About a year after I bought my wife’s Kia 2009 Sportage 2.0L from Dana Motors on the 4th of Jan 2010, it developed a so-called rear axle fault and due to the car being under warranty, we took it back to Germaine Motors; Dana Motors’ accredited repair shop. This fault was supposedly fixed and everything seemed fine until I discovered the re-emergence of the fault again this past February 2013. Once again we took the car to Germaine Motors on the 23rd of February for repair but since it was just about a month out of warranty, they advised that we took the car to Kia Motors themselves for repair; that repair at their shop may cost up to N500,000.00 and also that that quite a number of these models of Kia Sportage had this re-occurring fault . Germaine mentioned that as a matter of fact, some cars had been returned up to 4 times for repair due to this fault. Please note that while the car was at Germaine we also decided to carry out the routine maintenance service.

On the 8th of March 2013, I, in the company of my wife drove the car down to Kia Motors. On our way there we were shocked to find out that the car that had just been serviced at Germaine Motors was seriously seizing and threatening to switch off. We however managed to get it down to Kia Motors safely. At Kia, we explained to the service manager, Vijay the history with this so-called axle problem and the refusal of Germaine to repair the car. He promised to look into the matter and come up with a solution. We also mentioned the seizing we observed on our way down to the technician on duty , Mr Kingsley Uka.

On Monday 11th of March 2013, I received a call from Kingsley Uka claiming that the rear wheel axle isn’t the faulty part but the rear wheel bearing actually was. When asked if our warranty still applied, he made a bizarre statement that for this particular fault, warranty expired after 40,000km. It should interest you to note that this car in question is just 45,000 km and that the warranty agreement stipulates a 3 year period or 100,000Km for coverage. Mr Kingsley Uka had conveniently stated 40,000km as the warranty expiration mileage. Very fraudulent of him indeed!
He went on to claim that the reason for the seizure was because water - probably while the engine was being washed by Germaine - had entered the engine and that the spark plugs, spark plugs cable assembly amongst other things would need to be changed. I immediately called his boss, Vijay and after much arguing, I succumbed to his stance that warranty wasn’t covered any longer and that I would pay for the repair of the rear wheel bearing at a spare part cost of N35,000.00. The total bill estimate for the repair of the car, including the damage attributed to Germaine Motors carelessness together with Kia’s labour charges, amounted to N127,000. 00. This was the state of things as of 11th of March 2013 and since Kia Motors repeatedly failed to send the bill estimate via mail to either my email or that of my wife’s over a 9 day period, I had my staff go over to their office and pick the estimate up on 20th Mar 2013 which I subsequently presented to Germaine Motors on the 21st of Mar 2013 as proof of claims of damage made by Kia against Germaine. The business manager, Mr Johnson, at Germaine Motors offered to take responsibility for the part of the bill that concerns them and was ready to send his mechanic down to Kia Motors to confirm any claims of damage as a result of negligence on their part.

Since Germaine Motors indicated their readiness to fix the damage claimed by Kia Motors, I asked Kia Motors to go ahead with the repair of the rear wheel bearing only. This saga however took a new turn that same day, when Mr Kinsgley Uka of Kia Motors - after granting him the go ahead to repair the rear wheel bearing and after he had been informed that Germaine will fix the remaining faults, called me to inform me that a mistake was done on the estimate and the right cost for a spare rear wheel bearing was N75, 000.00 not N35, 000.00!!!! I immediately asked him to desist from working on the car as this sudden hike in price after go ahead had just been given - and after over a week of charging a much lower cost - indicated entrapment and a ploy to squeeze more money out of me seeing that Germaine Motors was ready to handle repairs to the other damages claimed by Kia. Things got stranger when Mr Johnson of Germaine motors called me complaining that his mechanic had been to Kia motors this morning but was refused access to the car because Kia Motors claimed they had repaired the damage they claim was done by Germaine Motors but bizarrely left out the repair of the rear wheel bearing that they were asked to repair (before the price hike) in the first place. Mr Kingsley Uka of Kia Motors also insisted that cars are not brought into their yard without some sort of bill being paid and that their charges for the repair of damage caused by Germaine Motors Is N59,000.00

Any sensible human being will marvel at the absurdity of the manner in which Kia Motors and Germaine Motors have conducted themselves. It is rather sad that the shenanigans and ploys you would expect to face when dealing with a road side mechanic is what I am unfortunately facing with the these so-called “reputable and professional” companies. I seek redress for the inconvenience and stress I have been made to endure and for the immediate repair of my car and its return in good working condition!

