2008 Kia SPORTAGE problems and owner complaints

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) PURCHASED KIA SPORTAGE XL ON 5-22-2008 WITH ABS BRAKE SYSTEM; DURING THE SUBSEQUENT WINTER MONTH, I APPLIED BRAKES AND WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL STEERING; FRONT WHEELS APPEARED TO BE LOCKED IN STRAIGHT POSITION; CAR CONTINUED SKIDDING THROUGH INTERSECTION, DESPITE APPLICATION OF BRAKES. TOOK CAR IN TO KIA (ED NAPLETON) IN ELMHURST A COUPLE TIMES, BUT WAS TOLD IT WAS A NORMAL FUNCTION OF THE ABS SYSTEM, AND I HAD TO INCREASE MY STOPPING LENGTH TO ENSURE I…

Owner-reported narrative. 3,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10317016 at NHTSA ↗

ELECTRONIC STABILITY SYSTEM (ESS) DOESN'T WORK ON COLD DAYS. WHEN STARTING CAR ESS OFF LIGHT IS ON AND THE ESS SYSTEM WON'T WORK. TOOK CAR TO DEALER IN SPRING 2010 AND DEALER INDICATED THAT PROBLEM WAS A BAD BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH. DEALER REPLACED SWITCH AND ESS APPEARED TO BE REPAIRED. COLD WEATHER HIT AGAIN AND THE ESS DOESN'T WORK AGAIN. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10370473 at NHTSA ↗

I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2008 KIA SPORTAGE AT AN AUCTION. IT HAS SUSTAINED AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE THAT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THE WIRING HARNESS AND / OR ABS PUMP. THIS IS THE LX MODEL WITH 2.7 V6 AUTOMATIC 4WD. I JUST SAW ANOTHER SPORTAGE 2010 MODEL THAT HAD A FIRE IN THE SAME ABS PUMP AREA AT AN AUCTION. THOUGHT YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED AS THERE SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM .. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 27,600 miles reported. Look up ODI 10386375 at NHTSA ↗

I PURCHASED A KIA SPORTAGE 2008 AUG OF 2010 ABOUT 1 MONTH AFTER PURCHASING I NOTICED THE ESC LIGHT THAT CAME ON, WHEN THIS LIGHT COMES ON THE ENGINE FORCES ITSELF TO DO MORE WORK, THE CAR WON'T GO MORE THEN 40MPH, I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER THEY SAID IT WAS FIXED, 2 MONTHS LATER IT HAPPENED AGAIN, HERE WE ARE 1YR LATER AND IT'S STILL HAPPENING. THE DEALER I TAKE IT TO TELLS ME "THIS ALWAYS HAPPENS THIS TYPE OF CAR" AND KNOW THE BATTERY LIGHT IS COMING ON AT THE SAME TIME THE ECS LIGHT IS COMING ON. I HAVE AN APPT. TO GO TO THE DEALER BACK ON…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10451747 at NHTSA ↗

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON FROM DAY ONE. ALMOST ALWAYS WHEN TANK OF GAS WAS AT THE 3/4 MARK. COMPRESSOR MAKES LOUD NOISE AFTER IDLING A WHILE, AND TRANSMISSION SLIPS AND DOES NOT CHANGE PROPERLY. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 22 miles reported. Look up ODI 10245342 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 KIA SPORTAGE. WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A TRAFFIC STOP AT SPEEDS OF 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE SURGED FROWARD AS THE TRANSMISSION STRUGGLED TO CHANGE GEARS. THE DEALER ADVISED THEY WERE AWARE OF THE FAILURE HOWEVER, THE MANUFACTURE HAD NOT YET OFFERED A REMEDY TO CORRECT THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN SERVICED BY THE DEALER A TOTAL OF THREE TIMES. THE DEALER RESET THE VEHICLE ON EACH OCCASION. THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO RECUR INTERMITTENTLY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,819 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 34,000.

Owner-reported narrative. 30,819 miles reported. Look up ODI 10325690 at NHTSA ↗

I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE WHEN IT STALLED, RESTARTED THAN STALLED AGAIN. HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO REPLACED THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR. ON 6/25/14 THE SAME HAPPENED AGAIN (INTERMIT, RUNS ROUGH THEN STALLS OUT. *TR THIS TIME THE DEALER FOUND A PIN ON MASS AIR FLOW CONNECTOR WAS BAD AND THE REPLACED CLIP ASSEMBLY. TODAY, 06/28/2014 THE VEHICLE STALLED OUT AND I HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO LOANED ME ONE OF THEIR VEHICLES BECAUSE I HAD TO LEAVE MY VEHICLE. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 57,472 miles reported. Look up ODI 10606687 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 KIA SPORTAGE. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND NUMEROUS WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,000.

Owner-reported narrative. 82,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10870618 at NHTSA ↗

I WAS RECENTLY INJURED WHEN USING A 2008 KIA SPORTAGE. AS I WAS OPENING THE BACK DOOR, THE RING FINGER ON MY LEFT HAND WAS CAUGHT IN THE LATCH, BELOW THE EXTERIOR METAL PORTION WHERE YOU PUSH THE DOOR SHUT. THE END OF THAT FINGER WAS CRUSHED IN THE LOCK HIDDEN UNDER THE LATCH. IT BLED PROFUSELY AND HURT TERRIBLY. IT CONTINUED TO BLEED, AND WAS HORRIFICALLY BRUISED, ALTHOUGH I HAD IT IN ICE FOR OVER AN HOUR. THE INJURY KEPT ME UP DURING THE NIGHT, AND CONTINUED TO HURT, ANY TIME THE FINGER TOUCHED ANYTHING. WE RE-BANDAGED IT, ALWAYS PUTTING …

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10237371 at NHTSA ↗

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 KIA SPORTAGE. THE CONTACT HAS EXPERIENCED SEVERAL FAILURES WITH THE VEHICLE EVER SINCE ITS DATE OF PURCHASE. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL GAUGES ILLUMINATED AND BEGAN TO FAIL. SOON AFTER, THE VEHICLE FAILED COMPLETELY; HOWEVER, THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO SAFELY MANEUVER THE VEHICLE TO HER DESTINATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE ELECTRONIC STEERING CONTROL MODULE FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. TWO MONTHS LATER, THE CONTACT NOTICED A NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT END O…

Owner-reported narrative. 900 miles reported. Look up ODI 10259368 at NHTSA ↗

2008 KIA SPORTAGE DO NOT HAVE A PROTECTIVE SHIELD UNDER THE GAS TANK. CONSUMER HAS A HOLE IN THE GAS TANK AFTER DRIVING OVER AN OBJECT IN THE ROAD. *NJ

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10254568 at NHTSA ↗