Kia drivers march to “A Different Beat.”
In the early days of its inception, Kia handcrafted bicycle parts in Seoul, Korea and the same kind of personal and youthful spirit still exists in their cars.
Kia is a cornerstone of the international auto industry and was Korea’s first automobile export predating even Hyundai. Kia is an exciting brand, and not just because of its occasionally clever ad campaigns and slogans.
Much like their now parent-company Hyundai, Kia is dedicated to constantly surprising new customers and the industry at large with all sorts of creative ideas.
Up until 2015, Kia’s motto was “A Different Beat.” Today it is “The Power to Surprise.” And that’s both a creative ethos and a promise.
Kia vehicles constantly rank high in reliability and safety ratings, but ultimately Kia owners are faced with the option of whether or not to buy a Kia extended warranty for their car.
Like Hyundai, Kia is so confident in their cars that they too are covered by “America’s Best Warranty” just in case those upcoming surprises aren’t so pleasant. What we mean by that is the fact that every car, even one’s built meticulously like KIA are going to need to be fixed up sooner or later.
KIA MANUFACTURER’S WARRANTY
Kia promises every new car will be covered for 10 years and 100,000 miles. They, like Hyundai, are built to last and so is the warranty.
This sounds like a total win-win for buyers, as many people plan to keep their car for ten years or more. But this coverage is limited, remember, as this 10 year and 100,000-mile warranty only covers the basic powertrain components.
While these are very important and very expensive to fix, if you want a full coverage for your Kia vehicle after the factory warranty has ended, you are looking at a third-party provider, like Endurance.
This is an automaker with so much confidence in the quality of their cars and the durability of their parts that they are able to match the industry-leading “America’s Best Warranty” program.
New Kia Vehicle Warranty Coverage:
- 10-year/100,000 mile limited powertrain warranty.
- 5-year/60,000 mile limited basic warranty.
- 5-year/100,000 mile limited anti-perforation warranty.
- 5-year/60,000 mile roadside assistance plan.
Note that only KIA vehicles manufactured between 2009 and present qualify for this coverage.
THE LIMITS OF THE KIA WARRANTY
There’s no denying Hyundai and Kia are industry leaders when it comes to providing coverage vehicles in the event of a manufacturer’s defect. However, they have the same limits that every automaker has. For one thing, every Kia owner must only take their vehicle to certified Kia of America dealership service centers to have any repairs performed.
Another limit is that your coverage option simply will never be the same for you if you purchase a used or certified pre-owned Kia vehicle. At most you would qualify for Kia’s 5-Year/60,000-Mile “New Vehicle Limited Warranty.”
Only specific vehicles under the Kia brand would also qualify for the 7 years/unlimited “anti-perforation warranty” too. There’s also the matter that your access to Kia’s 24 hour roadside assistance ends in 5 years or 60,000 miles if you buy a used car.
Kia 10-year/100,000-mile warranty program will help new Kia owners cover their repairs.
However, we know for a fact that many Kia owners are either keeping their cars longer than 10 years OR, purchased older model years. There’s plenty of upsides to accessing Kia’s network and service but not many options for Kia drivers who don’t fit into the limits and criteria that even Kia’s industry-leading warranty protects.
Cars Covered Under Kia Extended Warranties:
| Rio | Soul | Forte |
| Optima | Cadenza | K9 |
| Niro | Sportage | Sorrento |
| Carens | Carnival | Cerato |
WHAT TO DO IF YOUR KIA MANUFACTURERS WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED
The reason why the industry even provides warranties in the first place is that automakers understand that repairs will cost more over time and especially if drivers keep their car longer. Even if the cars are made to last, ever driver will inevitably spend on an unpleasant surprise sooner or later.
Kia doesn’t have an extended warranty option per se. Not like Hyundai.
Most Kia retailers instead work with independent vehicle service contract providers to offer extended coverage on select vehicles. Kia vehicles are some of the best in the world but think about how the most common Kia repairs really add up.
We’ll use the Soul, their current bestseller, as an example. Replacing or repairing a broken alternator, according to RepairPal, can cost several hundred dollars.
Other common repairs, if unattended, can be very expensive. Since all of the parts of a Kia work together, the chances that they breakdown together are very high. And suddenly you are left with a repair bill in the high thousands, and that is certainly not the “surprise” Kia had in mind for you either.
That’s why it is a good idea to look into extending the kind of coverage Kia once provided under their manufacturer’s warranty. And a third-party independent provider of vehicle service contracts, like Endurance will work to match that level of protection for longer.
