Scores of Kia owners affected by crankshaft problems with Kia Picanto's. The problem may not be apparent in the early stages of the car, but is a real problem and poor customer support shown by Kia. These cars aren't built to last beyond 6 years.

Read more: http://www.kiaownersclub.co.uk/forum/list-of-owners-with-crankshaft-pulley-bolt-failur_topic5189_page1.html

"As usual, people using unsuitable cars are at fault. People buy a city car and then spend all day flogging it up and down the motorway, ignoring service intervals, then wonder why they get crap MPG and the engine burns out after 60k."

Not true, low mileage Kia Picanto's with full service history reported with the same problem, even with full dealer history. This is appears to be a worldwide issue. A clear inherent factory defect, accepted by KIA, but unwilling to do much about.

This has nothing to do with "people using unsuitable cars"

See the video:

www.kia-forums.com%2Fkia-picanto-forum%2F43684-04-...1" target="_blank">http://api.viglink.com/api/click?format=go&key=a2f38ec7bedf722785bbe37823651da0&loc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kia-forums.com%2Fkia-picanto-forum%2F43684-04-...1

Edited by Riz_Haji on 28/02/2012 at 12:28

Big whoop. So, KIA got it wrong. They're not alone.

Look at VAG with their injectors - ignored for years and eventually will replace if you go and ask. No recall. Look at VAG and the porous heads on early 2.0TDI PD engines. Porous head? Tough, scrap the car as heads are nearly impossible to source, and when they are available they're more than the cars are worth. How about VAG rear brake calipers that jam up, basically needing new calipers every pad change.

BMW and the X5 and it's suspension that eats rear tyres. BMW and cracking wheels. BMW and bad breather valves on the 20d engine that pops the turbo. BMW and swirl flaps on the 30d engines. No recalls there either for years, if at all.

Vauxhall and the sticking swirl flaps on the 1.9CDTI 150hp engine. Same engine that drops it's timing belt 60k early due to bad tensioners. Vauxhall's answer? Tough, here's a bill for £3k for a new engine.

If they lived in the real world they would accept that products go wrong and need repairing and this can cost money.

Frankly I will not buy cars where the reliability is poor or there is an endemic fault which the manaufacturer has not resolved through a recall. That rules out most manufacturers.

Designed in faults are unacceptable if the manufacturer does not sort them out FOC.

This means of course not buying any VW products.

I don't tolerate them in any white goods. Cars are expensive white goods.

Edited by madf on 28/02/2012 at 14:31

You might be jumping to the conclusion that the 3 year warranty is the end of the story for the consumer to have repairs undertaken by the manufacturer at his cost.

I'm not expecting every component of the car to be covered outside of the factory warranty at all. This isn't some situation whereby a random component simply wears out and the consumer expects the manufacturer to replace or repair the item free of charge.

KIA should have taken care of this problem when the cars were under warranty as the inherent fault existed at that time. Because other manufacturers also do it and GET AWAY with it doesn't make it acceptable!

This is a situation where a well known and documented inherent factory defect fails outside of the warranty period. It doesn't just affect picanto's! sorento's have the same problem too.

Big whoop. So, KIA got it wrong. They're not alone.

I sometimes wonder if people putting up these posts actually own the car they are moaning about or just do it for fun. If they lived in the real world they would accept that products go wrong and need repairing and this can cost money.

Exactly. I don't have a KIA, but I do have a Hyundai in the household, a i30 we bought new in June 2010. So far, after 11k, it's been fine.

A few niggles coming up to it's first service, but they were fixed by the dealer, like knocking suspension, central locking that went wrong once, and a ticking fuel valve.

Regrets in buying it? None. Glad we bought it over the 2-3 year old Focus that would have cost something similar, going by the total disaster that is my Mondeo.

I sometimes wonder if people putting up these posts actually own the car they are moaning about or just do it for fun. If they lived in the real world they would accept that products go wrong and need repairing and this can cost money.

Too true.

If you buy something and use it for 6 or 7 years then expect the manufacturer to repair it for free 3 years after the warranty ran out when it goes wrong you are living on another planet even if you go quoting consumer law.

When the wifes gearbox broke after 6 years did we make a song and dance, no we got it fixed and got on with life.

When my gearbox broke after 7 years I did exactly the same.

If we had searched the internet I am sure we would have found others with the same problem but I am realistic enough to accept things go wrong and cars cost money when they break.

From what I have read recently Kia Picanto is the most dependable car in UK.

Regards