TIL that weird rust on my Kia's frame is actually a recall issue

I was all set to junk my 2012 Kia Soul because I saw this nasty rust spot on the frame near the rear wheel. Figured it was terminal, you know? Then I overheard a guy at the auto parts store talking about how Kia had a recall for frame rust on certain models. He said they'd even buy back the car if the rust was bad enough. I went home and looked it up, and sure enough, my car was on the list. So I took it to the dealer and they gave me $4,500 for it on the spot. That changed my mind real quick about what counts as "trash" on a used car. Has anyone else found a hidden recall that saved a car from the scrap yard?

3 comments

3 Comments

black.pat9d agoTop Commenter

My buddy had a 2014 Ford Focus that he was about to trade in for pennies because the transmission was acting up real bad. He found out there was a class action settlement over the Powershift transmission that gave him a $4,000 check plus a warranty extension. The dealer never mentioned it when he brought it in for repairs earlier, they just quoted him $3,500 for a rebuild. That experience taught me most dealerships won't advertise recalls that cost them money. You gotta search your VIN yourself on the NHTSA website every few months even if you don't get a letter in the mail. I've found three separate recalls on my Honda that way that the dealer conveniently forgot to tell me about.

gonzalez.reese9d ago

Hold up though, are we really acting like every dealer is running some big conspiracy to hide recalls from you? I mean yeah some might be shady but checking NHTSA every few months sounds like a part-time job. I bought a used Civic five years ago and never checked a VIN once and nothing fell apart on me. Maybe your buddy's dealer was just a crappy one and it's not that deep for most people.

murray.spencer9d ago

Man that's a rough deal with your buddy's Focus. I'm glad he got some money back but it's sad how many folks quietly get taken advantage of because they don't know to check.