NHTSA Complaint #10316847 — 2008 KIA SORENTO

ON A TRIP FROM BILOXI, MS TO FORT MYERS, FL- APPROXIMATELY 800 MILES ALL 4 TIRES ON A "NEW" (13,000 MILES) KIA SORENTO FAILED. AFTER SEVERAL HUNDRED MILES OF THE TRIP THE CAR BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY AND LUCKILY WAS KEPT UNDER CONTROL. A TOWTRUCK HAD TO BE CALLED AND THE CAR TOWED TO TWO CITIES BEFORE A DEALERSHIP COULD BE FOUND TO "FIX" THE CAR. THIS MEANT AN OVERNIGHT STAY. THE SERVICE DEPT PROBABLY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENED! THEY PUT 2 NEW TIRES ON, INSPECTED OTHERS AND ALIGNED THE CAR- COSTLY SERVICE CALL + 2 NEW TIRES. BACK TO THE TRIP AND SEVERAL MORE HUNDRED MILES AND AGAIN VIOLENT SHAKING. ANOTHER TIRE WAS FALLING APART! SAME THING ANOTHER TOW, OVER NIGHT STAY, DEALER, ANOTHER TIRE. BOTH DEALERS SAID THEY WOULD SEND TIRES BACK TO KUMHO FOR EXAMINATION. WE COULD NOT BELIEVE, BUT OUTSIDE TAMPA AT 10:30 AT NIGHT-VIOLENT SHAKING. CHANGED THE TIRE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD IN THE DARK. THANK GOD, NO ONE HURT. HAD TO ORDER A NEW TIRE FROM SEARS IN FORT MYERS FOR THIS ONE. I NOW HAVE MIS-MATCHED TIRES ON MY NEW VEHICLE- HAD TO BUY NEW TIRES 30,000 MILES BEFORE I SHOULD OF HAD TO- HAD A FAMILY MEMBERS LIFE IN DANGER, HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT DAMAGE DONE FROM ALL THE VIOLENT SHAKING, WAS SERVICE WORK DONE CORRECTLY, DO I STILL NEED AN ALIGNMENT-- IT TOOK OVER 48 GRUELING, NERVE-RACKING HOURS FOR AN 11 HOUR TRIP- WITH A LOT OF EXTRA EXPENSES. KUMHO DOES NOT WANT TO MAKE US "WHOLE" ON THIS FIASCO (WE ARE HAPPY THOUGH THAT IT IS NOT A TRAGEDY). BY "WHOLE" WE MEAN REIMBURSE US FOR WHAT WAS SPENT ON THIS "MESS". THEY DON'T SEEM CONCERNED THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. WE HOPE THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN TO SOMEONE ELSE WITH WORSE RESULTS. YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE WHAT THE TIRE WE HAVE KEPT LOOKS LIKE. THE AIR PRESSURE SENSORS NEVER SHOWED LOSS OF AIR AND THE LAST TIRE WHEN BROUGHT TO SEARS STILL HAD AIR IN IT. TREAD IS COMING OFF OF THE TIRE AND THE STEEL BELTS ARE FRAYED. PLEASE CONTACT US SO WE CAN SEND YOU PICTURES OF THE TIRE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUICK RESPONSE. *TR