NHTSA Complaint #10106113 — 2004 KIA SEDONA

OIL LEAKS - 2004 KIA SORENTO. COMPLIANT FORM DOES NOT ALLOW ME TO SELECT SORENTO AS VEHICLE MODEL WHEN COMPLETING THIS FORM. DEALER REPLACED OIL PLUG GASKET TWICE. BEEN IN FOR OIL LEAK COMPLAINTS 4 TIMES. LAST TIME THERE JAN 05, 2005 DEALER SERVICE SAYS PROBLEM IS OIL FILTER LEAKING BECAUSE OF DEFECTIVE OIL FILTER DESIGN. DEALER SERVICE SAYS KIA IN PROCESS OF RE-DESIGN OF FILTER. WHEN NEW OIL FILTERS AVAILABLE DEALER SAYS UNKNOWN. FIND THIS EXPLANATION OF PROBLEM TO BE UNBELIEVABLE. DON'T BELIEVE 2004 ENGINE DIFFERENT FROM 2003 ENGINE IN THIS VEHICLE. WHEN LAST IN DEALER SERVICE ANOTHER CUSTOMER WAS IN FOR SAME TYPE OF PROBLEM; OIL LEAKS IN 2004 SORENTO. WAS IN MULTIPLE TIMES FOR A SOLUTION. USED TO HAVE SORENTO 2003 AND NEVER HAD LEAKING OIL, KIA REPLACED MY 2003 WITH A 2004 SORENTO BECAUSE OF MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH 2003. ENGINE OIL LEAKING WAS NOT ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WITH 2003. BELIEVE SAME ENGINE USED IN BOTH MODELS. DON'T BELIEVE PROBLEM IS OIL FILTER DESIGN.*AK