Kia Motors South Africa
Scores reflect the Overall AI Score for each category
Based on recent customer reviews, Kia Motors South Africa faces significant challenges across the dealer network, with widespread complaints about unresolved mechanical faults, poor communication, and weak warranty support. Isolated bright spots exist at specific branches like Kia Edenvale, Empangeni, and The Glen where individual staff members deliver praised service, but the dominant customer experience reflects frustration with diagnostic accuracy, accountability, and post-sale follow-through.
TrustIndex
2.3
NPS Score
-86
Recommended: Unlikely
Sep '25 - Aug '26
Based on recent customer reviews, Kia Motors South Africa shows a customer experience profile dominated by serious complaints around vehicle defects, dealership conduct, and aftercare follow-through. Isolated bright spots exist where individual staff members deliver standout service, but systemic issues with warranty handling, communication breakdowns, and unresolved mechanical faults across multiple dealerships consistently undermine customer trust in the brand.
The most common complaint about Kia Motors South Africa, based on Hellopeter's AI analysis of recent customer reviews, is Vehicle Quality & Reliability. Customers report serious mechanical failures on relatively new vehicles including clutch and gearbox failures, brake noise, battery issues, throttle problems, and rust. Warranty disputes are frequent, with several owners alleging Kia refuses accountability for what appear to be manufacturing defects.
Used this business recently? Share your experience to help others decide.
Used this business recently? Share your experience to help others decide.
Share Your Experience1 reviews | Active since Nov 2025
Bought a KIA Rio 2021 Model at Auto Pedigree in December 2023 and on the 26 April 2026 whilst on the road the car just stopped and we towed the car to Auto Pedigree where i bought the car and they said the cant assist and then i phoned KIA and after 100 calls of taking me to pillar to post they then transferred me to their warranty department and they towed the car from Auto Pedigree to KIA dealership in Polokwane and the service lady(Linda Bester) advised me that they will have to diagnose the car and if they find out that warranty does the mechanical breakdown i will have to pay R1100 they found that the problem was clutch and i paid the R1100 the car is still under 100 000 km and less than 5 years and when i bought the car Auto Pedigree sold me an extended warranty from M-Sure and when i called M-Sure they said they cover clutch, my problem is why the manufacturer doesn`t want to cover the clutch meaning they don`t trust their product , please don`t buy KIA products they don`t trust their brand, i have since send an email to KIA motors last week thursday and to date they haven`t responded and also posted on their facebook page and still no response and i wanted to log a complaint with The Motor Industry Ombudsman of South Africa (MIOSA).
1 reviews | Active since Nov 2025
Bought a KIA Rio 2021 Model at Auto Pedigree in December 2023 and on the 26 April 2026 whilst on the road the car just stopped and we towed the car to Auto Pedigree where i bought the car and they said the cant assist and then i phoned KIA and after 100 calls of taking me to pillar to post they then transferred me to their warranty department and they towed the car from Auto Pedigree to KIA dealership in Polokwane and the service lady(Linda Bester) advised me that they will have to diagnose the car and if they find out that warranty does the mechanical breakdown i will have to pay R1100 they found that the problem was clutch and i paid the R1100 the car is still under 100 000 km and less than 5 years and when i bought the car Auto Pedigree sold me an extended warranty from M-Sure and when i called M-Sure they said they cover clutch, my problem is why the manufacturer doesn`t want to cover the clutch meaning they don`t trust their product , please don`t buy KIA products they don`t trust their brand, i have since send an email to KIA motors last week thursday and to date they haven`t responded and also posted on their facebook page and still no response and i wanted to log a complaint with The Motor Industry Ombudsman of South Africa (MIOSA).
1 reviews | Active since Apr 2026
My car was towed into Nelspruit Multi franchise last week Tuesday 12 May 2026...i have not received any update on what is wrong with my car I have been calling with no response from them they promise to call but never do, it's almost a week now I am frustrated without a car and no information, car is still under warranty.
1 reviews | Active since Apr 2026
My car was towed into Nelspruit Multi franchise last week Tuesday 12 May 2026...i have not received any update on what is wrong with my car I have been calling with no response from them they promise to call but never do, it's almost a week now I am frustrated without a car and no information, car is still under warranty.
