2003 KIA SORENTO Complaints

ON JULY 20, 2007 DRIVING HOME FROM WORK IN THE RAIN, ON THE HIGHWAY MY CAR MADE A LOUD NOISE AND I LOST STEERING AND DID EVERYTHING I COULD TO NOT HIT CARS BESIDE OF ME AND THE POOR GUY BEHIND ME FROM CRASHING IN TO ME. CALLED MY HUSBAND WHO CAME AND PICKED UP THE HARMONIC BALANCE OFF THE HIGHWAY, LIFTED THE HOOD TO FIND A LARGE BOLT (NOW I KNOW CRANKSHAFT BOLT) BROKEN. WHICH I HAVE. I SEARCHED AND FOUND WHERE THERE WERE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS AND THAT KIA WAS GOING TO RECALL. I CALLED KIA ON THE 1ST OF AUG. (CAR HAS BEEN SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY BECAUSE IT HAS 68000 MILES AND I AM THE SECOND OWNER), WHO HAD MY CAR TOWED TO THE RUSTY WALLACE KIA IN LOUISVILLE, TN. (CHECKED THE MAIL WHEN I CAME HOME AND THERE WAS A RECALL ON CRANKSHAFT BOLTS) IMAGINE THAT. IT IS STILL SITTING THERE AT THE DEALERSHIP. THEY KEEP TELLING ME THE DISTRICT MANAGER IS TRYING TO DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT TO FIX IT. I HAD SPOKEN TO A COUPLE OF TECH'S. AND THEY TOLD ME MY MOTOR WAS GONE. THE BOLT BROKE OFF INSIDE THE MOTOR. KIA IS NOW JERKING ME AROUND. I HAVE HAD TO PUT OFF VACATION AND MY HUSBAND AND I ARE SHARING A VEHICLE WHICH IS COSTING ME A FORTUNE IN GAS BECAUSE WE WORK IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS AND I WORK ABOUT 30 MILES FROM MY HOME. CAN NOT GET ANY HELP. I HAVE RESEARCHED AND FOUND HUGE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS. KIA HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS. *JB

IN SEPTEMBER, 2006, AT APPROXIMATELY 55200 MILES, THE AIRBAG FAILURE LIGHT CAME ON. DIAGNOSIS BY THE DEALER ON 5 SEPT 2006 (INVOICE 107484) REVEALED "ORDERED DRIVERS AIR BAG, FAULT B1346, 1ST STAGE RESISTANCE TO [SIC] HIGH." ON 25 SEPT 2006, AFTER FIRST ORDERING THE WRONG PART(INVOICE 107945), THE DEALER REPLACED THE DRIVER-SIDE AIR BAG (INVOICE 108174). ON 31 JULY 2007, AT APPROXIMATELY 59200 MILES, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. THE CAR WAS BROUGHT TO THE DEALER ON 1 AUGUST, AND ON 2 AUGUST THE DEALER REPLACED THE AIR BAG. THE DEALER INVOICE INDICATES "56910R00 REPLACED DRIVERS SIDE AIR BAG. RESISTANCE TO [SIC] HIGH." (INVOICE 119075). ON THE MORNING OF 3 AUGUST 2007, AT APPROXIMATELY 59220 MILES, THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. THIS CAR HAS NEVER BEEN INVOLVED IN A COLLISION. THE AIR BAGS HAVE NEVER BEEN DEPLOYED. THE CAR HAS LESS THAN 60,000 MILES ON IT AND IS ONLY 4-1/2 YEARS ONLY. DESPITE THE DRIVER-SIDE AIRBAG BEING REPLACED TWICE, THE CAR IS INDICATING FOR THE THIRD TIME THAT THE DRIVER-SIDE AIRBAG HAS FAILED. *JB

I WAS DROPPING OFF SOMEONE AT WORK WHEN THE CAR MADE A THUMP AND ALL THE DASH WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. I DROVE IT HOME ABOUT TWO MILES AWAY, AND TOOK IT TO A AUTOMOBILE SERVICE CENTER THE NEXT DAY. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY WAS READY TO FALL OFF. THE NEXT DAY I HAD IT TOWED FROM THE SERVICE CENTER TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER SAID THE SAME THING AS THE SERVICE CENTER, AND THAT IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY. ALSO, IT A NEEDED A 60000 MILE SERVICE FOR WHICH I PAID EXTRA. WHEN I WENT TO PICK THE CAR 5 DAYS LATER THE CAR WAS MAKING A BELT NOISE, IT WAS SLOW IN STARTING, THE DASH LIGHT WOULDN'T COME ON, AND THE AIRBAG LIGHT WAS ON. WHEN I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER, THEY TIGHTENED THE BELTS AND CHECKED THE OTHER PROBLEMS AT A COST OF $150, AND THAT THESE OTHER PROBLEMS WERE NOT UNDER WARRANTY, AND WOULD COST $1400 TO FIX THEM. I HAVE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR UNTIL THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY FAILED, AND COULD NOT SEE WHY IF A WARRANTY FAILURE CAUSED SOMETHING ELSE TO FAIL, WHY WASN'T IT FIXED UNDER WARRANTY? ALSO, THE PERSON WHO WORKED ON THE CA RCOMPLAINED ABOUT THE OIL PAN WITH THE SEALER THAT WAS USED TO SEAL THE ENGINE.*AK

