I bought the car used. Around one month later, the check engine light came on. The code read as an emissions or vapor leak, not sure which. The car was covered under the 1 month basic guarantee they gave me, so they worked on it for free. I think they said they cleaned around the gas tank hole or something. However, this was to be only the first instance of a reoccurring engine light problem.
Since buying this car used, the check engine light has extremely often come on for no good reason. The code usually reads as an emissions leak. We took the car to a Kia dealer, who worked on it 3 times and cost us $500. They replaced pretty much everything that could possibly be associated with this, but the light still came back on. Finally, they replaced some cheap part and the light mostly stayed off. The light can sometimes be persuaded to go off by adding gas (may go off after you then drive 10-20 miles) or just by opening and closing the gas cap.
This problem is a pain in the ass for two reasons. First, the "boy who cried wolf" effect means the driver may ignore a valid engine problem, since they expect the engine light has come on for no good reason. Second, your car cannot pass state inspections (at least, in NC), which means you can't renew your registration.
- Molly A.,
Greensboro, NC, US
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A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
I bought the car used. Around one month later, the check engine light came on. The code read as an emissions or vapor leak, not sure which. The car was covered under the 1 month basic guarantee they gave me, so they worked on it for free. I think they said they cleaned around the gas tank hole or something. However, this was to be only the first instance of a reoccurring engine light problem.
- Molly A., Greensboro, NC, US