2004 Kia Sorento

THIS KIA WAS HOUSED AND STORED IN A GARAGE FOR MOST OF ITS LIFE AND DRIVEN ONLY IN THE SUMMER. IN THE WINTERS OF MICHIGAN IS WAS HOUSED IN A CLEAN DRY GARAGE. THIS KIA WAS A 2 OWNER CAR. I AM THE SECOND OWNER. I HAD DRIVEN IT ONE WINTER AND THIS SUMMER TOOK IT TO GET AN ALIGNMENT BECAUSE IT PULLED TO THE RIGHT. ALIGNMENT CENTER COULD NOT DO THE ALIGNMENT BECAUSE THE WHOLE RIGHT DRIVERSIDE OF THE FRAME WAS RUSTED OUT BEYOND THEIR SAFTY STANDARDS. THE KIA WAS PULLING TO THE RIGHT BECAUSE THE WHOLE FRAME ON THE RIGHT SIDE WAS 80% RUSTED OUT AND THE LEFT SIDE WAS ALSO BUT NOT TO THE EXTENT OF THE RIGHT SIDE. THERE ARE FOOT LONG GAPING HOLES IN THE FRAME DUE TO THE RUSTING. IT IS IRREPARABLE. THERE IS NO SAFE SPOT TO WELD TO TO FIX IT EITHER. AFTER A RAIN I NOTICED THE POOLS OF WATER GO DIRECTLY UNDER THE KIA INSTEAD OF ON THE SIDES POOLING AND DRIPPING OFF THE FRAME ON EACH RIGHT AND LEFT SIDE. A FLAW OF DESIGN BUT A DEADLY IF TRAVELLING AND THE CAR SNAPS IN HALF. THE KIA LOOKS PERFECT AND RUNS PERFECT. THE UNDERSIDE IT'S FRAME IS TOTALLY RUSTED BEYOND REPAIR. KEPT IN A GARAGE AND OUT OF ELEMENTS FOR VIRTUALLY ALL OF ITS LIFE, THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. DEFECTIVE STEEL ? DEFECTIVE BODY DESIGN? DEFECTIVE KIA. NOT SAFE NOT DRIVABLE.

WHILE MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE BRAKES FAILED. THE MECHANIC SHOWED ME THE BRAKE LINES TOWARD THE REAR SUSPENSION RUSTED THROUGH. ALSO THE SUPPORT FOR THE REAREND RUSTED THROUGH MAKING THE VEHICLE DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. THE BRAKE LINES FROM FRONT TO BACK WERE CHANGED AND I AM LOOKING TO HAVE THE SUPPORT BRACKETS CHANGED.

I BOUGHT MY 04 SORENTO FROM MY AUNT WHO WAS THE ONLY OWNER. IT HAD A POWER STEERING ISSUE AT THAT TIME WHICH TOOK SEVERAL ATTENPTS TO FIX. ABOUT A MONTH LATER WE WE VISITING FAMILY AND HAD TO TURN AROUND. UPON STOPPING WE NOTICED SMOKE FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT SO I GRABBED MY 4 Y/O DAUGHTER OUT OF THE CAR AND BY BOYFRIEND OPENED THE HOOD TO FIND A SMALL FIRE ON OPPOSITE SIDE FRO WHERE BATTERY IS. ONCE FIRE WAS PUT OUT WE DROVE .5 MILES ON A CITY RD TO FAMILY. THE POWER STEERING WAS GONE AT THAT TIME AS WELL. 10/13/19 - THE DIRECTIONAL WORKED ALL DAY AND COME NIGHT TIME WHEN I CAME OUT FROM THE STORE AND STARTED VEHICLE THEY DID NOT WORK. THE NEXT DAY THEY WORKED FINEHOWEVER, ON 10/14/19 - I STARTED THE CAR IN AM AND THERE WAS A SQUEAKY BELT. I HIT THE GAS PEDAL QUICKLY AND NOISE WENT AWAY. THEN WHILE DRIVING, THE BATTERY AND BRAKE INDICATOR LIGHTS CAME ON THE DASH AND STAYED ON SO I PULLED OVER AND SHUT CAR OFF. IWAS DRIVING MY DAUGHTER TO THE PARK A MILE AWAY FROM HOME WHEN THE BATTERY AND BRAKE INDICATOR LIGHTS CAME ON AGAIN. I TURNED CAR OFF FOR A FEW MINUTES AND WHEN I RESTARTED IT THE LIGHTS WERE OFF. I WENT TO TURN AROUND TO GO HOME AND THE STEERING COMPLETELY FAILED SO IT WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT AND DANGEROUS. I HAVE NOT DRIVEN IT OR STARTED IT SINCE. MY MECHANIC CAMT TO MY HOME 2 DAYS IN A ROW AND WAS CONVINCED IT WAS CRANKSHAFT BOLT THAT SNAPPED. HE GOT IT INTO HIS SHOP THE FOLLOWING WEEK ON FRIDAY 10/26/19 AND CALLED A SHORT WHILE LATER INFORMING ME THAT IT WAS IN FACT THE CRANKSHAFT BOLT THAT SNAPPED DEEP IN THE SHAFT AND THE CRANKSHAFT WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED FOR A COST OF AROUND $3000. I CALLED A FEW OTHER PLACES AND THEY SAID THE ENGINE WOULD NEED REPLACING WHICH WOULD COAT AROUND THE SAME. MY DAUGHTER AND I NOW HAVE NO VEHICLE AND ARE WALKING HER TO SCHOOL WHICH WILL BE DIFFICULT COME WINTER MONTHS.