1 reviews | Active since Apr 2017
It is becoming the problem in South Africa of late to trust car dealership, even the trusted brands are not immune. I bought the Opel Crossland A/T Cosmo fitted with a PureTech 1.2 turbo engine at KIA Fourways in April 2024. The oil consumption was abnormal, higher that all the cars I have driven before. I took the car to Williams Hunt Centurion for a minor service, and requested them to look at the oil consumption issue. They did not detect any fault and the car continued wasting oil. I took the car for another service at Williams Hunt Midrand and I asked them to check the source of oil consumption. I was told that the engine is dead and MUST be replaced, and I was given the quote which is higher than the value of the car itself and my extended warranty could only cover the fraction. The vehicle drove just above 17 000 kms since I bought it. I mean over 17 000 kilometres in two years! Now this brings us to this question: Did KIA Fourways sell the car knowing its inherent problem and never disclosed that to the unsuspecting client?
1 reviews | Active since Apr 2017
It is becoming the problem in South Africa of late to trust car dealership, even the trusted brands are not immune. I bought the Opel Crossland A/T Cosmo fitted with a PureTech 1.2 turbo engine at KIA Fourways in April 2024. The oil consumption was abnormal, higher that all the cars I have driven before. I took the car to Williams Hunt Centurion for a minor service, and requested them to look at the oil consumption issue. They did not detect any fault and the car continued wasting oil. I took the car for another service at Williams Hunt Midrand and I asked them to check the source of oil consumption. I was told that the engine is dead and MUST be replaced, and I was given the quote which is higher than the value of the car itself and my extended warranty could only cover the fraction. The vehicle drove just above 17 000 kms since I bought it. I mean over 17 000 kilometres in two years! Now this brings us to this question: Did KIA Fourways sell the car knowing its inherent problem and never disclosed that to the unsuspecting client?
1 reviews | Active since Jun 2023
I would like to commend Lungani Mzila from Kia Empangeni for his exceptional service. He is highly professional, ensures clear communication and his eagerness to assist made my vehicle purchase an incredibly smooth process. He handled every step with care and efficiency and his customer focused approach truly stands out.
1 reviews | Active since Jun 2023
I would like to commend Lungani Mzila from Kia Empangeni for his exceptional service. He is highly professional, ensures clear communication and his eagerness to assist made my vehicle purchase an incredibly smooth process. He handled every step with care and efficiency and his customer focused approach truly stands out.
1 reviews | Active since Apr 2026
I am writing to formally raise a complaint regarding a persistent and unresolved brake noise issue on my Kia Sonet, purchased in 2023 and serviced at your Kia The Glen dealership. Since the purchase of the vehicle, I have repeatedly experienced a noticeable brake noise when reversing. This issue has been reported to the dealership on multiple occasions. Each time, the brakes have been cleaned; however, the problem continues to recur. Despite being informed that the brakes “meet the required standard,” the issue remains unresolved. The repeated reliance on cleaning as a solution has not addressed the root cause and is not an acceptable long-term remedy for a recurring defect. They have now told me that they are waiting for a technical team to come and have a look since they cant find a solution
1 reviews | Active since Apr 2026
I am writing to formally raise a complaint regarding a persistent and unresolved brake noise issue on my Kia Sonet, purchased in 2023 and serviced at your Kia The Glen dealership. Since the purchase of the vehicle, I have repeatedly experienced a noticeable brake noise when reversing. This issue has been reported to the dealership on multiple occasions. Each time, the brakes have been cleaned; however, the problem continues to recur. Despite being informed that the brakes “meet the required standard,” the issue remains unresolved. The repeated reliance on cleaning as a solution has not addressed the root cause and is not an acceptable long-term remedy for a recurring defect. They have now told me that they are waiting for a technical team to come and have a look since they cant find a solution
1 reviews | Active since Nov 2012
Bought a brand new Kia Sportage which has a software problem which Kia cannot resolve. The throttle response fails every now and then making the vehicle unsafe to drive .It is almost a year now and still no resolution. This was the first and last Kia I will be be purchasing . I have approached the Ombudsman's office to see if they can help.
1 reviews | Active since Nov 2012
Bought a brand new Kia Sportage which has a software problem which Kia cannot resolve. The throttle response fails every now and then making the vehicle unsafe to drive .It is almost a year now and still no resolution. This was the first and last Kia I will be be purchasing . I have approached the Ombudsman's office to see if they can help.
