This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
Seat sensor on my Kia Sorento for the airbag light does not work. When a passenger sets in the front passenger seat the airbag off light stays on. You put the vehicle in gear, you drive and the light stays on. City or highway travel, the light stays on all the time indicating the passenger airbag if off.
Passenger seat sensor failed, vehicle is otherwise in perfect condition. The repair is almost $2000. With this repair needed the vehicle won't pass inspection, so what is otherwise a perfectly fine vehicle is now scrap. The passenger seat was hardly used ( maybe 20% of the vehicle use ) so a failure of an expensive occupancy sensor like this is not acceptable.
Driving across a 4 lane expressway, barely made it across, the vehicle sputters and comes to a stop after fighting with the power steering losing all control. Crankshaft pulley has damaged the engine so severe, that a new engine was put in at our expense ($5,000), gas tank was discovered to have a hole and leaking gas. Air bag light comes on and off just depends on it's mood, the display on the radio, etc. Goes away in cold weather, and now have a constant thump thump when driving as if the tire is flat. Driving for 5 months with new engine, I pressed on the accelerator quickly to pass a truck when a loud noise (sounding like the engine blew) from the engine was heard then something comes loose and hits the undercarriage so hard I can feel it through the floorboard. No smoke, no elevation in temperature. Pull over, there is now a vibration when idling but cannot see anything obvious missing. Whatever it was took chunks out of the right front tire. Brakes seemed to lock up at times and you could feel something like a pump losing air and the car slides just before the complete stop with a low groaning noise. Haven't took to the mechanic yet, but will be soon.
- Ellijay, GA, USA
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The contact owns a 2005 Kia Sorento. While operating the vehicle, the front passenger side air bag sensor illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the floor mat sensor was faulty. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 123,000.
I purchased this 2005 Kia Sorento and on my way home there was a knock before I lost my sterring and brakes. Luckily I slowed down when I heard the sound. I got the car home safelybeing only a half a mile away. Called the dealer I purchased the Kia from and he came and got it to repair it. He bought the updated so call bolt that was suppose to fix the issue with the crank shaft bolt. Then I got the car back and had the gas tank leaking from the seams. He fix and replaced that. Just the other night on my way to work and I lost my sterring and brakes again..I travel on main roads but there is a lot of amish here and thank god I wasn't going around any of there buggy and hurt those people or myself..there is no fix what so ever for this issue and someone needs to make Kia stand up and take responsibility for this faulty defect before a innocent child or woman or husband gets killed.
I just bought this car few months ago as a used car, whenever I start the car, passenger and driver air bags lights is always on. I went to Kia service center to address the problem, they told me it's not included on a recall list, I even showed them a paper which stated a group recall SC076. And also read on a Kia forum that that there is another recall which is SC045, stating a group recall also. Kia must do something about it because it's matter of life & death if they do not fix this problem.
There is a problem with the OCS system. Airbag light is on. I believe the OCS system is broken, had a similar problem with my 2007 Kia rio that had a recall for the same part.
Interior electrical lighting turns itself off and on. Headlights will occasionally shut themselves off. Lights regularly burn out/need replacing every 45-90 days. Dash lights haven't worked in over a year - fuse regularly blows, gave up on replacing it.
I was traveling North on white bridge road in West nashville when a car ran a stop sign hitting me on the passenger side, which totaled my car the impact was so hard that it knocked the car several feet facing the opposite direction. The air bags did not deploy during the crash neither driver or passenger side.
I was driving from daughter bus stop after leaving the hospital and it just was shaking or felt funny then brake light and battery light came on and took to parking lot called mechanic told me crank shaft was broke reported to Kia as well.
The contact owns a 2005 Kia Sorento. The contact was driving on an icy roadway and crashed into a guard rail. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact and a passenger sustained minor injuries and were transported to the hospital. A police report was not available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 80,000.
When someone sits in the passenger seat, the sensor does not detect passenger. The light stays in the off position and the air bag light in the dashboard will not cut off.
When someone sits in the passenger seat the air bag light used to turn off, now when they sit in the seat the light stays on and the air bag is off and I have an air bag light on in my dash. Took the vehicle to my mechanic and his software shows a recall but Kia says no recall on my vehicle. His software says restraints and safety system: Recalls campaign - seat occupant classification system reflash. I feel this is a safety hazard if I was to get into an accident and someone was in the passenger seat and the air bag does not deploy.
My 2005 Kia Sorento hydroplaned. The SUV flipped over 3 times and hit an concrete wall. My airbags and seat belt failed to secure me. Kia says that my car does not have roll over airbags that they are not responsible for my injuries. I feel that Kia should own up to the poorly made SUV that they design.
The contact owns a 2005 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that there was a recurring defect on the air bag sensor. The vehicle was taken to the dealer in 2005 for a recall on the air bag sensor which was replaced; yet, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer who stated that she would be responsible for the repair cost. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that they would contact the regional manager and follow up with her. The failure mileage was 119,000.
While heading East during a snow storm, collided with a snow plow. The Kia Sorento was totaled beyond repair. Impact was at drivers side door. Destroyed front of vehicle, rear door and ripper part of roof open, driver hit face on side window causing bleeding on brain. Was hospatized for 3 days. Not one air bag was deployed. Not front nor side air bags. Notified Kia Corp. Sent pictures and report. Said they didnt think it was the fault of Kia.
On 4/30/08 my Kia Sorento was hit from behind on the interstate. We were pushed into the car ahead of us who also hit the car ahead of them. We were on an extended on ramp so I estimate our speed was 35 mph. As the traffic ahead of us began to stop quickly I applied my brakes, therefore the exact rate of speed at the time of impact is unknown. However we hit car enough that my daughters lid covered soft drink hit the dash. Neither of my cars front air bags deployed. My car sustained major rear and front and driver side damage. The car was totaled. Our seat belts did hold us in. However I received bruising from the seat belt in the check and waist area as weak as an injury to my right knee where it hit the lower dash area.
We had issues from the beginning with a fire in the center console of our pre-owned Kia. Then we noticed the light for the passenger side air bags was intermittent on picking up whether there was a passenger in the seat. Our clock would go in and out on the lighting especially over bumps. Then we were rear ended on the highway. No air bags went off. The seat belt did not engage and hold either me or my husband back. Then when I fell back against the seat the seat did not stay in place and I fell backwards. I went to the hospital for muscle spasms. The vehicle is being repaired for the physical damage and then will be brought to the dealership.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Springfield, MO, USA