Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | ||||||
| RQ02013 | HYUNDAI-KIA AMERICA TECHNICAL CENTER INC | 10/18/2002 | 09/02/2003 | ENGINE STALLING POST-RECALL | 99V325000 | |
| Rq02-013 was opened to assess the scope and adequacy of recall 99v-325, which involved modifications to the engine fuel injection wire harness (harness).vehicles produced after the recall population have shown no signs of a defect trend.the majority of recall remedy failures identified were repaired within one day of the initial work.subsequent failure experience is minimal (249/55,548 vehicles remedied).field data show no indication of an ongoing concern: of 627 post-recall stalling-related wire harness warranty repairs, only seven occurred in 2003.consumer complaints and fuel injection wire harness saleshave declined since 2001.odi has received a total of twelve potentially relevant consumer complaints since 2001.under these circumstances, further expenditure of agency resources is not justified.the recall query is therefore closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that no safety-related defect exists.the agency will take further action in the future if circumstances warrant. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 11/19/1999 | 85000 | 1 | 10/13/1997 |
| Kia refuses to include my 1997 sportage ex 4wd in recall for 1997 kia sportages ex 4wd. recall 1cmp005 to replace the engine control module (ecm) has never been performed. also not sure that recall 2cmp014 on wiring has been performed. my main concern and the refusal from kia is on the ecm. *jb | |||
| 12/28/2001 | 1 | ||
| Nhtsa campaign 99v325000; kia issued an engine stalling recall. this vehicle was not included in the recall due to vin. however, the engine stalled, and check engine light remained on. *ak | |||
| 07/15/2003 | 119000 | ||
| This car is absolutely unsafe to drive; at any moment it may stall due to the faulty electrical system. i have had this car in for service numerous times and i have never gotten the problem resolved. i have simply had enough and would like some help. | |||
| 04/11/1997 | 20 | ||
| Engine stalls | |||
| 04/01/1998 | 10 | 11/01/1997 | |
| This vehicle is garbage - both front window motors-replaced. transmission replaced, and is now acting up again. rear-end replaced, acting up, engine squeals, dealer can't hear it, burning anti-freeze smell upon warmup, temp gauge goes crazy, in 4wd vehicle does not want to turn, only wants to go straight, makings hard clunking noise if you attempt to turn. the yugo was a better vehicle! *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||
| 01/05/2007 | 104000 | 2 | 03/05/2006 |
| Tl* - the contact owns a 1997 kia sportage. the vehicle was overheating. the contact said that the used car dealer replaced the radiator and the main hose. the vehicle continued to overheat, and when diagnosed ,the contact was told the overheating was due to the clutch overheating and the fan sticking. the contact didn't think that transmission oil was circulating throughout the vehicle properly. there were no warning indicator lights. the vehicle currently will not start. the dealer was no longer in business. *ak | |||
| 01/06/1998 | 1 | ||
| Clamp that holds hose to thermostat housing was bad causing coolant leak smell in the engine area. nlm | |||
| 3 | 04/01/1997 | ||
| Brakes- excessive braking distance when brakes applied; engine coolant system- vehicle over headed caused vents on dashboard to pop; electrical system under hood- continuous check engine light expensive repair bills; engine- shakes like an earthquake, stalls while driving, scared will cause accident/death | |||
| 1 | |||
| Water pump failed causing noise. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - RADIATOR ASSEMBLY | |||
| 10/15/2001 | 1 | ||
| Consumer states antifreeze leaks and the engine service light and hold light is on. dealer replaced a stuck thermostat. *tt | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 02/10/2003 | 1 | ||
| Consumer states that while driving and with no warning the vehicle would stall out. dealer notified. *ak | |||
| 10/01/1997 | |||
| Transmission shift slips out of park, air bag light stays on, coolent leak at engine lower left , lower front pulley bearing damaged engine | |||
| 11/02/1997 | |||
