In-service date prior to purchase date?

[03_Sedona_EX]

I took my 03 Sedona in to the dealership today for the last bit of service prior to the warranty expiring tomorrow (10/4/08). Well I thought I would. It turns out that they have the in service date of my sedona starting 9/13/03 when I actually bought the thing 10/4/03.

I called corporate KIA and they agreed and said to kiss off. I even offered to provide the sales contract showing we bought it on 10/4 but she stated that the in-service date was 9/13 and that is that.

Now, how in the world is that even legal? How can I be sold a NEW car from a KIA dealership with a warranty which had started a couple of weeks prior to me even walking on the lot? The CSR @ Kia said this is common for auto manufactures to do this but I have never heard of it.

The local service advisor is going to contact the district service rep and see what can be done but I don't know what else to do at this point.

Any ideas? Has this happened to anyone else?

[04SorentoLX]

Originally Posted by 03_Sedona_EX

I took my 03 Sedona in to the dealership today for the last bit of service prior to the warranty expiring tomorrow (10/4/08). Well I thought I would. It turns out that they have the in service date of my sedona starting 9/13/03 when I actually bought the thing 10/4/03.

I called corporate KIA and they agreed and said to kiss off. I even offered to provide the sales contract showing we bought it on 10/4 but she stated that the in-service date was 9/13 and that is that.

Now, how in the world is that even legal? How can I be sold a NEW car from a KIA dealership with a warranty which had started a couple of weeks prior to me even walking on the lot? The CSR @ Kia said this is common for auto manufactures to do this but I have never heard of it.

The local service advisor is going to contact the district service rep and see what can be done but I don't know what else to do at this point.

Any ideas? Has this happened to anyone else?

TOTAL BS!

Here is the only three things you need to have in your head and listen to. And worry about nothing else. Or it is your funeral. But more info then you list should have been forthcoming. Like MILES on vech. As nothing here yet has been illegal.

1) If you infact bought NEW vech from a KIA dealer on 10/4/2003 it was a left over back then and old 2003 model in stock. As the 2004 models were out then. You should have gotten a deal on this 2003 vech from day one as such. And your IN SERVICE DATE is 10/4/2003 for 5/60-10/100. Since you did not tell us how many miles was on this NEW vech the day you took delivery, we assume not many.

2) Makers figure the inservice date in two ways and are this. One IF we DEMO a vech then the inservice date is the day (9/13) we demo it into our sales fleet. Or two they could say Inservise Date is the date (10/4) a retail customer buys it and takes it off the lot as a retail owner. Weather it is a demo or not. This has nothing to do with the dealer and what he did or did not say to you. It is a KIA Corp issue how they treat it. And KIA Corp is telling you we see, that it is 9/13.

3) You bought a DEMO which is a used vech with a inservice date of 9/13 and forgot about the deep discount you got then for that. Or you bought a plain and simple used vech got a deep discount as it was retailed out 9/13 and came back and you got it (rebought) on 10/4 and forgot this now.

If NONE of this looks or smells or sounds familiar? then you have two options that can and must happen.

1)Take vech back to dealer and demand some back money for this used/demo vech you knew nothing about and did not get in the first place?. Might take a lawyer to get. As they commited FRAUD on you. But proveing it now five years later is up to you.
2)Let it go, be smarter next time READ the contracts fully and the Odometer better. It is only less then 30 days(21 infact) from 9/13 to 10/4.

It is all how much it is worth to you to make the point if you have one to make in the first place versus how much it will cost you to loose. And you admitting you took it in on the last possible day you knew possible to get stuff done under warrenty speaks for itself. NEVER EVER do that. Always leave and go in 30 days before it expires for messups just like this. Then there are no surprices. BTW the inservise date has been on every DEALER WRO and RO since day one. SO you might wish to look there before you go too far. You had five years to see it there once before this time and surprice.

[03_Sedona_EX]

Thanks for the feedback. Admittedly I didn't look too closely at the mileage when I made the purchase and the odometer disclosure has it listed at 575 miles and also as a new vehicle sale. So we basically got ripped off.

I had the van in on a couple of different occasions well before the warranty expiration and was told they could not reproduce the problem. The problem is that the turn signal stalk sticks when you don't push it down all the way until it clicks - when changing lanes. OR sometimes the turn signal does not come on at all. The service manager even told me that the switch wasn't designed to work that way - that it was designed to be pushed all the way down and if it works or doesn't work when you press it part way is just luck. This is one of the most absurd statements I have ever heard.

