Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | ||||||
| DP02006 | HYUNDAI-KIA AMERICA TECHNICAL CENTER INC | 06/05/2002 | 09/23/2002 | VEHICLE ROLLOVER | ||
| Allege that the vehicle rolled over twice while she was making a left turn.no other vehicles were involved. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | |||
| 09/07/2012 | |||
| The chassi, and the auto body for this particular vehicle is not safe deteorizet and complete hoden i just tolk the car to the mecanic when was find out. we believe that is manufacture problems. | |||
| 07/27/2012 | 120005 | 1 | |
| (1) noticed that the fuel tank shield is severely rotted out and is barely connected. (2) smell fuel vapors periodically while in the vehicle. (3) fuel tank appears to be rusting, afraid to mess with tank in fear of disturbing the rust and rupturing a hole in tank. (4) brake lines were so severely rusted in one area that it blew a hole in the line and prevented the vehicle from stopping and required the prompt action for repair. other brake lines look like they may fail in near future. (5) steel portion of power steering line rusted out and blew fluid everywhere preventing the ability to turn the wheel while driving. (6) the frame has heavy rust scale and appears to be rotting in several place. (7) paint is starting to bubble which is indicating body is rusting under paint job. this is a 12 year old vehicle with very bad rotting of metal from salt corrosion. have never seen this much rust on 20+ old vehicles that are in the same northern regions of the us. *tr | |||
| 07/27/2012 | 120005 | ||
| (1) noticed that the fuel tank shield is severely rotted out and is barely connected. (2) smell fuel vapors periodically while in the vehicle. (3) fuel tank appears to be rusting, afraid to mess with tank in fear of disturbing the rust and rupturing a hole in tank. (4) brake lines were so severely rusted in one area that it blew a hole in the line and prevented the vehicle from stopping and required the prompt action for repair. other brake lines look like they may fail in near future. (5) steel portion of power steering line rusted out and blew fluid everywhere preventing the ability to turn the wheel while driving. (6) the frame has heavy rust scale and appears to be rotting in several place. (7) paint is starting to bubble which is indicating body is rusting under paint job. this is a 12 year old vehicle with very bad rotting of metal from salt corrosion. have never seen this much rust on 20+ old vehicles that are in the same northern regions of the us. | |||
| 09/01/2012 | 83774 | 1 | |
| The frame where the rear stabilizer arm connects has completely rusted allowing the arm to fall away. the only thing supporting the arm now appears to be the fuel line which is attached to it. the rest of the frame is rusted out as well. there is not enough metal left to weld or repair. had the arm broken the fuel line and sparked when it dragged on the road, this problem could have turned deadly. this is a very serious problem for a vehicle with only twelve years and 84k miles on the road. *tr | |||
| 09/01/2012 | 83774 | ||
| The frame where the rear stabilizer arm connects has completely rusted allowing the arm to fall away. the only thing supporting the arm now appears to be the fuel line which is attached to it. the rest of the frame is rusted out as well. there is not enough metal left to weld or repair. had the arm broken the fuel line and sparked when it dragged on the road, this problem could have turned deadly. this is a very serious problem for a vehicle with only twelve years and 84k miles on the road. | |||
| 01/28/2008 | 86000 | 4 | 12/12/2007 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2000 kia sportage. since purchasing the vehicle, the contact has paid for numerous repairs. before driving the vehicle off the lot, she noticed a large puddle of oil underneath the vehicle. the dealer repaired the failure. the following week, while driving 55 mph, the vehicle began to shake severely. the dealer rotated the tires, but the shaking persisted. thirdly, a tire blew out and had to be changed. in addition, the vehicle began leaking transmission fluid and a new transmission line was installed. lastly, the windshield wiper motor stopped working and the entire driver's side glass caved in on the contact, but did not break. there were no injuries. currently, the glass will not roll up or down. the failure mileage was 86,000. updated 1/5/09 *cn the gas tank was falling apart. a shield was needed to rectify the problem. the drivers window was inoperative. the radiator was leaking. the vehicle was out of alignment. the vehicle would not start. the consumer discovered the cable had melted. updated 01/09/09*jb | |||
| 09/01/2000 | 4 | 05/01/2000 | |
| A strong wind is capable to misdirect vehicle or blow vehicle off road in wet conditions. vehicle is difficult to keep in one lane when there are windy conditions. this generally happens at speeds higher than 35 mph .*ak *jb | |||
| 01/01/2001 | 1 | 12/14/2000 | |
| Vehicle spun around & flipped over traveling at 25-30mph. consumer feels speed isn't the cause. dealer is sending a representative to inspect vehicle. *ak the consumer says the vehicle is too light and too high up underneath. it is unsafe. *yh | |||
| 03/25/2000 | 1 | 03/04/2000 | |
