NHTSA Complaint #10207397 — 2007 KIA SORENTO

IN JULY, 2007, I PURCHASED A 2007 KIA SORENTO. ON MY FIRST OCCASION TO DRIVE ON THE INTERSTATE, COMING HOME FROM WORK, I ENCOUNTERED A MAJOR SHUDDER OR JERKING WHEN TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH. THE INTERSTATE WAS VERY SHOW TRAVELING DUE TO AN ACCIDENT. WHEN I TRIED TO ACCELERATE, THE CAR SHUDDERED (OR JERKED) SEVERAL TIMES EXTREMELY HARD BUT THEN STRAIGHTENED OUT. THE HARD SHUDDERS OCCUR AT APPROXIMATELY 35 TO 45 MPH. ALSO, WHEN TRAVELING WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED, IF I HAVE TO DISENGAGE THE CRUISE CONTROL DUE TO SLOWING TRAFFIC, I PRESS THE MIDDLE CRUISE CONTROL BUTTON AND TAKE OVER MANUALLY. WHEN TRAFFIC PICKS BACK UP, I PRESS THE "RESUME" BUTTON, AGAIN...THE SHUDDER. THE SHUDDER OR JERKING ALWAYS HAPPENS UPON ACCELERATION. WHEN ATTEMPTING A HILL AT 35 TO 45 MPH, THE CAR LOSES POWER ALL TOGETHER AND REALLY STRUGGLES UNTIL REACHING THE TOP. I HAD CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP AND TAKEN THE SORENTO IN FOR REPAIR. THE SERVICE MANAGER DROVE THE CAR, DID IN FACT EXPERIENCE THE SHUDDER, BUT WAS UNABLE TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION TO FIX IT. HE CONTACTED HIS DISTRICT MANAGER WHO SAID HE WAS WORKING A CAR WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND WAS TRYING TO FIND A "CURE." I HAVE TAKEN MY CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND EVEN DROVE WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER. HE ACKNOWLEDGES THE PROBLEM BUT, AGAIN, AT THIS TIME, THERE IS NO SOLUTION AS TO HOW TO FIX IT. I CONTACTED KIA HEADQUARTERS TO SEE IF THEY WERE WORKING ON TRYING TO FIND A SOLUTION TO FIX THE SHUDDER. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS PROBABLY A CHARACTERISTIC OF THE CAR AND WOULD BE CONSIDERED "NORMAL" PERFORMANCE FOR THE SORENTO. I FIND THIS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. I HAD DRIVEN A LOANER SORENTO WHEN MINE WAS IN FOR MAINTENANCE AND IT DID NOT DO THE SHUDDER. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH MY SORENTO AND AM CONSIDERING TRADING AGAIN. *TR