2005 Kia Sorento

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THERE WAS A SUDDEN LOSS OF STEERING POWER AND THE VEHICLE BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 90,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

3/2/13 HAD TIMING BELT REPLACED @50,031 MILES ON MY 2005 KIA SORENTO TO MANUAL SPECS.DROVE FROM PHX TO NASHVILLE.5/2013 I HEARD A TERRIBLE SQUEAKING SOUND UNDER MY HOOD,FIRST THOUGHT LOOSE BELT. WENT ON TO GET IT CHECK OUT&AS I WAS TRYING TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN A FEW BLOCKS FROM THE HOUSE,MY STEERING WHEEL WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN. THOUGHT MY POWER STEERING PUMP HAD GONE OUT. I ALMOST RAN OVER 2 PEOPLE CROSSING THE STREET&ALMOST HIT ANOTHER CAR. I WAS TURNING MY STEERING WHEEL TO THE RIGHT W/ALL MY MIGHT! EVERYONE WAS HONKING AT ME & THOUGHT I WAS PROBABLY DRUNK! I WAS SO UPSET. HAD IT TOWED TO KIA. MY POWER TRAIN STILL UNDER WARRANTY,AM ORIGINAL OWNER&DENIED COVERAGE 3X.THEY TRIED TO SELL ME A USED ENGINE FOR $5K.STATED THEY KNEW THEY COULD NOT GET THE BROKEN PIECE OF BOLT OUT.I DID SOME RESEARCH ON-LINE&THERE IS MANY COMPLAINTS W/ THIS PROBLEM,SOME HAVE HAD IT HAPPEN 2,3,4 X.MGR. TOLD ME MY MODEL HAD THE NEW RE-DESIGNED BOLT,&IT WAS BRAKES PLUS FAULT WHEN THEY PUT ON THE TIMING BELT. MGR. SAID THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE NEVER USED THE OLD BOLT&THAT THEY PUT ON A NEW BOLT WHEN REPLACING TIMING BELT.I HEARD A TSB WENT OUT REGARDING THE BOLTS TO ALL SERVICE SHOPS TO USE THE NEW RE-DESIGN BOLT ON 03&04 MODELS,BUT NOT 05.IF I HAD GOTTEN A COPY OF THAT NOTICE,I WOULD HAVE MADE SURE THAT WHOEVER REPLACED TIMING BELT,USED NEW BOLT. A KIA TECH WROTE:8/10/12 ITS NOT THE BOLT, IT IS THE CRANK SPROCKET&BALANCER, THE DESIGN OF THE BALANCER STICKS OUT TO FAR&WEIGHS TO MUCH BREAKING OFF THE SPRING GUIDE PIN.WHEN THERE IS A REPAIR,WE REPLACE THEM EVERYTIME WE DO A TIMING BELT ON ONE.YOU TAKE THE CRACK SPROCKET&BALANCER&U ADD 2 MORE SPRING PINS AS WELL AS DRILL&TAP THE CRANK&INSTALL A TIMESERT (HEAVIER HELICOIL) HAVE NOT HAD ONE OF THESE COME BACK,IF ANYONE IS DOING A TIMING BELT I HIGHLY RECOMMEND DOING THIS AT THE SAME TIME,BUT IT WILL NOT BREAK THE BOLT OR SHEER THE GUIDE PIN. *TR

WAS DRIVING DOWN ROAD WITH MY SON WHEN MY CAR STARTED TO VIBRATE AND MAKE A HORRIBLE NOISE. THE WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASH TURNED ON AND I LOST MY POWER STEERING JUST AS I WAS TURNING ONTO OUR STREET. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO AN AUTO SHOP AND BEFORE THEY LOOKED AT IT, THE OWNER TOLD ME THAT IT WAS THE CRANK PULLEY BOLT THAT SHEERED OFF. HE SAID ITS COMMON IN KIA SUV'S OF THAT TIME PERIOD! I WAS LUCKY TO BE ON A SIDE STREET AND NOT A HIGHWAY GOING FASTER BECAUSE THERE WAS NO WARNING TO THIS HAPPENING AND I COULD'VE EASILY LOST CONTROL. THIS DEFECT WILL EVENTUALLY CAUSE SOMEONE TO LOSE CONTROL AND BECOME INJURED OR KILLED. *TR

