2006 Kia Sorento

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE CRANK SHAFT BOLT FRACTURED AS A RESULT THE ENGINE AND CRANK SHAFT BOLT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 138,000.

MY 2006 KIA SORENTO, MANUFACTURED IN AUGUST 2005 & WAS A BASIC VEHICLE, NO LUXURY MODEL.A RENTAL CAR BUSINESS WAS 1ST OWNER AND ONLY HAD IT FOR A FEW MONTHS, THEN I BOUGHT IT FROM A DEALER IN SEPT 2006 W 14,000 MILES. IT IS 8 YEARS OLD WITH 108,000 MILES. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TURNED ON, I HEARD LOUD BANGING IN THE HOOD, THEN SUDDENLY IT TURNED OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON CITY STREETS. TRAFFIC WAS SLOW MOVING. I HAD IT TOWED TO AN EXPERT MECHANIC AND OWNER OF HIS OWN SHOP. MY MECHANIC HAS DONE SOME PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE IN THE PAST AND CONSIDERED IT TO BE IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. HE TOOK THE ENGINE APART AND FOUND PIECES BROKEN OFF FROM THE "INTAKE RUNNER BUTTERFLY VALVE ASSEMBLY & FELL INTO THE ENGINE; ALSO THERE WAS A BUSHING FAILURE IN THE LOWER INDUCTION MANIFOLD. MY 3.5 ENGINE WAS TOTALED WITHIN MINUTES ALONG WITH ALL SURROUNDING PARTS. THE SAME ENGINE AS IN THE RECALL. MY KIA HAS A 3.5 ENGINE, SAME AS IN THE RECALL BULLETIN #TT2008020601. THE RECALL BULLETIN WAS FOR KIA MODELS 2003-2005, YET THIS EXACT INCIDENT WAS DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL BULLETIN. I HAVE TWO PHOTOS OF SOME OF THE DAMAGE (1ST PHOTO IS THE INTAKE RUNNER ASSEMBLY W/TWO BROKEN MISSING BUTTERFLIES FOR CYLINDERS 5 & 6 & THE 2ND PHOTO OF A PIECE OF THE BUTTERFLY STUCK IN THE INTAKE PORT OF THE CYLINDER HEAD -BOTH TAKEN ON 9-12-2014.) I THEN HAD IT TOWED TO A GARDEN GROVE KIA DEALERSHIP. THEY INSPECTED & GAVE ME AN ESTIMATE OF $11,700. ALL THEY SAID IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THAT 2006 MODELS WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. HOW CAN KIA CORPORATION GUARANTEE THAT THE SAME INFERIOR PARTS WERE NOT INSTALLED IN MY 2006 SORENTO? IT WAS MANUFACTURED IN 2005. KIA CORPORATION SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DAMAGE DUE TO THE FACT THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS NOT COMPLETELY RESOLVED WITH THE 2005 MODELS. *TR

WE WERE JUST TURNING AROUND A BEND AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN, WE LOST POWER STEERING AND THE CAR LOST POWER. THEN WE MANAGED TO PULL IT OVER TO A PARKING LOT. THEN WE NEEDED TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED. WE HAVE ALREADY CONTACTED KIA TO SEE IF THERE WAS A RECALL ON IT. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THERE WASN'T THAT PARTICULAR RECALL ON THAT MODEL. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS MODEL SHOULD HAVE BIN INCLUDED IN THE RECALL LIST. *TR

"PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG OFF" WARNING LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY WHEN THERE IS A PASSENGER IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. ALSO THE RED AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT IS ON CONSTANTLY WHEN THERE IS A PASSENGER IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. THERE IS A RECALL FOR THIS VERY PROBLEM ON 06 AND 07 SORENTOS MADE AFTER JUNE 06 BUT MY KIA WAS MADE PRIOR TO THIS DATE AND IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. I AM AFRAID FOR THE SAFETY OF ANY PASSENGER IN THIS SEAT AND FEEL IT SHOULD BE COVERED BY THE RECALL. *TR

