Kia Sorento

saber86

That study is based on the 2000 models and they got a total feedback of 55,000 respondents covering all make/model. Howmany new vehicles were sold in 2000? My guess is around 15 million.

How accurate is JD power study based on responses of less than .05% of all the new vehicles sold in 2002??

stever

Representative sampling has a long and storied history, and lots of life and death decisions have been made from medical studies and surveys, as one example.

Statistics is a well recognized area of study and even Edmunds has some PhD statisticians on staff.

JD Power's FAQ may be of interest.

Steve, Host

mikesf

The new KIA? My butt! After repeatedly calling KIA Canada for two weeks to complain that no one from their office has called me regarding my "issue" (See Messages 2703 & 2704) I've fired the first legal salvo, the registered letter. Looks like I'll be seeing the new KIA in court!

Let's just say that my faith in KIA is null.

I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you.

Mike

tidester

How accurate is JD power study based on responses of less than .05% of all the new vehicles sold in 2002??

55,000 out of 15,000,000 works out to about 0.3% - not 0.05%. That's off by a factor of 60.

BTW - did you know that national polling (such as political polling) typically involves about 1,000 participants? That's out of perhaps 100,000,000 voters which works out to 0.001% and is about 1/300^th the relative size of the JDPower sample. National polls are generally regarded as highly reliable.

tidester, host

ivan4741

Well Mike I wish you luck. You are going to need it. I don't think you have a chance in Hell of getting Kia to pay you. And I don't see any jury ruling in your favor. You did the deed You must pay the price.

gwelmo

I am considering purchasing a Sorento EX. Without going through all 2000+ posting, what is the overall satisfaction with the Sorento's?
Is all the hype for real?

Thanks

dbgindy

Had my EX 4X4 for over 3 months and 4300 miles. Zero problems and couldn't be happier. Power is sufficient to run well on interstates and get between 320-340 miles on a tank of gas.

Good luck.:-)

moose27

Had my EX 4x4 now for 8 months, sor far no problems with it and very happy with my purchase. I'm going for my second oil change on wednesday, my Sorento has 11,000 km on it right now. I never drove my Sorento until my tank was empty, but I do around 630km (highway) and 460km (city) with 70 liters of gaz. If you are looking for a real truck based SUV, I think that the Sorento is the way to go, especially whith what you are getting for the price, warranty and all.

ivygrnsorento

Like most of us here that have been following your unfortunate circumstances...I hate to see this happen. Please continue to keep us up to date on what is going on.

A few thoughts if I may. I personally think you DO have a chance here. Based on the issues that you have reported here, these were all issues that could have been easily corrected with some attention to details, and a knowledgable support system in place. It doesn't sound like you had any of this. I applaud you for taking on Kia! Without failure, there is no success. An old cliche' for sure...but one that I hope works wonders here.

If your case can in any way make my and anybody elses Kia a better truck/car for the future, go for it! I just hope this doesn't cost you an arm and a leg in legal fees.

Maybe Nymph knows of some good lawyers...im sure he has had to hire a few in his day to cover his mouth!

dalancroft

Took my wife and daughter to the beach yesterday and in the parking lot was a beautiful baby blue Sorento with dealer plates still on it. Even my wife couldn't help walking around and around and remarking what a great-looking vehicle it is. If it weren't for the fact that she's still undecided over whether we'll eventually need a 3rd row seat, I think I could talk her into purchasing one of our very own.

luvmysorento

I have had my Indigo Blue/Stone Beige EX since December 2002. My sister got her Aqua blue/Gray EX in February. I have a picture of both SUV's together but I don't have a scanner.
  I haven't had any problems with my Sorento. I love it. It's awesome inside and out. My husband accuses me of loving my Sorento more than him! My sister always wants her husband to leave their Sorento home for her to drive. You and your wife should check one out in person and go for a test drive. Check out all of the great options that are included and you will see what a great deal the Sorento is. People always come up to me and ask me about it. Just be prepared to be stared at as you drive it down the road!

