Woman says her $55K Kia Telluride was repossessed. Here’s why she’s happy about it
A woman is going viral on TikTok after explaining why she’s happy that her Kia Telluride got repossessed. Yes, you read that right.
Michele Hofmann (@micheleeeed) says she had a steep interest rate—17%. She expressed joy that, as a result of the repossession, the Telluride was no longer her problem.
“They just repossessed by Kia Telluride,” Hofmann says in her video, expressing joy at her situation. As of Tuesday, her video detailing why she no longer wanted her car had amassed more than 392,800 views.
Driver wasn’t looking to pay thousands for her car
Hofmann alleges she still owes $38,000 on her car. Now that it’s gone, however, she expressed joy that the car payment is “no longer” her issue. (More on whether that is true later.)
The content creator suggests she pays an exorbitant amount for her car each month. She says this is because she financed it at a 16.99% interest rate.
“It’s finally starting to hit me that they came and repossessed my $55,000 Kia Telluride this week,” Hofmann says. As a result, she says the money she owes for her car is no longer her problem.
Hofmann might’ve been plotting this for a while, though. After all, she says she hasn’t made payments for her car since December.
“I have had nothing but the worst experience with Kia,” she says.
Hofmann says her prior car got totaled, but the insurance policy didn’t include rental car coverage. As a result, she says she spent four months without a car. In a state of duress, she says she signed papers for her Telluride.
She issues a warning to whoever drives the car next, though: The car only has 4,000 miles on the warranty and reportedly burns five quarts of oil for every 10,000 to 12,000 miles.
It’s not unusual for cars to get repo’d
Hofmann says she couldn’t believe it took as long as it did for Kia to repossess her car. But, assuming she’s telling the truth, her timeline adds up. Cars are generally repossessed once payments are 90 days in default.
While she might’ve been one of the few people in the world who planned her repossession, she’s certainly not the first driver to get her car repossessed. In fact, according to debt.org, roughly 1.5 million cars were repossessed in 2023. That is 300,000 more than were repo’d in 2022.
Issues with the Kia Telluride
Several other content creators have similarly complained about the Tellurides. It’s unclear whether this is related to Hofmann’s specific tale. But, in March 2024, Kia recalled more than 420,000 Telluride SUVs.
The recall included “all 2020-2023 model year” cars. Additionally, certain 2024 Tellurides manufactured between Jan. 9, 2019, and October 19, 2023, were also included.
@micheleeeed I had her when I was 13, OF COURSE. #teenmom #youngmom #ofcoursetrend #ofcourse #pregnantat12 #momat13 #teenparents #agegap #milenial #2000 #80sbaby @Alecia Weaver #mygirl ♬ original sound - Michele ☀️
Viewers tell the driver she’s not off the hook
In the comments section of Hofmann’s video, several viewers assured her that a repossessed car doesn’t mean she’s off the hook for payments.
This might be true. Although Hofmann insists she doesn’t “owe a single copper penny,” the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says affected drivers might still owe a “deficiency balance.” This is the difference between the amount you owe on the loan and what the lender receives from selling the car.
“Who’s gonna tell her?” one viewer commented.
“Still your issue,” another added.
“You still have to pay for the car lol they will give you an offer to settle or take you to court,” a third woman said. “They can/will garnish your pay. So don’t get too excited lol.”
“You are delulu,” a fourth user wrote.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Hofmann via TikTok comment and to Kia through email.
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