2004 Kia Amanti

UPON FILLING THE TANK OF THE KIA AMANTI, SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE ENGINE WILL BEGIN TO SURGE AND REACT ERRATICALLY WITHOUT PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR. IF THE BRAKE IS NOT SUFFICIENTLY ENGAGED THE VEHICLE WILL LUNGE FORWARD OR BACKWARD AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. IF THE VEHICLE IS ALREADY IN MOTION THE ACCELERATOR BECOMES UNRESPONSIVE AND THE ENGINE WILL SURGE OR SHUT OFF CAUSING A PRECARIOUS SITUATION WHEN IN TRAFFIC. *NM

I PURCHASED MY 2004 KIA AMANTI CAR FROM A USED CAR DEALER ON JUNE 16, 2005. WE PURCHASED THE EXTENDED 100,000 MILE WARRANTY AS WELL. APPROXIMATELY EIGHT DAYS AFTER THE PURCHASE I BEGAN HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE AIR BAG LIGHT BEING ILLUMINATED AND NOT GOING OFF. I TOOK MY CAR BACK TO THE CAR DEALER ON JUNE 24, 2005 AND JUNE 27, 2005 FOR DIAGNOSTICS. THE CAR DEALER COULD NOT SERVICE THE CAR BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THEY SENT THE CAR TO A SISTER CAR SALES DEALER WHO IN TURN TOOK THE CAR TO AN AUTHORIZED KIA DEALER. THE KIA SERVICE DEALER TOLD ME THAT WHEN THE LIGHT STAYED ON THE AIRBAG SAFETY FEATURE WAS DISABLED. ON JULY 7, 2005, SEPTEMBER 8, 2005, OCTOBER 17, 2005 AND NOVEMBER 14, 2005 THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO A KIA DEALER TO FIX THE PROBLEM. EACH TIME THE DEALER HAS REPORTED THE PROBLEM AS BEING FIXED BUT THE AIR BAG LIGHT KEEPS COMING BACK ON AND STAYS ON WHICH IN TURN DISABLES THE AIR BAG SAFETY FEATURES. IN MID- JANUARY, 2006, THE AIR BAG LIGHT HAS AGAIN BECOME ILLUMINATED AND WILL NOT GO OFF. THE DEALER HAS ASKED ME TO BRING THE CAR BACK IN FOR REPAIR ON FEBRUARY 21, 2006 TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM CORRECTED. TO DATE, THE DEALER HAS BEEN UNABLE TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THUS FAR, THE DEALERSHIP HAS ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM FIVE TIMES AND THE CAR HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR TWENTY-SEVEN DAYS. THE CAR IS AT THE KIA DEALER AGAIN BEING REPAIRED. THIS PROBLEM SUBSTANTIALLY IMPAIRS THE SAFETY, THE USE AND THE VALUE OF MY CAR. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. THERE WAS NO WARNING, AND IT OCCURRED WITH OR WITHOUT THE CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATED. THIS HAPPENED MORE OFTEN WHEN GOING UP A STEEP HILL. THE VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP MULTIPLE TIMES FOR THIS, BUT THEY WERE NUNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. *AK

DT: WHEN MERGING INTO TRAFFIC AND PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR THE VEHICLE JUST COASTED. THIS OCCURRED WHEN HAVE TO GIVE THE CAR MORE THAN NORMAL GAS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TOT HE DEALER FOR THE FOURTH TIME FOR THIS PROBLEM. SINCE THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO FIND OR REPAIR THE PROBLEM. THIS DID NOT HAPPEN AT ANY CERTAIN SPEED. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN REVERSE IT FELT AS IF IT WERE TRYING TO ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN. THIS HAPPENED WITH THE FOOT ON THE BRAKE.*AK THE VEHICLE MADE A LOUD CLUNKING NOISE WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS. THE DEALER REPLACED THE BUSHINGS AND COLLARS. *NM

