Hi there car friends! Questions cause y'all seem to know a lot of stuff. And hopefully BCS local stuff too.

I have a 2021 Kia Telluride with 60kish miles on it. The other day the check engine light came on. I was right by a car parts store so I got the codes for it (pictures below).

My husband called the dealership and they can't get it in until the 19th, which is not great because I need a car to drive. And i'm told that because of the specific codes that I should not drive it. And my husband travels frequently for work, so we can't just share his truck.

Questions:
Do dealerships give out loaners? We have kids in booster seats and I'm tall so I would need a SUV. If not, we have rental car insurance - that should cover a rental right?

How bad are these codes?

Is this going to happen again in the future?

What is likely to break next?

What have been your experiences been with timelines on getting this fixed, like total time in the shop? (This is the first time in my life something has broken under warranty, usually stuff breaks like 3 months after the warranty expires)

if the thermostat is malfunctioning then your engine may not get the coolant it needs and bye bye engine and Kia will not cover that. So don't drive it.

auto insurance pays for rentals when you're in an accident.

If your car is under warranty there could be rental car coverage provided by that warranty. Google says you have a 5 year 60k bumper to bumper warranty and a 10 year powertrain warranty. If under 60k miles you should be covered and have car provided for you. Doesn't sound like a long fix if just a thermostat.

aggiepaintrain said:

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if the thermostat is malfunctioning then your engine may not get the coolant it needs and bye bye engine and Kia will not cover that. So don't drive it.

auto insurance pays for rentals when you're in an accident.

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Thermostats, when they fail, usually fail in the open position... so long as the car isn't overheating, and the CEL isn't flashing... a quick easy fix.

Me? I'd plug in a new thermostat and see if that doesn't corect the code. I'm not waiting at the dealer for a <30 minute fix.

JamesPShelley said:

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aggiepaintrain said:

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if the thermostat is malfunctioning then your engine may not get the coolant it needs and bye bye engine and Kia will not cover that. So don't drive it.

auto insurance pays for rentals when you're in an accident.

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Thermostats, when they fail, usually fail in the open position... so long as the car isn't overheating, and the CEL isn't flashing... a quick easy fix.

Me? I'd plug in a new thermostat and see if that doesn't corect the code. I'm not waiting at the dealer for a <30 minute fix.

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Not sure about the Telluride, but I did a thermostat swap for a friend on her Infiniti QX60 (fancy pathfinder), and the combination of sideways V6 and the thermostat being mounted low meant it was a lot more involved of a repair than I was used to for a thermostat replacement.

OP, I would just take it to a local shop for the repair. It is not a technically difficult repair, they will likely swap in a new thermostat and refill/burp your coolant system.

you aren't replacing a thermostat in <30 min on most modern engines

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if the thermostat is malfunctioning then your engine may not get the coolant it needs and bye bye engine and Kia will not cover that. So don't drive it.

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That is what I read and heard, so no plans to drive it.

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auto insurance pays for rentals when you're in an accident.

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That makes sense when you say it like that!

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OP, I would just take it to a local shop for the repair. It is not a technically difficult repair, they will likely swap in a new thermostat and refill/burp your coolant system.

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Is there a way for this to be reimbursed by Kia? I believe it falls under the powertrain warranty and I don't want to pay for something if I don't have to

Not to my knowledge, no. However, as someone said, you should be safe to drive as long as the T-stat failed open.

You can confirm this is the case by watching the engine temperature while driving and verifying it doesn't increase past "mid-way" on the gauge (over ~200degF).

If you make an appointment with the dealer service dept at a time that is convenient for you to wait, you shouldn't need a rental or loaner vehicle.

sts7049 said:

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you aren't replacing a thermostat in <30 min on most modern engines

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I forgot, lol. Those transverse mounted engines are a *****. Thanks for the correction.

The above poster... local shop recommendation... good advice. In and out, not like an all day dealer experience.

I guess we are going to end up going to an independent shop.

I have always gone to Sevcik's in College Station - is there anywhere else I should consider?

Brazos Valley Automotive is another excellent shop just up the road from Sevcik's

The sensor is reading an open? That may mean damage to the sensor wring harness, not a thermostat failure.

Our Kia dealer schedules out months at a time. I hate it. If you know the advisor you like, sometimes you can just tell him/her you're coming in and they'll get it worked in. I get the sense they leave a lot of slack in the schedule to allow for drop ins.