Kia Sorento Maintenance and Repair

tania

I have a 2003 Kia Sorento purchased in November 02 and have had ongoing problems with the power steering. Every time I had it to the dealership I mentioned that at time the power steering became very difficult to turn. They could never duplicate the problem until now. I left it at the dealership for one of the mechanics to drive (he drove 80 miles a day) and it happened for him. It has been to the shop twice for repair and it is still not working correctly. The Manufacturer says they have not heard of this problem.

jackf

Hi;

2004 Sorento EX. The manual states in three different places oil capacity with filter change.

4.3; 4.5; 4.7.(quarts). Mechanic at Kia said he saw that also & he puts in 4 qts. & uses the dip stick to measure & adds till it reads full. I called Kia & they would not let me talk to a tech. & they said the liter amt. of oil in the manual is correct. I told him this is America & we change oil using qts. Didn't help. I change my own & like to be exact in specs. anybody have the correct spec. for oil capacity with filter change? Thanks..............

Jack..

njsorento

I have a 2005 EX and change my own oil. With a filter it took exactly 4.7 quarts to the top mark on the dipstick. If this is your first DIY oil change on the Sorento expect a bigger job than your normal car type change. You'll need to drop the rear skid plate to get to the drain plug and filter and if you're doing the job without a lift you will also need to drop the front skid plate to get some leverage on the filter.

pao

have a 2003 EX and had seen in the forum you need to replace all four tires at the same time if you have the AWD option.....at the time I replaced the set..the dealer only had two in stock so I placed those on the rear...the fronts had worn to the steel belts..( never rotated, another long story at 30K).....so had the old tires moved to the front...new ones on the back...and ordered the other two......would take a week...during this time there we a noticeable high pitched whine...which Im now convinced was caused by the difference in tire diameters..old vs new tires working the AWD harder than normal...placed the new tires on the front this weekend....and all back to normal....very quiet ride..better than the OEM Michelins....replaced them with BFG Radial Long Trail T/As..did less that 200 miles with the configuration of old and new tires.....and all seems fine now..and the RWL on the new BFGs really look good against the EX body style......just FYI

jackf

njsorento;

thanks for the reply..4.7 it is..I'll jack it up & check on the skid plates. That's a new one for me..i've changed my own oil on all my trucks over the years & never had to remove the skid plate for an oil change. If i've known that I would have looked at other vehicles instead of the sorento. Good luck with your 2005.

Jack...

hciaffa

I don't know what year models we are talking about but with my 03 I only have to remove the front skid plate (the only one under the engine)which is on the long side maybe they went to a two plate system. Anyway, jackf, its better to reomve the plate as it allows you to get at the drain plug and filter and the filter which can be a little messy as it it almost verticle in its position. By the way there was talk on the amount of oil to use which the manual reccommends a little over 4.6 qts. I round it off to 4.5 and it goes up to the right amount on the dip stick. Even our dealer reccommends that amount

smokescreen

We have an 05 Sorento w/ about 300 miles when we started getting a slight brrrrp and vibration when turning in parking lots. No issues while driving around and it only did the noise/vibration when turning at ~5mph in parking lots. We took it to the dealership and the manager and tech both took it out and were able to hear the problem. Tech said he had seen it before and would order the part and call me when it arrived. I just spoke to him and he wants the car for the entire day to replace the steering rack. Anyone else see this? I'll post again after the repair.

cfm lou

My wife and I bought our Sorento in Jan 2004 and have had no problems with the A/C. The vehicle runs great and performed trmendously during our recent snow on 12/23/04 in 4WD

ontariomedic

Just wanted to pass along a Sorento experience. My wife's Sorento began locking its doors at random, sometimes in rapid succession, whenever she put it into gear.

Turns out that the dealer pulled the driver's door panel off and found "a small aquarium worth" of water trapped in there. Drained it, and replaced a switch or two, and everything is fine now.

Quick fix when you know what it is!

