Bulletins


BulletinBulletin dateReplacement BulletinItem no.SummaryAdded
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - ANTILOCK
4205/21/2001625223Information regarding abs system vendor change. *et11/19/2001

Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR - ANTILOCK
07/11/2004200002005/10/2003
 I bought mt 2001 kia sportage in 2003. it was a 2 door automatic soft top. the problems with the car started within months. first the hold light would come on and then while driving the care would stick in one gear. i could not slow down with out it stalling once the gears got stuck. i took it to the dealer, and the replaced the transmission. this did not fix the problem b/c it still happens even to this day and every place i take it to says that there is no problem. in 2005 everything started going downhill. the power windows dont work the cd player eats you cds and i get no reseption on the radio. not to mention the seat belt light comes on all the time and continues to flash and beep even with your seat belt is on. the pasenger seatbelt does not stay clasped. the car will shut off while driving if i turn on the air. the air only blows on your feet. my car shakes violently it i go about 50 mph. the car makes a wierd chattering noise while driving. and the brakes have locked up for no reason. all of these things i have stated are true and i have taken my car to the dealership numerous of times and seem to get it fixed but something else happens before the month ends. i have had my car in the shop for more than 3 months total, and it still doesnt run properly. so far i have had the tramission replaced, the electrical harness, the master and rear cylinder(2x), wheel barring, alternater, started , batteries(4x),air vents, ad many other thing but i cant keep track of everything that goes wrong with this car. im a college student that has a very limited income, and i cant wasted any more time and money dealing with this car that should last longer than i is. my first car was better tha this one and it was made in the 80's.
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR - DISC - ROTOR
04/22/200201/26/2002
 Brake system/rotors. the vehicle is a year old and was purchased new, twice the rotors have been changed due to warping.the incident date is the first time it was in the shop, the second time was on 1/13/03
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
09/28/201191000
 Stabilizer connected to the chasis rotted from the frame and the brakes stopped working because where the brake line was connected to the frame was rotted. brought the car to an independent mechanic to find this out. cannot drive the vehicle in current condition as it is extremely unsafe. i was lucky i wasn't going fast and was able to get the car off the road. people should be notified to have this checked immediately, it could save someones life.
12/28/200412
 2001 kia sportage. consumer states repeated problems with brakes *tgw the consumer stated brake work has been performed on the vehicle 12 times for the same problem. the dealer told the consumer, the problem was due to the weather and salt and also not driving the vehicle and allowing it to sit for weeks at a time. the rotors, calipers, pads and drums have all been replaced. *jb
09/13/200675479302/08/2006
 Tl*the contact owns a 2001 kia sportage. on november 21, 2006, while driving 55 mph, the vehicle began to smoke. the contact noticed the smoke entering through the air vents on the passenger side of the vehicle. she pulled to the side of the road and called her local kia dealer to inquire if she could bring her vehicle in for service. the dealer advised her to bring it in the following day. the dealer replaced the blower motor, but the failure continued for the next three years. the contact also had the brake pads replaced, but the dealer has been unable to remedy the failure. the failure mileage was unknown. updated 05/13/08 *bf the check engine light illuminated. updated
03/01/20057682
 2001 kia sportage suffered two complete engine failures.*mr along with the engine failures, there were problems with the radio, battery and the terminals, front brakes, a sensor knock, exhaust system, air condition, valve cover gasket, front wheel bearings, front pads and rotors, cruise control, and a defective idler arm. *jb
03/01/20052
 2001 kia sportage, stopped dead in the middle of a major highway. *bf the consumer was unable to get a full alignment because the idler was defective, on 2 occasions the vehicle would not start and it had to be jump started, which was due to defective battery terminals, the radio, font brakes exhaust system, air condition valve cover gasket, front wheel bearing, cruise control were all inoperative, the vehicle has had 2 engine replacements, and the drive belts were out of tension. *jb
