2006 Kia Sorento

I WAS MERGING ONTO A HIGHWAY WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN I HEARD A LOUD THUD AND MY BATTERY LIGHT & E BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON AND I LOST POWER STEERING. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO INFORMED ME THAT THE HARMONIC BALANCER HAD FALLEN OFF DUE TO THE CRANKSHAFT BOLT SHEARING OFF. ONCE IT WAS FIXED BY AN ASE CERTIFIED MECHANIC, APPROXIMATELY 8000 MILES LATER I WAS DRIVING TO WORK AND THE CAR STARTED SHAKING LIKE I WAS DRIVING ON RUMBLE STRIPS. I TOOK IT BACK TO A SERVICE GARAGE AND AFTER REPLACING THE HARMONIC BALANCER AND CRANKBOLT AGAIN THEY CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THE CRANKSHAFT WAS BENT. THE GARAGE SUGGESTED REPLACING THE ENTIRE CRANKSHAFT AND BALANCER AND THEN HAVING THE ENGINE REBALANCED OR A COMPLETE ENGINE REPLACEMENT BOTH OF WHICH ARE GREATER THAN $3500 TO REPAIR ON A VEHICLE THAT'S WORTH ABOUT $5500..IT'S BEEN APPROXIMATELY $2000 THAT I'VE ALREADY SPENT TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM AND THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. IT'S AT A LOCAL KIA DEALERSHIP NOW, WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AND THEY TOLD ME THAT IT'S NOT FIXABLE AND THEY CAN ONLY RECOMMEND TO REPLACE THE ENGINE WHICH WOULD COST $6,700 FOR A USED ENGINE WITH 71,000 MILES ON IT. IT SEEMS THAT THIS SAME ISSUE HAPPENS ON THESE MOTORS BETWEEN 60K AND 90K MILES THEN FROM DOING SOME RESEARCH, IT SEEMS AFTER REPAIRS ARE DONE THE SAME PROBLEM HAPPENS APPROXIMATELY 6K-10K MILES LATER. AFTER LOOKING INTO IT, IT LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE ONLY CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM WOULD BE MANUFACTURER DEFECTS AND FAULTY PARTS. THIS HAS CAUSED ME TO BE OUT OF A VEHICLE SINCE MID NOVEMBER OF 2012. IT'S DISTURBING WITH HOW MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS I'M READING ON THIS SITE ABOUT THE SAME EXACT THING! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE BRAKE AND BATTERY LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AS THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART MOMENTS LATER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION WHERE THEY STATED THAT A BOLT IN THE CRANK SHAFT WAS FRACTURED AND THE ENGINE WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 99,440. 8/26/13 *CN THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED THE BELTS AND CRANK PULLEY BROKER

FROM 9/2011 TO 7/2013 MY 2006 KIA HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM 3 TIMES AND IS CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP. WHILE DRIVING I HEAR A WEIRD NOISE AND THEN ALL THE DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHTS COME ON AND I LOSE POWER STEERING. WHEN CHECKING UNDER THE HOOD, THE BELTS HAVE ALL FALLEN OFF, A PULLEY IS LAYING UNDER ENGINE AS IS A BOLT. THE LAST TIME THE BOLT HAD BROKEN OFF CAUSING THE PULLEY TO FALL OFF. MECHANIC FOUND THAT THE CRANKSHAFT SPROCKET WAS BROKEN. I'M NOT SURE ABOUT TODAY AS THE CAR IS AT THE SHOP WITH THE BOLT LAYING UNDER THE ENGINE, BUT THE DRIVE PIN THAT GOES INTO THE SPROCKET OF THE PULLEY FELL OUT THE BOTTOM WHEN BEING LIFTED ONTO THE TOW TRUCK. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS STOPPED ILLUMINATING INTERMITTENTLY. ADDITIONALLY, WHILE ACCELERATING THE VEHICLE JERKED AND DECELERATED SUDDENLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THERE WAS A RECALL UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 09V130000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) THAT COULD HAVE BEEN RELATED TO THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 190,000. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHILE THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WAS OCCUPIED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO HAVE A DIAGNOSTIC PERFORMED WHICH LOCATED THE FAILURE AT OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V473000 (AIR BAGS). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 90,000. UPDATED 06/18/13*LJ UPDATED 06/21/2013 *JS

WHILE DRIVING IN BUSY CITY TRAFFIC, HEARD A LOUD CLUNKY NOISE, LOSS OF POWER STEERING CAPABILITIES IMMEDIATELY ALONG WITH BRAKE AND BATTERY LIGHTS APPEARING ON DASH. VEHICLE TAKEN TO LOCAL DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT WHERE IT WAS FOUND THAT "CRANK BOLT BROKEN OFF THE CRANKSHAFT, REMOVED CRANK BOLT WITH EASY OUT, REPLACED DAMAGED CRANK SPROCKET, DAMPER PULLEY, AND CRANK BOLT." NOW TEN (10) MONTHS LATER AND 7000 MILES (APPROXIMATELY) WE HAVE THE SAME ISSUE IDENTICAL TO THE ORIGINAL. AM CURRENTLY WAITING FOR RESOLUTION FROM DEALERSHIP WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED AND SERVICED. IT IS CURRENTLY THERE WAITING REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT. SEEMS THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT IS NOT FIXED BY SIMPLY REPAIRING OR REPLACING THE CRANK BOLT AS IT HAS HAPPENED TWICE WITH MY VEHICLE, LEADING ME TO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A STRESSOR ELSEWHERE! MORE THAN LIKELY A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT OF THE ENGINE BLOCK SOMEWHERE. *TR

MY 22 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING THE CAR AT COLLEGE WHEN IT SUDDENLY LOST POWER STEERING AND THEN SHUT DOWN IN TRAFFIC IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION. LUCKILY SHE WAS NOT ON A CURVY ROAD WHEN THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT. WE HAD THE CAR TOWED AND AFTER MECHANIC'S INSPECTION WERE TOLD THAT THE CRANKSHAFT BOLT "WOBBLED" LOOSE AND DISRUPTED THE TIMING BELT ASSEMBLY SHUTTING DOWN THE ENGINE. THIS $2 BOLT HAS CAUSED AN ESTIMATED $3500 REPAIR BILL OR EVEN AN ENGINE REPLACEMENT. OUR RESEARCH HAS UNCOVERED TO US THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS 3.5L ENGINE. THIS BOLT EITHER BREAKS OR WOBBLES OUT OF IT'S THREADING TO CAUSE TIMING BELT PROBLEMS AND REQUIRES EXTENSIVE AND EXPENSIVE REPAIR TO THE ENGINE. THIS INDICATES TO US A MANUFACTURER'S DESIGN FLAW AND PROBABLE SAFETY ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY KIA WORLDWIDE. *TR