            Karen

mikesf

Greetings folks.

Ivan4741, what are you talking about? I did the deed? What deed? Buying a vehicle from KIA? The faulty remote starter is an excuse. Firstly the remote starter worked fine for 5 months prior to the accident, Secondly, seeing that it took 100 days to repair the vehicle I didn't even use the remote starter after getting my Sorento due to the warmer weather. In fact, nobody used the remote starter after the accident. The only time I used it was to get out of being stranded in a parking lot on a Saturday afternoon. My suspicion (since I am in Law Enforcement) is that KIA Montreal is covering their tracks for having destroyed what was left of my functional starter when they did their 'diagnostic'. That would explain why they went out of their way to Alert KIA Bourassa and KIA Canada. Also KIA Canada, after 18 days, has yet to call me back. Wow! What customer service! Absolutely inexcusable!!!
Oh, and despite your prognostication, I have all the confidence in the world that I will win. I have seen nothing but negligence and buck passing in this affair.

Ivygrnsorento: Thanks for the support! I will report back with every new development.

Cheers!

stever

Updated NHTSA results:

Rollover, Crash Test Results for Fourth Group Of 2003 Vehicles

Steve, Host

hciaffa

The Sorento received 5 stars on the crash testing by NHSTA. Just released report. Here is the link.
http://www.freep.com/money/autonews/crash15_20030715.htm

gwelmo

My dealer gave me a copy of his invoice for a Sorento showing a $769.00 marketing allowance. Is this something I have to pay or is this something I can bargain on?

Thanks!!

lok888

Sounds like a dealer incentive or discount. What model and package are you looking for? And the pricing?

gwelmo

I am looking at Sorento EX 4x4 with lux package and ABS brakes. The invoice shows:
22,900 base
517 abs
1739 lux package
640 destination
769 marketing allowance???
26565 total invoice

They are asking for $100 over invoice ($26,665)and they keep the $1000 rebate. I figure the true dealer cost with the 3% holdback was 24,880. I was going to offer $25,500 they keep the $1000 rebate.
Am I way off? Dealer says Sorento's are in high demand. Is they any room to deal?

Thanks!

lok888

I mean.

gwelmo

It's not money I get...he's expecting me to pay the $769 marketing allowance. Is this a common
fee that customers get charged?

jarbar

I have read the first few hundred posts of problems on Sorento's and there were a lot of vibrations etc. Has anyone noticed these recently?, Does anyone have at least 15k on their car? I test drove one today and it seemed to have some slack in the steering, acceleration ok, will 04's have a power passenger seat option? Any other info would be great.

lilac0422

I also received a copy of the invoice with a marketing allowance of about 400. I refused to pay it even though my dealer said it was not negotiable. It must have been because as I walked out the door, he said they could take it off. Play hardball and find a dealer that actually wants to sell cars.

dbgindy

Just got a survey/evaluation on my Sorento from JD Powers. Has anyone else gotten this? It's pretty comprehensive.
Since I've had no problems it got high marks. The worst thing I said was the AM reception was poor. :-)

lok888

dbginby - I got the survey (with a one dollar bill) few months ago. I guess I agreed to do more future survey. Then I also received two surveys from Strategic Vision, Inc. For the AM reception, mine was perfect until I recently tried to remove the antenna rod.

suvshopper4

Here is a link to a Sorento review by Jim Mateja, via the Philadelphia Inquirer (where it appeared today).