OCT, 2016 - I AM THE ORIGNAL OWNER OF THE VEHICLE AND HAD MAINTAINED REGULAR MAINTAINENCE ON THE VEHICLE. I HAD JUST PUT $700 OF NEW TIRES ON VEHICLE AND HAD A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE AND FLUID CHECK BEFORE WE LEFT FOR OUR VACATION. I NEVER HAD ANY ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLE AND I STILL OWN. THE VEHICLE DOES NOT RUN BUT I WANTED TO KNOW WHAT STARTED THE FIRE. MY DAUGHTER AND I WERE HEADED OUT OF TOWN FOR A WEEK, ABOUT 200 MILES INTO THE COMMUTE THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SMOKE FROM UNDER THE HOOD, WE WERE TRAVELING AT 55-60 MPH. AS I WAS EXITING THE 421 HIGHWAY FLAMES BEGAN COMING OUT FROM AROUND HOOD AND THE PAINT ON THE HOOD BEGAN TO BUBBLE UP DUE TO HEAT. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE FIRE DEPT, AS I WAS DRIVING, PULLED ONTO THE SHOULDER AND IMMEDIATELY REMOVED MY DAUGHTER AND OUR BELONGINGS FROM THE VEHICLE AND DISTANCED OURSELVES FROM THE VEHICLE. WHEN THE FIRE DEPT ARRIVED THEY PUT THE FLAMES OUT AND THE VEHICLE WAS TRANSPORTED TO A LOCAL SHOP, I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED BACK TO OUR HOME CITY UPON DEPARTURE FROM OUR VACATION. UPON FURTHER OBSERVATION I WAS ABLE TO SEE THE FIRE STARTED IN THE AREA CLOSEST TO WHERE THE ENGINE MEETS THE DASH ON THE DRIVERS SIDE AND CONTINUED TO SPREAD FROM THAT POINT TO THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE AND UNDER ON THE DRIVERS SIDE.

WHILE DRIVING MY VEHICLE AT 65MPG ON THE HIGHWAY WITH MY BABY IN THE CAR, THE STEERING JERKED TO THE LEFT. I ALMOST CRASHED INTO A DESIEL TRUCK !! I THEN CORRECT IT AND PULLED OVER. I DROPPED MY SON OFF AT MY MOM'S HOME AND WENT TO THE GARAGE TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT. ON THE WAY, IT LOST ALL POWER STEERING AND I COULD NOT TURN CORRECTLY. SOMEONE HIT THE BACK OF MY CAR AND SHOVED IT INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE IN THE FRONT. SO NOW MY BACK AND FRON IN LOOKS LIKE CRAP AND I HAVE NO POWER STEERING.. BUT MY SON AND I ARE STILL ALIVE.. WHEN RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE, I FOUND OUT IT WAS NOT MY FAULT OR MY CAR.. THIS IS A FAULTY MANUFACTURE SAFTY ISSUE THAT HAS NOT EVEN BEEN RESEARCHED YET !! THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE DANGER OF THIS VEHICLE AND THIS ISSUE I CAN NOT BELIEVE IT'S STILL ON THE ROAD. HTTPS://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/KIA/SORENTO/2004/STEERING/STEERING.SHTML AND TO FIND OUT THE STATE WAS AWARE OF IT AND JUST NEVER EVEN LOOKED INTO PROTECTING US. THIS IS A DANGER AND NEEDS TO BE RECALLED ASAP BEFORE SOMEONE LOOSES THEIR LIFE AND THE LIFE OF THEIR CHILD LIKE I ALMOST DID !!!!