2001 Kia Sportage

MY 2001 KIA SPORTAGE IS GARAGE PARKED, AND I NOTICED THE SMELL OF GAS IN MY GARAGE ONE DAY LAST WEEK. I PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY THAT NIGHT AND NOTICED A LARGE GAS STAIN THE NEXT MORNING. I TOOK MY CAR TO MY MECHANIC WHO CALLED A PARTS DEALER TO FIND OUT THE COST OF A USED ONE. HE WAS NOTIFIED THAT KIA HAD A RECALL ON THESE GAS TANKS. HE THEN CALLED KIA AND SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT FOR ME TO TAKE IT IN TO THEM THAT AFTERNOON. AFTER KIA'S INSPECTION, THEY SAID I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AS MANY OTHERS WERE HAVING WITH THESE GAS TANKS. THE SERVICE TECH RAN MY VIN NUMBER AND WAS TOLD THAT MY VEHICLE WAS "TWO MONTHS OUT OF THE RECALL DATE." HE SAID HE FELT THAT SINCE IT WAS THAT CLOSE TO THE DATE, THAT KIA SHOULD COVER IT. HE CALLED KIA AND SPOKE TO A COUPLE OF "HIGHER UPS" THERE AND WAS TOLD THE SAME THING. I HAVE RECENTLY LEARNED THAT THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE IN MY AREA, AS WELL AS COLUMBUS AND CINCINNATI, ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM I AM HAVING...THAT THE VIN NUMBERS ARE 2 MONTHS NEWER THAN THE RECALL THAT KIA HAS ISSUED, AND THEREFORE ARE BEING DENIED. I HAD TO PAY $443.92 TO GET THIS FIXED AT THE KIA DEALER AND FEEL THAT KIA SHOULD REIMBURSE ME FOR THE PROBLEM WITH THIS GAS TANK. *TR

FUEL TANKS RUST OUT QUICK. I NOTICED SMELL OF GAS, AND REPLACED TANK IMMEDIATELY. NO DAMAGE WAS DONE, JUST CONCERN FOR OTHERS. POOR DESIGN CAPTURES MOISTURE BETWEEN FUEL TANK AND SKID PLATE. THIS HAS COST ME 250.00 FOR THE TANK, A HALF DAY OF LABOR, AND I'M CONCERNED WITH PUTTING SKID PLATE BACK ON. I LOOKED ON THE INTERNET TO SEE IF THERE WERE SIMILAR PROBLEMS. THERE WERE SEVERAL EXACT AND OTHERS FOUND WITH THE FUEL TANKS. NO CARS HAVE CAUGHT FIRE YET. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 KIA SPORTAGE. THE CONTACT SMELLED GAS WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED OR BEING DRIVEN AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE GAS CAP WAS REPLACED, BUT THE ODOR REMAINED. HE HAD TO FILL UP THE TANK WITH GAS EACH DAY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE SHOP AND A GAS LEAK, HOLES, AND CORROSION WERE FOUND. THE TANK WAS REPLACED. THE VIN, ENGINE SIZE, NUMBER OF CYLINDERS, AND DEALER INFORMATION WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 90,000.

2001 KIA SPORTAGE WITH NO AIRBAG. CUSTOMER STATED THAT THE DEALERSHIP TOOK THE DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG OUT BEFORE THEY SOLD THE VEHICLE. *KB THE CONSUMER REALIZED THE AIR BAG WAS MISSING WHEN SHE WENT TO USE THE HORN AND FOUND THE LEATHER WAS NOT FIRM, AND WHEN SHE PRESSED HARDER, IT LEFT A CIRCULAR INDENTATION WHERE THE AIR BAG SHOULD HAVE BEEN. *JB

WHEN I TURNED THE EXHAUST ON IN THE CAR THERE WAS A VERY STRONG GASOLINE SMELL TO THE POINT I HAD TO TURN IT OFF AND OPEN THE WINDOWS. THERE HAS BEEN SEVERAL COMPLAINTS FILED ON THE INTERNET CONCERNING THIS SAME PROBLEM. I FEEL SINCE THIS COULD BE A FIRE PROBLEM WITH THE CAR IT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED WITH THE MANUFACTURERS OF THE AUTO AND A RECALL GIVEN . ALSO THERE HAS BEEN SEVERAL COMPLAINTS WRITTEN CONCERNING LEAKS EARLY ON WITH THE GAS TANK ITS SELF. *TR

MY 2001 KIA SPORTAGE HAD A STRONG GAS ODOR FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER TO GET A NEW GAS CAP. THE ODOR BECAME STRONGER AND I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR REPAIR AT AN INDEPENDENT SERVICE STATION. I WAS TOLD I NEEDED A NEW GAS TANK. THE TANK WAS CORRODED AND LEAKING. I HAD THE GAS TANK INSTALLED IN OCTOBER, 2007. THE CAR HAD 61,000 MILES. *TR

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