2003 KIA SORENTO Complaints

CRANKSHAFT PULLEY BOLT SHEERED OFF AND THEN THE PULLEY FELL OFF BUSTING THE POWER STEERING PULL COMPLETELY OFF. MAKING ME ALMOST LOOSE CONTROL AND FLYING OFF THE FREEWAY AT 60MPH WITH MY CHILD WITH ME, VERY SCARY. CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY BUT BECAUSE IT WAS THE BOLT THAT BROKE THE BOLT WAS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY WORK. REPLACED ALL BY MANUFACTURE ON JULY 16TH 2012. COSTING $1,300. THIS LAST WEEK ON FATHERS DAY MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING THE CAR TO GET HIS DAUGHTER AND THE BOLT SHEERED OFF AGAIN AND IT IS LESS THEN 12 MONTHS SINCE THIS HAPPENED BUT BECAUSE THE WARRANTY IS 12 MONTHS OR 12,000 MILES, WE WERE 1,000 MILES OVER AND NOW THE DEALERSHIP SAYS ITS OUR PROBLEM AND NOW WE HAVE TO BUY A WHOLE NEW ENGINE THIS TIME. OUR CAR WAS FIXED BY PORTLAND KIA AND NOW ITS AT WASHINGTON KIA, WASHINGTON KIA IS SAYING THAT PORTLAND DID IT INCORRECTLY AND THEY SHOULD MAKE THIS RIGHT BUT PORTLAND KIA IS NOT TAKING ANY FAULT FOR OVER TORQUING THE BOLD WITH 130 POUNDS OF A TORQUE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING AT 60 MPH AND MY POWER STEERING WAS GETTING HARD ALMOST CAUSE AN ACCIDENT IN THE EXPRESSWAY, I CHECK POWER STEERING FUEL AND IS FINE, BELT TO POWER STEERING FINE TOO, I JUST WONDER IF THERE IS A RECALL PARTS IN THIS PROBLEM, IM VERY AFRAID TO DRIVE MY KIA AGAIN, PLEASE INVESTIGATE. *TR

WHEN I TRY TO START THE VEHICLE IT WILL NOT DO ANYTHING UNTIL I OPEN THE DRIVER DOOR THEN IT WILL START. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH THE VEHICLE SWERVED OUT OF LANE INDEPENDENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE ENTIRE REAR SUB FRAME HAD FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION AND THEY INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE REAR FRAME WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. UPDATED 7/1/13 *CN UPDATED 07/17/2013*JS

WAS HAVING MY TIRES CHANGED WHEN MECHANIC NOTICED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF ROT ON THE FRAME ON THE RIGHT SIDE REAR WHERE THE ARM CONNECTS TO THE FRAME. HIGH POTENTIAL FOR THE ARM TO PULL OUT OF FRAME WHICH COULD CAUSE A LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. CAR STARTED RUSTING AROUND FENDERS AND ROCKERS 4 YEARS AGO. THIS FRAME ROT IS A STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY ISSUE. CONTACTED KIA AND SAID THAT DUE TO MILEAGE AND YEAR THAT IT WAS NOT THEIR ISSUE REGARDLESS OF THE 3 PREVIOUS CLAIMS I FOUND ON THE NHTSA SITE AND THE FACT THAT IT IS A MANUFACTURES DEFECT. *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY DAUGHTER TO SCHOOL, VEHICLE LOST STEERING IN A TURN CAUSING US TO NARROWLY MISS HITTING A UTILITY POLE. VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO SERVICE GARAGE WHERE THEY CONFIRMED THAT THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY BOLT HAD BECOME LOOSE CAUSING THE HARMONIC BALANCER PULLEY TO WOBBLE, BREAK AND CAUSE DAMAGE TO ALL SURROUNDING ENGINE COMPONENTS. $1700.00 REPAIR DID NOT WORK AND ISSUE RECURRED. AFTER A SECOND REPAIR ATTEMPT, SAME ISSUE OCCURRED AGAIN THIS TIME WITH THE CRANKSHAFT BOLT HAVING SHEERED OFF. VEHICLE IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD, IS NOT DRIVABLE AT THIS TIME, AND WILL THIS TIME COST MINIMALLY $3500.00 FOR A REPLACEMENT MOTOR....AND POTENTIALLY A LIFE. IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT THE NHTSA MANDATE A RECALL ON THESE VEHICLES AS IT IS LUDICROUS TO WAIT FOR A DEATH OR MULTIPLE DEATHS BEFORE ACTING ON WHAT I AM WELL AWARE IS A COMMONLY REPORTED AND POTENTIALLY DEADLY PROBLEM. A GOOD PART OF "SAFETY" OCCURS IN BEING PROACTIVE. THE ABSENCE OF A RECALL ON THIS IS MIND BOGGLING. NHTSA MUST ACT. *TR