@ underground



You''ve taken the right decision by taking the matter to. the public. You can also take the case to a radio station like star fm. Nothing works like bad publicity for such organisation. Indians are fond of taking us for rides in Nigeria. But they hate bad publicity. Ask to speak with Moyo or Mofe on Star FM program anchored everyday between 8-9am weekdays.

The lessons, consult widely before you spend your hard earned money on an untested brand of Vehicle. Most people in the auto industry will not touch certain brands of vehicle with 10ft pole.

You were even lucky your vehicle could cover up to 45, 000km before the faults became pronounced.

Some of us will stick to Toyota, Nissan and Honda in that order because those are tested and confirmed brands.

Secondly, if you desire to go the long haul, and all the above options fail, consult your lawyer, and join the two companles in the suit. You will see a quick resolution of the case. Because they will like to settle of court.

But I am sure they will resolve it once it gets to the radio station.

Keep us updated on the issue

Thanks page 9. I have already briefed my lawyer and he is taking it up with them. My grouse isn't with the bill they are issuing but with the fact that they are trying to play a fast one on me and that they have obviously pulled this stunt on so many unsuspecting Nigerians and gotten away with it. I really want to put a stop to this nonsense and see to it that standards, from the quality of products imported into this country to the customer care we receive, is improved. Perhaps, you could also provide me with Star FMs number. I intend to create as much publicity as possible.
Germaine in particular has a history of poor service to customers. I have had an unpleasant experience with them with my Toyota in the past and several people I talked to had only negative things to say about them. The only reason we serviced the Kia at Germaine was because they were the only recommended accredited service shop within the area we live.

Naturally, I wouldn't buy a Kia or Hyundai but my wife desperately needed a new car then and the car fell into the range of what could be afforded immediately.

Seriously those are the worst cars I wouldn't wish my enemy..
I got a Kia soul as a wedding gift and I totally agree with you on the shabby treatment I recieve for the exorbitant cost on minor issues coupled with the shabby treatment at Germaine.

Last year i was with a colleague who had a similar issue but his was a Kia optima 2010 purchased i 2011 and has issues on the the gear box and the vijay of a guy told him he is not under warranty (car under 45000km) and they asked him to pay over 400k for a new gear box, my colleague shouted and was beginning to attract attention they they suddenly changed their. Mind and replaced it free.

Like you said and i agree with you those Indians have succeeded In Taking a lot of Nigerians for a ride and they think they can do it with everybody, These have to stop.

@ underground

Try this no 07036185876, will try get more phone nos for you on Monday.

The real reason why Nigeria is like this is simply because we are very docile people. We don't like to challenge the status quo and when you go out of your way to challenge some of these absurdities, you are seen as the odd one out of the lot who will just conform rather than complain.

We have several government agencies charged with the responsibility of protecting the Nigerian consumers. Such as Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Consumer Protection Agency (CPA), but what do you see all around? Substandard products!

Most of these organisations have become inefficient due to corruption.

You can write the Consumer Protection Agency too, will try get their Lagos office contact from someone in the coming week.

We also need to take our

@ underground

Try this no 07036185876, will try get more phone nos for you on Monday.

The real reason why Nigeria is like this is simply because we are very docile people. We don't like to challenge the status quo and when you go out of your way to challenge some of these absurdities, you are seen as the odd one out of the lot who will just conform rather than complain.

We have several government agencies charged with the responsibility of protecting the Nigerian consumers. Such as Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Consumer Protection Agency (CPA), but what do you see all around? Substandard products!

Most of these organisations have become inefficient due to corruption.

You can write the Consumer Protection Agency too, will try get their Lagos office contact from someone in the coming week.

We also need to take our destinies in our own hand and form a united front either as a pressure group or an NGO against substandard products or services.

It will serve as platform for any aggrieved Nigerian to call and get redress.

Lawyers in the house can help us out on this.

Personally, I hate injustice more so and worse still, from foreigners .

