Kia Sorento Maintenance and Repair

beyond_help

check engine light due to fuel tank over filling?

doesn't make any difference on my 05, if they fill it untill the nozzle stops or they cram in as much as they can. it has never put my engine lite on

my check engine came on befor i purchased it . they replaced two parts;

canister and canistor valve, since then i have not had the lite come on.

these parts may also be bad on yours as well, from what i have read for these parts to fail is not a rare occurance.

sometimes they blaim it on a loose fuel cap??

in my ever growing KIA file, i have the codes for this problem

save all your warantee reciepts!!

awn

"fuel injection cleaning is a known auto repair rip off "....

What the heck is an "induction kit?" Yeah, they got me good, twice! I'm definitely going in there next time a little wiser, and not so trusting. Thanks for everyone's advice.

beyond_help

i am not sure what an "induction kit" is, but i just got my 05 sorento back from having the engine replaced.

the cause of the engine failure was a "clip" comming off of the throdle body area and getting sucked into the motor (note, there was a sadona in for the same problem for the modifacation) caught befor the "clip" got sucked into the engine.

here is what my repair order states in part, "REPLACE INTAKE PLENUM W/ COUNTER MEASURE PLENUM" along with replace the engine

could this be the induction kit??

tads

Good to hear you finaly found out what that engine noise was...the hard way ! I remember your earlier post asking if anyone had a clue as to what might be causing the racket.
I had engine failer when the cam belt slipped, all fixed now but upon a cold start a lifter rattles real bad untill oil pumps it up a tad.I suspect a new engine will need to be fitted as well.In fact I wont take anything less.I have a feeling an exhaust valve has hit the piston when the cam timing went out.The w/shop said it slipped two cogs but who knows how much it realy slipped, I did hear a metalic tapping noise as I tried to make the hiway (the engine missfire happened in a very remote spot.) Oh well "Such is Life" Time will tell...
I wil be checking the so called "Induction Kit" on my rig just in case something comes loose.

doctruptwn

The canister and valve are what they replaced on mine. These are part of the emissions system and apparently some fool decided to put a sensor in the canister and that is what causes the light to come on and the common replacement. After all it is the american way to put every last drop possible in the tank. If what the dealer said was true, no wonder it a commonly replaced part.

garyjacksonba

In my 03 KIA Sorento, I discovered the cause for an intermittent Check Engine Light which also made the engine run sluggishly. The problem was a short in the wiring harness that goes to the computer under the floorboard on the passenger side.

The short is within 10” of the computer and is affected by pressure on the floor by the passengers feet. The check engine light would only come on when my passenger was shifting their weight around.

I chose a simple solution without spending much time investigating which of the 200 wires it was. I removed the sloped floor panel protecting the computer. I squeezed the wiring around in my hands, wrapped the harness with insulating rubber, and added spacers to the mounting studs for the floor panel to keep the floor panel from squashing the wiring harness.

The Check Engine Light has not come on since then.

luvmykia

I've had my Sorento for 2 1/2 years (a 2003 EX) and love it. BUT...recently developed problem and looked through past posts here for similar issue. Found Johnny S's from last year describing exactly my problem: There is sound from the rear or underneath my Kia that sounds "like a chain dragging beside me." When I apply my brakes, even just a little, the noise stops. I never found a reply to Johnny S on this exact problem. I looked through the posts on trannies, on drive shafts...nothing. Any idea what this is? I have about 50k miles on the truck.I want to have my trusted mechanic look at it, but wonder if it is something under warranty. Most of the posts here sound like the Kia mechanics have created more problems than have resolved them. Thoughts?

txteacher

I owned a 2003 for a year and decided to trade up to a 2004 EX. My first truck gave me absolutely no problems. This second one, however, has been a disaster from the start. I too had that "rattly chain" sound after about 6 mos of ownership. I would hear, (and feel), it from the rear floor board of my truck. I described it to the service manager as sounding like it was going 120mph when I was only going 40. It turned out that the entire back differential had to be replaced. That was about 4 mos ago and I haven't heard the noise since...though it has absolutely not been the end of my problems with this lemon. :lemon: Hope this helps.

txteacher

I was wondering if anyone else has had any of the following problems with their Sorento. I traded in a perfectly fine 2003 LX for a 2004 EX luxury package. The following is a list of stuff that has made me want to kick myself for trading in my 1st Kia:

Within 3 weeks of ownership, it leaked from the back. Snooty service manager asked if I was sure it wasn't water. After I assured him water isn't typically brown, it was discovered that the drive shaft seal was leaking and had to be replaced.