| Vehicle would jerk. engine check light kept coming on. vehcle would overheat & fail to start. also, vehicle had revved while at stop light due to fast idle . the ported passage hole was too small. it needed to be wider according to mechanic. driveshaft broke twice in last 6 months. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||
| 04/03/2002 | |||
| Vehicle stalled at 35 mph. consumer smelled smoke, then saw flames coming from under the hood. vehicle was totalled. *ak | |||
| 05/04/2000 | |||
| Recall 99v325000 repairs had been done on vehicle, but remedy did not work. consumer was still having same stalling problems as mentioned in recall. *ak | |||
| 08/01/2001 | |||
| Consumer received a recall notice 99v325000, and had service department taken care off on jun 13, 2000. since then, problem has come back on and off for the past 6 months. engine check light came on. and as soon as vehicle started to slow down it stalled. dealer stated vehicle needed new wiring harness. problem has been a ongoing since vehicle was purchased in sept. of 1997. servicle manager told consumer they corrected wiring harness problem. but, consumer felt work could have been incorrectly done.*ak | |||
| 2 | 10/01/1997 | ||
| This vehicle has been a problem from the day that i purchased it, engine failed and it was in shop for two months, transmission failed, the rear end failed, the fuel economy switch failed, then the transmission failed again, and the transmission has failed three times since july, 2000. i have had two near accidents on the interstate due to these mechanical failures. i have tried for over two years to contact a kia represenative but they will not respond to my complaints . the dealer is no help, they only give you the delay game. i have a vehicle that is no good, it is unsafe to drive and a danger to put on the road. it continually has problems and i am having to make payments on it.please help | |||
| 04/25/2000 | |||
| Consumer received manufacturer's recall 9764. vehicle was taken to dealer for repairs, but stalling began again. also, alarm system stopped working which caused the horn to stop working. *ak | |||
| While driving engine completely shut down without any warning. cause unknown. please give any further details. *ak | |||
| 02/26/2000 | 18 | 09/01/1997 | |
| The vehicle is cutting off in right turns. there was a recall on the vehicle for this problem. however, the dealer i have taken the vehicle to, has said the have performed the recall service, yet it is still cutting off and idling low in the turns. i have taken the vehicle back 6 to 7 times and they don't believe me and still have not been able to fix the car. *ak | |||
| 08/11/1999 | 1 | ||
| Engine cuts off while driving. nlm | |||
| 12/18/1999 | 1 | 07/01/1997 | |
| Tthe engine head broke. nlm | |||
| 02/01/2000 | 16 | 09/27/1997 | |
| While making a right turn vehicle will stall unexpectedly which may cause a crash. has been to dlr several times, but dealer cannot determine the cause of the problem. *ak *ml | |||
| 07/01/1997 | |||
| Recall 99v325000 kia/engine stalling; owner has made 4 appointments to correct recall campaign, appointments were always cancelled because dealer did not have parts or enough parts to correct recall. *ak *ml | |||
| Nhtsa recall 99v325000 and manufacturer's recall 99v325000/ engine stalling. after one week of repairs the remedy failed. *ak | |||
| 3 | |||
| Recall 99v325/ engine stalling repairs did not correct the problem , vehicle continued to stall while driving. consumer has taken the vehicle to the dealer three times with no satisfaction. please give any further details. *ak | |||
| 03/13/2000 | |||
| Manufacturer's recall notice received, and contacted dealer. consumer was give nan appointment for jun 7, 2000. can nhtsa shed some light on this matter.*ak | |||
| 02/28/1999 | |||
| While driving on the beltwayat 55 mph car hesitates or stalls. consumer feels this is a safety issue. *ak | |||
| 3 | 04/01/1997 | ||
| Brakes- excessive braking distance when brakes applied; engine coolant system- vehicle over headed caused vents on dashboard to pop; electrical system under hood- continuous check engine light expensive repair bills; engine- shakes like an earthquake, stalls while driving, scared will cause accident/death | |||
| 10/01/1999 | 0 | 10/01/1997 | |
| While driving vehicle stalled in the middle of traffic, consumer says it could have cause an accident. when vehicle stalled all the dashboard lights came on. called dealer, and they did not help with the problem. *ak | |||
