Two problems related to lose power steering have been reported for the 2003 Kia Motor Sorento. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2003 Kia Motor Sorento based on all problems reported for the 2003 Sorento.
Crankshaft bolt backed out lost power steering brakes,kia is aware of this problem from 2002 to 2009 many reports have been filed,its the manufacturing of the bolt which is to small,they are not standing by this defect,there is no permenant fix for this and kia isn't warning anyone of this problem which could lead into a fatile accident with injuries and death. Going at a high rate of speed there would be no control even at slow there is no easy turning the wheel. Now im stuck with this problem and a temp fix wont fix it,so now I have no vehicle or anyway to get one,no way to work,no money to temp fix it,this is unjust and this vehicle should have never passed specs to be on the road. Kia should step up and honor there products,they are deceiving buyers and putting there life in danger and u don't know it till it happens,I didn't. . . I was taking my daughter to school I am thankful I wasn't on the highway possible resulting in my familys life or someone else on the road,with no control all because of there negligence not caring for peoples lifes but for money,its sad . If u pull up crankshaft bolt for kia it will show you all the complaints and problems and this is a manufacturing problem and a dangerous defect,because you lose control of handiling of your vehicle.
I have a 2003 kia Sorento. As I left the garage at my office around 6 p. M. Monday 11/16, the car began making a horrible squealing noise. It immediately lost power steering, several warning lights came on, and it felt like the parking brake was on (it wasn't). I managed to get out of the garage to a space on the street. I turned the car off. When I tried to start it again, it wouldn't start. I had it towed to a service station, which said the car had thrown its drive belts and that it needed a new crankshaft balancer pulley, crankshaft sprocket, crankshaft pulley bolt and crankshaft pulley washer to fix the underlying cause. I called kia customer service to see if there was a recall related to those parts. There was a recall in 2007 and my car was serviced at that time as ordered by kia. Kia said Tuesday that they would only consider paying for needed repairs if I had the car towed to a kia dealership. I had it towed to king kia in gaithersburg, MD. , at my expense. The service writer, wayne johnson, told me that the garage that had put my new timing belt on had left a bolt loose. He told me his mechanic put the three drive belts back on. He told me I needed a new battery (though the current battery was only 2 years old) because the current one wasn't holding a charge. I told him to put one on. He told me the car was running fine and ready to go. I assumed -- it now turns out, wrongly -- that the kia mechanic had tightened whatever bolt he found loose. I picked up the car Wednesday night and drove it straight home. When I started it yesterday morning to leave for work, I drove it about 1. 5 blocks and the steering locked up, the brake and battery warning lights came on, and it felt like the parking brake was on. This time the engine kept running. I brought it back home and called the kia garage back. Wayne now admits the mechanic never looked for an underlying cause. He simply put the old drive belts on and a new battery in. Today he says it needs a new crank pulley.