A few months later, as I was driving home from work, my truck started making a horrible sound from the rear floorboard of my truck (see "rattly chain advice"). They kept it for four days and replaced the rear differential.

At the same time, I informed them that the defrost lines on my back hatch window weren't all working. At first they said the whole window would be replaced, that the part was on order, and that they would call me. Well, months went by with no call. I ended up taking my SUV in for another problem it had (which I'll describe later), and I asked about the status of my rear defrost. Mind you, several months have gone by, I live in west Texas, and its already hot at this point. The service manager said that the part (which supposedly he already ordered) could not be ordered until they replicated the problem---which will now be until next winter (a year after I reported the problem, which they should have replicated at the time I took it in anyway).

Well now I'm having a serious problem with the steering of my $26,000 lemon. One day when driving on the highway, I found that I could not steer my truck! I took it in the same day, and explained that it felt like there was no power steering. The Service mngr, along with a technician simply popped up the hood, looked at the power steering fluid, saw that it was full, and sent me on my way. Oh, and they said that if it were to happen again, just drive it on back that way so they could see it for themselves.

Since then, its done it to me several times, and I've discovered that its when I hit 70+mph. I took it in and would not take no for an answer. They took it to the back service dept. and I received a call from the service manager a few hours later stating that they were able to replicate the "stiff" feeling of my steering wheel and that it even "freaked" the service tech out when he drove it. They kept it for a day and replaced the power steering pump.

Feeling somewhat secure, I took it on vacation and, yup, you guessed it, it did it to me again as I was exiting for gas. I actually almost lost control of the thing. The thing is, however, that as soon as you turn it off and back on, the wheel is just fine.

I called today to complain about thier less-than-spectacular service department which almost got me killed. All they say is that they need to see it again so that they may "fix" the problem. My cheif concern is that I don't know if its truley fixed until I'm traveling 70mph--and being able to control your steering wheel at these speeds is kinda important.

Anyway, has anyone else had these probplems (especially with the steering column)? If this is a safety issue, isn't it a "lemon"?

Any help would be appreciated. :sick: :lemon:

hciaffa

I remember that there was a TSB (service Bulletin) issued on the power steering to have the tech reprogram the computer for the stiff steering that was occuring on 03 and 04 models. I think you ought to notify Kia and tell them of the terrible service and treatment you have received because they don't wish to see this type of crap as they are trying to establish themselves as a reputable car company. And you could possibly find another dealership

busymom09

I have a 2003 Sorento 4 wheel drive that I have had towed 4 times in the last 5 weeks for the same problem. The check engine light will come on and then it will sputter like its not getting gas and then it shuts off. However, when it gets to the dealer, it doesn't happen for them and then give it back to me. I can't trust it to get me from point A to point B. It ruined my vacation when it did this 1 1/2 miles from home when I was leaving for a 10 hour trip that I didn't get to. That time they said it was a purge soleinoid valve stuck open and they replaced it. The first time they said there was nothing wrong with it. The third time, they said a wire was loose but that was it, and now this time they can't find anything wrong with it. Kia Corporation has been no help whatsoever. The dealership can't get it to duplicate the problem and they won't go looking for anything either. Has anyone else had this problem? This is the first time I have had problems. I think its only one thing but they can't seem to get it right. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

beyond_help

check engine light comes on...is it a stored code? most are, ask them what it was and repair the problem and quit guessing and double check their work.
sometimes codes are just a guide, not 100% reliable
look the code up youself on the internet
don't put up with their run around.

