2005 Kia Sorento

I HAVE AN 05 KIA SORENTO LX. WHEN I WAS DRIVING I NOTICED THAT MY CAR KEPT MAKING A GRINDING SOUND WHEN MAKING A LEFT, AND THEN I ALSO NOTICED THAT IT WAS RATTLING A LOT WHEN HITTING BUMPS AND JUST DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. I TOOK THE VEHICLE INTO MY PERSONAL MECHANIC WHOM I'VE BEEN USING FOR YEARS AND TRUST TO THE HIGHEST, AND HE TOLD ME THAT THE ENTIRE FRAME WAS RUSTED THROUGH, WITH MULTIPLE HOLES AND IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND THE COST TO REPAIR IS WAS EXTREMELY HIGH. HE TOLD ME TO TAKE IT TO KIA TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY RECALLS OR ANYTHING THEY COULD DO BECAUSE A BARELY 10 YEAR OLD CAR SHOULDN'T BE HAVING THIS ISSUE, AND IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE. I TOOK IT TO THE KIA DEALERSHIP, THEY INSPECTED THE CAR, AND UPON THEIR INSPECTION THEY SAID, "FRAME IS RUSTING AND HAS MANY HOLES, IS UNSAFE. ADVISE CUSTOMER TO DRIVE AT OWN RISK SINCE IT COULD BREAK AT ANY TIME. ENTIRE FRAME AND REAR END WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. FOUND SEVERAL AREAS WHERE THE FAME HAS ROTTED THROUGH, AND THE REAR AXLE IS BROKEN WHERE THE CONTROL ARM ATTACHES. ADVISE GETTING A NEW CAR". TO ME, THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN - AND I'VE SEEN MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SAME ISSUE. KIA ISN'T DOING ANYTHING TO HELP WITH THE SITUATION, AND QUOTED ME WAY MORE THAN THE CAR IS WORTH TO FIX IT. I JUST BOUGHT THIS CAR 2 YEARS AGO USED FROM A DEALERSHIP, AND IF THIS IS AN ISSUE NOW, THEN IT WAS AN ISSUE WHEN THEY SOLD ME THE TIME OF PURCHASE. THEY CLEARLY SAID THAT THE CAR WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE, AND YET THEY'RE GOING TO LET THEIR CUSTOMERS RISK THEIR LIVES INSTEAD OF TRYING TO HELP THEM.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 KIA SORENTO. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL RATTLING NOISE AND THE VEHICLE SHOOK. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE ENTIRE FRAME HAD EXCESSIVE RUST AND FRACTURES AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 124,000.

WHILE EXAMINING THE REAR SUSPENSION PRIOR TO REPLACING THE SHOCKS I SAW THAT THE UPPER CONTROL ARM BRACKETS ON THE REAR AXLE ARE BADLY RUSTED. THE LEFT IS SLIGHTLY WORSE. I DO NOT LIVE IN A RUST BELT AREA. WESTERN WASHINGTON TO BE SPECIFIC. THERE IS NO OTHER RUST OR CORROSION ON THIS CAR. THERE IS A DESIGN FLAW THAT ALLOWS WATER TO STAY IN THE AREA ABOVE THE AXLE AND CORRODE THE BRACKET. WHEN THE BRACKET BREAKS THE REAR AXLE IS NO LONGER HELD IN PLACE. THE CAR WILL BE VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER AND THE WHEELS COULD LOCK UP. THE ADDITION OF A WEEP HOLE AND AN ANTI-CORROSION COATING WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS. THERE ARE REPORTS HERE ON NHTSA WHERE THESE BRACKETS HAVE ROTTED AWAY AND FAILED CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THIS IS A KNOWN DESIGN FLAW THAT IS JUST NOW APPEARING ON THE OLDER CARS. THERE ARE A MULTITUDE OF COMMENTS ON THE INTERNET WORLDWIDE. THERE WILL EVENTUALLY BE MORE OF THESE FAILURES AND THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FATAL ACCIDENTS FROM LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. IN THE UK KIA HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM AND HAS BEEN REPAIRING SORENTOS FOR FREE SINCE 2013. KIA USA NEEDS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS DESIGN FLAW AND ISSUE A RECALL BEFORE PEOPLE ARE KILLED.

I HAVE A 2005 KIA SORENTO AND LAST AUGUST I WAS COMING TO A STOP AT A VERY BUSY INTERSECTION AND MY CAR MADE A VERY LOUD CLANKING BANG SOUND. MY CAR DIED, MY BATTERY, BRAKE AND ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I TURNED THE KEY AND IT STARTED AND I WAS ABLE TO GET IT OFF THE ROAD BUT MY POWER STEERING WAS GONE. I HAD IT TOWED TO A GARAGE THAT SAID THEY WOULD NOT FIX IT BECAUSE IT WAS TO INTENSE (COST $150), SO I HAD IT TOWED TO ANOTHER. AN ASE CERTIFIED CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME IT SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER MY WARRANTY BECAUSE IT WAS PART OF THE POWER TRAIN AND I HAD LESS THAN 60,000 MILES ON MY VEHICLE- MY CRANKSHAFT BOLT WAS SHEARED COMPLETELY OFF (NO CHARGE). THEY AND I CONTACTED KIA, KIA HAD ME TOW IT TO THEM (WHICH IS 50 MINUTES AWAY). THEY THEN TOLD ME IT WAS NOT COVERED, AND THE PART WAS $10.97, HOWEVER THE WORK INVOLVED TO FIX IT WAS A LOT MORE EXTENSIVE AND GAVE ME AN ESTIMATE OF $650.00-$750.00! IT COST ME $650.00 PLUS ALL MY TOWING COSTS ($240.00). I COULD HAVE SAVED THE TOWING COST AND HAD THE CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP FIX IT SINCE I HAD TO PAY FOR IT! NOW, NOT EVEN A YEAR LATER, I BRING MY SORENTO TO THE CHEVROLET DEALER FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND THE MECHANIC ASKED ME TO COME LOOK AT MY DRIVER SIDE TRAILING ARM BRACKET. IT IS COMPLETELY RUSTED AND NO LONGER ATTACHED AND THE OTHER SIDE ISN'T IN GOOD SHAPE EITHER. THEY TELL ME IT WILL COST HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS TO FIX IT AND I REALLY SHOULD CONTACT KIA BECAUSE THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. I DECIDED TO RESEARCH THIS AND IT APPEARS THAT BOTH OF THESE ISSUES ARE COMMON AND UNSAFE. I AM WAITING TO HEAR BACK FROM KIA NOW ON HOW TO GET THIS TAKEN CARE OF.

