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Kia Sorento Transmission Problems

neddy2neddy2 Member Posts: 1
in Kia
My 05 Sorento has an intermittent problem whereby she gets stuck in 5th and wont kick back when accelerating heavily. She goes beautifully most of the time but every so often on a country drive I go to overtake and she just wont change. I have to stop the car totally, go to Park, then go again. It can be great for the next 1000kms and loads of overtakes. Kia have never heard of this, and of course she never does it for them!
Has anyone heard of this problem?
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Comments

  • jpretejprete Member Posts: 2
    Yes. I've had a similar experience and Kia cannot explain it. It seems to correct itself, but not always after the first time I shut off the car and re-start it. It's happened 3 times to me so far. I have about 45K on my vehicle. It is an '05 Sorento EX.
  • americanadianamericanadian Member Posts: 1
    Hey neddy,

    I have an 05 as well and gave it the nick name Killed In Action. We bought it in April of 05 and 2 months later it started to die in my driveway. This was just one issue at the time. The other issue was that the passenger air bag sensor would not sense my wife sitting in the seat, the car would shift from manual to automatic for some odd reason. I noticed this when I needed to down shift for climbing hills. I had it towed into the shop twice dead and they replaced the battery once and another time tweaked the doors thinking that the lights were staying on. The next time they took it to Vancouver BC to let the big boys figure it out. The dying issue never happened to them, but the shifting problem did. All they did was re program the computer after a months time. This cured the problem for a few months and it started up again. I had it in the shop again and they replaced the alternator to no avail. It died on me again for the 21st time and again I handed it back to them. This time they replaced the Transmission Computer Module (TCM)and now I am waiting to see if it happens again. This was replaced last week so we will hold our breaths every time I start it in the morning. Even though everything looks normal on the tests, ask them just to try and switch the computer since your car is under warranty. good luck
  • cassiewcassiew Member Posts: 2
    KIA is lying to you, they have heard of it, numerous times. I have an '06 Sorento and the same problem, sticks in 4th or 5th and won't go into passing gear when needed, but it's intermittent. It took them two days and a thousand miles to duplicate the problem when they had it in. There were four of us at once with the same problem. They first told me it was a software problem, then an altitude problem (what, they don't sell these things in Colorado???), then that I was confusing the computer by using the manual option. When he told me that, I finally told him he was blowing smoke up my butt and just because I'm female, I'm not stupid.
    Now it will downshift into 3rd, but won't come back out of it unless I use the manual option. But tomorrow it may not downshift, so I can't count on it in an emergency situation.
    I traded in my '03 on this POS and am very sorry I did. The only problem I had with the '03 was frequent replacement of headlights. That was nothing compared to this crap. So KIA is saying there's nothing wrong to fix, and the vehicle is running as it was designed to. Baloney!! I've already contacted my attorney and the BBB is next, or maybe a full page ad in the local paper???
  • medic_danmedic_dan Member Posts: 1
    I own a 2006 Kia Sorento LX 4X4. I have been having similar problems with my transmission. When the vehicle is climbing up a hill from a stop position to a start it will upshift to 3rd gear and then will drop to first gear for no reason. At the same time I get a very big "Shift shock". I have taken it in to the dealership about 8 times. They have finally decided to do something about it after I made a big stink. The service department investigated the problem (of course it would not do it with them) and also contacted The head office. They have now installed what was described to me as a wiring kit that apparently is required to ground out some wires that cause this to happen. Fine and dandy it is covered by warranty. However when I went to pick it up the other day it would not shift out of first gear and my engine light was on. It has been with them for a week now and they still have not been able to figure out what the problem is. Not looking forward to them not being able to fix my problem
  • edladaireedladaire Member Posts: 7
    I have a Kia Sorento 2005 with 54,000 miles and I took it into the repair shop b/c the check engine light came on and then I received the recall notice in the mail.
    The repair shop told me that my problem was a spark plug wiring problem and so I had them fix that; fix the engine recall and to also replace the drive chain. In doing the repairs they said that they found a cracked radiator and so they fixed that. Then they said that the check engine light was on and found that there was a bent spark plug. So they had the car for 3 days to fix.

