2003 KIA SORENTO Complaints

WHERE DO I START?....WELL NOT LONG AFTER WE GOT THE PIECE OF JUNK WE HAD TO TAKE IT TO THE KIA DEALER BECAUSE THE ENGINE LIGHT KEPT COMING ON, THEY SAID IT WAS BECAUSE THE GAS CAP WASN'T BEING TWISTED ENOUGH AND AIR GOT IN. WELL FOR ABOUT 2 WEEKS THE ENGINE LIGHT STAYED OFF, WE TOOK IT BACK NUMEROUS TIMES BUT IT KEPT COMING BACK ON. THEN ON ONE OCCASION I WAS STRANDED ABOUT 40 MILES FROM HOME...THE CAR WAS DEAD, WE HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER, ALL THE BELTS HAD COME OFF, THEY TRIED TO MAKE EXCUSES WHY KIA WOULDN'T FIX IT UNDER THE WARRANTY, THANK GOD WE WON THAT BATTLE...KEEP IN MIND, THE ENGINE LIGHT IS STILL ON AT THIS POINT. NOW THIS YEAR THE HEATER WON'T STAY HOT AFTER ABOUT 30 SECONDS IT TURNS COLD, AS COLD AS THE AIR. THEN WITH NO WARNING THE CAR OVER HEATS AND DIES ON ME. WE HAVE IT TOWED TO THE DEALER THEY SAY IT IS MY FAULT BECAUSE WHEN I SEEN THE LIGHT COME ON I SHOULD HAVE PULLED OVER, "THE LIGHT NEVER GOES OFF" KIA WON'T FIX IT UNLESS WE PAY FOR IT, AND THE COST IS $10,000. WE HAVE ONE YEAR LEFT AND IT WOULD BE PAID OFF...LESS THAN $7,000 AND NOW THIS. I AM SO ANGRY, THIS IS NOT RIGHT. I THINK THE KIA COMPANY NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE THEY ARE RIPPING EVERYONE OFF. TAKING MONEY FROM WORKING PEOPLE AND SCAMMING THEM. THEY ARE NO BETTER THAN THIEVES AND LIARS. THEY ARE SELLING A PRODUCT ALONG WITH A PROMISE TO SERVICE IT SHOULD SOMETHING GO WRONG BUT NOT HONORING THAT PROMISE. OH AND DID I MENTION THE HEAD LIGHTS ARE ALWAYS GOING OUT? *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 35 MPH, WITHOUT WARNING THERE WAS A LOSS OF POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER AND THEN TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHO REPLACED THE CRANKSHAFT. THE PROBLEM RECURRED FIVE WEEKS LATER AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED A SECOND TIME. THE DEALERSHIP PUT LOCK SPRAY IN TO KEEP THE PIN ON THE CRANKSHAFT FROM FALLING OUT.

1) UPON PURCHASE, EXHAUST SMELL WAS STRONG INSIDE SUV, LEADING TO HEADACHES AND QUEASINESS. 2) TOOK IT IN WITHIN WEEKS (?) 3) A CORRECTION WAS MADE, PART REPLACED. SINCE THEN, THE EXHAUST SMELL IS INTERMITTENT, AND NOT AS STRONG. SERVICE DOES NOT SEE FURTHER ISSUE. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS A NOISE AND A VIBRATION WAS NOTICED. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, UNUSUAL WEAR ON THE INNER TREAD OF THE FRONT TIRES WAS ALSO NOTICED. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALER WHO COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. UPDATED 9/11/2006 - THE LEFT FRONT STRUT WAS NOISY DUE TO LOOSE BOTTOM STRUT BOLT. THE DEALER TIGHTENED END AND SECURED BOLT. THE CONSUMER FELT VIBRATION IN BRAKE PEDAL WHEN REVERSING AND MAKING TURNS. THE DEALER RESURFACED THE BRAKE ROTORS AND PADS. THE VIBRATION RETURNED. THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THE ROTORS WERE WARPED AND REPLACED THEM. THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE MADE NOISE. THE DEALER ADJUSTED ALL THE BELTS. THE CD PLAYER WOULD NOT EJECT PROPERLY. *NM

I AM THE ATTORNEY FOR THREE MINOR CHILDREN. THEY WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED, AND THEIR FATHER WAS KILLED IN A ROLLOVER IN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA IN FEBRUARY, 2006. THE REAR B.F. GOODRICH TIRE ON THE 2003 KIA SORENTO THAT THE FATHER WAS DRIVING BLEW OUT AND SEPARATED, RESULTING IN THE ROLLOVER. THE TIRE WAS APPARENTLY PLUGGED THE DAY BEFORE AT A LAS VEGAS TIRE SHOP. *JB

