Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||||
| TSB-068 | 05/01/2010 | 10034246 | Kia: intermittent mil on with no fault code stored; information about dtc p1330. provides information relating to certain vehicles. in affected vehicles an intermittent short to ground in a circuit only intended for testing purposes may c | 10/29/2010 | |
| TSB-044 | 11/01/2009 | 10033464 | Kia: ecm upgrade with tp sensor replacement-mil on with dtc p2135/p0638. information related to ecm software and tp sensor upgrade on some vehicles with 2.7l engines which may experience a malfunction indicator lamp (mil) illuminated with | 08/18/2010 | |
| 073 | 05/01/2008 | 10025153 | Sorento icv replacement. *nj | 07/14/2008 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL | |||||
| 011 | 04/01/2006 | 10019639 | Canister close valve inspection/replacement. malfunction indicator light (mil) related to the canister close valve and/or evaporative system. *tt | 04/12/2006 | |
| 76 | 01/01/2004 | 10015749 | New name & maintenance schedule for evap canister vent filter. kia technician times. *tt | 08/10/2005 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - CRANKCASE (PCV) | |||||
| 92 | 01/01/2006 | 10019926 | Crankshaft bolt torque. *tt | 05/16/2006 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 02/07/2012 | 106164 | 3 | 10/01/2011 |
| I bought my 2005 kia sorento october 2011. the cost of the vehicle was $8664.00 and financed for $13,399.48 or 36 months. this vehicle was purchased at brick city motors, 316 broadway ave, newark, nj 07104. a warranty for 6 months or 7500 miles was issued with it. the warranty did not cover the defect in the engine. on february 7 2012, i was driving on interstate 280 in the 3rd lane going west when the vehicle shut off. the power steering went out and i was unable to turn the hazard lights on. thank god people were not flying or there would have been a tragic accident. i had the vehicle towed to a kia dealership in nutley nj. i did that because i figured it was a kia product let their dealership repair it. the result for the problem was replaced timing belt/crankshaft gear/tensioner/pulley/idler/balancer-note: cr damaged- jeweled key way to crank slot limited warranty on rep. the labor cost was 826.00 with no guarantee on parts or labor. brick city paid for the parts and i paid for the labor. on july 15th 2012 my kia sorento had to be towed to kia in nutley nj. the rep advisor told me that i need to get rid of the vehicle while i can. i paid 50 some dollars for an oil cap to be replaced. the vehicle had shut off again like it did in feb 2012. the rep also told me that i need a transmission. on july 26 the vehicle would not start up and a friend of mine took me to her brothers mechanic shop. the end result was that they found the crankshaft needs replacing and was bent again. on july 26, 2012, i, then went back to kia in nutley nj and the manager told me the work they did was not warranted and that brick city motors screwed me. i called kia motors in woodbridge nj and they told me the worst case scenario is that i have to pay maybe 2000.00 for a replacement. i am a disabled veteran permanently and totally disabled. i have to have a suv due to daily chronic pain. | |||
| 11/21/2011 | 110522 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2005 kia sorento. the contact stated that all of the instrument panel light illuminated as the vehicle stalled. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was told that the crankshaft position sensor failed and needed to be replaced. the failure and the current mileage was 110,522. kmj | |||
| 11/21/2011 | 110522 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2005 kia sorento. the contact stated all the lights illuminated on the instrument panel and then the vehicle stalled. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was told the crankshaft position sensor failed and needed to be replaced. the contact feels this is a safety issue. the failure mileage and current mileages were 110,522.rl | |||
| 06/17/2011 | 53000 | ||
| While driving my vehicle, it began making a knocking noise. the power steering then began to fail and then i was unable to excelorate. the car died (on a busy 4 lane hwy with my 7 mos old daughter in the car). once stopped, i looked under my hood to find a large bolt laying on the floor of the interior of the bumper. the vehicle was towed to a local auto repair shop where, after 2 days and $1300 in repairs, i was told that the large bolt i found was half of the crank pulley bolt. it had snapped clean in half leaving the other half inside the pulley. extensive labor to remove this piece and then reset all the pulleys and belts (timing belt) attributed to the excessive cost. i was told that there was no reason why that bolt should have simply broke in half and that it was a faulty part. kia refuses to take responsibility and i have read several posts that make it clear that this is not the first time it has happened. electrically, i have had to change my headlight bulbs several times over the last 3 years and the accuator for the automatic door locks is faulty. the car randomly locks itself at any given time (while driving, when sitting in the driveway during the night, parked and running). i stopped in a parking lot to get my daughter's toy that she had dropped. when i got out of the car to walk around to the other side, the car lock defect locked my daughter inside the car while it was running. | |||