09/01/200158
 Continual problems with 2001 kia sportage convertible. replacement of brakes 5 times, replacement of belts 6 times and 14 other problems. *bf the cup holder, convertible top, and belts were replaced. the alarm wires were re-adjusted, the ac compressor, ignition coil pack, cd player right rear axle, right front strut, catalytic converter, center console, rear window fuse, spark plug and engine harness were all replaced numerous times. *jb *nm
07/22/20047684
 Vehicle's engine and a/c failed. *nm the consumer had to replace two engines within a 40000 mile usage. the vehicle stopped dead on a very busy us route 1 hwy. the sudden stop caused a traffic tie up and the vehicle was nearly rear ended by a air conditioning'; return true; onmouseout=window.status=''; return true;>air conditioning'; return true; onmouseout=window.status=''; return true;>air conditioning'; return true; onmouseout=window.status=''; return true;>air conditioning'; return true; onmouseout=window.status=''; return true;>air conditioning, the vehicle needed a complete engine replacement, valve cover gasket, front wheel bearings, drive belts out of tension, cruise control, v belts replaced, brakes and rotors, exhaust system. *tc *jb
12/04/2003190003
 Brake rotors and pads replaced every 12,000 miles. the last time vehicle was repaired, the rotors, pads and calipers were replaced. consumer stated brakes were replaced three times. dealer claimed it was nothing wrong with the vehicle. please provide further information. *ph
10/31/20011308/14/2001
 The air condition was not cooling the vehicle, the engine light illuminated and it was determined the gas cap was loose, there was an electrical short in the windows which caused them not to work, the purge valve leaked, the hold light flashed at times, the left rear door did not open from the inside, it was discovered the door lock was out of adjustment, the cup holder was coming apart, the brakes were noisy and the master cylinder was leaking. *scc *jb
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - ANTILOCK
07/12/20031
 Consumer states that when trying to apply the anti lock brakes brakes will lock up ,causing the vehicle to have extended stopping distance. dealer notified. *ak
 Brake pedal was applied and brakes appeared to be working fine. but, as the vehicle was coming to a complete stop pedal was hard, and vehicle continued to roll, hitting another vehicle in rear. dealer has not been contacted.*ak
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
1
 The vehicle nbeded a complete brake job. *jg
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DISC
03/01/200476000206/10/2001
 2001 kia sportage 4x4 with 76k miles. within the last 3 weeks i have had to have the front brakes totally replaced, alternator and 2 belts replaced, muffler tailpipe rusted thru, and both front bearing hubs need to be replaced (wobbly).*ak
10/26/2001202/19/2001
 Consumer was having continuous problems with front brakes. has had them replaced by dealership.*ak dealer found rotors were warped and replaced rotors and pads. *tt
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DISC - PADS
06/17/2001
 There is a dust coming from brake pads, which in turn, will result in consumer replacing brake pads due to excessive wear. dealership has been consulted,and consumer was informed that this was normal. please provide any additional information/attachments.*ak
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DISC - ROTOR
05/20/20042
 While driving consumer applied the brake pedal and the brakes failed. consumer was able to maintain control of the vehicle, and drove it to the dealer for inspection. mechanic determined that the rotors needed to be replaced, and replaced them. however, the problem recurred, and vehicle was taken back to the dealer for inspection. mechanic determined that the rotors needed to be replaced again. *ak
07/07/200419000102/01/2003
 On july 7th, my vehicle was taken to harris kia in lansdale because the 2001 kia sportage was vibrating when the brakes were applied. it was found that both front rotors were warped after only 19,000 miles. under normal driving conditions, rotors should last 60,000 miles. kia has serious problem, these rotors are defective and should be recalled immediately.*ak
11/30/2001
 Brakes and rotors wear out without excessive use. had it replaced twice within 2000 miles.*ak
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
12/07/200629000112/01/2005
 Dt*: the contact stated the brake light on the dash illuminated and the brake pedal depressed to the floor. brake fluid was added twice. the vehicle was driven to the dealer who could not find a leak.
