2009 KIA RONDO Complaints

IN JANUARY 2013 MY CARE BEGAN TO MAKE A WHINNING NOISE. I TOOK MY CAR TO MY MECHANIC WHO STATED THE POWER STEERING PUMP WENT OUT. I WAS IN DISBELIEF DUE TO MY CARE ONLY BEING FOUR YEARS OLD. I THEN PAID $650 FOR PARTS AFTER I LEARNED THIS WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY (MY CAR WAS OVER 60,000 MILES). MY MECHANIC THEN STATED THAT HE HAD SEEN SEVERAL CARS WITH THE SAME MAKE/ MODEL WITH THE SAME ISSUE & THAT FROM HIS EXPERTISE THIS WAS GOING TO BE A DOMINO EFFECT OF PROBLEMS. HE ADV ME TO TAKE THE CARE TO KIA DEALERSHIP TO SEE IF THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO DO MORE DUE TO THE CAR WAS ONLY FOUR YEARS YOUNG. SO I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP IN CONORD, CA & THEY ADV ME THAT THE AIR COMPRESSOR WAS THE ISSUE GAVE ME AN ESTIMATE OF $1400 TO REPAIR. PARTS EMPLOYEE STATED THAT THERE WHERE NO RECALLS OR PROBLEMS WITH ANY OTHER CARS OTHER THAN MINE SO FAR (AFTER I ASKED HAS THIS EVER BEEN RECALLED). KIA PARTS EMPLOYEE ADV ME TO CALL AROUND TO GET THE PARTS ESTIMATES AFTER I TOLD HIM $1400 WAS TOO MUCH TO PAY FOR A CAR THAT KIA SHOULD HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR. I CALLED AROUND FOR PARTS & WAS ADV THAT BASED UPON THE AGE OF MY CAR THIS PAR SHOULD STILL BE WORKING. I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH KIA BASED OUT OF SACRAMENTO & WAS TOLD THEY WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING UNLESS ALOT OF PEOPLE CAME TOGETHER TO FILE A LAW SUIT. NEEDLESS TO SAY RIGHT NOW I'M AT LOSS OF WORDS WITH KIA AS A COMPANY, THEIR LACK OF EMPATHY, AND ACCOUNTABILITY I WOULD NEVER ADV ANYONE TO PURCHASE A KIA & I NEED TO BE REIMBURSED AS I'M CURRENTLY MAKING MONTHLY PAYMENTS IN ADDITION TO PAYING FOR REPAIRS ON THIS CAR. *TR

AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM - THE AC CLUCH HAS BEEN WINING AND WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED AT 72,000. IT IS NOW OUT OF WARRENTY 60,000/5 YEARS. $715 TO REBUILD CLUTCH OR $1100 FOR NEW AC COMPRESSOR. *TR

THIS MODEL CAR HAS AT LEAST THREE HEADLIGHTS. I HAVE REPLACED THE MAIN HEADLIGHTS NOW 4 TIMES IN THE LAST 6 - 7 MONTHS. NOW THE TRANSMISSION HAS LOCKED UP MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO PUT THE CAR INTO PARK OR PAST NEUTRAL. THE ESC OFF LIGHT WILL NOT GO OFF. THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN OBSERVED ON THE 2007 MODEL OF THIS CAR. *TR

2009 KIA RONDO LX - 2 BROKEN SEAT BELT BUCKLES IN BACK SEAT - THE SEAT BELT CASING ON DRIVER SIDE BACK SEAT COMPLETELY CAME OFF; THE MIDDLE SEAT BELT BUCKLE CASING IS CRACKED AND INOPERABLE. *TR

FUEL SMELL IN VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING, FUEL SEEPAGE FROM INJECTORS ONTO THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MULTIPLE DEALERS BUT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT FIXED. THE DEALERS COULD NOT FIND A LEAK OR SMELL ANY GAS FUMES. AS OF TODAY, VEHICLE STILL HAS THE PROBLEM. *TR

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION JERKS/LUNGES WHEN IT SHIFTS AT SPEEDS LESS THAN 50 KM/HR. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 KIA RONDO. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, AN OPPOSING VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE DOOR AND SIDE REAR BUMPER. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY WITH THE LEVEL OF FORCE INVOLVED IN THE CRASH. THE FRONT SEAT OCCUPANT AND REAR PASSENGER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES AND SUFFERED FROM WHIPLASH. A POLICE REPORT WAS AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR REPAIRS. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 14,000.