| 06/15/2011 | 120000 | ||
| The main crank shaft pully bolt stripped out and caused the crank shaft to start to work its way out of the motor block i talked to kia customer service center and they said that it was not covered as a recall even though it was a main failure in the previous two years of 2003 and 2004 they said that they had fixed the problem by installing a different bolt in the 2005 model but in my opinion that is a false statement do to the fact it has failed in my 2005 sorento telling me the problem has not been solved. | |||
| 06/03/2011 | 43560 | ||
| I was backing up out of a parking spot when the power steering stopped working, i couldn | |||
| 03/25/2011 | 75000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2005 kia sorento. the contact was driving approximately 60 -65 mph when the battery and parking brake warning lights illuminated momentarily. the contact stated that the power steering failed suddenly and caused extreme difficulty in steering capabilities. the vehicle was then inspected by an independent mechanic and they advised that the failure was the harmonic balancer bolt and that the entire engine would need to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was approximately 75,000. | |||
| 03/25/2011 | 75000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2005 kia sorento. the contact stated that while driving approximately 60 to 65 mph when the battery and parking brake light illuminated and then flased off. the power steering then suddenly failed and made steering very difficult. the vehicle was then inspected by a independent mechanic and they advised him that it was the hermonic balancer bolt and that the entire engine needed to be replaced. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure and current mileages were approximately 75,000. tb | |||
| 03/30/2011 | 66000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2005 kia sorento. the contact stated the driver was driving approximately 50 mph in the rain when she heard a loud clunking noise and the steering wheel became very stiff and difficult to turn. during the failure the battery light as well as various other warning lights began illuminating on the dashboard. the vehicle was driven away and parked. the contact examined the vehicle and noticed all the engine belts were detached and a bolt was fractured away from the motor. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer where the vehicle was in the process of being repaired. the failure and current mileages were 66,000. sm. | |||
| 05/22/2010 | 81000 | ||
| Timing belt service performed by kia dealer on 3/1/2010 @ 77105 miles. on 5/22/2010, noticed brake warning and battery warning lights on while on highway. pulled onto next off-ramp, and noticed no power steering. i then pulled into a gas station, opened the hood, and noticed that the alternator, a/c, and main drive belt appeared to have come off of the pulleys. i was able to drive the vehicle home, and checked the next morning to see if i was able to replace the belts. i found the crankshaft pulley lying at the bottom of the engine bay. upon further inspection, i found that the crankshaft pulley bolt had sheared off at the threads inside the crankshaft sprocket. | |||
| 05/09/2010 | 72000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2005 kia sorento. while driving at 15 mph, the contact noticed that the power steering suddenly stopped functioning. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealership where the contact was informed that the crank shaft pulley bolt needed to be replaced. the vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. the current and failure mileages were approximately 72,000. | |||
| 08/15/2009 | 66000 | 1 | |
| Balancer bolt has broken off in the crank shaft pulley causing the alternator not to spin. required to drill out the bolt and replace the balancer and remove and replace the sprocket. *tr | |||
| 07/31/2007 | 47000 | 1 | 04/15/2006 |
| While driving the vehicle the motor started knocking extremely loud. did not overheat and oil level was fine. on july 31 i received a phone call from ms stevens (central kia) to authorize for the diagnosis of the vehicle. the cost to diagnose the problem will be $80.00 if not covered under warranty. on august 1st i received a call from ms. stevens stating the technician saw signs of ?sludge? when he removed the oil cap. ms. steven questioned if there was knocking noise prior to the failure. i explained there was no noise present and the last oil change was approximately 3,800 miles ago. ms. stevens said she had to get authorization to proceed to go any further because of the evidence of ?sludge?. if the failure was due to ?oil starvation? it would not be covered under warranty and the further diagnosis would cost approximately $500.00. i quickly dismissed the possibility that the engine had been ?oil starved?. if the engine was oil starved the failure would most likely happen over time. this failure was immediate. ms. stevens agreed and even mention that she has seen and the technician as experienced a malfunction with a wing nut and bolt breaking and falling into the lower part of the motor. she believed that is what happened in this case which would be covered under the 100,000 mile warranty. on thursday august 2nd at approximately 11:00am i went to central kia in plano and met with ms. stevens. ms stevens told me the work on my vehicle had not begun. at approximately 1:30 pm i received a phone call from ms. stevens stating a malfunction in the motor occurred involving a failed part (bolt). ms. stevens now is requested for me to produce maintenance records or the defective engine will not be covered under warranty. it is very frustrating to me to know that kia knew of the faulty part prior to the diagnosis, then finding the problem then placing the monkey on the consumers back before they will cover it under warranty. *jb | |||