MY 2005 KIA SORENTO JUST WENT IN FOR A TRANSMISSION LEAK AT 94K AND CAME OUT WITH NEEDING A NEW TRANNY PAN AND A WHOLE NEW REAR END UNDERNEATH DUE TO THE REAR TRAILING ARM BRACKET ROTTING COMPLETELY AWAY. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE IN WHICH MANY ARE HAVING. THIS NEEDS TO BE RECALLED, IT'S THE DESIGN OF THE BRACKET WHICH CAUSES SALT, WATER, ETC TO ENTER AND HAVE NO WAY TO EXIT. ANY OF THESE VEHICLES IN THE SALT STATES ARE GOING TO HAVE THIS HAPPEN AND THEN TRAGEDY WILL HAPPEN IF THEY DON'T CATCH IT. AGAIN THE REAR OF THE CAR HAS ROTTED BRACKETS THAT ATTACH THE TRAILING ARMS AND WITHOUT THEM THE CAR BECOMES COMPLETELY UNSTABLE AND A HUGE SAFELY HAZARD. *TR

TOOK MY 2005 KIA SORENTO IN FOR A STATE INSPECTION MECHANIC PULLS ME IN THE SHOP AND SHOWS ME THE PROBLEM LEFT REAR UPPER CONTROL ARM BRACKET IS COMPLETELY ROTTED OFF AND THE RIGHT SIDE IS NOT FAR BEHIND.I AM A WELDER FABRICATOR BY TRADE SO I LOOK AT THE AXKE HOUSING AND INSTANTLY SEE THE ISSUE THE BRACKETS WHERE WELDED ON WITH NO DRAIN HOLES THERE IS BASICALLY A CUP CREATED BY THE BRACKET THAT IS ABOUT 3 INCHES DEEP THAT HOLDS EVERY BIT OF WATER THAT GETS THROWN IN THERE THIS IS A MANUFACTURES DESIGN FLAW BRILLIANT ENGINEERS THAT NEVER THINK ABOUT THE REAL WORLD THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL OH THE REST OF THE AXLE HOUSING IS BARELY RUSTY. *TR

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: ON THURSDAY APRIL 3, 2014, I BROUGHT MY KIA IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE, THE ENTIRE REAR AXLE AND DIFFERENTIAL OF THE VEHICLE WAS RUSTED AND ROTTED ALL THE WAY THROUGH, TO THE POINT THAT THE LEFT BRACKET THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE WELDED ONTO THE FRAME OF THE CAR WAS LITERALLY RUSTED OFF AND HANGING. I WAS TOLD THE ONLY THING HOLDING THE LEFT SIDE OF THE CAR UP WAS A SHOCK. I WAS THEN TOLD IT WOULD BE $1700.00 TO REPLACE. I MADE A CALL TO KIA HEADQUARTERS IN CALIFORNIA AND FILED A COMPLAINT, BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND MECHANICAL BREAKDOWN, HOWEVER, THE FACT THAT A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT, THE CAR WAS MADE WITH CHEAP METAL. I DO NOT FEEL I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR SOMETHING KIA DID NOT MANUFACTURE PROPERLY. KIA DENIED FAULT AND STATED THEY WOULD NOT HELP PAY OR TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS. WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT A STEERING PUMP NEEDING TO BE FIXED, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT AN ENTIRE REAR END OF A CAR RUSTING AND ROTTING AWAY IN 9 YEARS. THIS VEHICLE WS MANUFACTURED WITH VERY INEXPENSIVE CHEAP METAL. I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY. THIS MORNING I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM CROWLEY KIA STATING THAT THEY DID REPLACE THE REAR AXLE, HOWEVER WHEN THEY WENT TO CONNECT IT TO THE E BRAKE SYSTEM THE BRACKETS FOR THAT WERE MANUFACTURED WRONG BY KIA AND THAT THEY WERE PUT ON BACKWARDS. WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU? THIS CAR WAS MADE CHEAPLY, AND I THINK ITS A LEMON. I WOULD LIKE THIS TO BE ADDRESSED BECAUSE I HAVE ALSO SEEN ON SOME KIA FORUMS WHERE PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. WHAT IF I WERE DRIVING WITH MY 7 YR TWIN GIRLS ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE WHOLE REAR END JUST FELL OFF. WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT POSSIBLY A VERY TRAGIC SITUATION. FORGET THE WARRANTY, LOOK AT THE MANUFACTURING SIDE OF IT. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR