NHTSA Complaint #10051293 — 1998 KIA SEPHIA

I PURCHASED A KIA IN MARCH 02' I USED THE CAR FOR LONG TRIPS THE FIRST YEAR I HAD OWNED THE CAR AND I HAD NO FAULTS IN JAN.- FEB 03' THE CAR BEGAN TO SHIFT IN TO NUMEROUS GEARS AND THEN STALL. I WAS THEN DEPLOYED TO IRAQ. I LEFT THE CAR WITH A GOOD FRIEND. WHEN I CAME BACK HE INFORMED ME THAT THE CAR WOULDN'T START. DEALER SAID IT WAS THE FUEL PUMP. FRIEND REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP.FRIEND THEN REPLACED FUEL PUMP AGAIN WHEN CAR WOULDN'T START. FRIEND LEFT THE CAR ALONE,WHEN IT DIDN'T START, UNTIL I HAD RETURNED FROM IRAQ. I CAME BACK AND TOOK THE CAR TO MIDAS, DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE DEALER DIDN'T HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT WAS GOING ON. MIDAS THEN SAID IT WAS THE FUEL PUMP. I HAD IT REPLACED FOR A THIRD TIME. CAR RAN FOR A DAY THEN DIED. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO MIDAS THEY SAID IT WAS THE WIRING HARNESS. I HAD THAT REPLACED. CAR STILL DIDN'T START. SO MIDAS SAID THREE WEEKS LATER THEY SAID IT WAS THE FUEL MODULE. THE CAR THEN WORKED FOR ABOUT A MONTH THEN WOULDN'T START. TOOK CAR TO SEVERAL SHOPS ALL SAID IT WAS THE PUMP. I THEN HAD A MECHANIC FROM MY UNIT CHECK IT OUT. HE SAID IT WAS WITHIN THE WIRING TO THE FUEL PUMP STILL HASN'T FIGURED IT OUT. SINCE THEN I HAVE FOUND THAT IT HAS A FAULTY CONNECTION WITH THE CONNECTING CABLES NEAR THE FUEL PUMP UNDER THE BACK SEAT. THE CONNECTORS HAVE BEEN MISS FIRING AND HAS BURNT A HOLE IN MY BACK SEAT. I'VE TRIED TO GO TO THE DEALER BUT THEY INSIST ON DOING A DIANOSTIC AND CHARGE ME $60.00 JUST TO TELL ME THE SAME THING THAT I ALREADY KNOW. THEY ALSO SAID THEY CAN'T ORDER THE PART UNTIL A DIANOSTIC WAS DONE. I'VE ALSO HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THE FUEL TANK OVER FILLING AND NOT READING FULL ON THE GAUGE. I HAVE ALSO HAD TO REPLACE THE BRAKES FOUR TIMES IN 18 MONTHS.THE POWER STEERING ALSO GOES OUT QUITE FREQUENTLY. I HAVE ALSO HAD A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THE ALIGNMENT OF THE CAR. I UNDERSTAND THAT WEAR AND TEAR OCCURS ON A VEHICLE BUT THE PROBLEMS THAT I HAVE HAD WITH THIS CAR IS NOT NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. IAM DISSAPONTED IN KIA