One might think that if they take their car to a dealership for service instead of a local repair shop, they’re going to get the best service possible. Sure, they may pay a premium for it—but most people probably believe they’ll be certain to get official parts and top-shelf service at a dealership.
In some cases, this is certainly true. Independent mechanics sometimes have issues sourcing official parts. So by going to a dealership, a customer can improve their chances of getting an OEM product.
However, a trip to the dealership doesn’t always guarantee good service or a lasting fix. Now a mechanic is calling out a specific dealership for a repair that he says could ruin the car.
What’s Wrong With The Repair?
In a video with over 11,000 views, TikTok creator @theclawboss says that Hyundai and Kia are “kind of pissing me off.”
The reason? A recent “repair” he saw on a 2021 Kia Telluride.
According to him, he was doing work on a customer’s car when he noticed something strange about the oil pan. As he got closer, he realized it was leaking. The leak appears to be the result of the oil pan being held on with generously-applied RTV silicone sealant.
That's "room-temperature vulcanized" sealant, where the paste turns into rubber once applied.
“I asked a customer, I said, ‘Did you recently have your oil pan done? Like, anything done with your oil pan?’ She said, ‘Yeah, why? Did the dealership screw it up?’” the TikToker recalls. “Well, cool. Did they ever!”
He then calls out the dealership by name: Burlington Kia in Burlington, New Jersey. He then says that he believes this work was done as part of a recall and that she should have been reimbursed for it; she claims she was not.
This is more than just a shoddy repair job, the mechanic stresses.
“Look at how much is on the outside! Can you imagine how much is on the inside?” he says. “And if that [expletive] breaks off and goes into the oil pickup tube and clogs it up? Haha, goodbye.”
“Kia engines have enough problems staying running,” he adds. “They don't need additional problems from lazy technicians at the dealership.”
Should The Driver Be Concerned?
To start, it should be noted that RTV sealant around the oil pan is to be expected. Kia specifically recommends applying a bead of sealant to the oil pan.
However, there’s a significant difference between a bead, which is recommended to be just 2.5 mm in width, and what the mechanic saw under this vehicle.
His subsequent concern about RTV getting into the oil pickup tube is also a known failure point.
Consequently, many believe the woman should return to the dealership and demand a fix. She can specifically point to the leaking oil as her motivation for coming in, but also share that another mechanic expressed concern about the amount of RTV. She can also note the official literature from Kia specifying that the amount of RTV should be a bead just 2.5 mm in width—not the massive extrusion that’s currently under her vehicle.
If the dealership is unable to fix this, the owner may also want to file a complaint with Kia directly.
Gallery: 2027 Kia Telluride
Drivers Are Furious
In the comments section, some users speculated about what could have happened here.
“My guess is they didn’t have the gasket. Probably wrong parts ordered, so they scabbed it,” wrote one.
A second added, “Kia dealer didn’t do that. I am a Kia tech and that’s 100% not how we do it unless they [expletive] up and tried to fix it.”
Other car owners in the comments simply shared their Kia and Hyundai woes.
“Bought a 2016 Hyundai Tucson. The motor went out at 47k. My wife bought a Sonata, the fuel pump went out 2 weeks in,” one person offered.
Still, some insisted that problems with the brand are not as common as the internet makes them sound.
“The mechanic work is bad but that doesn’t make the car bad,” shared a viewer. “Kia makes some awesome cars. Every brand has a bad dealership/service center.”
We’ve reached out to Burlington Kia via email and website contact form, and @theclawboss via Instagram direct message and comment.