hciaffa

BUSYMOM09...it the check ingine light came on it should have left a code in the computer forthe tech to scan with the scanning tool. it hsould remain in memory till it is cleared. Make another appointment and have them so this. To me it sounds like a faulty gas pump. Make sure you keep all you documentation and have them make note of this stuff this way if it continues you eill have proof even after the warranty runs out. If you get no satisfaction go up on the Kia website and notify them of this.

mijulian

Hey tads:
Sorry by not getting back to you earlier but here is the cause of the metalic sound when starting cold: The Catalitic Converter heat shield is the culprit, how they did did not fixed this problem?
The Service Manager after, more or less, pinpointed the problem, got one of the so
called technicians under the truck (in the parking lot, not even in a lift) to start banging with his hand all over under the truck until he told him it was the heat shield that came lose, it worked for about 3 starts and now the noise is back.
Anyhow, now I know is nothing serious and can wait for the next service and this time I am going to make sure the truck is in a lift.
As for the tapping sound, was told is the fuel injectors that sound like this, that nothing is wrong :confuse: .
Thanks Tads for your response.

Julian

capetown

It is difficult to be brief. I am now driving Sorento No 2 and certainly the chances of that also being replaced, is good. In Cape Town the truck costs ZAR330,000 /6 = +/ $55000. When Sorento 1 (2.5 CRD1) was delivered, some idiot replaced the standard battery with a much smaller unit resulting in spilt acid in the engine compartment. Visualising the rust 5 years down the line, I requested a replacement and received it. Afterwards I was told it is not Kia's policy to replace vehicle, but the made an exception to accommodate me.... You see, apparantly the consumer is deemed to be stupid and devout of any rights. But the woes continued.

Sorento 2.5 CRDi was silver and I flew at my cost 500 km to fetch the vehicle at another dealership and drove the truck on behalf of the dealership back to Cape Town. Within 20 kilometers I called them and informed them of a vibration and resonance. At crusing spreeds it is always present. Irritating enough to drive me crazy. Arriving in Cape Town, this small defect was noted in the pre-delivery file and obviously they promised to "fix it under warrenty".

I called upon the dealership many times. Fisrt the air intake was the identfied problem and the offered the remove my Sorento 1's air intake and fit same on No 2. Naturally I rejected the cannibalisation. Then with the kind cooperation of an qualified Kian Engineeer 1600 km away, the problem was identified to be the circlip holding the airintake to the fender. The plastic covering was removedand the circlip properly fitted. A test drive revealed the same vibration and resonance. This is only audible in the diver seat. So we passed 5000 km mark. I continued with my complaints ( at this point no verbal abse as yet) . A Kia engineer was then dispatched from Johanesburg 1600 km away. He drove the vehicle, he confirmed the presence of the noise and promplty fired some emails off to Kia Korea. A week later I called him because he did not revert to me and he asked me to grant him another week. So I gave him 10 days. When I called him , he said it is actually not his responsibility and that he did not has the time to investigate this anymore. In the mena time the vehicle passed through 10,000 km. My complaints was poperly documented by email. By co-incidence I then met the Principal Dealer In Johannesburg and warned him that I intend escallating the issues within two days. On my return to Cape Town, I parked the vehicle in front of the dealership and with shoe wax wrote slogans on the car warnign the public against purchasing Sorento's..

As to be expected, the called the police and after about 2 hours the police rocked up in 2 patrol vehicles. The warned me that Kia called them as I am intimidating their customers. I patiently explained to one of the six officers that I am not contravening any laws ( frredom of speech and also that my "offence" does not meet the requirements to fit the complaint " intimidtion". In any event, he requested my so nicely tha that I decided to move the truck accross the road to a parking area on a busy intersection.. and promptly aptly painted a new slogan on the other side of the truck as well. ...

On day 2 this was repeated and hundreds of motorists horned, and several stopped to enquire abiut my action. On day 2 I was asked to bring thevehivle to the service centre sinc e a new engineer from Johannesburg 1600 km away will look at the vehicle.

On day 3, I duly took the vehicle to the workshop to the engineer. Iwas was hustled into an office and then ambushed by the Dealer Principal and the General Manager. Harsh words were spoken and the apparrently I gained the official title of the most abusive person in the RSA. I stopped the conversation, took out my PDA and taped the conversation openly.... What i do remember from all of this- they told me they do not want my as their customer ...

