By accessing this website, you acknowledge that Edmunds and its third party business partners may use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information about you and your interactions with the website as described in our
Privacy Statement, and you agree that your use of the website is subject to our
Visitor Agreement.
Comments
I'm driving a rental Kia Rio for the next week so ask me how I feel in early April. :-)
Steve, Host
My Sorento is still a good car. I am surprised that they put leather, sunroof, auto headlights, auto climate control, torque-on-demand 4WD, auto rearview mirror and more for thousands less than the Japanese brands.
BTW, I also gave good rating for JD Power. But the rating only reflects the customer's satisfaction of the first few months (maybe) of ownership.
When I have the mix flow direction (FACE and FLOOR), I only get cool air from the FACE direction even at 70'F and hot air from the foot area. I selected only the FACE direction at 70'F - cool air. And I changed it to FLOOR only - hot air. No auto climate control has been used. It is like cool air comes out only at any flow direction at 70'F or blow. Only slightly warm air from the FACE at 70'F and more.
Anyone has an idea before I go to dealer?
All I can say is Kia want to be very careful in who they select to be their mechanics because from what I can see,99% of their cars faults could be fixed if their mechanics were true mechanics and had SOME clue as to what they were doing.
:mad: :sick: :lemon:
My 04 Sorento has had its first (and counting) week off the road and is fast becoming a part of the local dealers workshop floor furniture,I for one will not risk my life to inferior (adj.lower in position,status,or quality.) machinery.
The fact that the mechanic has no clue makes it alot worse as I for one can see through their lies to cover the fact that they just dont have the brain capacity to figure it out.Just reading some of these posts of peoples woes makes me mad as quite a few of the faults these vehicles suffer are easily fixed.Why cant Kia see this ?? feedback is what it is all about and testing a vehicle in all types of situations befor releasing them to the public is a sure way to success.
You are right when you advise people to keep good records as this will help you no end in a court case.
To all those unfortunate souls who have brought a Kia or are about to, GOOD LUCK ! you'll surley need it.
Infact,when my Sorento goes in for warranty work at least every second week,I remove the fuse that controls the Hi/Lo switch that controls the transfer case because our mechanics are so doughy they are likely to put in 4x4 mode because they are frustrated they yet again cannot fix a relatively simple problem.
Seriously though,all the kia customer care officers i have been speaking to over the last week reckon that the problems I have been experiancing are the first they have heard of ??!! This may be true given the fact most people buy 4x4's only for the higher driving position ??
The first week of ownership saw a the engine run rough after changing down through the gears befor coming to stop,like it was flooding.Could of been the early stages of the problems the car is in the workshop now for ? It was intermitant so was no major concern but now ??
Then while driving on some inland beach trails in 4x4 low range and while changing into 4x4 hi (while stopped) the whole show locked up and would not move forward or back.This was embarrassing as there were 6 other REAL 4x4's stuck behind me (narrow track).Here I sat in my yuppy 4x4 but probably the only Sorento in Australia with a bullbar,long range fuel tank,swingout tyre rack not to mention other kit nessesary for outback travel.I dumped the clutch and it all let go and we were on the move again,thank god.I could imagine Kia customer care and the logistics in our recovery blowing their minds eh eh...
The other problem we had was the suspention.On a slight right hand bend and while driving on some very mild corragations the car lost all steering (due to poor suspention calabration) and it wanted to head straight into a parked tree.If it was'nt for the ABS brakes it would of been nasty and the fact that we were only driving slow,driving to the conditions.
The shocks faded out very early due to overheating and the front end was very soft and would bottom out over mild dips in the road.I've heard that these cars are more setup for road use but this was ridiculous.
Anyway if there are any others out there that use their Sorento's for what they were intended and have any feedback please do.
CU on the the flip side
On another note.....I am upset with my 05 because of a couple of things. One is the clock. I had researched information on the web just after purchasing my vehicle. I noticed there were lots of problems with this. When I talked with my dealer, they said they didn't have any Sorento's with this problem. I printed off all of the complaints and went out to the lot and had them check the cars there. Guess what....3 of them had bad clocks! Told them to add check clock to their incoming review process!
