2002 Kia Sportage

FILLING THE KIA WITH GAS TAKES FOREVER. IT IS LIKE THE VENTING SYSTEM WON'T LET THE GAS IN, IN A MATTER OF SECONDS THE GAS SPEWS OUT OF TANK. WE HAVE TO KEEP CLICKING THE HANDLE OFF AND ON TO FILL THE TANK. THIS FIRST STARTED OUT JUST IN THE WINTER MONTHS, NOW IT IS ALL THE TIME. WE TRIED TO SEE IF SOMETHING WAS BLOCKING IT, BUT COULDN'T GET INTO IT. WITH THE THINGS GOING ON IN OUR LIFE RIGHT NOW, WE HAVEN'T TAKEN THE TIME TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT. PLUS WE DON'T HAVE THE EXTRA MONEY TO SPEND ON IT. WE JUST KNOW THAT WHEN WE GO TO FILL THE KIA IT WILL TAKE A LONG TIME. WAS JUST WONDERING IF THIS IS HAPPENING TO OTHERS? *TR

TL - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 KIA SPORTAGE. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 45-50 MPH SHE HEARD A LOUD SOUND AND THE VEHICLE WAS SHAKING, RUNNING HOT AND STEAM AND SMOKE WAS COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. THE DIAGNOSIS WAS THAT THE CLUTCH FAN FRAGMENTED AND BROKE AND WENT INTO THE RADIATOR. THE RADIATOR HAD TO BE REPAIRED, THE TIMING BELT HAD TO BE REPLACED, THE HEAD GASKET HAD TO BE REPLACED, AND THE HEAD RESURFACED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED A SAFETY RECALL 07V161000 - ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 98,000. KG UPDATED 10/14/08 *BF UPDATED 10/23/08. *JB

NY KIA SPORTAGE 2002 4D4X4 COOLING FAN BLEW APART TAKING OUT THE RADIATOR AND OTHER PARTS. IT IS A DEFECTIVE PART FOUND RECALL ON THE INTERNET. CALLED KIA 18003334542 ARGUED WITH THEM FOR A WEEK THEY FINALLY AGREED TO FIX THE DAMAGE. IT WAS TO BE DONE MONDAY THAT'S WHEN THEY ORDERED THE PARTS. THEY WILL NOT PROVIDE A LOANER CAR AS MINE IS OUT OF WARRANTY. *TR

I WOULD LIKE TO START BY SAYING THAT I HAVE HAD MY VEHICLE AT THE MECHANIC'S SHOP TWICE WITHIN THE PAST YEAR DUE TO MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMING ON AND GOING OFF SPORADICALLY. MY MECHANIC HAS, BOTH TIMES, HOOKED IT UP TO ALL HIS MACHINERY TO CHECK FOR THE PROBLEM, BUT BOTH TIMES, FOUND NOTHING. NOW, LET ME TELL YOU WHAT JUST HAPPENED... I HAD AN INCIDENT HAPPEN WITH MY 2002 KIA SPORTAGE THIS EVENING 8/6/08. THE COOLING FAN BROKE APART AN SEVERED MY POWER STEERING HOSE SPRAYING OIL ALL OVER MY CAR CAUSING IT TO SMOKE AND MY POWER STEERING TO GO OUT. THIS IS WHAT MY HUSBAND SAYS HAPPENED ANYWAY. I WAS STRANDED 30 MILES FROM HOME AND HAD TO HAVE MY CAR TOWED TO MY USUAL MECHANIC. UPON RETURNING HOME I RESEARCHED THE NET FOR MY VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS VERY SAME PROBLEM IN 2007. I WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THIS RECALL AND WOULD HAVE HAD MY VEHICLE FIXED HAD I KNOWN. I'M NOT SURE OF THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE, AS THIS JUST HAPPENED TONIGHT, BUT I WANT TO KNOW WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT? *TR

I BOUGHT A 2002 KIA SPORTAGE IN JUNE 2008 FROM THE KIA DEALER IN REDDING. SINCE THAT TIME THE AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS HAVE STARTED LOCKING ON THEIR OWN AT VARIOUS TIMES. THEY LOCK AT RANDOM TIMES WHILE I AM DRIVING AND AFTER I HAVE TURNED THE CAR OFF. IT HAS GOTTEN SO BAD NOW THAT I HAVE TO KEEP THE KEYS WITH ME OR LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN WHEN I GET OUT OF THE CAR AND AM GOING TO GET RIGHT BACK IN. THIS HAPPENS EVERY TIME I DRIVE THE CAR NOW. THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN A COUPLE OF TIME THE LOCKS HAVE STUCK AND I COULD NOT GET THEM UNLOCKED WHILE I WAS IN THE CAR. I HAD TO PRESS THE UNLOCK BUTTON ON THE AUTOMATIC KEY LOCK TO GET THE DOOR UNLOCKED. I LIVE IN AN AREA WHERE IT CAN GET OVER 120 DEGREES IN THE CAR IN THE SUMMER AND IF THIS HAPPENS AND I CAN'T GET OUT OF THE CAR OR IF THE DOORS LOCK WHEN ONE OF MY GRANDCHILDREN IS IN THE CAR OR ONE OF MY PETS IT COULD BE DISASTROUS. I AM HAVING IT LOOKED AT NEXT WEEK AT THE DEALERSHIP. MY MOTHER ALSO OWNS A KIA BUT HERS IS A 1995 KIA SEPHIA WHICH SHE BOUGHT NEW. SHE HAS HAD THE SAME TYPE OF PROBLEMS WITH HER DOOR LOCKS AND EVENTUALLY TOOK THE DOOR PANEL OFF SO SHE COULD GET OUT OF THE CAR AS SHE WAS LOCKED IN. SHE HAS MADE THE DOOR SO THAT IT WILL NOT LOCK AT ALL BECAUSE SHE WAS AFRAID SHE WOULD GET STUCK IN OR OUT OF THE CAR. THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL YEARS AGO AND THERE WAS NO DEALERSHIP NEAR WHERE SHE LIVED TO TAKE IT TOO. SHE STILL HAS THE CAR. SHE HAS ALSO MET ANOTHER LADY IN REDDING WHO OWNS A KIA SEPHIA (I BELIEVE A 1990'S MODEL) WHO HAS THE SAME PROBLEM. SHE HAD TO CLIMB OUT OF HER WINDOW TO GET OUT OF THE CAR AT ONE TIME. I BELIEVE THIS PROBLEM WITH THE LOCK SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE CHECKED AS IT POSES A SAFETY FACTOR IF A CHILD GETS LOCKED IN OR EVEN AN ADULT WHO CAN'T GET OUT THE WINDOW. *TR

