Kia Sorento Maintenance and Repair

slan_canada

hciaffa... yes, it helped a lot. I hear the noise less frequently now. Hope it will get better with time.

slan_canada

oups... lok888

chill

Sorry, I don't know if the first message was submitted correctly...so this my be a duplicate. I purchased a new Sorento yesterday, 8/7/2004 in Des Moines, IA, the only dealer with the model we wanted. I live in KC. As I left the dealer making my way to the interstate, I eventually made it up to 70 mph. As I past the 65 mph mark, there was a NOTICABLE howling type sound with a little vibration, much like nobby tires on a jeep would make but not as bad..or much like an out of balance tire starting to shake at high speeds. To see if it might be the rearend of 4x4 system, I increased speed, put the unit into netural and coasted. The sound was still present...but decreased as my speed decreased and went away as the vehicle slowed to below 65 mph. At 63, quite as a mouse, at 65 and up, the humming type sound came right back but seem to decrease over 75. It seems to be coming from the rear. The vehicle came with Michelin Cross Terrain 245 70 R 16 tires.
To be honest, I was concern about KIA..but so was I when we bought a Toyota in 1969. It is a solid SUV and great looking, but I refuse to buy a new car off any lot that built requiring imediate major repairs.

First of all, I hope this is not standard for all EX SUVs. If any of you good folks have experienced this and had it corrected, or if any of you are KIA technicians and can give me guidence, please email me at craig1102@aol.com. I intend to call the dealer tomorrow. The car has not been registered so it is basically on a demo ride. If someone knows this is A BAD SITUATION, let me know, I have no problem returning the unit as soon as possible.

Thanks very much!

lok888

Congrats! But sorry for the trouble. I hope your dealer will figure out the problem. I have been reading messages (Edmunds and other site) that people having problems with their Sorentos and they bought them as demo. It seems like a problem with drive shaft.

apc

I have a 2004 sorento and I have already had the transmission and drive shaft replaced, but the problem has not been fixed. Still have creaking noise every time I start moving, sounds like something is loose and rolling around. I was wondering if anyone else has the same issues.
Dealer mentioned something about a design flaw in the transmission of the sorento. I can't imagine this is a normal noise for a new car.

hciaffa

I checked out my wife's Sorento this weekend and on her's the head rest will adjust when in the down position but not when lifted up. Now if you adjust them in in the down position and lift up they will stay adjusted.

johnhowelljr

I recently bought a 04' Sorento LX ( beginning of August ). About a week after driving it and getting really good gas mileage, the check engine light came on. I notified the dealer, setup an appointment but very shortly thereafter the light went out and the appointment was canceled. They thought it just might have been the gas cap not sealing.

Anyway, I noticed my fuel consumption has gone way up. I have calculated that I am getting between 8.5 and 10.5 miles to the gallon and that is on the freeway with a little city driving as well. I am calculating it based on the trip distance along with the amount between fillups. Before I call the dealer, any ideas what might cause such an increase in fuel consumption?

Thanks!

J.

farru21

Hello everyone,

To update on the new KIA EX 4x2 issues. After the Kia Engineer looked at the car, the following work was done on the vehicle:

1) new transmission wiring harness
2) new spark plugs
3) re-alignment of wheels
4) new drive shaft

After we got the car back, the transmissions issues are fixed but one old problem remains: when you back up and go forward, there is a rumbling noise from the front. Kia Engineer reported that is normal. Has anyone else heard of this thing?

That is all good news, bad news is that the dealership damaged the bumper in the shop via an accident, at first they were going to 'patch' it up, but after many calls back and forth between Kia and them, they are now replacing the bumper.

But wait there is more: in the process of replacing the wire harness, they had to pull the dashboard out. There is serious damage to the plastic panels throughout. even the center console. It is almost as if someone used a screwdriver to pry the panels out. To add to that the AC control no longer works, the safety belt warning is not working, the left pillar plastic cover is bent and the front windshield seal is now loose.

Once again the vehicle needs to go back. We are so tired of this. We have driven the car < 300 miles ourselves. Odometer reads 1600 with all the driving to dealership included.

we have 6-7 messages with a Kia rep on the case, he has yet to call us back.

