2000 Kia Sportage

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING ON A WET ROAD, THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL AND STRUCK A PARKED VEHICLE AT 35MPH AND THE FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLY UNLOCKED. ALTHOUGH THE SEAT BELT WAS PROPERLY LOCKED, THE BUCKLE ASSEMBLY RELEASED ALLOWING THE CONTACT TO SUSTAIN MINOR INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED DUE TO THE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, # 04V305000, REGARDING THE FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLY. THE VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL; HOWEVER IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. THE POLICE WERE CONTACTED AND A REPORT WAS TAKEN.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH THE FRONTAL AIR BAGS DEPLOYED WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. THERE WERE NO OBVIOUS ROAD HAZARDS OR CRASH. THERE WERE NO PREVIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THE AIRBAGS. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHY THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. *NM

TIRES BECAME BALD THREE MONTHS AFTER I BOUGHT THE CAR, BRAKE PADS AND ROTOR NEEDED REPLACING. THE GAS LEVER HAS BEEN AND IS BROKE AGAIN. HUBS WERE REPLACED THE FIRST TIME, SEALS WERE REPLACED SECOND TIME. THE HEAT SHIELD NEEDS TO BE REPLACED RIGHT NOW. PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW MOVES VERY SLOW. TIMING BELT REPLACED EARLY. BRAKE LIGHT COMES ON WHENEVER I APPLIED THE BRAKES. I WENT TO AN AUTO DEALER AND HAD THEM CHECK OUT THE BRAKES. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE MASTER BRAKE CYLINDER WAS LEAKING BADLY. *NM

ON THE WEEKEND OF OCTOBER 22-23, 2005, A GASEOUS ODOR WAS OBSERVED AROUND MY 2000 KIA SPORTAGE (PURCHASED DECEMBER 4, 1999; VIN: [XXX]). PUDDLES OF GAS WERE LATER SPOTTED UNDER MY VEHICLE, SO THE FOLLOWING MORNING (OCTOBER 24, 2005), I BROUGHT IT TO THE LOCAL KIA DEALER FOR INSPECTION. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE GAS TANK HAD "ROTTED/RUSTED" OUT (ADDITIONALLY, THE BOLTS FOR THE GAS TANK AND THE HOSE CONNECTING THE GAS TANK AND FILLER TUBE WERE RUSTED AND DISINTEGRATED, RESPECTIVELY, BEYOND REPAIR AND MUST BE REPLACED), CREATING A HOLE THROUGH WHICH GAS WAS ESCAPING. THE VEHICLE WAS USED ONLY MINIMALLY IN WI PRIOR TO AUGUST 2000, AND ITS LOCATION SINCE THEN HAS BEEN CHAPEL HILL/DURHAM, NC (ALL REPAIR WORK AND OIL CHANGES HAVE BEEN DONE BY MILLENNIUM KIA IN DURHAM, NC, WHICH ALSO SUGGESTS WHERE THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN DRIVEN SINCE AUGUST 2000). THUS, THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN EXPOSED TO SALT OR OTHER ELEMENTS WHICH MAY LEAD TO THIS TYPE OF DAMAGE. IT CURRENTLY HAS FEWER THAN 55,000 MILES ON IT, WHICH FURTHER LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT THIS IS NOT THE DIRECT CONSEQUENCE OF OVER- OR MISUSE. MY FATHER [XXX] AND OWNER OF THE VEHICLE, CONTACTED THE KIA CORPORATION AND SPOKE WITH TOM MORALES (800-333-4542, EXT: 45262) REGARDING THIS ISSUE, AND A CASE HAS BEEN OPENED WITH REGARD TO IT (CASE #[XXX]). WE BELIEVE THIS DAMAGE IS NOT ONLY EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS, BUT ALSO PREMATURE AND THE RESULT OF A FAULTY PRODUCT. KIA CLAIMS THEY CAN DO NOTHING TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE, BUT BECAUSE OF ITS SERIOUS POTENTIAL TO CAUSE INJURY, WE BELIEVE THE CASE MERITS FURTHER INVESTIGATION. *NM UPDATED 07/18/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