| 07/07/1999 | |||
| Consumer was driving on dry road conditions and engine stalled for no reason. it happened frequently. dealer has tried to repair, but problem keeps on occurring. *ak | |||
| 04/11/1997 | 12 | 02/01/1996 | |
| Car continually stalls, check engine light continually comes off and on, when continually stalls at idle speed and highway speeds, engine experiences trouble continuously when it surges and jerks. it has been a real hazard to my health and almost put me in accidents many times while stalling in the middle of the street and intersections. almost killed myself and my family several different times with this piece of garbage vehicle.it has had so many things wrong with it since the day i bought it that it is almost impossible to list all of them. dealer claims there is no problem! even when it gets towed in due to the fact that it won't run! something needs to be done immediately before people are innocently killed due to the malfunctioning kia sportage vehicles. | |||
| The check engine light illuminates, indicating a malfunction within the system . also vehicle completely shuts down. dealer cannot identify the problem. please give any further details. *ak | |||
| 03/05/1998 | 5 | 06/01/1997 | |
| After purchasing this vehicle new we are very upset at the lack of concern and assisstance from the numerous government agencies i have contacted, completed forms and mailed them, i have yet to be contacted. both my 4 year old son & i almost lost our lives when my engine stalled on an interstate speed limit 70 cars turning everyway to avoid us, i really felt there was no hope when i saw an 18 wheeler approaching, i turned to move my son from the rear seat to the front so i could at least hold him, the driver saw me and when he managed to stop his rig was jackknifed and 1 side hit the block barrier. i have documents to prove the engine problems in 97 kia's can't be repaired.will lives be lost before kia is held responsible? please help | |||
| 03/05/1998 | 7 | 06/01/1997 | |
| When this vehicle was driven off the lot it was in need of repairs, from the first complaint at the dealership i was told oh that's normal for kia i have traveled by tow truck more than in my new vehicle. i have been treated as badly from the dealership as by kia. someone needs to stand up and force kia to face up to their responsibilities. kia has never had to face a jury or judge in a court of law because they settle for less than most consumers have paid, i know for i will be forced to settle without help . i requested only to get what i paid minus mileage yet if i'm forced to settle my loss will be over $4,000. lives will be lost unless we act soon | |||
| 06/25/1999 | 02/01/1998 | ||
| Car at dealer 3 days, problem fixing locks, dealer paid for car rental. *ak | |||
| 05/19/1999 | 1 | 07/01/1998 | |
| This is the most unreliable vehicle that i have ever owned-someone should do something about all of these problems occurring with kia's. no safety defect (s) mentione din the summary. *ak | |||
| 40 | 04/01/1997 | ||
| Since purchased, vehicle continually stalls at idle or highway speed. dealer went out of business but attempted to find problem, never fixed. new dealer in area had company rep inspect vehicle, disassembled engine components, reassembled. stopped problem for a few months, now it has reoccurrred. curious if other kia sportage owners have had similar. danger comes when engine cuts out at 70 mph, which has happened to me twice. *ak | |||
| 08/24/1998 | |||
| Consumer experiencing problem with vehicle intermittently stalling while driving. and whenever vehicle reaches speed of 15 -50 mph. vehicle have been inspected by dealer, informed consumer that the problem could not be duplicated. *ak | |||
| 05/27/1998 | |||
| When traveling at any speed the vehicle will cut off without prior warning . consumer has contacted the dealer, dealer unable to determine the problem. *ak | |||
| 3 | |||
| When the check engine light comes on the vehicle starts bucking. has been to dealer 3 times in a month. dealer claims the vehicle is fixed now. *ak | |||
| 01/24/1999 | 08/01/1997 | ||