Kia has seriously let us down on the quality of their vehicle and faith on it's dealership work. Instead of a car, we now have a damaged, unreliable 'new kia'

Frank

iluvmysephia1

Sorento. I'm serious. It would be easier for EVERYONE involved.

rdaystrom

John, The Sorento has a very efficient air filter. If you have any doubt whatsoever about the air filter replace it. I did this in mine because it had 36,000 miles of previous owner use and I had experienced horrible mileage. My mpgs went from 8 mpg hwy to 22.5 mpg instantly! A new air filter is about $35 at KIA and worth it because it stops the dirt. It's a super high quality filter.
    Also whatch your driving habits. The Kia Sorento has a wonderful V-6 engine that produces it's maximum torque at a lower rpm (around 3000 rpm) than most other similar vehicles. (4100 rpm for the Toyota Highlander) This characteristic is great for driving because the power is available "right now" so to speak without the need for downshifting to get the rpms up as with many competitive models. This characteristic can also lead the driver to become quite "heavy footed" around town and gas mileage can suffer if the engine is pushed hard.(which is very easy to do) The power is addictive. Don't get me wrong...this is a good characteristic. We just have to be conservative if we want to have better mileage) You could also use Mobil One Synthetic oil 0W-40 or OW-30 for it's gas saving qualities. I'm using it in mine but haven't evaluated the results yet. Good luck. Robert

lok888

I changed the air filter at 20,000 miles. The old was very dirty. It cost me $13 at dealer. I still get about 13 mph in city stop and go traffic for my EX 4WD. It is very impressive from 8 to 22.5 mpg.

stz24

After my Sorento sits over night the car starts fine but when it goes to idle down it almost stalls. No check engine light comes on so the dealership has tried several things. they decarboned the induction system,changed the spark plugs,replaced the vacuum control,and checked the connections to the computer. Does anyone have any other ideas. Thanks

renl08

I do know what you are talking about. When I take my foot off of the brake to press on the accelerator, the car makes a thud noise. This started at 3000 miles. I now have 13000 miles and it's getting worse. Now sometimes I even get the thud "pushing" noise even if I'm not at a complete stop (but almost) and then accelerate. I'm also having a problem where first thing in the morning when I press on the gas nothing happens. It hesitates and then takes off. I have to leave off the gas so I don't go flying out into the road. It happens about two more times. Also, there's a big hesitation shifting into first gear. The mechanics haven't been able to duplicate these problems. I can't see how that's possible, but that is what I'm told. Anyone else with these problems? It's a 2004 Sorento EX 4x4. Thanks.

lok888

I am not sure if you are talking about the "thump" feeling from rear wheels. If yes, you are not alone. My EX 4WD does the same thing. Many Sorento 4WD owners experience the similar thing. This happens when I am taking off from complete stop after I brake from high speed. I believe this is related to the speed. Many said this is normal because of the limited slip differential (LSD) on the car. I didn't bring to this issue to my dealer.

renl08

Yes!! I have the same problem. I step on the gas and nothing happens and suddenly it will take off. It does this about three times and then won't do it again till the next morning. However, this is intermittent and doens't happen every day. Maybe every other, every three and then stop for a few days or a week. I also have a 2004 Kia Sorento I purchased in beginning of Jan. The Kia shop is not able to reproduce my problem. Anyone have any ideas what it could be?

xmalice

Hi,

I just purchased a 2005 Kia Sorento EX with the luxury package. After 30 miles it started to idle very rough, it actually shakes the drivers seat and steering wheel. I am taking it in to the dealership on in two days. If you know what caused the problem in your Sorento please let me know so I can help the service department locate the problem. If you do not know what caused it in your Sorento I will repost to let you know what the problem was on mine. Perhapse it could help you isolate your idle problem.

Best of luck to you!

rosared

I am having trouble with the cruise surging slightly when traveling on a flat surface--this does not reflect in the mph or the tach but you can definitely feel the surge and also it is a mpg killer! I have only had my Sorento two weeks and I am wondering if I made a bad choice. Tonight I noticed the windshield washer didn't work so I added washer to the top--drove a total of 15 miles and it was empty and the light was reflecting empty on the dash--will take that in this week as well. The service Department at Steven Kia in Wichita are horrible. I was there to have the cruise checked and they drove it a total of 6 miles ( they couldn't have gotten to a highway in 6 miles round trip) and told me it was fine--I have had two friends drive it and they can feel the surge like me. They had my car a total of three hours and they had only repaired the left blinker which blinked triple time. There is also a problem with the headrest and they told me they would call me about replacing it and so far NO CALLS--I think Kia has a real problem with their service departments and they need to do something about that!

