2004 Kia Sorento

MY SORENTO WAS IN PARK RUNNING IN MY DRIVEWAY STARTED SMOKING AND CAUGHT FIRE AND BURNED UP IN A MATTER OF MINUTES. I'M AWARE OF RECALLS WITH KIA VEHICLES CATCHING FIRE. I WOULD LIKE THIS TO BE ADDRESSED AND INVESTIGATED AS I FEEL IT WAS DUE TO A MALFUNCTION. 911 WAS CALLED AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME TO DISTINGUISH THE CAR IT IS A TOTAL LOSS.

WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE SHOOK VIOLENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO NOTICED THAT THE CROSSMEMBER BARS WERE SEVERELY CORRODED THROUGH AND WERE NOT ABLE TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD. THE ENTIRE BRACKET HOLDING THE DIFFERENTIAL RUSTED THROUGH. THE FRAME REAR CROSS MEMBER ALSO RUSTED THROUGH CAUSING THE CONTROL ARMS IS DETACHED FROM THE REAR END ALSO CREATING A SAFETY HAZARD.

THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY. WE ARE A FAMILY OF FOUR. ONE OF US OPEN ONE OF THE REAR DOORS AND THE HANDLE CAME OUT COMPLETELY. I DON'T KNOW IF IT CAN BE REPAIR OR NOT. I COVER THE HOLE WITH TAPE TO PROTECT THE INNER PARTS OF THE DOOR FROM THE WATER. THE SAME THING HAPPENS WITH THE HANDLE OF THE OTHER REAR DOOR. BUT IN THIS CASE IT DOES NOT COME OUT COMPLETELY AND I USE TAPE TO MAINTAIN IT IN POSITION. IF SOMETHING HAPPENS AND THE PERSONS IN THE BACK SITS ARE UNABLE TO OPEN THE REAR DOORS FROM THE INSIDE ONE OF THE PERSONS IN THE FRONT SITS HAVE TO GET OUT THE CAR AND OPEN THE DOOR THAT STILL HAVE THE TAPED HANDLE. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS SITUATION IS GOING TO AFFECT THE MECHANISM OF THE INTERIOR HANDLES OF THE REAR DOORS. I DON'T KNOW IF THE TAPED HANDLE IS GOING TO BRAKE OR WHEN IS GOING TO BRAKE. I READ IN THE INTERNET THAT THIS A PROBLEM OF THE SORENTOS OF SEVERAL YEARS. SOME OF THE PERSONS IN THE INTERNET ASK WHY KIA IS NOT MAKING A RECALL. I HAVE A DAUGHTER OF 16 YEARS AND A SON OF ALMOST 15 YEARS. MY SON DOES NOT HAVE MANY LIMITATIONS, BUT HE HAS A SYNDROME. I AM INCLUDING PHOTOS OF THE DOORS.

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND ALL OF A SUDDEN MY CARS WOULDN'T TURN THE BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON AND IT WAS ACTING LIKE IT WAS DYING. IT HAPPENS A BOUT 5 MILES FROM HOME AND WHEN I GOT IT THERE I TOLD MY HUSBAND. HE LOOKED AT IT AND TOLD ME MY HARMONIC BALANCER WAS LOOSE AND IT LOOKED TO HAVE SNAPPED THE BOLT. NOW I CANNOT DRIVE MY VEHICLE UNTIL I CAN GET THE BROKEN BOLT OUT AND GET IT FIXED. I LOOKED UP WHAT TO DO AND NOTICED I AM NOT THE ONLY PERSON 28TH THIS PROBLEM.

TOOK CAR TO MY MECHANIC FOR SMALL LEAK IN RADIATOR AND ASKED THAT HE CHECK THE BRAKES BECAUSE I HEARD A LOUD NOISE FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. UPON CHECKING THE BRAKES (WHICH WERE O.K.) HE FOUND THE REAR FRAME TO BE COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH. HE NOTED THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE AND DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AS THERE WAS A RISK OF REAR DRIVETRAIN DETACHING FROM VEHICLE. THIS SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM KNOWN TO KIA -- AS THERE WAS A RECALL IN EUROPE FOR THIS PROBLEM-- BUT NOT THE US. I ALREADY CONTACTED KIA AND THE ONLY RESPONSE I RECEIVED WAS TO TAKE IT TO A KIA DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. WE WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WHEN WE ALREADY KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. KIA DOES NOT GIVE ANY GUARANTEE THAT THEY WOULD REIMBURSE US FOR THE TEST OR ANYTHING ELSE. PLEASE LET US KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO. HOW CAN WE GET KIA TO ACT RESPONSIBLY? THERE ARE MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SAME PROBLEM

