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Kia Tech Info
it was a good vehicle for what is was used for..but maintenance and upkeep are expensive.......just my experience....
The salesman on the lot told me that these cars have a timing chain vs. belt. Has there been a change or was he just B.S.ing me?
BTW, this is my first post. So far I'm a bit leery with all the negative posts, but I don't think the price can be beat.
Appreciate if you can email me the Kia Sorento 2003-2006 work shop manual PDF files...
My email address:- vland38@yahoo.com
Thanks n Cheers,
John
Cheers,
Carey
To avoid getting spammed by putting your email in a post, you can mark your email "public" in your Profile and that will limit access to other members here.
Best Rdgs,
John
In general it has been a good, solid vehicle with excellent winter handling here in central Iowa where we get a lot of snow and ice. Mileage sucks (Oh gee, really?) but right after we bought it gas prices dropped like a rock (Hah!).
I added steps because my wife is not very tall and had some problems getting out without getting dirt on the back of her slacks/hose.
At about 3000 miles or somewhere in February my wife noticed a vibration under the passenger seat or just forward of that area. I couldn't hear it at first since I'm partially deaf, but it got louder so I now hear it. My first, and lasting, impression is that it's related to the exhaust system. The noise happens at certain speeds only - mostly around 15mph and again at 35-40mph. And I have started hearing it now at highway speeds.
When I took it in I got the infamous "Our engineers are aware of the problem and no solution exists for it" which I have figured out is Kiacrap for "We don't have a clue and you are on your own."
They tried adding some "special fluid" to the transfer case. Drove it, flushed the fluid, and replaced it again. No change. They replaced the transfer case. No change. They did something to the right front brakes. No change. I happened to catch the District Service Manager at the dealership and gave him and the local manager a ride so they could hear the noise. His recommendation was to replace the wheel bearing. Give me a damn break! It is not the wheel bearing. Another clueless Kiadot.
I will not let them tear into a brand new vehicle and replace parts willy nilly because they are clueless. Last time I saw the service guy (Who calls me by the wrong name. That impresses me.) He mentioned replacing the wheel bearing and I told him I'm enough of a mechanic to know the wheel bearing has nothing to do with the problem. Translated: I'm a better mechanic than you and all the people that have looked at my Sorento. He then launched into a story about a mechanic figuring out the problem was a motor mount. Are you kidding me? What happened to the wheel bearing solution?
So for me the Sorento (except for the weird noise) is an excellent vehicle. The dealer is comprised of a bunch of idiots. I have decided that I am going to wait until whatever it is that is vibrating breaks then take it in. At that point I wager there's a fairly good chance the Kiadots can figure it out.
Buy a Kia. Just don't expect anyone in the Service Department to know what they are doing.
I really would prefer they figure out the problem but the Service Department just doesn't seem to want to do much "work" in order to solve it. My strongest impression is that they want me to get tired or bored or frustrated with the total lack of intelligent solutions (or one that actually works) on their part and just go away and leave them alone. Well I've done that. The problem is they aren't smart enough to realize I'll never buy another Kia because of their attitude and lack of skills.
I don't care how cheap the car is. I don't care how good the car is. If the service department can't repair their own car brands I won't buy their cars.
How hard is that for a manufacturer to understand?
I can guarantee you that the replacement car for my wife (Coming up in about two years) will not be a Kia.
I will admit to being spoiled. We used to go through this with American made cars (over, and over, and over with every car), until 1990. That is the year my wife decided on a Nissan Stanza. When she traded it in on her 2003 Maxima it had about 61k on it and had required a total of two repairs outside regular maintenance. As a result I traded my piece of junk Sable (The single worst car and service department I have ever experienced) in on a 1995 Maxima and that (at 123k) is what I traded in on the Sorento. The '95 was finally needing enough repairs on a regular basis (over $1k a year) that it was time to trade.
Have you noticed we keep cars about 13 years? It's not planned, it just seems to be when they show enough cost-to-keep that we start looking for a new car.
I have to admit that the Nissan service department is also going downhill. I have noticed a lack of "finish" when we take her car in. There always seems to be something that doesn't get taken care of properly. It's a shame.
