Kia Venga 2 - 1.4 Petrol, Manual, 2016 - User Opinion

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Fri 4 Oct 2019 22:50
Kia Venga 2 - 1.4 Petrol, Manual, 2016 - User Opinion - Prjpro

Hi all

A few months ago, I came here looking for user opinions about the Kia Venga. It was very useful to me. I finally bought one, and after a few months of ownership I would like to leave my review and I hope it could be useful for someone in the future.

My budget was around £7k to buy a used car, as new as possible, and we wanted the car to be reliable and as much wide/tall/practical enough for a family of 3/4 members. Daily driving just a couple of miles/day (we work local) and a couple of long journeys per year (8000-10000 miles/year maximum). So, for reliability a small petrol engine with no turbo. For tall/wide/practical we thought in a small SUV o MPV.

I looked into the C-Max (Ok for Diesel, but I didn't like the petrol engines, too thirsty or not very reliable), Nissa Note (it was ok), Peugeot 2008 (It was ok), Captur (too small), Focus (ok), etc. We finally found the Venga. It is a small car outside, that make the most of the space inside, really roomy, good boot space, good high seat position (I found that position very comfortable for long journeys), and one of the best relation between price and age of the car.

We finally found a Kia Venga 2, 1.4 Petrol, 2016 for £5999 with 4 years of remaining warranty, the best offer we saw in the months we were looking for cars, so we bought it.

So, good things:

  • A perfect small car for city driving.
  • Big/ Roomy car inside.
  • Big boot (400L I think from memory) and flexible as the bottom tray has two positions and the rear seat can be moved forward to make the boot bigger.
  • 1.4 petrol engine with no turbo - so, reliable
  • High seat/driving position. I found this very comfortable for seating the kids on the backside and for long journeys.

Bad things for me:

  • I was used to driving a Focus 1.8TDCI 115CV, so the 1.4 petrol engine gives me a feeling of lack of power, it took a few weeks to get used to reduce gear for a slope in the motorway or for overtaking another car... I assume it is normal in small petrol engines. The diesel engine feels a lot more powerful.
  • Average 32-35 mpg, which is not great, but it is not too bad for the number of miles we do, it increases when we do long drive, but we drive around the city 90% of time around.
  • The USB MP3. Don't use very big size USB sticks. I used a 32GB one and it got stuck from time to time. I am using now an 8GB one and I have no problems, and I have plenty of music.
  • I miss the cruise control on long journeys.

Regarding reliability, it is a relatively new car, so no issues at the moment. I will try to update the post in the future.

If you have any question, let me know.

Off-topic: Is there any way to set up the account to receive an email when someone replays to you in the forum?

Edited by Prjpro on 04/10/2019 at 22:56

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Sat 5 Oct 2019 10:25
Kia Venga 2 - 1.4 Petrol, Manual, 2016 - User Opinion - oldroverboy.

Thanks for the update,

When I had the Venga, my impressions were pretty much the same as yours.

Locally. MPG was poor, but acceptable, and i think that your short journeys are shorter than mine were.... On a run it reached 40 ish which too was acceptable.

Don't forget to get it Kia main dealer serviced to maintain that warranty.

If you want to easily access this page, just save it as a favourite using the star icon on the right in the browser line at the top

It will look like this https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/Forum/NewPost?p=1302381 when you save it.

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Fri 22 Nov 2019 22:40
Kia Venga 2 - 1.4 Petrol, Manual, 2016 - User Opinion - Prjpro

Hi All

Unfortunately I am back in the forum to report the first problem with the Kia Venga. After 5 or 6 min driving there is a chirp noise that seems to come from one of the wheels. It has been doing it the last 2-3 days

It is not the brake, it seems it makes the noise when the suspension is working. I have done a quick video. See the link below.

youtu.be/QawL-aUdc7I

Any idea of what can be the problem?

It is still under warranty, so I will take the car to the dealer in the next days but it would be good if someone knows or guess what the problem is.

Edited by Prjpro on 22/11/2019 at 22:40

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Sat 23 Nov 2019 07:53
Kia Venga 2 - 1.4 Petrol, Manual, 2016 - User Opinion - oldroverboy.

https://www.kiaownersclub.co.uk/forum/61-pro_ceed-gt-2013-2018/28053-clicking-noise-front-driver-side-wheel.html

?

Edited by oldroverboy. on 23/11/2019 at 07:54

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Sat 23 Nov 2019 08:13
Kia Venga 2 - 1.4 Petrol, Manual, 2016 - User Opinion - Prjpro

It sounds very similar to my problem!

Thanks for your help. I will update the post once I have sorted out,

I hope the problem is something cheaper to repair!

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Sat 23 Nov 2019 08:25
Kia Venga 2 - 1.4 Petrol, Manual, 2016 - User Opinion - oldroverboy.

Hope you are sorted soon.

I have fond memories of 5 adults, 2 check in 23 kg bags and 3 carry ons in my Venga from Colchester to Gatwick and return.

