe those grab handle problem is all there is.

 

[Brichinelo]

Looks like there are no solutions for all those rattles. Some "fixes" can lower it a little, but if you buy a stinger, just be ready to live with them. It is not that bad after all. I always have radio on, so i dont hear any rattling. Also i got the the one without sunroof specifically because of that problem. And also went for the first 2018 production year. My idea behind it was that since it was a first major step up for kia, they would make sure it was built to high standards. And looking at newer models with falling plastic pieces i might be right. But obviously not gonna argue about that. Still stinger is a wonderful machine for the most part.

Not taking anything away from the stinger . It is a wonderful vehicle but I guess you have to take some good with the bad. Maybe when I test drive one these little common faults will be ones that I can see myself living with. That’s a great point as well about the sunroof. I’ll keep a close eye out on all these parts that rattle /squeak

 

[Brichinelo]

I can answer all of these. (I read a lot.)

My car has c. 45K miles and has never given forth a single creak, rattle, squeak, thud, crackle, buzz or any other extraneous descriptor. I do have a low volume creak in the front sway bar, but that's an aftermarket part, and it only sounds at slow speeds not highway speeds. I mention my experience because it is far from rare: most Stingers are not noise makers.

Most extraneous noises emanate from either the sunroof or hatch. Far fewer are from the headliner, pillars or doors (even fewer still from the dash or steering wheel). Clearly, there are many causes, not just a single noise making issue with one fix.

The most common noise making parts are the stops and latch on the hatch; the hatch hinges (not fully tightened); not quite tightened down interior panels, or even the hatch lid cover not tightened down (recently someone shared that one of the two nuts holding the hatch lid cover was missing and the other one was loose); rubbing together of foam blocks with the frame inside the headliner over the doors; the overhead door handles not being tight; B pillar noises related to the seatbelt take up spool; the headliner around the sunroof not being fully fastened (hard upward pressure snaps the Velcro back into place, evidently); the rocker panels coming loose along the underside (can be pushed firmly back into full connection); crackling/grinding turning the steering wheel has been stopped by discovering loose airbag rubbing, or similar interior parts not fastened down; popping/buzzing/crackling dashboard is the rarest and so far as I can tell most baffling/frustrating extraneous noise (nothing short of a full disassembly has any hope of finding the cause, and who wants to face that??).

Buffeting in the cabin and whistling side mirrors are two extraneous noises that seem to have no ready remedy (who wants to replace an expensive mirror with the chance that the replacement will do the same thing???; and door seals, what?)

In short, there is no common cause, or timing. But I'm going to have confidence that a car with 28K miles on it that does not make noises is not likely to pick them up.

Your stinger is built like a tank my guy lol. Just out of curiosity are you a spirited driver or just a causal driver lol ? I know for a fact, a person’s driving style maybe the cause of these issues or constantly getting on the pedal. I pray I don’t have any squeaks/ rattles after owing the vehicle for some time and if I do, I pray they are not loud and annoying . Thanks bro for the in depth look of the interior of the stinger and things I need to be mindful of.

 

[JSolo]

^^J Make sure your test drive is long and inclusive My car had 12 miles when it came off the truck. 36 miles by the time I made it to the finance office. I think we were gone at least 30-45 min.

If you decide this is the one, it wouldn't be a bad idea to pay for a proper inspection. That will give you insight into any current issues or potential upcoming costs.

 

[Brichinelo]

I share your feelings about the sunroof. However disagree about first model year bugs. IMO there will always be bugs - in the electronics, assembly processes, etc. Updates are made after x many units produced and feedback received.

Nissan/infiniti has been making the G37 since 2007. From then until sometime in 2011 (12?), they were using a paper gasket in the front timing cover. Over time, use, heat cycles, this created interal oil leaks on some engines. You don't know you have a problem until the dummy light comes on. By then you've got major problems. Repair is not cheap, akin to replacing the timing chain/sprockets - significant surgery. In MY vehicles 2012 and newer they changed the gasket material to some form of metal.

I think the best time to buy a car is near the end of that iteration's cycle. By then most issues should be known/resolved, production processes optimized, etc.

