2003 KIA SORENTO Complaints

DRIVING VEHICLE AT ABOUT 45MPH, ENGINE STARTED MAKING A SCREECHING NOISE AND GOT LOUDER WHEN ACCELERATING. THERE WAS A LOUD BANG FROM ENGINE AREA AND IMMEDIATELY LOST ALL POWER AND ABILITY TO STEER AND BRAKE. WE WERE APPROACHING A BUSY INTERSECTION AND HAD TO PULL THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO AVOID RUNNING A RED LIGHT INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO OUR DEALERSHIP. THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY BOLT SNAPPED OFF AND THE BELT AND PULLEY FELL OFF. THE BOLT DID NOT BREAK FAR ENOUGH INTO THE ENGINE BLOCK SO REPAIR WAS ABLE TO REPLACE IT. AFTER THIS HAPPENED WE LEARNED OF THE SAFETY CONCERN WITH SAID VEHICLE AND KIA DENIES ANYTHING WRONG WITH THEIR SORENTOS. THERE IS A PENDING LAWSUIT AGAINST KIA FOR THIS KNOWN PROBLEM. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND WE ADVISED THE DEALER THAT WE WANT TO TRADE THE VEHICLE AS IT POSES A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM. KIA SHOULD PROVIDE A MAJOR RECALL. NOW GETTING A HARD TIME FROM DEALER. WE ARE STUCK IN THE MIDDLE AND STILL OWE A LOT ON THIS HAZARDOUS VEHICLE. *TR

APPROX. A WEEK PRIOR HEARD A NOISE LIKE SOMETHING WAS LOOSE AND BEATING UNDERNEATH THE CAR ONLY AT TIMES. TOOK IT TO LOCAL GARAGE AND PUT IT ON RACK AND THE MECHANIC HAD ME TO COME LOOK FOR MYSELF. MY HEART DROPPED. THE FRAME IS SHOT. IT'S EAT UP. HE ASKED ME IF THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS CAR? AND AS FAR AS I KNOW THERE ISN'T, BUT FOR SURE, SHOULD BE. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. ONE BIG BUMP AND THE WHOLE THING IS GONE. YOU CAN TOUCH IT AND THE METAL FLAKES OFF. THIS CAR RUNS SO GOOD AND STILL IS A GOOD LOOKING CAR. HAS ALWAYS BEEN IN A GARAGE NEVER LEFT OUT IN THE WEATHER. THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THEY DON'T MAKE CARS LIKE THEY USED TOO. MY ANSWER WAS MAYBE SO, BUT THIS IS WHAT GETS PEOPLE KILLED, I AM A PERSON THAT WHEN SOMETHING I KNOW IS NOT RIGHT OR HEAR A NOISE I KNOW THAT SHOULDN'T BE THAT WAY!! I GET IT CHECKED OUT. NOW SOME PEOPLE DON'T THAT'S WHY THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE KILLED ON THE ROADS DUE TO DEFECTS ON CARS THEY PAID THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FOR. I NEED HELP!! WHAT DO I DO NOW? I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE IT TO MAILBOX AND BACK. *TR

I BOUGHT MY KIA SORENTO 2003 IN NOVEMBER 2013. IN JANUARY OF THE FOLLOWING YEAR I NOTICED A GAS SMELL. I LOOKED UNDER THE VEHICLE AND FOUND A FEW DRIPS ON THE GROUND UNDERNEATH, WHICH WAS GAS. I HAD THE LINE UNDER THE CAB ALONG SIDE DOOR REPLACED. I AM NOTICING A STRONG GAS SMELL COMING FROM THE SIDE TOWARD FRONT AND CAN'T SEE ANYTHING LEAKING. I SAW THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS YEAR AND MAKE SO I CALLED KIA AND ASKED THEM IS MY VEHICLE COVERED UNDER THE RECALL AND THEY SAID NO AFTER GIVING THEM MY VIN NUMBER. I SEE THAT ITS NOT JUST THE 2003 VEHICLES WITH THIS ISSUE. JUST BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT VIN NUMBER THEY SHOULD STILL HONOR MY COMPLAINT. REGARDLESS I'M STILL HAVING THE SAME FUEL ISSUES AS THE ONES ON RECALL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 KIA SORENTO. WHILE EXITING THE DRIVEWAY WITH THE BRAKES ENGAGED, THE BRAKES FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THERE WAS EXCESSIVE CORROSION THAT FRACTURED THE SUBFRAME AND DAMAGED THE BRAKE LINES. AS A RESULT, THE BRAKE LINES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THE CENTER SECTION OF THE FRAME NEEDED TO BE CUT AND REPLACED. THE SUBFRAME WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 31,000.

WHILE THE CAR WAS IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE THE TECH NOTICED A COUPLE OF BRAKE LINES LOOKED WET, WHEN THEY WHERE CHECKING THE LINES THEY NOTICED THE REAR SUB-FRAME WHICH THE LINES WERE CONNECTED TOO WAS TOTALLY RUSTED OUT. THE CAR IS NO LONGER DRIVABLE DUE TO THE FACT THAT THIS SUB-FRAME HOLDS THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL IN PLACE. *TR

WHEN FUELING THE VEHICLE THE GAS PUMP AUTOMATICALLY SHUTS OFF CONSTANTLY. THE TANK CAN BE EMPTY AND THE PUMP WILL SHUT OFF AS SOON AS YOU START FILLING IT AND CONTINUE TO DO SO AS YOU FILL IT. IT WILL ALSO SPIT GAS OUT OF THE TANK WHILE YOU ARE FILLING IT. THERE SHOULD BE PLENTY OF ROOM FOR GAS AS THE GAS INDICATOR SHOWS EMPTY BUT EVEN AFTER PUTTING ONE GALLON IN THE TANK, THE PUMP WILL SHUT OFF AND/OR GAS WILL SPILL/SPLASH OUT. I HAVE TO STAND BACK WHEN FILLING THE TANK SO THAT I DON'T GET IT ALL OVER ME. THE DATE LISTED FOR INCIDENT IS WHEN IT FIRST STARTED HAPPENING BUT IT CONTINUES TO DO SO EVERY TIME I PUT GAS IN THE VEHICLE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE MADE AN ABNORMAL NOISE WHEN THE BATTERY AND ANOTHER UNKNOWN WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT HAD TO PUMP THE BRAKE PEDAL SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE THE VEHICLE WOULD STOP AND THE POWER STEERING STOP WORKING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE CRANK SHAFT PULLEY BOLT WAS HOLDING TOO MUCH WEIGHT CAUSING IT TO FRACTURE. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 36,000.

THE OVERFLOW BOTTLE FOR THE RADIATOR HAS BEEN LEAKING AGAIN. THE FIRST ONE THAT CAME WITH THE CAR WAS REPLACED IN 2011 AND NOW WE ARE HAVING TO REPLACE THE RADIATOR RESERVOIR AGAIN. *TR

THE WIPER MOTOR STRIPS OUT EASILY. TOOK IT IN TO HAVE IT FIXED AND IT STILL SLAMS DOWN INTO THE CAR. I WENT BACK IN AND IT STILL DOESN'T WORK. NOW IT COMPLETELY QUIT. *TR

WE WERE ATTEMPTING TO FILL THE SORENTO UP WITH GAS WHEN IT SUDDENLY SPIT GAS OUT OF THE TANK WHEN WE HAD ONLY PUT $11 INTO TO. IT WAS CLOSE TO EMPTY WHEN WE GOT TO THE GAS STATION. WE TRIED A COUPLE TIMES WITH THE SAME RESULT. THE CAR WOULD NOT TAKE ANYMORE GAS. *TR