DRIVING IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC LAST WEEK AND CAR STARTED TO LOSE POWER AND THE SMELL OF ANTIFREEZE THROUGH THE VENTS. THE CAR WAS NOT SMOKING, THERMOSTAT WAS NOT SHOWING OVERHEATING. I TRIED TO MAKE IT TO THE OFF RAMP LESS THAN 1.5 MILES. DEALER SAYS THAT THE RADIATOR HAS A HOLE IN IT AND THE HEAD HAS TO BE REBUILT AND THEY SAY THAT I MUST REPLACE THE TIMING BELT AND PULLEY'S . I WAS TOLD THAT THE CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT WAS A BAD THERMOSTAT. THE HEAD ASSEMBLY, CYLINDER HEAD, SPARK PLUGS, HOSES WERE DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR REPLACED. I ALSO HAVE REPLACED THE TIMING BELT, RADIATOR, THERMOSTAT AND AS OF MAY 15 2008 A NEW FAN CLUTCH. THE VEHICLE DOES NOT SHOWS ANY SIGNS OF OVERHEATING ON ANY GAUGES, AND DOES NOT SMOKE. YOU CAN ONLY HERE THE SOUND OF BOILING WATER IN THE RADIATOR. HOW DO YOU DIAGNOSE OVERHEATING PROBLEMS THAT CAN DO OVER $4000 DAMAGE TO A MOTOR WITH 55K MILES AND 5 YEARS OLD . CASE NUMBER --K14040462. *TR

I HAVE A 2002 SPORTAGE AND JUST RECENTLY HAVE BEEN HAVING A VERY BAD SMELL OF GAS WHEN STARTING IT. IT ENTERS THE INSIDE OF CAR WHEN HEATER GETS TURNED AND STAYS STRONG UNTIL CAR HAS WARMED UP. I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC AND HE FOUND SOME STAINS ON THE METAL PLATE UNDER THE CLAMP BY THE FUEL RETURN HOSE BUT SAID UNLESS I CAN ACTUALLY SEE GAS DRIPPING HE CAN NOT SAY WHAT THE PROBLEM IS AND OF COURSE IT IS A WARMER DAY, NOT AS COLD AS IT WAS THE FIRST DAY IT STARTED. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM ON LINE AND FOUND THERE IS A RECALL ON THE FUEL RETURN HOSE IN CANADA BUT NOT HERE IN THE US AND THAT THERE ARE QUITE ALOT OF PEOPLE WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM IN THE US. I AM VERY CONCERNED WITH THIS PROBLEM AND FEAR THAT IT MAY CAUSE A FIRE AND NEEDLESS TO SAY THAT WHEN THE SMELL IS INSIDE OF CAR IT STARTS TO MAKE ME FEEL SICK. *TR

2002 KIA SPORTAGE. VERY STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE INSIDE CAB OF VEHICLE DURING COLD WEATHER (<32 DEGREES). EVENTUALLY DISSAPATES WHEN ENGINE WARMS UP. TOOK TO LOCAL MECHANIC LAST WINTER (2006), COULDN'T LOCATE PROBLEM. SO WE LIVED WITH IT. SMELL EVEN STRONGER THIS WINTER. FOUND THE FOLLOWING SUGGESTED FIX ONLINE (NOT AVAILABLE LAST WINTER). "RUBBER RETURN LINE FROM FUEL PSI REGULATOR TO METAL RETURN LINE IS LEAKING WHEN COLD. "THE SPRING CLAMPS DO NOT STAY TIGHT WHEN COLD, AND WHEN THE RUBBER (RETURN LINE) EXPANDS WHEN HOT IT SEALS. "REMOVE THE UPPUER PART OF THE INTAKE AND REPLACE THE SPRING CLAMPS WITH SCREW TYPE CLAMPS..." SOME ONLINE FORUMS HAVE SUGGESTED THAT DEALERSHIP MAY SAY IT IS A FUEL INJECTOR PROBLEM, $800 FIX. MY LOCAL MECHANIC SAID THE SAME. MANY HAVE SAID THAT THE SUGGESTION ABOVE ACTUALLY FIXES THE ISSUE. I AM CURRENTLY IN BETWEEN THE TWO. I DON'T HAVE THE INCLINATION TO TRY THIS MYSELF, SO I'M AT THE MERCY OF MECHANICS. WHAT'S THE DEAL? *CN