In two years we will probably be looking for her because we will be retired. By then her Maxima will have about 70k on it. I am semi-retired now and her plan is to go next July. We will be doing a lot of travel and will want a new car. We are hoping the selection of larger, fuel efficient (hybrid?) cars will continue to grow. If the Volt was larger (carried more luggage) it would be a temptation...
How about a chuckle?
Our Sorento had a squeak in the center of the sunroof, at the front frame. She figured out that pushing up on it would stop the squeak. We tried wedging cardboard (and some other things) in it to see if that would stop it and we could get an idea of what might be done to fix it. Nothing we did helped except driving down the road pushing on the frame.
One day I was driving alone, holding it and got frustrated (I can have a nasty temper although I had mellowed with age, kinda like a good cheese) I slammed the area with my fist. It felt really good. The squeak stopped. It hasn't come back.
I win.
I have an new Nissan Altima 3.5 that I traded in our 2500 Silverado Duramax diesel in on. We couldn't afford the gas plus I had a hard time backing up the 5th wheel trailer in the camping grounds, and it made my wife a nervous wreck when we were driving down the expressway. So I sold the truck, and SHE loves her Nissan Altima 3.5 that is loaded, and a real eye catcher. Built very well, and great service for now.
Congrats on your Nissan. We came close to buying an Altima instead of the 03 Maxima, but they gave us such a good deal on the Maxima we couldn't pass it up. I think we got the last model year that has a cassette player in it. You know, those "old people" accessories just gotta go!
So is the Altima like the Maxima - does it feel heavy and solid when you drive it? There are times when I feel like I'm driving a small tank around.
If you live in a snowy region pay close attention to the tires this winter. We have found that the factory tires on Nissans are woefully inadequate for winter driving. Her 03 was the worst. We would back out of our driveway (downhill), get into the street, place it in drive, press on the gas, and just sit there. No traction at all. Even with traction control. It didn't take me very long to buy new tires to replace our new tires.
I finally had time to completely read the directions for Homelink and got the Sorento to open the garage door! It only took me 9 months. Well, that and getting the Shingles, which slowed me down enough that I had time to actually read the manual. Shingles suck big time. I've had it for three weeks and I'm still getting my rear kicked around by it. Started in my left eye of all places. If you ever suspect you have Shingles get to a doctor asap and get started on Valtrex. Ask for Gabapentin for the pain.
They did something to my brakes to try fixing a problem (not brake related) and I now have a bump, or double bump, when I stop.
If I have learned nothing else in the last nine months I have learned that Kia service departments are clueless.
After drove it for a day I started getting that same double hitch. I've only owned this truck since October and I'm already afraid to have them work on it.
I took it in earlier this week after they called me about a new "fix" for the noise. All of a sudden it has been discovered it's coming from the exhaust system. The first time I took it in I told them that. Uh, duh...
I had a 9:00am appointment, was told it would take an hour. I had a 10:30 appointment with a client so I figure I was good to go. Well, that's a bit backwards, I asked how long it would take then asked if 9:00 was okay for a time. They said no problem so I made the 10:30 appointment.
Long story short: I finally demanded they bring my Sorento back from the shop just before 10:00 so I could make the appointment. I'm not going to lose money because these morons can't run an efficient shop. It didn't get taken to the shop area until after 9:30 and no one ever looked at it, let alone did any work on it. It just sat there.
What a bunch of losers.
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My 2008 Sorrento is currently sitting in the shop...for the third time in 1 1/2 months for the same problem. There is a noticeable "double hitch" when you come to a complete stop and also when you accelerate from a stop. The first two times I took it to KIA service, I was told that the problem was where the drive shaft and slip yoke join. There was a problem with rust buildup causing what I was feeling during braking and accelerating. They removed the drive shaft, grinded the rust off and lubricated the parts. Mind you, the car only had about 4700 miles and about 6 months on the road. The problem continued, in addition to a new rear hatch window rattle. Took it back in and this time they said they received a "bulletin" from KIA motors about the drive shaft issue, along with "special grease" that should fix the problem. They again removed the drive shaft and greased it up. Yeah right, didn't work. They also were clueless about the rear window rattle and said they would have to call an "outside window expert."???? In Ohio if the problem isn't fixed by the third service visit the car would fall under Lemon Law protection. I shouldn't have to go through this hassle for a new car. The problem is that I Love the KIA brand. Within 12 months my wife and I have purchase 3 new KIAs (07 Optima, 08 Sportage, 08 Sorrento) I traded the Sportage in for the Sorrento due to the Sportage being to small for me. We also convinced my in-laws to buy an 08 Rondo, which they love. Five months ago I would have said I will never buy another brand...now...I don't know if I can say that.