myblacksorento

I had a problem with leaking windshield washer fluid immediately after I picked up my 03 EX with luxury package. Dealer service department replaced bottle but still had a leak. Turned out it was the gaskets around the pump. Took about a week for them to get a replacement. After that no problems.

lok888

xmalice - Were you travel at 50, 60 mph or above when you feel the vibration? Like many who experience the similar problem, they found out the problem with drive shaft. Other causes are excess shaft seal, improper tire pressure, balance or wheel alignment.

rosared - See myblacksorento's post about leaking windshield washer fluid. Most of time you and many others are dealing with bad dealers (not Kia) who don't know what to do. I had few issues with my dealer before. I decided to contact Kia for resolution. They (Kia) responded quickly and my dealer became serious on customer service. They also conduct a survey after each warranty repair. Hey! You didn't make a bad choice. Enjoy your new ride! Try another dealer if you feel bad about yours.

iluvmysephia1

I see that as being so true. Take that puppy to another dealer if you're not getting the service you deserve. They have to take it if it's under warranty, so don't be afraid to try another one until you get one you like and trust. Just follow the rules you agreed to...yep, you signed an agreement with Kia regarding the Long-Haul Warranty regarding what is and what is not covered. Keep up your maintenance and hold them to their part of the bargain.

hciaffa

I need some opinions from fellow EX owners. I took our 03 Sorento in for service yesterday and had them check out some items under warranty. Two items has the service manager stumped. I had noticed that the Michelin tires are wearing on the inside at all four wheels. They have been rotated and rebalanced several times and they checked out the alignment and all was dead on. And they can't figure out why this happening. Also for any owners with the Luxury package up grade with leather seats. We started to notice that the front leather seats ( ours are gray) on the outside bolsters is starting to show a wear pattern. The leather has become smooth and shiny but my concern is that the leather is showing wear about the size of a quarter and the gray has faded that there is no more gray as if the gray dye has worn away. Grant you that to cut cost KIA is not using the same quality of leather as Honda or Toyota or even Chevy but should this be happening after two years. They are going to notify the service rep and get his opinion.
Have any other owners noticed this? If so what have you done about it or what has your dealer done about it.

tr27829

I bought 2004 Kia Sorento end of Feb. 2004...in June I started having a bad smell come through my vents. I spoke to the dealership where I bought my Kia, and it was told to me that it was the condensation that had no where to go, so it was sitting inside and mildewing. They have disinfected my A/C twice since this started. The smell has returned for the third time, and now they say they can not help me further. I'm under the understanding from what the dealership told me that this is a design problem. Has anyone else had this problem?

hciaffa

Does the odor clear up after driving around after awhile, meaning withthe AC off and just the vent air coming in from outside does the odor clear up. If so this can be remedied. Make sure the drain tube is not blocked. Squeze the tube and feel for any obstructions, make sure it is dripping out condensation. What I usually do just before shutting the Sorento off is I turn off the AC and run the vents on fresh air and even turn the temp up to have the heat dry up the moisture.You may have a great deal of mildew built up. You can try this trick as well. Get a can of Lysol disinfectant spray and while the engine is running and the ac on in the fresh air mode spray the Lysol from the outside into the fresh air vents up by the windshield under the engine hood. Then turn the switch on for recirculating only the inside air. Take the Lysol and spray it under the golve box as this is the opening where the vent is to draw inside air into the condensor. Spray a good amount and then leave the engine running get out and shut the door. This will allow the inside air to go through the system. This may work if not I would go back to the dealer and ask to speak to the Area Customer rep and see if his tune changes. Hope this helps.

tr27829

Thanks for the tip. The odor does go away after a few minutes, but my concern is if it is mold or mildew...I've been told that just because the odor is not present you can still be breathing in the spores, which cause health problems. I guess my thoughts are to that I shouldn't have to be cleaning out my a/c every few weeks????

hciaffa

First off I made a mistake in my posting its the evaporator and not the condendsor that is usually under or by the glove box.
Now this problem affects almost all auto manufacturers. Most owners run the ac and when they get to where they are going they just shut it off and thus the locker room smell occurs. Now since you are noticing that the odor goes away then more than likely you can use the tip I mentioned about the Lysol. Or just shut off the AC and run the vent for a few minutes to dry off the moisture. This is the best way to do it.

