Tapping or Creaking Noise when coasting at low speed

Discussion in 'Kia Niro' started by wizziwig, Jun 8, 2019.

To remove this ad click here.

Do you hear the same noise?

  1. Yes, I hear the same noise

    60 vote(s)
    69.8%
  2. No, I don't hear the noise

    26 vote(s)
    30.2%
  1. mf989

    mf989 Member

    Why did you wait to get the car back?
     
  2. To remove this ad click here.

  3. bubzki

    bubzki Member

    Because I wanted to see if they fixed it first before making a decision.
     
  4. Nesh

    Nesh New Member

    Oh man, just arrived at this unfortunate thread. I've been noticing this noice for almost 3-4 months now. Was just waiting for next service date to take it in.
    It gets really loud when accelerating or letting the acceleration pedal go. Clearly it is something with the motor. Happens regardless of the speed 10mph or 70mph. A lot less noticeable when you're maintaining speed and motor doesn't have to work hard.

    I'm really disappointed and was hoping to drive this car for 100k miles and more. But now I don't think it will last that long. I'm at 12k miles right now.

    I really hope they just buy it back. How did some users here get the buyback offer? I'm in California if that matters.
     
    bubzki and Shawn X like this.
  5. Nesh

    Nesh New Member

    How did you initiate the buy back? I would like to do the same and be done but need details if you can share please.
     
  6. FergyEV

    FergyEV New Member

    I opened a lemon law case in the state where I bought the car. After many months they finally agreed to repurchase, right before it went to the hearing.
     
    Shawn X likes this.
  7. To remove this ad click here.

  8. bubzki

    bubzki Member

    Write Kia a letter asking for buyback. This initiates discussion. Most states require 30-days of the issue or repeated attempts w/o fixing it to mandate buyback. Kia will offer cash for you to keep your car. They already offered me 10K but I'm asking for 15K because at this point I may as well just buy a another Niro and take the tax credit again. I would strongly consider base Mach E as well if buying right now.
     
    Shawn X likes this.
  9. Nesh

    Nesh New Member

    I mean this would be the perfect outcome if they do end up buying it back. By letter do you mean just an email to Kia Corporate or something else?
    According to @FergyEV looks like it took months and opening a case before Kia took an action.

    I'm kind of freaking out :( This thread and all others confirming the issue and reading about the hassle of dealing with it made my stomach sink yesterday. Looks like I'm in for months of headache before this is resolved. I could be wrong but I'll keep it posted here in case others are interested.
     
  10. bubzki

    bubzki Member

    Yes, to Kia Corporate. I looked up their US Legal Counsel and mailed it to them. It will take months at the very least to resolve. My case initiated July 14, 2020 and is still unresolved.
     
  11. blue_door

    blue_door Member

    You can also hire a lawyer that specializes in lemon law cases and they will do all that paperwork for you. And, if you are successful, the company will have to pay lawyer fees. In the lemon law cases I have gone through -- 4 of them myself -- I have started each one with a simple letter, devoid of emotion and focused on the facts. Make sure you have all your repair orders in hand, reference each one's open and close dates and repair order number in your letter. Then, once the evidence has been presented, you list your demands, which can be (as an example), the following:

    1. Repair vehicle with a cash offer to keep the vehicle (they call this a "cash and keep" in the business lingo)
    2. Re-purchase the vehicle entirely (this is "buyback")
    3. Replace vehicle with another one ("replacement")

    One thing to always keep in mind: some of these companies will attempt to tie options 1 and 3 to legal language requiring you to give up any rights to future claims. DO NOT FALL FOR IT! If you are entertaining one of those options, then ask them to remove that rights-limiting language from their offer. If they won't, then it's time to involve a lawyer.
     
    Shawn X and Nesh like this.
  12. To remove this ad click here.

  13. Nesh

    Nesh New Member

    Wow 4 lemon law incidents. That sounds like a lot of history. I hope the outcome was pleasant in each case.

    If my case gets there, I'm most likely looking for #2 and possibility of hiring lawyer if it comes to that.
    I'm kicking myself for not starting the process sooner.
     
  14. I am sorry Nesh. I found this thread after I had purchased too a year ago (and saw only few hundred of these had even sold as of the latest data I had through Sept. '19) . I also had a sinking feeling as the facts came to light.

    So far I have been fortunate, but I only have 5-6k miles on it so far cuz, pandemic. Many people seem to rack up 10-20k and still no problems. It seems a small (but still unacceptably large) fraction of vehicles have this problem.
     
    Nesh likes this.
  15. Nesh

    Nesh New Member

    Thanks David. I hope you never hear that sound :)

    Dropped off my car today, the technician noticed the sound right away as I started driving with him.
    They don't have EV technician on site so someone will look at it tomorrow and get back to me.
     
    Last edited: Nov 17, 2020
  16. bubzki

    bubzki Member

  17. Nesh

    Nesh New Member

    Absolutely downplaying by saying it is just motor bearings issue and 2019.

    I got a call this morning from the dealership. They want to replace transmission first. So I'll wait and see.
    Is that same as the gearbox other users have talked about?
     
  18. They must be referring to the reduction gear. Electric motors don't use transmissions because they provide about the same torque over a very wide range of RPMs. Ask them what they meant by transmission, since you heard electric motors don't need them and see how they field the answer.

    https://www.kia.com/dm/discover-kia/ask/do-electric-cars-have-transmissions.html
     
  19. bubzki

    bubzki Member

    A single-speed reduction gear is a single-speed transmission. It says right in that article. Some, but not all, transmissions have multiple gears and/or ratios.
     
  20. bubzki

    bubzki Member

    Update: Kia has ignored all calls and emails now for about a month. I'm taking them to arbitration and potentially a lawsuit as well since they are stonewalling me.
     
  21. blue_door

    blue_door Member

    I thought I saw a post from you indicating that they offered a buyback of your Niro?
     
  22. bubzki

    bubzki Member

    Are you saying that makes it okay to ghost a customer? A whole lot more to the story than you've seen.
     
  23. blue_door

    blue_door Member

    Of course not. Stop reading so much into my statement. Good grief.

    I was asking because I find it weird that if Kia offered to buyback your Niro and now they've gone quiet? I actually had Kia buyback another vehicle of mine about 18 months ago. The process worked like this (I am simplifying things for brevity):

    1. I complained to Kia corporate via letter about the issues with my vehicle
    2. They initiated an investigation and confirmed my vehicle met lemon law requirements
    3. They presented me with a letter giving me three options: 1) cash and keep, 2) buyback the vehicle or 3) replace with another like vehicle
    4. I elected for the buyback.

    For me, the whole process, from initial letter writing to the car being return to the Kia dealership, took a few months. At no time during my process was my Kia customer service contact particularly unresponsive.

    The important part here is if they've offered to buyback your car, which I thought you had indicated in another post somewhere, then you should have a letter indicating that fact. Why would you go to arbitration or possibly a lawsuit if they've already given you the option of a buyback...unless they haven't yet. That's what I find strange about your experience. Also, are you sure your state requires arbitration? Mine doesn't.
     

Share This Page