The other thing that is extremely upsetting is that my 05 is going in because of a bad main seal on the engine. Anytime an engine needs 5 hours of repairs, this is worrying. Especially because I told them when I had my oil changed that I thought it was shifting down too hard from 2 to 1st gear and that at 65 there is an engine vibration noise.
Anyone else with this same problem? Considering the lemon law in Ohio.
Thanks
Why a brand new vehicle should develop an oil leak so early has me worried because when I noticed it, the thing had never been off road as yet nor had I towed a trailer and or put the motor under any real pressure.Bad build quality ??
I work for a major car hire company and we got rid of the Kia Carnivals we had on fleet years ago because of reliability problems.I honestly thought Kia had sorted most of the problems assosiated with their vehicles because Hyundia had a leg in there? Thats one reason I brought the Sorento with a bit more confidence.
Like have said earlier,I think Kia realy need to look at their distributors a little more closley as the problems with Kia vehicles seem to stem from most dealers bad attitude to genuine complaints and their inability to deal with them quickly and efficiently.
Good luck with your rig
#1. I notice the thumping sound as well when letting off the brake at a light before hitting the gas, or just as I am hitting the gas. I am going to bring it up with the service manager and see what he says.
#2. Gas mileage is low, but I have seen an increase lately... I live in canada and it was very cold the last 3 months I would get 375km to a tank. I have found that when filling the tank, when the filler "clicks" off , the sorento can take ALOT more gas... slowing keep filling and you should get another 10 liters in the tank. Now that I have got up to 5000 Km and its warmer out (above 0 celsius OR 32 F) I am getting about 475 KM to a tank.... no highway driving. I am happy with that.. on the highway i assume it'll be upwards of 550km.
#3. Power has increased since I've "bagged" it a little.... seriously, take it out and LET IT RIP THROUGH THE GEARS.... it really opened up the feeling of power.
#4. I have noticed the shifting to be a little sluggish into 2nd, I am going to try the synthetic ATF trick that a member here had luck with.
#5. I haven't had any troubles with brakes like some have had here?
#6. I have a couple annoyances like the rear hatch takes a good pull down to close right, and I would like the trip computer to have more functions that direction and barometric pressure (who cares). The windows fog up easy on humid days.
#7. I have a small problem with cruise control not being fluent.... it seems to be noticeable on and off the gas accommodating for rises and drops in the road. I have owned many vehicals with cruise and have never experienced this before, Its being booked in to look at on monday. (likely a vacume line or electronic part)
So my final thoughts are this: I love this SUV, I paid 10-20 grand less than a lexus or pilot that would be equiped the same and have the same power. I have had no major troubles at all. I have dealt with Kia a couple times while buying and service and they have been more than helpful and willing to try and make me happy. I would recommend this vehicle to someone in the market for what it provides. Scores an 8.5 out of 10 for me.
First a bit of history about my rig. I don't abuse it and I dont attempt anything too rough with it because lets face it, if you want to be a true mountain climber you don't buy slippers to climb in do ya? Anyway it's seen a little action mainly on the beach and a few inland dirt tracks..at this stage anyway, it's only 6 months old and only done 11 thousand kilometers.
In that time I've changed the engine oil 2 times and the oil filter once, along with fresh oil in the gearboxes and diffs. I did this early because most of the wear occurs early in the game, once run in I'll bring the services inline with Factory specs.Rotated the tyres once and lubed all moving bits with silicone spray several times. If your rear door/bonnet struts bind up a bit when closing, spray them with silicone and they will glide nicely.
I've fitted a Bull Bar to ward off stray Kangaroos (I love Kanga's and to begin with, would avoid hitting one no end) It's got a long range fuel tank and I've mounted the spare on a swing away tyre rack that also holds the Hi Lift Jack. So its had an easy life thus far...
