Comments: 1-15, 16-26
Blew head gasket at 50,000Km, whilst we were at least 50Km from any persons or even mobile phone coverage. Limped back with rests. Even trying to rest it every Km or so we still managed to warp the head - so it had to have a new LONG engine not a short one. KIA Australia wore part of the cost, but we were still out of pocket over A$4200.
Then it went OK for about 10 months and broke (stuck in 5th gear) midnight one Saturday night. Cost A$1600 to pull the engine out and check the transmission. Fault was a sheared bolt in the shift fork control assembly inside the gearbox. Sheared due to over-torquing at assembly time in the KIA factory that is.
Then it went OK for another 10 months and has now suffered a repeat of "stuck in gear". This time it is stuck in 3rd gear.
Called the dealer who did the first transmission repair and they said they would be happy to fix it AND it would not cost me anything IF it proved to be the same fault. However it would be another A$1600 or so if the fault were different, and it would be over 2 months before they could look at it because they have 2 months' worth of KIA Carnivals sitting in their parking lot waiting for new engines. So I'm pulling out the engine and gearbox myself and will fix it myself. That will take quite some time since this is a major job. Thank goodness I bought the service manual with the Carnival.
I know many mechanics who refuse to work on these vehicles. The local mechanic who I use for routine stuff described the Carnival as "diabolical" to work upon.
This vehicle is the worst I've ever owned. It is fine whilst it is going - but it is never going.
This car makes my earlier lemons (e.g. Alfa Romeo) look like gems.
Don't touch a Kia Carnival!
Ours is 5 years old with 130000ks and has now appears to have blown its second engine. The first engine lasted 70000ks and was replaced under warranty. The replacement engine was supposed to have solved the problems, but it has only lasted 60000ks.
We are now looking at a repair bill that looks like it will be well in excess of $5000. So much for the low purchase cost! When this is repaired this car will be replaced as I have had enough.
This car has also had front brake discs and pads replaced at 30000ks. The replacements have not yet needed replacing (including pads) so it wasn't the style of driving.
The handbrake took nearly 2 years and 50000ks for Kia to get it working, eventually by replacing the entire assembly. O2 sensors were replaced. I almost had a service station closed after the seal between the fuel tank and filler hose failed while refuelling the car and spilled petrol under the car all over the service station driveway. The car has numerous squeaks and rattles which no one has been able to fix.
Friends refer to this car as the lemon.
If Kia cannot provide an engine that lasts more than 60000ks they have no business selling cars! I will never touch another Kia product.
I have read some of the dreadful experiences of the earlier owner of the KIA Carnival and I totally agree with their comments. I own a KIA Carnival and in less than 2 years I have to replace the front wheels axle and brake pads and this is for a mileage of less than 50,000km. Now at 63,000km in about slightly more than 3 years I have the engine replaced because the engine cracked internal resulting in the engine oil mixed with the radiator coolant system. I was happy that the earlier writer has his engine repair under warranty, but in my case there was no warranty. Can any thing be done with respect to taking up the case with the KIA motors in Korea for producing a car that not up to spec. Have not in my many that I owned faced up with a cracked engine for less that 3 years of usage and below the 100,00km.
Any comments from fellow owners of KIA Carnival are most welcome.
Oh dear.
54k and?less than 3 yrs, head gasket gone, have until now been happy with car. I hope I am just inside warranty period.
Had carnival for 3 years now, had initial problems with the O2 sensors continuously, but don't get them anymore. I think the serviceman has disconnected them altogether to keep me away. Then Blew engine due to overheating, but had no warning at all from instruments. Cost was astronomical and now damn thing keeps requiring service to ensure clean running. getting rid of this lemon and never going back.
1 NOVEMBER 2005.
I am so frustrated! I have a KIA CARNIVAL 1999 model which I was not very happy with due to rattles and squeaks, but it was OK as it had enough space for the kids. So on the 29th of Sept. 2005, on a rainy afternoon I was driving back home from an adjacent town when the engine suddenly made a very funny "TRRRRR' noise and then started loosing power. I was on a freeway driving at about 120k's trying to overtake a very slow long-haul truck when this happened. The car then suddenly started loosing power and this was awful as it was pouring with rain and I was trying to overtake this large truck against a very long rise and there where a tow of cars behind me in the fast lane. I did not know what was happening to the car and looked at all the indicators on the dashboard and none of them were lighting up or indicating any problems. All seemed to be normal and I had just refueled and knew that the car was full and I had the water and oil checked and therefore I knew that none of those could be a factor. The slow truck finally went ahead of me and I could move over to the side of the road and there the car finally came to a stand still. I was towed in to the nearest KIA dealership and there it is still standing. The insurance refuses to pay for the damage as it is very large (R46 000) and KIA refuses to replace the engine with a new one as this one was already replaced at 60 000k's for the previous owners. This I only found out now and that the reason for replacing the engine the first time was exactly the same reason as what had happened to my car. Quoting the independent assessors report: "Cylinder heads damaged by Cylinder-head gasket. Cylinder headgaskets made of metal and sealing surfaces chewed into heads causing compression blow-by into water system." This caused the engine to overheat and caused the massive damage to the engine!!. My question is now, is KIA responsible??? They replaced an enjin that had a manufacturing fault with another enjin with exactly the same manufacturing fault and this engine only lasted 57000k's! Their excuse now is that they cannot replace a goodwill replacement with another. I feel they have to as their name depends on it. I have read so many reports of this kind and am prepared to start a Class action suit against them regarding this matter and take out major advertising in the daily newspapers and Car magazines about their poor product and the very poor technical support. The support and follow up has indeed been very poor.
