Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1999 Kia Sportage submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 10 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE STALLS AT VARIOUS SPEEDS AND INTERMITTENTLY WILL NOT START. AFTER SITTING FOR A WHILE THE VEHICLE WILL RESTART. THE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN INFORMED. THERE ARE NO LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH PRIOR TO THE VEHICLE STALLING. THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WAS ACTING ERRATIC. THE POWER STEERING BELT WAS REPLACED. UPDATED 09/13/06. *JB
I HAVE A 1999 KIA SPORTAGE WITH LESS THAN 35,000 MILES ON IT AS OF JULY 5, 2006. IN NOVEMBER OF 2005 I STARTED NOTICING A REALLY STRONG FUEL SMELL. SHORTLY THEREAFTER I NOTICED FLUID LEAKING FROM THE REAR OF MY VEHICLE. I TOOK IT IN AROUND THANKSGIVING TO FIND OUT THAT THE GAS TANK HAD TO BE REPLACED. I HAD TO PAY ALMOST $1,000 FOR THIS REPAIR. ALSO, IN MAY OF 2006 POWER STEERING FLUID LEAKED ALL OVER MY GARAGE WHILE THE CAR WAS IN SUMMER STORAGE. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION IT IS DUE TO THE POWER STEERING PRESSURE HOSE DAMPING PIPE RUSTING OUT. THIS CAR HAS ALSO ALREADY HAVE TO GET NEW FRONT BRAKE ROTORS (RUSTED/WARPED) AS WELL AS A NEW EXHAUST PIPE SINCE THE PREVIOUSLY ONE RUSTED OFF THE MUFFLER. WITHIN THE FIRST COUPLE YEARS ONE OF THE BEARINGS WENT BAD AND THEY ENDED UP REPLACING THE WHOLE FRONT AXLE UNIT. THIS CAR HAS HAD MANY PROBLEMS AND WITH LESS THAN 35,000 MILES ON IT BASICALLY MAKES ME SICK TO MY STOMACH. I AM REPORTING THIS TO YOU AFTER READING ON WWW.KIA.COM TECHNICAL/OWNERS SECTION ABOUT A "SERVICE CAMPAIGN" FOR THE LEAKING FUEL TANKS IN MAY 2006. NOBODY HAS NOTIFIED ME AND I JUST HAPPENED TO RUN INTO MYSELF AS I WAS RESEARCHING INFORMATION RELATED TO THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM SINCE THAT STARTED LEAKING IN MAY 2006. *JB
LAST YEAR I HAD A FRONT END ALIGNMENT DONE ON MY 1999 KIA SPORTAGE AS FAR AS I CAN TELL THE LOCKDOWN NUTS WERE NOT TIGHTENED CORRECTLY CAUSING WATER TO GET IN AND CORRODING THE LINKAGE BETWEEN THE TIE ROD ENDS. I HAPPENED TO BE MOVING THE CAR THIS WEEKEND AND HEARD AN AWFUL KLUNKING SOUND, UPON SOME INVESTIGATING I NOTICED THE TIE ROD END JUST ABOUT READY TO BE SEPERATED FROM THE ADJUSTER LINK. IF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED ON THE HIGHWAY MY WIFE WHO IS PRIMARY DRIVER OF THIS VEHICLE COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY HURT OR COULD HAVE HAD AN ACCIDENT AND HURT SOMEONE ELSE.
