2005 Kia Sorento

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

WHILE DRIVING MY VEHICLE, IT BEGAN MAKING A "KNOCKING" NOISE. THE POWER STEERING THEN BEGAN TO FAIL AND THEN I WAS UNABLE TO ACCELERATE. THE CAR DIED (ON A BUSY 4 LANE HWY WITH MY 7 MOS OLD DAUGHTER IN THE CAR). ONCE STOPPED, I LOOKED UNDER MY HOOD TO FIND A LARGE BOLT LAYING ON THE FLOOR OF THE INTERIOR OF THE BUMPER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL AUTO REPAIR SHOP WHERE, AFTER 2 DAYS AND $1300 IN REPAIRS, I WAS TOLD THAT THE "LARGE BOLT" I FOUND WAS HALF OF THE CRANK PULLEY BOLT. IT HAD SNAPPED CLEAN IN HALF LEAVING THE OTHER HALF INSIDE THE PULLEY. EXTENSIVE LABOR TO REMOVE THIS PIECE AND THEN RESET ALL THE PULLEYS AND BELTS (TIMING BELT) ATTRIBUTED TO THE EXCESSIVE COST. I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO REASON WHY THAT BOLT SHOULD HAVE SIMPLY BROKE IN HALF AND THAT IT WAS A FAULTY PART. KIA REFUSES TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND I HAVE READ SEVERAL POSTS THAT MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME IT HAS HAPPENED. ELECTRICALLY, I HAVE HAD TO CHANGE MY HEADLIGHT BULBS SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE LAST 3 YEARS AND THE ACCUATOR FOR THE AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS IS FAULTY. THE CAR RANDOMLY LOCKS ITSELF AT ANY GIVEN TIME (WHILE DRIVING, WHEN SITTING IN THE DRIVEWAY DURING THE NIGHT, PARKED AND RUNNING). I STOPPED IN A PARKING LOT TO GET MY DAUGHTER'S TOY THAT SHE HAD DROPPED. WHEN I GOT OUT OF THE CAR TO WALK AROUND TO THE OTHER SIDE, THE CAR LOCK DEFECT LOCKED MY DAUGHTER INSIDE THE CAR WHILE IT WAS RUNNING. *KB

HARMONIC BALANCER BOLT BROKE CAUSING FAILURE OF ALL BELT DRIVEN COMPONENTS. LOSS OF POWER STEERING WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS BEING THE WORST OF WHICH. IT WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT FOR A SMALL FRAMED OLDER WOMAN TO CONTROL WHILE PULLING OVER. HARMONIC BALANCER FELL FROM VEHICLE REPRESENTING SUBSTANTIAL RISK TO OTHER VEHICLES ON ROADWAY. VEHICLE HAD BEEN TO DEALERSHIP FOR PREVIOUS REPAIRS BUT THEY NEGLECTED TO ADHERE TO THE MANUFACTURERS TSB AND REPLACE THE BOLT. I HAVE SINCE FOUND THAT MANY MANY OTHER OWNERS OF THIS VEHICLE HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUE SPANNING MANY MODEL YEARS. I DON'T BELIEVE THE DEFECT TO BE IN THE BOLT BUT RATHER IN THE DESIGN OF THE HARMONIC BALANCER, THE CRANK SHAFT AND THE MATING OF THE TWO. WHEN THIS FAILURE OCCURS THE VEHICLE BECOMES INOPERABLE AND LEAVES IT OCCUPANTS STRANDED. LOSS OF POWER ASSISTED CONTROL AND THE HIGH PROBABILITY OF A LARGE AND HEAVY PIECE OF STEEL BEING DROPPED IN THE MIDST OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC REPRESENT A SUBSTANTIAL RISK TO THE PUBLIC. THIS ISSUE HAS NOT BEEN PROPERLY ADDRESSED BY THE MANUFACTURER AS NO NOTICE THAT THIS BOLT SHOULD BE REPLACED HAS BEEN GIVEN TO CONSUMERS. KIA MOTORS IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND SENT A TSB TO DEALERS DIRECTING THEM TO CHANGE THE BOLT IN QUESTION UPON THE VEHICLES NEXT DEALER SERVICE. HOWEVER THIS PRACTICE IS NOT PROPERLY ADHERED TO AND WITH THE CUSTOMER BEING UNAWARE OF ANY POSSIBLE PROBLEM IT BECOMES EASILY OVERLOOKED. I HAVE ALSO NOTICED THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE MORE FREQUENT FAILURES AFTER THE BOLT HAS BEEN REPLACED. AFTER HAVING THE VEHICLE TOWED TO KIA I WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED AND THAT KIA WOULD NOT COVER THIS UNDER IT'S POWER TRAIN WARRANTY. *TR

I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AND STOPPED TO STORE AND WHEN I WENT TO BACK OUT IT FELT LIKE POWER STEERING BELT WENT OUT BUT IT WAS NOT THAT IT WAS A BOLT BACKED OUT OF THE CRANKSHAFT AND DEALERSHIP SAID IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY SO I CALLED KIA HOTLINE AND THEY SAID I STILL HAVE WARRANTY BUT NOT ON THAT SCREW SO I AM LOOKING A 2 GRAND TO FIX THIS SUV THAT HAS HEADLIGHTS AND TAILLIGHTS TO BE REPLACED ALL THE TIME AND THE DEALERSHIPS DO NOT BACK UP THERE PRODUCT. *TR