Theey engineer took the truck for a drive, with me sitting silently next to him. After 10 minutes or so he asked also identified the noise... They spent 2 days finding the solution.... they suggested and removed and refixed an electric motor for the telescopic aerial unit. A rather small problem and an easy fix.I was relieved to fetch the truck...

Only after driving the vehicle to realise that the problem has not been fixed. The noise is still there. I went back to the service centre and this time insisted on speaking to the General Manager. Needless to say the conversation once again was explosive. By now it appears tha they are cosideriung ging me the ourchase price back.I told him that I want Kia to stand by their products. My title as the most abusive person alive was re-afirmed... In any event, the GM called me this afternoon and informed me that 2 enginners with more experience will be here on Thursday to look at the problem.

To be continued...

mcase2

I admire your determination, but if they give you back your money you could buy a car from a reputable manufacturer. By the way, is your statement that the vehicle cost $55,000 correct? Wow! do all cars in South Africa cost that kind of money?

capetown

In this case the invoice amount was ZAR 330,000. At an exchange rate of 1 USD : 6 ZAR = USD 55,000. The consumer public in general is being ripped off, but unfortunately we have a culture of accepting things. Previously ( during the apartheid era) we were indctrinated by government not to think for ourselves. That continued for more tan 40 years. Consumer activism will not start here overnight. Locally manufactured cars e.g Mercedes Benz, Volkswagen and Toyota are being exported all over the world and I am certain it will be cheaper to buy a locally manufactured car abroad than locally.

But then the Kia Sorento was at least ZAR 150 000 cheaper than its competitors!

mcase2

In the U.S. the Sorento goes for about $25,000. For the money they charged they SHOULD take care of you. best wishes, let us know how it turns out.

stephenu

We bought our 2005 Sorento LX in April 2005. It has died in our driveway exactly 10 times since we brought it home. Kia Canada has no solution and the dealership keeps saying that they can't find the problem even when we have it towed to them when it is dead... this was to help them understand that the stupid thing was dead yet again. We have lost countless hours of work and my wife who is expecting doesn't feel safe in this vehicle.

We noticed too that the passenger Air Bag light indicates that the air bag in inactivated and the dealership doesn't even acknowledge that. I too complained that the mechanics don't know what they are doing. I am no mechanic, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that when a car is brought in dead, you don't boost it and then run a diagnostic on it when the problem is the fact that the vehicle dies every 400 KM apx! Sometimes it dies the very next day after boosting.

What rights do we have under this wish washy warranty. Should we be thinking of legal action? I am not waiting an entire year for this to go away or be solved. It is inconceivable that anyone should endure these problems when they paid $30,000 plus for a brand new vehicle.

tads

After reading alot of these post and after having drama with my own Sorento(Cam belt slipped) its beond me why Kia just dont get some decent mechanics ?
Sounds as if they are paying peanuts and getting monkeys to work on our rigs.

Im a self taut mechanic and encourage others to do the same at some level and have a go at repairing the basics when things go wrong as if you ever travel to remote areas then you will need to be self suffient.Easier said than done I know.

These dealers deserve everything they get and I dont mean to sterio type either.Every dealer I have delt with have failed me in some way or another and I've got second rate service.Reading the woes people on here have and the drama they have in getting simple problems fixed is a joke.Maybe the laws need to be changed ?
Anyway good people,good luck with evrything and give em heaps !

tidester

Reading the woes people on here have ...

