2001 Kia Sportage

2001 KIA SPORTAGE 4 DR WITH 50,000 MILES FAILED INSPECTION BECAUSE OF BROKEN WHEEL BEARING AND RIGHT IDLER ARM. I HAD THESE REPAIRED, FORTUNATELY, UNDER WARRANTY. I'M DISAPPOINTED AND ANGRY THAT SUCH CHEAP PARTS WERE USED IN MANUFACTURING (DISCOVERED BROKEN AT 50,000 MILES) WHICH GREATLY INCREASES THE RISK FOR AN ACCIDENT. NOT A SAFE VEHICLE AND WILL NOT BUY ANOTHER BASED ON THE QUALITY OF THE MANUFACTURING. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATES THAT 2001 KIA SPORTAGE WAS HAVING A PROBLEM WITH THE GAS LINE. WHEN THE CONSUMER PUT GAS INTO THE GAS TANK THE GAS WAS LEAKING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE CHARCOAL BOX HAS BEEN CHANGED. THE GAS WAS SHOOTING OUT BACK TOWARD THE PERSON PUTTING THE GAS IN THE TANK. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP THREE TIMES OVER THE SAMETHING. THE OTHER TWO TIMES THAT THE CONSUMER BROUGHT THE VEHICLE BACK HOME FROM THE DEALERSHIP IT WAS OKAY FOR A FEW DAYS. THE DEALERSHIP WAS TRYING TO FIX THE VEHICLE. IT WILL RUN FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS, AND WHEN GOING TO GET GAS THE VEHICLE WILL ONLY HOLD $4 WORTH OF GAS. AFTERRWARDS THE GAS WOULD SHOOT OUT OF THE FILLER PIPE. THE VEHICLE I STALLED WHILE DRIVING. WHEN STOPPING AT A STOP SIGN THE VEHICLE DIED AND THEN STARTED RIGHT BACK UP. KIA SAID THAT SHE MAY BE OVERFILLING THE TANK. KIACHECKED VARIOUS PARTS AND THE VEHICLE WILL STILL NOT RUN CORRECTLY. TH ECONSUMER REMOVED THE VEHICLE OUT OF THE SHOP LAST WEEK, AND IT HAD TO BE TOWED LAST NIGHT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. *AK

I WAS IN MY 2001 KIA SPORTAGE AND WAS INVOLVED IN A SINGLE AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT ON 7/20/05. I WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH WHEN THE BOLT THAT HOLDS THE ROCKER ARM OF MY ENGINE SHEARED OFF AND THE ENGINE DROPPED DOWN ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE (DRIVER'S SIDE OF MY VEHICLE) AND FELL ONTO THE DRIVE TRAIN AND AXLE, CRUSHING EVERYTHING IT HIT. I WAS INJURED IN THIS ACCIDENT, AS WELL, AND KIA IS BEING EXTREMELY DIFFICULT ABOUT FIXING MY VEHICLE. IF I HAD BEEN DRIVING ANY FASTER, LIKE I HAD BEEN ONLY MINUTES EARLIER, THE ENGINE COULD HAVE BEEN YANKED FROM UNDERNEATH THE SUV AND SEPARATED FROM MY VEHICLE, LEAVING ME STRAPPED INTO THE FRAME OF MY CAR WITH NO ENGINE IN IT AND FREE ROLLING IN THE FRAME. IT IS HIGHLY FORTUNATE THAT I WAS NOT KILLED IN THIS ACCIDENT BECAUSE IT CERTAINLY COULD HAVE BEEN A POSSIBILITY. INITIALLY, THE LOCAL DEALER WENT AHEAD AND REPAIRED THE AXLE, DRIVE TRAIN, AND ENGINE MOUNT REPAIRS; HOWEVER, MY FRAME IS BENT BADLY ON MY VEHICLE AND THE LOCAL DEALER SAYS THAT THEY DO NOT REPAIR THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM. AFTER REPORTING THE ACCIDENT, THEN GOING BACK AND FORTH BEING PUT OFF MULTIPLE TIMES BY KIA CORPORATE, I NOW STILL HAVE NO VEHICLE FIVE WEEKS AFTER THE ACCIDENT. KIA CUSTOMER SERVICE TOLD THAT SEVERAL INDIVIDUALS HAD MY CASE AND THAT THEY WOULD CALL ME. THEY NEVER DID UNTIL LAST NIGHT WHEN THE KIA CORPORATE NATIONAL CONSUMER AFFAIRS MANAGER LEFT ME A MESSAGE AT HOME WHILE I WAS AT DINNER. THIS IS THE FIRST PERSON TO CALL ME IN FIVE WEEKS, ASIDE FROM THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP. I AM EXTREMELY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF MY VEHICLE GOING FORWARD AND MY INSURANCE COMPANY, USAA, IS NOT WILLING TO HELP ME WITH THIS CASE BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH I REPORTED THE ACCIDENT WITHIN MINUTES OF IT HAPPENING, THEY DID NOT FOLLOW THROUGH AND NOW THEY ARE SAYING THAT SINCE KIA TOUCHED THE VEHICLE AND MADE REPAIRS BEFORE THEY COULD LOOK AT THE EXACT NATURE OF THE DAMAGES THEY CANNOT HELP ME WITH THIS PROBLEM. CALL LOGS AND ALL RELATED PAPERWORK IS AVAILABLE IF NEEDED. *JB