[size=13pt]1. Try Consumer Protection Council. Their Abuja office is very dependable. so pls try Lagos office. Indians are afraid of government embarrassment. Just look for their address and office mobile on google.

2. Go to star FM as he said

3. Let ur lawyer press charges immediately.

U can mount pressure on KIA and GERMAINE Motors by trying these three options simultaneously. A lot of these expartriates in Naija believe that Nigerians are 'Mumu'.

And when its resolved. Let every1 know.

Besides, dont forget to document all ur correspondences with them as much as possible.[/size]

[size=13pt]... I got this information online but please verify....

Consumer Protection Council...18, Ilupeju By-Pass, Ilupeju, Lagos For Complaints and Enquiries: NGOZIKA Obidike: 08034003326[/size]

oadah: Seriously those are the worst cars I wouldn't wish my enemy..
I got a Kia soul as a wedding gift and I totally agree with you on the shabby treatment I recieve for the exorbitant cost on minor issues coupled with the shabby treatment at Germaine.

Last year i was with a colleague who had a similar issue but his was a Kia optima 2010 purchased i 2011 and has issues on the the gear box and the vijay of a guy told him he is not under warranty (car under 45000km) and they asked him to pay over 400k for a new gear box, my colleague shouted and was beginning to attract attention they they suddenly changed their. Mind and replaced it free.

Like you said and i agree with you those Indians have succeeded In Taking a lot of Nigerians for a ride and they think they can do it with everybody, These have to stop.

Just imagine what you need to do to get these bastards to do the right thing. In fact, I am emboldened more than ever to get this thing resolved. Like I said before, I see this as a fight for all Nigerians that are being exploited by these criminals.

Thanks guys for all the support and info. Much appreciated!

My dear sorry for ur ordeal. I don't wrk 4 kia motors but I just want to say that every model of any car has its pros and cons. If u followed car reviews u wld hav seen that that ur model of sportage had a factory error. I use a kia and for 5years I hav only changedd pads and timing belt. On the other hand, I sold my camry only after. 2 years of use due to incessant fault. Should I sue toyota company too. Sometimes the faults are due to poor handling. For ex. If u drive a 4WD,

As I was saying, if u drive a 4WD, u must disengage it and swirch to 2wD if u intend to drive beyond 60km. How many of u know dat. Kia engines are built to last with synthetic oil(mobil 1 or total 9000) and not the ones u commonly use. Do u know dat? U must not tow a 4WD backwards, it wld damage ur axle (but u guys allow LASMA people to do dat). The point? Have sufficient knowlege about any vehicle u intend 2 use.........

...............as in 60km/hr

So Kia r weak cars (we know that )and very expensive parts n maintenance !!!!

Why people still buying them !!! U can buy EOD wt d price of Picanto that doesn't hv side airbag !! Certain death in case of side impact !! WTF !!

My friend has a Kia Rio 2005 !! Timing belt cut twice in a month n bend the rods !! Car parked n engine open for 10 days !! Abt 50K each time( local mecanic )

My EOD has timing chain that never cut not belt !!
My Eod Gos Bless is working like pikup for 2 years I drive it like a rally car offroad !! only visit the mecanic to change oil... N drink minerals !!!
I'm talking too much abt my EOD !! What left to 4runner n hilux !!

What I know is that every 1 should follow his people n area, see what ur people r driving n follow them
If ur in d north Honda n VW n toyota , peaugeot or benz shikena
South port toyota or what the people drive , lagos same

Don't try to be special or sparkling n buy brand new korean toys !! Just follow the majority

My cousin she got picanto !! She think its cute !! I was driving it in abuja !! WTF at 100km/h the car starts shaking wt d breese( body aerodinamic not wheel balancing ) at 120 its like a boat in d river !! No control !!safety first guys !! What if u match break on slikey road !! God protect !!

Sir, without disrespect, you should have bought a good Tokunbo Jeep at the rate of amount you bought a new brand KIA.. Take for instance, you bought a Nissan Pathfinder 05 jeep that could serve you 5 years without any major repairs but servicing.. I don't have trust in any new KIA product. Hyundai is even better. Well, like majority in the house said, report those Indian Fvcks to appropriate authorities. They are scammers and it pains me that some Nigerians are so docile and won't take matters up when it matters most... Goodluck sir and keep us posted..

