Bad I 've been screwed

[Coolbreeze]

On June 29th I drove an 11/2 hours to visit my daughter. It was a beautiful day for a ride in my 2019 Kia Stinger GT2 awd and life was good. After the visit, I got as far as a mile away from her place when I came to a stop sign and the engine went into the sleep mode. When I hit the gas there was nothing. No response from the engine. There was no sound ececpt the starter turning. No flashing lights or warnings of any problem. My daughter's boyfriend, who is a mechanic came to have a look and he too was baffled. He looked around, checked the oil and wiring etc , but nothing was found that would indicate a problem. He had a flatbed and we took my car to my local dealership where it sat for three weeks. I was told they just topped off the oil when I called, so I said that I would pick it up. Five minutes after the phone call, the service Mgr called me back to say the engine had to be replaced and request for a new engine would be sent to Kia. Five minutes that changed my life. It would take time, so they were reluctant to give me a rental from Enertprise, but eventually did. I went back to the dealership and asked how long this would take, but the service manager didn't know. About a week later, he said there gaps in the oil changes, but I had oil changes done elsewhere and had the receipts to fill in the gaps. I purchased 15 quarts of oil for 2 oil changes and the dates fill the gaps. I took them to the dealership and since the service department was closed, the secretary in sales told me to put them on the service desk and they would get them the next day. I called the next day to confirm that the saw them and they said that them didn't see them and I stupidly gave them the originals and the place that did the oil changes closed up, but I still had the receipts from the 15 quarts of oil I purchased for the changes and the service manager said that would do. Since I have the dates of the changes I said that I would come back with the dates, but she told me it was ok, she had what see needed for the tech. "Are you sure" I said before I left, but got a thumbs up. Without that proof they would need for me to give them permission to remove the valve covers. I was confident that I had done all was asked, so that would not be necessary.
I kept checking back as to when they would start, but they would let me know.
Yesterday, Friday the thirteenth, I stopped by, as usual, but no news yet, but as I left, I noticed that my hood was opened a little and stopped to check it out. The tech who was assigned to my car came over to see who I was as I raised the hood fully and saw that my engine was torn apart and the valve covers off. I asked him why as that wasn't necessary because I had produced the receipts and my permission had to be given if there was a problem. He said he did because of gaps in oil changes!! What?
I went right back to the service manager and reminded her that I asked her if there was anything more needed from me. She remembered, so why is my engine torn apart? She will talk to the the tech, she said. I went back to my car and asked the tech again why he did it. Didn't he get the info from the manager?
He told me that he was told that Kia wanted video of the valves and he sent in his report that he found some sledge? I knew I was being screwed, so I contacted Kia myself, as the serviced manager told me the dates to fill the gaps were in hand when I gave her the receipts. I explained that to to Cust Serv rep and he took my information and went to investigate my situation. He came back telling me that Kia made the determination the I had not maintained my vehicle and my warranty is voided!!
I love that car and pampered it. The only mods I did was tinted windows and a Borla exhaust. So now that means I have no engine plus will be responsible for a rental car for 2 months.
I want to rip somebody a new one because they never wanted to replace my engine short of my warranty ending and after I just made my final payment!!
I'm a Vietnam Veteran and am still able to " Man-up", but this is ripping my heart out. I receive compensation for wounds from Vietnam, but not enough to cover the engine replacement and now the rental car. They now have me by the short hairs and will want to know what I want to do with my car, and Enterprise will want their car back with a bill to be paid.
I want to get a lawyer, but if I don't win the case, I will be out even more money.
I try to be on the right side of things, but this has seriously "winged me".
Can any of my fellow Stinger lovers offer me any advise, because right now, I'm not sure what to do.
I appreciate your advice
Thanks,
Rick

 

[Snicklefritz]

That is the worst sort of story to have to share. You have to convince KIA Corp that your oil changes elsewhere actually happened. You said that you have the receipts for the oil purchased. and you can keep saying that you turned over the work order sheets to the dealer. Why would you buy oil and not use it? Ludicrous assertion by somebody? Once KIA Corp is talked into a corner, they must replace your engine. How long this will take is the hideous question.

