In the sales pitch, a Norwegian car dealer promised that his Kia e-Soul was ready to drive and serviced. Now the car, with a range of 98 kilometers, needs to be repaired for 87,000 kroner.
A Norwegian woman bought a used Kia e-soul because she was promised an electric car with a range of 210 kilometers.
The car only managed 98 kilometers on a single charge, and the repair would have cost the woman 87,000 kroner. She won't have to pay that anyway.
A used Kia Soul electric car caused major problems for a Norwegian woman. The dealer Sigma Bil sold it based on a range of 210 kilometers. Not impressive. But a compromise the woman could live with.
The promised range was a huge lie, however. And at first the dealer refused to help the woman with anything.
The car company Sigma Bil only responded after being contacted by the media outlet Motor.no. An employee at Sigma Bil, Tobias Lund, apologized for the error.
He promised to rectify the matter.
– The person who was responsible for this sale has left the company, says Tobias Lund.
– An error has occurred here, which we obviously want to correct.
The case began when a woman from Bergen was looking for a newer used car. She found an eight-year-old Kia e-Soul at Sigma Bil. The price was 77,000 Norwegian kroner, equivalent to approximately 49,300 Danish kroner.
The ad promised a range of 210 kilometers on a single charge. The dealer also stated that the car came straight from service. It seemed like a good buy.
Used electric car had serious defects and the lack
However, the reality was different for the Norwegian woman. The car could only be charged for 98 kilometers, which was less than half of the promised range.
The problems didn't stop there. The charging connector itself was broken. It only worked with a fast charger, not a regular one.
The buyer also discovered that the car's air conditioning wasn't working. This is a significant shortcoming, especially on warmer days.
Another repair shop examined the used Kia Soul. They estimated that the cost of repairing all the faults would be significantly more than the car was originally purchased for. Namely 87,000 Norwegian kroner.
Dealer ignored the woman until the media picked up on the matter
The woman subsequently contacted the car dealer Sigma Bil. She wanted to complain about the many defects in the Kia. However, the car dealer refused to answer anything.
The buyer therefore went to the Norwegian Consumer Agency. The case was heard by their complaints board. The board found in favor of the woman.
The decision was clear. The woman had the right to cancel the purchase. She should get her money back for the defective Kia Soul.
Sigma Bil still did not respond despite the appeals board's decision. The buyer was still left with an almost useless electric car. And without his money.
The woman sought help from the Norwegian Automobile Association (NAF). The association's media outlet Motor.no took up the matter. They examined the car to verify the faults.
Motor.no confirmed the woman's criticisms. They tested the charging port and the range. The conclusion was clear: the car could only charge half, and only via a fast charger.
The media sent an email to Sigma Bil about the matter. It only took a few hours for the dealer to respond. The response came from Tobias Lund.
He now promised that Sigma Bil would contact the woman. The dealer would also follow the complaints board's decision and cancel the purchase.
However, far from all drivers are so lucky. In Denmark, there is also a complaints board that deals with motor vehicle cases, but far from all drivers can use the board for anything.
Furthermore, the member association FDM has announced that it is withdrawing from the board's panel. A board and a panel that the association itself helped to establish. Read more about it here .
