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Hi, last year we bought a 2014 Kia Soul from the local Kia dealer. 1 owner, 32,000km, excellent order. We like it a lot, and it has performed faultlessly, now just 40,000km.

Last week it failed its annual WOF because apparently the right hand ball joint needs replacing. That will happen later this week. I’ve never heard of a ball joint failing while the car is still on its first set of tyres, so I’m wondering whether I should put a bit of pressure on the dealer to cover the cost of the job. What do you think?
Thanks, Mike

Hi there,
Suspension joints can be subject to wear, and no one knows how or where the 32,000km was driven before you got it. It may have been driven daily into a drive on a tricky angle/corner which puts pressure on the joint and caused it to wear out. It can be a difficult call to make and 6-years could be argued acceptable for a suspension joint to be replaced. All you can do is ask the question to the Kia agent, should this have happened?

Thanks Cade, that’s very helpful. I hadn’t thought about it in that way, but it makes sense. I’ll still talk to the dealer about it, but with a better understanding of the potential causes.
Mike