renl08

I do not know what caused the problems. Unfortunately, the dealership has not been able to find the cause of any of my problems as of yet. So far it's only idled rough a few times, almost stalled and then reved up real high. I would really appreciate it if you could let me know what they find out.

ivygreen

I have the same trouble with my 04 sorento. My dealer thought I was nuts, and he gave me some lame excuse like it could be the spark plugs kia uses, champion. But he couldn't do nothing about it unless it did it for him. Problem with that is it only does it like once a month, if that.

stz24

My Sorento goes in Tuesday for the rough idle after start up. I will let you know what I find out. My problem only occurs when it sits for more than 15 hours. It starts fine,idles good for about 5 to 10 seconds then it almost stalls then goes back to idling fine.

mamaaugie

I was wondering if you ever got a response on removing the ashtray? I have a coin stuck behind mine and it will not close. If you have the answer, feel free to e-mail me at tauglian@twcny.rr.com

mamaaugie

I had a simular problem with my 2004, I just got it out of the shop. Have your dealer check the carbon build up in your engine. They had to put a cleaner in my engine, let it sit over night. Then they gave it a good tune up and it runs great now. BTW I have 62000 miles on mine.

lok888

Anyone has a problem with the dry door hinges which cause noise when open and close doors? I should say the door checker assembly, between the upper and lower door hinge assembly. I bought this to my dealer's attention at least three times. They have put spray and grease for lubrication. But the problem is still here after few weeks. Any suggestion? The noise is terrible for rear passenger doors.

stz24

The dealer already did decarbon the engine and that didn't help. Thanks for the info though. They also changed the spark plugs and replaced the vacuum control.

jd97

Mine has been doing that for about a year now. I've tried a couple different sprays and grease but it just comes off. It is one of the ways KIA saved money on the vehicle. Cheap plastic hinges. It seems to be worse in the back because those doors aren't used as much and they dry out quicker. Just something we're gonna have to put up with I guess.

lok888

Sounds like I am not the only one who has the same problem. I will ask my dealer to see if they can do anything about it especially on the door checker assembly on rear doors. Yes. They look plastic to me.

ds423

I'm experiencing the same problem with my 04 Sorento. Dealer said that they can't reproduce the problem...but I'm going to take it back and not give them the key so that the next morning I can be in the car when they start it up.

Very similar problem..only occurs if the car has sat overnight and acts like its going to stall and then overaccelerates. Sometimes this will continue from reverse to first gear. Although after that its fine all day. I've been letting the car idle for a couple of minutes in the morning and that works but its annoying. Seems to be relatively common because I've seen it posted on another board. Hopefully the dealer will address this soon!!!

farru21

Hello,

Just checking, does Sorento have some warning system for driver seat belt( when taken off with engine running, not worn when engine started)

My Sorento does not do either of the above and has not since the day we got it. We just assumed that it does not have the feature. Can anyone confirm this for me.

Thanks,
Frank

lok888

I don't know about the 2004 or 2005 Sorento. My 2003 Sorento has no seat belt reminder. I spoke to my dealer when I first picked my car about the seat belt warning light. It will only stay on when there is a problem with it. So the light won't be on even you don't wear the seat belt.

deekay719

I have an 03 Sorento with problems and my dealer "can't duplicate the problem" and I was wondering if someone can help. About a week ago I went to start my car and it made the most horrible loud "clunking" noise and the oil light came on. The car wouldn't kick over. I retried it and it did start, but ran REAL rough. I only drove it a mile and shut it off and restarted and it's been running OK since..but it's still running rough. I took it to my dealer last Thursday and they can't find anything wrong. The car only has 6,800 miles on it. Should I be worried?

deekay719

I've got the same problem with my 03 and they told me I had to make another appointment and replace the modual.

lok888

I checked out the seat belt warning section on the 2003 Sorento Technical Highlights (available from Kia website). It said "The chime will sounds if the seat belt is not connected while starting the engine and if the seat belt is disconnected while the engine is running." I do the both very often and don't hear the chime.

stz24

My problem with the rough idle only happens after 15 hours. See if your problem has the same time frame and if it does tell the dealer it only happens after sitting that long. Mine is at the shop right now and has been there for 4 days. I'll keep you posted.

