1999 Kia Sportage

IN JUNE OF 2004 MY HUSBAND WAS ON HIS WAY TO DROP SOMETHING OFF TO ME AT WORK. HIM AND MY SON MADE A RIGHT ONTO ONE OF THE BACK ROADS. THEY HAD TO COME AROUND A BIG CORNER HE COULD NOT HAVE BEEN GOING 25 MPH. THE REPLACEMENT TIRES I HAD PURCHASED AT SEARS, AMERITRAC SUV TIRES P20575R15 THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT A HOLE THE SIZE OF A FIST ON THE FRONT SIDE OF THE TIRE BOTH MY SON AND HUSBAND HEARD THE BANG. THE VEHICLE WAS THROWN OUT OF CONTROL WENT INTO A DITCH DID A HALF ROLL ON ITS SIDE TOOK OUT 6 MAILBOXES CONTINUED ON ALL FOUR WHEELS FOR ABOUT A HUNDRED FEET CAME TO STOP ON OTHER SIDE OF ROAD. THE VEHICLE JUST HAD BEEN SERVICED AND TIRES ROTATED FROM BACK TO FRONT A WEEK BEFORE AND LOOKED GREAT THE POLICE OFFICER AT THE SCENE SAID THERE WAS NO OBJECTS IN THE ROAD TO CAUSE FAILURE AND MY SON AND HUSBAND DID NOT FEEL ANYTHING OR SEE ANYTHING IN THE ROAD. MY SUV WAS A TOTAL LOSS. MY SON HAD A HOLE IN HIS KNEE WERE THE SEAT CAME UP AND JAB HIM BUT WAS NOT TAKEN TO HOSPITAL I HANDLED IT AT HOME. I HAVE THE TIRE AND PICTURES OF THE SCENE AND SUV. I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO FIND SOMEBODY TO MAKE AWARE OF THIS ISSUE I HOPE I FINALLY DID. I DID HAVE THE TIRE LOOKED AT BY THREE MECHANICS I WAS TOLD POSSIBLE BEADED BLOWOUT. THERE WAS STILL A GREAT DEAL OF TREAD LEFT ON TIRES. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATES THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS WILL STAY ON WHICH CAUSED THE BATTERY TO DIE. A FUSE KEPT BLOWING, OUT, BUT SHE WAS NOT SURE WHICH FUSE. SHE HAD A MECHANIC LOOK AT THE CAR, AND HE SAID THE PROBLEM WAS DEFINITELY ELECTRICAL. SHE STARTED HAVING THIS PROBLEM AT THE END OF AUGUST. THE CONTACT SAW RECALL 99V325000 ON THE INTERNET BUT WAS NOT SURE IF THIS VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL. SHE DID NOT TO A DEALER ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, BUT PLANNED TO DO SO WHEN SHE FINISHED THIS CALL. SHE STILL WANTED TO FILE A COMPLAINT.*AK UPDATED 03/28/06. *JB

DT: THE VEHICLE TAKES ABOUT TWENTY MINUTES TO START, IT WILL TURN OVER. THE VEHICLE WILL STALL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD, AND IT WILL SHAKE RIGHT BEFORE STALLING.. FOUND RECALL 99V325000 FOR THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WIRING BUT KIA SAID MY VEHICLE NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. TOOK VEHICLE TO TWO MECHANIC SHOPS, AND THEY COULD NOT FIND WHAT WAS WRONG WITH IT. THIS STARTED ON APRIL 15, 2005. *AK

