Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VISIBILITY | ||||||
| PE99033 | HYUNDAI-KIA AMERICA TECHNICAL CENTER INC | 05/06/1999 | 10/21/1999 | WINDSHIELD WIPER | 99V271000 | |
| Alleged windshield wiper becomes inoperative when the wiper arm and pivot separate | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| VISIBILITY - DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER SYSTEM | |||
| 04/24/2001 | 01/01/2000 | ||
| Continuation of complaint.... i then checked the nhtsa website for recalls or service campaigns and found 3 recalls that fit in my vin range. i immediately called kia's 800 number and asked if my vehicle was included and was promptly told no. i believed this response since it was coming directly from the manufacturer and not the dealer. about 2 months later, i received a disturbing call from a representative from kia consumer affairs telling me to immediately stop driving the vehicle because the same 3 recalls i saw on the nhtsa website and called to inquire about included my vehicle. the recalls were: brake line recall-the steering intermediate shaft coupling can contact a hydraulic brake pipe causing fluid leakage. this condition can cause a loss of rear brake increasing the risk of a crash. electrical wiring- the wires connected to the c123 and c124 connectors can be put under tension by movement of the engine, thus pulling the wires and connectors, loosening them and resulting in a loss of circuit continuity. this condition can cause engine stalling, increasing the risk of a crash. the third recall was an obd label. i could not believe that kia put my family and me in so much danger by telling me that my vehicle was not involved. the kia representative told me that kia would provide me with a loaner vehicle. since i knew that i could possible die by continuing to drive this vehicle, i took a day off of work and took the vehicle back to the dlr. by this time, i had kept a timetable and log of everything that had gone wrong with the vehicle and presented it to the dealer. the list included, of course, the check engine light on, hesitation on acceleration, vehicle shakes severely when the wheel is turned, the idle surges when the vehicle is stopped, the rear window defogger had come off of the vehicle, the radio had started to static and turn on loud even when it was turned off, the volume knobs on the radio worked intermittently, the windows rolled up and down | |||
| 05/09/1999 | 20 | 09/01/1998 | |
| Vehicle has air leakage through windshield and when on highway speed in rocks. defrost does not work properly a fan is always running with either hot/cold. the seat belt locks on you at any time. the breaks make a grinding noise. | |||
| 10/07/1998 | 1000 | 10/01/1998 | |
| Regardless of the setting on the air flow mode selection knob, hot dry air is always directed into the face of driver and passenger, resulting in vision problems. also, dust, dirt and pollens are blown into driver's eyes when driving on dirt and gravel roads here at the lake of the ozarks . kia representatives have responded that all kias have this defect, that it is a design problem and will not be corrected under the vehicle warranty. we beleive this defect, design or otherwise, is a health and safety matter and should be corrected as soon as possible by kia. thank you for your assistance. *ak | |||
| 12/25/1998 | 5 | 11/01/1998 | |
| No summary listed for this vehicle. *ak | |||
| VISIBILITY - DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER SYSTEM - WINDSHIELD - HEATER CORE | |||
| 12/02/2002 | 3 | 08/01/1998 | |
| Due to a defect the heater vents blow extremely hot air that smoke come though the vents. please provide additional information. ts | |||
| VISIBILITY - POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS | |||
| 03/03/2000 | 5900 | 5 | 07/22/1998 |
| Continual failure of battery , replaced 5 times and replaced alternator but contiues to have battery failure also windows and door lcks go on and off by themselves.*ak | |||
| 02/19/2002 | 51000 | 6 | |
| First time i brought the car back was because the engine light went on and i had a oil leakage in the engine. car started to shake even after it was hot and made a weird noise in the engine. the motor rr window was not working and the brakes were making some weird noise. brought to the dealer to fix and he sent it to kia for repair, the kia crew found the front caliper frozen, but the customer denied to fix it. so i brought it to a specialist to check double check the car. they found the following defects and found the car unsafe (caliper rgt worn, frozen, caliper hardware worn, wheel cyl rgt- new/kit leaky, shoe hardware worn, c.v. boot/joint rfo/rfi/lfo/lfi worn, coil springs front broken rr broken, ball joints/lower l worn). i spoke with the dealer because i still had warranty and told him i didn't want the car it was giving me hard times already and only having it at that time for not even a month. as i would drive i would have to release the gas, because it would start to shake and felt as if it was going to shut off. *jb **dimsii ivoq entry posted after 12/12/02 cut-over to artemis****760758 | |||
| 06/01/2001 | 01/01/2001 | ||
| All four windows get stuck, doors lock and unlock by themselves, vehicle is trying to shift into 4x4 while vehicle is in motion, air conditioner works 1 out of 4 times, latch opens on back of vehicle while in motion. black tarry dust on front tires. | |||
| 02/02/1999 | 1 | 12/01/1998 | |
| Driver's side window would stop half way- they lubricated window. *ak | |||
| 01/01/2000 | 0 | ||
| Vehicle has a shock problem when getting inside of vehicle. when turning vehicle on consumer gets a shock. also, driver's side window doesn't go all the way down. *ak | |||
| 12/23/1999 | 12/01/1998 | ||
| Im not happy that i bought a new car and it averages going into the shop every 6-8 weeks. i cant afford this. im to arrange my own transportation while my car is in the shop, its been towed 3 times for the engine lite, when work is done they don't call and tell us what was wrong and it can be picked up, last time the car was in the shop they didnt call for over a week to tell me to come get it, i asked to speak with a manager and left several messages and they still havent called. i wil never buy a kia again or buy from any rizza. i feel like i bought junk, i want my money back, take the car. there is a class action lawsuit in the process at website 100% i hate kia. thank youl | |||
| 1 | 12/18/1999 | ||
| Left rear passenger window is off track due to faulty regulator causing excessive noise when vehicle in motion. nlm | |||
| 01/01/1999 | 1 | 12/18/1999 | |
| Windows will not roll down. nlm | |||
| 09/01/1998 | 4 | 04/01/1998 | |
| The entire car should be recalled. kia does little to assist with cars that have cronic problems.no safety defect listed within summary. *ak | |||
| 11/10/1999 | 1 | 06/28/1998 | |
| Power window regulator failed. mjs | |||
| 1 | 01/01/1998 | ||
| Power mirrors failed. mjs | |||
| 12/25/1998 | 5 | 11/01/1998 | |
| No summary listed for this vehicle. *ak | |||
| 1 | 06/21/1998 | ||
| Windows stick. | |||
| VISIBILITY - REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES | |||
| 02/02/1999 | 1 | 12/01/1998 | |
| Passenger side mirror unable to adjust- broken inside, need to replace- parts on back order. *ak | |||
| 11/30/1998 | 1 | 11/01/1998 | |
| No summary listed for this vehicle. *ak | |||
| 05/11/1998 | 2 | 05/09/1998 | |
| Brakes: hydraulic brake pedal has to be pressed to the floor before vehicle stops. the lifters made loud noises & rattling & needed to be changed. rear door is off line & not shutting properly. *ak customer states drivers side mirror fell off. the check engine light is on due to oxygen sensor failure. the rear hatch does not close properly. the customer stated that there was a ticking noise at engine when hot or cold, this happens all the time. dome light screw fell off, dealer found loose ground at light, the ground was resecured and a new screw was installed. *yh | |||
| VISIBILITY - WINDSHIELD | |||
| 12/27/2001 | 3 | 07/01/1998 | |
| Oxygen sensor has been replaced three times after routine service was performed.*ak consumer also stated the wipers were not clearing windshield, windows go up slowly, 4-wheel drive was inoperative,vehicle was loosing power steering, dealer replaced the fan belt,air condition was inoperative,wheel bearing were loose,weatherstrip was replaced,the engine boggs down while driving, front brakes were noisy.*slc | |||
| 05/09/1999 | 20 | 09/01/1998 | |
| Vehicle has air leakage through windshield and when on highway speed in rocks. defrost does not work properly a fan is always running with either hot/cold. the seat belt locks on you at any time. the breaks make a grinding noise. | |||
| 1 | |||
| The window seals on the door failure caused the air kept coming in. yh | |||
| 03/25/1999 | 5 | 12/01/1998 | |
| Front windshield has air leaks & at high speeds the wind is annoying. the front passenger seat belt locks into place as soon as the passenger clamps into place. one doesn't have to press brake peddle for it to tighten around person. when driving and particularly engaging the clutch to down shift the gear linkage disengages and the gears can't be located especially in second, third or fourth gears and because of such has almost caused three crashes. we had this checked by the dealer and they said they found nothing wrong with the gear shifting mechanism. i beg to differ because i drive that car every day and i've driven many manual shift transmissions cars and i believe that after driving for sometime (i.e., one to two hours) the transmission heats up and causes problems with gear selection. | |||
| 03/03/1999 | 2 | 08/01/1998 | |
| We have an antifreeze problem still to this day; our brakes still are squealing now; it didn't start twice; ice builds up where the door and the car come together-damaging door; has iced over inside the car; windows would never clear off-couldn't see anything while driving; didn't idle properly-and still doesn't | |||
| VISIBILITY - WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER | |||
| 12/27/2001 | 3 | 07/01/1998 | |
| Oxygen sensor has been replaced three times after routine service was performed.*ak consumer also stated the wipers were not clearing windshield, windows go up slowly, 4-wheel drive was inoperative,vehicle was loosing power steering, dealer replaced the fan belt,air condition was inoperative,wheel bearing were loose,weatherstrip was replaced,the engine boggs down while driving, front brakes were noisy.*slc | |||
| 12/01/2000 | |||
| All three, 2 frontal and 1 rear windshield wipers are rusting with only 31,000 miles on vehicle. please provide any additional information/attachments. *note: this was just reported to dealership on april 16, 2001.*ak | |||
| 06/28/1999 | 1 | ||
| Windshield wiper fluid inoperable due to feed line disconnection. mjs | |||
| 1 | 06/01/1998 | ||
| Windshield wiper failed causing poor visibility and near accident. | |||
| VISIBILITY - WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER - MOTOR | |||
| 04/22/1999 | 09/01/1998 | ||
| The trnamission fail twice once after the car was checked before we left on vacation, the deeler will not help my and we have ended up having a restraining order draw up because of the threats from his staff. kia it's self has been notified and hav offered a rediculus traid in of $7000. the car was over $18000. the hubs have nearly cost me my life i went off the interstate hitting ice i was not in 4 wheel drive at the time but i went in to a ditch,when i tried to put it in to 4 wheel i would not go i had to travel in a ditch on a busy interstate for 5 mile till i could reach the exit. the washer motor failed on the interstate in smowing conditions, i had to empty water on the window as i was driving to see. this the worst car ever and the dealer and kia will not help with any of these matters. the dates of these incidents might not be the correct date my attorney has all the paper work from the dealer. *ak | |||