| 03/18/2005 | 50 | 4 | 03/14/2005 |
| Dt: 2005 kia sorento. the airbag light stayed on. they have replaced the seat, t and sent the seat off to have the sensor replaced. the dealership said there was nothing else they could do. the check engine light came on and the vehicle stalled. this happened twice in one day. the vehicle will restart after waiting a while. also, the clock had to be replaced twice. *ak | |||
| 01/03/2005 | 3 | ||
| 2005 kia sorento ex developed problems with the power steering.***no answer required***. *mr within a few days of owning the vehicle, the consumer noticed the clock was not working properly, there was a noise while the vehicle was cold, while turning right or backing and pulling forward, a shudder in the brake pedal, a cut in the leather passenger seat. on 4 occasions the passenger air bag sensor light dash light did not engage properly with 3 different people of different weights/heights were sitting in the seat. the power steering failed 3 times. the consumer was told the shudder in the brake pedal was normal and was a part of the abs. *jb | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||
| 11/10/2010 | 100000 | ||
| My 2005 sorento, suv, begun to shake on the front and later stopped. i had a machanic check it for the main belt to be off and he said it was more major. the bolt had broken off in the motor. some cars from kia had already had that complaint. i called the kia headquarters and they said yes, but not a recall for that model doing it. well it is and i am still paying for something i can't use.???? | |||
| 07/20/2009 | 124000 | 1 | |
| While returning from our vacation our kia started making at lot of noises in around the airconditioning heating system, the air coming from the vents didn't seem to be warm enough to defog the windows, then the next day when it was warmer it started making a rattling fan noise when the air was turned on. when the system was turned off it didn't make the noise anymore. we arrived home unloaded our gear and then went out again a while later. the fan noise started again and the warning light came on and the power steering didn't work, when the air was turned off everything resumed to normal. we arrived at our friend house and went inside. after several minutes we smelled something burning and went outside to see smoke coming from the engine area. we lifted the hood to investigate where we saw flames coming from the engine. we immediately extinguished the fire and had the vehicle towed the next day. come to find out several days later that our vehicle was too badly burned to repair the engine. the engine had to be replaced due to a timing belt failure. if this is an ongoing problem it should be mandatory that they should be replaced by whomever owns the vehicle or the dealer if the car has been traded because the next owner would not know any of the previous repairs such was our case. as it stands now there are some interior electrical problems such as the lights an the electronic seats we are hoping for some kind of recall for this problem. there was also a problem with the fan running on after the car was turned off. this was still happening even after the engine had been replaced and we were told earlier that it was a sensor problem which still happened even after the sensor was replaced. *tr | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 08/24/2011 | 85000 | ||
| Harmonic balancer bolt broke causing failure of all belt driven components. loss of power steering while driving at highway speeds being the worst of which. it was extremely difficult for a small framed older woman to control while pulling over. harmonic balancer fell from vehicle representing substantial risk to other vehicles on roadway. vehicle had been to dealership for previous repairs but they neglected to adhere to the manufacturers tsb and replace the bolt. i have since found that many many other owners of this vehicle have had the same issue spanning many model years. i don't believe the defect to be in the bolt but rather in the design of the harmonic balancer, the crank shaft and the mating of the two. when this failure occurs the vehicle becomes inoperable and leaves it occupants stranded. loss of power assisted control and the high probability of a large and heavy piece of steel being dropped in the midst of oncoming traffic represent a substantial risk to the public. this issue has not been properly addressed by the manufacturer as no notice that this bolt should be replaced has been given to consumers. kia motors is aware of the problem and sent a tsb to dealers directing them to change the bolt in question upon the vehicles next dealer service. however this practice is not properly adhered to and with the customer being unaware of any possible problem it becomes easily overlooked. i have also noticed that many people have more frequent failures after the bolt has been replaced. after having the vehicle towed to kia i was informed that the engine would have to be replaced and that kia would not cover this under it's power train warranty. | |||
