2001 Kia Sportage

1 2001 KIA SPORTAGE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY. DRY PAVEMENT. REAR OF VEHICLE SWAYS SIDE TO SIDE NOTICE CLUNKING SOUND INTERMITTENT 2. CHASSIS IS ROTTED EVERYTIME VEHICLE DRIVEN FAILURE OCCURS. TURNING CORNERS, ACCELERATING, OR IF BAGS OR LUGGAGE ARE LOADED IN REAR OF VEHICLE. VEHICLE SWAYS OR FEELS LIKE YOU ARE DRIVING ON VERY LOW TIRES IN THE REAR OF VEHICLE. 3.NOTHING CAN BE DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE REAR OF THE CHASSIS IS COMPLETELY ROTTED ON BOTH CHASSIS RAILS, ALSO THE CROSS MEMBER THAT STABILIZES THE REAR OF THE CHASSIS IS SO ROTTED THERE IS A 5" OVAL HOLE THROUGH THE CROSS MEMBER. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN MAINTAINED LOOKS GREAT FROM THE TOP BUT FROM UNDERNEATH YOU CAN LITERALLY POKE HOLES IN THE CHASSIS WITH A SCREWDRIVER. MECHANIC RECOMMENDATION : UNFIT/UNSAFE FOR TRAVEL ON PUBLIC ROADS. VEHICLE IS PRESENTLY SITTING IN YARD UNDRIVABLE. I HAVE PICS OF THE ROT TO SEND TO NHTSA IF THIS WILL HELP GET INVESTIGATION STARTED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 KIA SPORTAGE. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE REAR END OF THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO FISH TAIL. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND INSPECTED. THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMALLY AT A REDUCED SPEED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION WHERE THEY DETECTED THE MAIN FRAME EXHIBITED EXCESSIVE RUST CORROSION NEAR THE FUEL TANK AREA. ALSO, THE REAR BRAKE LINE WAS SEVERELY CORRODED. THE MAIN FRAME WAS ULTRA THIN AND DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR. THE TECHNICIAN REPLACED THE BRAKE LINE AND ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE NOT BE DRIVEN DUE TO THE SAFETY HAZARD. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 137,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 KIA SPORTAGE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS LEAKING GASOLINE FUEL ABNORMALLY FROM THE TOP OF THE FUEL TANK. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE AND ANY REPAIRS WOULD BE AT THE CONTACTS EXPENSE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 70,000.

DEFECTIVE FUEL TANK. FUEL TANK LEAKS AND IT IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH VEHICLE AND YET KIA CORPORATION AND THE DEALERSHIP IN CANTON MICHIGAN WHERE I PURCHASED VEHICLE WILL NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS ISSUE. THIS IS DANGEROUS. I HAVE TAKEN OUTSTANDING CARE OF MY 2001 KIA SPORTAGE-IT WAS ALWAYS GARAGED AND AWAY FROM THE ELEMENTS. I EVEN HAVE COVERED PARKING AT WORK. I WANT KIA TO COMPENSATE ME BY 1) REPLACING THE FUEL TANK FREE OF CHARGE; 2) GIVING ME MY $ BACK $11K--THAT I SPENT ON PURCHASING THIS CARE; OR 3)GIVING ME $ TO PURCHASE A TANK AND COVER LABOR. DO YOU KNOW THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND A NEW OR USED 2001 KIA SPORTAGE FUEL TANK. THIS IS TERRIBLE AND AN INCREDIBLE SAFETY VIOLATION. I HAVE BEEN TRYING FOR YEARS TO GET AN ANSWER AND I JUST GET THE RUN AROUND. I AM WRITING KIA, THE DEALERSHIP, MY MICHIGAN ATTORNEY GENERAL AND PRESIDENT OBAMA. I AM EXTREMELY FRUSTRATED THAT A COMPANY CAN PRODUCE THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE WITH A KNOWN DEFECT AND NOT BE HELD LIABLE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 KIA SPORTAGE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, SHE HEARD AN UNUSUAL CLUNK AND THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO APPLY THE BRAKES YET THE BRAKE PEDAL FELL MUCH FARTHER INTO THE FLOORBOARD THAN USUAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR FACILITY WHERE SHE WAS ADVISED THAT THE FRAME WAS SEVERELY RUSTED AT THE REAR CROSS MEMBER. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT WHEN THE PART FRACTURED FROM THE VEHICLE, IT STRUCK THE BRAKE LINE, CAUSING THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER OFFERED TO TAKE THE LIABILITY FOR PARTIAL REPAIR COSTS. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 140,000.