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/classifieds/automotive/6330067- .htm

"What Sorento lacks in quiet, it makes up for in pep."
"Sorento's strength comes from attention to detail and features you do not expect on the price leader."

luvmysorento

My sister sent me the website for the NHTSA crash test results. It had info plus pictures of the actual crashed Sorento (poor thing). The addy is: www.nhtsa.gov/NCAP/cars/2422.html.

luvmysorento

You can go to the NHTSA website and view complaints of vehicles by year, make and model. The addy is: www.nhtsa.dot.gov

hciaffa

Just to inofm you all....
I had our Sorento in for an oil change and to have the service campaign done. Because it had to got to the body shop for this and this dealer has about 6 differant brands they sell, it has one giant body shop, so I had to leave it off for the greater part of the day. They remove the front grill and spray some sticky wax around the grill opening and on the hood where the top of the hood bends downward to the front grill. Actually from what the tech says it takes about an hour to so this but they were stacked up with work.

lok888

hicaffa - It took me an hour for the wait. I didn't see the procedures. It was done on a quite Saturday morning. I didn't even make any appointment. My dealer (service dept.) used to serve GM vehicles and now only Kia. I think that is the reason. But I might have to leave my car there for may be a day for the radio antenna and horn.

Also, anyone notice squeaking noise from the front end like when you drive thought the parking lot speed up or may be in and out the the
driveway?

ivygrnsorento

...I hear is coming from my front seat. The springs in the seat make a small squeak when I am bouncing up and down over small bumps or accelerating or braking. The only time I notice it is when I have the radio off and I am really listening for it.

Maybe not the same sound you hear, but just a heads up on the seat squeak.

lok888

ivygrnsorento - I first thought was the springs in the front seat but it wasn't. I tried to bounce up and down and couldn't duplicate the noise. My second guess was the brake pedal but I was wrong too. I hold the brake pedal real hard and it wasn't from there. It is not loud. It happens when drive over small bumps. My next guess is the front end like struts and spring (maybe some loose bolts) because noise is also from the front.

saber86

I saw a fully customized sorento today during my lunch. It was the gold color ex model. The tires had to be at least 18in and 4 shinny custom chrome alloy wheels. Had a front hood protector. Moonroof windsheid deflector. What do you call those metal framings around the taillights? The side step bars. Front and rear mud guards. What do you call those plastic things that hangs on the windows??

It looked real good. I don't think I've seen another sorento that fully decked out.

lok888

saber86 - I hope you can post some pictures. I have the gold beige EX too. The metal looking thing is called chrome tail lamp accents. For the window thing, I called it rain or wind visor. Some called it window deflector. The only thing that I did was replaced the light bulbs (high & low beams, front & rear turn signals and back up) with super white bulbs.

saber86

yeah I wish I had my digital camera with me to take some pictures but no such luck.

sorentoguy

Has anyone added XM or Sirus satellite radio to their Sorento?

sorentoguy

I think I'm losing my mind. The dash indicator light for Park is supposed to be red, and I'm sure mine was for awhile. Now it's green like for N,D,2,1. Only R is red.

Is anyone else's Green?

I must have way too much time on my hands. LOL

lok888

and the light for overdrive off is yellow.

sorentoguy

lok888 - glad I'm NOT losing my mind. My Park was prolly always green, but I was reading the manual and it said it should be red, so I of course had to check, saw the green and thus my post.

lok888

There was a huge rain storm this morning. Most secondary roadways were flooded. I would say the water was at least a foot deep. I was heist rated to drive through it. But I did it without any problem. Some cars were not that lucky. I wonder how deep the Sorento can go. Maybe not higher than the tail pipe. I know the ground clearance is 8.2"

hciaffa

We had torrential rains here in Connecticut yesterday afternoon as well and I was lucky I had the wifes Sorento to test out. On the road I was on was is a 4 lane turnpike there was about 6 to 10 inches of standing water and the Sorento went thru very well as I was doing about 25 mph. But I decided to test the vehicle further and went up to 35-40 mph and I noticed in doing so the water hits the bottom skid plates and this creates a plowing of the water back out the front and up onto the hood so it even created more water on to the windshield. It became a little unnerving so I then slowed down and the plowing effect went away. The Sorento did perform very well in the rain with AWD TOD and I gave a thorough inspection at all the door and window seals and especially the sun roof and no leaks. I did notice though that with the skid plates ( there are two one just in front of the other under the engine ) that it did keep the compartment mostly dry especially at the accessory belt area. All in all were quite happy so far with our Sorento. Much happier that what we were with our Forester.

paisan

Are not for keeping stuff dry, they are mostly for stopping stones and obstacles from offroad damaging components like your oil pan.