I will Neva consider a kia .had my frontier 2002 for close to 2years now .I bought it with 52k and now 86k. still runs like new....and my wife's volvo s40 is now 136 still works perfectly well..honestly I don't foresee a kia attaining 200k mile...have some friends with kia s too if its not one tin its the oda...Indians are fraudulent ,I have a couple of them as business partner

So this is the update so far:
I called Ngozika Obidike of the Consumer Protection Council and I must say those guys are not organized or structured in any manner. They do not have a central line that you can call except Obidike's mobile number which sometimes is even switched off. I had escalated this issue to her since Monday 25th and even sent a mail but still yet, no action has been taken. It will surprise you to know that their email address is actually a yahoo address: cpc.lagos@yahoo.co.uk. Also Obidike claimed not to see my mail until Wednesday by which time I had resent the mail several times.Very disappointing indeed!! I again called her yesterday and she feigned surprise that none of her "agents" has called me back to take up the matter. I complained that their pace is too slow and that the following day- today- was a public holiday and that from the look of things, nothing,if ever, will happen until next week at the earliest. She told me not to worry and that they know what they are doing.... Abeg, does anyone here know anyone at CPC personally that can be talked to so that they take this matter seriously??

STAR FM: Let me not even go into that much cos I have been calling that number Chiebube provided and yet no one picks it up!!

Anyway, my lawyer is going to write Kia a letter this coming week. I was hoping that a three pronged attack which included the other options would put pressure on these guys to show them how serious i am and that i would not stand for their cheating. It pains me so much that we do not enjoy enough protection from the government and when stuff like this happens, there are not enough right organizations where we can seek redress.

I really want to handle Kia the way they deserve to be handled and put a stop to this nonsense! Just how can I company claim some damage, i then tell them to hold on, that their partner company is going to take responsibility for this claimed damage but they still go ahead and fix this claimed damage on their own without permission. That is entrapment and day light robbery as far as i am concerned!!! How can this get to the frontpage cos I want to make as much noise as possible and put this in public light.

And yes, never in my life am I buying a Kia or Hyundai product again!! They are crap. I am thinking of selling off this car as soon as I can

Underground: So this is the update so far:
I called Ngozika Obidike of the Consumer Protection Council and I must say those guys are not organized or structured in any manner. They do not have a central line that you can call except Obidike's mobile number which sometimes is even switched off. I had escalated this issue to her since Monday 25th and even sent a mail but still yet, no action has been taken. It will surprise you to know that their email address is actually a yahoo address: cpc.lagos@yahoo.co.uk. Also Obidike claimed not to see my mail until Wednesday by which time I had resent the mail several times.Very disappointing indeed!! I again called her yesterday and she feigned surprise that none of her "agents" has called me back to take up the matter. I complained that their pace is too slow and that the following day- today- was a public holiday and that from the look of things, nothing,if ever, will happen until next week at the earliest. She told me not to worry and that they know what they are doing.... Abeg, does anyone here know anyone at CPC personally that can be talked to so that they take this matter seriously??

STAR FM: Let me not even go into that much cos I have been calling that number Chiebube provided and yet no one picks it up!!

Anyway, my lawyer is going to write Kia a letter this coming week. I was hoping that a three pronged attack which included the other options would put pressure on these guys to show them how serious i am and that i would not stand for their cheating. It pains me so much that we do not enjoy enough protection from the government and when stuff like this happens, there are not enough right organizations where we can seek redress.

I really want to handle Kia the way they deserve to be handled and put a stop to this nonsense! Just how can I company claim some damage, i then tell them to hold on, that their partner company is going to take responsibility for this claimed damage but they still go ahead and fix this claimed damage on their own without permission. That is entrapment and day light robbery as far as i am concerned!!! How can this get to the frontpage cos I want to make as much noise as possible and put this in public light.

Sorry to say but CPC is so unstructured, but I will get to the acting DG and revert back to this forum before work commences next week, this shit must come to the forefront, whoever these Indians are paying to cover things up will betray them this time.....

Underground: And yes, never in my life am I buying a Kia or Hyundai product again!! They are crap. I am thinking of selling off this car as soon as I can

It's a rather unfortunate incident and the issue is not the car, it'd the quality of service or lack of it. I had an issue with airtel. I paid for a data bundle and they didn't deliver the bundle till today, airtel is owned by Indians!
You could institute a joint action suite against KIA, that is if other busef customers can join you.
It's not really their fault, the government is sleeping so everyone is having a field day with Nigerians!
Things will change for the better.

