Misleading Advertising and Problems with the Kia Sportage Warranty
In March, I contacted Kavi Otomotiv, the Kia dealer in Adana, to purchase a Kia Sportage. They informed me that they had one available but that the front right fender had a minor scratch from transport and had been locally repainted. They offered a small discount due to this. Based on the photos and their assurance that the repair was minor, I agreed and traveled from Ankara to Adana.
After taking delivery of the car, I had it inspected. The inspection revealed that the fender was not just locally repainted but completely repainted, with adjustment bolts tampered with, indicating a significant repair. I returned to the dealer with the inspection report, showing that they had misrepresented the extent of the damage. I expressed my concern about the potential financial loss and requested a resolution.
The dealership manager was extremely rude and unprofessional, dismissing my concerns by saying that local and complete repainting were the same and that the tampering was insignificant. He suggested I take legal action if I was unhappy, even mocking me by offering to pay for my bus fare. He then hung up on me several times.
The next day, I took the car to a service center in Ankara due to an issue with the handbrake. There, I discovered the second shocking issue: the warranty had started seven months before the purchase date, contrary to standard practice where it should start from the sale date.
Following these issues, I repeatedly contacted Kia's distributor, Çelik Motor, both by phone and email. They informed me that the dealer did not acknowledge the actual damage and that the dealer would help if any warranty issues arose in the future. Despite having documents proving the local repaint claim and the inspection report, Çelik Motor refused my request to speak with a higher authority, only relaying the dealer's response verbally and declining to provide a written statement.
Kavi Otomotiv sold me a damaged vehicle with a compromised warranty, and Çelik Motor has done nothing but defer to the dealer, failing to address my concerns. This explains why Kia's sales are lagging. I no longer want anything from Çelik Motor or Kavi Otomotiv. They should not contact me, nor should they comment under this post stating that a customer relations representative will be in touch.
