- Shirley Poullard’s Kia SUV sat at the dealership for over a month.
- A viral video captures a service manager admitting fuel injectors from her SUV were “borrowed” to fix another customer’s car.
- The dealership said the service manager is no longer employed.
Kia of Lake Charles in Louisiana is under fire after customer Shirley Poullard says parts from her SUV were pulled to fix someone else’s vehicle, and the admission was caught on video. Most owners drop their car at a service bay assuming the repairs will match the paperwork; this case shows what can happen when that trust breaks down.
Poullard’s confrontation with a service manager spread quickly after the clip was posted online, prompting a public response from the dealership. The dispute centers on fuel injectors she says were taken from her SUV without permission, and it raises an obvious question for anyone booking a service visit: once your keys are on the counter, how do you make sure only the agreed work is happening to your car?
Kia Of Lake Charles Part-Use Claim
Poullard brought her Kia SUV to Kia of Lake Charles on June 17, 2026, after a tire blowout, expecting a routine repair and inspection. According to local coverage, her vehicle then sat at the dealership for more than a month, with what she described as minimal updates from the service department about when it would be ready or exactly what work was being done.
When she went back to check on the long-delayed repair, Poullard says she found her engine disassembled in the service bay and started recording. In the video that later went viral, the service manager can be heard acknowledging that fuel injectors from her SUV were “borrowed” to repair another customer’s vehicle. Poullard responds that taking something without permission is stealing, accusing the dealer of using her parts without consent.
What Drivers Should Check
After Poullard’s video spread, the owner of Kia of Lake Charles issued a public statement saying the dealership took her feedback seriously and launched an internal review of the incident. Following that review, the dealership said the service manager seen in the video is no longer employed there and apologized to Poullard, saying every customer deserves to be treated with dignity. Poullard has since picked up her SUV but has told local outlets she now feels uneasy driving it and is seeking legal representation.
Incidents like this sit alongside other stories of questionable service behavior, from a Toyota dealership lying about completed work to a reported mechanic allegedly sabotaging a customer’s truck. They underline why agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission urge owners to get a written estimate and signed authorization before repair work begins and to keep copies of those documents. NHTSA also advises drivers to document every service visit so there is a clear paper trail of what work was approved and which parts were installed.
Motor1’s Take: This episode shows that service visits aren’t risk-free as owners who rely on dealers need simple safeguards to protect their cars and bills. Get written estimates, signed authorizations and photos of replaced parts, and do a quick walkaround before you drive off as a practical check.
What matters next is whether the industry or regulators adopt clearer, enforceable rules to stop these shortcuts as individual complaints only go so far. Watch for formal policy changes or consumer-protection actions; until then, documentation and a cautious pickup routine are your best defense.