To keep it in perspective, the sample here is not random with the topic title of "Kia Sorento problems." All vehicles have problems and not all dealerships are perfect. People who encounter difficulties are more or less agressive about finding solutions and tend to congregate where they can find help!

tidester, host

andrew3030

I had a problem with my 2003 sorento dyeing. The relay for the A/C fan was sticking, the fan would stay on after the car was turned off and would run the battery down. Hope this helps.

rickillinois

I have an 05 Sorento EX...Whenever I am driving above 35 mph and maintain a steady speed...I hear a steady noise or vibration coming from either the frontend or engine...If I speed up or slow down I don't hear it but if I maintain a steady speed anywhere about 35 mph I hear it...Has anyone else had this problem...I have taken it to the dealership and they have already replaced the Torque Converter but that didn't fix the problem so they are currently emailing back and forth to the KIA engineers trying to figure out what the problem is

newro

Sorry for all of your problems. I was considering a Kia Sorento, loaded and think its a great looking truck. After a test drive and reading the horror stories on this board, you couldnt give me one for free. I have 2000 Rodeo, 84K miles, not a minutes trouble. I will ride this till it dies, quite a while from now. Good luck Kia owners, hope it works out for you

tomsr1

I just bought a used (38K) Sorento and it is fine except I think the rotors are
warped.When descending a hill and doing heavy braking the car shudders.
Is this a common problem with these.For years I have had nothing but Hondas
which are flawless.Did I make a mistake getting a KIA? Tomorrow I take it
back to Budget where I bought it and see what they say. Aside from gas
mileage no other complaints. If I had lot's of money I would have gotten an MDX
but for half the price I got a well built SUV with all the toys. I just hope those
toys don't come with a lump of coal.

pats1

I recently traded away an '03 Sorento EX with 47K miles on it, and never had any problems with the brakes. The miles were mostly highway, though.

pats1

I'm afraid to admit that I paid to have the fuel injectors cleaned, only to have an $800 part on the catalytic converter fail immediately as a direct result. It was covered by waranty - this time. Never again.

busymom9

Just wanted to follow up on this message that I posted. The mechanics would never have found the problem in a million years. We decided on our own to replace the fuel filter, talked to the mechanic to see where it was located. Told it was in the passenger side back seat. We pulled the seat back and checked where it was. There is a wiring harness there. The next day, my radio station was on a different channel. Told my husband, and he discovered there were loose exposed wires there that shut off the fuel pump and the ability to get gas. Sure enough, it sputtered and the check engine light came on. Took it to Kia and had to tell the mechanic how to fix our car. Hope no one else has the problems that we did, but if they do, please check this wiring harness. Every time our passenger shifted in the seat, it did this. What a pain. Still have hard feeling about my Kia. It will have to prove itself to me again before I can truly trust it and still not sure if I would buy another one.

soreownr

I purchased my 2005 Sorento in August of 2004. I would like to say something positive about the vehicle, but I have a list of service visits that has me ready to junk the darn thing!

#1 Clock in Dash constantly flickering and re setting itself....... 4 visits to the dealer. This started no more than 2 weeks after I purchased the vehicle. Less than 80 miles of wear on the car.

#2 Passenger Airbag Sensor not working as designed.....3 visits to dealer. Occurred about 4 mos after owing vehicle.

#3 Clucking/Thumping noise when making u-turn or right/left turn ......2 visits to dealer.... AND the problem still exists to date: Took vehicle in to dealer and was told the noise was coming from the under-plate scrapping against the tire because it lost a bolt.... Bolt replaced... still having problem. (Occurred about 3 mos ago)

#4 When I thought things couldn't get any worse.....tada!!! the car would not start! I took it in today and again, nothing! " We couldn't find anything wrong with the engine/starter/alternator/battery or wiring to make the car not start. It could be caused from the alarm system that is in the car. If you can monitor the vehicle over the next few days and let us know how it drives or if it happens again bring it in", says the KIA Mechanical Specialist. An alarm that was installed by KIA made for the make and model of my car...hmmm.

Love the look of the car, but hate that I am making what seems to be monthly visits to the dealer.