VEHICLE DOES NOT WANT TO START, HOWEVER, THE RADIO AND POWER WINDOWS ARE STILL WORKING SO IT IS NOT A BATTERY ISSUE. ONCE THE VEHICLE DID START IT WOULD DIE WHEN YOU STARTED UP FROM A STOP AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND/OR SOMETIMES WOULD SIMPLY DIE WHEN PUT YOUR FOOT ON THE GAS PEDAL. I TOOK IT TO A SHOP AND THEY INDICATED IT WAS A FUEL PUMP ISSUE. THE FOLLOWING DAY AFTER THE FUEL PUMP WAS REPAIRED THE VEHICLE DID THE SAME THING. THE SHOP THEN INDICATING THERE HAD BEEN A WIRING RECALL SO THEY CHANGED OUT THE WIRING HARNESS. TWO DAYS LATER THE VEHICLE ALMOST DIED ON THE WAY TO THE AIRPORT, IT WOULD SHAKE VIOLENTLY WHEN IDLING AND THERE WAS VERY LIMITED POWER WHEN I WAS ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE. THE SHOP LOOKED AT IT AGAIN AND THE AIR MANIFEST INDICATOR CAME ON SO THEY CLEANED OUT THE AIR FLOW. TWO DAYS LATER IT WAS STILL DOING THE SAME THING. THE SHOP THEN INDICATING THAT THEIR SENSOR INDICATED A DIFFERENT PART OF THE SYSTEM WAS FAILING. THE SHOP CONTACTED A KIA FACILITATED AND WAS TOLD IT SOUNDED LIKE A COMPUTER ISSUE, HOWEVER, EVEN IF THE COMPUTER WAS CHANGED OUT, IT COULD BE A SENSOR ISSUE AND THE VEHICLE WOULD CONTINUE TO DIE WHEN I WAS DRIVING IN TRAFFIC AND/OR PULLING FROM A STOP. A VEHICLE THAT DIES IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE, AND IT DOES NOT SOUND LIKE IT CAN BE EASILY FIXED AND/OR KIA DOES NOT WANT TO DO THE WORK. *NM

1999 KIA SPORTAGE HAS HAD TIMING BELT REPLACED THREE TIMES SINCE I BOUGHT CAR NEW IN 1999. WHILE TRAVELING ON NJ TURNPIKE, WHAT WE BELIEVED WAS THE TIMING BELT YET AGAIN WAS THE CRANK SHAFT AT THE HARMONIC BALANCE (WHICH HOLDS THE TIMING BELT IN PLACE) COMPLETELY SNAPPED INTO TWO PIECES INSIDE THE ENGINE. I SPOKE TO SEVERAL DIFFERENT KIA SERVICE DEPARTMENTS WHO ADVISED ME THAT THIS WAS NOT A NORMAL THING AND WAS IN NO WAY DUE TO SOMETHING WE COULD HAVE DONE. I WAS TOLD BY MY KIA DEALER THAT THE MANUFACTURERS WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED LAST YEAR AND THAT I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEFECT IN THE KIA. THE FIRST THREE TIMES THAT THE TIMING BELT WAS REPLACED THE WARRANTY COVERED. NOW I AM TOLD I MUST PAY FOR A NEW ENGINE. BE ADVISED THAT EVERY TIME THIS HAPPENED THE CAR WAS GOING 55 M.P.H. OR OVER. IT IS MY BELIEF THAT WAS CAUSED BY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND THAT KIA SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. THERE HAS NEVER BEEN ANY COLLISION OR ANY OTHER EVENT THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE FOR THIS TO OCCUR. WE ARE JUST LUCKY THAT WE HAVE NEVER BEEN HURT OR KILLED IN THIS CAR!*JB

