What you can do, and what's the mechanic's job
You can
- Note when it struggles: the first start of the day, after sitting, or on hot days
- Look for a loose or crusty battery clamp, with the engine off and without touching it
- Give it a longer drive now and then if it only does short runs
- Check tyre pressures on a cold car
- Keep the service book and invoices together
Leave to the mechanic
- Testing the battery and the alternator under load
- Fitting the right size and type of battery
- Finding anything that drains it while the car's parked
- All brake work, and anything under the car
Kia Picanto problems
Kia lists today's Picanto with a 1.2-litre MPI petrol and either a 4-speed automatic or a 5-speed manual, the manual on the Sport grade only. The jobs are mostly the ordinary ones: servicing, tyres, brake pads, wipers and the battery. We only name a fault when Kia or a regulator has published it, and the rest comes down to age and use.
A red warning light means pull over somewhere safe and switch off. An orange engine light can wait for a proper look, and what an engine light means explains the next step.
Picanto service and service price
A Picanto is on Kia's standard schedule of 12 months or 15,000 km, whichever comes first. Kia's terms set shorter distances for turbo petrol cars, so if yours is a turbo, check the Owner's Manual for its own schedule.
We don't list prices. Kia publishes capped prices for its own dealers, covering up to 7 years or 105,000 km, and a local mechanic will give you a written estimate for your car. Ask for it to list what Kia schedules for that service, the oil and the filters.
Keeping the 7-year warranty
Kia's 7-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty passes to the next owner if you sell during the warranty period. A service done by a qualified independent mechanic, to Kia's schedule and specifications, doesn't by itself void it. Keep dated invoices with the odometer reading, the work done and the oil's brand, grade and quantity, because Kia can ask to see them.
Tell us it's a Picanto and what it needs. A local mechanic who specialises in your car.
What we'd do with a Picanto
If it's slow to start, we'd get a battery test this week rather than wait for it to leave us stranded. At the yearly service we'd ask for the battery result, pad thickness and tyre wear in writing. On a car this simple, a good local mechanic and an on-time service book go a long way.