    After the various fixes I found that it would jump from 1st gear to 2nd gear from a stop sign. It had harsh shift shock going up and going down gears. There is a 1 to 2 frequent delay from when I press the gas to when the car goes. I am nervous when I drive the car b/c it is dangerous and nonresponsive. I have taken the car back to the repair shop 3 times and have been told that it is fine and is exactly like the other Sorentos. :mad:

    I went to Kia.com and complained to them there and got an advocate and phone number (800) 333-4542. My problem isn't resolved b/c I believe that I am being lied to from the repair shop and that they screwed up my car. I am hopeful that I will be able to get this resolved before I get killed in an accident or harm someone else.
    I was at a stop sign on a hill two days ago. I pressed the gas and slid backwards. If there was a car behind me I would have crashed into it. Worse yet, if someone was walking behind me they would have been hurt. :sick:

    I am very interested to find out if others are having problems with their transmissions after the TSB engine fix. :confuse:
  • sgopussgopus Member Posts: 7
    Here’s an exciting tale, thankfully nobody was hurt, just scared beyond belief.

    We have a 2008 Kia Sorento EX fully loaded no tow package.

    My wife and her sister were going to leave our house one day, so she started the engine and started to back out, she noticed some construction debris in back of the car, so shifted to park and exited the car to move the debris, she had walked to the back of the car and was in the process of moving the debris when she noticed movement out of the corner of her eye, the car was backing up towards her, she yelled at her sister to stop the car, and then suddenly the car went from reverse to forwards movement, her sister hadn’t done a thing. She couldn’t get her leg over the center console to step on the brake.
    I had just rounded the corner of the house and saw the car moving forward and heard the clicking of the tranny parking pawl trying to engage, My wife’s sister tried yanking back on the emergency brake, with both hands and the vehicle wouldn’t stop, I saw it hit the side of our house, and was surprised with neither of the air bags activated. I went to the car and saw for myself the gear lever was in park. And the handbrake handle was yanked back all the way. We have no explanation for this behaviour, My wife took the car out and went slowly down the level road and yanked back on the handbrake lever, the car didn’t stop, just slowed a bit. She said while she took the car into town at stop signs it felt like the car was surging and she felt the need to press the brake pedal harder to keep the car from moving. Has anybody else experienced this, or any other problems with the gear selector?
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    That sounds awful. Have you had your dealer inspect the vehicle? If so, what did they say?

    Regarding the airbags, they won't deploy until some threshold levels of deceleration and speed are reached reached. For example, they would not deploy if the car's speed were below about 12 mph.

    tidester, host
    SUVs and Smart Shopper
  • sgopussgopus Member Posts: 7
    Being this is the Holiday weekend (july 4th) I am waiting till monday to contact the dealer
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    Let us know what you find out!

    tidester, host
    SUVs and Smart Shopper
  • mozilla757mozilla757 Member Posts: 1
    I was driving to the store and my sorento suddenly stopped responding to the gas pedal. I was thinking it lost power and cut off. Parked the car, started the car, tried to engage into reverse, no go. The darn thing just kept idling! Looked outside my vehicle and noticed red fluid dripping down! Called kia's 800# and had them tow it to the dealer. Anyone have the same experience?

