2001 Kia Sportage

PURCHASED A 2001 KIA SPORTAGE WITH 55200 MILES. WENT TO KIA DEALER BECAUSE OF FUEL LEAK. TECHNICIAN TOLD ME THAT THE FRAME WAS SO ROTTED ON THE VEHICLE AND THAT IF I HIT A POT HOLE THAT THE REAR END COULD LET GO. THE TECHNICIAN TOLD ME THAT FROM 1995 TO 2001 KIA USED LOW GRADE MATERIAL ON THE FRAMES OF THEIR VEHICLES AND POSSIBLY DID NOT COAT THEM. HE TOLD ME WHEN HE PUT MY CAR ON THE LIFT THAT THERE WAS PIECES OF THE FRAME DROPPING ON THE GROUND. HE SAID HE SLIGHTLY TAPPED A HAMMER AGAINST THE FRAME AND IT MADE HOLES. HE TOLD ME THAT I SHOULD JUNK THE VEHICLE AND GAVE ME PAPERWORK STATING THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. I ALSO HAD SPOKEN TO THE OWNER OF A USED CAR DEALERSHIP IN MY AREA PRIOR TO THIS AND HE TOLD ME THAT HE COULD NOT SELL THE 1999 KIA SPORTAGE THAT HE PURCHASED AT AUCTION WITH APPROX. 73,000 DUE TO THE FRAME ROTTING OUT. I COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY HURT OR KILLED IF I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY IF I HAD NOT HAD THAT FUEL LEAK. I CANNOT UNDERSTAND HOW KIA COULD PRODUCE A VEHICLE LIKE THIS. LOWER QUALITY COSMETICS ARE ONE THING BUT A FRAME ON A VEHICLE IS ANOTHER. *TR

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.

ON TWO OCCASIONS, MY 2001 KIA SPORTAGE HAS SUFFERED A RUPTURED GASOLINE TANK FROM ROCKS BEING TRAP BETWEEN THE GASOLINE TANK AND THE GASOLINE TANK GUARD PLATE, MAKING MY VEHICLE A ROLLING BOMB UNTIL I DISCOVERED THE GASOLINE LEAK. THE GASOLINE GUARD PLATE WAS DESIGNED WITH 8, CIRCULAR HOLES IN THE GUARD APPROXIMATELY 1 INCH IN DIAMETER WHICH ALLOWS SMALLS ROCKS FROM THE ROAD TO ENTER THE SPACE BETWEEN THE GUARD PLATE AND THE GASOLINE TANK AND GRINDING A HOLE IN THE GASOLINE TANK, ALLOWING THE FUEL TO LEAK WHICH CREATES AN ALMOST CERTAIN RECIPE FOR A DISASTER IF THE GASOLINE WAS TO CONTACT A HOT TAILPIPE, OR IF THE VEHICLE WAS IN A ACCIDENT. IN BOTH CASES I HAD TO REPLACE A VERY EXPENSIVE GASOLINE TANK. I WILL BE INJECTING FOAM INTO THE SPACE BETWEEN GASOLINE TANK AND THE GUARD PLATE LATER THIS WEEK TO HOPEFULLY, KEEP THIS EXPLOSIVE PROBLEM FROM OCCURRING AGAIN. THIS A DANGEROUS DESIGN FLAW IN MY OPINION AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. WHEN I CONTACTED KIA OF AMERICA YESTERDAY AND EXPLAINED THIS SITUATION, THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE WAS IN MY OPINION, LESS THAN RECEPTIVE ABOUT KIA LOOKING INTO THIS SITUATION. WHEN SOMEONE GETS CREMATED BECAUSE OF THIS DESIGN FLAW, IT WILL BE TOO LATE. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS SITUATION. THANK YOU. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 KIA SPORTAGE. THE VEHICLE HAS COOPER TRENDSETTER SE TIRES, SIZE P 20575R15 (NA). WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD SOUND INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. HE PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER, BUT WHEN HE DROVE OFF FOR A FEW MILES, HE HEARD A SLAPPING SOUND COMING FROM THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE. THE CONTACT PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT AND NOTICED MAJOR TREAD SEPARATION; HOWEVER, THERE WAS STILL AIR INSIDE OF THE TIRE. THE FAILURE CRACKED THE REAR BUMPER, THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE LENS, AND THE BULB. HE EMAILED THE MANUFACTURER, BUT HAS NOT RECEIVED A RESPONSE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 192,000.