For driving, don't forget to use throttle and lower gears when you need to.

Enjoy!

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Sat 23 Nov 2019 10:03
Kia Venga 2 - 1.4 Petrol, Manual, 2016 - User Opinion - SLO76
Sounds very much like it’s the brakes to me, possibly a sticking calipper or maybe they just need a good clean. The rear brakes do very little in day to day use with almost all effort on the front so the rear can cause problems. Where safe to do so give it some hard near emergency stop pressure several times to see if it helps, if not then it’s a trip to the dealer. Obviously discs and pads won’t be covered by the warranty but a sticking calipper should be.
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Sat 23 Nov 2019 10:56
Kia Venga 2 - 1.4 Petrol, Manual, 2016 - User Opinion - Prjpro

Thanks for your advice. I just checked the brakes (yesterday there wasn't enough light) and one of the rear one has a ring mark on the disc. See photos on the links below

ibb.co/ncWxDFJ

ibb.co/BL7srD3

ibb.co/b5ZpQNG

I will try your advice later on (when the roads around me gets quiet, and see if it gets any better), and will update the post.

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Sun 8 Mar 2020 19:33
Kia Venga 2 - 1.4 Petrol, Manual, 2016 - User Opinion - Prjpro

Sorry for the very late update on this. Just in case someone has the same problem

The advice by SLO76 worked well for a few months. The sound disappeared after a couple of hard brakes. And it was working well.

Just a couple of weeks before the full service were due, the sound came back, and the garage recommended to change Discs and Pads.

Just to say, we took the car to NK Motors in Nottingham, where we bought the car. The service was around £125 (not too expensive for a official dealer I thought). And the quoted me £164 for replacement of the Discs and Pads (I also though it was a good price for an official dealer).

The problem:

I ended paying nearly £400 because the prices did not include VAT, and some extra fees. I don't feel they were fair with me at all. It is a shame, but offical dealers always end up disappointing.

I assume the resume of this is, one learned lesson for me, one lost client for them.

Thank you all again for your help.

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Sun 8 Mar 2020 19:44
Kia Venga 2 - 1.4 Petrol, Manual, 2016 - User Opinion - Avant

That's a sort of hidden problem with Kias. The 7-year warranty sounds attractive, but to avoid them wriggling out of honouring it, you have to use a Kia dealer for servicing and (increasingly over the 7 years) repairs. You don't get owt for nowt.

I wonder if the 5 years' warranty offered by Hyundai, Toyota and Renault might be a better compromise.

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Sun 8 Mar 2020 20:03
Kia Venga 2 - 1.4 Petrol, Manual, 2016 - User Opinion - daveyjp

The only quotes ex VAT should be business to business transactions.

Main dealer servicing quotes should be the actual price to be paid, not doing so is underhand and worth a report to Citizens Advice.

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Sun 8 Mar 2020 21:28
Kia Venga 2 - 1.4 Petrol, Manual, 2016 - User Opinion - Prjpro

Thanks Daveyjp.

I looked into it, the problem is, the quote was given to me on the phone and confirmed on the desk, but I have no written proof.

I complained when I collected the car and I also tried to contact the salesman who sold me the car, just in case he could do something, but I asume I am a small client for them, so they don't really care about the issue.

It is one of those. I learnt to request a written quote and check whatever include VAT or not before doing anything.

I don't think it is worth it any more actions, for maybe £100. Just warning, in case it can be useful to someone.

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Sun 19 Apr 2020 17:02
Kia Venga 2 - 1.4 Petrol, Manual, 2016 - User Opinion - targen

The Kia 7 year warranty will not be compromised in any way , should you have the car serviced by a different VAT registered garage , PROVIDED you keep all the receipts demonstrating the car was serviced in accordance with the Kia schedule ,and that (preferably) genuine parts were used , along with the correct oil type. In any event , components that are not affected by servicing (e.g window motors , abs sensors , etc) will maintain the full warranty regardless of the servicing the car has had. However , by going to a non-Kia garage , you will not have the (free) upgrades Kia regularly bring out to enhance the way the car drives(downloads) , nor will the anti-perforation warranty be maintained , as this inspection/report can only be endorsed by a Kia dealer. In addition , should there be any issue that may require a goodwill contribution from Kia UK , this is (understandably) likely to be more forthcoming if you have supported the dealer network. Finally , when selling the car , a full dealer-stamped service book will always, regardless of vehicle make , result in a better part-exchange/sale price. Make your own judgements.............