    btw- my kia only has 24,000 city miles.
  • paopao Member Posts: 1,867
    hope you had it serviced IAW with KIA maintenance schedule in order to keep their 10/100K drive train warranty in effect....keep us informed.....
  • edladaireedladaire Member Posts: 7
    I had nothing but trouble with the kia dealer repairs done in Yonkers, NY (the Kia rep told me that they are no longer affiliated with Kia. However, I believe the dealership that oversaw the shop now does repairs at a new location, so beaware). I did the transmission recall in November 2008 and had to take back my 2005 sorento 5 times where they told me nothing was wrong but then found other problems to charge me $1,500 for. When I took it to a mechanic to check it out they found that the transmission fluid wasn't replaced after the repair was done. It was extremely dangerous driving the car during that time. :mad:
    While my sorento was in the shop I had them replace the timing chain at around 60,000 and now it appears that the crankshaft pully bolt was torqued inproperly and it snapped off yesterday while I was driving and I almost crashed. How on earth can people doing shotty repairs sleep at night.
    I called national Kia and tried to get satisfaction through them, but I was told that after 60,000 miles they no longer have road side assistance. It appears even when they do a repair improperly and send out dangerous vechicles that applies. The first representative I spoke with told me to drive the sorento in--even after I told her that the crank shaft bolt snaped. I told her it wasn't driveable. She told me that basically it was my problem. So I got the manager's boss who told me that they would cover the towing cost if it was found out by them that it was caused by an error in the previous repair. So I guess I have a lemmon that is falling apart at 64,000 miles. This is incredibly disheartening. :lemon:
    Now I have to get a tow truck to take the sorento to a different kia dealer repair shop that is in the bronx. I feel very powerless in dealing with this supposed great warranty.
    See TSB No. KT2009081001 that they have on the proper installation of the crankshaft pully bolt.
    To learn more about recalls, TSB, etc. go to http://www.kiatechinfo.com and sign up.
    I'm beyond disgusted with calling kia and trying to get satisfaction after having their representative Yonkers Kia dealer repair lying and saying that the transmission repair was done properly and then having to call Kia national to complain to try to get the problem resolved. :sick:
  • nigelsmomnigelsmom Member Posts: 1
    My husband and I were officially kicked out and permanently banned from our Kia dealership today and all because of the on-going transmission issues with our 2007 Sorento LX. :lemon:

    We bought it brand new in 2/07, and by 4/12/07 we were having a brand new transmission put in...after they had already kept it for 21 days trying to fix the original; I had to threaten a lemon lawsuit against them just to get them moving on fixing it.

    Well we now have the "newer" transmission but the same old problems, ie: bucking/jerking at various speeds, and a whole list of other problems to tag along (A/C won't come on have the time, the under-dash just falling off for no reason, traction light stays on, engine light stays on, etc.!). Anywho, we've owned it 30 months and it's been in the shop for a total of 58 days and everytime it's released back to us they promise that it's fixed and there will be no more problems. Oh, and you know the saftey recall they recently sent out regarding the tail light switch? Well our Kia was in the shop for that exact problem for 3 days because the tail lights wouldn't cut off, my husband didn't know it and it had drained his battery while he was at a client's house. Before we received the recall letter not once did the service dept. mention that there was a recall for the exact problem we were trying to have fixed! They even made us pay to replace a battery that died because their car was defective...gah!

    I finally lost my cool today after I seriously thought it was breaking down on me on I-40 while I was going 63mph. I told my hubby to trade in that piece of junk for a Honda CRV or other comparable car because he already has 63k miles on it and what's it going to be like when the 100k warranty runs out? I guess that was enough to wake him up because next thing I know we're at Kia and words are flying and 15 minutes later we're being escorted out...oh the drama! :blush: I have to say after 3 yrs. of marriage I have never seen my husband so mad...

