Kia Optima 2018 stuck in auto shop for 7 months

[Fatimapeter]

Thank you for your response. The 2018 Kia Optima is paid off a long time back. The repair shop doesn’t want to search around for parts and waiting for Kia to find the parts and the Kia dealer is saying they don’t make these parts because no new Kia Optima cars are made.
I agree with your comment “wrecking yards for replacement parts. I'm sure that there are plenty of wrecked Kias that have intact steering columns and windows. ”. The windows are already replaced. The only missing parts are:
“84852 D5000WK . Shroud-Steering Column(BO)
84830. D5000WK. Panel Assy-Cluster Facia (BO)
Would you suggest a wrecking yard?
I register at KiaForum parts and waiting for administrator to approve.
Thanks again for your comments.
Thanks & Regards
Fatima Peter

 

[adjusterjack]

The only missing parts are:
“84852 D5000WK . Shroud-Steering Column(BO)
84830. D5000WK. Panel Assy-Cluster Facia (BO)
Would you suggest a wrecking yard?

Before you start calling wrecking yards, take a look at the following search results. All I did was run an internet search with the part numbers (thanks for them by the way) and came up with several places that may have them in stock and can ship them right to you. Order them yourself and take them to the shop as soon as you get them.

84852 D5000WK at DuckDuckGo

84830. D5000WK at DuckDuckGo

Hard to believe that, in 7 months, nobody at the shop thought to do that.

 

[marindependent]

Hi,
Our car Kia Optima 2018 was broken into by a thief on October 1st 2022. Before he could steal it from our driveway, our neighbor came and stopped him. Our insurance carrier Geico had it towed to the repair shop in Newark, CA on Oct 3, 2022.
The car has been sitting in the repair shop waiting for parts from Korea. We are still paying insurance premium for that car. Geico says that they can’t do anything. We have talked to Kia dealer and he says unless Kia Optima cars are sold, they won’t make those parts.
I would like to know whether the insurance to find a way to get it fixed or call it totaled and give us some $$ to buy another car.
Any suggestions will be appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Fatima Peter

And Geico says.... they can do nothing?

 

[Deborah Armstrong]

@Deborah Armstrong
Hi Deborah, are you an agent?

Thanks,

Yes, I am an agent, but I am mostly life and health focused. I have never sold P & C and never looked for a place for employment to sell P & C. I had to get a P & C line of authority added to my license in order to sell LegalShield in the state of Massachusetts. That is the only reason I have it.

 

[adjusterjack]

And Geico says.... they can do nothing?

That's right. Neither would any insurance company given the circumstances. Insurance companies are not in the auto parts business. They are in the business of PAYING claims.

Marindependent, what exactly do you think GEICO, or any other insurance company, should be doing?

Or are you just implying, in a not so subtle way, that the poster would be doing better if he had an independent agent?

 

[Deborah Armstrong]

No, you are clueless about lemon laws. They have nothing to do with damage.



Poster wrote 2018 in the first post.



Right. $400 per hour for something that litigation won't help.



If it can be driven at all, you'll want to keep all the insurance on it. If it can't be driven at all you might be able to suspend the liability part if you surrender your plates to the DMV. If you still have a loan, your lender will not allow you to suspend the comprehensive and collision coverage. Of course, if you pay off the loan, you can do that and take your chances that it won't be further damaged at the shop.

Do you have an estimate of the cost of repairs?


Where do these ideas come from? GEICO isn't doing anything wrong. The repair shop isn't doing anything wrong. The dealer isn't doing anything wrong. It's just bad freakin' luck that parts aren't available.

Instead of wasting your time and your money I suggest you have the shop call around to wrecking yards for replacement parts. I'm sure that there are plenty of wrecked Kias that have intact steering columns and windows. That should have been done months ago.

Even the bottom of the line Kia Optima with average miles is worth at least $17,000. If the repair cost is $5000 to $10,000 it's not going to be a total loss.[/QUOTE

Sorry I overlooked the year of the vehicle. I do not sell P & C insurance. You can read my above statements as to why I added this line of authority to my license.

With LegalShield you don't pay $400 an hour. You pay a monthly premium of about $30 a month and the attorneys could right that letter at no additional charge. It is part of the monthly premium. It is covered, but as I said let's get more information first so others can help and before an attorney is needed. I am not looking to sell LegalShield for a one month premium and then it gets cancelled the next month. I would have a charge back on that.

Hi,
Thanks for your response. We contacted the Insurance Commissioner after 2 months and he just contacted the the insult agent from Geico who did nothing. They increased our premium after that.
We are leaning towards consulting a lawyer. Is there any lawyer you would recommend?
Thanks & Regards
Fatima Peter

I am with a company that makes attorneys more affordable by charging a monthly premium. It is around $30 dollars a month and that is all it would cost to get the attorney to write a letter on your behalf. However, I am not interested in selling this insurance product if your only intent is to keep it for a month just to get a letter written from an attorney and then cancel. They cover much more than letters for the monthly premium. If you are interested in more information, I can get that for you.

 

[Fatimapeter]

Before you start calling wrecking yards, take a look at the following search results. All I did was run an internet search with the part numbers (thanks for them by the way) and came up with several places that may have them in stock and can ship them right to you. Order them yourself and take them to the shop as soon as you get them.

84852 D5000WK at DuckDuckGo

84830. D5000WK at DuckDuckGo

Hard to believe that, in 7 months, nobody at the shop thought to do that.

 

[Fatimapeter]

Thank you.
I also found links that specify these parts. I hope the repair shop and/or Geico does not give trouble buying parts from this source. We are willing to pay for the parts out of pocket.
I am so mad at them at not following up on the parts.
Thousand thanks!
Regards,
Fatimapeter

 

[scagnt83]

Instead of wasting your time and your money I suggest you have the shop call around to wrecking yards for replacement parts. I'm sure that there are plenty of wrecked Kias that have intact steering columns and windows. That should have been done months ago.

Even the bottom of the line Kia Optima with average miles is worth at least $17,000. If the repair cost is $5000 to $10,000 it's not going to be a total loss.

Ditto.

No reason to replace a used window with a new window unless it just makes you feel better. Same with the steering column, its not a heavy "wear and tear" part that is a risk putting on used.

Id take the used parts and pocket the remaining cash, because the insurer will pay the claim based on the quote for the new parts.

 

[scagnt83]

Would you suggest a wrecking yard?

Steering columns for your model start at $140 at salvage yards: https://car-part.com/

If your car is at the dealership, they probably will not want to put on a used part. Often they have rules against it. Id raise hell and demand they do so.

But you can take your car to an indy shop and they will put it on and have it back to you in a few days.