NHTSA Complaint #10422885 — 2005 KIA SORENTO

HARMONIC BALANCER BOLT BROKE CAUSING FAILURE OF ALL BELT DRIVEN COMPONENTS. LOSS OF POWER STEERING WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS BEING THE WORST OF WHICH. IT WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT FOR A SMALL FRAMED OLDER WOMAN TO CONTROL WHILE PULLING OVER. HARMONIC BALANCER FELL FROM VEHICLE REPRESENTING SUBSTANTIAL RISK TO OTHER VEHICLES ON ROADWAY. VEHICLE HAD BEEN TO DEALERSHIP FOR PREVIOUS REPAIRS BUT THEY NEGLECTED TO ADHERE TO THE MANUFACTURERS TSB AND REPLACE THE BOLT. I HAVE SINCE FOUND THAT MANY MANY OTHER OWNERS OF THIS VEHICLE HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUE SPANNING MANY MODEL YEARS. I DON'T BELIEVE THE DEFECT TO BE IN THE BOLT BUT RATHER IN THE DESIGN OF THE HARMONIC BALANCER, THE CRANK SHAFT AND THE MATING OF THE TWO. WHEN THIS FAILURE OCCURS THE VEHICLE BECOMES INOPERABLE AND LEAVES IT OCCUPANTS STRANDED. LOSS OF POWER ASSISTED CONTROL AND THE HIGH PROBABILITY OF A LARGE AND HEAVY PIECE OF STEEL BEING DROPPED IN THE MIDST OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC REPRESENT A SUBSTANTIAL RISK TO THE PUBLIC. THIS ISSUE HAS NOT BEEN PROPERLY ADDRESSED BY THE MANUFACTURER AS NO NOTICE THAT THIS BOLT SHOULD BE REPLACED HAS BEEN GIVEN TO CONSUMERS. KIA MOTORS IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND SENT A TSB TO DEALERS DIRECTING THEM TO CHANGE THE BOLT IN QUESTION UPON THE VEHICLES NEXT DEALER SERVICE. HOWEVER THIS PRACTICE IS NOT PROPERLY ADHERED TO AND WITH THE CUSTOMER BEING UNAWARE OF ANY POSSIBLE PROBLEM IT BECOMES EASILY OVERLOOKED. I HAVE ALSO NOTICED THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE MORE FREQUENT FAILURES AFTER THE BOLT HAS BEEN REPLACED. AFTER HAVING THE VEHICLE TOWED TO KIA I WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED AND THAT KIA WOULD NOT COVER THIS UNDER IT'S POWER TRAIN WARRANTY. *TR