    After reading a lot of the posts I hope I'll be able to find a bit of sympathy, but more than that some advice on any legal/corporate actions we can take to help get us to the next level of repairs it so desperately needs/will need (seeing as how we can't set foot back in the place we bought it!) Thanks!!
  • sgopussgopus Member Posts: 7
    Well as usual the dealership found nothing wrong and couldn't duplicate the problem, DUH! we still have issues with the TCMP light coming on, they say it's a conflict with a radar dectector, not the case. ours is a 2008 and the wife wants to trade it in for some other make, I don't blame her.
  • dhenderson46dhenderson46 Member Posts: 2
    I feel your pain. My wife and I bought a 2008 Sorento LX and have experienced the same tranny issues. The dealer in Frederick MD is an idiot, his service manager just keeps saying "It's normal" or "I did what the computer told me to do". After our last visit in late June - I was basically banished from the dealer. Which was good because we found a great KIA dealership in Gaithersberg, MD (KING - the service manager is top notch). It took us several visits, but we got our tranny fixed. This is what you need to do: call KIA America consumer division and open a complaint. Insist that you get connected with the regional district manager. On the east coast the guy is in New Jersey name is Eric). Get in touch with him and be persistent - we were. What needs to happen is for the regional district manager to get his people involved - actually come out and drive your car. we gave them ours for almost a week (they gave us a free rental). Once they experienced the problem, they were able to fix it. Surprise, surprise, there is now a technical service bulletin for tranny bucking in 2008 Sorentos. Be persistent - most importantly get in the face of the regional manager (be nice, but BE AGGRESSIVE). King KIA and most importantly the service manager has restored our faith in KIA. I think the common issue with a lot of the complaints is the service people are not trained. They are not mechanics - anybody can hook a computer to the car and read the error codes. I also think they are told when in difficult situations with customers to respond " thats normal". With time this will improve at KIA. My mission now is to extrapolate some retribution on the Frederick KIA dealer - most importantly the service manager. I'll let you know how that goes.

    Best of Luck!
  • jpretejprete Member Posts: 2
    thanks for the response. i live in naples, fl now but lived in rockville, md for 15 years. as a private pilot, i flew into the frederick airfield a lot. i experienced the same issue with kia on an electrical issue. i must have replaced my headlights and fog lights several dozen times over the time i had the vehicle. they insisted there was nothing wrong. if i wanted them to investigate it, i would have to leave the car for several days. and, "no" they would not give me a loaner or rental. when i finally bought a new vehicle (hyundai santa fe), i brought my kia to an auto electric place across the street from the dealer. they told me they did all (or most) of the electrical work for the kia dealer. after i left the vehicle, they called me 20 minutes later and told me what the problem was. cost me $600 to have it fixed. a lot, but cheaper than more head and fog lights. no more kia for me. hyundai got rated as one of the top vehicles in its class. so far, so good. happy new year!
  • paopao Member Posts: 1,867
    so what was the electrical fix for $600 that was done???....this is a common problem with KIAs
  • aznative2aznative2 Member Posts: 1
    I own a 2006 Sorenta 5 speed manual transmission. I was NEVER notified or told of any transmission recall.