Andrew

beck17720

I have over 85K on my 03 sorento and still on the origanal breaks no problems

speedykia

Do you have ABS breaks? Some have posted that their breaks have wornout at around 25-30K Miles. I hope my 03 Sorento gets 85K.

jxd

I have a 2005 Sorrento Ex w/lux pkg... Just changed the oil..it has two skid plates...the front one is metal...the rear one I needed to remove to change the oil and filter is plastic...This is my first SUV... I always thought of a "skid plate" as being made from metal!!

trcar

My Sorento has ABS & I had to change my front brake pads around 20,000 miles. I own a small company w/8 Ford trucks...They all need front pads around every 20,000. Rear pads around 40,000. And probably new rotors after they have been turned 3 times.

I don't know for sure...but I always felt that the Sorento probably weighed more than other SUV's in it's class...which would explain brake wear & tear, and lower gas mileage.

pao

would say it depends on driving habits as well...have an 03 EX auto and 31k on it..and still original pads...mostly hwy driving not a lot of stop and go....probably get another 10K on this pads before changing them

tork

I have a 2003 Sorento and have now been through 2 sets of brakes with only 29K miles. I'm beginning to really dislike it!

tork

Is anyone having problems with the reservoir bottle splitting and dumping antifreeze? I'm having mine replaced for the second time in 6 months! Really annoys me because they never carry the part in stock and I end up waiting a week for the repair.

lok888

Mine got replaced last spring. I first noticed a huge amount of water dripping from the car after shutting off the engine even A/C was not in use. I understand water can be found (dripping to the ground) when the A/C was kick in like at defrost mode. But nothing more like that. I thought it was an A/C condensation. I touched the liquid and felt like water and with no smell. Then I got heat (temp. was still cool in the morning). The engine temparture gauge needle also at 2/3 but no engine light on. I didn't check the anti-freeze level. But they found leaks with the bottle. They replaced it and no problem since then.

mkoval2000

The powersteering stopped, after Terry Reid's Kia had it for 2 weeks a power steering pump was replaced but this didnt fix the problem, now it's back there and they say KIA told them to put a Speed Position Sensor in it, I am not altogether sure what this is or how it will stop the power steering from failing. The power steering failed 2 times now for me and each time it was only when it was just started after sitting for a while, this last time, it had been sitting for about 5 to 6 hours and the temperature was 51 degrees out, unlike the when it was rather cold outside around the low 40's.

Since pump was replaced the noise has gotten worse and now it makes a noise every time it's turned on either while backing or pulling forward from backing regardless if it is cold outside or how long it's been parked.

 

Also a friend mentioned to contact a ZONE REPRESENTATIVE, how would I find who the representative is and how I can contact this person?

mkoval2000

did the replacement of the powersteering rack fix your problems? mine just seem to be starging and the powersteering failed 2 times along with the plunging noise after 1st started in low speed or backing , pulling forward from backing. now theyre going to replace a speed position sensor? I dont know what this is or how it will stop the noise or the power steering from failing?

talk2ev

I just bought a 2005 Sorento lx model . It has 2000 miles on it also . My clock doesn't work either , I was told it has recalled. I am still waiting for the new one to come in . almost 25,000 for a vehicle and the clock doesn't work. Yesterday when I was driving to work the vehicle started vibrating and the engine light came on several times and at the same time it tried to die. I do not even have the 30 day tags off yet and the engine light is on. I always thought these things did not happen to new vehicles. I am starting to get concerned that I have gotten myself into a mess I can't get out of. I realize the thing has 100,000 mile warranty on it , but who wants to be taking it back and forth all the time, plus I bought it because I needed a DEPENDABLE vehicle. I didn't have trouble out of my dodge neon at all untio 90,000 miles. Does any one else have any engine light trouble on ones this new.

msbigfoot14

I have a 03 sorento ex and I didn't change the brakes until the end of 04. I'm not an expert on cars but since I do drive around a lot I thought they lasted a pretty good time.

lok888

Check out the Kia website. You can contact the Kia Consumer Affairs by email, mail or telephone. The easy way is to email them. You need to register first, then create a file (complaint, inquire or question) with a case number. You need to write to the top.