| 07/10/2011 | 80000 | ||
| Tl - the contact owns a 2005 kia sorento. the contact stated that while driving 40 mph the brake lamp, battery warning lamp illuminated and the vehicle lost power of steering without any warnings. the vehicle was taken to a dealer who diagnosed that the drive belts, and crank bolt sheer off and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offered any assistance since the vehicle was not included on any recalls. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 80,000. pm | |||
| 08/10/2010 | 99877 | ||
| 05 kia sorento. the harmonic balancer bolt doesn't adaquitly secure the balancer or pulley. thru normal use, the bolt becomes loose causing damage to the balancer. the damaged balancer causes the pulley to become damaged, and all of the accesory belts run by the crankshaft pulley are damaged. the fix offered by kia does nothing to permanently fix the problem. i have now taken my vehicle to an ase certified mechanic twice in the last year and the problem still exsists. costs have now reached over $2100 and counting!!!!! | |||
| 05/21/2010 | 69000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2005 kia sorento. while traveling 60 mph the contact noticed a banging sound coming from the engine, seconds later the vehicle had shut off and could not be restarted. the vehicle was towed to the dealership where the contact was informed that the crank shaft bolt, and crank positioning sensor needed to be replaced. there were no prior warnings and the vehicle has not been serviced for the failure. the current and failure mileages was 69000. bml | |||
| 05/22/2010 | 81000 | ||
| Timing belt service performed by kia dealer on 3/1/2010 @ 77105 miles. on 5/22/2010, noticed brake warning and battery warning lights on while on highway. pulled onto next off-ramp, and noticed no power steering. i then pulled into a gas station, opened the hood, and noticed that the alternator, a/c, and main drive belt appeared to have come off of the pulleys. i was able to drive the vehicle home, and checked the next morning to see if i was able to replace the belts. i found the crankshaft pulley lying at the bottom of the engine bay. upon further inspection, i found that the crankshaft pulley bolt had sheared off at the threads inside the crankshaft sprocket. | |||
| 04/28/2010 | 97000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2005 kia sorento. while driving at 10 mph and making a right turn, the bolt that connected the pulley and crankshaft snapped causing the contact to lose control of the steering. the engine turned off and the vehicle came to an abrupt stop in the middle of the road. the contact restarted the vehicle and took it the nearest repair shop where the pulley fell to the ground when lifted for diagnosis. the contact called both the dealership and the manufacturer but would not cover the repair expenses. the vehicle was awaiting repair at another repair shop at the time of the complaint. the current and failure mileages were approximately 97,000. | |||
| 10/13/2009 | 50000 | ||
| My 2005 kia sorento cut off while i was driving, throwing me into a spin and leaving me facing the wrong way into oncoming traffic. could have killed me and my kids. had it towed to dealership. they jump started it and said they couldn't duplicate the problem. they did nothing. it subsequently cut off in traffic 3 more times. called the dealership, they said it wasn't a warranty issue (this was the month of the warranty expiration but it hadn't expired yet) and since they couldn't duplicate the problem there was nothing to fix. kia is parked and i won't drive it. they don't honor their warranty and know about this defect and won'tt try to fix it during warranty period. | |||
| 04/28/2009 | 62000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2005 kia sorento. the contact stated that the engine was making a loud knocking noise. when she started the vehicle, it began to shake severely and make a ticking noise. the vehicle could not be driven and was towed to the dealer. the technician found particles that resembled metal fragments in the engine. the entire engine had to be replaced. the failure mileage was 62,000. | |||
| 06/17/2008 | 42874 | 1 | |
