[DaveWes]

Hello I'm new to this forum.
I bought a Rio from a Main dealer in September 2021 with less than 3000 miles on the clock but with no service book. I asked for one but was fobbed off. I had to return it for a software fault which was updated and took the oportunity to ask specifically for a service book. I was given one immediately as though I only needed to ask but it was brand spanking new off the shelf with nothing in it. But the relevant data was in their computer.
The car is superb but there is something odd about its history that I need to understand.

It was registered in January 2021 which means I have to have the first service after only four months which I have to pay for because they said it would have been too early to service it before purchase.
Yet I was called by Kia to book a service before the end of October because I had "bought" the car a year previous. The service manager told me to ignore that so I need to see the service history.

I called in at another Kia dealer who said they always issue service books and service all vehicles before they are taken away.
My local small garage confirmed that BMW, Mercedes Audi and Mazda all use online records but advised me to get the first service done by a main dealer who will then enter all the data ( engine, chassis numbers etc) that should have been entered by my dealership initially.
I am very satisfied with the car but after twenty years of buying Fords this is the first purchase to leave me curious.
Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Chrispy1]

This seems strange has we got told there is no central records on line.
Ring Kia Customer Service 0333 202 2990 or message them from their Facebook page Kia UK | Facebook . Normally get a reply the same day from facebook..

 

[DaveWes]

Thanks Chrispy. I've just received the definitive answer from Kia UK

Hi Dave Thanks for your message. We are developing our aftersales systems and MyKia to be ‘smarter’ and expect this to include all service and repair records in the future. This will be a long process however so in the meantime, all services should be stamped in the book for safe keeping. As servicing is otherwise only held by the dealer and not Kia UK, there is risk of it being lost if the dealer closes their Kia franchise or are taken over by another business. Please ask you dealer to stamp for all the services they’ve done. Kind regards Kia Customer Service.

 

[iooi]

Thanks Chrispy. I've just received the definitive answer from Kia UK

Hi Dave Thanks for your message. We are developing our aftersales systems and MyKia to be ‘smarter’ and expect this to include all service and repair records in the future. This will be a long process however so in the meantime, all services should be stamped in the book for safe keeping. As servicing is otherwise only held by the dealer and not Kia UK, there is risk of it being lost if the dealer closes their Kia franchise or are taken over by another business. Please ask you dealer to stamp for all the services they’ve done. Kind regards Kia Customer Service.

Might be worth while looking as a service package for your car if you intend to keep it long term.

Service Plans - Buy online - Service Plans | Kia UK

Are you thinking of buying a service plan for your new car? Just click this link to fill out any required information and you'll be driving in no time!

www.kia.com

We have had them on all our Kia's and they have worked out cheaper. Added bonus is you know you do not have to worry about service costs for the next 3 years, with 3 year package & you can extend it for another 2 years at the end of the 3 years if you want.

My service book on the Niro does not have any car info in it, but has been stamped for it's 1st service. Previous cars have always had details on the 1st page. But I do know that the dealer I use do keep digital records of all our services.

 

[macgd016]

Hello I'm new to this forum.
I bought a Rio from a Main dealer in September 2021 with less than 3000 miles on the clock but with no service book. I asked for one but was fobbed off. I had to return it for a software fault which was updated and took the oportunity to ask specifically for a service book. I was given one immediately as though I only needed to ask but it was brand spanking new off the shelf with nothing in it. But the relevant data was in their computer.
The car is superb but there is something odd about its history that I need to understand.

It was registered in January 2021 which means I have to have the first service after only four months which I have to pay for because they said it would have been too early to service it before purchase.
Yet I was called by Kia to book a service before the end of October because I had "bought" the car a year previous. The service manager told me to ignore that so I need to see the service history.

I called in at another Kia dealer who said they always issue service books and service all vehicles before they are taken away.
My local small garage confirmed that BMW, Mercedes Audi and Mazda all use online records but advised me to get the first service done by a main dealer who will then enter all the data ( engine, chassis numbers etc) that should have been entered by my dealership initially.
I am very satisfied with the car but after twenty years of buying Fords this is the first purchase to leave me curious.
Any advice would be appreciated.

