2008 KIA SORENTO Complaints

SINCE WE PURCHASED OUR 2008 KIA SORENTO IN MARCH 2009, THERE HAS BEEN A PROBLEM WITH THE PASSENGER SEAT WHERE WHEN I AM SITTING THERE AND THE "PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF" LIGHT IS ILLUMINATED. I AM 150 POUNDS, AND MOVED MYSELF AROUND IN THE SEAT, WEIGHT CENTERED, SITTING PROPERLY. AT THE SAME TIME WE HAVE BEEN FIGHTING THE ISSUE OF THE ESC OFF AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AS WELL, SO THE 3 TIMES THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO SERVICE FOR THE ESC OFF PROBLEM, WE ALSO TOLD THEM ABOUT THE PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF. MY HUSBAND IS THE ONE WHO TOOK THE VEHICLE AND THE FIRST TIME THEY TOLD HIM THAT I WAS NOT POSITIONED IN THE SEAT PROPERLY. THE SECOND TIME THE VEHICLE WENT TO THE SERVICE DEPT, IT WAS AFTER I BASICALLY YELLED AT THEM ON THE PHONE AND TOLD THEM TO RIP OUT THE SEAT IF THEY HAD TO IN ORDER TO FIX IT. AGAIN, MY HUSBAND TOOK IT, THEY SAID THAT "THE AIRBAG WILL DEPLOY, BUT IT MIGHT BE SLOW." I KNEW THIS WAS INCORRECT. I KNOW THE WAY IT WORKS AND IF THE SENSOR IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY AND IT SAYS THE AIRBAG IS OFF, IT WILL NOT DEPLOY. THE THIRD TIME IT WENT TO SERVICE FOR THE ESC OFF LIGHT PROBLEM, MY FATHER WENT AND HAD A STERN CONVERSATION WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER AND ADVISED HIM THAT HE WAS A SERVICE MANAGER AND THAT HE KNOWS THAT IT IS HIS RESPONSIBILITY TO FIND OUT THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM AND FIX IT, ESPECIALLY BEING THE CAR IS UNDER WARRANTY AND THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. THEY SUPPOSEDLY FIXED THE ISSUE, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THEY DID, BUT WE HAVE ONLY HAD THE PROBLEM AGAIN ONCE IN THE PAST 6 MONTHS, AS OPPOSED TO TWICE A WEEK FOR OVER A YEAR. I HAVE FILED A SEPARATE COMPLAINT REGARDING THE ESC OFF AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. *TR

WE HAVE A 2008 SORENTO, PURCHASED IN MARCH 2009 (NEW). APPROXIMATELY A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, ONLY APPROX 15,000MILES, WE HAD OUR FIRST INCIDENT THAT THE ESC OFF LIGHT AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH, AT THE SAME TIME, POWER WAS SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED TO THE ENGINE. THANKFULLY, I WAS DRIVING IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND NOT ON THE HIGHWAY. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON AND THE ESC OFF LIGHT WAS NOW OFF, BUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINED ON FOR THE REST OF THE DAY. WE DIDN'T THINK MUCH OF IT UNTIL IT HAPPENED AGAIN, ABOUT 2-3 WEEKS LATER. THIS TIME WE TOOK IT TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT. THEY INSISTED THAT THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT CAUSED IT AND THAT THERE WAS NO RECORD IN THE "COMPUTER" OF THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BEING ON. WE WERE BASICALLY DISMISSED BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT EVEN TELL THAT IT HAPPENED. THE THIRD TIME IT HAPPENED I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK, TURNING ONTO THE ENTRANCE RAMP OF I-95, I LOST POWER AND COULD NOT ACCELERATE TO MERGE ONTO THE HIGHWAY. I WAS FURIOUS AND FRIGHTENED OF THE POSSIBLE DANGER OF THE SITUATION, AND CALLED TO MAKE A SERVICE APPOINTMENT, THIS WAS THE 2ND TIME, WHICH BY THE TIME WE GOT THERE EVERYTHING WAS BACK TO "NORMAL" AND NO RECORD IN THE COMPUTER. I HAD PRINTED OUT RESEARCH FOR MY HUSBAND TO TAKE WITH HIM TO SHOW THEM THAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM AND THAT THE TCM WAS REPLACED, HOWEVER THEY DISMISSED HIM AND DID SOMETHING ELSE. IT WAS FINE FOR A WHILE, THEN HAPPENED AGAIN (APPROX DEC. 2010) WHEN MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING DOWN I-95, WE LOST POWER WHILE GOING 65 MPH AND THE ESC AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON. THIS TIME, MY DAD (WHO USED TO BE A SERVICE MANAGER) WAS AVAILABLE AND WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND HAD A STERN CONVERSATION WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER EXPRESSING HIS CONCERN FOR OUR SAFETY. THEY SUPPOSEDLY FIXED THE PROBLEM, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THEY DID, AND IT HAS BEEN FINE FOR THE PAST 6 MONTHS, UNTIL THE PAST 2 WEEKS, THE SAME PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED TWICE. WE ALSO HAD THE PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF WHEN I AM SITTING IN THE SEAT AS WELL. *TR

