NHTSA Complaint #10266338 — 2000 KIA SPORTAGE

MY KIA BEGAN HAVING ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS ABOUT 3 YEARS AGO. LONG STORY MADE SHORT: THE DEALER WANTED ME TO PAY $3000 PLUS FOR IT HAD ALL ITS ELECTRICAL SYSTEM MELTED DOWN. I FOUND A RECALL AND AFTER A BATTLE WITH THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER I GOT IT FIXED WHEN I FOUND OUT THERE WAS A RECALL. NEXT NIGHTMARE: JULY 2008 NO ONE DIED LUCKILY. I LEND MY CAR TO A FRIEND AND HE IS DRIVING HIS 2 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER AND THE CAR FALLS TO THE GROUND. AXLE BROKE DOWN, WHEELS SPUN INWARDS AND KIA IS NOT WORKING AGAIN. LUCKILY THESE FRIENDS WERE GOING AT 20 MILES AN HOUR OTHERWISE THEY WOULD NOT HAVE TOLD THE STORY. GOT IT FIXED COST ME $$ APPARENTLY IT WAS A DEFECTIVE KIA PART CENTER LINK REPLACED. HAVE THE PART STILL IN MY CAR AS A NICE MEMORY. FINAL NIGHTMARE: APRIL 2009 I WAS THE MAIN CHARACTER: AGAIN THE AXLE FEELS WEIRD AND CLICKS WHEN I TURN. PROBLEM: TIE ROD IS BROKEN. DIFFERENT THAN THE PREVIOUS TIME BUT RELATED TO THE PREVIOUS PROBLEM. LUCKILY WAS NOT ON THE FREEWAY AT HIGH SPEED OTHERWISE WOULD NOT BE TELLING THIS STORY. IN SHORT: THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD! KIA NEEDS TO RECALL THIS DEFECT URGENTLY. MY FRIEND AND KID AND I COULD HAVE GOT KILLED IN AN ACCIDENT LITERALLY. FORTUNATELY WE BOTH WERE DRIVING AT VERY LOW SPEEDS AND COULD MANAGE THIS PROBLEM WITH NO ONE GETTING INJURED? KIA NEEDS TO MAKE THESE CARS SAFER AND PREVENT FUTURE ACCIDENTS PLEASE!! BE RESPONSIBLE NOT ONLY WITH YOUR NEW CARS, TAKE PRIDE ON YOUR BRAND AND FIX THE OLD JUNK YOU CREATED!! *TR