Kia's service recording is centralised like some German marques but easily manageable. Kia do have a record of when a car is first sold/registered but do not have a central record of when cars are serviced so for this reason it is vital you get the service book stamped and kept safe. It is also the case that the dealer may or may or may not stamp the service book when they first sell the car, mine wasn't and I think this is just slovenly and bad practice 🙄

So the only question is why Kia have advised you to get the car serviced in October when it was first registered in January. Just to be on the safe side (as I rarely trust anyone let alone car dealers 😭) I would be inclined to pm KCS and ask them to confirm your car is on their record as Jan 21 and not Oct 20, this way you remove any concern about a possible future warranty being declined due to the first service being late.

 

[iooi]

Kia's service recording is centralised like some German marques but easily manageable. Kia do have a record of when a car is first sold/registered but do not have a central record of when cars are serviced so for this reason it is vital you get the service book stamped and kept safe. It is also the case that the dealer may or may or may not stamp the service book when they first sell the car, mine wasn't and I think this is just slovenly and bad practice 🙄

So the only question is why Kia have advised you to get the car serviced in October when it was first registered in January. Just to be on the safe side (as I rarely trust anyone let alone car dealers 😭) I would be inclined to pm KCS and ask them to confirm your car is on their record as Jan 21 and not Oct 20, this way you remove any concern about a possible future warranty being declined due to the first service being late.

I take it you missed out the "NOT"

Also I can see no where that Kia advised OP to get car serviced in October..

OP said

I bought a Rio from a Main dealer in September 2021
It was registered in January 2021 which means I have to have the first service after only four months

So that takes OP to January.

Op's situation is very much like mine. Car Registered in October, I bought end of January. So I had to service it in October.

 

[macgd016]

Well yes and no 😊

I did omit the NOT and meant to say Kia don't keep centralised service records so thanks for clarifying that.

But the OP did say "Yet I was called by Kia to book a service before the end of October because I had "bought" the car a year previous" which I took to mean this October but perhaps I have misunderstood.

 

[DaveWes]

I wonder if I've opened a can of worms.
Just reading some of the very interesting topics I noticed one on LED headlights that suggested the changeover point may have been around October 2020. My car has Halogen headlights.which would suggest it was built before that date but registered in January 2021.
I have no problem with that but it might explain why the Kia call centre assumed I had bought the car in October 2020.

I forwarded my Facebook reply from Kia UK to my dealer but unusually for them, Ive heard nothing.

As stated previously I like the car very much so perhaps should let sleeping dogs lie. I'll take out a 3 year service contract with the other dealership because they don't sound so devious.

 

[macgd016]

Not exactly a can of worms but there are certainly some questions for the dealer to answer.

Firstly decoding the VIN number will tell you when the car was built and you can do that using this What is a VIN(Vehicle Identification Number)? | Kia Motors Indonesia and you can check when the car was first registered here GOV.UK - Enter the registration number of the vehicle

You will find that the Reg Checker will tell you when the car was first registered and when the current plate was put on the car. Changes of plate can happen for various legitimate reasons but if the dealer sold the car as first registered in Jan 21 but it was first registered in Oct 20 that is fraudulent.

If you find the car was manufactured in Oct 20 but it was first registered in Jan 21 as the dealer told you there is just the question of why and there might be a reasonable explanation. However, if it was first registered in Oct 20 and the plate was changed in Jan 21 the dealer has some tough questions to answer as they have mis sold the car and I would have thought, if you want to keep it, you would be looking for a financial settlement and free service.

Kia can also help you here as my understanding is they log vehicles on their central database when they are First Registered and this is the date that their Warranty runs from and when they expect the service schedule to start, this is why I suggested PMing KIa to find out what they have on their records as this is very important. If you explain the situation it will also alert them in case the service has to be completed this month and you are still in dispute with the dealer.

Best of luck and please keep us informed

 

[iooi]

I wonder if I've opened a can of worms.
Just reading some of the very interesting topics I noticed one on LED headlights that suggested the changeover point may have been around October 2020. My car has Halogen headlights.which would suggest it was built before that date but registered in January 2021.
I have no problem with that but it might explain why the Kia call centre assumed I had bought the car in October 2020.

I forwarded my Facebook reply from Kia UK to my dealer but unusually for them, Ive heard nothing.

As stated previously I like the car very much so perhaps should let sleeping dogs lie. I'll take out a 3 year service contract with the other dealership because they don't sound so devious.

What date does the V5 state as registration date?

Take the service plan out online (same price) and that covers you for any Kia dealer. Just watch out for any dealers offering a service plan that ties you to using only them.