DRIVING 75 MPH ON HIGHWAY THE ESC OFF LIGHT LUMINATED AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. CAR LOST ACCELERATION AND POWER (WENT FROM 75 MPH TO 10 MPH INSTANTLY ON HWY). KIA REPLACED THE TPS SENSOR AND UPDATED ECM MODULE. ONE YEAR LATER SAME EVENT HAPPENED REPEATEDLY. DEALER WILL NOT FIX EVEN WITH TECH BULLETIN. TRIED TO CONTACT KIA MOTORS WITH NO RETURN RESPONSE. AT THE CURRENT TIME THE VEHICLE WILL NOT ACCELERATE. FASTEST IT WILL GO IS 45MPH EVEN WITH ACCELERATION PEDAL PUSHED ALL THE WAY DOWN. WHEN YOU TRY TO PULL OUT OR ACCELERATE THE VECHICLE LOOSES POWER. RANDOMLY THE CHECK ENGINE AND "ESC OFF" LIGHT WILL GO OFF AND CAR WILL ACCELERATE BUT ONCE OVER 65MPH WILL LOSE ALL POWER HAS ALMOSTED CAUSED SEVERAL WRECKS THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT FROM BEHIND. THE LACK OF POWER IS DANGEROUS BUT NOT AS DANGEROUS AS THE VEHICLE LOSING POWER ON THE HIGHWAY OR WHILE TRYING TO PULL OUT FROM A COMPLETE STOP. VEHICLE HAS LOST POWER IN INTERSECTION NEARLY CAUSING SIDE WRECK. SEARCHED ON INTERNET AND TPS SEEMS TO BE COMMON PROBLEM

MY 2008 KIA SORENTO HAS 40000 MILES AND THE ESC OFF INDICATOR, AS WELL AS, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON. I WAS DRIVING TO CHURCH AND WHILE DRIVING THE ACCELERATION DIMINISHED. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED, BEING I JUST BLUNT THE CAR A MONTH AGO. YES IT IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, BUT WHAT ABOUT WHEN IT IS NOT.... FROM THE LOOKS OF IT THIS IS A CONTINUAL PROBLEM THAT SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED, BEFORE SOMEONE LIFE BE HARMED WHILE DRIVING. *TR