Kia is special, they some how manage to introduce new bugs along the way - ie broken door grab handles in MY 2022 cars.

Is that sunroof observation a legit one ? A stinger without a sunroof will have less rattling creak issues as opposed to the ones that do have it ?

 

[Brichinelo]

^^J Make sure your test drive is long and inclusive My car had 12 miles when it came off the truck. 36 miles by the time I made it to the finance office. I think we were gone at least 30-45 min.

If you decide this is the one, it wouldn't be a bad idea to pay for a proper inspection. That will give you insight into any current issues or potential upcoming costs.

Lol “now that’s a real test drive.” I feel you bro lol. I’ll be sure to know for sure if I want it by the time I’m done test driving it. And you getting me started on the right foot bro . Never thought about paying for a proper inspection of the vehicle. A proper inspection wouldn’t cost that much would it ?

 

[vipeboy2000]

Is that sunroof observation a legit one ? A stinger without a sunroof will have less rattling creak issues as opposed to the ones that do have it ?

i'd say yes, but as an overarching statement for all brands... just google sunroof noise "brand of your choice" and you'll see every car with a sunroof has the potential to make noise.. my coworkers audi sunroof creaks and groans over the smallest body twist whereas so far <knock on wood> my sunroof has yet to make any noises so far at over 16k miles.

 

[Transmetal]

I have a 2020 awd base gt. I don't have a sunroof (wish I did) so I don't have that issue. Although that probably wouldn't bother me as I always have my music up pretty loud. The one issue I did have was the trunk rattling. The dealer "fix" was to replace the hatch mechanism. Which did NOTHING. The actual fix I found on here was to unscrew the hatch guides and put some rubber underneath them. Cost like 3 bucks total. Haven't heard a sound from back there since.

I came from owning GM cars so any noises that it would make probably aren't that bad imo. This is literally the 1st car in years besides my truck that doesn't have a sunroof. I never had any issues with any rattling sunroof. If you want to hear real rattling, own a 3rd gen trans am with t-tops. Now THAT is rattling!

 

[JSolo]

Is that sunroof observation a legit one ? A stinger without a sunroof will have less rattling creak issues as opposed to the ones that do have it ?

I think there's a greater potential for rattles/leaks/etc in a car with a sunroof vs one without. That's not to say there are cars with sunroofs that have these issues. Feeling lucky?

My G (8 yrs old at time of sale), and accord (6 yrs old) exhibited no sunroof related issues. I looked at it this way; How much did I actually use this feature and would I miss it if it didn't exist. Turns out I used the sunroof very rarely, so real loss. Did I want to deal with the headaches that came if it had issues... no. I got enough on my plate.

Expect to pay at least an hour labor for a vehicle inspection. I'd arrange this with an independent shop ahead of time. Let the dealer know you're serious about the car and require an inspection before you buy to it. If the dealership gives resistance, that should be a red flag. You didn't say what the asking price is, regardless, it's your hard earned money and you should feel confident you're spending it on a quality depreciating asset

Shop should thoroughly inspect the car, front to back, top to bottom (or as much as possible). Wheels generally come off so brakes can be thoroughly inspected. Fluids checked (as much as possible), etc.

I think I mentioned this before, but make sure to take the car on the highway too. Keep windows closed, radio off, listen for anything unusual. I discovered that buffeting noise in one model. Started happening at 60 mph.

 

[Brichinelo]

i'd say yes, but as an overarching statement for all brands... just google sunroof noise "brand of your choice" and you'll see every car with a sunroof has the potential to make noise.. my coworkers audi sunroof creaks and groans over the smallest body twist whereas so far <knock on wood> my sunroof has yet to make any noises so far at 16k miles.

Sheesh good catch my guy about your friends Audi. I’m not a big fan of sunroofs either but didn’t mind them when purchasing a vehicle with them. Got my attention now lol

I have a 2020 awd base gt. I don't have a sunroof (wish I did) so I don't have that issue. Although that probably wouldn't bother me as I always have my music up pretty loud. The one issue I did have was the trunk rattling. The dealer "fix" was to replace the hatch mechanism. Which did NOTHING. The actual fix I found on here was to unscrew the hatch guides and put some rubber underneath them. Cost like 3 bucks total. Haven't heard a sound from back there since.