04/10/20042
 My 2001 kia sportage has a defect in its design. the solenoid, & hoses that connect to it are placed in an area on the vehicle where they are subjected to the elements-&-in harms way of being damaged from normal driving conditions. i do not have the service paper work on me, at the moment (i am at the public library-doing research on kia's many safety issues)-if you need copies of my service records, or any further info-please contact me by mail. when solenoid/hoses failed - i was unaware that my 4 wheel drive was inoperable. there were many times, in the winter months- where my kia would slip/slide-handle erratically in the snow/rain. i have lost track of the times i lost control of my vehicle during this time frame (2001-2004). now i realize that it was due to the 4 wheel drive malfunctioning. i was lucky enough to have just spun out-with no one else hitting me; thank god for that. the sportage is very unsafe to drive-when it is raining/snowing-it's wheel base makes it dangerous. the first service manager refused to fix it under kia's 10 year/ 100,000 coverage-so i had to pay $85 to fix it. it worked two more times, and now the hubs are shot (after a mere 29,000 miles). i was naive about kia's record at the time. i have seen thousands of complaints on the internet about kia now- and i want the truth about them to come out. i have contaced kia about my problem(s) many times. they are very smug, and knowlegeable about what they do not have to do for you. if they spent 1/2 the money that they did on having a slick law firm write their 10 year coverage plan-as they did making a safe/reliable vehicle-many people would be much safer for it. *ak
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - MASTER CYLINDER
02/01/2004290001
 While driving the vehicle's brakes failed without warning. the dealer stated that the master cylinder was the cause of the failure. *nm
06/18/200316047804/23/2002
 Several: loose bolts at heat shield, loose muffler bolts, problem with fan pulley, master brake cylinder defective, t-stat, engine light, dealership could not identify most recent problem, said they put a new computer in. reflected last date below........ *nlm
03/01/2002210/16/2001
 The consumer rear ended another vehicle in march 2002, the consumer applied the brakes, but the vehicle failed to stop. in september 2002 the brake light illuminated on the dashboard and the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was discovered the master cylinder had a major leak. a month later the consumer was involved in another accident, this time the consumer the dealer called it intermediate pedal drop where at times the master cylinder failed to transfer the fluid between the cylinders to provide braking to the system, the dealer denied anything was wrong. *ak *jb
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - POWER ASSIST
01/19/2002110/01/2001
 Speedometer malfuctioned/jumped at approx. 30mph to 40 mph then back down to 20 took back 3x. suv shimmied at 60+ mph 3x's took back to dealer dealer replaced tires, electric back windows 3x's to dealer replaced twice, wiring assy-engine, coil ignition, conv. assy-cat. replaced (may have caused speedometer , windows etc to operate improperly. r/r main wire harness, r/r both cat convertors, r/r coil and spark plugs, repaired fuel injector wire harness. vehicle idled at high rpm (suv power surged to 80 mph, the slowest i could get the vehicle to go was 40mph and had to use the emergency brake. (throttle cable in wrong poss. at this time transmission is still slipping vehicle at dealership plus i am going through the lemon law and bbautoline. this is the 10 day limit. kia has not been very hospitable about this situation, i do not feel safe in their vehicle.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - POWER ASSIST - HYDRAULIC - HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
11/21/20044
 Under normal driving conditions, fortunately happened at a parking lot, brake pedal went to the floor. initial investigation revealed leaking brake fluid. further investigation revealed this hose, non-reinforced in any way had split at both ends of connection to metal tube. tube is approximately 1/8 od making id of hose approximately 1/8. wall of hose is very thin perhaps 1/16 or less. this hose is very flexible being quite similar to vacuum hose and must be under high pressure from the braking system. this is extremely hazardous.had this vehicle been traveling on the road at a higher rate of speed and the brake petal gone to the floor as it did when leaving a parking space a dangerous accident could easily and most probably would have occured. when checking the same hose on the other side of the vehicle the hose on the front drivers side is split also. there is no clamp holding thios hose in place. it merely slips onto metal tube on both ends and is split at the end of the connection sith each tube-thats four holes (two tubes). i cannot even begin to imagine the repercussions of this poor engineering design. step on the petal and brake fluid pours out of the splits. this could happen at any time. very, very poor design. this requires immediate action. *ak