2005 Kia Sorento

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 KIA SORENTO. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 7 MPH DOWN AN ICY HILL, THE VEHICLE WAS SHIFTED INTO 4-WHEEL DRIVE BUT IT FAILED TO ENGAGE. THE DRIVER LOST CONTROL AND CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE WITHOUT WARNING. THE DRIVER'S SHOULDER AND LEFT ARM WERE INJURED, BUT DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRONT PINION FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 119,700. UPDATED 03/31/15*LJ

FIRST INCIDENT-ON AUGUST 16, 2014 WHILE ON VACATION AND DRIVING FROM VIRGINIA TO CHICAGO ILL, THE VEHICLE START MAKING A RATTLING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE AND WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON THE DASH (BATTERY, BRAKE) AND THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT MAKING THE VEHICLE VERY HARD TO MANEUVER, I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER INTO A FAST FOOD PARKING LOT TO CHECK THE NOISE AND FOUND THAT THE HARMONIC BALANCER WAS LOOSE AND BELTS WERE NOT TURNING, I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A MECHANIC AFTER INSPECTION I WAS INFORMED THAT THE CRANK SHAFT GEAR PIN HAD BROKE OFF TO THE HARMONIC BALANCER. I PURCHASE THE PARTS (HARMONIC BALANCER, BOLT AND CRANK SHAFT GEAR) AND HAD THE MECHANIC REPAIR THE VEHICLE AND DROVE BACK TO VIRGINIA. SECOND INCIDENT-OCTOBER 2014 WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE, SHE ENCOUNTERED THE SAME PROBLEMS THE WARNING LIGHTS, RATTLING IN THE FRONT OF VEHICLE, POWER STEERING LOCKED UNABLE TO TURN VEHICLE, I INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND SAW THAT THE HARMONIC BALANCER WAS LOOSE AND BELTS WERE NOT TURNING, THE PIN IN THE CRANK SHAFT GEAR HAS BROKEN AGAIN, I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE KIA DEALERSHIP IN RICHMOND, AND THEY STATED THAT I NEEDED A NEW MOTOR. AFTER INVESTIGATING COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS VEHICLE ON LINE I FOUND OUT THAT THIS PROBLEM IS WELL DOCUMENTED WITH THIS MAKE AND YEAR VEHICLE. IF I OR MY WIFE HAD BEEN ON THE HIGHWAY AT THE TIME OF THIS FAULT IT COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC. I ALSO FOUND THAT THEIR IS A CLASS ACTION SUIT AGAINST KIA MOTORS ADDRESSING THE EXACT SAME FAULT.(CIVIL ACTION NO. 13-006 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT, DISTRICT OF NEW JERSEY) ESSENTIALLY, PLAINTIFFS CLAIMED THEIR VEHICLES WERE DESIGNED WITH A ?DEFECTIVE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY BOLD AND BALANCER,? WHICH COULD RESULT IN ?BREAKING OFF THE SPRING GUIDE PIN,? CAUSING ?CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE.? THIS VEHICLE IS UNSAFE, A RECALL IS WARRANTED AND KIA MOTORS NEEDS TO CORRECT THE DEFECT. *TR

ON 8/23/2014 MY FAMILY A I WERE IN CHICAGO WE TRAVELED THERE ON FRIDAY 8/22/2014 FROM VIRGINIA IN THE 2005 KIA SORENTO THAT I JUST PURCHASED IN JULY 2014 FROM PEARSON HYUNDAI. WHILE DRIVING TO MY FAMILY REUNION IN THE FOREST RESERVES THE VEHICLE BRAKE LIGHT AND OTHER WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON, AND A RATTLE COULD BE HEARD COMING FROM THE ENGINE, THE VEHICLE BECAME HARD TO STEER AND THE NOISE FROM THE ENGINE BECAME LOUDER. I STOPPED THE VEHICLE AND HAD IT TOWED TO MY FAMILIES MECHANIC, AFTER CHECKING THE VEHICLE IT WAS FOUND TO HAVE THE PIN ON THE CRANK GEAR BROKEN OFF, AND THE CRANK BOLT CAME LOOSE, REPLACED THE SPROCKET (CRANK GEAR), THE HARMONIC BALANCER, AND THE BOLT. I DROVE THE VEHICLE BACK TO VIRGINIA WITH NO PROBLEM, THEN ON OCTOBER 3, 2014 WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING IN RICHMOND, VA THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN, (WARNING LIGHTS, NO POWER STEERING AND RATTLING FROM THE HARMONIC BALANCER, I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE KIA DEALERSHIP ON FRIDAY, THEY FINALLY GOT BACK WITH ME WED, OCTOBER 8, 2014 AND TOLD ME THAT I NEEDED A MOTOR CAUSE THE CRANK SHAFT IS BLOWN, PRIOR TO HAVING IT TOWED, I SAW THAT THE HARMONIC BALANCER WAS DOING THE EXACT SAME THING IT HAD DID IN CHICAGO AND TURNING IT I CAN TELL THAT THE SAME PIN HAS CAME OFF THE SPROCKET. THE KIA DEALERSHIP WANTS TO SELL ME A USED ENGINE, SAME AS THE ONE THAT IS IN THE KIA I HAVE, I AM RELUCTANT TO PAY $5000.00 TO REPLACE THE ENGINE TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM, THAT I AND AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION A LOT OF KIA SORENTO OWNERS HAVE SUFFERED. *TR