| Engine check light is on, the car is stalling, the air bag lights are on. i am afraid that they will deploy at any given time. almost killed myself and my daughter on the queenboro bridge, i was going 40 and all of a sudden the car accelerated on it's own, i applied the brakes, but they had turned hard, i had no brakes, put emergency brakes, but nothing, when it was nearing an accident because i had to stop i threw the car in neutral which slowed it down enough for me to safely put it in park in the middle of a bridge. the cars engine roared when i put in park i couldn't move or fear of killing myself. the locks on the car keep opening and closing by themself. it needs 2 quarts of engine oil every month. i am totally dissatisfied with this car. *ak | |||
| 08/01/1998 | |||
| Consumer experiencing ongoing problem with vehicle stalling wiithout warning. vehicle been inspected by dealer on two occasions and was unable to correct or duplicate the problem. *ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Engine makes noise, surges and jerks continaully. | |||
| 02/13/1998 | 5 | 06/26/1997 | |
| While driving at any speed the vehicle gives no prior warning. the engine check light coming on. contacted dealer , can't find the problem. vehicle has been in the shop three times. *ak check engine light comes on and engine stalles at times while driving due to egr valve failure. hood release handle was broke. right front hubcap fell off. radio bezel was broke. *yh | |||
| 06/05/1998 | 9 | ||
| While driving vehicle intermittently shut down without cause. vehicle been in/out of dealer shop more then nine occasions, and condition cannot be resolved. dealer/manufacturer notified. *ak | |||
| 08/09/1998 | 5 | ||
| While driving vehicle about any mph and when making a turn or just driving, the engine stalled without a warning. *ak | |||
| 11/01/1997 | 3 | 07/26/1997 | |
| Engine experiences trouble continuously. | |||
| 07/28/1998 | 0 | 04/12/1998 | |
| Auto leaking fluid near engine. in addition, intermittent stalling/electrical door and window switch failed, and engine check light comes on/off. *ak | |||
| 05/01/1998 | 07/26/1997 | ||
| Intermittent stalling. | |||
| 11/11/1997 | 4 | ||
| Consumer's vehicle has been stalling at any speed over 55mph. when consumer is driving vehicle, without any warning, the vehicle will stall. she has had vehicle towed four times, and the other two times were not documented. consumer contacted the lemon law in her state, and was told that the law did not apply because there was no documetation that the vehicle would not start. there has been times when vehicle would not start. only after vehicle has stalled that it would not start for approx 5/10 minutes. *ak | |||
| 06/27/1997 | 20 | ||
| While driving slowly or stepping on brakes the engine dies out without warning. also, it just dies out when have to make an emergency stop. the vehicle will start back up, but will do the same thing again. in addition, engine dies when driving slowly over bumpy roads/slowing around corfners. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE - BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS | |||
| 08/11/1999 | 1 | ||
| Belts squeal while driving. nlm | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM | |||
| 07/15/2003 | 119000 | ||
| This car is absolutely unsafe to drive; at any moment it may stall due to the faulty electrical system. i have had this car in for service numerous times and i have never gotten the problem resolved. i have simply had enough and would like some help. | |||
| 03/13/2001 | 1 | 01/01/2000 | |
| Since purchase of vehicle i have had problems with cel coming on and staying on, i have had problems with clutch, the belts, and recently the emission systems, each time i go in the people at the dealer ship act like i am doing these things on purpose and this last time they told me that my warranty had expired. and that it would cost 1,000 dollars to fix. i was out raged. | |||
| 10 | 01/01/1998 | ||
| I have this car worked on over the 2 years i own it, kia offered no help is solving the problem. i called kia, ask the dealer to help, again no help. the facture warranty ended and i was going to have to pay for any more problems. the car was failing every time they replaced parts in the emisions system. i feeli was forced into trading it in because kia would not call me back or the dealer back. this car should not be sold to any other person but the dealer and kia are going to put it back on the road noing of the problem. please make sure thid vehicle does not get put back on the road. the check engine light comes on some times after driving 20 miles. please feel free to contact me on this problem. kia was no help in solving this problem they told me it was my problem and they would do nothing to fix it. *ak | |||
