Common Kia Cerato Problems — and What They Actually Cost
The faults we see most often on the Kia Cerato in our Cranbourne West workshop, what causes them, and how serious each one is. If yours is doing one of these, we’ll find the real cause before anyone quotes you for parts.
RACV AccreditedThe faults that come through the door
Rough idle or hesitation on GDI engines
Carbon on the intake valves, dirty injectors or a coil starting to fail. A scan separates them quickly.
Engine oil consumption
Worth checking between services on higher-kilometre cars. Low oil is what turns a minor issue into a rebuild.
Clunk from the front suspension
Sway-bar links and control-arm bushes are the usual culprits, and both are inexpensive to replace.
Steering column or wheel noise
A creak or knock when turning at low speed. Often a column coupling rather than anything in the rack.
Air-conditioning cooling poorly
Usually a refrigerant charge or a condenser damaged by road debris.
Brake pad and rotor wear
Front-heavy on the Cerato, and a common roadworthy fail if it has been left.
We price the car in front of us
Two things we do differently, and we would rather tell you now than when you ring.
- We don’t give prices over the phone. Not for repairs. We can tell you what a scheduled service costs because that is a known job, but we will not guess at a repair from a description. The car needs to be here. A guess over the phone is either too high and you walk away, or too low and we have to ring you back with bad news — neither is fair on you.
- We don’t work off another workshop’s diagnosis. If someone else has told you what is wrong, we will listen, and then we will do our own diagnostic work before we quote or replace anything. We are the ones warranting the repair, so it has to be our finding. That means diagnostics is charged for our time — from $374, two-hour minimum — and it is not a free quote.
Once we have found the fault, you get a fixed written price and nothing happens until you approve it.
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Kia Cerato Problems — FAQ
What are the most common Kia Cerato problems?
The issues we see most often are: rough idle or hesitation on gdi engines; engine oil consumption; clunk from the front suspension; steering column or wheel noise; air-conditioning cooling poorly; brake pad and rotor wear.
Can you tell me what’s wrong over the phone?
No. We will listen to the symptom, but we price and diagnose the car in front of us. A guess from a description is either too high or too low, and neither helps you.
I’ve already been told what’s wrong by another mechanic. Can you just do the repair?
We will hear what you were told, then do our own diagnostic work before quoting or replacing anything. We are the ones warranting the repair, so the finding has to be ours. Diagnostics is charged for our time, from $374 with a two-hour minimum.
How much does diagnosis cost?
From $374 incl. GST with a two-hour minimum. That is charged for our time to find the real fault – it is not a free quote, and any repairs are quoted separately in writing.
Do you fix these problems or just identify them?
Both. We diagnose it, quote it in writing, and repair it once you approve. Nothing happens without your say-so.
Find the real fault
Diagnostics from $374 incl. GST · dealer-level scan tools · fixed written pricing on any repair.