SECOND FAILURE OF CRANK SHAFT PULLEY BOLT WITHIN 2 MONTHS OF IT BEING REPAIRED. DEALER ASSURED ME IT WAS FIXED PROPERLY ACCORDING TO THE MANUFACTURERS TSB. BOLT SHEARED OFF AGAIN AND ALL BELTS CAME LOOSE. 18 YEAR OLD FEMALE DRIVER, WHILE SLOWING TO TURN CORNER LOST POWER ASSIST STEERING, INCREDIBLY LUCKY TO BE ALIVE. LOUD CLUNK...THAT WAS THE HARMONIC BALANCER FALLING OFF THE VEHICLE. KIA FAILS TO ACKNOWLEDGE DESIGN FLAW IN THIS DANGEROUS, DANGEROUS VEHICLE! *TR

THE POWER STEERING ON OUR 2005 KIA SORENTO BEING DRIVEN BY MY 18 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER FAILED. IT WAS SO FORTUNATE THAT IT OCCURRED WHEN SHE WAS DECELERATING TO TURN A CORNER, HOWEVER IT WAS INCREDIBLY HARD TO STEER WITH THE LOSS OF POWER. SHE WAS LUCKY TO BE ABLE TO NAVIGATE OUT OF TRAFFIC SAFELY. HAD AAA TOW TO THE DEALER WHO HAD SOLD US THE CAR 2 MONTHS EARLIER. I HAD PURCHASED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR JUST THIS PURPOSE...NEVER THINKING THAT I WOULD NEED TO USE IT SO SOON.. THE AAA DRIVER SAID IT LOOKED AS A BELT HAD COME OFF. WHEN AT THE DEALER, FOUND THAT THE CRANK PULLY BOLT HAD SHEARED OFF RESULTING IN NO POWER STEERING, AC OR CHARGING SYSTEM! BOLT HAD BROKEN OFF AND HARMONIC BALANCER HAD DROPPED OFF THE VEHICLE! AFTER SOME NET RESEARCH I FOUND A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN{ #072 REVISED} FOR THIS SAME CRANKSHAFT BOLT. KIA IS WELL AWARE OF THIS FAILING BOLT AND CONTINUES TO PUT PEOPLES LIVES AT RISK? THIS IS A HUGE DESIGN FLAW. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT WAS TRAVELING 10 MPH WHEN THE POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILED WHILE ATTEMPTING A LEFT TURN AND THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A DITCH. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE POLICE WERE NOT CONTACTED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 143,000 . . UPDATED 07/27/12 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE POWER STEERING FAILURE HAPPENED ON FOUR DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY DURING CRASH. UPDATED 08/02/2012. *JS

WHILE TRAVELING DOWN THE ROAD IN MY 2005 KIA SORENTO MY CAR LOST STEERING. MY BRAKE LIGHT AND BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON, I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY TOLD ME CRANKSHAFT BOLT HAD BROKE WITH HALF OF IT STUCK IN ENGINE. KIA REFUSES TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE WITH SOME MANY PEOPLE HAVING IT. IT IS A DANGEROUS CONDITION THAT CAUSES YOU TO LOSE STEERING WHILE DRIVING LUCKILY I DIDN'T CRASH, BUT SOME MANY OTHERS HAVE. KIA MUST RECALL THIS CRANKSHAFT BOLT ISSUE, SOMEONE MY GET SERIOUSLY HURT OR KILLED! *TR

ON TUESDAY MAY 24, 2011 AS I WAS ABOUT TO MAKE A TURN IN MY 2005 KIA SORENTO THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AND THE BRAKE LIGHT TURNED ON. I WAS ABLE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE RIGHT SLIGHTLY AND DRIVE DIAGONAL TO THE SIDEWALK AND PARK THE VEHICLE. UPON TOWING THE VEHICLE IT WAS FOUND THAT THE BOLT THAT HOLDS THE DAMPER, CONTROLLING THE STEERING HAD BROKEN. I AM CURRENTLY RESEARCHING HOW THIS BOLT COULD HAVE BROKEN. MY VEHICLE HAS 111,025 MILES AND I AM THE FIRST OWNER. THE VEHICLE IS UNDRIVEABLE. *TR