2008 Kia Sportage

SHE IS 73 YEARS OLD AND ON A FIXED INCOME. SHE HAS ALREADY PAID THOUSANDS FOR THE CAR AND NOW DOES NOT HAVE A CAR DUE TO A FAULTY PART. NO CAR SHOULD CATCH ON FIRE DUE TO NORMAL USE. NOW SHE IS GOING TO HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO PAY FOR ANOTHER CAR. HOPEFULLY THAT CAR MANUFACTURER PRODUCES A VEHICLE THAT DOES NOT JUST CATCH FIRE AT RANDOM AND IF IT DOES, THEY TAKE CREDIT FOR BUILDING AND SELLING YOU A VEHICLE WITH A FAULT THAT IS THERE OWN. SHE STRUGGLED TO PAY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FOR A CAR THAT SHE TOOK GOOD CARE OF TO JUST BURN UP INFRONT OF HER. SHE LOOKED FORWARD TO FINISH PAYING THE CAR OFF. BLUE BOOK IS ROUGHLY $9,000.00 SHE PAID MORE THAT HALF OF IT OFF AND STILL OWES $7,000.00 BUT NOW, INSURANCE WILL GIVE HER THE $9,000.00 OF WHICH SHE WILL HAVE TO PAY $7,000.00 OUT TO PAY IT OFF, LEAVING HER WITH $2,000.00. WHAT CAN YOU BUY WITH $2,000.00 - NOTHING! SO NOW SHE MUST START OVER AND USE THE $2,000.00 TO GET BACK INTO A FULL CAR PAYMENT AND STRUGGLE AGAIN FOR ANOTHER 5 YEARS OR MORE. W.T.F.!?!? I SEE ON THIS WEBSITE, PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT THE SAME THING HAPPENING TO THEM. IF THERE IS MORE THAN 1 OR 2 CARS THAT HAVE CAUGHT ON FIRE THE SAME WAY, WHY ISN'T IT LOOKED INTO, AND WHY ISN'T THERE A RECALL. SURE IT MAYBE HARD FOR KIA TO REPLACE MANY VEHICLES, HOWEVER, I THINK IT IS HARDER FOR MY MOTHER OF 73 TO GO OUT AND BUY ANOTHER VEHICLE AT $15,000.00 - $20,000.00 JUST BECAUSE THE ONE SHE TRUSTED TO BE A SOLID VEHICLE WAS BUILD CRAPPY. IT IS KIA'S DESIGN AND MECHANICS THAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM, THEY SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE. AND IT SHOULD BE ILLEGAL FOR THEM TO KEEP SELLING THE VEHICLES TO PEOPLE WITH A PROBLEM AS SUCH. *TR

THIS IS PART 2 OF 3... WE GOT A NEW BATTERY INSTALLED AT ADVANCED AUTO. CAR RAN FINE. THE NEXT MORNING , SHE STARTED THE CAR AND THEN WENT INTO THE HOUSE. MY NIECE WAS THERE AND SAID SHE HEARD A POP AND LOOK OUTSIDE TO SEE THE CAR ON FIRE. THE WHOLE FRONT END INCLUDING THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT WAS BURNT TO A CRISP. I BELIEVE WHAT HAPPENED WAS A FAULTY PART IN THE ABS (CAUSING THE LIGHT TO COME ON) WAS SHORTING OR SOMETHING AND THAT KEPT DRAINING THE BATTERY. WITH THE BATTERY LOW, THE BATTERY WOULD DIE BEFORE ENOUGH HEAT COULD BUILD UP, HOWEVER, WITH THE NEW BATTERY, IT COULD CONTINUE TO PULL POWER AND HEAT UP WHATEVER FAULTY PART WAS SHORTING OUT AND THEN GOT HOT ENOUGH TO BLOW AND CAUSE FIRE. (CONTINUED IN NEXT POST) 3 OF 3... *TR

