2005 Kia Sorento

DRIVING OUT OF MY OFFICE PARK AT LUNCH TIME, HEARD FAN NOISE LIKE LOOSE BELT, THEN WHEN TURNING WHEEL TO EXIT LOT, HEARD A LOUD "CLUNK" AND LOST POWER STEERING. ENGINE SITTING LOOSE IN COMPARTMENT LAND LOOSE BELTS EVERYWHERE. CALLED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AND HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER. TOLD 2.5 HOURS LATE, WHEN I CALLED TO THE DEALER, THAT THE CRANKSHAFT BOLT WAS BROKEN AGAIN. CONTACTED KIA CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND FOUND ALTHOUGH THERE IS AN ACTIVE CAMPAIGN TO RECALL THIS BOLT, MY VIN IS NOT ON THE LIST (THIS IS THE SECOND FAILURE). ALTHOUGH "SHORT BLOCK" WAS REPLACED AT LAST FAILURE (IN 4/07 AT 20,200 MI) THIS FAILURE REQUIRED MACHINING THE BOLT OUT AND ONLY REPLACING THE CRANKSHAFT SPROCKET, CRANK PULLEY AND CRANKSHAFT BOLT, THEN REINSTALLING OTHER COMPONENTS. CONTACTED KIA CONSUMER AFFAIRS 6/18/08 AND REQUESTED DIST SERVICE MGR APPROVAL SHORT BLOCK REPLACEMENT. NO RETURN PHONE CALLS ALTHOUGH MESSAGES WERE LEFT FOR AGENT ON 6/19 AND 6/20. AGENT CALLED ON 6/25/08 TO ASK "HOW IS THE VEHICLE RIDING?", BUT WE HAD NOT PICKED UP THE VEHICLE FROM THE DEALER, SINCE YET AGAIN NO ALTERNATE TRANSPORTATION WAS PROVIDED. SAFETY IS NOW A MAJOR CONCERN WITH THIS VEHICLE. NO CONFIDENCE IN REPLACEMENT PARTS TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM. RESEARCH SHOWS MANY OTHER OWNERS REPORTING MULTIPLE FAILURES OF THE CRANKSHAFT BOLT. REPAIR TOOK 6 BUSINESS DAYS (8 CALENDAR DAYS) AND AGAIN NO ALTERNATE TRANSPORTATION WAS OFFERED OR PROVIDED. WWW.KIA-FORUMS.COM HAS INFORMATION FROM A KIA TECHNICIAN THAT THE CRANKSHAFT PROBLEM IS DUE TO A DESIGN FLAW THAT CANNOT BE FIXED BY REPLACING A BOLT EVERY 10,000 TO 20,000 MILES OR EACH FAILURE. NO OWNER SHOULD BE EXPECTED TO WAIT FOR ANOTHER FAILURE THAT DROPS THE BOTTOM HALF OF THE ENGINE. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. I HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE THAT THE FAILURES HAVE BEEN OUT OF TRAFFIC AND NOT ON THE INTERSTATES. LIVING IN METRO ATLANTA, GA MEANS I A FAR GREATER CHANCE OF THE NEXT FAILURE CAUSING INJURY TO ME OR OTHERS. *TR

TURNING INTO THE DRIVEWAY FROM A SHORT TRIP TO THE CORNER GAS STATION, I HEARD A LOUD "CLUNK", LOST POWER STEERING AND VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART. CONTACTED KIA ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AND HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. DEALER INDICATED THE CRANKSHAFT BOLT BROKE. DEALER REPLACED THE "SHORT BLOCK" UNDER WARRANTY. REPAIRS TOOK 5 DAYS AND NO ALTERNATE TRANSPORTATION WAS PROVIDED. *TR

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WHILE TRAVELING WITH 100 MILES OF HOME ON 9/22/06. CALLED KIA ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE, THEY RECOMMENDED CONTACTING THE DEALER. TOOK TO DEALER SAME DAY, THEY RESET THE LIGHT AND RECOMMENDED USING A HIGHER OCTANE FUEL AND RETURN FOR SERVICE IF LIGHT RETURNS. RETURNED TO DEALER ON 9/26/06 WITH LIGHT ON AGAIN. TESTING SHOWED CYLINDER #3 MISFIRED AND CAUSED INTERNAL ENGINE DAMAGE. ENGINE REPLACED AT 12,149MILES UNDER WARRANTY AND 9/27/06. *TR

HEADLIGHTS AND TAILLIGHTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED AT LEAST 5 TIMES IN THE 3 YEARS I'VE HAD THE SORENTO. I KEEP MY HEADLIGHTS OFF DURING THE DAY AND IT SEEMED TO DELAY THE BULB GOING OUT AS FAST AS IT DID WHEN I KEPT THEM ON ALL DAY. I KEEP REPLACEMENT BULBS IN MY VEHICLE AT ALL TIMES DUE TO THIS. YOU CAN BUY THEM FOR $5.00 AT YOUR LOCAL AUTO PARTS STORE. KIA NEEDS TO RECALL THIS...WAY TOO MANY COMPLAINTS FOR NOTHING TO BE WRONG. *TR

ON 4/30/08 MY KIA SORENTO WAS HIT FROM BEHIND ON THE INTERSTATE. WE WERE PUSHED INTO THE CAR AHEAD OF US WHO ALSO HIT THE CAR AHEAD OF THEM. WE WERE ON AN EXTENDED ON RAMP SO I ESTIMATE OUR SPEED WAS 35 MPH. AS THE TRAFFIC AHEAD OF US BEGAN TO STOP QUICKLY I APPLIED MY BRAKES, THEREFORE THE EXACT RATE OF SPEED AT THE TIME OF IMPACT IS UNKNOWN. HOWEVER WE HIT CAR ENOUGH THAT MY DAUGHTERS LID COVERED SOFT DRINK HIT THE DASH. NEITHER OF MY CARS FRONT AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. MY CAR SUSTAINED MAJOR REAR AND FRONT AND DRIVER SIDE DAMAGE. THE CAR WAS TOTALED. OUR SEAT BELTS DID HOLD US IN. HOWEVER I RECEIVED BRUISING FROM THE SEAT BELT IN THE CHECK AND WAIST AREA AS WEAK AS AN INJURY TO MY RIGHT KNEE WHERE IT HIT THE LOWER DASH AREA. *TR

OUR 2005 KIA SORENTO HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR OVER 185 DAYS DUE TO FRONT,REAR,BRAKE AND RUNNING LIGHT ISSUE. THE BRAKE LIGHTS GO OUT EVERY TWO OR THREE WEEKS AND THE OTHER ON A MONTHLY BASIS. THE THROTTLE CONTROL ALONG WITH THE TRANSMISSION AND RADIO HAVE BEEN REPAIRED AT LEAST FIVE TIMES EACH AND GOOD MOTOR COMPANY OF ROCKHILL SOUTH CAROLINA CANT SEEM TO FIND ANYTHING THAT WOULD CAUSE THE PROBLEM. KIA MOTORS IS NO HELP AND CANT SEEM TO PUT TWO AND TWO TOGETHER TO SEE THE OTHER 20 COMPLAINTS WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS. I'M STUCK WITH A 10 YEAR WARRANTY ON A LEMON. *TR