ON 09/18/2014 ARRIVING HOME I STARTED TO HEAR LOUD RUMBLE NOISES COMING FROM THE ENGINE, TOOK IT TO A LOCAL SHOP AND WAS TOLD IT MIGHT BE THE PULLEYS, HOWEVER, IT WAS DETERMINED THE NEXT DAY - DIFFERENT SHOP THAT COULD MAKE THE REPAIRS, THE CRANKSHAFT PIN SHEARED OFF (THIS WORK WAS PREVIOUSLY DONE ON MARCH 2014 AT A TOTAL OF 1,800+ AND HERE IT IS AGAIN!). MECHANIC AT THE SHOP WAS THE ONE THAT SAVED ME $$ THIS TIME AS HE NOTICED THE WORK AS VERY RECENT, AND SUGGESTED I TAKE IT BACK TO WHERE THE REPAIR HAD BEEN DONE IN MARCH. ONE WEEK LATER - 09/26/2014 I HAD MY CAR BACK. HOWEVER, I SUSPECT THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN, SINCE THERE ARE SO MANY OTHERS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS, AND HOW MANY OTHER REPAIR SHOPS CONTINUE TO ORDER THE SAME PART OVER AND OVER. REALLY? HELLO KIA, THEY NEED TO STEP UP TO THIS SITUATION, BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED. I AM SO GLAD I LISTEN TO MY SUV AND TOOK IT IN FOR SERVICING, AS THIS COULD HAVE HAD DISASTROUS RESULTS IF I WERE ON THE HIGHWAY GOING AT A HIGHER SPEED. THE BEST THING HERE WAS THE HONEST MECHANIC! I WILL NEVER GET ANOTHER KIA, AND IF IT DOES HAPPEN AGAIN, THAT'S WHEN I WILL GET ANOTHER VEHICLE. AS I CONTINUE TO DRIVE, I FEEL THAT MY SUV IS JUST NOT THE SAME, THE ENGINE MAY HAVE HAD SOME DAMAGE TO WHICH I HAVE NO IDEA HOW SERIOUS. I LEARNED ABOUT A YEAR AGO THAT THE KIA 2006 SUV/SORENTO WE A VERY BAD YEAR FOR THIS MODEL AND IT IS TRUE, THIS IS NOT THE ONLY HIGH COSTING REPAIR I HAVE HAD TO PAY FOR, AND I DO NOT EVEN HAVE 60,000 ON IT YET! WORSE SUV I HAVE EVER BROUGHT! NEVER AGAIN. THIS VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE, YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN AS YOU ARE DRIVING, AND I ALWAYS RENT INSTEAD OF TAKING THIS VEHICLE, I HAVE NO CONFIDENCE AT ALL. *TR

CAR AT FIRST WOULD SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING , PULLED CAR OVER AND WOULD START BACK UP, TOOK CAR TO MECHANIC AND SAID IT WAS THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR, REPLACE CRANK SHAFT SENSOR, FEW WEEKS LATER PROBLEM RETURN, MECHANIC THOUGHT IT WAS THE CAMSHAFT SENSOR STILL HAD THE PROBLEM OF CAR SHUTTING OFF WHILE DRIVING IN CITY AND HIGHWAY.FINALLY AFTER MONTHS OF BACK IN AND OUT OF THE MECHANICS WHILE DRIVING CRANKSHAFT BOLT BROKE WHILE DRIVING, AFFECTING THE HARMONICA BALANCER AND TIMING BELT CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LOSE ALL POWER IN THE CAR AND HAD NO POWER STEERING, VERY LITTLE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, COASTED INTO DRIVEWAY LUCKILY NO ON-COMING CARS , AFTER SPENDING SEVERAL HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS FOR REPAIRS, MECHANIC IS TELLING ME THE ENGINE IS NO GOOD, CAR IS UNDRIVABLE NEEDS NEW ENGINE AT COST OF 5300 DOLLARS. *TR

I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE LIGHTS AT LEAST THREE TIMES A YEAR ON THIS VEHICLE SINCE OWNERSHIP MANY TIMES. IN ADDITION, I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE FUEL PUMP 2 AND THE WHOLE STEERING SYSTEM TWICE ALSO. I WAS TOLD THAT THERE IS A RECALL ON THE VEHICLES OF MY MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR BUT NOT ON MY SPECIFIC VEHICLE. SO IM STUCK WITH A VEHICLE BREAKING DOWN ON ME AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR THAT HAS A RECALL FOR OTHER VEHICLES IN THE SAME MODEL AND YEAR. *TR

CAR DIES WHILE DRIVING. NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARS. LATER CAR STARTS AND RUNS FINE UNTIL A FEW DAYS LATER AT NEXT FAILURE. DRIVER LOSES ENGINE, POWER STEERING, AND POWER BRAKES. ENGINE CODE FINALLY APPEARS AFTER 3RD INCIDENT AND IS P0337 - CRANK SHAFT POSITIONING SENSOR. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND MAY LEAD TO A CRASH OR DEATH SINCE DRIVER LOOSES ALL FUNCTIONS OF VEHICLE. DEALER AT KIA CERRITOS, CALIF. SEEMED UNCONCERNED AND STATED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE UNDER WARRANTY, SINCE WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED, EVEN WITH LOW MILEAGE. THIS IS SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE REPAIRED AS A RECALL. INDEPENDENT AUTO REPAIR SHOP GROUP DATA BASES SHOW 100'S OF INCIDENCES OF SAME PART FAILURE AND ENGINE CODE WITH KIA SORENTO AND LOW VEHICLE MILEAGE. *TR