IN DECEMBER OF 2000 I PURCHASED A KIA SPORTAGE 1999 FROM MCGRATH IN ELGIN, IL. FROM THE BEGINNING THE FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLE DID NOT ALWAYS LOCK AND THE INTERIOR & EXTERIOR LIGHTS FLICKERED. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP BUT THEY COULD NOT FIND WHY THE LIGHTS FLICKERED. ON AUGUST 2, 2005 MY VEHICLE DIED IN FRONT OF A MARATHON GAS STATION/REPAIR SHOP IN ROLLING MEADOWS, IL. THE MECHANIC CALLED ME AND TOLD ME I NEEDED A NEW FUEL PUMP. I TOLD HIM TO DO THE REPAIR. THE NEXT DAY, THE MECHANIC CALLS ME TO TELL ME THAT THE FUEL TANK IS SO RUSTED IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND HE HAS ALREADY CALLED THE KIA DEALER AND THE FUEL TANK IS IN "STOCK". I TOLD HIM TO DO THE REPAIR. (PLEASE REFERENCE COMPLAINT #10131393). WHEN I WENT TO PICK UP THE VEHICLE, IT KEPT BLOWING THE FUSES AND DYING. I NEVER GOT OUT OF THE GAS STATION PARKING LOT. I LEFT THE VEHICLE WITH THEM. ON AUGUST 4, I HAD THE VEHICLE WITH THE ORIGINAL FUEL PUMP AND FUEL TANK TOWED TO THE MCGRATH KIA DEALER IN ELGIN, IL. IN THE MEANTIME, I GOT ON THE INTERNET AND DID A SEARCH FOR KIA RECALLS. MY VEHICLE HAS 3 RECALLS- ONE FOR THE FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLE CAMPAIGN #04V305000, ONE FOR THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WIRING CAMPAIGN #99V32500, AND ONE FOR SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, FOUNDATION COMPONENTS: HOSES, LINES/PIPING AND FITTINGS CAMPAIGN #98V222000. ALL OF THESE RECALLS WERE IN EFFECT BEFORE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. I HAVE ASKED THE MCGRATH KIA DEALER TO FAX ME COPIES OF THE REPAIRS FOR THE RECALLS, BUT HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANYTHING IN WRITING THAT THESE RECALLS WERE REPAIRED BEFORE THEY SOLD ME THE VEHICLE. NOW I AM WAITING FOR THE KIA DEALER TO LOOK AT MY VEHICLE. I WAS TOLD IT COULD BE DAYS. *JB PHONE INTERVIEW UPDATE (OCT. 31, 2005): NO FUEL LEAK; HOWEVER, THE TANK WAS SO BADLY RUSTED. SHE AGREED TO EMAIL PICTURES OF THE TANK.

LAST YEAR I HAD A FRONT END ALIGNMENT DONE ON MY 1999 KIA SPORTAGE AS FAR AS I CAN TELL THE LOCKDOWN NUTS WERE NOT TIGHTENED CORRECTLY CAUSING WATER TO GET IN AND CORRODING THE LINKAGE BETWEEN THE TIE ROD ENDS. I HAPPENED TO BE MOVING THE CAR THIS WEEKEND AND HEARD AN AWFUL KLUNKING SOUND, UPON SOME INVESTIGATING I NOTICED THE TIE ROD END JUST ABOUT READY TO BE SEPERATED FROM THE ADJUSTER LINK. IF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED ON THE HIGHWAY MY WIFE WHO IS PRIMARY DRIVER OF THIS VEHICLE COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY HURT OR COULD HAVE HAD AN ACCIDENT AND HURT SOMEONE ELSE.

MY 1999 KIA SPORTAGE WILL NOT START OCCASIONALLY. I LOOKED ON THE WEB TO FIND THE ERROR AND FOUND RECALL NUMBER 99V325000 THAT IS FOR AN ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: WIRING RECALL. I TOOK MY SPORTAGE INTO THE DEALER AND EXPLAINED THAT THE SPORTAGE OCCASSIONALLY WOULD NOT START, EVERYTHING ELSE WOULD WORK PERFECTLY. I HAD MY STARTER AND BATTERY TESTED BEFORE I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER BOTH CHECKED OUT FINE. AFTER HAVING MY CAR FOR 1 DAY THE DEALER STATED THAT THE ONLY THING THAT THEY COULD FIND IS THAT THE STARTER WIRE HAD LOST TENSION AND THAT MAY BE THE PROBLEM. I ASKED ABOUT THE RECALL AND THEY STATED WHEN THEY PUT MY CAR ID NUMBER ONLY TWO RECALLS SHOWED ONE FOR EMISSIONS AND THE OTHER FOR SEAT BELT BUCKLES. I CALLED THE KIA MANAUFACTURER HOTLINE AT 800.3333.4542 AND THEY STATED THE SAME. I THEN LOOKED ON THE NHTSA SITE TO FIND OUT THAT THERE IS A RECALL ON MY VEHICLE. I DO REMEMBER GETTING LETTERS REGARDING THE OTHER TWO RECALLS BUT NOT FOR THE WIRING RECALL.