busybee fluffy rambles

Then the service advisor mentiond that another loaner, a Kia Sorento, should be available tomorrow, and would I like to reserve that one? I said, yeah, probably, but I might have other arrangements now and I’d keep him posted.

So, I rendezvoused with the Matrix’s owner, and took it for a spin. You know how I was so nostalgic about the Matrix I used to own? Well, I guess my nostalgia should stay in the past. It was in pretty awful shape; cosmetically it was fine, but the transmission was super janky, and it felt like it needed a new clutch. There was also a lot of engine knocking (which was probably due to the variable timing solenoid which is a known issue and a cheap/easy fix) but like. Yeah. I did not enjoy driving it at all, and it would not be worth the money it’d cost to get it to an enjoyable condition.

I let the dealership know that I would be taking them up on the loaner tomorrow, and my main stipulation is I need to be able to pick it up by 4 PM. They said they’d see what they could do.

Anyway, I’m fine with this sequence of events. They’re moving forward on repairing my Niro, and I should soon have access to a decently-sized (gas) SUV in the meantime (one that’s actually quite a bit bigger than the Niro but hopefully not so large that I’ll feel like a menace on the streets), and I have no regrets about what could have been regarding the Matrix. I don’t like how aggressive I had to be with the dealership to get to this point but at least things are happening (and I 100% believe that me opening up the complaint with corporate is why things are actually moving forward).

Given recent history I doubt I’ll actually be able to get the loaner in time for my show tomorrow but I already have a backup plan for that as well, and hopefully if I can’t get it tomorrow I can get it Saturday instead. Or I can just rent something and then get reimbursed now that Kia’s rental reimbursement policy is definitely in effect.

I do want to emphasize that Kia’s vehicles are fine, it’s just that some of their dealerships aren’t great about servicing them in a timely manner. My frustration is with this particular dealership and with how long it took to get any status updates whatsoever and to get a loaner vehicle in the interim, and I absolutely believe that Kia/Hyundai vehicles are some of the best being made right now, especially in the EV and PHEV space.

I’d say to check out dealership service center reviews for your local dealership before deciding whether to go with them. And, lesson learned, if I do need to take my car in for EV-specific servicing again, I’m going to be a lot more up-front about needing a loaner, and possibly try to find a different dealership to go with. It looks like Sunset Kia of Auburn isn’t that much further away, although their reviews aren’t great either. On Reddit folks had absolutely glowing reviews about the North-side dealerships but that’s getting into hour-plus drive territory.

But, as far as I understand, the specific issue I’m having serviced is the only thing I’m likely to need done from Kia specifically, so this will hopefully not be a repeating problem.