Warranty work being denied, UPDATE w/ Pictures!

"Future next gen S2000 owner" (future-next-gen-s2000-owner)
10/31/2017 at 13:55 • Filed to: None

Calling all smart Oppo’s for a bit of collective hive wisdom. For your time:

I have a friend. This friend purchased a Kia Optima new in 2011. It looks like this.

There is an issue with the transmission case. It has cracked and we believe, based on photo evidence, that a bolt that is too long was used to secure the transmission. The bolt hit the case, causing a small thinner, weaker section that eventually fatigued into a crack.

Whether or not the bolt caused the crack is up for debate but the crack isn’t. The transmission has started leaking. Kia had a 100,000 mile warranty, and with 93K on the clock, this one just squeaks under.

Kia is denying the claim, stating that they don’t used red bolts. The bolt is undeniably painted red. They claim that since a red bolt is in place, prior transmission work must have been done. He has not ever had the transmission worked on. The bolt has never been out, so no one actually knows how long the bolt is and if it actually caused the crack.

Anyone know any back channels for getting a warranty approved? He called and did the let me talk to your boss routine and has gotten no where. Anyone drive a Optima that is willing to take a pic of the transmission to look for red bolts?

TL/DR: Red bolt bad, no new trans for you.

DISCUSSION (22)

HammerheadFistpunch > Future next gen S2000 owner
10/31/2017 at 14:02

Tell them you want to speak with the regional representative.

PartyPooper2012 > Future next gen S2000 owner
10/31/2017 at 14:04

Why the hell you using red bolts in the first place? Bolts are supposed to be silver or black in color. Also metal. But yours is probably metal already.

Find same car. Ask owner to lift it up so you can see the color of the bolt... If it’s red. Your dealership is giving you a run around. Trying to wait out the mileage so they don’t have to do work.

Could a previous owner have done some red bolt work on it, or was the car bought new?

haveacarortwoorthree2 > Future next gen S2000 owner
10/31/2017 at 14:08

If purchased new and has a warranty lasting until 100k miles, common sense indicates that the car would not have been taken anywhere other than a dealer for transmission repair. Why would the owner pay $ for a transmission repair that would have been free under warranty? And having paid once for the alleged transmission repair, why would the owner now take it to the dealer for the second alleged repair? That makes no sense. And if the bolt still isn’t out, how does anyone know where it came from? Is the bolt easy to get to? If not, and there are no “issues” with the other bolts, then that would indicate the bolt is original to the car.

Nothing > Future next gen S2000 owner
10/31/2017 at 14:14

Escalate, go to other dealerships. I had to go to 4 different dealerships to get the transmission rebuilt on my RX8. Even then, the last dealership, the inspection was set up through corporate. At the other 3, the techs all agreed what the physical problem was, and in each case, the service manager over ruled the techs and said my problem was the clutch.

Future next gen S2000 owner > PartyPooper2012
10/31/2017 at 14:15

Car was purchase new. Bolts can be painted to have evidence of tampering. I think GM uses this. Paint a bolt then it can’t be removed or replaced without visible evidence.

Future next gen S2000 owner > Nothing
10/31/2017 at 14:17

Dealer doesn’t care about doing the work. It is Kia that is denying the claim.

PartyPooper2012 > Future next gen S2000 owner
10/31/2017 at 14:19

right... so what I am saying is... check another car like yours and see if they have same color bolt. If they do, take a picture or a video of it being a different car and still with red bolt and now you have proof the dealership is full of shit.

Could also youtube and see if anyone has a video posted showing bolt colors

PartyPooper2012 > Future next gen S2000 owner
10/31/2017 at 14:22

Here for instance, someone doing a fluid change...

At 11:30, it shows under car. There a bolt with red mark on it. I don’t know if it’s any different from yours but there is in fact red present...so it’s possible dealership is full of shit

EDIT. That video of a sorento. Whatever tho. This shows kia uses red paint to mark up bolts.

Noah - Now with more boost. > Future next gen S2000 owner
10/31/2017 at 14:29

Like others have said, investigating the bolt sounds like the #1 priority. If you can find something with google image search/youtube that shows this area of the car that might be a quick fix.

Steve in Manhattan > HammerheadFistpunch
10/31/2017 at 14:40

Exactly - usually called the “zone rep.” And if the transmission had been opened up wouldn’t Kia know about it? No one will pay for transmission work when the car is under warranty.

Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo > Future next gen S2000 owner
10/31/2017 at 14:46

As HammerheadFistpunch said, call the manufacturer or regional rep directly. I ended up doing this when the local Volvo dealer was being squirrely and they were pretty helpful.

This appears to be the number for Kia , but that was after like... two seconds of googling so... maybe not. Also could try searching for “executive customer support” and sometimes that turns up the “special” line.

HammerheadFistpunch > Future next gen S2000 owner
10/31/2017 at 15:01

Is the dealer telling you about the corporate denial? Yeah I wouldn’t trust that.

Future next gen S2000 owner > HammerheadFistpunch
10/31/2017 at 15:14

No, Kia is saying no directly to him.

HammerheadFistpunch > Future next gen S2000 owner
10/31/2017 at 15:16

well thats a little better. Still, I wonder who “kia” is. i.e. some local rep, or corporate.

Future next gen S2000 owner > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
10/31/2017 at 15:16

I don’t know exactly who he has contacted but he has talked to Kia directly already.

Future next gen S2000 owner > HammerheadFistpunch
10/31/2017 at 15:17

That’s a good question.

Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo > Future next gen S2000 owner
10/31/2017 at 16:30

I’d try escalation tactics, like executive customer support, or contacting the national owners club (as dull as that sounds) for advice. Looks like the FTC has a write up on what to do, but he may have to send a demand letter in writing.

Future next gen S2000 owner > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
10/31/2017 at 16:41

The legal route is looking more and more likely.

ranwhenparked > Future next gen S2000 owner
10/31/2017 at 17:39

Could it also be for quality control, to indicate that the transmission had passed the quality check at the factory? (Like what Packard used to do with their wheel hubs?).

Khalbali > Future next gen S2000 owner
10/31/2017 at 17:40

Has he ever had a trans service done? Sometimes shops mark drain plugs and maybe some dumbass kid pulled that bold or something thinking it was a trans plug.

Future next gen S2000 owner > Khalbali
10/31/2017 at 17:44

Nope. No trans work done. It is a sealed for life type unit.

RacinBob > Future next gen S2000 owner
10/31/2017 at 18:30

1. That looks like a process mark made to show the part has been torqued properly to me. Honda does tons of them, I bet Hyundai does too.

2. More importantly Post a separate post with the picture and ask the collective web to send pictures of their red Hyundai bolts. I bet you get one....

3. That bolt sure looks like the one next to it. Sooooo even if it is red, I bet you just can’t go out and find them wjth the same head but too long.

4, Why do you assume the head is too long? Maybe the hole is too short? Ie not fully drilled or fully tapped? I bet you the two bolts are the same length, and there is something wrong with the hole.