WATER/MUD GETS INTO ENGINE COMPARTMENT DURING HEAVY RAIN. A DAY AFTER DRIVING IN HEAVY RAIN, I OPENED THE HOOD, AND THE RIGHT (PASSENGER) SIDE OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS COVERED WITH A LAYER OF MUD. THIS INCLUDED THE ENGINE, WIRING, AND MOST ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS. I HAVE NEVER, IN 37 YEARS AND NEARLY ONE MILLION MILES OF DRIVING, HAD THIS SORT OF INTRUSION INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT OF ANY VEHICLE I HAVE OWNED. OUR FEAR IS NOT ONLY THE POSSIBILITY OF AN ELECTRICAL FIRE, BUT OF THE SLOW FAILURE OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS, CAUSING SERIOUS PROBLEMS, INCLUDING FIRE, IN THE FUTURE. THE KIA DEALERSHIP TOLD ME TO TALK TO THE FACTORY REP, WHICH I DID ON OR ABOUT 7/30/09. THE REPS REPLY WAS A STANDARD 'DON'T WORRY ABOUT'. HE SAID ALL SHIELDS WHERE IN PLACE, AND HE WOULD HAVE THE SERVICE DEPT CLEAN IT UP FOR ME AND APPLY A HEAVY COAT OF SILICONE SPRAY TO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I SEE THIS AS A BAND-AID TO A POTENTIALLY SERIOUS FIRE PROBLEM. *TR

MALFUNCTIONING TRANSMISSION SOLENOID THAT THE KIA FACTORY REP TOLD US "WHEN IT FAILS, THE TRANSMISSION WILL GO INTO SAFE MODE AND YOU CAN BRING IT BACK". MY CONCERN IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN (FACTORY REP WORD, NOT MINE) IT FAILS, WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN IF MY WIFE IS DOING 65MPH ON THE INTERSTATE. THE SOLENOID EMITS A VERY LOUD BUZZ THAT CAN BE HEARD FOR SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET THAT WAS NOT THERE WHEN WE TEST DROVE THE CAR, AND IT WAS NOT THERE FOR ABOUT THE FIRST THREE WEEKS WE OWNED IT. IT STARTED AS AN OCCASIONAL BUZZ, AND IS NOW THERE AT ALL TIMES WHEN THE TRANSMISSION IS IN GEAR. IT APPEARS TO BE A KNOWN PROBLEM BECAUSE WHEN WE TOOK IT IN, A MECHANIC CAME OUT AND SAID HE KNEW WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. THE SERVICE MANAGER IMMEDIATELY TOLD ME I COULD TALK TO THE FACTORY REP ABOUT IT. THE FACTORY REP HAD NO ANSWER WHEN I ASKED WHY IT STARTED ONLY AFTER SEVERAL WEEKS, NOR DID HE HAVE ANY ANSWER ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS WITH A HIGH-SPEED FAILURE. A COMPLAINT TO KIA CUSTOMER SERVICE LED THEM TO ASK THE FACTORY REP ABOUT IT, AND HE TOLD THEM THEY DO IT A FIRST START. OURS IS ALL THE TIME, AND I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY WHEN (NOT IF) IT FAILS. *TR

RESPONDING TO RECALL SUMMARY ON LINE . I CALLED KIA MOTORS TOLD THEM MY 2009 RONDO WAS LISTED WITH A RECALL . I GAVE THEM MY VIN # THEY LOOKUP ON THEIR SYSTEM . AND TOLD ME THERE WAS NO RECALL ON MY CAR. SO THERE NOTHING THEY DO . PLEASE HELP FIND OUT IF I'M STILL ABLE TO GET THIS RECALL SERVICE THANKS. *TR