1998 Kia Sportage

DITTO ON ALL THE OTHER ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS LISTED AT THIS SITE. ENGINE STALLING WHILE IN MOTION, SLUGGISHNESS, EITHER REVVED UP SO HIGH YOU THINK ITS GONNA BLOW TO NOT IDLING AT ALL AND CUTTING OFF. MY LEFT TURN SIGNAL CHASSIS EVEN FLEW OFF WHILE ON THE INTERSTATE PLEASE LETS TAKE ACTION. WE DO NOT NEED A DEATH TO MAKE KIA HEAR US. WE COULD ALL SEND A CERTIFIED LETTER TO MR. PETER BUTTERFIELD, KIA MOTORS AMERICA, 9801 MUIRLANDS BLVD, IRVINE CA 92618. WE COULD REFERENCE IN RESPONSE TO HIS INTERVIEW TO AUTOMOTIVENEWS.COM ABOUT KIA WANTS TO GROW UP. IT IS WRITTEN IN THIS ARTICLE HOW HE WANTS KIA TO BE KNOWN FOR QUALITY AND SAFETY. I WANT HIM TO KNOW THAT WE CAN'T DRIVE OUR KIA'S FOR FEAR OF OUR LIVES AND NO ONE AT KIA IS RESPONDING TO OUR COMPLAINTS. HERE IS A SAMPLING OF REFERENCED ARTICLE: PETER BUTTERFIELD WANTS KIA MOTORS AMERICA INC. TO ACHIEVE TOYOTA-LEVEL QUALITY SCORES IN FIVE YEARS. HE ALSO WANTS TO EVOLVE FROM BEING A USED-VEHICLE ALTERNATIVE TO A PURCHASE LINKED IN THE CONSUMERS' MIND TO VALUE, SAFETY AND QUALITY. (END OF SAMPLE) IF HE REALLY WANTS THIS TO HAPPEN, HE WILL TAKE OUR PROBLEMS SERIOUSLY AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT THEM. LET'S MAKE SOME NOISE! THANK YOU. *AK

CONTINUATION PART 4...ON AS THEY USUALLY DID WHEN I STARTED THE VEHICLE. I TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER 2 DAYS LATER AND FOUND THAT THE TECHNICIAN OR "SOMEONE" DISCONNECTED MY INSTRUMENT PANEL IN AN ATTEMPT TO STOP THE ENGINE LIGHT FROM COMING ON AND ME COMING BACK TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER KEPT THE VEHICLE FOR ANOTHER 2 DAYS AND SO-CALLED FIXED THE PROBLEM. AS YOU KNOW BY NOW, THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME BACK ON. BY THIS TIME, I HAD FILED WITH BBB AND BEGGED KIA TO TAKE THIS PROBLEM BACK. AT AN ARBITRATION HEARING, THE KIA REPRESENTATIVE DOWNPLAYED ALL OF MY RETURN TRIPS TO THE DEALER BY STATING THAT THE DEALER DID NOT REPORT ALL OF THESE PROBLEMS TO THEM AND THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF WHAT WAS GOING ON. ALL OF THAT WAS A LIE SINCE KIA WAS NOTIFIED BY CERTIFIED LETTER OF THE PROBLEMS AND RETURN TRIPS. WELL, THE ARBITRATOR SIDED WITH KIA AND STATED THAT EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE PRESUMABLY MET THE CRITERIA FOR LEMON LAW, SHE FELT THAT THE DEALER SHOULD GET ONE MORE CHANCE TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. SINCE I DID NOT LIKE THE ARBITRATORS DECISION, I UTILIZED ONE OF THE OTHER OPTIONS SHE OFFERED AND ACTED AS IF THE HEARING NEVER HAPPENED. I DROVE WITH THE ENGINE LIGHT COMING ON AND OFF FOR ABOUT 2 MONTHS UNTIL THINGS GOT WORSE. THE REAR END STARTED JINGLING LOUDER THAN EVER, THE FRONT END WAS GRINDING LIKE NEVER BEFORE, THE VEHICLE WOULD JUST TAKE OFF ON IT'S OWN, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD BECOME STUCK IN ONE GEAR OR ANOTHER WITHOUT SHIFTING, THE WINDOWS WERE SLOW AGAIN, AND THE VEHICLE WAS SHAKING LIKE A LEAF. I TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY KEPT IT FOR ANOTHER 7 CONSECUTIVE DAYS AND WHEN I PICKED MY VEHICLE UP, THERE WAS A HIDEOUS DENT AND SCRATCH ON MY RIGHT FRONT FENDER AS IF A CINDER BLOCK HAD FELL ON IT. THE DEALER TRIED TO RELEASE THE VEHICLE TO ME THAT WAY BUT I REFUSED. THE KEPT THE VEHICLE FOR ANOTHER 3 DAYS WHILE THEY KNOCKED OUT THE DENT AND REPAINTED THE FENDER. THEY KEPT THE VEHICLE FOR ANOTHER 3 DAYS WHILE THEY KNOCKED OUT THE DENT AND REPAINTED THE.

