NHTSA Complaint #10406469 — 2011 KIA SORENTO

WHILE COMING TO A STOP, THE VEHICLE DOWN-SHIFTED HARD AND THE ENGINE STARTED TO SPUTTER LIKE IT WAS GOING TO CUT OFF. TOOK TO DEALER AND THEY FOUND P0748- PRESSURE CONTROL SOLENOID "A" ELECTRICAL FAULT. THEY PERFORMED A REPROGRAM OF TSM PER TSB# TRA038. DROVE OFF LOT AND IT SHIFTED HARD THREE TIMES ON WAY HOME. DEALER SAID IT WOULD TAKE 100 MILES FOR THE COMPUTER TO RE-LEARN MY DRIVING FOR BEST FUEL MILEAGE. DROVE TO WORK (SHIFTED HARD 5 TIMES) AND DROVE TO RUN ERRANDS. WHILE ON ERRANDS THE VEHICLE SHIFTED DOWN HARD AND ENGINE SPUTTERED WHILE SLOWING DOWN IN TRAFFIC. THEN, WHEN RELEASING THE BRAKE AND PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR, THE VEHICLE RPM/ TACH WENT UP BUT THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T GO. AFTER STEPPING BACK ON THE BRAKE AND WAITING 2-3 SECONDS I TRIED TO MOVE AGAIN AND IT DID. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO DEALER DIRECTLY AND WHILE STOPPING TO TURN INTO DEALER IT SHIFTED HARD, ENGINE SPUTTERED AND IT AGAIN WOULD NOT MOVE ( ONLY ENGINE RPM'S TURNED UP). IT DID FINALLY MOVE AND I WAS ABLE TO PULL INTO THE PARKING LOT. NOW THE MANUFACTURER IS REPLACING THE TRANSMISSION BECAUSE TO THEIR ADMISSION THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. NEARLY STRANDED ON A FIVE LANE 35 MPH ROAD COULD BE PHYSICALLY DANGEROUS BUT A HIGHWAY COULD BE FATAL. AN EVASIVE MANEUVER WITH THIS VEHICLE, REQUIRING STOPPING AND STARTING QUICKLY IS NOT AN OPTION IF YOU CAN'T DRIVE DURING NORMAL CONDITIONS STOPPING AND STARTING.