At this point I am not sure what to do. So far out of pocket I have paid $200 - not as much as others. The dealership I have been taking my car to, apply the charges to the KIA Warranty. Still the fact remains that I bought a NEW car and seem to be dealing with USED car issues. I owe too much on it to trade it in....but am starting to feel like I should cut my loses and get out before it is too late.... Has anyone else had similar problems with their Sorento? If so, any suggestions?

beyond_help

while 280 miles away on a camping trip the crankshift bolt that holds the vibration damper/pully broke and the pully stopped turning

the bolt and the pully were so hot i got a burn blister from touching them

i was lucky to have a friend with me who had a friend within walking distance

so at 11:00 on a friday night within an hour the flatbed tow truck arrived to tow the truck 60 miles away to the nearest KIA dealer

KIA customer service said i quailfied for "trip interuption reinbursment" and put me through to ar separate rep (from the ins. carrier i think) who could not give me any specific information to what expences were covered except i was on my own to find transportation and a place to stay and had to pay up front and it would be up to the adjuster as to what he would pay after the fact
WHAT A JOKE i guess he did not know what the KIA warrenty says in writing about trip interuption coverage, i read it, it don't cover much

i called my wife and she had to drive 280 miles to come get me and our pop/up trailer the next day. lucky i have another tow vehicle

so the dealer called me today and stated the following;

they ordered, new pully, alignment pin, bolt, all three drive belts and a new timing belt and whatever else was necessary to complete the repair

the repair should be done by the end of the week

the service manager was very nice and courtous, not like the dealer i purchased it from

i guess we will have to eat the $200+ in fuel and tolls to go get the troublesome vehicle. they just replaced the engine 900 miles ago !

i have lost all my confidence and trust in this vehicle i dare not go too far from home with it anymore !

roadturtle

:sick: I have sorta owned my Kia for only four months. It has been in the shop for over 33 days so far, and it's going back again tomorrow. I have had two clocks replaced, a battery replaced, head liner rattles twice tried to repair, they inserted a toyota head liner to fix the problem, transmission problems , slips, misses shifts, goes into neutral , transmission computer replaced, still haven't fixed the transmission, engine canister failed, and replaced, headlights go dim if I use the a/c, only gets 13 mpg now, it got 17 mpg the first week, down hill since then, etc etc. Do Not buy a Kia. I hired an attorney under Calif Lemon Laws. I hope to get my money back shortly.

I bought a Honda Pilot. WOW what a difference. Stay with Honda, or Toyota.

lilac0422

I am so glad that I bought my 03 EX before this board developed too far. I have not had one problem with my car at all. Most people that seek out a forum are looking to get a lot of anger and frustration off their chests. The majority of us without problems are out driving our cars. I think saying "do not buy a Kia" is a little too strong. I am sorry you are having problems but at my house, my husbands 03 F250 really knows the inside of the service department.

It is funny that you would suggest a Honda Pilot, as my friend has one of those that she would like to get rid of. If anyone is interested, it has been at the local Honda Dealer for the last three months on and off. You can visit it there. There is not ever going to be one manufacturer that can be recommended without reservation. They all make duds believe it or not. Buy what you like and don't take too personal what you read on forums.

hciaffa

I agree with you. We bought our 03 EX in late 02 and have had only one minor problem which was a bad window switch on the drivers door. The only other experiance we had is the annoying rear end thump feeling but we have gone through a work procedure of have it checked out then greased as KIA recommended and it is still doing it so a new drive shaft is on order. I did not just jump into buying our KIA but afte wieghing all the cars in this class I found it to be a strong contender for our needs. We would have been hesitant if we were in the market for a vehicle now. But as with any car you can have problems. We traded in a Subaru Forester that blew its tranny 2 weeks after we bought it new and the dealer just rebuilt it and everything about that car went down hill and Subaru is considered to be a better import. Our dealer and service have been great.
Hopefully the Sorento will last and give us many more miles.

goldsuv

I agree too. I have a 2004 LX and have had no problems. The Sorento is a recommended pick by Consumer Reports.