CONTINUATION PART 3...VERY SLOWLY, THERE WAS A TERRIBLE CRUNCHING OR GRINDING METAL ON METAL NOISE WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS SLOWED DOWN (NOT THE BRAKES), THE WAS A HORRIBLE GROAN SOUND WHEN THE VEHICLE ACCELERATES ON THE FREEWAY, THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE HUBS ON THE VEHICLE, AND THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL AT ANY GIVEN TIME. WHEN I PICKED THE VEHICLE UP FROM THE DEALER AFTER BEING OUT OF SERVICE FOR 8 CONSECUTIVE DAYS, THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY DUPLICATED EACH AND EVERY CONCERN AND ADDRESSED THEM ALL. EXACTLY 1 WEEK LATER, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME BACK ON AND THE VEHICLE DIED ON ME AT THE MALL. I CALLED A TOW TRUCK AND HAD TO GET THE BATTERY BOOSTED SINCE SOMETHING THAT THE DEALER DID ELECTRICALLY WAS IMPROPER. I MADE IT BACK HOME BUT WAS UNSURE WHETHER OR NOT I COULD MAKE IT TO WORK THE NEXT DAY WITH A WEAL BATTERY. SURE ENOUGH, THE VEHICLE DID NOT START IN THE MORNING. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE DEALER, AND THEY SENT A TOW TRUCK TO MY HOUSE TO PICK UP THIS LEMON. AFTER ANOTHER 5 DAYS OUT OF SERVICE, I PICKED THE VEHICLE UP AND WAS ADVISED THAT THERE WAS A BAD ENGINE HARNESS IN THE VEHICLE. EXACTLY 2 DAYS LATER, THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME BACK ON, THE VEHICLE STARTED LEAKING OIL, THE WINDOWS STARTED MOVING SLOW AGAIN, THE REAR END OF MY VEHICLE STARTED RATTLING, THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE HAD THE METAL ON METAL NOISE AGAIN, THE GROAN NOISE HAD COME BACK, THE VEHICLE HAD LOST POWER GOING UP THE SLIGHTEST INCLINE. FEELING LIKE THERE WAS NO OTHER OPTION AVAILABLE TO ME, I SENT KIA A LETTER ASKING FOR A BUYBACK AS WELL AS ALL OF MY REPAIR INVOICES AND ALL THEY DID WAS OFF TO PAY ONE OF MY CAR NOTES AND TOLD ME TO TAKE THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER. I DECLINED THEIR OFFER TO PAY 1 CAR NOTE AND TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE IT STAYED FOR 16 CONSECUTIVE DAYS. AGAIN, ALL CONCERNS WERE DUPLICATED AND ADDRESSED. AFTER PICKING UP THE VEHICLE, I NOTICED THAT NONE OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS WERE COMING ON AS THEY USUALLY DID WHEN I STARTED THE VEHICLE. *AK

CONTINUATION OF COMPLAINT.... I THEN CHECKED THE NHTSA WEBSITE FOR RECALLS OR SERVICE CAMPAIGNS AND FOUND 3 RECALLS THAT FIT IN MY VIN RANGE. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED KIA'S 800 NUMBER AND ASKED IF MY VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED AND WAS PROMPTLY TOLD NO. I BELIEVED THIS RESPONSE SINCE IT WAS COMING DIRECTLY FROM THE MANUFACTURER AND NOT THE DEALER. ABOUT 2 MONTHS LATER, I RECEIVED A DISTURBING CALL FROM A REPRESENTATIVE FROM KIA CONSUMER AFFAIRS TELLING ME TO IMMEDIATELY STOP DRIVING THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE SAME 3 RECALLS I SAW ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE AND CALLED TO INQUIRE ABOUT INCLUDED MY VEHICLE. THE RECALLS WERE: BRAKE LINE RECALL-THE STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT COUPLING CAN CONTACT A HYDRAULIC BRAKE PIPE CAUSING FLUID LEAKAGE. THIS CONDITION CAN CAUSE A LOSS OF REAR BRAKE INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH. ELECTRICAL WIRING- THE WIRES CONNECTED TO THE C123 AND C124 CONNECTORS CAN BE PUT UNDER TENSION BY MOVEMENT OF THE ENGINE, THUS PULLING THE WIRES AND CONNECTORS, LOOSENING THEM AND RESULTING IN A LOSS OF CIRCUIT CONTINUITY. THIS CONDITION CAN CAUSE ENGINE STALLING, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH. THE THIRD RECALL WAS AN OBD LABEL. I COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT KIA PUT MY FAMILY AND ME IN SO MUCH DANGER BY TELLING ME THAT MY VEHICLE WAS NOT INVOLVED. THE KIA REPRESENTATIVE TOLD ME THAT KIA WOULD PROVIDE ME WITH A LOANER VEHICLE. SINCE I KNEW THAT I COULD POSSIBLE DIE BY CONTINUING TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE, I TOOK A DAY OFF OF WORK AND TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DLR. BY THIS TIME, I HAD KEPT A TIMETABLE AND LOG OF EVERYTHING THAT HAD GONE WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE AND PRESENTED IT TO THE DEALER. THE LIST INCLUDED, OF COURSE, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON, HESITATION ON ACCELERATION, VEHICLE SHAKES SEVERELY WHEN THE WHEEL IS TURNED, THE IDLE SURGES WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STOPPED, THE REAR WINDOW DEFOGGER HAD COME OFF OF THE VEHICLE, THE RADIO HAD STARTED TO STATIC AND TURN ON LOUD EVEN WHEN IT WAS TURNED OFF, THE VOLUME KNOBS ON THE RADIO WORKED INTERMITTENTLY, THE WINDOWS ROLLED UP AND DOWN