Anyway after trucking the thing for 400 kilometers to the dealers workshop last week it turns out that the timing belt had slipped a couple of cogs on the pullies. When I got the phone call to say my rig would be off the road another week (they sell vehicles to the average Joe, but all parts are only stocked 4000 klm's away !!??). I immediately questioned why this slipping of belts occured? No answer or reason could or would be given, so seeing as I intend to do a 15,000 kilometer round trip of Australia in the near future I thought it a good idea to investigate as I don't want the same thing happening again.
Once at the dealer I spoke to the Workshop manager and asked to look at my rig in pieces to try to assertain what might of caused the problem for myself. Plain as day there was the fault staring me in the face, sand had entered through the timing cover and no doubt derailed the timing belt! Why didn't the mechanic just up and say it "There's a lot of sand in there, wonder if that may have had something to do with it?" But I'm sure most people reading this could see that they don't want it known that Kia's Timing covers just don't seal well enough! The belly plate underneath the radiator acts like a scoop and when driving in sand, this plate scoops sand up into the radiator then into the engine bay.
If you take your Sorento off road like the glossy brochures depict then be prepared for massive engine failer as the week point in the Sorento seems to be that the timing cover does not seal well enough to keep sand out! So once home and totally feeling ripped off I called Kia Customer CARE and after a lengthy conversation with some "Company Man" he basically said that be careful because it could be operator abuse, "you went off road" !! Talk about stoking the fire!! What have I brought into here?? Granted, Kia give you a rental to keep your [non-permissible content removed] off the ground while you rig is repaired but that's no conciliation when you are miles from nowhere, with your wife and kids melting away in the hot Australian sun, dieing of Hunger and thirst while you wait for the tilt tray to arrive, that won't come because it states in that same glossy brochure that they will only recover the vehicle if it is on a trafficable road accessable to a 2 wheel drive.
I don't think Kia and its representives have the luxury of the old saying "Deny, deny, deny"
What was I thinking when I decided to buy this bloody thing? I have a 1983 FJ45 Toyota Land Bruiser which has been around Australia 2 times, and into the Kimberley 6 times as well as been accross the Gun Barrel Hiway (not really a Hiway only the roughest road in the land, 1400 klm between fuel stops) and has been to the top of Australia naming Cape York Peninsula. Its retired now beacause its served its purpose and served it well but this bloody Sorento, 6 mnths old, its been mothered and already on the scrap heap!
Anyway if you take your Sorento into sandy territory, tape up the 4 big holes that face out front in the belly plate to avoid the same drama I'm going though. If you can, modify the plate altogether without the holes as I intend to do.
Here's hoping a couple of valves haven't hit the tops of the pistons when the timing went ski wiff !!
I demanded a new engine be fitted as the damage has been done and I've lost confidence in the mechanics ability to reassemble the engine back to factory specs, correctly. Hell, it took them no less than 6 days to work out what went wrong and wasted 3 days for a new coil to arrive which was no where near the mark. They are not factory trained Kia technicians and should not be working on Kia's without access to all the latest bulletins ect ect. Kia have a plug point under the bonnet to connect diagnostic computors too but Toyota don't have the computor to plug into it !
Good luck with your Surrenderz people....if you go bush you'll surley need it !!
I did do alot of research befor buying and most of the problems found with the Sorento that i red on this forum were not enough to stop it.Dont get me wrong,the Sorento is a good buy and is one of the nicest vehicles I have driven but the problem with the timing belt slipping and the dealers attitude, when they cant tell me why it happened looks to me like a cop out. Its obvious it was sand contamination as I saw this for myself while it was apart in the workshop and having toured Australia on a belt driven Harley Im here to tell ya,toothed rubber/Kevlar belts do not slip unless something gets between the belt and the cog.If the belt dose slip due to being to slack,it usually rips the ribs off the belt.The belt on my motor was unmarked.
