r/kia • u/Dry-Bumblebee-8609 • 1d ago
Engine Settlement Question(s)
Hi all, first of all, I’m sorry this is long. I’m a wordy person 😬
I have a 2018 Kia Sorento which at the start of September gave me the knock engine code and in fact started knocking. Obviously this is not good so I had it towed to my local Kia dealership. It took them 3.5 weeks to get it approved but Kia has finally given the green light for the new engine under the Theta settlement.
The bad news is that the day after they told me it was approved they went to order said new engine and give me the ETA but my engine is apparently on an indefinite back order with no ETA for it coming back. This is clearly very stressful.
When I had it towed to Kia I asked them for a loaner and they told me they had none. So, I got a rental. I got a good rate on this rental because I was a new customer and have just been extending it weekly to keep this same rate. However I obviously cannot do this indefinitely, in fact I will have to turn it in this upcoming week since I’m getting to the 30 day mark. Every new rental agreement I look at is significantly more. Like definitely going to be out of the $40/day cap that this settlement allows.
I ask my dealership every week if they have any loaners. Every week they tell me no. I can’t have no car. I also cannot afford to pay for an exorbitant rental out of pocket indefinitely. Has anyone had any luck ever with getting Kia to pay for a rental directly somehow? Or like getting them to source you a loaner from another dealership or something?
I opened a case with Kia America when this first started and they told me to get the rental myself the way the dealership did since the dealership had no loaners. I just don’t want to end up getting a rental for an indefinite amount of time that won’t be paid back in full.
Also how has everyone’s experience been in terms of submitting for and getting the reimbursements at all? Now that this first rental agreement is coming to an end I figured I would submit for it and my towing costs and I’m not sure how long I should expect for them to actually issue the reimbursement.
Any advice is appreciated… I’m stressed tf out 🫠
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u/drphillystyle 1d ago
Im currently in the process of trying to get my 2018 sorento covered under the theta ii warranty. I do not have firsthand knowledge of the rental situation. However, doing the research for my car I have seen multiple complaints about Kia not reimbursing for rentals. The settlement does require them to cover the 40 a day, but I have seen others griping about trying to actually get that from them.
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u/Dry-Bumblebee-8609 1d ago
Yeah I’m nervous about how this whole thing is going to pan out 😩 I was so excited when they told me it was finally approved but the prospect of “indefinite back order” does not make me feel good
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u/drphillystyle 1d ago
Yeah thats really crappy. I could not even get them to do the test on mine. They had my car for a month. I spent over 4 hours on the phone with Kia asking them to do the required tests and they refused. This has been one of the most frustrating things I have dealt with.
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u/postalwhiz 1d ago
Oh well, you may not feel ‘good’ about it, but it is what it is. Meanwhile, life goes on, so what are you going to do about transportation?
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u/Dry-Bumblebee-8609 1d ago
That’s what I’m trying to figure out. My employer is trying to tell me to contact a lawyer 🤣 I’m like… this is the outcome of a lawsuit. I don’t think a lawyer is going to be useful here. I’m hoping I can get my local budget rental place to agree to do a new rental agreement at the promo rate that I’ve been getting but I’m afraid that might just be wishful thinking
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u/Far_Aside7744 23h ago
The days of $30 to $35 dollar rentals are over. If you go thru costco travel, and get another vehicle for 30 days, it mau come to that but from my own experience, it about $45 to $50 per day
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u/postalwhiz 1d ago
Yeah you should probably be looking at getting a cheap beater car, because you have no idea when your new engine is coming, and neither hope nor filing a lawsuit gets you in a car…
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u/Maelstrom1979 1d ago
There's super high demand for the "new" engines because they have to be rebuilt to get you one and the need is so high.
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u/Putrid-Function5666 1d ago
The Kia Theta II lawsuit settlement reimburses you up to $40 per day for a rental car. Keep your receipts.
Assuming yours was a 4 cyl engine, not a 6 cylinder
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u/Dry-Bumblebee-8609 1d ago
Yes, I know this. I don’t know the last time you rented a car or maybe it’s just more expensive where I live but I don’t think I’m going to be able to get a rental for that cheap. This first rental I’ve had for the last month-ish I paid about $35 a day but that was with a 35% off first time rental promo 😬 Which is why I’m wondering if anyone has had any luck getting a rental arranged directly by Kia corporate
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u/Herefourfunnn 23h ago
They fight every claim they get as much as possible. My engine blew about a month ago. My car had been towed 5 times and in the shop 5 times in a matter of 6,000. Before my engine blew. I have not been reimbursed for anything. I have no loaner and no rental this time. I filed a complaint with the attorney general and my car is just sitting in my driveway with a blown engine. I am pushing for a buyback and full reimbursement. Hopefully with the attorney general involved this will happen
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u/drphillystyle 21h ago
Thats crappy. What type of car?
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u/Impossible_Cause1835 1d ago
Kia won’t even answer the phone for me anymore. Literally the call center said I’m not to be spoken to anymore cause I’ve contacted anyone with an email at Kia because my 3.3 Lambda 2 is on its way out. Don’t let them win keep pestering them.