| Connsumer was traveling 55mph on highway, and said that vehicle was turning right on highway without turning wheels. vehicle was turning on its own dealership was aware of problem. but,mechanic could not duplicate problem.*ak the vehicle had other problems also. there were electrical shocks when placing key in ignition. the battery was losing power for unknown reason. there was a clicking sound on right front of the vehicle. *yh | |||
| 11/17/2000 | |||
| Consumer was traveling 30mph up a hill, at top vehicle jerked to left. consumer managed to steer it back. vehicle began doing a 180 degree turn, hit an embankment, and airbags deployed. consumers was going 5-10mph upon impact. dealership, after inspection, couldn't find anything wrong. *ak | |||
| 09/30/1999 | 0 | 09/18/1999 | |
| When parking vehicle and pulling out the key noticed that key was very hot. glove compartment was also very hot. there was a noise in the steering wheel. when trying to turn. consumer took car to dealer, and dealer said that there was something in steering column thatwas wrong. there was too much play in steering. *ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT | |||
| 04/21/2009 | 50000 | 1 | |
| My kia began having electrical problems about 3 years ago. long story made short: the dealer wanted me to pay $3000 plus for it had all its electrical system melted down. i found a recall and after a battle with the dealer and manufacturer i got it fixed when i found out there was a recall. next nightmare: july 2008 no one died luckily. i lend my car to a friend and he is driving his 2 year old daughter and the car falls to the ground. axle broke down, wheels spun inwards and kia is not working again. luckily these friends were going at 20 miles an hour otherwise they would not have told the story. got it fixed cost me $$ apparently it was a defective kia part center link replaced. have the part still in my car as a nice memory. final nightmare: april 2009 i was the main character: again the axle feels weird and clicks when i turn. problem: tie rod is broken. different than the previous time but related to the previous problem. luckily was not on the freeway at high speed otherwise would not be telling this story. in short: this is a safety hazard! kia needs to recall this defect urgently. my friend and kid and i could have got killed in an accident literally. fortunately we both were driving at very low speeds and could manage this problem with no one getting injured? kia needs to make these cars safer and prevent future accidents please!! be responsible not only with your new cars, take pride on your brand and fix the old junk you created!! *tr | |||
| 01/12/2004 | 10000 | 2 | 11/26/2000 |
| Car purchased new, nov 2000. now has 29k miles. has had brakes, pads & rotors replaced twice because of excessive wear and pulsating when stopping. done by dealer, who said common problem with the brakes on these small cars. now needs replaced again; doing same thing as before. also loses brake fluid, 1/2 pint every few weeks. now just had left front bearing siezed up; pulled car to left into oncoming lane of traffic (no impact with other vehicles). dealer replaced both front axles, spindles, bearings, etc., but denies this is common problem. however, checking other complaints on record, find both brakes and the bearings problem are evidently very common.*ak | |||
| 08/22/2003 | 1 | ||
| Consumerwas hearing noise in the front of vehicle. was told by mechanic that she had to pay for the repairs because they do not repair the suspension under warranty after vehicle reached 35,000 miles or 3 years, which ever came first. consumer she had to pay $400.00 to get vehicle repaired, and did not feel this was fair. also, dealer/mechanic told her that the vehicle slipped timing at 34,000 miles. *ak | |||
| 04/28/2001 | 2 | 11/01/1999 | |
| When this front end system problem occurred while driving on the highway at approximately 60 miles per hour, i lost control of the vehicle and had to hold the steering wheel to try to gain control of the vehicle. it felt as though the car was being blown across the road as though a gusting heavy wind was pushing the car to the right side of the road and then it would feel as though the wheels were going to come off of the car. the power brakes also lost power and the brake pedal went all the way to the floor and would not stop the car, and the the steering became more difficult becaise the car was just pulling to the right. i was terrified at driving under these conditions and was able to get off the highway at a very slow rate of speed and was able to park the car in a parking garage until it was towed to a kia dealership in philadelphia pa. (value kia). the kia dealership then apparently fixed my car, but it was discovered that the dealer used old recalled parts to repair my car and the same problem occurred ten days later. the dealer in ohio. courtesy autoworld discovered upon my prompting them to check the work done at value kia, was discovered to be done improperly using bad unauthorized parts to repair my car at the time. this is a major defect with this vehicle which in my estimation can cause death or serious injury. the kia corp. needs to address this problem and also address the issue of using bad unauthorized parts to fix the original problem, because usung those parts only increased the chance of this happening to the vehicle. there may be thousands of cars on the road with this potentially life threatening defect.*ak | |||