Please contact me at : waterson@waterson.co.za if you wish to join me in taking on this company.
I totally agree with you all, on that KIA are importing in these lemon cars. Contact me on helping_hand_@hotmail.com if you wish to discuss our wonderful vehicles and we can compare repair bills.
When we bought a 1999 Kia Carnival we thought we a Mercedes of a people mover. The truth is that we should bought a mercedes and saved money.
We have done the following on this car
replaced the motor
replaced the starter motor
replaced the security system
tried to have the hand break work unsuccessfully
tried to have the autotransmission work unsuccessfully
replaced rear and front brakes
repaired wire from main computet to auto trans computer
repaired wire to main electrical system damaged by the car itself
repaired the O2 reader, light still comes on.
Repaired the front boots.
Repaired the mian steering rod.
Confidentially we have warned every one we know what a black hole these cars are and how little responsiblity Kia Australia has accepted.
We bought a Kia carnival in 2005, which was a 2001 model. We had the car just on two years and could not fault it until I went to pick my wife and new baby up from hospital, and noticed oil dripping from my lights. I opened the bonnet to find oil had flooded from radiator reservoir, which was full of oil. Took the car to many mechanics, but no one wanted to work on it. They all said they were lemons. Found out it was going to cost between $7000 to $9000 to fix, so decided to sell as is.
Traded and received only $8000. We paid only $21000, so we lost $13000 in two years.
As a father of six kids, I will make sure till my dying day that not one of my family will ever go near one of these lemons ever again. Kia should be ashamed of producing such rubbish.
The Hyundai-Kia motor corporation has just gone to number 6 in the world, and in a few years will replace daimler-chrysler as number 5. Kia is the fastest growing brand in Europe and many parts of Asia. Like the Japanese did, Korean products are improving with every new model release. I don't think that they have anything to be ashamed of. Oh and by the way, I drive a Kia Enterprise and Ssangyong Chairman, both extremely beautiful examples of luxury and quality.
Kim Paek Moon - Korea.
Mr Moon... the Kia's are crap!!! Ours has only just clocked over to 103000 km, coolant and oil were mixing in radiator and we have been told that the head gasket is blown!! We can't afford to get it fixed... we have three young children and Kia should not be promoting these as people movers... they should be promoting them as money movers!!!
Never again... SHAME KIA SHAME... I can feel a class action coming on!!
I have a 2005 Kia Optima V6 and have had no problems with almost 60,000kms on the clock. Its been comfortable and reliable, no more. Kia are designed as a means of transport and in my opinion they have done well. Oh and to the previous post, its not "Mr Moon" the Koreans put their family name first, his surname is Kim.
I brought a 99 carnival 4 years ago and it had 90k on it, it now has 135k on it and apart from the usual problems that go on all cars (brake pads etc) It has never missed a beat. Before I brought it I contacted Kia and found out that it had some Engine parts that were replaced through a recall, many similar ones were not done. It was cheap, it isn't bad on petrol and the brakes wear a bit quicker than a car, but it is about 600kg heavier so that is to be expected.
We bought a 99 Carnival 4 months ago from an auction with no warranty.
All was well, and we loved the car until 2 weeks ago. The engine stopped. We then found out about all the problems. We have been quoted anywhere from $5000 -$9000. With five kids this won't be easy to come by.
After doing some research, I found out the block was replaced last July with a warranty for 12 months or 20000kms. Well it was 1 week over the 1 year and has only done 13000kms. KIA don't want to know.
Something needs to be done for all those large families buying a second hand Carnival, as this is not fair to anyone.
Please email peita_smith@hotmail.com Subject line carnival.
I bought a Naza Ria in April 2005. Kia Carnival is known as Naza Ria in Malaysia. The car has only clocked slightly over 26,000km. I have experienced engine overheating a couple of times and the service centre has 'bleed' the engine 3 times. The overheating problem still persist and the service centre told me that need to change the engine block and perform overhaul. The car is less than 18 months and now have to change engine block. Kia is really a lousy car and I can't sell the car as the resale value is very, very low. I will never buy another Kia car in this life!!!
Chareon - Malaysia
Mr Kim Paek Moon: Are you working for the KIA corporation? You have to be. KIA's have some of the lowest consumer confidence in car industry and have the highest value deprecation of any marque, estimate 50-60% or more (!) over 3 years. Even the low purchase price won't help you, it will be a financial disaster to own one anyhow. If you are unfortunate to buy one new, the problem is that you can't sell them if you are unhappy because no one wants them used, unless the dealer, but they you have to buy a new one. I've learnt the hard way, it was the worst financial decision I ever have done.
You want help from the dealer after it has exceeded warranty? Forget it. To me it is known as Korean Industrial-waste Auto, which really describes these cars.