2001 Kia Sportage Visibility Problems

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

NHTSA ID

10226377

Incident

Sep 13, 2006

Mileage

75,479 mi

DRIVER SIDE SUNROOF LATCH HAS BECOME DETACHED FROM THE SUNROOF GLASS TWICE. FIRST TIME HAD IT GLUED BACK ON TO SUNROOF. SECOND TIME THE PART DISAPPEAR (PROBABLY BLEW AWAY WHILE SUNROOF WAS OPEN). CAN'T FIND REPLACEMENT PART.

NHTSA ID

10124982

Incident

Jun 10, 2005

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

NHTSA ID

10109781

Incident

Sep 1, 2001

THE LAST DRIVER SIDE WINDOW ON THE CORNER OF THE TRUCK SEPARATED WHILE DRIVING AND FELL ONTO THE HIGHWAY. *AK

NHTSA ID

10066712

Incident

Apr 3, 2004

Mileage

32,824 mi

FOR ABOUT A YEAR NOW REAR WINDOWS WOULD NOT PROPERLY FUNCTION. IF THE WINDOWS WERE ALL THE WAY UP THERE WAS NO WAY TO GET THEM TO GO DOWN. ALSO, FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED OPERATING. *AK

NHTSA ID

10057409

WE HAD THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED IN APRIL OF 2003 AND THE CLUTCH REPLACED IN APRIL 2003. THE CLUTCH WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. WE PAID TOTAL COST $366.76. THE TRANSMISSION HAS NOW GONE OUT AGAIN. THE TRANSMISSION IS ONLY 2 MONTHS OLD. THIS WILL BE THE 6TH PROBLEM WE HAVE HAD WITH THIS CAR SINCE OCTOBER OF 2002: (1) CLUTCH SWITCH OCT 2002 (2) EXHAUST MANIFOLD CRACKED APR 2003 (3) PASSENGER SIDE FRONT WINDOW WOULD NOT GO UP APR 2003 (4) TRANSMISSION FAILURE APRIL 2003 (5) CLUTCH FAILURE APRIL 2003 (6) TRANSMISSION FAILURE JUNE 2003

NHTSA ID

10070012

Incident

Oct 15, 2002

Mileage

35,488 mi

I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR SINCE I BROUGHT IT. THE WINDSHIELD WASHER DOESN'T WORK, THE MIRRORS DON'T WORK, 2 BLOWOUTS, THE CHAMBERS THAT HOLD THE SPARK PLUGS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, IT NEEDS A COMPLETE BRAKE JOB, I HAVE TROUBLE WHEN I PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE. HOW CAN I COMPLAIN TO THE DEALER I THINK I BROUGHT THE LEMON OF THE BUNCH?*AK

NHTSA ID

10037383

Incident

Aug 8, 2002

WHILE DRIVING THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS TURNED ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY WHICH CAUSED POOR VISIBILITY AND ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. *AK *CB *NLM

NHTSA ID

10022955

Incident

Jun 12, 2003

LEFT REAR WINDOW STOPPED FUNCTIONING WITHIN 2 MONTHS OF PURCHASING CAR (NOVEMBER2001). DEALER REPLACED REGULATOR/MOTOR. RIGHT WINDOW FUNCTIONS MOST OF THE TIME, BUT WHEN I GET READY TO TAKE TO DEALER IT FUNCTIONS CORRECTLY. BOTH REAR WINDOWS STOPPED FUNCTIONING SUMMER OF 2003. TOOK TO DEALER & BOTH REGULATORS/MOTORS WERE REPLACED. GEAR SHIFT IS SLIPPING BETWEEN GEAR BY ITSELF. TOOK TO DEALER AND WAS ADJUSTED JUNE 2003.*AK

NHTSA ID

10021401

Incident

Jan 7, 2002

THE VEHICLES FRONT POWER WINDOWS FAILED INTERMITTENTLY. DEALER NOTIFIED. *NLM

NHTSA ID

10012136

Incident

Mar 1, 2003

THE GLASS PORTION (ONLY) OF THE LEFT OUTSIDE REAR VIEW MIRROR WAS BROKEN AND THE DEALER ADVISES THAT REPLACEMENT IS AVAILABLE ONLY AS A COMPLETE ASSEMBLY WHICH THE DEALER SAYS MUST BE PURCHASED AS A COMPLETE ASSEMBLY AT A COST OF APPROXIMATELY $350 INCLUDING PAINTING OF THE MIRROR SURROUND. I LOOKED AT THE UNIT AND FIND THAT THE MIRROR GLASS IS BONDED TO A BLACK PLASTIC BACKING THAT SNAPS IN PLACE. THERE IS NO REASON OTHER THAN TO PAD THE BILL FOR THE ENTIRE UNIT TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER WILL NOT SHOW US THE PARTS FICHE AND KIA CUSTOMER SERVICE IS NON-RESPONSIVE. CAN YOU PROVIDE A COPY OF THE PARTS BOOK BREAKDOWN OF THE LEFT OUTSIDE REAR VIEW MIRROR FOR THIS VEHICLE? I WILL APPRECIATE IT AND WILL THEN BE ABLE TO REPLACE THE BROKEN MIRROR AND RESTORE THIS IMPORTANT SAFETY FEATURE AT A REASONABLE COST. I CAN SEE NO REASON FOR THE BROKEN PART TO COST, AT RETAIL, MORE THAN $35 AND THE INSTALLATION LABOR IS INCIDENTAL AS IT ONLY INVOLVES SNAPPING IT IN PLACE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. DT

NHTSA ID

769168

THE STEERING WHEEL IS PEELING, I HAVE HAD IT REPLACED BUT THE NEW ONE IS DOING THE SAME THING. THE WINDOW STRIPS ARE ALL TWISTED UP AND MAKE A ROARING SOUND WHEN I DRIVE. I HAVE HAD THEM REPLACED BUT THEY STILL ROAR. THE DASH RATTLES, BUT THEY DIDN'T FIX IT. THE REAR WINDOWS DO NOT ROLL DOWN. THE RADIO HAS STATIC MOST OF THE TIME. IT DOESN'T SEEM TO WANT TO GO WHEN I ACCELERATE. IT KIND OF SPUTTERS AND THEN GOES. THE BANDS SQUEAL BAD. THEY HAVE BEEN REPLACED BUT THEY STILL SQUEAL.

NHTSA ID

762598

Incident

Jul 1, 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.

NHTSA ID

758735

Incident

Jan 19, 2002

WHILE DRIVING, GEAR SHIFT AUTOMATICALLY POPS INTO ANOTHER GEAR. HAD TAKEN TO DEALER. *AK CONSUMER STATES THERE IS WIND NOISE COMING FROM ALL FOUR DOORS. *YD

NHTSA ID

8001369

Incident

Mar 7, 2001

POWER WINDOWS IN REAR ON BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT HAVE STOP WORKING FROM TIME TO TIME.*AK

NHTSA ID

756232

Incident

Sep 14, 2001

I WAS TOLD BEFORE PURCHASING THE KIA-THAT THE 5-YR WARRANTY COVERS BUMPER-TO-BUMPER. THE WINDSHIELD SMASHED WITH LITTLE IMPACT WHEN A LARGE SOFT INFLATABLE BALL HIT THE ANTENNA. THE WINDSHIELD HAS A MANUFACTURED UNSAFE DEFECT. *AK

NHTSA ID

754125

Incident

Oct 15, 2001

MOTOR POWERED REGULATOR WINDOWS HAVE BEEN REPLACED IN VEHICLE 6 TIMES SINCE APRIL 2001.*AK *SLC

NHTSA ID

897711

Incident

Apr 1, 2001