NHTSA Complaint #10030577 — 2003 KIA SORENTO

THE SORENTO SUV WAS BOUGHT IN JUNE 2003. WITH LESS THAN 1000 MILES IN JUNE 2003 THE SORENTO WAS BROUGHT TO THE DEALER'S SERVICE TO CHECK AN OIL LEAK ON THE FRONT AXLE. THE DEALER CITED AN OVERFILLED GEAR OIL AND THE GEAR OIL LEVEL WAS CORRECTED. AFTER FEW WEEKS, IN JULY 2003, THE SORENTO WAS BROUGHT BACK AGAIN TO THE SAME DEALER BECAUSE THE GEAR OIL LEAK WAS STILL THERE. THE DEALER KEPT THE SORENTO, CITED NON-DRIVABLE AND HAVE TO ORDER THE PART. THE GASKET WAS REPLACED AND SORENTO WAS TEST DRIVEN. THE GEAR OIL LEAK STILL SHOWED UP. NOW THE DEALER SAID THAT THEY GOT HOLD OF KIA AND CITED THAT THEY HAVE TO REPLACE THE BLEEDER TUBE. THE BLEEDER TUBE WAS REPLACED AND THE GEAR OIL LEAK DID NOT GO AWAY. AT THIS TIME, THE WHOLE UNIT OF THE FRONT DRIVE AXLE WAS ORDERED AND REPLACED THE ORIGINALLY INSTALLED UNIT OF THE SORENTO. AFTER THE DEALER TEST DROVE THE NEWLY INSTALLED FRONT AXLE, THE GEAR OIL WAS STILL LEAKING. AT THIS TIME, FOR ALMOST A MONTH, THE SORENTO IS STILL IN THE REPAIR BAY OF THE DEALER AWAITING DIRECTION FROM KIA. *AK