I HAVE A 2008 KIA SORENTO WITH JUST OVER 34,000 MILES ON IT AND AM ON MY SECOND EXPERIENCE WITH THE ESC OFF PROBLEM. THE FIRST TIME WAS JULY 2010, CAR WAS TAKEN TO A DEALERSHIP AND THEY REPLACED THE SENSOR AND CAR WORKED FINE UNTIL THIS PAST MONDAY. I STARTED MY CAR TO WARM IT UP AND AFTER 10 MINUTES I RETURNED TO THE CAR TO LEAVE AND NOTICED THAT THE ESC OFF LIGHT WAS ON AS WELL AS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. AS PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE HAS SHOWN ME, THE ESC OFF LIGHT IS DANGEROUS AS THE CAR LOSES POWER. I TURNED THE CAR OFF, THEN ON, BUT THE LIGHTS WERE STILL ON. I GOT A RIDE TO WORK THAT DAY, BUT MY DAD WENT OVER TO LOOK AT THE CAR. THE ESC OFF LIGHT WENT OFF FOR HIM AND SO DID THE CHECK ENGINE, HE DROVE IT AROUND WITH NO PROBLEM. NOW THIS MORNING I STARTED IT TO WARM IT UP, NO LIGHTS CAME ON. I GOT IN TO LEAVE AND WHEN I REACHED THE END OF MY ROAD AT THE STOP SIGN, BOTH LIGHTS CAME ON AGAIN. I TURNED THE CAR OFF, THEN ON AND THE ESC OFF WENT OFF, BUT THE CHECK ENGINE IS STILL ON. THIS PROBLEM WILL STILL HAPPEN EVERY NOW AND THEN. THIS PROBLEM HAS HAPPEND MORE THAN A DOZEN TIMES AND IT DOSN'T MATTER WHAT SPEED I'M DRIVING IT WILL HAPPEN WHEN DRIVING SLOW OR FAST. LOSS OF POWER IS DANGEROUS WHEN THERE IS NOWHERE TO PULL OVER. I HAVE BEEN ON SEVERAL WEBSITED WHERE OTHERS HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. I HAVE ALSO BEEN TOLD THAT I NEED TO HAVE THE ACCELERATOR SENSOR REPLACED, NOT THE ESC SENSOR. IN JULY 2010 THE ESC SENSOR WAS REPLACED AND THE PROBLEM OCCURED AGAIN THE FOLLOWING JAN. 2011. *TT

2008 KIA SORENTO ESC LIGHT AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND VEHICLE LOST POWER. *TR

01/25/10 WITH 22,395 MILES ON VEHICLE. THE CAR HAD NO ACCELERATION. HAD PART #35107-3C100FF TH SENSOR ASSY REPLACED. 11/12/10 WITH 30,002 MILES ON VEHICLE. THE CAR HAD NO ACCELERATION AGAIN. HAD PART #91214-3E324 WIRING ASSY-ENG REPLACED. 12/30/10 WITH 32,064 MILES ON VEHICLE. THE CAR HAD NO ACCELERATION AGAIN. HAD PART #32700-3E400 PEDAL ASSY-ACCE REPLACED. MY CONCERN IS LOSING POWER ON A FREEWAY AND GETTING INTO A ACCIDENT. ALSO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE PASSENGER AIR BAG BEING ON AT RANDOM TIMES. MY CONCERN IS HAVING A ACCIDENT AND THE PASSENGER AIR BAG NOT WORKING. *TR

MY 2008 KIA SORENTO'S THROTTLE ACCELERATOR SENSOR HAS GONE OUT FOR THE SECOND TIME IN A YEAR. I LOOKED THIS ISSUE UP ONLINE, SINCE THIS IS THE SECOND TIME, AND FOUND EXTENSIVE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM. WHEN IT GOES OUT THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEM QUITS FUNCTIONING ALSO. MY CAR HAS LESS THAN 20,000 MILES ON IT. IT HAS A LOSS OF POWER AND STABILITY CONTROL WHEN THIS HAPPENS. THE DEALERSHIP KNEW EXACTLY WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND ASK ME TO BRING IT IN. THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN REPEATEDLY. *TR

ESC OFF LIGHT COMES ON, SUDDEN LOSS OF ACCELERATION, HEAD LIGHTS CONSTANTLY NEEDING TO BE CHANGED. MIDDLE SEAT BELT IN BACK MALFUNCTIONS BY NOT UNLOCKING AT TIMES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED EVEN WHEN SOMEONE WAS SEATED IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. THE DEALER REPLACED THE SEAT CUSHION THREE TIMES BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE DEALER SCANNED THE SENSOR BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM LIGHT ALSO ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER CLEARED THE MEMORY AND THE LIGHT TURNED OFF FOR TWO MONTHS BUT ILLUMINATED AGAIN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 45,000. UPDATED 5/2/11 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED HE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES, BUT THE AIR BAG LIGHT CONTINUES TO ILLUMINATE. UPDATED 05/11/11