    Have had issues with this noisy transmission and noisy clutch since the day I drove it off the lot. Truly regret EVER buying a Kia. The quality just isnt there and regardless of the 100,000 mile warranty - dealers give you the run around all the time on warranty work and I always have to come out of pocket at least $400 or more with each warranty repair visit. Has anyone had issues with their manual transmission making loud knocking noises between 1st and 3rd gear? Mine is currently at the dealer and they claim no issue so I am going to have to take the mechanic and service manager for a "ride" so they can hear.
  • marsuemarsue Member Posts: 1
    I have yet to get the low end of the mpg advertised on the sticker. I have experienced two serious jolts in the transmission while driving on the interstate which caused my Sorento RPM's to stay around 5 and a loss of power. The last time I filled up, I had only gone 113 miles and used 6 gallons of gas. Now somethings wrong here. I love my Sorento but something needs to be done. I took it up once for the problem, but since it didn't do anything at the time, there was nothing they could do. I have another scheduled appointment next Monday. Boy, I miss my Sportage which I never had an issue with.
  • brian1971brian1971 Member Posts: 1
    I just bought a 2011 Sorento and experienced the jolt on day 2. I took it back to the dealership and after they sent it home with a tech they were able to experience the problem and told me it is the torque converter. I don't yet have resolution, they are consulting with big Kia to get guidance, but you may want to look into this.
  • lovstoplay64lovstoplay64 Member Posts: 1
    Can either of you who have complained about transmission issues tell me if you have the 4 cylinger or the 6 cylinder model?
  • rmathews14rmathews14 Member Posts: 1
    I have had the same problems as well as many others. I bought mine on July 21, 2008 two weeks later on 8-11 I had to take it in because of the passenger side airbag light would be on when someone would be sitting in the passenger side. I have had it now for 22 months, it has just over 25k miles on it and today made 14 times that I have had to take it in for service because of the airbag and the transmission. I met with the Kia Motors district manager of the southern region today and was not impresssed. He said that the Sorentos do not go by weight like the Kia Sadona's, they go by your "hip structure". Those were his excact words. So if you don't have big hips, then the airbag won't work right. I took a drive with both the service manager and the district manager and they reclined the seat back while I was driving and then set it back up, when they did that the light came on saying that they airbag was off. The district manager then had the guy sit up off the seat to let the sensor reset and then it worked. I asked him if he expected me to have someone constintly watch the light and if it goes off because someone shiffted their weight and have them sit up off the seat while driving so that the sensor could reset, he said yes. THIS IS RIDICULES AND UNSAFE!!! The service department has yet to fix the problem because they say that's the way it works and they just flashed my transmission for the third time so we will see in another 5k miles if its fixed this time! Word to the wise, DON'T BUY KIA!!!! Their own service departments can't work on your car with out calling into a "tech line" which is all email based. If the internet goes down, they can't work! I will never purchase a Kia again!
  • gregk22gregk22 Member Posts: 1
    Ive had my 2011 sorento (EX v6) for 55 days and had similar issues so i have been back at the dealer 5 or 6 times. They tell me its the torque converter and thats its normal. theres nothing normal about it as it always feels like i am putting the brakes on. they also call it "engine braking" but my wife calls it a go cart. love the car but this is very disappointing. Been in contact with Kia including the *outhern regional office where i was finally referred to after no much happened. Big Kia is sending an engineer to the Dallas area tomorrow morning and they are going to check it out extensively. the service manager has been zero help but the tech who rode with me says its not right. Curious if you have had any luck. my wife is ready to send it back if they cannot/won't do anything.
  • hopefull1hopefull1 Member Posts: 1
    I have only had mine for almost 3 weeks and i'm getting terrible gas millage and have a big jolt every morning when I first start driving. I have to turn the car off then start all over. I'm taking it back to the dealer tomorrow so they can look at it. I just hope it can be repaired. I'm truly concerned now that I have read all these postings about the 2011. I'm so upset.... I don't see where anyone has actually had their Sorento fixed.
  • csuf1csuf1 Member Posts: 8
    I bought my 2011 Kia Sorento LX(automatic)on 6/26/2010 and I love it. I hope you get yours fixed and that I don't have any problems. This is my first SUV and I love the style, ride, heated front seats, backup camera, backup warning, reclining rear seats, exterior paint(snow white pearl), interior cloth fabric, exterior mirrors w/turn signals, etc. Please keep me informed about your efforts to get yours repaired. Good luck.
  • sgopussgopus Member Posts: 7
    We got rid of our Kia Sorento, it started having electrical problems with the Traction control lights coming on and not shutting off, and other lights coming on and not shutting off, and the dealer said they couldn't resolve it, so we traded it for a Nissan, hope you guys have better luck with your Kias.
  • mudnermudner Member Posts: 1
    Purchased 2011 Sorento 4 cyl on 6/04. First week and tank of gas 25 mpg without any problems. Second week hard jolt and rpm ran pass 4K then it recovered. Called dealership and they said to drive it and they schedule an appointment for following week. Second tank of gas 18 mpg. Second hard jolt happened during hwy driving (in overdrive), I took it straight to the dealer.
    Dealer has been in contact with Big KIA for guidance. They were not allowed to tear into transmission. After having Sorento for 7 days the dealer called and said that they knew what the problem was , bad transmission production day. On that days' production, debris found in transmission chamber. Big KIA replacing with new tranmission.
    Car still at dealership (14+ days). Just checked status, trasmission on backorder.
  • csuf1csuf1 Member Posts: 8
    Did they give you a rental vehicle?
  • auyomanauyoman Member Posts: 5
    hello all, this is my first post here. i have been following tundra solutions but the 2011 kia sorento has won out over toyota highlander. has anyone had a complete loss of power mostly when coming out of a in town corner? the engine is not off but pushing the gas pedal does nothing for a couple of seconds, then it picks up and all is good. only 500 miles, but only 17 mpg around town and 23 on the road. what can i expect? thanks, sam
  • dknj1202dknj1202 Member Posts: 1