jsm4

I purchased my '03 Kia Sorento in December of '02. I love the car, and have had minimal mechanical problems. I have, however, had many strange problems that the Kia dealership won't acknowledge. We had trouble with a rear seat belt; the belt wouldn't retract properly and broke a rear door panel. Kia fixed the door panel once but wouldn't acknowledge any trouble with the seat belt. (they implied my 8 year old didn't know how to use a seat belt) After 3 more trips to the dealership, 8 months, and another broken door panel, they said something wasn't right with the seat belt and replaced the door panel and the seat belt mechanism. I also had to replace all 4 tires after 26K miles. Kia had fixed very poor wheel alignment 2 times, but said the problem was my driving. This summer the check engine light came on. When I called, they said it was no big deal and couldn't get it in for a week. The light stayed on for 2 days and then went off, so there wasn't anything to check when I got it in a week later. Now the gas mileage has gone down to 10 mpg! When I called to ask about it, they feigned ignorance. When I asked if it could be related to the check engine light, they said they would have had to see the car when the light was on! I wanted them to, they refused. I called on Aug. 22 and they can't see the car until Sept. 9. I am trying to figure out how to tell them EXACTLY what to check, they say they are going to have to drive it 50 miles, at my expense, before they will EVEN LOOK for the problem. Is that normal? Any suggestions?

goldsuv

Wow, there definitely seems to be a problem with that dealer. What is the name of the dealer and what city is that in?

beyond_help

engine light was on...and there was not anything to check ?

drop in mpg ?

there should have been a stored code in the system, they should have read it !

here is an example;

our chevy/astro dropped gas milage about 3.5 mpg but showed no codes untill we were towing our trailer after about 4 hours then the engine light came on, then went off later

on the way home it did the same thing

even though the engine light was out there was a stored code in the system (this is the same type system that is in your sorento, OBD 2)

this code was for a problem with the "mass air flow sensor"

i replaced the mass air flow sensor and got back appx 3.5 mpg

this sensor went bad at appx 49k

if an "auto zone" store is in your area they will read your codes for free

hciaffa

The post by 'beyond help' is right. The OBD2 diagnostic was made specifically to hold the code in memory until read and cleared. If your dealer will not help go to and AutoZone as mentioned and they will read the code for you. Some charge and others are happy to help. I would give KIA a call about this and find another dealer if possible.

jsm4

It is the KIA dealer in Columbia, MO

I just got off the phone with Auto Zone and they said that if the check engine light goes off, then there is no code......since the light is off there is no sense hooking it up to the machine. It doesn't store a history. Am I asking the wrong question?

The only problem with another dealer, there isn't one for about 200 miles. I live in a rural area and have to drive 90 miles to get to this dealer. I should have listened to my father and bought a car at home. Who knew?

beyond_help

at this point you might want to consider getting a local garage or repair facility to read any stored codes even if you have to pay for it...it is a simple job to read these codes.

armed with the code information you can confront you KIA dealer

example of a OBD2 code;

PO102 described as the following

"Mass or Volume Air Flow Circuit Low Input", this can result in poor gas milage and in my case was a stored code and was read after the check engine light was out

as i posted befor it ended up being a bad mass air flow sensor

being a mechanic myself i replaced it

jsm4

I have been to 2 car stores, Auto Zone and O'Reilly, and they both say there will not be a code stored. I will go to a garage next week. Oh, how I wish there was a code, I am so frustrated. I am ready to get rid of the car. I am weary of the trouble.

kkeys

First post. I purchased my 2003 Sorento EX in November of 2003. In December, it was in the shop b/c the check engine light came in. They told me it was b/c of the gas cap not being closed tight enough and air had gotten down into the tank. Then it went back in January for the same problem w/the same answer. I took it to another dealership and they told it was the tsp. The light has not been on again. But that doesn't mean it hasn't had continous problems. My headlights blow at least once every 4 months, all the tires had to be replaced and it vibrates over 70 mph (mentioned in a few previous posts that I've read). Just yesterday, the engine stalled on me. I have filed a complaint with the BBB for Kia as well as the dealership who sold me the car. I'm interested in finding out if anyone had any success with these complaints or did they just trade the car in.

dcsorento

Had a ton of trouble first 6 months of ownership. Engine light, bad gas mileage, passenger air bag light malfunction, etc. Re-ocurring engine light problem was the worst. I tried the lemon law route, contacted kia, sent the letters, etc. I was assigned a rep. from the regional office of Kia who was supposed to assist me (yea right). Never heard from her (I called her once, but she said that she didn't have my file yet-uh huh), then finally in August got a call from her and she said that she sees that all of my problems have been fixed (I have not had problems now in three months). So, as "good faith" they gave me one month of car payment (about $450). I signed their waiver form, along with a waiver of my own accepting payment as good faith, but not disavowing Kia from further problems. Bottom line is that I am sorry that I bought a Kia Sorento cause i know my probems are not over, just temporarily at a lull, and the resale will be horrendous. Good thing I got the extended warranty (dealer threw it in after they tried to make some shifty errors on the contract that I called them to the carpet on). Shoulda known then to turn and wak away...