DT: CONSUMER STATES THAT THE TIRE LATCH ON THE BACK OF 2001 KIA SPORTAGE I BROKE. THIS WAS LATCH THAT HELD THE SPARE TIRE CARRIER, IT ALSO HAS TO OPEN IN ORDER FOR THE CONSUMER TO OPEN TRUCK. THE OWNERS MECHANIC HAS OILED AND FIXED THE TIRE CARRIER FOR A TEMPORARY FIX. THE OWNER HAS TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIRS, AND THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE AND COULDN'T FIX THE LATCH UNTIL IT WAS BROKEN, AND THEN THEY COULD REPAIR IT. THE OWNER HAS NOT CALLED KIA. THE LATCH HAS BEEN BROKEN FOR ABOUT 2 MONTHS. THE OWNER SUGGESTED THAT THE LATCH COULD HAVE ROTTED OUT. THE OWNER HAD TAKEN THE VEHICLE LAST YEAR ON JUNE 12, 2004 TO HAVE THE TAIL PIPE FIXED. THE KIA DEALERSHIP BODY SHOP THAT WAS SUPPOSE TO FIX THE TAILPIPE, DID NOT REPAIR THE TAILPIPE. THE CAR WAS RATTLING FROM THE EXHAUST. THE OWNER'S MECHANIC REMOVED THE ROTTED EXHAUST SYSTEM, THE KIA DEALERSHIP WAS SUPPOSE TO FIX THIS AND DID NOT AT THIS POINT THE VEHICLE ON HAD 13,623 MILES ON IT AT THIS POINT. THE DEALER IS NO LONGER WITH THE ADDRESS OR PHONE NUMBER THEY CLOSED DOWN.*AK

2001 KIA SPORTAGE TEMPERATURE GAUGE NEVER REGISTERED THAT THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING HOT. THE CONSUMER HAD TO HAVE THE ENGINE REPLACED.*MR THE COOLANT SENSOR MALFUNCTIONED, THE REAR HATCH PANEL INSIDE FELL OFF, NEW CLIPS WERE INSTALLED. REPLACED MANUAL TRANSMISSION CLUTCH, TIMING BELT WAS REPLACED, WIND NOISE FROM FRONT PASSENGER SIDE DOOR AREA. *BF

WHEN PUMPING FUEL INTO THE VEHICLE, FUEL SPRAYS OUT ONTO THE GROUND. THE DEALER STATES THAT THE FUEL TANK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK THE BACK PRESSURE WAS CAUSING THE GASOLINE TO SPLASH BACK AND THE PUMP NOZZLE WOULD SHUT OFF. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT ICE AND SNOW HAD BUILT UP ON TOP OF THE GAS TANK AND CAUSED THE ORVR VALVE TO STICK. THE ICE AND SNOW WAS REMOVED AND EVERYTHING WAS FINE FOR A WEEK BUT THE PROBLEM RECURRED. THE SCREWS HOLDING THE PUMP ONTO THE FUEL TANK WERE BREAKING THEREFORE THE FUEL TANK WAS REPLACED ALONG WITH THE ORVR. *SC

ON APRIL 24, 2005 COLUMBUS OHIO HAD POOR WEATHER CONDITIONS ;SNOW AND ICY RAIN. I WAS TRAVELING ON S.R. 104 EXITING ON HIGH ST. I APPLIED PRESSURE TO THE BRAKES AND FISH TAILED MY 2001 KIA SPORTAGE. I HIT THE GUARD RAIL AND THE CAR ROLLED OVER. THE FRONT BUMPER HAD HIT THE GUARD RAIL AND WAS ACTUALLY OFF THE CAR BY THE TIME I UPRIGHTED THE VEHICLE AGAIN. THE KIA SPORTAGE IS EQUIPPED WITH 3 AIRBAGS;THE FRONT DRIVER FRONT PASSENGER AND A DRIVER KNEE AIRBAG, NONE OF WHICH DEPLOYED. THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR WAS OFF THE CAR AS WELL WHEN I UPRIGHTED, AND AGAIN, NONE OF THE AIRBAGS, INCLUDING THE PASSENGER SIDE DEPLOYED. MY 2 YEAR OLD SON WAS ALSO IN THE CAR, IN A CARSEAT IN THE BACK PASSENGER SIDE. HE THANKFULLY SUFFERED NO INJURY, BUT THAT PART OF THE CAR RECIEVED THE LEAST DAMAGE.