    I also got my Sorento on 6/4 and am loving it. However, I had to have it towed at 2 weeks due to problems with the starter. Was without a car for 2 days as they went back and forth with big KIA on it. I just don't think the car feels the same. What do you mean by big jolt? Kinda rumbly on start up?? Because this is happening to me too, and I feel like I am getting gas pretty often! I am in the car alot, but don't go any more than within a 30 mile range ... I just don't feel like I should have as many miles and probably need to track my mileage. Anyway, if you can clarify the jolt, I might have to get service ... I hope it's nothing because I do love this car.
  • scotladscotlad Member Posts: 1
    We have had a 2011 Kia since January. Have not had the jolt problem but gas mileage with the 4cyl has been terrible. The local dealer did replace the rear drive shaft due to a vibration issue and we just received a recall notice on the transaxle alignment. I hope this helps the mileage. Our last tank was only 21mpg in combined driving. We essentially love the car but hope our quality issues are behind us. :(
  • rick174rick174 Member Posts: 3
    I have a 2011 4cyl Sorento.....4000 miles....I too have experienced what I would describe as a "full shutdown" feeling ....I believe I was creating the situation by the way I drive...I brake with my left foot....If I am 'on' the brake pedal ( just touching it) at the same moment that I am accelerating the vehicle WILL NOT accelerate....My left foot must be completely off the brake otherwise the accelerator "shutsdown" so to speak....To test my theory I placed my foot on the brake and tried to accelerate...the transmission did not respond....Could be a built in safety thing....Good luck
  • jacquie49jacquie49 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2011 Sorento that I bought in January. I love my SUV and all the features that came with it. I had noticed that my gas mileage had not been great the entire time I owned my car. Over a month ago I was working about 2 1/2 hrs from home when my car made a horrible noise and just stopped. The engine was still running but it wouldn't go anywhere. All I could hear was grinding. I put it in park and it started rolling backwards. I knew something was horribly wrong at that point. I called roadside assistance and they had to tow it to the nearest dealership. The next day they diagnosed the problem as being the intermediate shaft and the transmission. The intermediate shaft separated from the transmission. No one at Kia could figure out why this happened. The next day they said there was a recall. Two weeks later I received that recall notice in the mail...too little too late! Needless to say my car has been at the dealership for over 4 weeks with no end in sight. Nineteen of the parts to repair my brand new car are on back order. They expect the intermediate shaft to come in sometime in August but the transmission they are not sure about. They did provide me with a rental but it still isn't the same. I just want my car back. I live in TN and lemon law states that if the vehiche is out of service for more than 30 days then lemon law can be enforced, but I don't want to have to do that. I love my car! I just want it fixed. At the time my broke down mine was the only one in the state that they knew of. Now there are four others beside mine...all waiting on parts. So trust me when I say, Get your recall fixed!
  • aballwienkaballwienk Member Posts: 3
    Often, I have a large thunking noise when I first start my 2011 Kia Sorento EX-AWD 6 Cylinder. I thought it may have been the AC compressor kicking on but it still makes when there is no AC on. Did you find out what it is? It is very loud and disturbing.
  • gantognoligantognoli Member Posts: 1
    I just experienced the same thing last week. I could not have explained the whole situaion better. One thing however, how did you get them to provide a rental car? The dealership told me, "it is not KIA's policy". Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
  • paopao Member Posts: 1,867
    you will find that most rental cars are a dealership policy vice the manufacturer's
  • gdoug12gdoug12 Member Posts: 1
    This loud bang also happens to my Wife's new Sorento on occasion. For example it happened twice last Saturday and never did it on Sunday, but it is loud enough to startle you. It sounded like a backfire but the whole vehicle jolted. Have you contacted the dealer about this yet?
  • smithsorento11smithsorento11 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2011 KIA Sorento that i purchased in June 2010. We had the vehicle about 2 weeks and a loud clunking started when you would crank the vehicle up. It has continued to clunk. Sometimes it will actually jump forward it will clunk so hard. I wish that was the only problem i had. It also has a motor vibration when i first crank it up in the mornings. The gas millage has decreased badly (i was actually only getting 12 mpgs at one point this week). About 4 weeks after purchase something in the rear end started grinding but it has not happened again. The newest addition now is the car is "surging", it feels like your patting the gas when i am doing nothing but pressing the gas. I have contacted my dealership and they are looking at my car. We have also spoken to the owner and he is supposed to be having an engier come out and take a look at it. He stated that if they could not get the vehicle fixed then they would get me another one. I love my car that is why we purchased it. I am worried that if i do get another vehicle that it will do the same things. I am not sure what to do but there is no other car that i really like as much as my Sorento. I just want my car fixed. Im not sure what i need to do but i am willing to get a lawyer involved if i need to. Im not sure if the lemon law protects us form this. But if anyone has any suggestions please let me know.
  • paopao Member Posts: 1,867
    if the dealership owner told you he would get you in another sorie if his service department couldnt fix your current one..then you are well ahead already...lets just hope he keeps his promise....or they fix the vehicle to your satisfaction first....
  • dissappointe3dissappointe3 Member Posts: 1
    Drive my KIA far on a daily basis due to my job location....had my KIA Sorento since Jan 2010...in May the car would not turn on at all...it had to be towed to the dealership...apparently there was a loose cable which had to be tightened....come July my KIA turned off while in motion...No I did not put it in Neutral the car just shut off on its own...Luckily I was able to move to the side without getting hit. When I took it to the dealership it made a loud noise as if the car was on and I was taking the keys out and walking away....the car was OFF! KIA still in the shop they can't seem to duplicate what happened to me and say there is nothing else they can do they have done "everything" they can...better luck next time KIA....
  • rhenjacobsrhenjacobs Member Posts: 1
    Hello,