That's not much advice, sorry. But your story advises me. If I ever have to document service history on my Stingers, I will have the dealer make copies on the spot and return my originals.

 

[Ohiocruiser]

I don't have any advice. Just wondering how often are you replacing the oil? Stinger engines are not known for creating sludge. What was condition of the valve train when they removed the valve covers? Hopefully it will work out in your favor.

 

[Buzzman12]

That really sucks, but to be honest, I'm not surprised. My post won't really fix your problem, but...
I've been on this planet for over 70 years, and have learned some valuable lessons along the way.
Insurance companies, car dealers, extended warranty companies, (and just about any retailer), will do whatever they can to avoid paying up on a warranty claim. They are not your friends. Remember that. They are in the business to generate revenue. They are not in business to pay out on claims or replace broken stuff for free. They are definitely not in business to help you when things go wrong. All of those things show up as an expense on their financial ledger. They will also resort to cheating, lying, and whatever other underhanded tactics come to mind, to avoid paying out on a claim.
The fact that they accidentally lost your receipts for your oil changes is just one example. Face it, they didn't lose them. They destroyed them.
First piece of advice for any future endeavours is to document absolutely everything. Get it in writing. Even if it's just a conversation with the dealer, insist they put in writing what you just talked about. If they don't do it, write it up yourself and send them a copy. Make sure they acknowledge it. The last resort is to turn on your phone and record the conversation. Sneaky, but sometimes necessary.
Secondly, never give away your paperwork without backing it up for your records. (I guess you learned that one the hard way.)
Thirdly, if parts need to be replaced on your car, insist on getting the old parts returned to you. What I've done in some cases is mark the parts before taking it in for service. I always mark my oil filter for example. I've been burned in the past when they billed me for an oil change that wasn't done.
I also strongly recommend that you read the fine print in any contracts or deals that you are about to sign. Extended warranties are particularly bad for exemptions. People buy these things, thinking that they are covered for any future repairs. Wrong. First thing to read would be the list of exclusions. Don't bother reading the list of things that are covered. They purposely lengthen the list with trivial crap, just to get you thinking that everything is covered. The exclusion list is what's important. You'd be surprised what's in there.
I could go on, but you get my drift.
Keep us posted. I feel for you.

 

[JSolo]

I agree with Ohiocruiser, curious to know what your oil change intervals were in terms of time and mileage.

Also, please add some line feeds to your post (@Buzzman12 too). Reading a wall of text is painful.

 

[Coolbreeze]

That is the worst sort of story to have to share. You have to convince KIA Corp that your oil changes elsewhere actually happened. You said that you have the receipts for the oil purchased. and you can keep saying that you turned over the work order sheets to the dealer. Why would you buy oil and not use it? Ludicrous assertion by somebody? Once KIA Corp is talked into a corner, they must replace your engine. How long this will take is the hideous question.

That's not much advice, sorry. But your story advises me. If I ever have to document service history on my Stingers, I will have the dealer make copies on the spot and return my originals.

Thanks for your interest, believe me I do appreciate you. When I was working all of my records were squared away. You set them up, I'll knock 'em down, and when I left my office for the day, my desk was clear (may be a couple of post-its on the edge of my desk) for the next day.
When I received a text message about their records showing gaps in changes, I had to hunt down the receipts because I moved 2 times since I bought the car in 2019 and I had friends helping move and things got mixed up. I did find the receipt for the 15 quarts of oil that I bought and gave to the guy who was changing the oil for this time and the next time. I know that when I brought the 2 receipts to the dealership I knew service was closed, so I asked the secretary on the sales room floor if she could pass them on, but she asked me to go downstairs to service and leave them on the desk,
" Don't worry, they will be safe"....mea culpa!
I dropped the oil purchases and specifically said "I have the dates to fill the gaps", but she waved me off with a smile "We have what we need". I must reduce the size of the font.
Thanks, again

 

[Coolbreeze]

I don't have any advice. Just wondering how often are you replacing the oil? Stinger engines are not known for creating sludge. What was condition of the valve train when they removed the valve covers? Hopefully it will work out in your favor.