-mike

lok888

I was in the bumper to bumper traffic or maybe 15 mph or less. I wouldn't do that at high speed because I was concerning the traction. We probably see the same thing because we will have the same weather pattern for the next couple days.

Placeman

I'd also be interested in this. If you have had it installed, which model, where did you install the head unit and where was the antenna mounted?

dalancroft

Opened up the Saturday "Wheels" section of my local newpaper in San Diego and was greeted by a large color photo of ... a Kia Sorento!

The article is quite glowing. Enjoy!

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/uniontrib/sat/auto/news_mz1d26- - sorren.html

dbgindy

Thanks for the link! It was a great review. :-)

jjwolf

Well August is about here and no news of the 2004 model.

ill be in the market for an SUV this fall and Id like to see the 2004 Sorento soon!

jjwolf

actually, I did find this

http://www.kmcir.com/kia_e/news/newsview.asp?ino=126&page=1

a little news on the 04 model,

but the grammar is horrible.

mikesf

Greetings!

Well I finally got my Sorento back. KIA Bourassa replaced the flywheel and tested the remote starter to see if it was the cause as KIA Montreal had diagnosed. Turns out it was NOT the remote starter (as I had surmised) and everything was covered by the warranty. Unfortunately, I had to be without my Sorento for an additional month before resolving this 'issue'.

In any case, I had a talk with the service manager at KIA Bourassa and told him I was not angry with his dealership but I was sure mad as hell with KIA Canada (it took 19 days, 10 phone calls and a registered letter to get an acknowledgement from them) and even angrier with KIA Montreal for having:
- 1. treated me like cr@p when I had the car over at their place,
- 2. brought up this 'red herring' of the remote starter which distracted everyone from the real issue
- 3. gone out of their way to discredit me with KIA Canada and KIA Bourassa.

KIA Bourassa made a good effort at customer service and I can't begrudge them (in fact I even got a loaner for the past 5 days). Thank you Sebastien, the service manager. They just made a new client for the servicing.

However, suffice to say, I WILL be going to court with KIA Canada and KIA Montreal.

Keep you guys posted.

Damn it feels good to be in the driver's seat of my Sorento again.

Cheers!

Mike

PS. To any Montrealers out there STAY AWAY from the 'crosseurs' (you know what I mean) at KIA Montreal.

lok888

The service manager showed me the side step bars for the Sorento. He told they supposed to come in (U.S.) back in April and they are here now with limited quantity. It costs around $450 installed. Is it a right price? He showed me one fully loaded Sorento with the side step bars. It really makes entering and existing more easier.

In the meanwhile, I found these Cobra tubular side steps (in black powder finish or stainless steel) on www.truckaccessories4less.net
for $349.99 (add $74.99 for stainless steel). This actually a running board with no drilling required.

Anyone has any experience with these products (Kia or aftermarket)? Is it going to minimize the ground clearance?

hciaffa

I hope that the transfer case resolves the problem you had with the 4 lo locking up on you. It's to bad that the tech's that some of these dealers have are like apes, so now are they going to take care of the scratch,I hope that they make it look as new as they can. The sorento in the show room that has the step bars are they the round type or a running board type. I have been up on the Cobra site before and they offer both the step bars and running board type. They even have the installation instructions up there to see. Easy bolt on no drilling. I kind of prefer the running board type. On this one the rear of the board by the rear passenger door flares out to give you a wider step which is nice to stand on and reach the lugage rack on top.
From what I understand the Cobra ones are the ones that Kia is selling, I believe that Cobra which is in Germany is making them for Kia. Very high quality stuff.

saber86

between running board and side step bars? Do they serve a same purpose?