    Thank you for this forum.
    I have a 2007 EX with 44,000 miles on it. There are a few questions I wondered if you could help out with (I've noticed the transmission thread, and don't know if this applies to me or not)

    My car makes this whining type noise when accelerating and then switching gears, most times there is a delay between punching the gas and it catching in (remnant of a turbo charger type delay) There is a long post about tranny problems and that there is a service bulletin on the subject, but I cannot find that (any links would be awesome)

    Issue 2 is this sound which I can only describe as kind of like a card in the spokes of a bicycle, kind of clicking noise. Out of frustration I lifted the hood and was trying to listen around and this big belt which goes around the frond seems to be the culprit or at least that general area. Any ideas on this, or is this something common.

    My passenger seat frequently does not light up the passenger airbag light and this is with people of varying weights from 130lbs to well over 200lbs.

    Last issue is gas mileage, no matter what is done (long trips, short trips, drive faster, drive really slow, it always says 27MPG and it really isn't getting anywhere near that) It's probably closer to 22 or 23 mpg.

    The bottom running lights seem to go out a lot also.

    I have searched these topics and I know that there are tranny issues and seat issues, but I can't find recalls or such on it (I'm so car dumb it's not even funny lol) also on the seat issue I see where people have had the bottom of the seat replaced, etc. I don't have much money at all and I have the main warranty which comes with the vehicle, also I have the oil changed at 3-4k miles.

    Just looking for some insight into what to do. It seems to need brake pads also sigh... as they are squeaking, but dealers charge an arm and leg and I am not really sure what is covered in laymans terms.

