2007 Kia Rondo

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 KIA RONDO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SEAT BELT WAS DIFFICULT TO LATCH AND ONCE IT LATCHED IT WOULD COME UNDONE INDEPENDENTLY. ALSO, THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT DUE TO THE FAILURE SHE WAS TRAPPED IN THE DRIVER SEAT AND COULD NOT GET OUT FOR ABOUT FIFTEEN MINUTES. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 106,000. P

I'VE HAD MY VEHICLE SINCE 11/2008. IT WAS PURCHASED USED FROM A KIA DEALER. ALTHOUGH I KNEW IT WAS A USED 2007, IT WAS NOT REVEALED UNTIL 02/2012 THAT THERE WAS MORE THAN 1 PREVIOUS OWNER AND THAT THE BACK BUMPER WAS NOT THE ORIGINAL. OVERALL THE VEHICLE HAS DRIVEN WELL, BUT HAS 2 VERY SPECIFIC QUIRKS THAT TRULY NEED TO BE ADDRESSED BY THE MANUFACTURER. I TOOK THE CAR IN TO THE DEALER REGARDING THE 1ST PROBLEM, WHICH I SEE SOMEONE ELSE ON THIS SITE REPORTED THE SAME COMPLAINT; HOWEVER, THEY TOLD ME THAT IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN TO BRING IT BACK. IT HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT I'VE PRETTY MUCH DEALT WITH OVER THE LAST 4 YEARS, WHICH IS THAT SPORADIC/RANDOM STARTING/IGNITION OR GAS/FUEL SYSTEM ISSUE IN WHICH I HAVE TO START AND TURN OFF THE CAR SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE IT WILL "REV" UP AND ACTUALLY GO/MOVE. AS ANOTHER REPORT STATED, THE DRIVER HAD TO "DRIFT" HOME (OR TO A SAFE PLACE TO START BACK UP AGAIN). THERE HAVE BEEN OCCASIONS WHERE I THOUGHT IT WAS GOOD-TO-GO, BUT RANDOMLY LOST ITS WIND AND I WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE START/STOP ROUTINE AT LEAST 6 MORE TIMES TO GET MOVING. MY 2ND ISSUE IS ONE OF THE SEAT BELTS IN BACK DOES NOT ALWAYS LATCH. IF YOU PULL REAL HARD, IT'LL COME UNDONE, WHICH IS REALLY SCARY ESPECIALLY W/ CHILDREN. LIKE I SAID, THIS HAS HAPPENED MANY TIMES SINCE I FIRST GOT THE CAR BACK IN 2008 AND THE MILEAGE WAS MUCH LOWER THEN. THE MILEAGE I REPORTED HERE WAS NOTATED ON ITS LAST OIL CHANGE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 KIA RONDO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR MIDDLE AND PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELTS WOULD NOT LATCH PROPERLY AND WOULD RETRACT ABNORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE LATCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 78,000.

IN APRIL OF THIS YEAR MY REAR SEAT BELT BROKE IN HALF. THIS IS THE SEAT THAT MY GRANDSON'S CAR SEAT HAD BEEN GOING. LUCKILY FOR ME AND MY FAMILY HE WAS NOT IN THE CAR AT THE TIME OF THIS INCIDENT. I TOOK THE CAR INTO DORSCHEL WHERE I WAS VERBALLY TOLD THAT THE BELT WAS FAULTY AND IT WAS REPLACED. ON APRIL 21, 2011 I HAD TO TAKE THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER BECAUSE THE SAME BELT HAD BROKEN AGAIN. ONE MONTH LATER ON MAY 25TH, I HAD TO TAKE THE CAR BACK TO THE CAR DEALERSHIP FOR THE DRIVER SEATBELT BECAUSE IT WAS NOT WORKING. AGAIN, I WAS TOLD IT WAS FAULTY AND THEY REPLACED IT. I CONTACTED KIA WHO TOLD ME THAT THERE IS NOTHING THEY COULD DO FOR ME. I HAVE FOUND THAT THERE ARE MULTIPLE KIA OWNERS THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME ISSUE. DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO DIE BEFORE THIS IS RECOGNIZED AS THE SERIOUS ISSUE THAT IT TRULY IS? *TR