kkeys

Sounds exactly like the problems I've been having. I also had issues with the extended warranty that was purchased but when some problems occurred, the warranty "magically" didn't get sent to the headquarters and would have to be resent. I've heard from many other mechanics that the resale would be horrible but at this point, I don't know that I have another choice.

lok888

I bought my 2003 Kia Sorento EX (4WD with TOD) in 11/02. Gas price wasn't that outrageous. It just passed 36,000 miles. I have been in and out the dealer for many warranty repairs, many required loaner. But I still love my car.

It has been few thousand miles ago since I experience some vibration when braking or approaching light (or for traffic) from medium/high speed. I brought this to my dealer's attention over the weekend while I was getting an oil change. They told I have a wrapped front disc rotors and brake pads 80% worn. The parts and labor is $510. I have read the wrapped rotors before. Some of them were covered by the warranty. I understand that it could be an over-tighten wheel lugs after wheel/tire service. But I don't think this is the case because I rotate tires in a longer intervals. Some mentioned the heat can cause damage to the rotors too. Guys! Any idea this may cover by the warranty? If not, I probably go to other place to resurface the rotors and new pads.

beyond_help

warpped rotors are common in all types of vehicles, some are more prone to have this problem than others

yes, over torquing and uneven torque of the lug nuts will contribute to warpage as well as bad driving habits (hard stopping in short distances damaticly raise rotor temp)

i believe max lug torque is 87 foot lbs. given air impact wrenches can do 450 foot lbs. max (that is what mine is rated at) it would be easy to distort light rotors

36k seems a bit soon, but whatever, i don't think you will get any help from KIA

my sorento had warpped front rotors at appx 100 miles and they were replaced under warrenty

new brake pads and rotors according to some others and myself (a mechanic for 33 years) should be put through a break in procdure (no heavy breaking for appx 100 miles) just my opinion.

most rotors can be resurfaced once, but now that rotor will be thinner and will be more prone to warpage

my suggestion would be have the rotors cut and replace the pads at an independent repair shop you trust

note, rotors are usually marked with a minimum thickness dimention, if befor or after cutting they are under this minimum thickness they can not be safly used.

lok888

Thanks for your advise. I was thinking the same thing to resurface the rotors and replace the brake pads. What do I expect with a thinner rotors? Will they last another 36K miles or less?

beyond_help

i don't see why they should not last another 36k

hciaffa

lok888 our Sorento is the same year as yours and grant you we have only approx. 27,000 miles on it but I know the warranty is 5 years not three. I just had ours in for service because of front end vibration and the front rotors were replaced inder the warranty. Grant you our pads were still meaty but I had no problems eith my service manager.
Also if anyone is interested we have had the notorious thumping feeling when starting off after braking. First time in they checked it out as they had no input from KIA yet on this the second time in they lubed the spline ehich worked for a couple of weeks (3 months ago) now 2 weeks ago I went in for an oil change and they replaced the drive shaft and also the front rotors. What a difference in the car. No thumoing and no vibration very smooth like I just drove off the lot.
only thing now the dome light has stopped working in the door position ???? have to take it back for them to see.

mayaq

I've owned Several new cars in my life and I've never had one like the 2003 Sorento. It ran good for the first year and a half, then the troubles started. In early July my AC broke. The local dealership could not figure out what was wrong and requested I return in two weeks so they could attempt to better isolate the trouble. Then it was in the shop for another week. No AC for those hot summer days. My interior light has stopped working on two occassion, requiring trips to the dealership and now today I noticed a headlight was out. I've never spent this much time in a car dealership as I have with this car. Never Again, I will stick with Honda's,