I AM REGISTERING A COMPLAINT AGAINST KIA MOTORS, INC. BECAUSE OF THE TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF PROBLEMS I HAVE BEEN HAVING WITH MY VEHICLE. I PURCHASED A 1998 KIA SPORTAGE ON JANUARY 17, 2000 AND IT HAD ABOUT 2600 MILES ON IT. ABOUT 2 MONTHS LATER AT 6683 MILES, THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND SINCE I WAS READY FOR AN OIL CHANGE ANYWAY, I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO GET IT CHECKED OUT. THE DEALER INFORMED ME THAT SINCE THE VEHICLE IS STILL NEW AND IN ITS "BREAKING-IN" STAGE, THE LIGHT WILL GO OFF IN A FEW DAYS. A FEW DAYS LATER, THE LIGHT DID GO OFF BUT THE VEHICLE JUST DIDN'T FEEL RIGHT. A FEW WEEKS LATER, THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN AND I WAS AGAIN ADVISED THE DEALER THAT IT WILL GO OFF BY ITSELF, THIS TIME I DIDN'T TAKE THEIR WORD AND INSISTED THAT THE VEHICLE BE CHECKED OUT. THE DEALER THEN FOUND THAT A SENSOR WAS OUT. THE REPLACED THE SENSOR AND THE LIGHT WENT OUT. A FEW WEEKS LATER, THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN AND I ALSO RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR A CATALYTIC CONVERTER CONCERN. SO I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR BOTH PROBLEMS AND WAS TOLD THAT THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS RELATED TO THE RECALL AND BOTH WILL BE TAKEN CARE OF. NEEDLESS TO SAY, THEY WEREN'T. THE SAME DAY I PICKED UP MY VEHICLE FROM THE DEALER, WHILE DRIVING OUT OF THE PARKING LOT, THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME BACK ON. I IMMEDIATELY MADE A U-TURN WENT BACK INTO THE SERVICE DRIVE. I WAS ADVISED THAT THE SENSOR WAS OUT AGAIN AND THE PART AS NOT IN. I WAITED FOR ABOUT 4 WEEKS UNTIL THE PART CAME IN ALL WHILE DRIVING WITH THE ENGINE LIGHT ON. THE DEALER REPLACED THE SENSOR AGAIN AND OF COURSE, THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME BACK ON. AT THIS TIME, I WAS ABOUT TO GO INSANE ABOUT THIS NAGGING PROBLEM THAT EITHER THE DEALER COULD NOT FIX OR THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE FIXED. I DID NOT TAKE THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER FOR BECAUSE I HAD JUST STARTED A NEW JOB AND COULD NOT AFFORD TO TAKE TIME OFF OF WORK TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER OR INCUR ANYMORE RENTAL COSTS. I THEN CHECKED THE NHTSA WEBSITE FOR RECALLS OR SER*

VEHICLE WAS NOT STARTING WHEN IGNITION WAS TURNED. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO A DEALERSHIP THAT DETERMINED THAT BATTERY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. NO REASON WAS GIVEN TO CONSUMER FOR CAUSE OF THIS DEFECT. ALSO, MENTIONED THAT THERE WERE CONNECTION PROBLEMS BETWEEN BATTERY AND CABLES. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK

VEHICLE WILL NOT ACCELERATE UNDER NORMAL OPERATING CONDITIONS. DEALERSHIP HAS WORKED ON VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES SINCE 1998, AND HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO REPAIR VEHICLE. *AK THE CONSUMER STATES THAT THE FUEL INJECTOR, HEAD GASKET, WIRING HARNESS AND TRANSMISSION HAD BEEN REPLACED. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS AND THE VEHICLE WAS A LEMON OR DEFECTIVE. *YH