2001 Kia Sportage

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 KIA SPORTAGE. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY BETWEEN 30-70 MPH WHEN THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND RESUMED NORMALLY YET THE FAILURE RECURRED AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THERE WAS A SEPARATE OCCASION WHEN THE ENGINE FAILED TO RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER EIGHT TIMES WHERE THEY WERE UNABLE TO LOCATE THE FAILURE. THE PASSENGER SIDE WIRING HARNESS WAS CLEANED BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE FAILURE PERSISTED IN WHICH THERE WAS NO RESOLUTION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000. UPDATED 05/05/11*LJ UPDATED 05/09/11

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 KIA SPORTAGE PURCHASED ON AUGUST 25, 2009. THERE WAS A NOISE UNDER THE HOOD. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC STATED THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS REMOVED AND REPLACED BY A PIPE THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ON THE VEHICLE. SHE ALSO STATED THE AIR CONDITIONING UNIT CONTINUED TO LEAK WATER FROM THE VENTS AND ONTO THE FLOOR BOARD. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THERE WAS ALLERGY IN THE AIR CONDITIONING UNIT. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 75,200.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 KIA SPORTAGE. ON NOVEMBER 21, 2006, WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SMOKE. THE CONTACT NOTICED THE SMOKE ENTERING THROUGH THE AIR VENTS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. SHE PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND CALLED HER LOCAL KIA DEALER TO INQUIRE IF SHE COULD BRING HER VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE. THE DEALER ADVISED HER TO BRING IT IN THE FOLLOWING DAY. THE DEALER REPLACED THE BLOWER MOTOR, BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS. THE CONTACT ALSO HAD THE BRAKE PADS REPLACED, BUT THE DEALER HAS BEEN UNABLE TO REMEDY THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. UPDATED 05/13/08 *BF THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. UPDATED

IN JANUARY, 2007, MY 2001 KIA SPORTAGE WAS MAKING A LOUD, STRAINING ENGINE SOUND. TOOK THE CAR TO BE REPAIRED AND WAS TOLD I NEED A COOLING FAN BLADE ASSEMBLY. MY CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY SO I DIDN'T TAKE IT TO THE DEALER. I HAD LESS THAN 60,000 MILES ON THE CAR. I HAVE SINCE FOUND OUT THERE IS A RECALL THIS PART. I PLAN TO SEEK REIMBURSEMENT FROM KIA. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 KIA SPORTAGE. WHILE DRIVING 75 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO MAKE A POPPING NOISE UNDER THE HOOD. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE, AND THE CONTACT SMELLED SMOKE. THE CONTACT SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE AND ATTEMPTED TO RESTART IT, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT TWO CYLINDERS AND FOUR SPARK PLUGS WERE BURNT AND DESTROYED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 85,000.

THE POLYPROPYLENE COOLING FAN BLADE BROKE OFF WHILE I WAS TRAVELING AT 60 MPH ON THE FREEWAY, PUNCTURING THE RADIATOR, BREAKING THE COWLING, AND PUNCTURING A HOSE. THE RESULTS BEING THE SPORTAGE WAS TOWED TO THE REPAIR SHOP AND THE REPAIRS ARE COSTING $500 - $600. THE SPORTAGE IS STILL IN THE SHOP BEING FIXED AS I AM WRITING THIS. THE REPAIR SHOP WILL SAVE THE OLD PARTS FOR ME. I CONTACTED KIA CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY RESEARCHED MY VIN NUMBER, WHICH IS OUTSIDE THE WINDOW FOR THE PRESENT RECALL (07V161000). THE SAME PROBLEM THAT IS OCCURRING WITH THE 2002 MODELS IS ALSO HAPPENING WITH THE EARLIER MODELS. I AM SURE I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS HAD TO HAVE THESE REPAIRS MADE.

