general problems of the 2003 Kia Motor Sorento

Takata recall the crankshaft pulley bolt keeps coming lose and this causes the steering wheel to become stiff. This happened in the middle of traffic and had to get it towed to a friends house. Currently the car is not driveable for over two weeks.

While driving I heard a clunk and a the car began rolling side to side. I limped to a mechanic and was told that the frame where the suspension and all parts connect was rusted out. Frame repair said this can not be fixed as the frame is rusted out. Where the stabilizer and suspension connects. Teh car only has 149,ooo miles and is in north carolina. I have read other reports of a rusted out support frame on this site. Will the manufacturer replace this frame.

I have service records showing I had the crankshaft pulley replaced at 55,000 miles under warranty by kia. The crankshaft pulley broke off at 105,000 miles. I was able to have the vehicle repaired cost $1500 out of my pocket. On 1/11/2015 the crankshaft pulley broke off for a 3rd time, shearing the threads to the engine, and causing the engine to no longer work. All 3 events caused loss of power and able to steer the vehicle.

As my family and I drove down 146 towards baytown, TX from dayton, TX I heard a loud "thud". Immediately followed by a loss of a/c, power, and steering. I pulled onto the shoulder immediately and popped the hood. I saw the harmonic balance lying on the splash guard and a belt lying beside it, as well as another belt loss but still hanging on the other pulleys. I got a friend to tow me back to my studio. I began searching online for why the bolt that holds the balance could just break. I found numerous reports of this problem, as well as law suits filled in other states for this very issue.

The bolt on the crankshaft pulley as well as the pin broke off causing the motor to stop and overheat dumping all the antifreeze and stopping all belts. My mother could have been injured while driving but it ended up being she was just blocking traffic thankfully and not on the highway. This seems to be a very common issue with hundreds if not thousands complaining about the crankshaft pulley bolt and pin. Kia says they won't do anything as it is out of warranty and I am not the original owner. This may have been fixed once before on the vehicle due to failure and I am very worried this may happen again with worse consequences. My mechanic was able to provide a temporary/permanent fix but we really dodged a bullet and it could have caused immediate catastrophic damage. I'm dissapointed with all of the serious complaints that kia still has not recalled it for 2002-2009 Sorento models.

I bought a 2003 kia Sorento from my niece back in November 2013 for $2000 and not even two weeks into owning this vehicle, the crank shaft broke in half! the bolt broke off in half inside the crank shaft pulley and the other half of the bolt was inside the crank shaft case. To my understanding, this is the second time that the crank shaft needed repairing (my niece, husband who were the first and original owners to this kia Sorento had it break down on him on the freeway as well, had to get it towed to kia then paid them to fix it when they owned the vehicle) but this time, when this issue happened again while I owned the vehicle, the crank shaft failed in a greater and more costly condition then the first time the crank shaft failed on them. Which then caused engine failure, loss of power steering, loss of the charging system, loss of the cooling system and loss of control of the vehicle, everything shut down, vehicle wouldn't start up after that and it could have been a very dangerous situation as it happened while on the freeway and while my husband, my daughter and my granddaughter was in the vehicle traveling. It could have jeopardize their life's as well as other!.

As I was leaving work, the crankshaft bolt broke,and the bottom/pulley came out and hit the road. Thank god I was still in the parking lot. I had it towed to a automotive shop to have it fixed it ,has $ 768. 45 plus 75. 00dollars to tow it. I got my 2003-sorento back on 06/20/2013 on 07/06/2013 I was going down the hwy about 55mph. And the crankshaft/bolt broke again after only having driven 1,674miles. I am a single mom of two ,living week to week and I can,t afford to fixe it again and it is our only car. If kia is not going to fix the crank/shaft bolt ( it is a dealer item only) and they keep breaking ,just look at all the repute incidents,over and over, then they need to be made to do a recall , I would like to know if their is a class action law suit on this matter.

I was driving at 60 mph and my power sterring was getting hard almost cause an accidente in the expressway, I check power sterring fuil and is fine, belt to power sterring fine too, I just wonder if there is a recall parts in this problem, im very afraid to drive my kia again, please investigate.

I was coming home from work one day ,when the crankshaft bolt came out of my car . I barely made it home . But the front end was jarring my airbag light came on my breaks like same one and I did not have no control of my steering . Then it cost me 1700 . Then one day I was in town and the crankshaft bolt came out of my car again which this time I did not have no control of the steering it took every muscle that I had to keep it in the road the front and shook so bad it jarred everything I lose my airbag light came on my brake lights came on seat belt light came on it was a hazardous on the highway seriously killed me or someone else or really badly hurt them. Then I took it back to the mechanic again and he said welcome it's going to cost you 1700 more which I did not have so I let the bank have it back which now it has run my credit because I didn't have the money to get it fixed and I lost my credit because of thisso yes they need to do a recall on the crankshaft bolt before it does kill someone is that what they're waiting for for someone to die before they do something about. And I keep on replacing bugs brake lights headlights and everything they keep on blowing in this in the kia and I keep on putting money in it for me to get it inspected it cost me a hundred sixty two dollars and 22 dish to replace bulbs that I just replace not even a month before that I have receipts I am so tired of putting money into this kia I didn't have no other choice but to let them take it because it c and the tires at 8 my tires up and I put new tires on which cost me 800 800 again to put in800 again to put inand when this bit when this happened I called kia in charlottesville virginia and they said they put a new crank bolt in at the kids embrace Chevrolet before I boarded so this would make three times the crankshaft bolt had been replaced I want this kia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

