2009 Kia Sportage

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION "BURNED OUT" (DEALER'S WORDS) WHILE DRIVING THRU PIEDMONT HILLS OF NORTH CAROLINA. PROBLEM STARTED AROUND 60MPH AND BECAME SERIOUS AT 70 MPH, THE SPEED LIMIT WHERE THE PROBLEM OCCURRED. CRUISE CONTROL TURNED OFF ON ITS OWN. AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DID NOT SHIFT EVENLY OR SMOOTHLY. VEHICLE STRAINED AND LOST POWER ON HILLS AND OVERPASSES. ENGINE "REVVED UP" UNCHARACTERISTICALLY HIGH ON BACK SIDE OF HILLS, HAD TO PRESS GAS TO DECREASE RPMS. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON DURING RETURN TRIP, GEAR STICK SHIFTED TO + - POSITION ON ITS OWN. VEHICLE OPERATED OKAY AT SPEEDS BELOW 55 MPH AND ON LEVEL GROUND, EVEN WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP. *TR

AT TIMES WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY,THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WILL DISENGAGE ITSELF BECAUSE OF MOVEMENT IN THE SEAT. SO,I END UP PULLING OVER AND RESTART THE CAR SO THAT THE LIGHT ON THE DASH,TELLING ME THE AIR BAG ISN'T SET, RESETS TO THE ON POSITION. SOMETIMES I MAY NOT NOTICE IT RIGHT AWAY. IT HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES. AFTER REPORTING IT TO THE DEALERSHIP TWICE,THEY KEEP TELLING ME THAT NOT ONLY CAN THEY NOT MAKE IT MORE SENSITIVE,BUT THAT THE PASSENGER MUST SIT PROPERLY IN THEIR SEAT. OVER TIME,PEOPLE TEND TO SHUFFLE ABOUT IN THEIR SEAT AND THEREFORE I FOUND THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO EXPECT SOMEONE TO SIT STILL FOR A LONG DRIVE.I HAVE BEEN TOLD TO ASK THE PASSENGER TO REPOSITION THEMSELVES IN THEIR SEAT AND THE AIR BAG WILL RESET,SOMETIMES IT DOES,BUT FOR THE MOST PART, I END UP PULLING THE CAR OVER AND RESTARTING THE ENGINE. AS,YOU CAN IMAGINE,IT HAS NOT ONLY BEEN A DISTRACTION ON THE HIGHWAY,BUT ALSO A BIG PAIN IN THE [XXX] . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 KIA SPORTAGE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING INTO A PARKING SPACE THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD. HE STATED THAT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME SO SENSITIVE THAT HE HAD TO USE EXTREME CAUTION WHEN DRIVING FORWARD, BACKWARDS OR WHEN THE ROAD WAS SLIGHTLY SLANTED. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A KIA DEALER WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DESIGNED THAT WAY. A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WAS PERFORMED; HOWEVER, IT DID NOT DETERMINE WHAT CAUSED THE FAILURE TO OCCUR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 30. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 1,900.

I BOUGHT A 2009 KIA SPORTAGE THAT HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR ALL BUT 3 DAYS OF MARCH DUE TO THE CAR STALLING, STOPPING AND NOT GOING FORWARD WHEN YOU PRESS GAS PEDAL. WHILE THE DEALERSHIP HAS TRIED TO REPAIR THE CAR IS BECOING WORSE, THE DEALERSHIP WILL NOT HELP ME IN ANY WAY TO OBTAIN THE "LEMON LAW" FORMS NEEDED. I BOUGHT THE CAR AT PARSONS KIA, WINCHESTER, VA

I OWN A 2009 KIA SPORTSTER SUV AND ONLY IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS CAN ONE READ THE INSTRUMENTS INCLUDING THE SPEEDOMETER AND THE CLOCK. WHILE TRYING TO DETERMINE THE SPEED TO BE WITHIN THE SPEED LIMIT, IT TAKES SO LONG TO GET INTO A POSITION TO READ THE SPEEDOMETER THAT ONE CAN EASILY CROSSOVER INTO THE ONCOMING LANE OR OFF THE ROAD. AT NIGHT THE PANELS ARE VERY VISIBLE AND I MIGHT SAY ATTRACTIVE BUT DURING DAYLIGHT HOUSE THEY ARE USELESS. I REMOVED THE BLACK HOUSING SURROUNDING THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND PAINTED IT SILVER. THIS HAS HELPED SOME BUT THE PANEL CAN ONLY BE READ AT TIMES WHEN THE EXTERNAL LIGHTING IS JUST RIGHT. I HAVE NOTIFIED KIA DEALERSHIP AND HOME OFFICE WITH ZERO RESPONSE.*TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 KIA SPORTAGE WHICH WAS PURCHASED IN SEPTEMBER 2009. HE STATED THAT THE TRACTION CONTROL WAS DANGEROUS AND IF THERE WAS VERY LITTLE WHEEL SLIP, THE ENGINE WOULD SLOW DOWN ALMOST TO A STALL AND THE RPMS WOULD IDLE VERY HIGH. THE TRACTION CONTROL WOULD NOT ALLOW HIM TO DEPRESS THE ACCELERATOR WHILE FUNCTIONING . HIS CONCERN WAS THAT FOLLOWING VEHICLES WOULD NOT BE AWARE OF THE VEHICLE SLOWING DOWN AND COULD POTENTIALLY CRASH INTO THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND COULD NOT ASSIST WITH HIS CONCERNS. HE WANTED TO HAVE THE TRACTION CONTROL SHUT OFF; HOWEVER, THAT WAS NOT AN OPTION. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE UNDER 5,522.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 KIA SPORTAGE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 6 MPH HE EXPERIENCED DIFFICULT STEERING. ALSO THE VEHICLE FAILED TO CONVEY TO THE FUEL ECONOMY RECOMMENDED STANDARDS OF 16 TO 24 MPG FOR IN THE CITY DRIVING. THE VEHICLE MAINTAINED A FUEL ECONOMY OF 12 MPG. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NEW, AND MUST ATTAIN 4,000 MILEAGE FOR RESOLUTION TO THE MALFUNCTIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON FIVE SEPARATE OCCASIONS FOR THE IDENTICAL FAILURES IN WHICH THERE WERE NO RESOLUTIONS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 779. UPDATED 11/10/09 *BF UPDATED 11/13/09.*JB