A Vancouver man thought the used car he purchased was under warranty but learned the hard way how important it is to have all the paperwork in order if you have to make a claim.
Mitch Parmar paid $14,775 for a used 2011 Kia Optima which had about 50,000 km on it. About a month after he bought it, the engine seized while he was driving back to Vancouver from Whistler. Parmar believed he would be covered for the cost of the repairs.
“I thought everything was going to be okay because I was told I had a 100,000 km warranty through Kia,” he said.
The Ford dealer who sold Parmar the used Kia told him the warranty was fully transferable to subsequent owners. Kia confirms the warranty was in effect until February 2017, but they wouldn’t replace the seized engine.
“They wouldn’t cover it because I was missing a couple of oil changes,” said Parmar.
All the service records existed except for the first couple of oil changes when he didn’t own the car.
“We did not find any records of maintenance before the vehicle’s odometer reached 17,000 km,” said Kia Canada product communications manager Maxime Surette in a statement to CTV News.
“We were able to identify areas of unusual wear which can be associated with lack/absence of scheduled maintenance as well as indications of the vehicle having been operated under low oil levels.”
While Parmar was unable to get the engine replaced by Kia, the Ford dealer where he purchased the car helped him purchase a replacement vehicle. The B.C. Motor Vehicle Sales Authority says that since Parmar relied on representations made by the Ford dealer that the Kia was under warranty, under B.C. law, they would be obligated to take care of him. The dealer ended up giving Parmar a newer Ford Mustang at a reduced cost.
“They really stepped up,” he said. “They made sure that I’d drive away happy and that I’m covered.”
Doug Longhurst with the B.C. Motor Vehicle Sales Authority also recommends drivers service their vehicles to manufacturers’ specifications and keep all the service records to ensure the warranty is valid.
“Records are important, very important,” he said.
Even though Parmar doesn’t own the Kia Optima anymore, he wanted other people to know what happened to him to ensure they realize the importance of having all of their service records for their vehicles.
“It’ll save you money in the long run if you just know everything about your car inside and out,” he said.
Tomorrow on CTV News at 6, McLaughlin On Your Side investigates whether Parmar's issue might be part of a bigger problem and what action is being taken in Canada.
