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With my courier job,I now have 82,013 miles since 1/14/09. Just over 60K,drivers door lock actuater quit. Cost about $375, for supposedly ''part only,waived labor charge". About 68K,belt tensioner bearing started making slight noise. $335 parts & labor. My Hankook 727's had 50,700 miles on them & I thought they were getting too noisey from the Rondo's inner tread rib wear. Though they looked like they'd last another 8,000-12,000 miles,I bought 4 new 727's today to eliminate the noise issue. Drove out of Autotire & the noise was reduced,but a definite whine remained. Took to my KIA dealer,told them what happened & that I thought car had a bad wheel bearing or,bad trans bearing. They checked it pretty quickly for a busy Friday afternoon & by 4PM I was relieved of $332 for a new Rt Frnt wheel bearing. Car QUIET. The door lock,eh. But,a belt tensioner @ 68K & whl brg @ 82K is on the low mlg end of what I would expect(100K+ on both). On a positive note,I still have the original brakes & the pads look like 50%. And I still love driving my Rondo,esp w/new 'shoes'!
Hope they replaced the timing belt while they were at it. I don't know about the Rondo but most KIAs are scheduled for the TB at around every 60K miles and it could get VERY costly if the belt slips or breaks.
Wow... in two more years at this rate you'll be looking for a "new" Rondo (270K Miles).
Dave
Hope they replaced the timing belt while they were at it. I don't know about the Rondo but most KIAs are scheduled for the TB at around every 60K miles and it could get VERY costly if the belt slips or breaks.
Wow... in two more years at this rate you'll be looking for a "new" Rondo (270K Miles).
Dave
Mine is 2.4 with timing chain. I hope to get 300,000+ miles. My brother was doing around 100,000 miles a year with some long distance routes & got 427,000 fairly trouble-free miles on a '97 Cavalier & 440,000 with an '04 Cavalier(both 5-spd manuals). He had an '01 in between that wasn't 'right' from day 1 & needed a camshaft @ 110,000. Got a junkyard engine & it was much better running/mpg.Kept it to about 330,000 when he was sick/passed out & hit a traffic signal. (He wasn't hurt!). I think the KIA will do 300K+ with good maintainence & sorta sane driving.
Gee! I am thinking about replacing mine when it reaches 50,000 miles!
CR
I don't blame you. Before this courier job I was very picky about my cars & then would be bored/upset with most of them by 30,000 miles! Most cars are better these days & at age 55,with the crap economy,I'm very happy to keep cars longer. IF they're semi-good/unique looking,functional, & have competitive performance/mpg. AND are kind of FUN to drive/look at! I still want a Soul when they offer 6 gears,auto or manual.(I KNOW,2011).
Stealerships are always high on out of warranty repairs. Look for a good shop with ASE certified mechanics and you'll get repairs cheaper. Check with the better business bureau and Angies list for complaints and ask at work or church groups, beauty parlor or barber shop who they use for auto repairs. Some repairs I would prefer the dealership but I am always ready to get a second opinion. Follow the recommended maintenance program and you should get 250 -300K miles out of it.
Mine is 2.4 with timing chain. I hope to get 300,000+ miles. My brother was doing around 100,000 miles a year with some long distance routes & got 427,000 fairly trouble-free miles on a '97 Cavalier & 440,000 with an '04 Cavalier(both 5-spd manuals). He had an '01 in between that wasn't 'right' from day 1 & needed a camshaft @ 110,000. Got a junkyard engine & it was much better running/mpg.Kept it to about 330,000 when he was sick/passed out & hit a traffic signal. (He wasn't hurt!). I think the KIA will do 300K+ with good maintainence & sorta sane driving.
I am, as I write this, waiting to hear how much $$$ damage $$$ it will cost me to repair a faulty (noisy) timing chain adjuster. I was told that the best case scenario would be $1200 worst being $2400, depending on what they found when they opened the side of the engine...
I bought the Rondo with the 2.4 I4 instead of the V6 mainly because I was told that because of the engine having a timing chain, not a belt...that the engine would be virtually bulletproof.
While the local dealerships have all told me that they have never seen this problem before...the engine is a machine...and machines break.
If this has "never happened" before...I'm led to believe that the cause of failure is due to a defect in the part installed in my engine.
More than frustrated...car is off warranty...not sure if there is any recourse for me whatsoever...
Don't want to hijack your thread...just thought it might be relevant to some of the discussion here.
I am, as I write this, waiting to hear how much $$$ damage $$$ it will cost me to repair a faulty (noisy) timing chain adjuster. I was told that the best case scenario would be $1200 worst being $2400, depending on what they found when they opened the side of the engine...
I bought the Rondo with the 2.4 I4 instead of the V6 mainly because I was told that because of the engine having a timing chain, not a belt...that the engine would be virtually bulletproof.
While the local dealerships have all told me that they have never seen this problem before...the engine is a machine...and machines break.
If this has "never happened" before...I'm led to believe that the cause of failure is due to a defect in the part installed in my engine.
More than frustrated...car is off warranty...not sure if there is any recourse for me whatsoever...
Don't want to hijack your thread...just thought it might be relevant to some of the discussion here.
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As Miles Accumulate,So Do Expenses
I am thinking about replacing mine when it reaches 50,000 miles! 
Rondo PLP
Linear Mode