Anyway they are still waiting on parts so when the thing gets going again and if all is well, I'll modify the belly plate that is the cause of all the drama in the first place.Both times I've taken the Sorento onto the beach I have had to pressure clean the engine to get rid of bucket loads of sand each time that has been scooped up by the belly plate.In Aus,we have access to alot of miles of beach driving,not sure what its like in other countries ?
I had to laugh when the dealer asked if I'd been thrashing the vehicle.The answer to that is with a petrol V6 thrashing the motor is not nessesary.
One thing really concerns me though is that if could happen to me it could happen to anyone and unless these workshops document problems like this then they will never be rectified.I'm sure Kia would be very interested to hear any feedback as long as the word "Operator abuse" is left right out of it because most people I know who buy a 4wheel drive use it as a means to explore Australia ie their "Back Yard" and not as a extention of their old fella :-P
One Last thing,its ashame the new FJ Cruiser had not been released when I brought the Sorento because I've got a 1983 FJ 45 (unlicenced) and it may be a truck and abit raw but they never stop ! But if you want abit of comfort....
When I get the beast back I will try to determine how the sand actually got in.
A bit of advice in regards to the same area around the belly plate.The bottom radiator mounts are very vulnerable and if hit by log or a rock,will bend very easily thus destroying the radiator itself.I have read somewhere in this forum about a bloke from the UK doing just that.$1000 Aus for a new rad
Should be all repaired by Monday,thats a full two weeks in the shop so untill then...
My biggest fear is with the leaking rear seal they replaced. While it actually runs better now than before, I hope thiss seal does fail as well.
ALSO IF YOU HAVE ANY PICTURES THAT YOU COULD E-MAIL ME THAT WOULD BE GREAT?
THANK YOU.
You might want to turn off that CAPS lock on your pc - people tend to ignore postings typed in all CAPS.
tidester, host
A) Reading over these forums I see that yes it does have a clock problem, after running for 1+ hours the clock starts to flash bright dim bright dim bright dim constantly, took this in a month ago with my first oil change and they let it run for a complete day and found no issue. What are you showing/telling/saying to them to get a clock recall/replacement?
Making a call in the morning to get something done since we leave out next weekend for a 11 hr drive to Flordia and do NOT want to be stuck on the side of the road.
Any help is appreciated!! :confuse:
i have been a mechanic all my life both automotive and forklift.
recently on our 05 sorento i installed a trailer hitch and 7 way wiring. and found what cound be a nasty main ground problem at the end of the battery neg cable where it attaches to the body behind the fuse and power distrabution box and the inside of the fender.
they use a plated bolt (shinny black materal) the inner fender well was heavly coated with paint as well as the f/m threads.
these conditions are not good
since this is where i needed to make the ground connection for my brake controler i removed the (black shiney coating) from the bolt and removed all of the paint from the electrical contact surface of the fender to make sure it had a good ground circut from the batt.
if this connection is poor it's electrical conductince can very with amp load (hence erratic problems)
when i reinstalled this bolt and wiring i used a commerical conductive never seize compound on it
I got the Sorento back last Friday
Monday after work I grabbed a beer and rolled the Sorento up onto the ramps and slid under with a 12mm air rachet in hand. While you could see the problem with the belly plate in place once removed and looking up at the radiator from the bottom, all was revealed.
On the backside of the radiator is a full shroud sealed tight against the edge of said radiator with two thermo fans poking out towards the engine, as is the norm. It was obvious that all the fine dry beach sand that had nowhere else to go, went through the fins of the radiator and into the cavity between the radiator and the shroud.Any wet sand was soon air dried with the radiator acting as a perfect heat exchanger.
When the thermo's cranked up due to 4 wheel driving on a hot day and with the aircon on, the sand got sucked up throught the fans (both) at a great rate of knots and sand blasted the engine thus forcing sand into areas that normally would be ok to a small amount of sand flying around.The fans are quite powerfull and its not hard to see why the sand penatrated so far in through all the workings to contaminate the timing belt case.I saw the sand when the motor was stripped and there was heaps !
