2007 Kia Sportage

WHEN DRIVING THROUGH A PUDDLE OF STANDING WATER IN OCTOBER 2012, A 'SPLASH' OF WATER ENTERED THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT CAUSED THE ENGINE IN MY 2007 KIA SPORTAGE TO STALL, RESULTING IN THE LOSS OF POWER ASSIST TO BOTH STEERING AND BRAKES. THIS OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES IN 2012 AND 2013. BUT, IN 2014, IT HAS HAPPENED MUCH MORE OFTEN. ENOUGH TO FORCE ME TO TAKE MY SPORTAGE INTO A KIA DEALERSHIP TO SEE IF THEY COULD DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THEY TRIED TO RECREATE THE PROBLEM USING A HOSE, SINCE THEY DID NOT WISH TO HAVE THEIR EMPLOYEES TRY TO DRIVE IT IN ACTUAL RAIN. THEY WERE NOT SUCCESSFUL IN MAKING THE CAR STALL. THEREFORE, I WAS TOLD THAT THERE IS NO PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE. RECENTLY, I HAVE LEARNED THAT THE IGNITION COIL IS WHAT IS GETTING WET AND STALLING THE CAR. IF KIA IS WILLING TO REPLACE THE IGNITION COIL, IT DOES NOT SOLVE MY PROBLEM. THE IGNITION COIL WILL STILL BE IN A VULNERABLE PLACE UNDER MY CAR. I WOULD EXPECT THE SAME TO HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE EVEN WITH A NEW IGNITION COIL. I CANNOT HAVE MY CAR STALL OUT ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY IN THE RAIN WHILE GOING 70 MILES AN HOUR. IT IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. I REFUSE TO ENDANGER MYSELF AND MY FAMILY, AS WELL AS OTHERS ON THE ROAD, WITH A PROBLEM THAT KIA IS AWARE OF. UNFORTUNATELY, I DO NOT HAVE ANOTHER VEHICLE AT MY DISPOSAL. LOOKING AT INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET, THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM THAT KIA HAS NOT DONE ANYTHING BUT RECALL AND REPLACE THE IGNITION COIL. MY MECHANIC WAS ABLE TO FIND SEVERAL WEB SITES MENTIONING THIS DEFECT. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT THEY CHECKED THEIR DATABASES AND DID NOT FIND ANY SUCH PROBLEMS/RECALLS ABOUT STALLING OR IGNITION COILS. LOSS OF BRAKING AND STEERING IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. DO I NEED TO WAIT FOR INJURY OR DEATH TO GET A RESOLUTION? *TR

IT STARTED FEB 22ND, 2010 WHEN A SENSOR ON THE POWER STEERING PUMP BROKE AND I HAD POWER STEERING FLUID LEAKING ALL OVER THE ENGINE AND MY STEERING LOCKED UP. KIA OF REDDING REPLACED THE PUMP @ 59K MILES. THEN ON JULY 9TH, SAME THING HAPPENED AS STEERING LOCKED UP IN TRAFFIC IN EUREKA, HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED 175 MILES BACK TO REDDING KIA. HAD AROUND 73K MILES ON IT. CAR RETURNED AFTER FIXING SAME ISSUE FROM FEB. ON JULY 16TH. ON JULY 17TH AFTER LESS THAN 100 MILES, KIA POWER STEERING LOCKED UP AGAIN IN TRAFFIC IN REDDING. SAME PROBLEM FIXED AGAIN AND CAR RETURNED ON JULY 26TH. ON JULY 30TH, CAR MAKING WHINING NOISE FROM POWER STEERING PUMP, BROUGHT INTO DEALERSHIP TO BE LOOKED AT AND HAVE OIL CHANGED. MECHANIC "FIXED" THE NOISE, CHANGED OIL, SAID WAS GOOD TO GO. DROVE CAR LESS THAN 50 MILES AND AGAIN STEERING LOCKED UP ON CURVEY MOUNTAIN ROAD. HAD THE CAR TOWED BACK TO THE SHOP FOR THE 4TH TIME IN LESS THAN 21 DAYS. CAR IS JUST AT 78K MILES NOW. *TR