| 11/20/1999 | 1 | ||
| The vehicle pulls slightly to the right and if the steering wheel is let go for a few seconds the vehicle travels to the right. nlm | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - HUB | |||
| 01/13/2007 | 85000 | 2 | 01/12/2007 |
| Went to engage 4x4 in bad blizzard and got only grinding noise and no increase in traction. dealer states hubs are corroded and vacuum seals and hoses need to be replaced. seems to be a very common complaint. what good is a 4x4 if it is not working when you need it? dealer does not acknowledge common complaint. *jb | |||
| 11/13/2005 | 79820 | 3 | 05/21/2000 |
| Was going off to work on 3 different snow days engaged vehicle 4x4 (at least according to the idiot light i was ) proceeded to work so i slid all over the road and got stuck in 2 inches of snow. after 3rd attempt contacted dealer to ask if it was a known cause and they told me yes that there was a tsb for a new hub assembly. cause the inner seals are failing due to the manufactures design of the 4x4 vacuum /seal system , i asked that if this is a failure in the design should the kia manufactures have made a recall for this defect in their workmanship, and was told no there is a fix for it but my 4x4 is not a safety issue it was a convenience issue and it would cost me $1000 dollars to fix , when i ask why wasn't it fixed in 2001 when i had it in for a 4x4 concern they told me that the tsb wasn't issued then but have found on different web sights that it was ..so to solve my own problem i ask the head technician at what use to be lynnfield kia what caused the failure and is there a better solution his response was we don't repair we just replace ...i feel if its a manufacturer defect in design it should be a recall. *jb | |||
| 03/30/2005 | 41150 | 1 | 11/14/2004 |
| I purchased this kia sportage in november of 2004 with 36000 miles. noticed tranmission slipping during cold start up. brought back to dealer and was told this is normal. january 2005 cars idle and handling is becoming a hazard. car fishtales regardless of degree of turn or amount of dampness on the road. car is also shuddering when put into four wheel drive. march of 2005 was driving at about 50 when i heard a grinding noise from the left front wheel which got louder as i drove to get to the side of the road. as i pulled over the wheels locked and i heard a snapping sound as i skidded to a stop. i could not move the car, tried a few times and finally did get the car home. brought to atlantic kia and was told i needed a whole hub assembly. the inner seals were rotted and this allowed water and dust to enter the assembly and cause it to fail. this is a problem known to kia as i called and had words with them about there knowlege of this problem and was told that as long as it is not a recall there is nothing they will do to fix this problem of defective seals. i also asked if someone had to die before they made this a recall. he didnt have an answer.*ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - MACPHERSON STRUT | |||
| 06/12/2003 | 1 | 09/15/2000 | |
| While driving 65 mph the rear passenger side strut broke which caused a loud noise at the rear of the vehicle. *ak *cb *nlm | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - WHEEL BEARING | |||
| 08/20/2002 | 1 | 04/01/2000 | |
| Dt: the contact owns a 2000 kia sportage. the contact states that she has had to replace the rotors, pads, and bearings twice on the vehicle. she did regular maintenance on her vehicle. the mechanic told her that it was a problem with kia because of the brakes failing. the first time she had to replace the parts was on august 20 2002. she has had to replace them again on may 16, 2005.*ak | |||
| 01/12/2004 | 10000 | 2 | 11/26/2000 |
| Car purchased new, nov 2000. now has 29k miles. has had brakes, pads & rotors replaced twice because of excessive wear and pulsating when stopping. done by dealer, who said common problem with the brakes on these small cars. now needs replaced again; doing same thing as before. also loses brake fluid, 1/2 pint every few weeks. now just had left front bearing siezed up; pulled car to left into oncoming lane of traffic (no impact with other vehicles). dealer replaced both front axles, spindles, bearings, etc., but denies this is common problem. however, checking other complaints on record, find both brakes and the bearings problem are evidently very common.*ak | |||
| 07/01/2001 | 1 | 07/03/2000 | |
| Vehicle failed saftey inspection due to loose right front bearing, consumer took vehicle to dealer for service and both front wheel hub assemblies were replaced, consumer was informed that hubs were corroded due to faulty inner seals.*jb | |||
| 11/01/2000 | 1 | 11/01/1999 | |
| Front driverside door won't open and all doors lock without warnings with slightest movement of car. car failed first vt saftey inspection nov. 00 because severe defect with wheel bearings - brakes pads and rotors replaced with adjustments neccesary to wheel bearing as very loose. four wheel drive checked in november by kia due to possible hub failure, found no problem. first time using 4wh dr, failed had to be towed to dealership (dec 00) all 4wh dr equipment replaced. | |||
| SUSPENSION - REAR | |||
| 01/15/2002 | 1 | ||
| The left rear wheel bearing snapped, which caused the tire to wobble. *jb | |||