DT: CALLER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER S FOR REPAIR 4 TIMES FOR SAME PROBLEM. THE FIRST TIME THE DEALER TIGHTENED THE NUTS THAT HELD THE FRONT END. THE SECOND TIME THE DEALER REPLACED THE UPPER CONTROL ARM ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE. THEY ADDED SOME FOAM TO THE FLOOR BOARD BECAUSE OF THE NOISE THE FLOOR WAS MAKING. THE THIRD TIME THEY FOUND SOMETHING WRONG WITH IT BUT THEY DID NOT HAVE ANYONE TO WORK ON IT. CALLER WAS BACK TO DEALER TODAY AND THEY CANT FIND WHAT WAS WRONG WITH VEHICLE. MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED YET. VEHICLE IS STILL NOT REPAIRED. *AK

CAR-KIA SORENTO (NO OPTION ON VEHICLE PAGE FOR SORENTO) I HAVE TAKEN THE KIA SORENTO NOW 4-5 TIMES FOR THE GAS TANK PROBLEM. THE CAR WILL NOT ALLOW ME TO PUMP GAS FREELY. IT KEEPS STOPPING EVERY 30 CENTS OR SO. QUIRK KIA HAS SERVICED 4 TIMES AND EACH TIME THEY HAVE REPLACED PARTS FROM FUEL FILLER NECK TO PUMPS TO HOSES TO A PRESSURE SENSOR, ETC. I WAS TOLD ON 7/30/05 THAT THE MECHANIC (ON 3RD VISIT) THAT PREVIOUSLY TRIED FIXING MY CAR BROKE A FEW THINGS IN THE GAS TANK AND THERE WAS A FAULTY PART GASKET. THEY SAID THEY REPLACED THE PARTS. THEY DID NOT GIVE ME A RECEIPT. NOW THE PROBLEM CONTINUES AND I FEEL UNSAFE WHEN IT HAS TO DO WITH GASOLINE NOT PROPERLY ENTERING MY VEHICLE. WHY CAN'T THEY FIX IT? MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN ON 2 TIMES BECAUSE OF THE PROBLEM GETTING WORSE! *JB

IN DECEMBER OF LAST YEAR I PURCHASED FROM CHARLIES KIA (AUGUSTA) A 2004 KIA "AMANTI". IT WAS WINTER AND ONE DOESN'T THINK TOO MUCH OF A CAR DOING ODD THINGS IN THE COLD. I DID NOTICE AS SPRING CAME ON THAT THE CAR SOMETIMES ACCELERATED VERY QUICKLY (ABRUPTLY) - ESPECIALLY DURING THE WARM-UP PERIOD. THE THROTTLE I'M TOLD IS ELECTRONICALLY GOVERNED. I'VE ATTEMPTED TO COMPLAIN TO KIA AND TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT CHARLIES. CHARLIES INFORMS ME THAT THE CAR IS NORMAL. I MAKE IT A POINT TO TELL ANYONE DRIVING MY CAR ABOUT THIS SITUATION (FAST ACCELERATION WITH _EXTREMELY _LITTLE HROTTLE PRESSURE). ALL THOSE THAT HAVE DRIVEN THE CAR DO REMARK (SOME QUITE NEGATIVELY). IN SHORT, I BELIEVE THE THROTTLE DRIVE TRAIN TO BE HAZARDOUS ON THIS VEHICLE AND I DON'T KNOW WHO OR WHERE TO TURN FOR ASSISTANCE IN RESOLVING THIS MATTER. INVESTIGATION ON THE WEB (WWW) REVEALS REMARKS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, AS WELL. I AM PROMPTED TO WRITE THIS TO YOU AS I ONCE AGAIN BOLTED INTO TRAFFIC (CARRYING TWO PASSENGERS). NO ONE WAS INJURED! VERY SCARY, HOWEVER.

WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH VEHICLE VIBRATED UNCONTROLLABLY. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND DROVE IT TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT ALL FOUR TIRES WERE DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK TIRES WERE RE-BALANCED BUT THERE WAS IS STILL VIBRATIONS AND ROLLING ROARONG SOUNDS WHILE DRIVING. ON 3-4-05 THE VEHICLE HAD ANOTHER FLAT TIRE. *BF *NM