Now to the fix.Ive been to Fraser Island and your talking to the first person in Australia to ride the entire Island on a FLHS Harley Davidson.I know I know you'd have to be crazey to ride a Hog on Island like Fraser which is the largest sand Island in the world I might add and all I can say to that is it helps :P .The trip was very memorable and the two weeks on Fraser were a highlight of my around Aus ride (inc Tassie)..17,000 kilometers in just over 5 weeks.
Anyway Im in the process of building a subframe between the Bullbar and the cross member behind the front diff to protect the lower radiator mounts and this is VERY important cos the mounts ride very low.If you clout them the radiator will crack the lower plastic tank and you will be stranded and out of pocket $1000 for a new core.Over the box steel frame Im going to fit a 2mm steel plate the full length from Bullbar to the cross member behind front diff. I'll relocate the vent holes alot higher up and fit stainless steel mesh to protect the radiator from flying rocks.A couple of holes bored into the plate below the radiator will let any sand out and wont trap it like the old belly plate did !!!
This will eliminate any future problems and as the subframe will be very strong, this will enable me to slide over rocks or logs (unintentionally) without fear of damaging anything.I'll post a few pics when the jobs done ok.
Anyway Kent have a great time on the island :shades: and remember to drop your tyre pressures to around 18 psi.The Sorento is a pretty mean rig and perfect for a place like Fraser.Watch out for the Dingo's, they know how to open eskies and will steel your boots,thongs or anything in sight !! :-P
See you out there....
I hope this helps someone. Gotta go wash my girl - the sun is shining and we must hit the road!!
I'm new to the forum, but hope you can give me some sage advice. I bought an EX in July 04, here in Ottawa Canada. After 13K km (just about 7 months) I've got rust on the tailgate, just by the trim piece above the license plate.
I took it to the dealer today, sure that it was a warranty issue. They had a service bulleting on the problem, explaining that poor design causes the chrome piece to rub the paint off & allowing rust to form. However, they also stated that only some VINs were eligible for warranty repair, and mine's not one of them!
Needless to say I'm gob-smacked that Kia doesn't appear willing to stand behind a virtually new vehicle, when the problem is 100% their fault! Has anyone else run into this problem? Can anyone give me some advice on how I can get Kia to stand behind their product?
If this level of support is common I'd like to know so I can get rid of the Sorento and move on to a more trust-worthy manufacturer.
Good Luck!
Anyway, there is a rust spot on rear door, near the license plate garnish. My '03 has 30500 miles on it. I will see what my dealer can do about this. They already replaced both rear door body cladding (EX model) two months ago because of the rust problem. Rust appeared on the body cladding. There is a metal strip to support and connect the body cladding to the door frame. You don't see it when the doors closed.
Did I read someone mention LOW PRICE IS THE KING?
I'll have a flick thru my 4x4 mags where I saw an add for that gizmo and I'll post the details.
Good luck
We have worked with KIA locally...and did the Certified Factory person...but it is still there. Has anyone else go through this...had the drive shaft replaced as we did...and still experience the vibrations? Has anyone completely solved this..and what was done?
The car was repaired under warranty no worries but this area is a problem and I have fixed a area that should be fully sealed in a vehicle designed for off road activities.Hope Kia pull thier fingers out and test the vehicles properly befor releasing them to the open market.
Goodluck to all those with drama with their rigs and complain loudly if you have problems...
Heres the link http://communtiy.webshots.com/album/323963502vGNCLt
After reading all the post, I have a feeling that I am in for a long haul.
Wish me luck,
KiaRN
"Hey i can help with this one, it is in the lines heading into the air conditioning compressor. took mine in for the 1st 3 month check up complainging about it and there is 2 lines that "overlap" to couple/join. There is something on their side that says to replace it if someone complains about it. They replaced it same day and no whine what so ever"
thanks, i have the same noise. i was wondering just what it was.
now i have some info to give the delaler