THIS WILL BE 1 OF 3 PART STATEMENT... ABOUT A WEEK AGO (GIVE OR TAKE A FEW DAYS), A COUPLE OF MY MOTHER'S 2008 KIA SPORTAGE'S DASH LIGHTS CAME ON. THE ABS LIGHT, THE ESC LIGHT, AND I THINK ONE OTHER (POSSIBLY THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT BUT MIND YOU THIS IS NOT MY CAR AND I AM NOT THAT FAMILIAR WITH HER DASH). SHE WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR A PART THAT WAS CAUSING ONE OF THE LIGHTS TO COME ON (I BELIEVE THE ESC LIGHT). SHE TOOK THE CAR TO GET THE PART REPLACED, HOWEVER, THE LIGHTS DID NOT GO OFF. I HAVE WHEEL HUBS ON MY SUV CROSSOVER AND I TOLD HER THAT WHEN MY WHEEL BEARING/SENSOR STARTS GOING BAD THAT IS WHEN MY LIGHT COMES ON. WELL A COUPLE DAYS LATER, HER DRIVER SIDE WHEEL BEARING STARTED TO ROAR, SO WE FIGURED THAT THE ABS LIGHT WAS ON DUE TO THAT. SHE TOOK IT BACK TO THE KIA DEALERSHIP SHOP AND THEY REPLACED THE BEARING AND ALTHOUGH THE RIDE WAS QUIETER DUE TO THE NEW BEARING REPLACEMENT, THE ABS LIGHT AND OTHER LIGHTS DID NOT GO OFF. THE MECHANIC TOLD HER THAT SHE DOES NOT HAVE A WHEEL HUB WITH SENSOR AND BEARING IN THE HUB BUT THAT ALL OF HER PARTS WERE SEPARATE. HE SAID THAT THE LIGHT MAY BE ON DUE THE SENSOR MAY HAVE DEBRIS FROM THE WHEEL BEARING GOING BAD OR POSSIBLY THE SENSOR IS GOING BAD ITSELF. I PLANNED ON PULLING AND CLEANING THE SENSOR FOR HER IN THE UPCOMING WEEKEND. WELL BEFORE THE WEEKEND, SHE WENT SHOPPING AT THE GROCERY STORE AND WHEN SHE CAME OUT, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE BATTERY WAS DEAD. WE CALL A TOW TRUCK DRIVER WHO CAME AND GAVE IT A QUICK JUMP AND SAID SHE MUST HAVE LEFT HER LIGHTS ON. SHE DROVE HOME, PULLED IN DRIVEWAY AND I TOLD HER TO LEAVE IT RUN A BIT TO CHARGE THE BATTERY BACK UP. SHE DID SO AND THEN AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES, SHUT IT OFF AND IMMEDIATELY STARTED IT AGAIN TO ENSURE THE BATTERY WAS CHARGED. LATER THAT DAY, IT WOULD NOT START AGAIN...BATTERY DEAD AGAIN. (CONTINUED IN NEXT POST) 2 OF 3... *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 KIA SPORTAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED WITH HANKOOK OPTIMO H418 TIRES (NA), TIRE SIZE 235/60/16. THE DOT NUMBER WAS T7BNBWH. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO NOTICED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER AND DRIVER'S SIDE TIRES TREAD WERE COMPLETELY WORN. THE DEFECT OCCURRED ONE YEAR AFTER THE NEW REAR TIRES WERE MOUNTED ON THE VEHICLE. THE RECENT DEFECTIVE TIRES HAD NOT BEEN REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE DEFECT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE.

I WAS IN THE CAR, PARKED IN A WENDYS PARKING LOT, ENGINE OFF, RADIO ON. THERE WAS A LOUD POP FOLLOWED BY SMOKE, A GENTLEMAN IN A TRUCK 3 SPACES AWAY HEARD IT AND SAW IT. WE GOT OUT TO LOOK AT IT AND THE SMOKE WAS INCREASING, I OPENED THE HOOD AND YOU COULD SEE FLAMES ABOUT 2 INCHES HIGH AROUND THE BOX MOUNTED INSIDE THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, ON THE PASSENGER SIDE UP NEAR THE HEADLIGHTS AND OVER THE WHEEL WELL. WE SHUT IT AND WAITED FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, EVERYTHING INSIDE THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT THAT COULD MELT DID MELT, ALL THE PAINT ON THE HOOD ETC, PASSENGER DOOR WILL NOT OPEN OR SHUT WITHOUT NOISE AND AN EXTRA PUSH OR PULL. I AM NOT A MECHANIC BUT I AM PRETTY SURE THAT THE LITTLE BLACK BOX WAS THE ABS CONTROLLER. JUST LUCKY THAT I WASN'T DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. I HAVE SEEN THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME THING. *TR

