NHTSA Complaint #721421 — 1997 KIA SEPHIA

I STARTED HAVING BRAKE FAILURE AND GRINDING FROM THE REAR AFTER 5 DAYS OF PURCHASING THE CAR.I WAS COMING UP TO A STOP SIGN AND THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP AFTER APPLYING THE BRAKES.WHEN BACKING UP OR COMING TO A STOP I HAD A GRINDING SOUND AND SOUNDED LIKE A LIQUID WAS SPLASHING AROUND AT THE SAME TIME.I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO SOUTHLAKE KIA AND TOLD THE SERVICE REP ABOUT THE PROBLEMS.BEFORE THAT I WAS CHECKING THE SPARK PLUGS AND WHEN THEY WERE PULLED OUT ONE BY ONE THEY WERE BURNED OUT AND THE AIR FILTER WAS ALMOST AS BLACK AS TAR.I TOLD THE SERVICE REP ABOUT PLUGS AND AIR FILTER.THE SPARK PLUGS WAS CHANGED BUT I WAS TOLD THAT THE FILTER WAS NOT GOING TO BE REPLACED.I TALKED TO DARRYL HARRIS/SEALER/AND HE HAD TO TALK TO HIS BOSS IN ORDER TO GET THE FILTER REPLACED.DARRYL'S BOSS TOLD ME THAT AIR FILTERS WAS NOT GOING TO BE REPLACED,SO I SPOKE WITH DARRYL AGAIN AND HE FINALLY GOT THEM TO CHANGE THE AIR FILTER AS WELL.AFTER TELLING DARRYL WHY I WAS BACK SO SOON HE CALLED WHERE THE CARS ARE TAKEN TO BE SERVICED AND WAS TOLD THAT THE CAR HAD NEVER BEEN SERVICED,AND THAT'S WHEN THE AIR FILTER WAS REPLACED.AFTER EXPLAINING ABOUT MY BRAKES AND ADVISING THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT IT WAS MY BACK BRAKES THAT FAILING THE MOST I WAS TOLD BY TOM AND THE MECHANIC/I BELIEVE HIS NAME IS GEORGE,I NOT REALLY SURE/THAT CARS DO NOT HAVE BACK BRAKES.I WAS TOLD BY TOM IN SO MANY WORDS THAT A CAR DOES NOT HAVE TO BE SERVICED AND THAT A CAR CAN BE SOLD EVEN IF IT IS KNOW THAT IT HAS BRAKE OR ANY OTHER TYPE OF PROBLEMS.I SPOKE WITH TONY AT 800 333 4542 EXT 35014 WHO SAID THAT HE WOULD GET SOMEONE FROM DPS WHO COULD AUTHORIZE THE REPAIRS.TO DATE I STILL HAVE NOT HEARD FROM ANYONE WHO CAN ASSIST ME WITH MY PROBLEMS.ON 7/26/99 TOM HAD THE MECHANIC TO REPLACE FRONT PADS AND ROTORS WITH UPDATED PARS,CLEANED AND ADJUSTED REAR BARKES.THE FRONT PADS HAD UNEVEN WEAR AS WELL.AFTER THE REPAIRS TOM TOLD ME THAT HE HAD THE FRONT AND BACK BRAKES REPLACED AND REPLACED THE PADS. *AK