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Sun 19 Apr 2020 22:33
Kia Venga 2 - 1.4 Petrol, Manual, 2016 - User Opinion - SLO76
“ The Kia 7 year warranty will not be compromised in any way , should you have the car serviced by a different VAT registered garage , PROVIDED you keep all the receipts demonstrating the car was serviced in accordance with the Kia schedule ”

Try proving it. I know the local Kia dealer well and they usually reject warranty claims without a full Kia history. Don’t let any salesperson tell you otherwise. If any car you’re looking at doesn’t have a full main dealer history then regard the remainder of the manufacturer warranty as void.
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Sun 19 Apr 2020 23:18
Kia Venga 2 - 1.4 Petrol, Manual, 2016 - User Opinion - Avant

I think there's a fairly simple rule coming out of this, and thinking of the many threads on this issue over the years:

While your car is within the manufacturer's warranty, bite the bullet and have it serviced at an authorised dealer. I know only too well how expensive that is (we have two Audis) but you're buying peace of mind.

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Mon 20 Apr 2020 08:02
Kia Venga 2 - 1.4 Petrol, Manual, 2016 - User Opinion - Maxime.

I'm on my second kia since I got rid of the chevrolet years back and bought the service packs.

No worries. and only one minor problem fixed without question.

Edited by maxime on 20/04/2020 at 08:03

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Mon 20 Apr 2020 16:04
Kia Venga 2 - 1.4 Petrol, Manual, 2016 - User Opinion - thunderbird

“ The Kia 7 year warranty will not be compromised in any way , should you have the car serviced by a different VAT registered garage , PROVIDED you keep all the receipts demonstrating the car was serviced in accordance with the Kia schedule ”

Try proving it. I know the local Kia dealer well and they usually reject warranty claims without a full Kia history. Don’t let any salesperson tell you otherwise. If any car you’re looking at doesn’t have a full main dealer history then regard the remainder of the manufacturer warranty as void.

Just been doing a bit of research on this and I found this on the Kia UK website

If your Kia car is not serviced by a Kia dealer or Authorised repairer we recommend:

1 The garage completing the service is VAT registered.

2 The service must be carried out correctly as detailed in the owner’s manual.

3 Only genuine Kia parts and lubricants as recommended by Kia or equivalent quality must be used.

4 The part numbers used should be detailed on the service invoice.

5 The oil type and grade used should be detailed on the service invoice.

6 Service records in this manual must be stamped and dated.

1, 2 and 6 should be easy enough to comply with but with regards to 3 but how many independent garages actually use genuine parts and oils, they use the cheapest supplier and one barrel of bulk oil is used for all cars. The bit regarding "equivalent quality" is a great statement, how on earth could anyone prove the non Kia part used is as good as the Kia one, its an instant get out of jail free card for Kia.

With regards to 4 and 5 I have never seen an invoice from an indy that actually gives that detail, the Ford Indy I used for all the Focus's certainly never did (but he did use Ford spec 5w30 oil).

The point regarding updates is interesting but no indy has the kit to ascertain if any are available/required, to check would need a visist to a Kia dealer.

The 12 year rust warranty requires an annual check and Kia state this can only be done by a kia dealer. Seems its included in the annual service cost but a separate visit would be charged.

So by the time you have had the work done by an Indy, had an arguement with them over the lack of details on the invoice, been to a Kia dealer to check if there are any updates needed and booked the car in for a corrosion inspection is it all worth it.

Personally I can fully understand why Kia do this. A warranty works both ways and both sides need to carry out their responsibilities. Kia are offering a warranty that lasts 4 years longer than most other companies so there has to be a way for them to ensure that the owner is simply not getting his mate to bodge the care every year and write and invoice up on his PC at home.

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Mon 20 Apr 2020 16:10
Kia Venga 2 - 1.4 Petrol, Manual, 2016 - User Opinion - SLO76
The warranty is regarded by the firm as self financing as it means most cars are serviced within the dealer network to 7yrs or more which is better than most manufacturers manage plus they’re generally very reliable things. I’m surprised more haven’t followed suit.
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Mon 4 May 2020 14:34
Kia Venga 2 - 1.4 Petrol, Manual, 2016 - User Opinion - targen

I work at a Kia dealership... just keep ALL the receipts , and details of the servicing done..in any event..any part NOT affected by servicing will carry its 7 year warranty regardless of service history...

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Tue 21 Apr 2020 08:53
Kia Venga 2 - 1.4 Petrol, Manual, 2016 - User Opinion - Tester

That's a sort of hidden problem with Kias. The 7-year warranty sounds attractive, but to avoid them wriggling out of honouring it, you have to use a Kia dealer for servicing and (increasingly over the 7 years) repairs. You don't get owt for nowt.

I wonder if the 5 years' warranty offered by Hyundai, Toyota and Renault might be a better compromise.

Our experience with my wife's Hyundai i10 has been that they (or at least the dealer that we used for - expensive - servicing in its first 5 years) will do anything to avoid a warranty claim. The warranty looks great on paper but is perhaps much less use in practice.

On the other hand, my Toyota Auris that is 4 1/2 years old has needed a couple of small non-mechanical things dealt with under warranty and the dealer (Ron Brookes of Ilkeston, if I am allowed to mention them) didn't bat an eyelid.

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