I HAD JUST PURCHASED MY 2003 KIA SORENTO ON FEBRUARY 23 2013 FROM A LOCAL USED CAR DEALER. THE CAR HAD 85,000 MILES AT TIME OF PURCHASE. IT WAS DRIVING FINE UNTIL MARCH 31, 2013. AS I WAS PULLING OUT OF MY DRIVE WAY THE CAR STARTED MAKING A LOUD NOISE AND THEN I LOST CONTROL OF THE STEERING ALMOST GOING INTO MY NEIGHBORS DITCH. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE MECHANIC(TOWED) WHERE HE FOUND THAT THE BOLT GOING INTO THE CRANK SHAFT HAD BEEN SHEARED OFF CAUSING THE BELT TO COME OFF. THE PROBLEM IS THAT EVEN AFTER HE FIXES IT (1800.00 +) HE SAID IT WOULD HAPPEN AGAIN.THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM. AFTER READING COUNTLESS ACCOUNTS ONLINE OF OTHER KIA SORENTO OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM, I FEEL KIA NEEDS TO RECALL THIS PART. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. IN ADDITION, FUEL WOULD SPEW FROM THE FILLER NECK WHEN REFUELING AND THE INTERIOR LIGHTS WOULD FLICKER ON AND OFF SPORADICALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO HAVE A DIAGNOSTIC PERFORMED, WHO WAS UNABLE TO GENERATE A FAILURE CODE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 175,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 180,000.

I PURCHASED CAR FROM ORGINAL OWNER ABOUT 4 YEARS AGO WITH AROUND 47K MILES. WITHIN A MONTH OR TWO THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. AFTER NUMEROUS VISITS OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST 4 YEARS TO THE DEALERSHIP, COMMENTS ON THE WORK ORDERS THAT THEY COULD NOT FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM, REPLACING THE TIMING BELTS, PLUGS, WIRES AND COILS I AM TOLD THAT THE 4TH CYLINDER IS BAD AND BASED UPON THE ISSUE I AM LOOKING AT BETWEEN $2800.00 TO $4,000 TO FIX. IF ITS THE TOP END THE LESSER OF THE TWO NUMBERS AND IF ITS THE BOTTOM END I WAS TOLD THAT I SHOULD CONSIDER WETHER OR NOT I WANT TO SINK $4,000 INTO THE CAR AT THIS POINT. WHATS MORE DISTURBING IS WHEN RESEARCHING THE ISSUE ON VARIOUS WEBSITES I COME TO FIND OUT THE MOST REOCCURING PROBLEM IS THE CRANKSHAFT BOLT COMING OUT AND CAUSING SERIOUS DAMAGE AND A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR THE DRIVER. THE RESPONSE BY KIA SEEMS TO BE CONSISTENT AND NOW KNOWING THAT THEY DO NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR WARRANTIES, ISSUE RECALLS(CRANKSHAFT BOLT 2007) AND STILL EXPECT THEIR CUSTOMERS TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS I CAN CONFIDENTLY SAY I WILL NEVER PURCHASE A KIA PRODUCT AGAIN. THE CAR CURRENTLY HAS 67,00 MILES ON IT AND I AM INTRIGUED BY THE COMMENTS AND REQUESTS FOR A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST KIA. I AM HOPPING THAT A ENOUGH PEOPLE HAVE THE DESIRE TO FOLLOW THROUGH AND IF NEEDED I WOULD SUPPORT. *TR

WHEN PUMPING AS INTO THE TANK, GAS SHOOTS OUT OF THE TANK LIKE OPENING A SODA AFTER SHAKING IT UP. FUEL PROJECTION IS VERY FORCEFUL. NO MATTER IF I TRICKLE GAS IN. I HAVE BEEN REJECTED FROM GAS STATIONS BECAUSE TRUCK SPITS OUT SO MUCH GAS & I WAS TOLD MY VEHICLE IS A FIRE HAZARD. KIA PERFORMED TWO RECALLS SC092 & SC073. THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS. KIA CUSTOMER CARE NOR THE MECHANICS AT BAY KIA IN NORFOLK, VA HAVE BEEN VERY UNHELPFUL AND INSTEAD OF INVESTIGATING THE PROBLEM, SAY THAT IT IS USER ERROR! *TR