Could we have this on front page please.....

I feel that the new Kias, Hyundais and Hondas shipped from the manufacturer to Nigeria and West Africa in general are sub-standard. Being in the logistics/auto repair business, I have seen this first hand. I cannot tell you how many major defects we have had to face. On the other hand, the same models bought tokunbo from the States serve much more reliably as the parts used and standards adhered to are much higher. I feel car manufacturers feel they can get away with shipping substandard products to the West African region as buyers attribute any problems that may come up to wear and tear which is absurd because I don't believe you should have ignition or transmission or axle problems within a few months of buying a new car..

Secondly, finding a quality repair shop/mechanic is challenging. Car owners should educate themselves and learn the basics about their car. I can guarantee you that most of these large auto shops charge 300%+ margins. I know this because I have completed jobs at a fraction of the cost they have quoted (25% or less). Heck they even charge 10k to diagnose the problem! What auto repair shop charges you to tell you what is wrong with your car??

Writing a letter will not do much. It will go back and forth for ever. If I were you, I would arrange a meeting with the MD of the company. Go with your lawyer if you can. More often than not, the higher ups in the company will be more reasonable and logical than the service manager you have been dealing with. Reason with him to reach an agreeable compromise.

can i have your phone num i will tell you how to go about it

cutemary775: can i have your phone num i will tell you how to go about it

Why don't you share the solution to the benefit of everyone on this forum?

Underground: And yes, never in my life am I buying a Kia or Hyundai product again!! They are crap. I am thinking of selling off this car as soon as I can

Sorry about your experience. Be sure not to sell the Kia till you and ur lawyer get to the end of the case. You can sue and claim damages from Kia and Germaine if your lawyer presents your case well. Pls keep us updated even though it takes a long time to get justice served.

So I picked up the car yesterday. You wouldn't believe that Kia fixed the axle coupling which would have costed in excess of N400k for free. We only paid for the rear wheel bearing and other reoccurring service works such as the break pads! I am not sure if it's the letter from CPC that got to them or if they may have received authrorization from Korea to go ahead with the change. I guess it's a well known manufacturers defect which Kia Korea would gladly change for free but the fellas at Kia Nigeria see it as an opportunity to fleece unsuspecting customers. Thank God it is over though..
One thing I have learnt though: gra gra will get you by in this country where injustice and mediocrity reigns supreme.

I am currently having a similar experience with Germaine Autos. I initially droped my 4 runner there for some repairs to the boot. It took them 2 date to come up with an estimate. After agreement they said it would take 3 weeks but it took over a month. After collection of the car I noticed the back glass wiper was not working, the rear view camera was not working, the boot was not opening and the windscreen washer was not working. I notified them and my wife brought the car back, after waiting till 3 pm on the day we brought it back, she found out that no one had been working on it for the whole time and she had to leave to pick up the kids from school.

The last experience was the most irritating, we were asked to bring the car for two days, which I did last week thursday but on Saturday when I went to pick it up I was told that nothing had been done. When I asked to speak to someone in charge, a man called Leo responded that I can go and meet anyone I liked. I have never received such poor customer service in my life even at a road side mechanic.

They have now promised to get the missing part and call me.

I have decided to take a three (3) pronged approach. The first of which is this post, if I do not get the required results then I will go into phases 2 and 3

In other to get more eye balls to your story and also increase the chance of getting support from nairalanders I advise you open this as a new thread in the car talk section.

this is rather very sad. But thank God, I'm learning a lot from this. I think this issue should be taken up. Also send your complaint to Wazobia. The listenership is huge and they would talk about it.

roosebolton: In other to get more eye balls to your story and also increase the chance of getting support from nairalanders I advise you open this as a new thread in the car talk section.

Exactly! Thats a great idea cos this thread is quite old and would have never guessed that anyone else would respond to it. I only stumbled upon it again by accident.

DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES TAKE YOU CAR TO GERMAINE FOR MAINTENANCE OR REPAIR. DO NOT EVEN TAKE IT THERE FOR A QUOTATION!

Thanks for sharing.