KIA SORENTO 2005, SIMILAR CRANK BOLT MAIN PULLEY ASSEMBLY BREAK THAT MANY, MANY OF THE OTHERS HAVE ALL BEEN COMPLAINING ABOUT AND UNFORTUNATELY BEEN EXPERIENCING. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME I HAD THIS VERY SAME ISSUE REPAIRED FOR SUBSTANTIAL DOLLARS AND NOW MY MECHANIC STATED THERE IS NOT ENOUGH THREAD LEFT INTO THE CRANKSHAFT TO FIX AND IT NEEDS A COMPLETELY REBUILD OR ENGINE REPLACEMENT - WHICH IN ALL LIKELIHOOD BE LESS EXPENSIVE. THERE SHOULD DEFINITELY BE A RECALL FOR THIS - AS SO MANY HAVE THE SAME ISSUE. THANK GOD MY INCIDENTS WERE ALL AT SLOW SPEED BECAUSE THIS WOULD EASILY CAUSE A CRASH BECAUSE YOU LOOSE ALL POWER STEERING AND CONTROL. *TR

DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55MPH 22 NOV 2013, HEARD A THUMP FROM ENGINE COMPARTMENT, AND LOST ALL POWER TO VEHICLE, ENDING UP IN A DITCH. ENGINE STOPPED, NO STEERING, NO BRAKES. DASH LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. VEHICLE WOULD NOT RE-START. CRANK PULLEY BOLT BROKE OFF. OVER 5 HOURS TO EXTRACT REMAINDER OF BOLT TO REPAIR ENGINE. $1359 IN REPAIRS. NOW, 22 SEPT 2014, 10 MONTHS LATER, HAD SAME HAPPEN ON HIGHWAY AT 70MPH IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. THANKFUL I WAS IN A LANE AT THE EDGE OF THE ROADWAY. CURRENT MILEAGE SLIGHTLY UNDER 114,000. YEAH. 10 MONTHS AND 13000 MILES AND ANOTHER HUGE REPAIR BILL. NO RECALL, KIA CLAIMS NO LIABILITY. OTHER ISSUE: INTERIOR LIGHTING TURNS ITSELF OFF AND ON AT WHIM. HEADLIGHTS BURN OUT EVERY 45-90 DAYS. *TR

IN SEPTEMBER 2012, TRAVELING AT 35MPH MY KIA CAME TO A STOP. AT FIRST GLANCE IT WAS DETERMINED THE DRIVE BELTS HAD UNFASTENED AND THE CAM SHAFT BOLT WAS LAYING ON THE ENGINE PAN. AFTER INSPECTION AT KIA SERVICE SHOP THE SPECIALIST IDENTIFIED THAT THE CAM SHAFT BOLT HAD SHEERED OFF DUE TO THE DEFECTIVE PART: CAM SHAFT SPROCKET-C, PART # 23120-35701 COST $60.00. THE FINAL SUGGESTION WAS TO REPLACE THE BOLT SET, SPROCKET, CRANK ANGLE SENSOR, DAMPER PULLEY, AUTO TENSIONER AND ALL DRIVE BELTS A TOTAL OF $2,000 REPAIR COST. IN 2014, THE COST REPAIR IS NOW 4,000 TO REPLACE THE ENGINE BECAUSE OF THE SAME EXACT ISSUE BUT TRAVELING OVER 40MPG CAUSING MORE DAMAGE. THE MAIN CAUSE OF THIS DEFECT DERIVES FROM THE SMALL PIN ATTACHED TO THE SPROCKET THAT TURNS THE HARMONIC BALANCER AND GRINDS THE STEEL WITH THE FORCE OF THE ENGINE INTO NOTHING. THE RESULT OF THIS DEFECT CAUSES THE HARMONIC BALANCER TO COME LOSE, SHEARING OFF THE CRANK BOLT FIRST, THEN IF TRAVELING AT LOW SPEED WILL FOLLOW WITH THE REPAIR ABOVE, HOWEVER IF AT HIGH SPEED WILL RESULT IN ENGINE DAMAGE IN THE VALVES MAKING IT NECESSARY TO REPLACE THE ENGINE AT A COST OF $4,000. YOU MAY REFER TO THE FOLLOWING RESOURCES FOR MORE INFORMATION: THE KIA SORENTO ENGINE DEFECT CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT CASE IS ROBINSON EL AL V. KIA MOTORS AMERICA INC. CASE NO. 13-CV00006 US DISTRICT COURT OF NEW JERSEY. FOR A VIDEO VISUAL OF THE EXACT DEFECT YOU MAY REFER TO YOUTUBE: HTTP://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=QHLL55FV2Z0. *TR

WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH THE POWER STEERING FAILED ON MY 2005 KIA SORENTO MAKING IT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. WHEN I FINALLY PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY. WHEN I TRIED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE THE BATTERY APPEARED TO BE DEAD. I FINALLY HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED AROUND 11 P.M. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION BY A MECHANIC IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE CAM SHAFT BOLD BROKE OFF.CAUSING THE PULLEYS TO STOP WHICH AFFECTED EVERYTHING THAT WAS DRIVEN BY THE PULLEYS. THERE WAS ALSO DAMAGE TO THE RADIATOR THAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. INITIAL ESTIMATE TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE WAS $1550. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 KIA SORENTO. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE POWER STEERING FAILED WITHOUT WARNING AND THE VEHICLE BECAME INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE CAMSHAFT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 117,000.

FROM THE TIME I GOT THE CAR HEAD LIGHTS HAVE REPEATEDLY BURNED OUT AFTER A MONTH OR TWO, ALSO DASH LIGHTS GO OFF RANDOMLY AND FLICKER AND THEN COME BACK ON WHEN EVER THEY DECIDE,MY POWER STEERING WENT OUT, BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON AND A/C WENT OUT ALL AT ONCE. STARTED TO OVERHEAT, SO IT WAS DETERMINED THE SERPENTINRE BELT HAD BROKE,REPLACED BELT AND VIBRATION UNDER HOOD WAS NOTICEABLE BUT COULD NOT DETERMINE THE SOURCE., BUT SOMEWHERE UNDER THE HOOD. STILL REPLACING HEADLIGHTS EVERY COUPLE MONTHS, THEN POWER STEERING FLUID STARTED TO BE CONSUMED AND CONSTANTLYT REQUIRED ADDING FLUID, THEN HAD A MECHANIC CHECK FOR LEAK AND HE REPLACED SOME HOSES AND CLAMPS BUT VIBRATIION CONTINUED AND EVENTUALLY POWER STEERING BEGAN LOUD NOISE WHEN CAR STARTED AND ONLY WHEN REVED UP WOULD NOISE STOP, AND WHEN A/C WAS ON SOMETIMES WOULD EFFECT THE POWER STEERING NOISE. REPLACED THE POWERSTEERING PUMP, STILL THE NOISE CONTINUED AND RECENTLY THE BELT CAME OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVING AND BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON , I WAS ABLE TO GET SAFELY OFF THE ROAD AND DIDNT CAUSE AN ACCIEDENT, BUT VERY CLOSE CALL, BELT HAD COME OFF BUT AFTER MINOR ADJUSTMENT IT WAS PUT BACK ON, VIBRATION NOISE HAS BECOME WORSE, I AM AFFRAID TO DRIVE IT, MECHANIC LOOKED AT IT AND SAID HARMONIC BALANCE SEEMS TO BE OFF AND ROOT OF PROBLEM IS CRANK SHAFT BOLT MOST LIKELY , COMMON PROBLEM , HOWEVER DURING THE TIME IN KIA DEALERSHIP FOR OTHER RECALL ISSUES , CRANK BOLT WAS NEVER BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION AS BEING A PROBLEM IN MY YEAR OR MODEL CAR, NON IT TURNS OUT IT IS A MAJOR PROBLEM AND LEGAL ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN BY CLASS ACTION SUIT DEALING WITH SAME ISSUE. *TR

I RECENTLY HAD TO HAVE THE CRANK SHAFT SENSOR REPLACED ON MY 2005 KIA SORENTO. THIS MORNING, DRIVING MY YOUNG SON TO SCHOOL, I LOST THE STEERING ON MY VEHICLE. ADDITIONALLY, THE ENGINE LIGHT AND BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON. AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THIS IS AN ONGOING DEFECTIVE ISSUE WITH KIA'S. THIS IS A DANGEROUS PROBLEM FOR THE PUBLIC AS WELL AS CONSUMERS. *TR