Anyway, the service adviser talked to his district rep and got him to agree to pay for the part and then me pay the $100 for the labor. I just don't like the idea of being ripped off and I guess I was wasn't observant enough when I bought it in the first place.

We have really enjoyed the van but our dealer experiences will probably keep us from buying another Kia.

[ESKORT27]

your dealership should have something called "goodwill". it is there for vehiv\cles that have just ran out of warranty and something major happens. Just thought that might be something to look into.

[04SorentoLX]

Originally Posted by 03_Sedona_EX

Thanks for the feedback. Admittedly I didn't look too closely at the mileage when I made the purchase and the odometer disclosure has it listed at 575 miles and also as a new vehicle sale. So we basically got ripped off.

I had the van in on a couple of different occasions well before the warranty expiration and was told they could not reproduce the problem. The problem is that the turn signal stalk sticks when you don't push it down all the way until it clicks - when changing lanes. OR sometimes the turn signal does not come on at all. The service manager even told me that the switch wasn't designed to work that way - that it was designed to be pushed all the way down and if it works or doesn't work when you press it part way is just luck. This is one of the most absurd statements I have ever heard.

Anyway, the service adviser talked to his district rep and got him to agree to pay for the part and then me pay the $100 for the labor. I just don't like the idea of being ripped off and I guess I was wasn't observant enough when I bought it in the first place.

We have really enjoyed the van but our dealer experiences will probably keep us from buying another Kia.

I agree with ESKORT27 dealer GOODWILL should come into play at the very least. But then I think you got it taken care of free too now I see?
AS for the turn signal issue our 2003 Kia Spectra LS from day one has had a sticky stalk. It is not smooth and nor easy like my Sorento is to move. I think it is sorta tight or not lubed well. And yes once in a blue moon it will not cancel. But the person driving it does not see it as a issue. So I do not when I drive it. Sorta like leave sleeping dogs lie if you will. I also know that both our 2003 Spectra and 2004 Sorento do infact work as you think they should. By this I mean when I drive either you can slightly push the lever down for left and up for right not making it click and lock and by just holding it there and it will flash till you release it off its spring loaded force. I am not sure why they told you other wise other then a 2003 Sedona does not have this feature. And that is very odd indeed when a 2003 Spectra and 2004 Sorento does. In regard to haveing 575 miles on the ODM is well within new car sales guidelines. Yes we would all like to buy a vech with 2 on it but sometimes for what ever reason it has a few miles adn 575 is ok for new. Much more and I would personally take issue. Once a car is DEMO'd thou it can have up to 5000 and might even be 7500 now miles on it at some makers before it is then termed a used vech. Even if it has never been retailed out the door an only used as a DEMO/salemans take home car. This said I think now you are happy and know what happened when you bought the vech it seems. Yes you might have been ripped off for sure on $$$ if you think so. But lacking a sales contract in front of me I can not say. Thou it is still very cloudy as to why the INSERVICE DATE is 9/13/2003 and not 10/2/2004. But as I said it is only less then 21 days. So yes it might have been a demo for 21 days and gone 575 miles as such before you bought it. Or it might have been sold once before and driven 21 days and 575 miles and then returned to dealer and resold to you. It is even possible that the car got 575 miles on it at the dealership free and clear from customer test drives. On 9/13/2003 someone came in and bought it with 500 on it. The paperwork was filed and an INSERVICE DATE was then issued on 9/13/2003. This date is then deemed the word from the mouth of GOD and never came be undone. But the deal fell thru and the person never took car. So techniclly it was still new car and never left lot as a retail sale. Then they had it to sell again on the lot just as before 9/13/2003. They now drove it 75 miles more in 21 days. You came in on 10/2/2003 bought it and left with your new car with 575 miles on it and a INSERVICE DATE of 9/13/2003. The only thing you really need right now to really get clear on is at the inservice date how many miles was on car. As this will come off you 10/100 now. To put it another way.

If you inservice date was 9/13/2003 and it had for argument sake the 575 miles on it at that date. The following is true for you.

5/50 is now not as you think 10/2/2008 and at 60,575 miles. But really 9/13/2008 and at 60,000 miles.

10/100 is now not as you think 10/2/2013 and at 100,575 miles. But really 9/13/2013 and at 100,000 miles.