VEHICLE PARKED, NOT RUNNING, BUT WITH THE RADIO ON, THERE WAS A LOUD POP AND SMOKE FROM UNDER THE HOOD. RELASED LOCK AND LOOKED INSIDE, SMALL BOX MOUNTED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WALL, UNDER THE HOOD, OVER THE WHEEL WELL, A SMALL SQUARE BOX, I THINK IT WAS THE ABS BOX WAS ON FIRE. EVERYTHING THAT WAS BURNABLE UNDER THE HOOD BURNT BEFORE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED. *TR

APPROXIMATELY, TWO WEEKS AFTER PURCHASE IN 01/2013, "ESC OFF," LIGHT CAME ON MULTIPLE TIMES AT VARIOUS SPEEDS INCLUDING VEHICLE START UP. I MADE SEVERAL CALLS TO PLACE OF PURCHASE REGARDING INTERMITTENT, "ESC OFF," LIGHT. PRESSING " ESC OFF," DASH BUTTON HAS NO EFFECT AND THE LIGHT STAYS ILLUMINATED. DEALER OF PURCHASE TOOK VEHICLE TO KIA SERVICE AND THE DIAGNOSTIC WAS TPMS LIGHT IS ON, ADVISE. AT NO TIME DID THE TPMS LIGHT EVER COME ON, NOR WAS IT REPORTED AS SUCH. VEHICLE WAS RETURNED WITH NO WORK DONE, AND PLACE OF PURCHASE WAS INFORMED THAT TIRE(S) WERE LOW. CURRENTLY, THE "ESC OFF," LIGHT IS STILL ILLUMINATING AND BRAKE LIGHTS HAVE FAILED. TIRE PRESSURE CHECK BY RECENT SERVICE (OIL CHANGE) WAS REPORTED AS NORMAL. ACCORDING TO KIA CUSTOMER SUPPORT AND THE KIA DEALERSHIP OF SERVICE, THIS VEHICLE IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL ISSUED 01 APRIL, 2013. PURCHASE MILEAGE 27,476, MILEAGE AT KIA SERVICE 30,328 ON 21 FEB, 2013. SEVERAL ONLINE FORUMS INCLUDING KIA-FORUMS.COM REPORT THIS PROBLEM AS FAR BACK AS 2007 MODELS. *TR

THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFTS VERY SHARP AND ROUGH FROM 2ND TO 3RD GEAR, APPROXIMATELY AT 25 MPH. ON 17 MAR 11, THE DEALER RE-PROGRAMMED A COMPUTER CHIP FOR THE TRANSMISSION UNDER THEIR SERVICE BULLETIN TSB ENG 075--ECM UPGRADE. THE TRANSMISSION WAS FINE FOR ABOUT 8 MONTHS, BUT THEN SAME PROBLEM STARTED. THE CAR WAS BROUGHT IN AGAIN AT THE BEGINNING OF MARCH 2012, AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS BLOWN, AND A NEW ONE PROVIDED UNDER WARRANTY. I WAS TOLD TO STAND BY AND THEY WILL CALL WHEN IT IS READY. I CALLED ONCE A WEEK FOR A MONTH TO INQUIRE, AS I RECEIVED NO CALLS, BEING TOLD THAT THE APPROVAL PROCESS WAS UNDERWAY. TODAY, 06 APR 12, I WAS TOLD THAT THE CHIP NEEDED TO BE RE-PROGRAMMED AGAIN. IT DIDN'T WORK BEFORE, WHY WOULD IT WORK NOW? I JUST WANT MY CAR PROPERLY FIXED, AND THE DEALER DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WILLING TO DO IT. *TR

I PURCHASED A KIA SPORTAGE 2008 AUG OF 2010 ABOUT 1 MONTH AFTER PURCHASING I NOTICED THE ESC LIGHT THAT CAME ON, WHEN THIS LIGHT COMES ON THE ENGINE FORCES ITSELF TO DO MORE WORK, THE CAR WON'T GO MORE THEN 40MPH, I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER THEY SAID IT WAS FIXED, 2 MONTHS LATER IT HAPPENED AGAIN, HERE WE ARE 1YR LATER AND IT'S STILL HAPPENING. THE DEALER I TAKE IT TO TELLS ME "THIS ALWAYS HAPPENS THIS TYPE OF CAR" AND KNOW THE BATTERY LIGHT IS COMING ON AT THE SAME TIME THE ECS LIGHT IS COMING ON. I HAVE AN APPT. TO GO TO THE DEALER BACK ON MONDAY FOR THE SAME PROBLEM AND I'M STILL GETTING NO ANSWERS. *TR