2008 Kia Sorento Suspension Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SUSPENSION WAS UNSTABLE AT THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE CONTROL ARMS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WHILE DRIVING, THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL NOISE NEAR THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO MOVE. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC CAME TO THE LOCATION AND STATED THAT THE FRONT WHEEL SUSPENSION FAILED AND THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AXLE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO REPLACED THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AXLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THERE WAS NO SERVICE CAMPAIGN OR RECALL TO ADDRESS THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 154,000.

A MARCH 2010 TECHNICAL BULLETIN ISSUED FOR THIS MAKE AND MODEL YEAR VEHICLE (TSB-023) OF FAULTY REAR DIFFERENTIAL. A MECHANIC AT DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME MY MAKE AND MODEL YEAR CAR HAS THIS PROBLEM, AND MADE ME AWARE OF THE MARCH 2010 TSB- 023. MECHANIC STATED MY WHEELS IN THE REAR WILL BECOME LOUDER THAN THE CURRENT NOISE I HAVE, THE WHEELS WILL GRIND, I WILL FEEL REAR VIBRATION. WITH 14 OTHER KIA SORENTO OWNERS WITH THIS SAME ISSUE, REPORTED REAR WHEELS LOCKED UP WHILE DRIVING DOWNHILL, AND SAW REAR WHEEL IN REAR WINDOW MOVING AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE. I PUCHASED VEHICLE IN 2016 WITH LOUD NOISE IN REAR THINKING IT WAS TYPES OF TIRES ON VEHICLE. I KNOW NOTHING WHAT A TSB IS. WHY DEALER KNEW OF THIS BUT NEVER SERVICED REAR DIFFERENTIAL? I HAVE 13000.00 AUTO LOAN AND NEED ALMOST 2000.00 TO REPAIR THIS ON A 2008 VEHICLE. TOYOTA HAS RECALLS FOR BAD REAR DIFFERENTIALS. HOW DOES KIA NOT HAVE TO RECALL ON THIS? THIS ISSUE DEALER NEVER CORRECTED SO THAT CONSUMER BECOME RESPONSIBLE.

WE HEARD GRINDING NOISES WHEN DRIVING OUR 2008 KIA SORENTO. WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN PULLING, JERKING, AND LUNGING. WE NOTICED NICKEL-SIZE CHIPPED PIECES OF METAL IN THE DRIVE THAT HAD FALLEN FROM UNDERNEATH THE CAR. WE TOWED THE CAR TO OUR LOCAL AUTO REPAIR SHOP. THE MECHANIC DISCOVERED THAT THE RIGHT WHEEL BEARING HAD DISINTEGRATED; THE ROTOR AND HUB TO RIDE INTO THE CALIPER AND SEIZE--THE WHEEL WAS WITHIN SECONDS OF FLYING OFF THE AXLE. THEY HAD DIFFICULTY FINDING PARTS BECAUSE THIS SEEMED TO HAVE BEEN A COMMON PROBLEM WITH KIA SORENTOS. I CONTACTED THE NEWLY OPENED KIA DEALERSHIP ABOUT THE RECENT CAR REPAIR AND THAT AFTER HEARING OF THE DIFFICULTY IN FINDING PARTS AND BEING TOLD THAT THIS HAS BEEN A COMMON PROBLEM, I WAS EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THIS REPAIR. I WAS TOLD THAT THE ENTIRE REPAIR IS COVERED UNDER THE 100,000 MILE WARRANTY (MILEAGE ON THE KIA WAS 90,317). I WAS DIRECTED TO KIA OF AMERICA (1-800-333-4542) TO SUBMIT A REIMBURSEMENT REQUEST FOR THE REPAIR. MY CLAIM WAS DENIED SIMPLY BECAUSE WE HAD NOT TAKEN THE CAR TO A KIA DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR. I ASKED FOR AN APPEAL AND WAS DIRECTED TO THE REGIONAL OFFICE. THE KIA REPRESENTATIVE MISTAKENLY STATED THAT WE HAD SAID WE KNOWINGLY WERE AWARE THAT THE CAR WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY BUT WE TOOK THE CAR ELSEWHERE. I STATED THIS WAS INCORRECT--THAT WE HAD NO IDEA WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS AND THAT WE TOOK IT TO THE SAME PLACE WE ALWAYS GO. I ASSURED KIA OF AMERICA, IF WE HAD KNOWN THAT THE REPAIR WAS COVERED BY A WARRANTY, WE WOULD HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE NEWLY OPENED KIA DEALERSHIP. BOTTOM LINE: KIA OF AMERICA DOES NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR WARRANTY. OUR MAJOR CONCERN IS WITH THE SAFETY OF OUR FAMILY AND DRIVING A WELL-MAINTENANCED CAR. OUR REQUEST IS THAT KIA OF AMERICA HONOR THE WARRANTY. PLEASE INVESTIGATE WHY A RECALL HAS NOT BEEN ISSUED ON THIS CONCERN. *TR