NO WARNING OF FAILURE. HAPPENED AT 61000 MILES 1000 OVER WARRANTY. CRANKSHAFT BOLT BROKE , AND THE MECHANIC SAD HE NEVER SAW SOMETHING LIKE THIS. SO I THINK KIA SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE ..HE GOT THE PARTS FROM KIA, AND ON 7/15/07 THE BOLT CAME OFF AGAIN WHILE CAR WAS IN PARKING LOT OF WIFE'S WORK PLACE. KIA SHOULD FIX IT . I WAS PLANNING ON GETTING A MINI VAN, AND IT WON'T BE A KIA, DEPENDING ON WHAT THEY DO ABOUT MY SERENTO. *AK

BOTH REAR INTERIOR DOOR PANELS AND LIFTGATE ARE RUSTING OUT ON VEHICLE THAT IS 1.5 YEARS OLD (AND GARAGE KEPT). KIA STATES THEY HAVE A "5-YEAR/50K MILE BUMPER-TO-BUMPER WARRANTY" FOR POOR CRAFTSMANSHIP & FAULTY MATERIALS. APPARENTLY, A BRAND NEW VEHICLE RUSTING OUT DOESN'T MEET KIA'S DEFINITION AS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND WILL NOT FIX IT. KIA'S WARRANTY IS OVERSTATED. NO VEHICLE (EVEN ONE'S BUILT INTO 1950'S RUST OUT WITH IN A YEAR. POOR MATERIALS....LOUSY WARRANTY. *TR

LAST FEB. THE COOLANT RESERVOIR CRACKED, LOST ALL COOLANT. TOWED TO DEALER. THEY FIXED IT AND TOLD ME THAT I NEEDED A NEW BELT. I DIDN'T WANT ANYTHING MORE TO HAPPEN AS I TAKE MY 90 YEAR OLD MOM AROUND, THEY REPLACED ONE BELT FOR $120. NEVER RAN RIGHT AFTER THAT, WITH SCREECHING NOISES AND NO MORE A/C. TODAY, JUST AS I WAS DRIVING ONTO THE HIGHWAY-I STARTED LOSING MY STEERING AND I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER OFF THE RAMP, THEN IT STALLED AS I WAS PULLING OVER. I HAVE READ ABOUT THIS HAPPENING TO A LOT OF PEOPLE AND WAS JUST WAITING FOR IT TO HAPPEN. WELL IT DID AND THANK GOD I WASN'T GOING 70 ON THE HIGHWAY YET. IT HAS BEEN TOWED TO DEALER AND THEY SAID IT WAS THE BOLT ON THE DRIVE SHAFT THAT BROKE. THEN HE SAID THAT SINCE I'M ONLY 8000 MILES AWAY FROM 60K, THEN I SHOULD JUST DO THE TIMING BELT SERVICE NOW BECAUSE IF I DON'T AND IT GOES, THEN MY ENGINE WILL BLOW. SO I GUESS THIS IS WHAT I HAVE TO WAIT TO HAPPEN NEXT AND I'M SURE IT WILL. THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE CAN'T BE WRONG. DON'T BUY A KIA!!!!!!!!!!!!! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 KIA SORENTO. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE CRANK SHAFT FAILED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. THE TOTAL COST OF THE RENTAL EXPENSE WAS $600. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE CRANKSHAFT FAILED, HE WAS STRANDED. THE KIA DEALER CLAIMED TO HAVE REPAIRED THE VEHICLE. THERE ARE NO WARNING INDICATORS PRESENT WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURS. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT BE OF ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 48,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000. THE CONSUMER STATED THE REPAIR WAS COVERED UNDER RECALL, SINCE A RECALL WAS ISSUED, HOWEVER HE IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE RENTAL CAR. THE RADIATOR ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED DUE TO A LEAK AT THE LOWER SEAM. UPDATED

CRANKSHSFT PULLEY BOLT BROKE ON 2003 KIA SORENTO V6 MODEL. THIS CAUSED LOSS OF POWER STEERING IN VEHICLE. *AK

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER HE GETS AN OIL CHANGE, THE VEHICLE'S EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR LIGHTS BLOW OUT. AS OF MAY 17, 2007, THE DOME LIGHT IS CURRENTLY OUT AND HAS BEEN SINCE NOVEMBER 25, 2005. KIA MOTORS STATED THAT EVEN THOUGH HER VEHICLE WAS UNDER WARRANTY, SHE STILL HAD TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR COSTS. KIA ALSO STATED THAT IN ORDER TO KEEP HER WARRANTY, THE CONTACT WOULD NEED TO PAY $1,000 PLUS THE REPAIR COSTS. THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER HAVE NOT PROVIDED A SATISFACTORY EXPLANATION AS TO WHAT IS CAUSING THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY EIGHT TIMES. SHE STATED THAT THE BATTERY HAD TO BE REPLACED EVEN THOUGH IT WAS ALSO STILL UNDER WARRANTY. THE ENGINE SIZE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 62,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 34,600. THE DEALER STATED GAS PEDAL STICKS WHEN ACCELERATING . THE CONSUMER STATED SHE HD TO PURCHASE 2 BATTERIES. UPDATED 06/07/07 *TR

COOLANT TANK CRACKED. CALLED KIA AND THEY SAID THAT IT WAS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY BUT THAT THE PART HAD BEEN RE DESIGNED. SO I GUESS THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE TANKS. BUT KIA WOULD NOT COVER THE REPLACEMENT OF THE DEFECTIVE TANK.*AK