tadpole

While you might save 2-3g's by buying a demo the fact remains that the cars go home with a different dealer rep every weekend and who really knows what they get up too ??
I looked at one demo,a 2004ex 4x4 at my local and the thing was pissing rear diff oil all over the place (pinion seal). I noticed this after the rep had assured me that it was his own personal after hours drive and that the car was 100% ok.Why then did'nt he notice all the oil on his driveway where said rig was parked ?

tadpole

I have a Sorento on order and it is a 2005 spec 2004 compliance 4x4ex.Most of you are obviously from the states but i have not seen much discussion on the 2005 spec Sorento's and any problems associated like with the earlier models.
All I know is that they have a different chrome trim above the rear number plate and a bit better stereo system.Everything else is the same as previous models or have they taken the bull by its horns and fixed all the little problems that are reacurring with previous Sorentos ?I plan to drop all the oils at 5000 klm's and by doing this may eliminate some of the problems found with the drivetrain problems in others ?
Any info on any internal changes Kia may have made to the 2005 spec rigs would be appreciated.

Cheers Bigears

tadpole

If its a bolt and not a nut you are talking about try a couple of sharp blows on the head of said bolt with a hammer prior to undoing.
If your socket set is old and worn get a new one asap or risk rounding off the hex heads.Spray the bolts with penetrant first and also spray the thred that is more than likely exposed under the body.These type of seat bolts are usually exposed beneath the floor to the outside.If you can see the thred of the bolt,attempt to wire brush it first.
Hope this helps cheif...

4aces

I bought a used 2003 Ex 6 months ago. Had 4200 miles on it. Prior to taking the car home, I had the dealer change the oil, new air filter, rotate & balance the tires, 4-wheel alignment, and run a systems check on the transmission; all part of my "wheeling and dealing" with the dealer. I've had no problems with the car. I too was concerned about purchasing a demo/used car but I've been fortunate so far. I've taken the Sorento up to 95 miles an hour with no noise or vibrations. However I don't take her off-roading. Will advise if any problems develop.

sunyside

I have a 03 sorrento LX, 2wd that has a noise that sounds like something rolling around when I accelerate or turn a corner and accelerate. My best description is it sounds like a can that rolls up against something when I take off. The dealer has not been able to isolate the problem.
Any help is appreciated.

lok888

I just have my CD changer replaced last Thursday. The new unit was in stock. All CDs were stunk inside the changer. I was told they need to send the old changer back for analysis Then they will send me the CDs if they can break the thing apart.

I also have the rust problem on both inside rear passenger doors on body cladding. They painted some anti-corrison paint over it few months ago. They decided to order the new body cladding.

hciaffa

I had mentioned to my service manager last time I was in about some warranty issues. Our Sorento is running great after two years, no mechanical issues at all. but we noticed a couple of things and this dealership really wants to make its customers happy. I asked them 'hey whats the catch'. Our gray leather front seat outside bolster is wearing down to bare leather ( it looks like the leather dye (gray) they use is wearing off turning brown ). They are ordering new replacement covers. Front grill was chipped from the the flying stones you could see the chrome under it as well as getting these spider webbing pattern. Usually that is not replaceable as it is considered regular wear and tear. New grill ordered. All four tires are wearing on the inside, so they checked the alignment and the balance of each tire and wheel and all is well within specs even the alignment is dead on. They said to keep on eye on it and try to notice any more wear. They will check it again at next oil change. the service manager said he would contact the local service rep but the rep seems to be dragging his feet so the manager took it upon himself to take care of our issues. Kind of glad we went with KIA. Very happy with this dealership. I really never expected this service. Even our up scale Subaru dealer never did this thats why we trade in our POS Forester.

pgoddard

I have an '03 sorento. I'm on my 4th time at having the rotors turned. Although I have over 85k on my car, I still shouldn't have to turn them so often. I think they are weak. How 'bout anybody else? Otherwise I have no problems. Love it.

lok888

I don't know how many I and my dealer have sprayed or greased the door hinges. I still get the noise when close/open doors, especially both rear passenger's doors. The noise only gone for few weeks after spray or grease.

I read somewhere about the door checker assembly. It looks like made of heavy duty plastic/vinyl. My dealer insists this is the way and they can always spray them. Folks... any suggestion? I own Honda and Toyota for years and never have such problem.