2004 Kia Sorento

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 KIA SORENTO. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH THE VEHICLE BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN ONTO THE EMERGENCY LANE AND UPON EXAMINATION THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT TWO OF THE WHEELS WERE TURNED IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS AND THE TIE ROD WAS OUT OF POSITION. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED BY A DEALER OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 130,000.

ON MONDAY, 06-30-08, AT ABOUT 1400 HOURS, I PARKED MY VEHICLE A 2004 KIA SORRENTO 4X4 EX WITH APPROX. 80,000 PLUS MILES. SHORTLY AFTER PARKING THIS VEHICLE I ENTERED A BASKIN AND ROBINS TO HAVE AN ICE CREAM CONE. I WAS INFORMED BY FRANTIC PASSERBY'S THAT A VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. I TOOK A LOOK OUTSIDE AND WAS SHOCKED TO SEE THAT MY VEHICLE MENTIONED ABOVE WAS SMOKING AND FLAMING UP. THIS FIRE APPEARED TO START ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF MY VEHICLE NEAR THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND ALTERNATOR. MY VEHICLE HAD BEEN OPERATING FINE UNTIL THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED AND ONLY WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR ROUTINE SERVICING UNDER WARRANTY. THE HONOLULU POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS WERE NOTIFIED AND REPORTS DOCUMENTED UNDER HONOLULU POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORT #08-242969 AND THE HONOLULU FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORT #24891. FIRE AND POLICE OFFICIALS INFORMED ME THAT A POSSIBLE FUEL LINE MALFUNCTION IS A POSSIBILITY BUT CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT IS UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 KIA SORENTO. WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL FAILED TO TURN TO THE RIGHT AND THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A POLE. THE FENDER WAS BADLY DAMAGED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE LOCAL DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW RACK AND PINION, TIE ROD, UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINT ASSEMBLY, STEERING KNUCKLE, AND A PASSENGER SIDE FRONT WHEEL. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 38,000.

I HAVE 3 MAJOR FAILURES W/MY NEW KIA SORENTO '04 SINCE BUYING IT IN DEC '03 FROM PEAK KIA IN COLO.THE 1ST FAILURE, THE ANTI LOCK BRAKE CONTROL UNIT WAS REPLACED IN DEC '03.THE BRAKES ENGAGED WHEN THEY SHOULDN'T. I HAVE COMPLAINED MANY TIMES ABOUT A ROAD VIBRATION AT 68-72 MPH. DEALER HAS SEEN MY CAR 5 TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM. THE 1ST TIME THE DEALER SAID THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG, BUT SAID THEY HAD ONLY DRIVEN IT TO 63 MPH. THE 2ND TIME I TOOK IT IN, PROBLEM HAD BEEN NOTED IN A NUMBER OF SORENTO'S NATIONWIDE & THEY WERE GOING TO NEED TO CHANGE THE DRIVE SHAFT. 3RD TIME FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM & UPON PICKING UP THE CAR FOUND OUT THAT THEY DIDN'T CHANGE THE DRIVE SHAFT, BUT GREASED IT W/SPECIAL HEAVY DUTY GREASE &TURNED IT 180 DEGREES. I ASKED WHY HADN'T CHANGED DRIVE SHAFT, & THEY SAID THE MANUFACTURER'S TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN RECOMMENDED THIS PROCEDURE 1ST. THE VIBRATION HAS SLOWLY RETURNED. I CALLED THE DEALER & THEY SAID THEY WOULD PUT ME ON LIST TO DRIVE CAR W/REGIONAL SERVICE MGR. THEY CALLED & SAID HE WAS IN TOWN, SO I WENT TO DRIVE CAR WITH LOCAL SERVICE MGR & REGIONAL SERVICE MGR.THEY FELT THERE WAS NOTHING HIGHLY NOTICEABLE ABOUT VIBRATION & SAID IT COULD BE THE ROADS. THEY TOLD ME TO CALL BACK IF IT GOT WORSE. IN AUGUST '04, WERE DRIVING & MY CAR BEGAN TO SMOKE. A HUGE TRAIL OF SMOKE COMING OUT FROM UNDER CAR. WE PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD & CALLED 24HR TOWING FROM THE DEALER. CAR TOWED TO OSBORN KIA IN COLO. & FOUND THAT THE ENTIRE RACK & PINON STEERING MECHANISM & GEAR BOX HAD BLOWN UP THROWING STEERING FLUID ON THE ENGINE. SO MUCH SMOKE I THOUGHT THE CAR WAS ON FIRE! WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED IF OUR STEERING WOULD HAVE GONE OUT IN A TIGHT TURN! THE DEALER'S SERVICE MGR SAID IN ALL OF HIS YEAR'S THE DEALERSHIP HAD NEVER REPLACED THIS PART. THE ENTIRE STEERING SYSTEM REPLACED, THE CAR IS NOW VIBRATING ONCE AGAIN AT 68-71MPH. I AM GOING TO CONTACT THE DEALER BUT AM CONCERNED THEY WILL NOT DO ANYTHING TO FIX THIS. *JB