Caught on Camera: Dealer Admits Using Customer’s Kia Parts on Another Car

A viral video has exposed Kia of Lake Charles in Louisiana after a service manager admitted on camera that fuel injectors were taken from a customer’s SUV to repair another vehicle. Shirley Poullard brought her Kia SUV to the dealership on June 17, 2026, following a tire blowout, expecting a routine repair. Instead, her vehicle sat in the service bay for over a month with minimal updates. When Poullard returned to check on the delayed repair, she found her engine disassembled and began recording. The video shows the service manager acknowledging that parts from her SUV were “borrowed” without permission. Poullard confronted the manager, calling the act stealing, and the video quickly went viral. The dealership responded by stating the service manager is no longer employed and launched an internal review after Poullard’s feedback. They apologized, saying every customer deserves dignity. Poullard has since retrieved her SUV but told local media she now feels uneasy driving it and is seeking legal representation. The incident highlights broader concerns about dealer service practices, including past reports of Toyota dealerships falsifying work and mechanics allegedly sabotaging vehicles. Regulators like the Federal Trade Commission and NHTSA recommend drivers get written estimates, signed authorizations, and document every service visit to create a clear paper trail of approved work and installed parts. Motor1 advises owners to take practical steps such as getting written estimates, signed authorizations, photos of replaced parts, and performing a walkaround before driving off to protect against unauthorized repairs. The episode underscores the need for clearer, enforceable industry rules to prevent such shortcuts, as individual complaints often fall short without systemic changes.