    Thanks for reading this and all of your help.
  • 2ps2ps Member Posts: 1
    2011 Kia Sorento EX-V6 AWD purchased April 2010. Currently 6,000 miles. Loud thud in transmission when shifting at about 10 miles per hour but only when engine is cold (first thing in the morning). AC discharge issue as well. Tank filled up instead of draining under the car onto the ground. Ended up with a huge flood on the floor of my passenger front seat floor. Every time I turned left, water would spary everywhere! Was torn about making a repeat purchase of a Nissan Murano. Chose the Kia because of everything it offered, maintenance cost, and price. Regretting the purchase now as I do not have faith in the quality of the transmission.
  • mcdonald340mcdonald340 Member Posts: 16
    Purchased in February 2010 (in Texas), KIA Sorento broke down out of state (Ft. Bragg, NC) Thanksgiving week 2010. KIA had vehicle towed to nearest dealer - A+. KIA provided rental immediately - A+. KIA Dealership reported transmission and driveshaft would need to be replaced. (Vehicle started but would not move and made grinding noise). KIA now states "We do not have a followback policy" meaning I'm supposed to pay for vehicle to be returned from near Ft. Bragg NC to where I reside in Texas - F. Any one know the law? I have owned 7 KIA's including this one, you would think KIA would reward such loyalty?
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    edited November 2010
    New one on me. Did you ask Kia where it says that in their warranty information in the owner's manual or wherever they provide it to owners?

    You could contact the FTC and see if someone there knows how the warranty stuff under Magnuson-Moss works.

    Ok, I just pulled up the 2010 warranty info from the Kia.com site and page 10 says any Kia dealer can perform warranty service. Similar language is on page 13. It's really hard to read it online and Flash is fighting me and not letting me save it to read the whole thing easily.

    If they can't direct you to the language in the warranty, then you could mention that you'll have to contact the FTC for an investigation. That might get their attention. :shades:
  • mcdonald340mcdonald340 Member Posts: 16
    Purchased KIA Sorento in FEB 2010 in Texas, drove from Texas to Ft. Bragg NC on 21 NOV 2010 and transmission broke. Car would start but not move. Only a grinding noise could be heard. KIA towed to nearest dealer and provided rental which I applaud, however, they are now saying it will take 30+ days to repair, due to supply and demand on transmissions, and I am supposed to pay for vehicle, once repaired, to be sent back to Texas. After purchasing 7 KIA's, you think KIA would show some appreciation back.
  • mcdonald340mcdonald340 Member Posts: 16
    Thank you so much for your reply. I appreciate you. Mike
  • djruss84djruss84 Member Posts: 2
    I had a very similar thing just happen to my 2011 Sorento SX over christmas. I was experiencing the clunking and hard start ups. And then while I was out finishing my Christmas shopping I heard a loud squeal/grinding and the vehicle ceased and stopped a dead stop in a busy intersection. The entire engine ceased up. The dealership drained the oil and found an abundance of metal fragments. I am currently waiting for a new engine. I have less than a thousand miles on it and had it just about a month when this happened. It really is bringing doubts about the quality of Kia's vehicles.
  • mcdonald340mcdonald340 Member Posts: 16
    I received my KIA back (with new transmission - drive shaft - splines, etc) on 30 DEC 2010. KIA did in fact pay for the vehicle to be shipped to Texas (my home state) from the break down location in North Carolina, but only after threatening an FTC complaint and providing the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaint number. If KIA owners do NOT file an online complaint with the NHTSA, there will be no recall. The NHTSA is the agency responsible for same. It does not take long and I was contacted immediately by a Federal Engineer with additional questions. Happy New Year to all.
  • mcdonald340mcdonald340 Member Posts: 16
    Website for complaints under NHTSA is www.safecar.gov
    Then go to "Vehicle Owners" and "File a Complaint".
  • sportsmom1908sportsmom1908 Member Posts: 6
    Get that transmission checked. I bought my 2011 Sorento last January and the transmission went this past weekend. Needs a whole new transmission.
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