 

I have been using this several times. Kia actually called me back within days and addressed my concerns. Your dealer can also schedule the Kia representative from the regional office. My dealer told they usually come by once a month. Good luck.

lok888

The clock on my '03 EX was replaced few months ago. I also noticed many here have the same problem. Did you receive a recall notice on this?

It seems like a TSB to me since no safety issue involved.

 

I feel the same like you do about dependable vehicle. But just let you know my in-law's '04 Toyota Sienna and my co-worker's '05 Lexus RX330 both got recall notices for their vehicles.

speedykia

The first to check is if you have really put your gas cap on correctly it has to be turned many clicks to be tight and seal. If it does not seal the pressure switch will trigger the check engine light. Just another little thing our Goverment has forced on Auto makers.

jacques

isn't that the ABS testing itself on start-up like it does on 2004 models

 

the burrrrrp only last a half second or so when you start rolling away then never comes back till you restart the engine

chrismog

I just bought a 05 Sorento. Same problem. The only difference is the vibration, is after you start up then turn the wheel it does it once but not again until you turn it off and start up again. It feels like a power steering boost. I haven't taken it in yet so if you could let me know the outcome.

lok888

Or it could be a bad oxygen sensor.

lok888

The ABS is doing a self testing. You can hear the tiny sound or little vibration everything you start the car and drive with "D" or "R".

jc3656

I have posted in the past several problems I have had with my '04 Sorento EX. Of course, I didn't post as much detail as I could have...but, items like: Driveshaft "thump" warranty replacement, serious rattling in door/frame (took dealer numerous attempts to finally figure it was a loose stepbar), leaking in rear window seal ( still leaks), and several other items were involved.

 

Needless to say, I have had 5 (maybe 6) rentals and have more rental miles since 10/04 compared to my own brand new truck! Kia has finally received all of my trucks service records and sales records and will make a decision on 1/27/05 - on whether or not I get a new truck because of my "lemon".

 

Please, please understand that I LOVE my EX and I feel it is worth the $$ I paid for it, however, this particular truck is doomed to go to the R&D lab for some breakdown on it's engineering - at least that is what KIA's decision should be. I am writing this to make others aware that the truck is well known for certain problems (specifically driveshaft), and want to keep others posted on what ULTIMATE decision is made to replace or not replace this "lemon".

 

So far, the dealer and KIA customer service has been outstanding at taking care of me...but, it will be the decision that I am sure all of you will be interested in. To those keeping score, my truck was in for service 7 or 8 times (mostly for the same problem.

 

- Still a proud owner of an '04 KIA Sorento EX (at least proud for now).

speedykia

My 03 Sorento EX has not had any problems so I feel lucky. I admit I really don't put the miles that others have put on theirs but in the short time I have driven it all has been fine. I do read this forum and keep my eyes open for any problems that others have posted.

mkoval2000

I was told this is normal and it's the ABS module engaging. this is only the vibration or shudder felt in the brake pedal when it's started

mkoval2000

So for the 3rd time now my power steering failed and it was towed to KIA again. The technicians at KIA are baffled and so is the Dealership apparently. I am angry and beyond the point of frustration. I have just over 3300 miles on the 2005 Sorento EX and the replacement of the power steering pump and the speed sensor didn't fix my problems and it did the same thing again.

 

KIA consumer assistance told me that only the service manager with the dealership can call the ZONE REPRESENTATIVE and refused to give us a name or contact information.

 

I am proceeding with the GA LEMON LAW with the Attorney General and will file suit if I have to, KIA refuses to authorize replacement of it even though they have no clue how to fix the problem.

speedykia

Quote:

So for the 3rd time now my power steering failed and it was towed to KIA again. The technicians at KIA are baffled and so is the Dealership apparently. I am angry and beyond the point of frustration. I have just over 3300 miles on the 2005 Sorento EX and the replacement of the power steering pump and the speed sensor didn't fix my problems and it did the same thing again.