| Driving out of my office park at lunch time, heard fan noise like loose belt, then when turning wheel to exit lot, heard a loud clunk and lost power steering. engine sitting loose in compartment land loose belts everywhere. called roadside assistance and had vehicle towed to dealer. told 2.5 hours late, when i called to the dealer, that the crankshaft bolt was broken again. contacted kia consumer affairs and found although there is an active campaign to recall this bolt, my vin is not on the list (this is the second failure). although short block was replaced at last failure (in 4/07 at 20,200 mi) this failure required machining the bolt out and only replacing the crankshaft sprocket, crank pulley and crankshaft bolt, then reinstalling other components. contacted kia consumer affairs 6/18/08 and requested dist service mgr approval short block replacement. no return phone calls although messages were left for agent on 6/19 and 6/20. agent called on 6/25/08 to ask how is the vehicle riding?, but we had not picked up the vehicle from the dealer, since yet again no alternate transportation was provided. safety is now a major concern with this vehicle. no confidence in replacement parts to solve this problem. research shows many other owners reporting multiple failures of the crankshaft bolt. repair took 6 business days (8 calendar days) and again no alternate transportation was offered or provided. www.kia-forums.com has information from a kia technician that the crankshaft problem is due to a design flaw that cannot be fixed by replacing a bolt every 10,000 to 20,000 miles or each failure. no owner should be expected to wait for another failure that drops the bottom half of the engine. this is a serious safety concern that needs to be addressed. i have been fortunate that the failures have been out of traffic and not on the interstates. living in metro atlanta, ga means i a far greater chance of the next failure causing injury to me or others. *tr | |||
| 10/22/2007 | 30455 | 1 | |
| Check engine light came on and engine idled very rough. fearing repeat of cylinder misfire that occurred in september 2006 took vehicle straight to dealer. cause determined to be a faulty evap pressure sensor. replaced sensor under warranty. *tr | |||
| 04/02/2007 | 20200 | 1 | |
| Turning into the driveway from a short trip to the corner gas station, i heard a loud clunk, lost power steering and vehicle would not restart. contacted kia roadside assistance and had vehicle towed to dealership. dealer indicated the crankshaft bolt broke. dealer replaced the short block under warranty. repairs took 5 days and no alternate transportation was provided. *tr | |||
| 09/27/2006 | 12149 | 1 | |
| Check engine light came on while traveling with 100 miles of home on 9/22/06. called kia roadside assistance, they recommended contacting the dealer. took to dealer same day, they reset the light and recommended using a higher octane fuel and return for service if light returns. returned to dealer on 9/26/06 with light on again. testing showed cylinder #3 misfired and caused internal engine damage. engine replaced at 12,149miles under warranty and 9/27/06. *tr | |||
| 07/12/2007 | 16000 | 1 | 12/28/2005 |
| At under 20,000 miles i was told i need a new engine. they have had the car for two weeks and won't give me a rental in the meantime.*ak | |||
| 08/29/2005 | 3005 | 3 | 04/15/2005 |
| Check engine light,needed canister close v canister ass/check engine install ccv filter and splash shields/check engine sensor fuel tank/ still waiting for sensor. now cannot put gas in vehicle, keeps back splashing out, on 1/4 tank and cannot put gas in,still waiting for part. *nm | |||
| 06/05/2005 | 1632 | 1 | 05/02/2005 |
| 1) slowed car to put into park & car lunged forwarded, backed off, lunged forward, backed off, etc. tapping sound came from engine. 2) car engine stopped and would not restart (stalled on roadway) 3) it is currently in the dealership for repairs, after they told me they couldn't get it to duplicate the problem (although the 1st day it was in the dealership, they anknowledged it was misfiring.) they have now stated that a clip on the intake manifold comes dislodged and end up in the catalytic converter, and this could have caused the problem. my car has been out of service for 3 days, as of this writing, as they have ordered a new intake manifold. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE - BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS | |||
| 08/22/2005 | 6556 | 1 | 02/17/2005 |
| 2005 kia sorento v6, breakage of crankshaft accessory pulley/vibration damper bolt, causing loss of power steering due to power steering belt to become inoperative. this problem effects 2003 to 2006 kia sorento v6 engines many owners have had multi failures of this bolt, the updated bolts fail too. kia is trying to hide this serious problem and has no intention of a real fix. my vehicle and others are afraid to drive our kia sorento's. *nm | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL | |||
| 11/25/2004 | 3 | 11/24/2004 | |
| While driving a light on the dash illuminated and the vehicle suddenly lost power. *nm the vehicle had a sensor issue which caused the panel light to flash and the power to be lost. the panel light flashed twice and stayed on the second time. the consumer was told it was an emission light and there was no other explanation. the consumer tried to have the vehicle jump started but it did not start the vehicle. the consumer was given a choice to take another vehicle same make and model as an exchange for her purchased vehicle that failed. the clock did not keep time and the light switch did not turn on the interior lights. the consumer was told that the clock for the second vehicle was on back order. the clock has to be reset every time the consumer gets in the vehicle. *tc *jb | |||