I WAS DRIVING HOME JULY 14TH 2010 WHEN I BEGAN TO HEAR A "THUD" UNDERNEATH MY 2001 KIA SPORTAGE. IT WAS THEN THAT THE BRAKE LIGHT WARNING CAME ON. I PRESSED THE BRAKES, BUT THEY WERE NOT FUNCTIONING AT ALL. I HAD TO TRAVEL OVER 20 MILES BACK HOME ON THE FREEWAY WITH NO BRAKES. LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER THE CAR BACK WITH NO DAMAGE TO IT, MYSELF, OR MY TWO FRIENDS WHO WERE RIDING WITH ME. IT TURNS OUT THAT WHAT HAPPENED WAS THAT THE FRAME WAS ROTTED OUT AND THUS FELL SUDDENLY, CUTTING THE BRAKE LINE. I LATER LEARNED THAT THE ROTTING OF THE FRAME WAS DUE TO POOR AND NEGLIGENT DESIGN. IT IS COMPLETELY EXPOSED AND HAS NO VENTILATION TO FLUSH OUT WATER AND SALT. IT WAS A MIRACLE THAT THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN SOONER AND THAT I WAS ABLE TO GET HOME WITH NO INJURIES. KIA LATER OFFERED TO REPLACE THE FRAME WITH AN $1,800 ONE, BUT NOTED THAT IT WOULD COST OVER $6,000 TO HAVE IT INSTALLED WHICH IS SIMPLY UNREASONABLE. I AM NOW WITHOUT A VEHICLE UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 KIA SPORTAGE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT BOTH REAR POWER WINDOWS WERE INOPERABLE. THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ALSO REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER REPAIRED THE WINDOWS AND IN THE PROCESS, THE SECURITY ALARM INDEPENDENTLY SOUNDED. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO SHUT OFF THE ALARM AND THEN DISCONNECTED THE FUSE. THE DEALER ALSO DISCONNECTED THE AIR BAG SENSOR. IN ADDITION, THE DOOR AND SEAT BELT ALARMS WERE INOPERABLE. THE DOOR LOCK ALSO WOULD NOT ENGAGE. THE DEALER ADVISED HE WOULD NOT TAKE POSSESSION OF THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE CONTACT REFUSED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE DUE TO THE UNSAFE NATURE OF THE MANY FAILURES. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 97,500.

USED CAR DEALER SOLD A CAR WITH ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS ON 7/3/10. JULY 5, 2010, THEY FIXED THE BACK 2 WINDOWS CAUSING CAR ALARM TO GO OFF WHEN YOU GET IN AND WHEN YOU GET OUT, THEY DISABLED THE CAR ALARM NOW CAUSING THE AIR BAG LIGHT TO BE ON ALL THE TIME, THE DOOR DON'T SOUND WHEN YOU OPEN IT, THE LOCKS DON'T WORK THE WAY THEY SHOULD, DOOM LIGHT DON'T WORK SEAT BELT DON'T SOUND TO REMIND YOU TO PUT THEM ON. SHOULD YOU DRIVE A VEHICLE WHEN AIR BAG LIGHT IS ON? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 KIA SPORTAGE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, A CRACK FORMED IN THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. THE STABILIZER BAR DISCONNECTED FROM THE RIGHT BALL JOINT WHILE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH; AT THAT POINT, THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE LEFT. THERE WERE NO WARNINGS BEFORE THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED BUT NO REPAIRS HAD BEEN PERFORMED WHEN THE COMPLAINT WAS FILED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 121,600. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 121,500. UPDATED 05/18/10. *LJ

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 KIA SPORTAGE. THE CONTACT SMELLED A STRONG ODOR OF FUEL COMING FROM THE AIR VENTS AND CIRCULATING THROUGHOUT THE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. ALSO, AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF FUEL WAS LEAKING COMING FROM THE FUEL TANK. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED FOR THE MALFUNCTION AT THIS TIME. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 155,000.