Hey Cruiser,
Thank you for writing. First things first about the frequency of oil changes

"every 3,000-5,000 miles for conventional oil. Synthetic oil frequently should be changed every 7,500 - 10,000 miles"
So, 7-8000 miles was well within the mileage.
The thing that gets me is that they told me that if I produced the receipts they wouldn't take the valve covers off, but when I went there yesterday and saw the hood was slightly opened I stopped and checked it out. A guy asked if he could help me and I told him it is my car and he told me that he was the tech working on it. The thing that jumped out at me was my engine was in pieces!
I was told if I produced the receipts they wouldn't remove the valve covers, but they said they needed my permission to remove them if I didn't have receipts. When I asked why he did it, he said because of gaps in oil changes, 5 Days after I gave then to the service manager!! He said it was making a loud noise when he would drive back and forth to his bay and he had just seized the engine and needed a machine to push it in now.
Then he said he took video of sledge in the engine and sent it to Kia for determination. After I called Kia, I was told my warranty was now void for not maintaining the car. I should have been informed of that happening so I could see, first hand what was under those covers!! He drove it until the engine seized??? Sorry, I'm pissed off and I apologize for the long letter, again
Thanks buddy for asking, I appreciate it
Rick

 

[Ah GetFd]

Yes but you only had some receipts that said you bought some oil and not receipts from an accredited service centre or mechanic that says they followed a log book service

 

[Coolbreeze]

Yes but you only had some receipts that said you bought some oil and not receipts from an accredited service centre or mechanic that says they followed a log book service

Thanks for listening , as long as my car had 2 oil changes it doesn't matter what mechanic
does it. The fact that I bought 15 qt of enough oil for 2 oil changes at 7.3 qt for each change was sufficient for the service manager, but I also have the dates of the changes was all I needed. I dropped off the receipts when I received a text from the service Mgr saying according to carfax there were 2 oil changes missing and zI could produce those receipts they wouldn't have to take the valve covers off. If not, they would need my permission to remove them. They lost the first 2 that I gave them and gave them the documentation 5 days before the tech took off the covers without my permission because I did give them what they wanted. The tech was given the paperwork, but took the covers off anyway and took a video saying there was some sludge in there, but car had oil in it when I dropped it off. He videoed it and sent to Kia and they are trying to say that didn't do the maintenance and that is false. I should have been there to witness taking off the covers as stated. How sludge got in there, Not because of missed oil changes!!
Thanks I appreciate all of you
Rick

 

[Thomby]

Yes but you only had some receipts that said you bought some oil and not receipts from an accredited service centre or mechanic that says they followed a log book service

An "accredited service centre" for a simple oil change? There are tens of millions of people who change their own oil, and telling them to just trust The Experts(TM) and never do anything themselves is part of why everything is so expensive and the average person is incapable of everyday tasks.

@Coolbreeze I would recommend looking up some contacts at Kia corporate and explain what's going on to someone senior. Be calm and reasonable but don't let up...unless there's some very clear sign of abuse/neglect, I can't imagine them playing "well sure he bought the oil but maybe he never used it" lawyerball with your warranty, if you're a squeaky wheel about it.

 

[Coolbreeze]

I don't have any advice. Just wondering how often are you replacing the oil? Stinger engines are not known for creating sludge. What was condition of the valve train when they removed the valve covers? Hopefully it will work out in your favor.

First, I apologize for the the length of my posts. It was not my intent to write a soliloquy.
I haven't heard from them yet, but I'm going there today to find out why the covers were pulled because A) I gave them proof, and B) He (service mgr) told me they would need my permission to pull the covers.
I would liked to see this sludge, one way or the other and find out how that happened. No matter, I did not neglect my $55,000 prize possession

 

[Coolbreeze]

An "accredited service centre" for a simple oil change? There are tens of millions of people who change their own oil, and telling them to just trust The Experts(TM) and never do anything themselves is part of why everything is so expensive and the average person is incapable of everyday tasks.

@Coolbreeze I would recommend looking up some contacts at Kia corporate and explain what's going on to someone senior. Be calm and reasonable but don't let up...unless there's some very clear sign of abuse/neglect, I can't imagine them playing "well sure he bought the oil but maybe he never used it" lawyerball with your warranty, if you're a squeaky wheel about it.

