Which Kia engines go 15,000 km, and which go 10,000 km?
| 15,000 km or 12 months | 10,000 km or 12 months | |
|---|---|---|
| Cerato | 2.0-litre | 1.6-litre |
| Seltos | 2.0-litre | 1.6-litre |
| Sportage | 2.0-litre petrol, 2.0-litre diesel | 1.6-litre petrol |
| Picanto | 1.2-litre | 1.0-litre |
| Rio | 1.4-litre | 1.0-litre |
| Sorento | 2.2-litre, 3.5-litre | Hybrid |
| Carnival | 2.2-litre, 3.5-litre | None listed |
That table comes from CarsGuide's 2022 schedule, so treat it as a guide and let your Owner's Manual decide. The pattern is the useful bit: the smaller turbo petrols are the ones due sooner, and so is the Niro.
The engine size is in the service book or the sales paperwork. If you've got a Seltos or Sportage and you've never checked, it's worth doing before you plan around 15,000 km.
What Kia's seven-year warranty actually says
Kia's warranty runs seven years with unlimited kilometres, and it's fully transferable, so the next owner gets what's left. EV models carry different terms, which Kia sets out separately.
Its list of what isn't covered has a few lines that matter if you go independent: defects caused by repairs or replacement by anyone other than an authorised Kia dealer, damage caused when a non-genuine Kia part or accessory has been used, and lack of proper maintenance as described in the Owner's Manual.
Read those closely. They're about damage the outside work or part caused, and they fit the regulators' guide: if an independent repairer causes a defect, the warranty is unlikely to cover it, and you'd seek a remedy from that repairer. The same guide says it isn't correct to suggest a car must go to a dealer to keep your consumer guarantee rights.
A qualified independent mechanic, working to Kia's schedule and specifications, doesn't by itself void the warranty. Using the oil Kia specifies is part of that, because Kia excludes the wrong oil or lubricant. Check your own terms too, and put any doubt to Kia in writing.
Does capped price servicing work away from a Kia dealer?
No. Kia's capped price servicing is a dealer program, available at any authorised Kia dealer in Australia, so it doesn't apply at an independent mechanic. Extending Roadside Assist works the same way: you go back to an authorised dealer for each scheduled service.
That's a fair trade-off to weigh up, and it's your choice. We don't list prices, so ask any mechanic for a written estimate and compare what's included.
Newer Kias: the K4 and the Tasman
The K4 replaced the Cerato. It arrived here in January 2025 as a sedan with a 2.0-litre petrol or a 1.6-litre turbo petrol, and a hatch followed that November. The Tasman ute went on sale in April 2025, with a 2.5-litre turbo petrol or a 2.2-litre turbo-diesel.
Neither is on the 2022 table, so go by the Owner's Manual. A Tasman worked hard as a ute deserves a mechanic used to diesels and towing, which is worth a line in your note. A local mechanic who specialises in your car.
Worth doing yourself
You can
- Check the engine size in the service book, then find your interval in the Owner's Manual.
- Keep every service invoice, with the oil grade and kilometres on it.
- Check the oil and tyre pressures with the car cold.
Leave to the mechanic
- The scheduled service, to the items Kia lists for that interval.
- A high-voltage battery or any orange cable on a hybrid or EV.
- Warning lights that stay on after a restart.
If it were our Kia
We'd read the warranty's exclusions before choosing who does the service, then pick with our eyes open. A mechanic who works on Kias, uses the specified oil and gives you a detailed invoice is a sound choice. If the Roadside Assist or capped servicing matters more to you, the dealer route is a fair call too. Either way, we'd stick to the engine's interval, not a neighbour's.