| 05/19/1999 | 1 | 07/01/1998 | |
| This is the most unreliable vehicle that i have ever owned-someone should do something about all of these problems occurring with kia's. no safety defect (s) mentione din the summary. *ak | |||
| 09/18/1997 | 1 | 07/07/1997 | |
| Noise from exhaust system, reposition catalytic convertor/heat shield to stop noise. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - CATALYTIC CONVERTOR | |||
| 10/01/2001 | 1 | 03/01/1998 | |
| Kia has issued a voluntary recall of its 1998 sportage sport utility vehicles to replace the manifold catalytic converter. this same problem has also happened to my 1997 sportage. a friend of mine has the same model and year as my sportage and the problem has happened to her vehicle also. i think this recall needs to be extended to the 1997 sportages also. the car will not pass emmisions inspections and i dont think i should have to pay for a problem that was caused by the manufacturer.*ak | |||
| Exhaust fumes were coming into the vehicle,and noticed the catalytic converter was hot. dealer replaced the catalytic converter and rerouted wire. after four months, and just being released again from dealer, exhaust fumes reappeared. consumer did a 60 mph drive, and driver/passenger, and child felt sick. went to the hopspital and were treated for carbon monoxide poisoning. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - GAS RECIRCULATION VALVE (EGR VALVE) | |||
| 04/23/2001 | 04/01/2000 | ||
| On 4/23/01 i took my car to westcott kia motors, i had a concern reguarding my transmission, they inspected and said theyfound switch stop lamp wasnt working at which time they replaced it , it was under warranty, they also replaced an egr valve that was under warranty, still to no avail of having my transmission concernes resolved with this dealer (after all these repairs , my car still had the same problem i brought it in for) i filed a complaint with kia consumer affairs. i waited a couple of months and decided to try my luck at another dealer in the area so i went to el cajon kia on 11/19/01 an allowed them to work on my car at which time they ordered a transfer case to be installed on 12/05/01, they replaced the transfer case and it broke while i was on the freeway 12/07/01 at which time i had the vehicle towed to their shop, they repaired the transfer case again and still the clunking noise i had brought it in for was still there in my car, i drove my car for a few more days untill it started to hesitate on me and the engine light came on, i had my car towed back to el cajon kia and the technician took a test drive with me and stated while we were driving my car that kia only pays them for 2 hours of service to vehicles, and that it was normal play that i was hearing in my vehicle, after all the days in the shop and all the repairs done, my car was no better than when i took it in for it to be repaired, i feel like they did more damage than good to my vehicle, and i also feel that there is a major problem with my transmission that the dealer failed to repair, i just took my car to rancho kia (where i bought it from and had repair problems with reguarding my tire latch) and they had to repair wiring to maf sensor and replaced my egr valve and also my purge solenoid was broken and they said the clunking noise is my front hub bearings are loose. | |||
| 05/11/1999 | 3 | 08/01/1997 | |
| Check engine light came on. needs new egr kit (controls emissions mix). 6/99 experienced engine racing on ignition, high idle at stops, engine surges at all speeds. then check engine light came on. happened first 6/98. they tightened terminal connections. second time 7/98 - adjusted c123 & c124 access connections. third time 5/99 replacing egr kit - awaiting part. service performed by maita olds, 2211 fulton ave., sacramento, ca 95825. *ak | |||
| 02/13/1998 | 5 | 06/26/1997 | |
| While driving at any speed the vehicle gives no prior warning. the engine check light coming on. contacted dealer , can't find the problem. vehicle has been in the shop three times. *ak check engine light comes on and engine stalles at times while driving due to egr valve failure. hood release handle was broke. right front hubcap fell off. radio bezel was broke. *yh | |||