I came from owning GM cars so any noises that it would make probably aren't that bad imo. This is literally the 1st car in years besides my truck that doesn't have a sunroof. I never had any issues with any rattling sunroof. If you want to hear real rattling, own a 3rd gen trans am with t-tops. Now THAT is rattling!

You might need to show a diy yourself vid on that bro. The Kia community could use that to help out with these issues especially since the noise was coming from the hatch . Respect

 

[Transmetal]

Somebody already did that. I found it on here (this site).

 

[Brichinelo]

I think there's a greater potential for rattles/leaks/etc in a car with a sunroof vs one without. That's not to say there are cars with sunroofs that have these issues. Feeling lucky?

My G (8 yrs old at time of sale), and accord (6 yrs old) exhibited no sunroof related issues. I looked at it this way; How much did I actually use this feature and would I miss it if it didn't exist. Turns out I used the sunroof very rarely, so real loss. Did I want to deal with the headaches that came if it had issues... no. I got enough on my plate.

Expect to pay at least an hour labor for a vehicle inspection. I'd arrange this with an independent shop ahead of time. Let the dealer know you're serious about the car and require an inspection before you buy to it. If the dealership gives resistance, that should be a red flag. You didn't say what the asking price is, regardless, it's your hard earned money and you should feel confident you're spending it on a quality depreciating asset

Shop should thoroughly inspect the car, front to back, top to bottom (or as much as possible). Wheels generally come off so brakes can be thoroughly inspected. Fluids checked (as much as possible), etc.

I think I mentioned this before, but make sure to take the car on the highway too. Keep windows closed, radio off, listen for anything unusual. I discovered that buffeting noise in one model. Started happening at 60 mph.

Yeah bro I agree. Despite all my previous cars having sunroofs I rarely used them so in reality when I think about it I really don’t need one or it’s not a must have for me . That proper inspection will get done bro. That’s a piece of mind right there knowing your car is good.

 

[MerlintheMad]

Your stinger is built like a tank my guy lol. Just out of curiosity are you a spirited driver or just a causal driver lol ? I know for a fact, a person’s driving style maybe the cause of these issues or constantly getting on the pedal. I pray I don’t have any squeaks/ rattles after owing the vehicle for some time and if I do, I pray they are not loud and annoying . Thanks bro for the in depth look of the interior of the stinger and things I need to be mindful of.

Every time I drive, I like to hit the kickdown switch at least once; or not getting to do that, at least engage the turbos and take the RPM near red line. My favorite two things are cornering "spiritedly" (enough so that I can hear the tires hiss) and passing fast, if there is a good excuse to do so. I am super careful to not do any of this on crappy roads, and I crawl over speed bumps most of the time (stuff in the hatch stays on the floor), and angle and crawl over gutters/entries.

Oh (edit to add), I should mention that I have the sunroof open in all dry weather that is 50F degrees and up, probably 99% of the time except on the freeway when the speed goes over c. 60 MPH: that's just a tad too noisy.

 

[Brichinelo]

Every time I drive, I like to hit the kickdown switch at least once; or not getting to do that, at least engage the turbos and take the RPM near red line. My favorite two things are cornering "spiritedly" (enough so that I can hear the tires hiss) and passing fast, if there is a good excuse to do so. I am super careful to not do any of this on crappy roads, and I crawl over speed bumps most of the time (stuff in the hatch stays on the floor), and angle and crawl over gutters/entries.

I like your style my friend. Very classy

 

[StingertimeNC]

2019 here, no issues with anything. Heavily modded as well, and I hammer it every time I drive it. Not the whole time, but when the situation allows. I have a GT2, with sunroof, but I never open it. Want it to stay tight! The car has been fantastic in the almost 2 years I've had it. I would recommend it to anyone.

Edit, I only have 5k miles on the car though, for what it's worth...

 

[Transmetal]

That's not many miles. I already have 7500 after only a year and 2 months on my 2020.