'Average Kia Owner Experience:' Woman Says Kia Went Into ‘Limp Mode.’ She Can’t Believe the Dealer’s Response

A 2017 Kia Soul driver blasted a dealership for not prioritizing her warranty repair. She says that her car was afflicted with a manufacturer’s defect warning with her car’s engine.

Despite repairs pertaining to this code being covered by Kia, she says she’s been having a difficult time getting her dealership to actually fix the issue with her vehicle.

What Is 'Limp Mode' in a Kia?

In a recent post TikTok user Sammi Jo (@_simplisammi_) records herself sitting in the backseat of her car while classical music plays.

“My 2017 Kia Soul went into limp mode with code P1326. It’s a known engine defect that Kia has extended warranty coverage for,” she writes in a text overlay for her clip. While this may seem like a silver lining to some, according to Sammi Jo, it isn’t in this case.

That’s because, she writes, it’ll be a while before the issue with her car is fixed. “The dealer says it could be 3+ weeks before they even fix it,” she continues.

She also says that, despite not being able to drive her car, she isn’t being given a loaner vehicle.

“How is it fair to leave customers stranded when it’s your defect, Kia?” Sammi Jo asks.

In the caption of her post, Sammi Jo elaborates on the problems with her car. She calls the Kia “undrivable” as a result of a “known issue with engine bearings.” According to a Kia Engine Class Settlement website, there is an issue with 2010 to 2020 Kias.

The site indicates that there’s been “a proposed settlement … reached in a case,” regarding known faults with certain Kia and Hyundai vehicles made during this timeframe. Further, a warranty extension has been issued for affected cars, according to the write-up. This includes a “15 years or 150,000 odometer miles” warranty increase. The cause is “damage to the engine short block and long block assembly. Due to connecting road bearing wear,” per the settlement’s stipulations.

A Kia dealer reports that the P1326 code indicates “excessive connecting rod bearing wear.” “When the sensor detects abnormal knocking vibrations, the P1326 code is activated to alert you to potential engine damage,” the dealer states.

The dealership urges Kia owners not to ignore the code, as it “can lead to more severe engine problems, including complete engine failure.” It advises Kia drivers to bring their cars into their service center in order to implement a fix for this warranty-covered remediation.

Gallery: 2017 Kia Soul

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Are Dealers Reluctant to Perform Warranty Repair?

Unfortunately, Sammi Jo isn’t the only driver who’s experienced issues when attempting to get warranty repairs fixed. One Redditor writes in the r/cars Subreddit that they’ve noticed a recurring trend of dealerships avoiding warranty repairs.

Several people who replied to their post remarked that it’s largely due to the repairs being unprofitable for service centers. As one wrote, “Warranty work pays [expletive] for technicians and service advisors.” Moreover, they said that compensation for these repairs is often delayed, meaning that dealer maintenance shops are left twiddling their thumbs while waiting to receive their check.

Reddit users aren’t the only ones who’ve criticized the warranty repair system. An Alliance for Automotive Innovation write-up went so far as to call the entire system of paying dealers for undertaking these repairs “broken.” 

Motor1 has contacted Sammi Jo for an update on the status of her Kia. We'll update this if she responds.

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