Thank you
I called the service Mgr who zI stopped by to see (2-3 times a week) she said not yet, but as I walked out I saw my hood was opened a little. I ran back in and told the service and went over to look under the hood and I was blown away. The tech said he was working on it. I asked him why he took the engine apart. He said he was not informed that the receipts were delivered and since he was driving it back and forth from the parking lot to his bay, he seized the engine!!!
I contacted my lawyer and looked at engines, but I need justice and " my baby" back.
If anybody has any suggestions, I'm all ears
Thank you all

 

[LordKOTL]

Damn. That sucks. Lawyer would be a good idea at that point.

Plus, I'd dox the dealership so others will avoid it, but that's just me.

 

[Coolbreeze]

An "accredited service centre" for a simple oil change? There are tens of millions of people who change their own oil, and telling them to just trust The Experts(TM) and never do anything themselves is part of why everything is so expensive and the average person is incapable of everyday tasks.

@Coolbreeze I would recommend looking up some contacts at Kia corporate and explain what's going on to someone senior. Be calm and reasonable but don't let up...unless there's some very clear sign of abuse/neglect, I can't imagine them playing "well sure he bought the oil but maybe he never used it" lawyerball with your warranty, if you're a squeaky wheel about it.

I did call, but the guy said that they made their decision, but it bugs me that I jumped through their hoops. They asked for the paperwork or my permission to take off the valve covers. I would have rather been able to have been there since they ignored there own conditions.
Thanks for your help.
I'm going over there now to see why this happened the way it did, and why did the tech drive until the engine seized??

 

[Coolbreeze]

Damn. That sucks. Lawyer would be a good idea at that point.

Plus, I'd dox the dealership so others will avoid it, but that's just me.

Thanks Lord, going over now to find why they cracked it open without my permission since I gave them what they wanted 5 days before????

 

[Coolbreeze]

An "accredited service centre" for a simple oil change? There are tens of millions of people who change their own oil, and telling them to just trust The Experts(TM) and never do anything themselves is part of why everything is so expensive and the average person is incapable of everyday tasks.

@Coolbreeze I would recommend looking up some contacts at Kia corporate and explain what's going on to someone senior. Be calm and reasonable but don't let up...unless there's some very clear sign of abuse/neglect, I can't imagine them playing "well sure he bought the oil but maybe he never used it" lawyerball with your warranty, if you're a squeaky wheel about it.

Corporate made the call, but the dealer said bring the receipts or give us permission to take the covers off. I gave them what they wanted 5 days earlier!!!
Thanks for your help

 

[Coolbreeze]

I don't have any advice. Just wondering how often are you replacing the oil? Stinger engines are not known for creating sludge. What was condition of the valve train when they removed the valve covers? Hopefully it will work out in your favor.

6-7000 miles with synthetic oil

 

[Ohiocruiser]

Damn. That sucks. Lawyer would be a good idea at that point.

I am not a lawyer, but why would any get involved in this situation? What's in there for him?? And how much is it gonna cost for OP to hire him? Probably will be cheaper to buy the whole new engine. People are bringing lawer advice so often, like you have all these lawyers sitting on the side of the road with "will work for food" signs. Or, i guess, i don't understand how it works.

 

[Ohiocruiser]

6-7000 miles with synthetic oil

That should not cause the sludge.

 

[Thomby]

I called the service Mgr who zI stopped by to see (2-3 times a week) she said not yet, but as I walked out I saw my hood was opened a little. I ran back in and told the service and went over to look under the hood and I was blown away. The tech said he was working on it. I asked him why he took the engine apart. He said he was not informed that the receipts were delivered and since he was driving it back and forth from the parking lot to his bay, he seized the engine!!!

I did call, but the guy said that they made their decision

It sounds like you're still arguing with the dealership, when you should be discussing it with Kia corporate...what "guy" said they made their decision?

I would start out with the Kia America support website, and make sure you're talking to an actual person with a name & title vs. some outsourced call center drone. If that doesn't work, go on LinkedIn, type in "Kia America VP" (or Director, etc) and find somebody related to customer experience who's senior enough to get involved, and politely & concisely ask if they can help or point you to the right person.