===============

If KIA is expecting to keep their Sorento buyers base together and have new buyers for ther Sorento's they had better get this persons problem solved so people will trust them.

pao

dont understand why kia would tell you that..I had a problem with an 03 sorento...and they were more than helpful at giving me the regional tech reps name and phone..number..he called me several times concerning my issue....and eventually they switched out the vehicle...mine was a check engine light they couldnt solve...on a vehicle with less that 150 miles on it

2004kia

Did you take your Kia to the dealer yet? What was wrong with the light? Mine is doing the same thing. Maybe I can fix the light to turn on without having to wait for the dealer.

2004kia

By the way, my rear lights do come on when the door opens.

kiamastertech

the dome light needs a diode installed. the one that is in it now is defective. It is a simple fix that should not take the dealer more than 10-15 minutes once they get it into the shop.

kiamastertech

please be patient with the techs. they can only fix the problem if it can be duplicated. I know that you are frustrated and I know that you are having a problem with your Sorento, but you have to understand that working on a car is like performing brain surgery, it takes time. Now I agree that 3 or 4 times is a bit excessive, with that I cannot argue. As far as the speed sensor, tech line would have recommended that because the vehicles speed sensor tells the computer how fast it is going so that you cannot oversteer at highway speeds. Does that make sense? Now with the speed sensor having been replaced and the vehicle acting up, I am sure that it is going to be an electrical problem. The only trouble with that is finding it. it is kind of like looking for a needle in a haystack. I do understand you frustrations. I had to go round and round with Chrysler a few years ago to no avail. The tech that work for KIA do genuinely care about your vehicle. Please be patient they will work it out. Thankyou.

chrismog

Had to take my Sorento back in (three days later). The alarm was jacked up. Hit unlock on key fob (one that came with it) it would go off. Dealer said it was an issue with the dome lighting, also new 05 made it difficult to hook up new wiring and all. Anyone else has had problems? Just wondering

chrismog

Dealer said it is could be the ABS, but there has been a recall on the lack of two washers in the driveshaft connection. Causing the angle of it to be off. They are also installing a new clock. I'll post how it does. Supposedly the new ones are bug free

piverson

I just wanted to thank everyone on the forum - and the actual forum itself! - because my husband bought me a 2005 Kia Sorento that I just adore for Christmas but it had one problem - the clock! It would skip ahead 5 hours at a time and no matter how often I reset it the time would always change. I knew there had to be an answer but I was not having any luck with the Kia dealership that he bought it from. Took my truck back to them 3 times in one week and they replaced the clock - with the same model that was recalled! I was searching for answers and found this board and the posts from others about the same problem and saw that someone said that the clocks had been recalled and that he had called the 800 Kia customer service number and they took care of everything. I decided to call myself and they contacted to dealership while I was on the phone with them and they had 3 of the brand new models of the clock in stock and told me to bring my truck in that afternoon and have it replaced! Not one person at the dealership told us about the clocks being recalled and needing to be replaced. You would think they would alert you to this. Now my clock was replaced with a new one and I am a happy girl again in my Kia.

 

Thanks so much and I look foward to learing more here!!

 

Princess

speedykia

I think all Dealer Service Dept's have a problem with getting small items fixed. They don't make money on them and being a warrnety issue really pays nothing. I have tried to stay away from them unless I really have a problem. I am glad you got the clock replaced they should have been on top of this problem as their have been a lot of bad clocks in Sorento's As I read this forum I do notice some Dealers are much better then others. I would always call Kia if something is not being taken care of at your Dealer also if there is another Dealer close I would visit them.

piverson

SpeedyKia,

I agree and I got the same impression - this was just a tiny inconvience so they were not ready to go all out - until I called the 800 number and they then called to speak with the manager there and then showed up with my husband who told them he was not happy with the way I was treated. I know what to do know in regards to not getting the kind of response I want - call the customer service line! The other thing was they acted like "she's just a woman and has no idea what she is talking about!" Do you know that the tech. had the nerve to tell me that I must not have set the clock correctly!! When they knew that it had to be replaced - the manager showed us the memo that they recieved about this very problem.