The light is very sensitive for sure. Try getting into the seat, and then shut the door firmly. See it the light goes out..............
Just trying to help. Good luck. We love our Sorie!!
2003 EX 4WD Sorento
2009 EX V6 4wd Borrego
Central Iowa
Weekly Top 3: Why You Should Care About The 2011 Kia Sorento (Edmunds Daily)
The dealership did the two recalls..one for the tailight and the other one for the passenger air bag light staying on even though you have a passenger in the seat......the only other problem I've detected is that one two occasions, the TPMS(tire pressure monitoring system) light has come on while driving down the road needlessly since a check of the air pressure showed no loss of air in any of the tires....the Tranny problem is something I'd like to get fixed if possible.....
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
I read your posts on the forum ( kia) which was on july 2008 .I am planing to buy a used 12000 mile sorento 2008 model .I would like to know if u are still happy with your sorento, How is the petrol consumption ? is it getting better as it gets older .Have u had any problem with the transmission so far?
Any advice would be really appreciated since I am quite confused
Are u still happy with your sorento ? I am planiing to buy a 2008 ,3,3 petrol engine with 17000 km on it .any problem with transmission so far ?
any advice would be really well come ,since i get different stories about this car and in general about Korean cars :sick:
No problems with the tranny.
It's turning into a rattle trap. Seems like about once a week I find a new rattle or squeak in it. Some are loud and annoying, some are not as loud, but still annoying.
Although the dealer placed foam insulation on the passenger side to "hide" the "normal" noise, the exhaust is still louder than I think it should be. I have come to the conclusion, based on reading a ton of posts, that since what I have is considered "normal" that I'm wasting my time trying to get the issue resolved.
I have started noticing a "clang/ringing" noise at the right front again. It must be getting louder since the insulation was blocking this for a while. This is distinct from the rumble we were hearing. I'm still trying to decide if I should pursue this problem as I am expecting to be told it, too, is "normal".
After 13 months I have come to the conclusion that this will be my one and only Kia purchase. This is based more on the response of the dealer (sorry guys, but I'm not satisfied with "normal as a response to the problems I've had) than the vehicle. If I could be confident that taking it in would result in a repair instead of "that's normal" it would be different, but I have no such expectations.
It will go in for standard maintenance and required warranty repairs. Once it gets to the point that it is a money pit I'll dump it and move on.
Sooner or later Kia is going to have to put up or shut up in regard to this "it's normal" garbage. This attitude is going to cause them to have a lot of one time only buyers.
Edit: I should note that I am partially deaf. The noises I hear are pretty loud if they are loud enough to annoy me.
for bulbs...make sure your ground wire from the battery is good...and replace your battery with a higher amp one....it eliminate my bulb blowing problem...coolant expansion tank....yea......nothing on the front bearing...however watch the differentials....lost my front dif on me EX AWD....dealer wanted 5k for parts and labor (went out at 105K so past the warranty)...said it couldnt be rebuilt.....took it to a local mechanic who rebuilt it for 1k parts and labor....and back on the road ......
Best of Luck!
But the tires on our 08 are great. We have been hammered with snow already this year. December set a record for the most snow in the month and the majority came in two storms. The Sorrie tires went through all of it with no problem at all.
I will say that this was not the case on factory tires from Nissan. We sold the tires from that car after one winter and bought ones that had a better "winter" tread. My wife kept complaining about them so I finally traded her cars for a day. I backed out of our driveway, put it in drive, pressed on the gas, and didn't move! This with traction control turned on.
I like my tires.