WE HAVE A CONSTANT ISSUE WITH THE INTERIOR LIGTS AND EXTERIOR LIGHTS ARE TURNING ON AND OFF WITHOUT NOTICE. THIS IS HAPPENING WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND HAS HAPPENED ON 10 SEPARATE OCCASSIONS IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS, THE LAS OCCASION BEING AUGUST 6, 2011 AT APPROXIMATELY 2:00AM. WHILE DRIVING DOWN A MAJOR HIGHWAY HERE IN SEATTLE DRIVING AT 50MPH THE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR LIGHTS BOTH SHUT DOWN AT THE SAME TIME CAUSING ZERO VISIBILITY. AFTER PULLING OVER AND WAITING FOR 10 MINUTES THE LIGHTS CAME BACK ON AND I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE AHOME WITHOUT INCIDENT. PROBLEM IS UNKNOWN. *TT

ON 6-14-2011 I WAS DRIVING MY 2005 KIA SORENTO JUST TURNING ONTO MY STREET WHEN IT SUDDENLY LOST ITS POWER STEERING AND THE POWER BRAKE LIGHT WAS ON. I MANAGED TO DRIVE IT A FEW FEET TO MY DRIVEWAY TO INSPECT MY CAR AND NOTICED A BIG SILVER BOLT-LIKE PIECE OF METAL APPROXIMATELY 4" LONG DANGLING BENEATH THE RADIATOR AND TOOK IT INSIDE AND CALLED MY HUSBAND. WHEN HE CAME HOME HE LOOKED AT THE CAR AND CHECKED ONLINE TO TRY AND SEE WHAT MAY BE WRONG WITH IT AND DISCOVERED IT MAY BE THE CRANK SHAFT PULLEY BOLT AND CALLED THE DEALERSHIP'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT. THE MAN AT THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT FELT THIS WAS NOT THE CASE BUT MY HUSBAND SAID THAT HE HAD WAS HOLDING THE BOLT IN HIS HAND. NONETHELESS I SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT. THE SOONEST THEY COULD GET ME IN WAS 6-29-2011, 15 DAYS LATER. I AM EMPLOYED AS A PHYSICIAN EXTENDER AM HAD TO WORK THE WEEKEND (JUNE 18TH AND 19TH), THEREFORE, I HAD TO RENT A CAR FOR THAT WEEKEND AS WE HAVE NO WEEKEND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SERVICE IN OUR LOCATION WHICH COST ME $177.00. MY CAR THEN HAD TO BE TOWED ON THE MORNING OF 6-28-2011 TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE ON 6-29-2011 AT A COST OF $65.00. THEN THEY WERE HAVING DIFFICULTY HONORING MY WARRANTY BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT FIND MY NAME BUT I HAD SINCE MARRIED BUT SINCE IT WAS NOT CHANGED ON THE WARRANTY THEY DID NOT REPAIR THE CAR. I HAD TO CONTACT KIA CORPORATE AND THE PERSON THERE TOLD ME IT COULD TAKE UP TO 2 WEEKS TO MAKE THE CHANGE AND THE CAR WOULD NOT AND COULD NOT BE REPAIRED UNTIL THEN AND THEY COULD ONLY GIVE ME A DISCOUNT ON A RENTAL CAR IN THE MEANTIME. I HAD TO IMMEDIATELY FAX (NOT EMAIL) DOCUMENTATION OF SALE. I HAD PAID CASH FOR THE BRAND NEW VEHICLE AT THE TIME. THE KIA DEALERSHIP IN WHICH I BOUGHT THE CAR ONLY KEEPS SALES RECORDS FOR THE PAST 3 YEARS. THE CORPORATE PERSON THAT I WAS SPEAKING WITH WAS NOT ABLE TO CORRECT THE INFORMATION ON HIS END DUE TO A "GLITCH". THEY FIXED THE CAR AND CHARGED ME $170.00 ADDITIONAL FOR REPAIRS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY. *TR

THE MAIN CRANK SHAFT PULLY BOLT STRIPPED OUT AND CAUSED THE CRANK SHAFT TO START TO WORK ITS WAY OUT OF THE MOTOR BLOCK I TALKED TO KIA CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER AND THEY SAID THAT IT WAS NOT COVERED AS A RECALL EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A MAIN FAILURE IN THE PREVIOUS TWO YEARS OF 2003 AND 2004 THEY SAID THAT THEY HAD FIXED THE PROBLEM BY INSTALLING A DIFFERENT BOLT IN THE 2005 MODEL BUT IN MY OPINION THAT IS A FALSE STATEMENT DO TO THE FACT IT HAS FAILED IN MY 2005 SORENTO TELLING ME THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN SOLVED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH THE BRAKE LAMP, BATTERY WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE LOST POWER STEERING WITHOUT ANY WARNINGS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE DRIVE BELTS, AND CRANK BOLT SHEERED OFF AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE BUT DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 80,000.