2001 Kia Sportage

PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE STARTING UP AS WELL AS STALLING. *MR THE VEHICLE WAS HARD TO START AND THE GAS MILEAGE WAS DROPPING WAY DOWN AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN FOR A TUNE UP BUT THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTED. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN ON THE EXPRESSWAY, THE CONSUMER HIT A BUMP AND THE ENGINE STALLED. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE SERVICED. THE FILLER NECK RUSTED AND THE FUEL CAP WAS LEAKING. THE FILLER NECK WAS REPLACED, BUT IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE PROBLEM RECURRED. THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS WORN AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS FLUSHED. *SC *JB

FOR A PERIOD OF 30-45 MINUTES AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE GASOLINE AND EXHAUST FUMES ENTERED THE PASSENGER'S CABIN. A COMPANY NAMED GREEN CIRCLE TESTED THE VEHICLE, WHICH TESTED POSITIVE FOR CARBON MONOXIDE. PASSENGERS COMPLAINED OF HEADACHES WHILE IN THE VEHICLE, AND DRIVER SOMETIMES BECAME DIZZY. DEALER REPLACED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER TWICE, INTAKE MANIFOLD ONCE, AND FUEL INJECTORS ONCE. THESE REPAIRS DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. *AK *MR

WHILE DRIVING, THE ENGINE ON MY KIA WILL SIMPLY STOP. THERE IS NO WARNING WHATSOEVER, AND THIS HAPPENS AT ANY TIME - SHORT TRIPS, LONG TRIPS, HIGHWAYS, BACK ROADS, THERE IS NO COMMON DENOMINATOR WHATSOEVER. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE KIA DEALERSHIP NUMBEROUS TIMES - IT WAS THERE MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY LAST WEEK, AND WAS AGAIN TOWED THERE SUNDAY NIGHT WHERE IT IS STILL THERE. EACH TIME THEY GIVE ME MY CAR BACK SAYING THEY CAN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT, BUT THE PROBLEM KEEPS OCCURING. I WORK ON THE ROAD AND I'M TERRIFIED TO DRIVE THIS CAR - AFRAID THAT SOMEDAY I WON'T BE ABLE TO GET TO THE BREAKDOWN LANE WHEN IT DIES THE NEXT TIME. THE KIA SERVICE ADVISOR TRIES TO HELP, BUT THE PROBLEM IS NOT GETTING FIXED AND I'M TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT THERE IS NO ONE ELSE I CAN TALK TO. AT THIS POINT I DON'T WANT THE CAR BACK UNTIL IT'S REPAIRED, OR REPLACED WITH A SIMILAR VEHICLE. I CURRENTLY OWE MORE THAN IT'S WORTH IN THE BLUE BOOK, OTHERWISE I'D TRADE IT IN.

WE HAD THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED IN APRIL OF 2003 AND THE CLUTCH REPLACED IN APRIL 2003. THE CLUTCH WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. WE PAID TOTAL COST $366.76. THE TRANSMISSION HAS NOW GONE OUT AGAIN. THE TRANSMISSION IS ONLY 2 MONTHS OLD. THIS WILL BE THE 6TH PROBLEM WE HAVE HAD WITH THIS CAR SINCE OCTOBER OF 2002: (1) CLUTCH SWITCH OCT 2002 (2) EXHAUST MANIFOLD CRACKED APR 2003 (3) PASSENGER SIDE FRONT WINDOW WOULD NOT GO UP APR 2003 (4) TRANSMISSION FAILURE APRIL 2003 (5) CLUTCH FAILURE APRIL 2003 (6) TRANSMISSION FAILURE JUNE 2003

WHILE DRIVING CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD. THE VEHICLE STARTED TO DECELERATE. WHEN CONSUMER PULLED INTO A DRIVEWAY VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. *AK THE CONSUMER'S ATTORNEY BELIEVED IT WAS A DEFECT IN THE VEHICLE'S STRUCTURE. KIA DENIED ANY RESPONSIBILITY. (CONSUMER ON BEHALF OF GRANDDAUGHTER) *PH

HAVE HAD RECURRENT PROBLEMS WITH ENGINE PERFORMANCE IDLE AND RUNNING. ENGINE RACING WITH RPM'S TO 3500 AT STOP SIGN. HAVE HAD TO TURN VEHICLE OFF TO RESOLVE PROBLEM. I WAS AFRAID THAT IF I DID NOT TURN ENGINE OFF, IDLE WOULD HAVE CONTINUED TO RACE AND "BLOW UP." ENGINE ALSO HAS VERY ROUGH IDLE/ALTERNATING WITH INTERMITTENT MISFIRES MOST OF THE TIME... "BOGGING" DOWN TO ALMOST STALL /THEN RACING TO RPM OF 1500-2500. THIS PROBLEM OCCURS WHEN ATTEMPTING ACCELERATION ONTO FREEWAY OR WHEN DRIVING AROUND TOWN AT SIGNALS. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO DEALER 4 TIMES NOW IN ATTEMPTS TO CORRECT MALFUNCTIONS. I AM CONCERNED THAT THE OPERATION OF THIS VEHICLE IS UNSAFE. THE DEALER HAS BEEN HELPFUL BUT UNABLE TO COMPLETELY RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER INSISTS THAT PROBLEM WILL BE RESOLVED, BUT I, THE CONSUMER BELIEVE THAT THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE AND UNRELIABLE. IT IS ALSO TIME CONSUMING TO REPEATEDLY RETURN THE CAR FOR SERVICE. *LA

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILED AND CAUSED SEVERAL COMPONENTS TO MALFUNCTION. THE HAZARD WARNING SIGNAL LIGHT ENGAGED BY ITSELF, WHICH CAUSED A REAR END COLLISION AND DRAINED THE BATTERY. ALSO, ENGINE LIGHT CONTINUOUSLY ILLUMINATED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS UNDETERMINED BECAUSE THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM.*AK

I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR SINCE I BROUGHT IT. THE WINDSHIELD WASHER DOESN'T WORK, THE MIRRORS DON'T WORK, 2 BLOWOUTS, THE CHAMBERS THAT HOLD THE SPARK PLUGS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, IT NEEDS A COMPLETE BRAKE JOB, I HAVE TROUBLE WHEN I PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE. HOW CAN I COMPLAIN TO THE DEALER I THINK I BROUGHT THE LEMON OF THE BUNCH?*AK