I BROUGHT THIS VEHICLE FOR INSPECTION AND WAS TOLD IT WILL NOT PASS BECAUSE ONE OF THE CONTROL ARMS IS DETACHED IN THE REAR END. I WAS TOLD NOT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AT ALL BECAUSE IT IS NOT SAFE. ADDITIONALLY THERE IS ROT UNDER THE ENTIRE VEHICLE. THE LEFT SIDE FRAME WAS WELDED AND REPAIRED BY THE PREVIOUS OWNER BUT THE RIGHT SIDE IS NOW RUSTED BADLY AND IN NEED OF REPAIR. AXLES ARE LEAKING DUE TO RUST. BRAKES ARE A PROBLEM BUT I HAVEN'T INVESTIGATED FURTHER TO KNOW IF ITS CAUSED BY ROT. I HAVE BEEN ON MULTIPLE FORUMS FOR THIS ISSUE AND IT SEEMS MANY PEOPLE HAVE SAME ISSUES ESPECIALLY THE CONTROL ARM PROBLEM. I CAN NOT RETURN THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE I WAS SCAMMED AND AM NOW STUCK WITH A DANGEROUSLY ROTTED CAR. I AM TOLD ITS NOT WORTH FIXING. THIS CAR LOOKS FINE AND WITHOUT LOOKING UNDERNEATH A PERSON WOULD NOT KNOW A PROBLEM EXISTED PERHAPS UNTIL AN ACCIDENT.

ON MONDAY, AUGUST 10TH, 2015 I WAS DRIVING MY 2004 KIA SORENTO LX AND HEARD A LOUD BANG AND THEN THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO FISHTAIL. I WAS TRAVELING AT A LOW SPEED OF AROUND 35 MPH. I IMMEDIATELY SLOWED DOWN AND MANAGED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO A NEARBY GARAGE. AT THE GARAGE THE VEHICLE WAS PLACED ON THE LIFT AND IT WAS IDENTIFIED THAT THE DRIVERS SIDE FRAME RAIL HAD COMPLETELY BROKEN IN HALF AND WAS SEVERELY CORRODED. THE PASSENGER SIDE WAS ALSO SEVERELY CORRODED BUT NOT BROKEN ALL THE WAY THROUGH. THE CROSS-MEMBER ABOVE THE REAR AXLE IS ALMOST COMPLETELY GONE. I NOW HAVE AN 11 YEAR OLD VEHICLE WHICH SHOULD HAVE A RETAIL VALUE OF AROUND $5K WHICH IS NOW COMPLETELY WORTHLESS. I DID SOME INTERNET RESEARCH AND FOUND I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE EXPERIENCING THIS SEVERE CORROSION PROBLEM WITH THIS YEAR AND MODEL KIA. I AM SURPRISED THERE HAVE BEEN NO SAFETY RECALLS FOR THIS PROBLEM. HAD MY INCIDENT HAPPENED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE STORY MAY BE A LOT DIFFERENT.

ABOUT TO GET ON HWY IN NC, RED LIGHT TURNED GREEN STARTED DRIVING NOT EVEN 10 SECONDS LATER GAS PEDAL GOES STRAIGHT TO FLOOR AND SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING DROPS. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD CAR JUST STOPS WITH NO WARNING-RIGHT BEFORE MAJOR HWY. TRY TO CRANK THE KIA, NOTHING. AGAIN, NOTHING. PHYSICALLY PUSH THE CAR OFF ROAD WHILE OTHERS ARE SPEEDING BY-ACCIDNET WAITING TO HAPPEN THANK GOD IT DIDNT. GET IT TOWED HOME. SAT IN YARD EVER SINCE. REPLACED MULTIPLE PARTS. STILL DOES NOT RUN..