1 reviews | Active since May 2016
I am so shocked at the rotten attitude of Kia Fourways. Firstly, Claude does not respond to voice notes or email the deal on the day promised—this made me feel unvalued. We agreed on a trade-in for our car, and we told Claude clearly we needed to pay a deposit and then required around 4 weeks to get the cash from our funds. Claude understood this and did not object. Then the Sales Manager, Sibusiso, called me and kept interrupting. I told him I wanted to talk to him as Claude was ignoring me, or at least it felt that way. Sibusiso said he would update the quote and forward it, but that 4 weeks is not acceptable as we MUST wrap up the deal this month. This is a complete contradiction to what we agreed on with Claude, which makes it binding, so of course I got upset and communicated my anger. And just because I said this is bullsht, he turned himself into the victim and told me I am swearing at him. Yes, swearing is not good, but I did not swear AT him and simply used a word to release my anger. He then proceeded to play the victim, shouted at me, and put the phone down. I cannot believe that a consumer who was rightfully very angry due to their poor service and lack of commitment is not allowed to say “this is bullsht.” Does he not swear in general conversation or when he gets upset? I am shocked at how confidently he used that one word to turn himself into the victim. He is clearly a bad man and too confident! I am human and I err. So sorry for being human and so sorry for being rightfully angry! You can reply and take his side, but I did nothing wrong. ONLY if i swore at him personally and insulted him would he have the right to put the phone down. Sh*t isn't even a harsh swear word. It is often used in general and even professional conversation. He owes me an apology!
1 reviews | Active since May 2016
I am so shocked at the rotten attitude of Kia Fourways. Firstly, Claude does not respond to voice notes or email the deal on the day promised—this made me feel unvalued. We agreed on a trade-in for our car, and we told Claude clearly we needed to pay a deposit and then required around 4 weeks to get the cash from our funds. Claude understood this and did not object. Then the Sales Manager, Sibusiso, called me and kept interrupting. I told him I wanted to talk to him as Claude was ignoring me, or at least it felt that way. Sibusiso said he would update the quote and forward it, but that 4 weeks is not acceptable as we MUST wrap up the deal this month. This is a complete contradiction to what we agreed on with Claude, which makes it binding, so of course I got upset and communicated my anger. And just because I said this is bullsht, he turned himself into the victim and told me I am swearing at him. Yes, swearing is not good, but I did not swear AT him and simply used a word to release my anger. He then proceeded to play the victim, shouted at me, and put the phone down. I cannot believe that a consumer who was rightfully very angry due to their poor service and lack of commitment is not allowed to say “this is bullsht.” Does he not swear in general conversation or when he gets upset? I am shocked at how confidently he used that one word to turn himself into the victim. He is clearly a bad man and too confident! I am human and I err. So sorry for being human and so sorry for being rightfully angry! You can reply and take his side, but I did nothing wrong. ONLY if i swore at him personally and insulted him would he have the right to put the phone down. Sh*t isn't even a harsh swear word. It is often used in general and even professional conversation. He owes me an apology!
1 reviews | Active since Jul 2019
I am writing to formally raise a complaint regarding a persistent and unresolved brake noise issue on my Kia Sonet, purchased in 2022 and serviced at your Vereeniging dealership. Since the purchase of the vehicle, I have repeatedly experienced a noticeable brake noise when reversing. This issue has been reported to the dealership on multiple occasions. Each time, the brakes have been cleaned; however, this has only provided temporary relief, and the problem continues to recur. Despite being informed that the brakes “meet the required standard,” the issue remains unresolved. The repeated reliance on cleaning as a solution has not addressed the root cause and is not an acceptable long-term remedy for a recurring defect.
1 reviews | Active since Jul 2019
I am writing to formally raise a complaint regarding a persistent and unresolved brake noise issue on my Kia Sonet, purchased in 2022 and serviced at your Vereeniging dealership. Since the purchase of the vehicle, I have repeatedly experienced a noticeable brake noise when reversing. This issue has been reported to the dealership on multiple occasions. Each time, the brakes have been cleaned; however, this has only provided temporary relief, and the problem continues to recur. Despite being informed that the brakes “meet the required standard,” the issue remains unresolved. The repeated reliance on cleaning as a solution has not addressed the root cause and is not an acceptable long-term remedy for a recurring defect.
Kia Motors South Africa has a TrustIndex of 2.3 out of 10 on Hellopeter, based on 62 reviews in the last 12 months. Hellopeter has tracked Kia Motors South Africa across 1,584 total reviews. How is the TrustIndex calculated? →