There is another dealership farther out from us but I think from now on that is the one I will go to.

 

Princess

smokescreen

Sorry, been out for a while. The new PS rack seems to have fixed the issue we were having. It has been a couple of weeks and steering is fine. They also adjusted the wheel toe and now it seems to track better as well.

 

Also, My clock didn't keep time. It was replaced as well.

papakitty

My fiancee and I purchased a 2005 Kia Sorento EX on Monday, December 20th. The clock problem was one of the first problems we noticed. We had a bad seat sensor for the Passenger Air Bag Light. We have noticed the starter seems to have a hard time turning over. And a chip in the windshield we did not notice until our arrival home the first night.

 

Needless to say we are now locked in battle with the local Kia Dealership in getting these problems taken care of.

 

We love the car. For the value we got, it is an extremely classy and elegant ride. We got the Black with the beige two tone, running boards, sunroof, and pinstriping.

 

We are only hoping to get these items taken care of soon so we can enjoy our vehicle.

lok888

I just come back from service this morning for a new thermostat on my '03 Sorento EX 4WD. I got no heat since yesterday afternoon. My car is back on the road in two hours.

 

There is an ongoing issue with rust spots on both rear doors body cladding (inner section). I noticed since last April/May. They simply premiered and painted over the area. The problem came back in September. My dealer supposed to order the new parts and paint them. Months fly by and got no response.

 

As of this morning, I spoke to the new service manager and adviser. They both agreed the existing problem. They also said another '03 Sorento has a similar problem. And they need to consult with the Kia rep with the warranty issue and wether this wide spread problem on many EXs with body cladding during serve weather (possible recalls)plus the age of the vehicle. Please tell me know how is your Sorento doing?

windy jim

Did you have the remote start and the alarm?

If so I found out with mine that you had to use the new FOB that came for the remote start. The old FOB sets off the alarm when unlocked.The only problem is you cnat pop the glass on the back hatch with the new FOB.

 

PS FOB or keyless entry

windy jim

I have a new Sorento EX 4wd.My problem is the wind noise inside when you get above 50mph. Is anybody else having this problem? Its been in the shop twice to have it repaired and they say its the luggage racks on top.

sedonasorento

I have an 03 LX, and have not experienced any significant problem with wind noise at highway speed. I did notice that the cross pieces on the luggage rack are positioned relatively far back towards the rear of the vehicle. Have you tried moving the cross bars? Might be worth moving them back aways.

mkoval2000

Mine did this from day one and continues still

they keep telling me it's normal but I dont think so in light of the 3rd power steering failure, as of today I am 30 days without the KIA and am pursuing my rights with our state laws relating to LEMON's under the GA LEMON LAW

KIA customer service doesnt call me, the dealer doesnt call me. I have informed them that I am aware there are other KIA owners out there with the same or similar problems and I dont know why they wont live up to their responsibility. The last thing I was told was that Terry Reid's KIA of Cartersville GA has mine and 3 other KIA's (not sure of what kind) and they are all there waiting a Field Representative from KIA to come out to give them any kind of idea what to do to fix the problems. The 800# doesnt call me back, my file was given to the Georgia office with a different 800# but no one calls. I posted a copy of my letter to KIA about the GA LEMON LAW on KIA's owners website and still no reply. I sent a letter to the CEO because of his interview about the quality of KIA and still no reply.

So this is where I am now, still in a rental car. Nothing from KIA. Now my 1st car payment is coming up and I am making a payment on a vehicle I cant even use.

How is this service?