HIGHWAY DRIVING. SUSPENSION IS SO TIGHT VEHICLE "BOUNCES" WHEN BUMP, POT HOLE, ETC ENCOUNTERED. HIT BUMP, BOUNCE ALMOST THREW US INTO ADJACENT LANE STRIKING TRAILER TRUCK. THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES, BEING BOUNCED ALMOST INTO ANOTHER LANE. VERY UNSAFE AND COULD ALSO LEAD TO LOSS OF CONTROL IF UNSUSPECTING DRIVER BEHIND WHEEL. *TR

MY CAR WILL ROCK BACK AND FORTH VIOLENTLY WHILE DRIVING. NOTICE IT MORE AT HIGHER SPEEDS, SEEMS TO HAPPEN WHEN I TAKE MY FOOT OFF THE GAS PEDAL. IT'S PROGRESSIVELY GETTING WORSE AND I'M TERRIFIED OF HAVING A WRECK. HAVE TRIED NEW TIRES, TIRE ROTATIONS, ALIGNMENTS ETC.. I'VE BEEN TOLD IT MAY BE THE DIFFERENTIAL. *TR

BOUGHT THE VEHICLE BRAND NEW AND NOTICED YOU HAVE TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL ALL THE WAY DOWN IN ORDER FOR THE VEHICLE TO SLOW DOWN AND STOP. SPOKE TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID ALL KIA SORENTO MODELS ARE LIKE THIS, YOU HAVE TO PRESS HARD DOWN ON THE BRAKE PEDAL FOR VEHICLE TO SLOW DOWN AND FINALLY STOP AND IT TAKES A WHILE FOR IT TO RESPOND. HAVING OWNED SEVERAL VEHICLES AND DRIVING FOR 15 YEARS, I KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE BRAKING SYSTEM BUT I JUST DEALT WITH IT ACCEPTING THE ANSWER THAT KIA SORENTO BRAKES WERE NOT GOING TO BE AS GOOD AS OTHER BRAND BRAKES (HONDA, TOYOTA, MAZDA). I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN FOR REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND ALWAYS ASKED THE ENGINEERS IF THEY COULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE BRAKES AND HOW LONG IT TAKES TO BRAKE (BRAKING DISTANCE). I FELT UNSAFE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE AND ULTIMATELY SOLD AFTER REPLACE BRAKES AND SHOE PADS. THE PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT WAS ALSO FAULTY WHEN AN ADULT WOULD BE SITTING THERE AND IT WAS NOT WORKING. THERE WAS ALSO A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT THAT WOULD RANDOMLY COME ON AS WELL AS THE TPMS (TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM). I TOOK IT TO THE MECHANICS AND KIA DEALERSHIP AND THEY WOULD JUST TURN OFF THE LIGHTS BUT COULDN'T EXPLAIN A REASON FOR THESE TURNING ON AS THE VEHICLE TIRES AND ENGINE WERE OK. I CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE BRAKING SYSTEM WAS ALLOWED TO PASS ON THIS VEHICLE WHEN IT WAS NOT ABLE TO STOP AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS IN A ACCEPTABLE TIME. I HOPE KIA ISSUES A RECALL ON 2008 KIA SORENTO LX MODELS TO REPLACE OR FIX THE BRAKING ISSUES BECAUSE IT IS VERY DANGEROUS TO BE DRIVING ON THE ROAD AND NOT BEING ABLE TO BRAKE PROPERLY. *TR