MY 2001 KIA SPORTAGE'S ENGINE WILL SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THERE IS NO LOGIC TO THE INCIDENTS: WAITING AT A TRAFFIC SIGNAL, DRIVING IN CITY TRAFFIC, DRIVING AT FREEWAY SPEEDS. MOVING THE GEAR SHIFT SELECTOR TO NEUTRAL AND TURNING THE IGNITION SWITCH WILL USUALLY RESTART THE ENGINE IN ONE TRY, BUT NOT ALWAYS. I HAVE REPLACED TWO EMISSION CONTROL SOLENOID VALVES, THE FUEL TANK AND THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR ON THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE KIA DEALER AND ON-LINE CHATTERS HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEMS QUITE A FEW OF THEM. A RECENT VISIT TO THE KIA DEALER FOUND O CODES STORED IN THE ON-BOARD DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM. THE DEALERSHIP WILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM. THE DATE LISTED BELOW WAS AN INCIDENT WITNESSED BY MY PARENTS, ACTUALLY THE FOURTH SUCH OCCURRENCE IN AS MANY DAYS.*AK

THE DRIVER WAS TRAVELING FROM BOSTON ON THE MASSACHUSETTS TURNPIKE TOWARD NEW YORK STATE. AS SHE APPROACHED THE NEW YORK STATE TOLL BOOTHS, BRAKES, STEERING, AND ACCELERATION SUDDENLY FAILED AND THE VEHICLE, A 2001 KIA SPORTAGE WITH 66,018 MILES BEGAN SMOKING. THE DRIVER MANAGED TO TURN SLIGHTLY TO AVOID CRASHING INTO THE TOLL BOOTHS AND FOUND HERSELF HEADED FOR A LARGE PROPANE TANK ON THE GROUNDS. SHE PULLED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND MANAGED TO STOP WITHIN A FEW FEET OF THE TANK. BELIEVING THE CAR TO BE ON FIRE, SHE EXITED QUICKLY. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO LIA KIA IN SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK. THE ALLSTATE INSURANCE INVESTIGATOR AND THE MECHANIC AGREED THAT THE FAN CLUTCH HAD BROKEN OFF AND MOVED THROUGHOUT THE AREA UNDER THE HOOD, CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE. THE ALLSTATE INVESTIGATOR HAS PICTURES OF THE FAN CLUTCH AND DAMAGE. INSURANCE DID NOT PAY BECAUSE THE PROBLEM WAS A DEFECTIVE PART. THE ESTIMATED REPAIR WAS $4500.00. THE VEHICLE REMAINED AT LIA KIA WHILE THE NATIONAL KIA HEADQUARTERS WAS CONTACTED. MR. RYAN CHRISTIANSON WAS THE CONTACT THERE. HE MAINTAINED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, SO KIA HAD NO RESPONSIBILITY. HE SUGGESTED THAT THE VEHICLE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN MAINTAINED PROPERLY AND WANTED ALL PAST RECORDS SENT TO HIM, UNTIL HE WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WERE PICTURES AT ALLSTATE. VERBAL AND WRITTEN COMMUNICATION ARE AVAILABLE. THE FACT THAT THERE WAS VERY NEARLY A CATASTROPHIC ACCIDENT WHICH WOULD HAVE INVOLVED MANY VEHICLES AND INDIVIDUALS WAS POINTED OUT TO HIM. THE VEHICLE REMAINED AT LIA KIA UNTIL MAY, WHEN THEY BEGAN TO DEMAND RENT. WITH NO APPARENT REMAINING OPTIONS, THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT A COST OF $4595.99 AND DRIVEN HOME ON MAY 19, 2006. THERE WAS SOME DIFFICULTY DRIVING HOME AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO LEGACY KIA IN E. SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, THE ORIGINAL PURCHASE SITE, WHERE THE THERMOSTAT WAS REPAIRED AT A FURTHER COST OF $306.13. ITEMIZED LISTS OF ALL REPAIRS ARE AVAILABLE. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN ILLUMINATING AND THE TRANSMISSION HAS HAD FAILURES IN SHIFTING GEARS SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. THE ECT CONNECTOR HAS BEEN REPLACED AND THE SENSOR HAS BEEN REPROGRAMMED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE PROBLEM PERSISTS DESPITE THE REPAIRS. THE THERMOSTAT WAS REPLACED. UPDATED 02/13/06. *JB