ON 2/5/09 I WAS THE DRIVER OF A 2007 KIA RONDO THAT I PURCHASED NEW AT THE END OF 2007. I SLID ON ICE AND HIT A TREE HEAD ON AT AN ESTIMATED SPEED OF 30 MPH. MY 14 YEAR OLD SON WAS THE PASSENGER. I AUTOMATICALLY EXTENDED MY RIGHT ARM OVER MY SON AND THE NEXT THING I KNEW WAS THAT I WAS LAYING BACK IN MY SEAT CRYING THAT I HAD BROKE MY ARM. I BELIEVE THAT I WAS KNOCKED OUT FOR A FEW SECONDS AS I DO NOT RECALL HITTING THE WINDSHIELD. IT IS MY BELIEF THAT I WAS THROWN FROM MY SEAT INTO THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDSHIELD. I HAD A KNOT ON MY HEAD AND THE NEXT DAY DURING THE DAY LIGHT, IT WAS CLEAR THE WINDSHIELD WAS HIT AS IT WAS SHATTERED. MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AT ALL AND MY VEHICLE WAS A TOTAL LOSS. I ALSO DID NOT HAVE ANY SEATBELT MARKS AND BOTH MY SON AND I WAS WEARING A SEATBELTS. MY SON SUSTAINED A CUT TO HIS CHIN THAT REQUIRED 9 STITCHES, I SUSTAINED A NECK INJURY THAT I AM STILL HAVING TREATMENT FOR AND I HAD A SEVERELY TORN ROTARY CUFF THAT REQUIRED SURGERY AND SOME METAL PIECES TO PUT IT BACK TOGETHER. AS A DIRECT RESULT OF THIS ACCIDENT, I AM NO LONGER ABLE TO WORK, I HAVE HAD TO FILE FOR DISABILITY, AM REQUIRED TO TAKE EXTENSIVE PAIN MEDICATIONS, HAVE LOST MY HOME, MY CAR AND MOST IMPORTANTLY MY ABILITY TO WORK AND SUPPORT MY FAMILY. *TR

I HAVE A 2007 KIA RONDO WITH A THIRD SEAT. WHEN NOT BEING USED, A PERSON BELTED IN, THE CENTER SEAT BELT IN THE LAST ROW, CAN FALL BETWEEN THE 2 REAR SEATS. THERE ISN'T ENOUGH ROOM TO EASILY RETURN THE SEAT BELT TO THE USABLE LOCATION. WHEN THE SEATS ARE MOVED ENOUGH TO MOVE THE SEAT BELT TO A USABLE LOCATION THE PLASTIC PART OF THE BELT LATCH BREAKS AND RENDERS THE SEAT BELT UNUSABLE. THE MANUFACTURER SAID THAT IT IS THE CONSUMERS RESPONSIBILITY TO REPAIR THE DEFECT EVEN THOUGH THE CAR IS STILL UNDER THE FACTORY WARRANTY. I WILL PAY TO HAVE THE SEAT BELT REPAIRED TOMORROW BUT I'M STILL CONCERNED THAT IT WILL HAPPEN WHILE I HAVE MY GRANDCHILDREN USING THE SEAT. IF IT DOES THEN THEY WILL BE UNPROTECTED IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT. *TR

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: I WORK FOR THE MIDWEST CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT AS THE PUBLIC EDUCATION SPECIALIST. I AM A CERTIFIED CAR SEAT TECHNICIAN WITH OVER 2 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE. ON THURSDAY APRIL 23, 2009, I WAS HELPING PUT A CAR SEAT IN THE CENTER REAR SEAT OF HER KIA RONDO. AFTER A TRIAL RUN, I REALIZED THE SEATBELT NEEDED TO BE ADJUSTED IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE FOR MORE ROOM FOR TIGHTENING. I TWISTED THE WEBBED PORTION OF THE BUCKLE APPROXIMATELY 3-4 TIMES TO ALLOW FOR MORE ROOM TO TIGHTEN THE BELT ONTO THE CAR SEAT. I WAS TAUGHT THIS IN MY CAR SEAT TECHNICIAN CLASS AND IT IS A COMMON PRACTICE THAT MANY CAR SEAT TECHNICIANS USE. AFTER BUCKLING IN THE LATCH PLATE, I BEGAN TIGHTENING THE SEAT BELT ONTO THE CAR SEAT. ONCE FORCE WAS APPLIED, A SEAM OF STITCHING ON THE SEATBELT WEBBING RIPPED APART RESULTING IN THE TWO SIDES OF THE WEBBING NO LONGER BEING ATTACHED TO ONE ANOTHER. BECAUSE OF THE UNCERTAINTY OF THE CENTER SEAT BELT, I ADVISED HER TO PUT THE CAR SEAT ON THE OUTBOARD POSITION. PLEASE CONTACT ME IF YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS. *TR

2/5/09, I HAD AN ACCIDENT, MY 2007 KIA RONDO, PURCHASED NEW IN 12/07 RAN OFF THE ROAD, SLID ON ICE HEAD ON INTO A TREE. MY SEATBELTS DID NOT LOCK UP AND MY AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY LEAVING ME WITH A BROKEN BONE BETWEEN MY 1ST AND 2ND VERTEBRA AND A SEVERELY INJURED RIGHT ARM AND MY HEAD HIT WITH WINDSHIELD. MY CAR WAS TOTALED, MY SON RECEIVED 9 STITCHES TO HIS CHIN AND I AM FACING AT LEAST 2 SURGERIES. KIA'S RESPONSE IS THAT THE AIR BAGS SHOULD NOT HAVE DEPLOYED. HOW CAN SOMEONE HIT A TREE, DEAD CENTER, COMPLETELY TOTALING OUT THE VEHICLE AND THE MANUFACTURER MAKE SUCH A STATEMENT? THE POLICE, HOSPITAL, TREATING PHYSICIANS AND MY AUTO INSURANCE COMPANY ALL AGREE, ALONG WITH MYSELF, THAT HAD THESE SAFETY FEATURES WORKED I WOULD HAVE NEVER SUSTAINED SUCH INJURIES. *TR