2002 Kia Sportage

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 KIA SPORTAGE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE ALSO INDEPENDENTLY DOWNSHIFTED WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 25 MPH. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000. *TR

BOTH OF MY HEADLIGHTS STOPPED WORKING DURING A HEAVY RAIN AND AT NIGHT BUT THE PARKING LIGHTS WERE STILL WORKING. WE ASSUMED IT WAS BECAUSE THE LIGHT BULBS NEEDED CHANGED. WHEN WE CHANGED THE BULBS, THE HEADLIGHT PLUG ON THE DRIVER SIDE WAS MELTED FROM A POSSIBLE SHORT IN THE WIRING AND CORRODED, THE PASSENGER SIDE IS DRY ROTTED. WE CHANGED THE BULBS THINKING THAT WAS THE ONLY PROBLEM, BUT NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE BULBS WE TOOK OUT. THE PASSENGER LIGHT NEVER FULLY WORKS, IT ALWAYS HAS A DIM READY TO GO OUT LOOK. THEN ON JUNE 10 THE HEADLIGHTS STOPPED WORKING AGAIN DURING A RAINSTORM. TODAY IS JUNE 24 AND THE HEADLIGHTS ARE STILL NOT WORKING AND THE HEADLIGHT BULB IS STILL GOOD. IT MUST BE THE WIRING. WE TOOK THE BULB OUT AGAIN TODAY THE BULB IS STILL GOOD, WE PLUGGED THEM BACK INTO THE SOCKET. THEY ARE TEMPORARILY WORKING. HOWEVER THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 KIA SPORTAGE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED ON A SLIGHT INCLINE WITHOUT THE EMERGENCY BRAKE ENGAGED AND THE KEY STILL IN THE IGNITION WHEN THE VEHICLE ROLLED 20 FEET AWAY AND CRASHED INTO A NEARBY HOUSE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 159,000.

I WAS FIRST MADE AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM IN JANUARY 2013 WHEN I WENT TO MUNROE MUFFLER IN JOHNSTON, RI FOR A NEW EXHAUST SYSTEM. I WAS TOLD OF SIGNIFICANT ROT ON THE FRAME OF THE CAR. THEN AGAIN A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATER BY ANOTHER MECHANIC WHO GAVE ME A BETTER PRICE ON THE MUFFLER SYSTEM AND INSTALLED THE MUFFLER SYSTEM. HE ADVISED ME TO TAKE IT UP WITH KIA, WHICH I DID. I WAS TOLD BY CONSUMER AFFAIRS TO GO TO THE NEAREST KIA DEALER AND HAVE THEM TAKE A LOOK AT THE ISSUE, THEY DID. I WAS THEN CONTACTED BY SOMEONE IN CONSUMER AFFAIRS LETTING ME KNOW THAT MY WARRANTY WAS UP AND THIS SEVERE ROT ON THE CHASSIS WAS MY PROBLEM AND THERE IS NOTHING THEY WOULD DO. THEY KIA DEALER HAD GIVEN ME AN ESTIMATE OF APPROXIMATELY $10,000 TO REPLACE THE CHASSIS BECAUSE IT IS ALMOST COMPLETELY ROTTED OUT AND VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. I WENT TO HAVE MY CAR INSPECTED TODAY, AS IT IS DUE FOR RENEWAL AT THE END OF APRIL AND GUESS WHAT? IT WOULD NOT PASS INSPECTION BECAUSE OF THE SEVERELY ROTTED CHASSIS. MY VEHICLE IS ONLY 11 YEARS OLD! I HAVE ASKED KIA TO DO A RECALL AND REPLACE MY CHASSIS AT THEIR EXPENSE BECAUSE SURELY OTHERS HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUES. THEY REFUSED. I JUST LOOKED ONLINE AND SAW MANY COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME ISSUE I AM HAVING. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS MATTER AND MAKE KIA TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS. THE CHASSIS SHOULD NOT BE ROTTING OUT AT ONLY 11 YEARS OLD!!! I WAS TOLD BY THE MECHANIC THAT IF I HIT A BUMP THE FRONT OF THE FRAME COULD SNAP AND I CAN ONLY IMAGINE HOW DANGEROUS THAT WOULD BE FOR ME OR ANYONE ELSE IN THE CAR WITH ME. PLEASE HELP!! [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6), *TR

HAVE A 2002 KIA SPORTAGE. BRAKE LINE WAS LEAKING, WENT TO MECHANIC AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE WHOLE FRAME WAS ROTTED AWAY AND WAS NOT REPAIRABLE AND WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AS THE BRAKE LINES WERE ALSO ROTTED AND WHOLE CAR COULD BUCKLE IF IN AN ACCIDENT OR HIT ANYTHING. CALLED KIA AND WAS TOLD NOTHING THEY CAN DO. HAVE A 2000 CHRYSLER WITH MORE MILES AND NOT A SPOT RUST. NOW I NEED TO FIND A NEW VEHICLE ASAP, AN EXPENSE I CAN'T AFFORD BUT NEED TO GET TO WORK. KIA WILL NOT HELP AT ALL, GUESS THEY HAVE OUR MONEY SO WE'RE ON OUR OWN. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE, KIA KNOWS ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND WILL DO NOTHING. HAVE DONE RESEARCH ONLINE AND THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. THESE CARS ARE DEATH TRAPS, IF YOUR UNAWARE YOUR BRAKES CAN GO OR IF IN AN ACCIDENT SERIOUSLY INJURED OR EVEN DEATH. THE NHTSA SHOULD FORCE KIA TO RECALL THESE VEHICLES BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED OR KILLS SOMEONE ELSE. I HAVE SEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS FILED WITH THE NHTSA AND DOMT KNOW WHY THEY ALLOW KIA TO IGNORE THIS SERIOUS ISSUE. THEIR ARE RECALLS ISSUED FOR LESS SERIOUS PROBLEMS, THIS ONE PEOPLES LIVES ARE AT STAKE. PLEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS BEFORE ITS TOO LATE. *TR

WHEN IT IS COLD (WINTER SEASON) WHEN FUELING MY TANK IT SPILLS OUT, MAKING IT HARD TO FILL TANK. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING EVER SINCE I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE, WHICH WAS OCT OF 2010. YESTERDAY (THURS) WHEN FUELING IT WOULD NOT LET ME PUT HARDLY ANY GAS IN WITH OUT SPILLING OUT. I DON'T KNOW EXACT DATE THIS WAS NOTICED BY ME BUT IT WAS IN WINTER, THIS HAPPENS EVERY COLD SEASON. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 KIA SPORTAGE 4X4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE THE ODOR OF GASOLINE WAS EMITTED FROM THE VENTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE THEY ADVISED HER THAT THE O-RINGS FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED FOR THE O-RINGS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 21,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 39,000. UPDATED 03/20/13*LJ UPDATED 03/29/2013 *JS