While driving on hwy 275 at 60 mph. Engine lights came on and steering wheel locked. . Total system power failure. . 2 daughters almost lost their lives trying to maneuver this death missile to emergency lane. . Just in time to miss multiple tractor trailers vehicles from crushing them. . Not to mention multiple passenger cars in harms way from defective part replaced malfunctioning again. . . Kia claims no responsibility even though defective part is clearly at fault. . Have firestone mechanic willing to substantiate claim and is willing to help in class action lawsuit. . I urge everyone that has any history with this deathtrap to please get the message out that this vehicle will kill you. . Most likely their other vehicles will as well. . . Do not ever drive or put anyone you love in any vehicle that they make!!!!! my daughters are scarred for life and never want to drive this vehicle or anything at this point. . I am going to make sure that everyone that I can reach via social media really really understands the truth of this vehicles death warrant.

While driving my daughter to school, vehicle lost steering in a turn causing us to narrowly miss hitting a utility pole. Vehicle had to be towed to service garage where they confirmed that the crankshaft pulley bolt had become loose causing the harmonic balancer pulley to wobble, break and cause damage to all surrounding engine components. $1700. 00 repair did not work and issue recurred. After a second repair attempt, same issue occurred again this time with the crankshaft bolt having sheered off. Vehicle is a serious safety hazard, is not drivable at this time, and will this time cost minimally $3500. 00 for a replacement motor. . . . And potentially a life. It is imperative that the NHTSA mandate a recall on these vehicles as it is ludicrous to wait for a death or multiple deaths before acting on what I am well aware is a commonly reported and potentially deadly problem. A good part of "safety" occurs in being proactive. The absence of a recall on this is mind boggling. Nhtsa must act.

I had just purchased my 2003 kia Sorento on February 23 2013 from a local used car dealer. The car had 85,000 miles at time of purchase. It was driving fine until March 31, 2013. As I was pulling out of my drive way the car started making a loud noise and then I lost control of the steering almost going into my neighbors ditch. The car was taken to the mechanic(towed) where he found that the bolt going into the crank shaft had been sheared off causing the belt to come off. The problem is that even after he fixes it (1800. 00 +) he said it would happen again. This is a very dangerous problem. After reading countless accounts online of other kia Sorento owners with the same problem, I feel kia needs to recall this part.

I own a 2003 kia Sorento lx. I used it mainly to go from home to work. This happened 2 days ago, March 16, 2006, at 32247 miles. While making a right turn from a stoplight, I had complete loss of vehicle control, it would not let me stop it and I could not control the steering wheel, it kept turning sharply to the right, and I landed on the sidewalk. Luckily, it happened when I was just entering my neighborhood, going at moderate speed, and there were no cars besides or behind me. To think if I were driving 65-70 mph on the highway and have this happened and lose control, I would have been dead. But it is the second time it happens in 3 1/2 years. The first time was about 1 1/2 year ago, but I did not pay attention to it since I thought it was due to wet conditions. I was entering the multi-level parking lot where I work. I was going up to the 4th floor where I park, and when I turned left on the 3rd floor, the car went out of control, kept going round, and I could not stop. Luckily again, it was so early in the morning that there were no cars in that floor. Surely, a safety-related defect exists. What happened Friday almost got me killed. It has happened only twice in all these years, but, no matter what happens, I will never feel safe on this car again. I cannot take any other chance of being killed because of a car's defect. I will be now using my husband's car to travel back and forth to work. Besides that big problem, I have encountered other problem with my Sorento. The front and back bulbs blow quite often. I have taken the car to the dealership every time it has needed replacement, and I have all the invoice sheets. I would prefer to have someone contact me in spanish. Thank you kindly.

I was driving the vehicle in the parking lot when I heard a loud noise and lost control of the steering because the car died and the steering wheel locked up. I looked under the hood and notice all the belts and front of the motor fell off and was laying at the bottom. I called the tow truck they towed it to the kia dealer. Where they told me its a problem the 2003 kia Sorento has. They told me they will replace the engine that was at 38,000 mile. Now the car has 72,000 miles on it so thats 34,000 miles on this motor now they tell me the same thing is happening and the motor has to be replaced. So the Kia Motor is only good for 30,000 miles thats just ridiculous and the cost is on me.