WHAT COMPONENTS AND PARTS ARE COVERED UNDER THE KIA FACTORY WARRANTY?
As a major subsidiary of Hyundai, Kia is very much a comprehensive warranty provider in the industry.
Since they don’t have to directly compete with an industry leader like Hyundai and aren’t really competing with third-party providers given their own unique limits, providers like Endurance can match the warranty coverage.
Endurance will match the comprehensiveness of Kia’s coverage before continuing it so long as the car is yours or whoever you transfer it too.
That’s another benefit of buying from a third party. The ability to transfer your coverage benefits to the next vehicle owner is something that no automaker can do.
10 years is a long time and Kia is right to tote the quality of their cars. However, the modern driver simply doesn’t always buy new nor do they buy and trade within that 10 year period. And while Kia’s new car warranty is almost akin to Exclusionary coverage, after a while fewer things besides the powertrain and core driving components will be protected.
Here are parts that a vehicle service contract, commonly referred to as an extended auto warranty, can cover beyond the powertrain:
- Air Conditioner
- Brakes
- Cooling System
- Drive Axle Assembly
- Electronic Components
- Front & Rear Suspension
- Fuel System
- Seals & Gaskets *
- Transfer Unit
- Transmission
- Turbocharger / Supercharger
None of these components qualify for coverage under limited policies Kia provides, even when still under the 10-year warranty.
These are gaps that few in the auto industry bother to cover and that’s where a reputable independent provider can provide additional safety nets.
It’s quite simple, you don’t necessarily need to wait for your car’s manufacturer warranty to end to consider extended coverage. There are so many benefits that will help you in that immediate time.
KIA WARRANTY EMERGENCY ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE, TRIP INTERRUPTION, AND RENTAL CAR BENEFITS
Kia has good roadside assistance but at most you’ll only be able to use and call them toll-free for the first 5 years of your vehicle ownership. The reason they do this is that they know that their cars are less likely to break down in that time period even if they are willing to lend a hand in emergencies regardless.
Yes, Kia happily assists you out of the usual minor mishaps—dead batteries, flats (provided you have a spare that isn’t flat), running out of gas—and they’ll do it at no charge.
However, bigger warranty issues are less likely to happen at this time. After? If your car breaks down in your 6th or 7th year of ownership, you can still call Kia but it may no longer be as financially beneficial to you as if that breakdown happened but a few years earlier.
Under a third-party vehicle service contract, you’ll have access to 24/7 roadside assistance with far fewer limits.
So long as you are covered, you will have the ability to call for towing even away from Kia service centers.
Should you have the misfortune of experiencing a break down late in the day, during a weekend or a holiday, unlike Kia who will tow and store your car with a Kia-approved vendor before waiting the next business day to begin repairs, companies like Endurance will immediately take you to the nearest ASL shop immediately if that is what you want.
Trip Interruption and Rental Benefits remain even in the later, higher mileage time of your car’s life, and that’s something that ends with most manufacturer’s warranties early.
KIA EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE OPTIONS
As we mentioned earlier, the main limit with manufacturer warranties is that they provide only the best level of coverage for brand new vehicles.
We know how much car buyers want to save money and choose to buy used or pre-owned vehicles and they deserve just as equally comprehensive coverage options as new owners too.
At most, a used Kia will only be protected by them for 5 to 7 years. Kia is not doing this for bad reasons, they are just following the path of the larger auto industry.
The truth of the matter is that every automaker, no matter how well-intentioned or confident in their cars, they are going to be hesitant to covering cars and components that have been driven a long time or bought & traded a couple of times with the same completeness of new cars that rolled out of the factory.
That’s the one big advantage independent companies like Endurance have over automakers when it comes to protecting cars. They can afford to take the risk and offer that same level of coverage for an older or used car. So it’s as if you have all of the benefits and the same kind of safety net afforded to you with a new car.
SHOPPING FOR AN EXTENDED KIA WARRANTY
Any time you look around the internet for insurance or extended warranties you need to do your proper research. Look at every provider’s accreditation. Familiarize yourself with the vocabulary, as some providers call their coverage an “Extended Auto Warranty” and others use the proper name “Vehicle Service Contract” and these are often used interchangeably.
Either way, the name tells you that this is not directly from the manufacturer’s plan. Kia and Hyundai offer industry-leading warranties but neither company nor their direct competitors cover beyond that.
So look up reputable providers. Get a sense of their history and what they can offer on certain makes and models, not just Kia.
