2003 KIA SORENTO Complaints

DT: CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS A GAS LEAK IN VEHICLE. SHE FIRST NOTICED GAS COMING OUT OF THE VEHICLE ON JULY 5, 2005. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP AND IT WAS FIXED, BUT THEY DID NOT TELL HER WHY IT WAS LEAKING. DEALERSHIP STATED IT WAS THEIR FAULT, AND IT WAS THE THIRD ONE IN THE SHOP TO FIX. SHE HAS BEEN SMELLING GAS FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS.*AK

HARMONIC BALANCER BOLT BROKE. TRAVELING LESS THAN 5MPH. VEHICLE STARTED TO VIBRATE. UPON INVESTIGATION, FOUND THAT THE MAIN BOLT HOLDING THE HARMONIC BALANCER IN HAD SHEARED OFF. THERE WERE SOME RUST DEPOSITS AT THE BREAKAGE POINT. THIS OCCURED WHILE ON AN OFFROAD TRIP. THE VEHICLE WAS LEFT IN THE BACKCOUNTRY. I WILL HAVE TO ATTEMPT TO MAKE REPAIRS IN THE FIELD IN ORDER TO GET IT TO THE DEALER. THERE IS NO WAY TO TOW THE VEHICLE OUT OF ITS CURRENT POSITION.

WE HAD A VIBRATION IN THE FRONT END OF THE CAR WHEN WE STOPPED. WE TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL KIA DEALER. WE WERE TOLD THAT THE ROTORS WERE WARPED. WE BOUGHT THE CAR NEW, IT ONLY HAD 33,000 MILES ON IT. WAS TOLD THAT THE ROTORS WARRANTY WAS 5YR/50000 MILES, BUT ONLY ON DEFECTS. SINCE MOST ROTORS WEAR OUT AT 65K OR 70K MILES I SAID IT WAS A DEFECT. DEALER REFUSED REPAIR UNDER WARRANTY. CALLED KIA NATIONAL OFFICE, WAS TOLD THEY CAN'T MAKE DEALER DO REPAIRS, ITS UP TO THE DEALER TO DECIDE IF WARRANTY OR NOT! KIA DOES NOT BACK UP THE WARRANTY'S AND WILL NOT SUPPORT CONSUMERS.

DT: FRONT AXLE CAUSES TIRES TO WEAR FASTER ON THE INSIDE. SIGNIFICANT WEAR DIFFERENCES BETWEEN INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE TIRES. FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE IT IS APPARENT THAT THE TIRES ARE NOT IN LINE VERTICALLY. VEHICLE IS REGULARLY SERVICED WITH RECORDS AVAILABLE. IN APRIL, CONTACT WAS TOLD BY DEALER THAT THE TIRES NEEDED ALIGNED AND THEY WERE ALIGNED. AT THIS TIME THE TIRES ARE SIGNIFICANTLY WORN ON THE INSIDE AND NEED REPLACED. TIRES WERE REPLACED ON 5/11/05. TIRES HAVE 26,000 MILES ON THEM. *NM

WHILE DRIVING, THE ENGINE BLEW OUT THE FIRST TIME ON 10-04-04. IT WAS REPLACED AND IT BLEW AGAIN ON 01-21-05. THE VEHICLE IS ON ITS THIRD ENGINE. *AK THE KEY BECAME STUCK IN THE IGNITION, THE VEHICLE SHIFTED OUT OF PARK. THE CONSUMER STATED HE HAS HAD TRANSMISSIONS AND ENGINE PROBLEMS SINCE HE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. THE FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS WERE DAMAGED. THE FOG LIGHT WAS INOPERATIVE. *JB

THE AIR BAG SENSOR LOCATED IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT DID NOT ENGAGED WHEN A PASSENGER SAT IN THE, SEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *JB

ONGOING PROBLEMS WITH POWER STEERING. FEELS LIKE ENGINE IS STALLING AND POWER STEERING IS LOCKING UP WHEN MAKING TURNS AT LOW SPEED. VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER. THIS HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY. *JB

I HAVE A 2003 KIA SORENTO THAT I PURCHASED IN SEPTEMBER OF 2003. I BOUGHT THE SORENTO WITH 5000 MILES ON IT AND FROM THE TIME I GOT IT HOME, IT DEVELOPED PROBLEMS. EVERYTIME I START MY SORENTO AND PUT IT IN DRIVE OR REVERSE AND BACK-UP OR DRIVE FORWARD, I HEAR THIS AWFUL HUM NOISE FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR THAT THE DEALERSHIP SAYS IS NORMAL THAT IT'S THE ABS RESETTING ITSELF AND THAT IT'S SOMETIMES NOISIER IN SOME SORENTO'S THAN IN OTHER'S (NO OTHER SORENTO OWNER THAT I KNOW HAS THIS NOISE) I FELT A VIBRATION WHEN I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND IT WOULD HAPPEN BETWEEN 68 AND 72 MPH. IT WOULD NOT VIBRATE IF I WAS DRIVING ABOVE OR BELOW THIS SPEED. SO I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME TO ROTATE AND BALANCE MY TIRES AND I TOLD THEM THAT I ALREADY DID THAT. WELL COME TO FIND OUT AFTER I HAD TO PUT IT INTO THE SHOP, THEY REPLACED THE WHOLE DRIVE SHAFT, IT WAS BENT (MANUFACTURER DEFECT THEY SAID.) SECOND, MY CONSOLE BROKE AND THE LIGHTS WENT OUT INSIDE MY CAR, STILL WAITING ON THAT TO BE FIXED, HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE HEADLIGHT LIGHTS TWICE THUS FAR. REAR WINDSHIELD WIPER KEEPS GETTING STUCK EVEN AFTER HAVING THE DEALERSHIP ADJUST IT. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED CONSUMER SMELLED A BURNING ODOR. THEN, SMOKE CAME FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. AS A RESULT, TRANSMISSION FAILED AND FLAMES EMANATED FROM THE UNDER CARRIAGE. *AK

ACCELERATE AFTER STOPPING, PRESSING BRAKE PEDAL HARD, VEHICLE LEAPED FORWARD. *BF WHEN BEGINNING TO ACCELERATE AFTER STOPPING SUDDENLY OR PRESSING ON THE BRAKE PEDAL HARD, THE VEHICLE LEAPS FORWARD WITH A FORCE THAT FEELS LIKE YOU JUST GOT REAR ENDED . *TC