2003 KIA SORENTO Complaints

PURCHASED VEHICLE USED IN NOVEMBER 2008 - KIA SORENTO 2003. I NOTICED A GASOLINE SMELL SHORTLY AFTER THE PURCHASE, BUT DIDN'T THINK IT WAS FROM MY VEHICLE. LAST WEEK NOTICED A DAMP SPOT UNDER MY CAR, CHECKED IT, FOUND GASOLINE LEAKING FROM MY TANK. TOOK THE CAR IN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE. THEY FOUND A CRACK ALONG A SEAM IN THE GAS TANK AND REPLACED IT. *TR

MY ENGINE BLEW ON THE CAR IT ONLY HAS ABOUT 78,000 MILES ON IT GETS REGULAR OIL CHANGES AND NO MAJOR PROBLEMS. I HAVE NEVER HAD A WARNING LIGHT COME ON AS TO INDICATE I HAD SOME OIL OR ENGINE PROBLEMS. THE CAR HAD JUST BEEN INVOLVED IN AN AUTO ACCIDENT AND BEEN SITTING SINCE 12/15 I JUST GOT IT BACK ON 01/23 AND THE ENGINE BLOWS ON 01/30 AND THEY WANT TO CHARGE ME $5,000 TO REPLACE ......I HAVE HEARD THINGS ABOUT KIA ENGINES BUT MY SUV WAS IN FINE CONDITION AND ALL OF A SUDDEN MY ENGINES BLOWS....SOUNDS LIKE A DEFECT TO ME. *TR

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON AND IT HAS BEEN CHECKED BY A DEALERSHIP AND THEY DON'T KNOW THE PROBLEM, THE FRONT HEADLAMPS KEEP BURNING OUT. *TR

HEADLIGHTS/FOG LIGHTS NEED TO BE REPLACED EVERY 3-4 MONTHS. I BOUGHT MY CAR NEW SO I KNOW IT IS NOT THE FAULT OF ANYONE ELSE, OTHER THAN THE MANUFACTURER. EACH BULB COSTS APPROXIMATELY $19.00 [DEPENDING ON BRAND AND TYPE OF BULB}. I KNOW I HAVE SPENT HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS ON BULBS SINCE 2003; IT IS NOW 2009. *TR

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WILL NOT SHUT OFF. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES. DEALERSHIP HAS AT TIMES BEEN RUDE AND THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. THEY DO NOT KNOW HOW TO FIX IT. ALSO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH HEADLIGHTS BURNING OUT VERY REGULARLY AND THE BACK HATCH WILL NO LONGER OPEN. *TR

REFERENCE NHTSA ITEM NUMBER 10015248 -- TSB# 029 2003 KIA SORENTO -- AIR BAGS PURCHASED CAR IN 8/2003 AND HAS HAD PROBLEMS WITH AIR BAG COMING ON AND OFF OVER THE PAST 5 YEARS. NOW THE CAR HAS BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT AND IS THREE MONTHS OUT OF WARRANTY, THE DEALERSHIP IS NOT INCLINED TO COVER THE EXPENSE TO REPLACE THE "ADU" BUT RATHER WISHES TO CHARGE ME MORE THAN $500. MY DAUGHTER WAS IN A SCARY ACCIDENT AND AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *TR

THE HEADLIGHTS AND BRAKELIGHTS ON MY VEHICLE (2003 KIA SORENTO EX) GO OUT APPROXIMATELY EVERY 3-4 MONTHS. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THEM AT LEAST 12 TIMES SINCE I GOT THE VEHICLE IN 2005. I HAVE HAD THE BULBS REPLACED BY THE DEALER 3 TIMES JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WAS DONE CORRECTLY AND WITH THE KIA PARTS AND THEY STILL BLEW OUT. I HAVE REPORTED THIS PROBLEM TO KIA 4 TIMES. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION TO BE PUT IN AND I AM REQUIRED TO DRIVE QUITE OFTEN AT NIGHT. SEVERAL TIMES I WAS DRIVING AND SUDDENLY MY HEADLIGHTS OR BRAKELIGHTS WENT OUT WHILE I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY WHICH IS ALSO DANGEROUS AND INCONVENIENT. I FEEL THAT SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, BASED ON MY RESEARCH AND TAKING TO THE KIA DEALER IT IS A COMMON AND WELL KNOWN PROBLEM WITH 2003 KIA SORENTOS THAT THE HEADLIGHTS AND BRAKELIGHTS GO OUT ALL THE TIME. *TR

OVERHEATING , THE OVERFLOW AND FILLER TANK CRACKING OPEN ON THE BOTTOM OUT OF SIGHT . CAUSED ME TO REPLACE THE WATERPUMP AND THERMOSTAT BEFORE BEING ABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM AND LEFT MYSELF AND FAMILY STRANDED. TOOK TO DEALER WHO FOUND THE CRACK AFTER CHECKING AND STATED THEY NATIONWIDE THEY HAD TO REPLACE OVER A HALF A MILLION TANKS ON THESE VEHICLES AT $200.PLUS PER JOB NOT TO MENTION THE COST OF CREATED PROBLEMS FROM THE OVERHEAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT MULTI MILLIONS OF LOSS TO CONSUMERS . *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 KIA SORENTO. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 35-40 MPH, THE MOTOR IN THE COOLING FAN FAILED. THE MOTOR WAS ATTEMPTING TO TURN OVER; HOWEVER, IT COULD NOT BECAUSE THE FUSE IN THE FUSE BOX DID NOT BLOW OUT AS IT SHOULD. THE WIRE FROM THE TERMINAL BLOCKER MELTED INTO THE FUSE BOX. THIS CAUSED THE WIRES TO BURN AND THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT BECAME ENGULFED IN SMOKE. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN HOME AND DID NOT CATCH ON FIRE. THE VEHICLE HAS TWO SAFETY FEATURES, ONE IN THE TERMINAL BLOCK AND THE OTHER IN THE FUSE BOX, BUT THEY DID NOT WORK. THE CONTACT CALLED KIA AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE WARRANTY ENDED AT 60,000 MILES. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 KIA SORENTO. WHILE PLACING FUEL INTO THE VEHICLE, THE FUEL SPEWED BACK OUT FROM THE GAS PUMP. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IT WOULD TAKE TEN MINUTES TO PLACE $20 WORTH OF GAS INTO THE VEHICLE. HE HAD TO PLACE SMALL QUANTITIES OF FUEL INTO THE VEHICLE AT A TIME TO PREVENT IT FROM SPEWING BACK OUT. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC REPLACED THE FUEL TANK PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE AT THE COST OF $191; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE PERSISTS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE . THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 85,000. UPDATED 10/16/08 *BF UPDATED 10/20/08.*JB