Endurance can be called for a quote directly, quickly and will help run through all of your coverage options in a matter of minutes. You’ll hear and see for yourself how Endurance will pick up the slack from automakers like Kia and continue to shield you from the high costs of repairs.
Take note that there truly is no actual Kia extended warranty. Many Kia dealers who offer such coverage may or may not tell you but, the coverage they are selling you on doesn’t come directly from Hyundai themselves.
What they sell is from other providers. It is convenient to buy from the same dealer selling you the car but the caveat is that they are going to upcharge you for that convenience and to profit. It’s a convenience fee. How comfortable you are with that or not is up to you but as with all investments the key is to save money.
HOW A KIA VEHICLE SERVICE CONTRACT WORKS
We know that Kia drivers like surprises but that usually means surprises in the performance, style, and reliability of their cars. No driver likes surprises like hidden fees or realizing their coverage isn’t accepted at a shop of their choice.
That’s why Endurance put their coverage plans to work no differently than factory coverage. It’s almost as if you won’t notice the difference once you go from one safety net to the next.
Endurance, like Kia motors, knows who are customers are. And we all know what a Kia driver will want and need when it comes to covering their vehicles should the time come to make life-saving repairs. Endurance will work very hard to deliver even as competitors and even some automakers make the choice to avoid delivering on automotive protection.
Kia’s warranty is one of the best but fine print such as limiting your service and to their dealerships and only using OEM parts are things that a vehicle service contract isn’t limited by.
Your car breaks down, call Endurance Roadside Assistance, we take you to the shop of your choice, give the mechanic your card and we’ll take care of the rest.
The best part is all of the tertiary benefits such as trip interruption, rental cars and award-winning customer service all come directly from Endurance too.
KIA FACTORY WARRANTY + ENDURANCE = TOTAL PROTECTION
Kia vehicles get top marks from consumer publications and rightly so. Kia and their parent company Hyundai have strong reputations and have been in the industry a long enough time to be considered leaders.
So is Endurance. With more than 10 years in the industry and several accreditations under our belt, Endurance can continue to protect you and your car following the example set by automakers like Kia.
Like any company in the business of cars, we offer all sorts of payment options, coverage options that will shift depending on your needs.
You may find you don’t want the exact coverage you had under the manufacturer, and with Endurance, you can choose what about your car is specifically important to you, your make/model and driving habits.
All you need to do is give Endurance a call to see that the power to surprise when it comes to protecting your car isn’t exclusive to Kia.
MORE ABOUT KIA WARRANTIES:
You might have more than a few questions about your Kia.
The most frequently asked questions with regards to Kia or your make and model’s history, visit anyone one of the sites below.
Drivers and vehicle owners alike should never let themselves wait for more unpleasant surprises to happen to their car. The key is to stay knowledgeable when it comes to anything and everything that could go wrong with your car.
General Recalls, Problems, and Defects: https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls
Kia Owner Reviews: https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/car-brands/kiai/index.htm
Kia Automotive Recalls: https://www.kia.com/us/en/content/owners/safety-recall
FAQs: Kia Extended Warranty
- Where can I get my Kia serviced for repairs?
Endurance provides well-rounded coverage for both new and used vehicles that allow you to take your car to any certified mechanic. In order to remain covered under Kia’s warranty agreement, you must go to a Kia dealership which limits the customer from receiving service anywhere.
- Is my warranty transferable through Kia?
The only way you would be able to transfer your warranty in the instance that you are selling a car, would be if you were under warranty with a 3rd party provider, like Endurance.
- What do Endurance warranties cover that Kia warranties do not?
The nice thing about Endurance is that we offer 4 different coverage options that cover all different items and vary in prices.
We also launched our Endurance Elite Membership which offers total protection to customers at no extra cost. Our program provides 24/7 Roadside assistance and up to $5,000 in repair loans that can be paid in easy payment installments.
You can also stay up-to-date with your plan on our Endurance Protect App that allows for easy access to your account.
- What extended warranty covers the most for the best price?
Endurance offers four different coverage plans, with the Supreme Plan covering everything from AC to turbo and supercharger, and the Select Premiere eliminating coverage on power items like brakes, gaskets, and steering. Everybody looks for something different in their protection plans, so we recognize that and work to provide an option that is suitable for everyone.
- How do I get a quote for an extended warranty?
You can request a quote at the Endurance homepage by easily filling out your vehicle information, phone number, and email to a get a free quote in as quick as minutes!