DT: THE C OWNS A 2000 KIA SPORADIC. ON 10-14-05 THEIR CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH. THE CONTACT SAW WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM THE VENTS, AND THEN SHE SAW BLACK SMOKE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE DASH. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS NOT CALLED. ONCE SHE TURNED THE IGNITION OFF THE CAR FINISHED SMOKING FOR A WHILE, AND WHEN IT QUIT SMOKING THE CONTACT TRIED TO START THE CAR AND IT WOULD NOT START. SHE WAS NOT YET SURE OF THE DAMAGE DONE BECAUSE THE INSURANCE COMPANY HAS NOT LOOKED AT IT. . SHE REPORTED HAVING NO PROBLEMS AT ALL WITH THE CAR PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. THE INCIDENT HAS BEEN REPORTED TO THE INSURANCE COMPANY. HER HUSBAND THOUGHT IT WAS OF ELECTRICAL NATURE. THE CONTACT CONTACTED ,A KIA DEALER AND THEY WERE NOT VERY HELPFUL. THEY REFERRED HER TO THE INSURANCE COMPANY. SHE HAS NOT SPOKEN TO THE MANUFACTURER.*AK

CONSUMER'S VEHICLE HAS A RUSTED GAS TANK AND A BAD FUEL PUMP. *TS THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER BUT THE MANAGER STATED THAT TOYOTA NO LONGER DOES REPAIR ON KIA VEHICLE. THE OIL PAN RUSTED CAUSING AN OIL LEAK. OIL LEAKED FROM THE SPEED SENSOR AND OIL SEAL. THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE WAS INOPERATIVE DUE TO AN OUTDATED HUB KIT. THE VEHICLE'S CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE TECHNICIAN FOUND THAT THE #3 CYLINDER WAS MISFIRING. *NM PHONE INTERVIEW UPDATE (OCT 31, 2005): THE REPAIR SHOP PERSONNEL (DAVE @ THETFORD'S AUTO CENTER @ 607-433-0319) INDICATED THAT THE TANK WAS RUSTED AND WAS LEAKING FROM THE SEAM. IN ADDITION, THE FUEL SUPPLY OR RETURN LINE WAS ROTTED AT THE FUEL TANK CONNECTION; FUEL WAS LEAKING WHE THE FUEL PUMP WAS TURNED ON.

DT: A 2000 KIA SPORTAGE STATION WAGON. THE BOTTOM OF THE VEHICLE RUSTED. THE FUEL TANK HAD A HOLE IN IT. WHILE THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THE FUEL HAD SLOWLY LEAKED OUT. THE CONSUMER WAS UNAWARE OF THIS UNTIL SHE DROVE VEHICLE HOME AND NOTICED THAT THERE WAS FUEL UNDER IT. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO A LOCAL FUEL STATION; THEY TOLD CONSUME RBECAUSE THERE WAS NO ONE TO WORK ON IT TO BRING IT BACK THE NEXT DAY. SHE HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THEM THE NEXT DAY. THEY REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP, TANK, LINES, AND EVERYTHING ON THE BOTTOM OF THE VEHICLE. THE FUEL HAD LEAKED ALL OVER THE BOTTOM OF THE VEHICLE AND MADE IT HARD TO FIX THE VEHICLE. THE MECHANIC TOLD HER THAT THEY HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH OTHER KIAES CONCERNING THIS. THE CONSUMER IS VERY CONCERNED WITH THE SAFETY OF THIS. THE MECHANIC SAID HE HAD NO TROUBLE GETTING THE TANK, HE FIGURED THAT IT MIGHT BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THEM. PREVIOUSLY THEY REPLACED THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE UNIT. *AK