VEHICLE IS A 2003 KIA SORENTO WITH 70,000 MILES, PURCHASED NEW. VEHICLE APPEARS TO HAVE SERIOUS ELECTRICAL ISSUES. I HAVE, TO DATE, REPLACED LIGHT BULBS APPROXIMATELY 38 TIMES. THIS INCLUDES HEAD LIGHT BULBS (HIGH AND LOW), FOG LIGHT BULBS, TAIL LIGHT BULBS AND BRAKE LIGHT BULBS. ALSO THE CLOCK ONLY WORKS INTERMITTENTLY AND THE POWER SUN ROOF HAS CEASED WORKING. DEALER OFFERS NO SOLUTION. THIS HAS BEEN ONGOING SINCE THE FIRST MONTH OF OWNERSHIP. *NM

THE RESERVOIR ON MY 2003 KIA SORENTO RUPTURED AND ALL THE COOLANT LEAKED OUT WHILE I WAS DRIVING. I PULLED OFF THE HIGHWAY AND INTO A GAS STATION AND THE LET THE CAR COOL. I THEN ADDED IN ANTI- FREEZE AND FILLED IT WITH WATER AND DROVE ANOTHER 10 MILES AND DROPPED THE CAR AT A REPAIR SHOP. THE NEXT DAY THE CAR WOULD NOT START. THE KIA DEALERSHIP IS SAYING IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. *JB

I HAVE HAD MY KIA SORENTO FOR ALMOST A YEAR AND I HAVE REPEATEDLY HAD TO CHANGE THE HEADLIGHTS AND TAIL LIGHTS. AT LEAST 8 TIMES FOR THE HEADLIGHTS AND 4 FOR THE TAIL. *NM

I PURCHASED MY 2003 KIA SORENTO WITH 17,000 MILES ON IT. I AM THE SECOND OWNER. SINCE I HAVE HAD THIS CAR, I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE AND/OR RESURFACE MY ROTORS AND BRAKE PADS AT LEAST 6 TIMES IN TWO YEARS. I HAVE TALKED TO TWO KIA DEALERSHIPS (ONE IN CLARKSVILLE, TN - THE OTHER IN MEMPHIS, TN) AND BOTH LIED TO ME AND SAID THEY DIDN'T SEE THAT TYPE OF PROBLEM EVER. I HAVE TAKEN MY CAR TO TWO OTHER MECHANICS THAT I TRUST AND THEY HAVE TURNED MY ROTORS, REPLACED MY ROTORS WITH GENUINE KIA PARTS AND NOTHING SEEMS TO HELP. JUST THIS WEEK, I HAD TO TAKE MY CAR IN AGAIN. AT THAT TIME, MY MECHANIC TALKED TO OUR LOCAL KIA DEALERSHIP, WHO THEN TOLD HIM THAT THEY NOW SEE THIS PROBLEM FREQUENTLY. I AM TIRED OF SPENDING MY OWN MONEY ON THIS PROBLEM THAT IS OBVIOUSLY A KIA DEFECT. KIA KNOWS THIS IS A PROBLEM AND SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE. I WILL NEVER BUY A KIA AGAIN. I ONLY WISH I HAD RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM BEFORE I BOUGHT MY CAR. THEN I WOULD HAVE FOUND OUT THAT THERE WAS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST KIA AT ONE TIME OVER THEIR SEPHIA HAVING THE SAME EXACT PROBLEMS. MY HUSBAND HAS A 1995 FORD RANGER AND WE'VE NEVER HAD TO DO ANY BRAKE REPAIR.

WHILE DRIVING ON SATURDAY, 7/15/06, I NOTICED A HIGH PITCHED NOISE WHILE STEERING. I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT THE POWER STEERING FLUID WAS LOW. AFTER HAVING AN OIL CHANGE AND CAPPING OFF MY FLUIDS, THE NOISE CONTINUES AND REMAINS WHILE DRIVING. IT IS LOUD ENOUGH TO HEAR OVER THE RADIO AND THE AIR CONDITIONER AT THE SAME TIME. I HAVE PLACED THIS CAR IN THE SHOP FOR NUMEROUS REPAIRS SINCE ITS PURCHASE IN 2003 AND HAVE SPENT COUNTLESS AMOUNTS OF MONEY ON VARIOUS PROBLEMS, INCLUDING REPLACING THE BULBS, REPAIRING THE BRAKS, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMING ON IMMEDIATELY AFTER PURCHASE, THE AIR BAG SENSOR REMAINS ON AND THE LIST GOES ON AND ON. I HAVE PLACED NUMEROUS COMPLAINS TO KIA DIRECTLY AS WELL AS FILED A COMPLIANT WITH THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU TO NO AVAIL. IT WOULD BE MY ASSUMPTION THAT KIA WILL ONLY BE CONCERNED ABOUT FIXING THESE ISSUES OR RECALLING THESE VEHICLES ONLY AFTER SOME SERIOUS INCIDENTS HAVE OCCURRED.