CONSUMER NOTICED RED LIQUID ON DRIVEWAY. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP, WHO INDICATED THAT POWER STEERING HOSE RUSTED AND BROKE. THIS WAS A COMMON FAILURE WITH THESE VEHICLES.*AK
I AM THE OWNER OF A 99 KIA SPORTAGE WITH ONLY 19000 MILES ON IT BOUGHT NEW WITH ONLY 10 MILES ON IT BACK IN 99. THIS SUV HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS FROM DAY ONE, WITH EVERYTHING FROM THE AC TO THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE NEEDING REPAIRED TWICE IN ONE DAY, TO THE MOST SERIOUS PROBLEM HAPPENING ON 8-19-02 WHEN MY RIGHT REAR ANTI SWAY BAR BRACKET BREAKS AWAY FROM WHERE IT WAS WELDED ON THE FRAME IN THE FACTORY ( THE ORG. WELDS JUST BROKE ) AS MY DAUGHTER AND I ARE DRIVING THIS SUV HOME ONE EVENING CAUSING THIS SUV TO BE ALL OVER THE ROAD AND UNCONTROLLABLE. LUCKILY NO ONE WAS HURT OR KILLED BECAUSE OF THIS. KIA ACCEPTS NO RESPONSIBILTY FOR THIS. BUT IT WAS THERE WELDS DONE IN THERE FACTORY WHEN THEY MADE THIS SUV. THIS IS THE KIND OF SAFE PRODUCTS THAT KIA MAKES AND THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO BE AWARE OF THIS FACT AND HOW MUCH THIS CO. VALUES A HUMAN LIFE.
I PURCHASED MY KIA SPORTAGE 4X4 BRAND NEW IN JULY OF 1999 SINCE I DAY I DROVE IT OFF THE LOT IT HAS BEEN A CONSTANT SOURCE OF STRESS AND FRUSTRATION. SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING IT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD CONTINOUSLY COME ON AND THEN THE CAR WOULD LURCH AND CHUG. CAR WAS TOWED BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND IT WAS KEPT THERE FOR APPOROXIMATELY 2AND A HALF WEEKS. IT HAS ALSO HAD PROBLEMS WHERE IT WOULDN'T START DUE TO CORROSION ON THE STARTER CLIP . THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE. I ALSO HAD THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOP WORKING ON THE WAY HOME FROM WORK IN A SNOW STORM WITH MY FOUR YEAR OLD SON IN THE BACK. IT ALSO STARTED MAKING A LOUD RUMBLING NOISE THAT SOUNDED LIKE I WAS DRIVING OVER SPEED BUMPS. THIS LED TO THEM NEEDING TO REPLACE THE HUBS, BEARINGS, AND AXLE SHAFTS. CAR ONLY HAD APPROXIMATELY 33000 MILES ON IT. AT THE SAME TIME I WAS TOLD THAT THE FRONT BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS WERE BAD AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THIS WAS AT A COST OF $400.00 TO ME. I HAVE VERY STRONG SAFETY CONCERNS WITH THIS VEHICLE. I DO NOT LIKE HAVING MYSELF OR MY CHILD IN THE VEHICLE FOR FEAR OF WHAT ELSE IS GOING TO HAPPEN WITH IT AND WILL WE SURVIVE TO TELL ABOUT IT.*AK
WHILE DRIVING HEARD A NOISE, THEN STEERING WAS VERY HARD TO TURN, AND BRAKES WENT TO THE FLOOR. CONSUMER HAD TO USE TRANSMISSION TO SLOW VEHICLEDOWN.*AK 4 WHEEL DRIVE FAILED. WIFE OF THIS VEHICLE'S OWNER ALSO HAS EXACT SAME VEHICLE, VIN [XXX] WITH 4 WHEEL DRIVE FAILURE, ALSO CONSUMER EXPERIENCED POWER WINDOW FAILURE AND HAS EXPERIENCED ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS EVER SINCE. *SLC INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORK ONLY INTERMITTENTLY. DEALER REPLACED MOTOR AND SWITCH, BUT CANNOT REMEDY SITUATION. *AK ALSO THE STEERING GEAR WAS LEAKING AT OITMAN ARM SPLINE SEAL DUE TO STEERING GEAR BOX FAILURE. *YH
FAN BELT FAILED. NLM
WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND APPLYING THE BRAKES VEHICLE SHAKES. ALSO, AIR BAG LIGHT AND ABS BRAKE LIGHT STAY ON, AND DRIVER'S SIDE SHOULDER BELT DOESN'T WORK.*AK
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .