NHTSA Complaint #10512117 — 2013 KIA SORENTO

I PURCHASED MY CAR ON MAY 8, 2012. APPROXIMATELY 2 MONTHS LATER, I BEGAN HAVING TROUBLE WITH A LOUD THUMPING NOISE IN THE FRONT END WHEN ACCELERATING. THIS THUMPING WAS MOST NOTICEABLE AT LOWER SPEEDS. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER ON SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012. I CALLED ON TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2012 AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY ARE STILL TESTING MY VEHICLE TO DETERMINE WHAT WAS WRONG. I FINALLY HEARD FROM THE DEALER ON THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2012, AND WAS TOLD THAT MY NEW CAR REQUIRED A NEW TRANSMISSION, THAT IT WAS ON ORDER AND MY CAR WOULD BE READY BY WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 1, 2012. MY VEHICLE WAS READY FOR PICK UP ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 4, 2012. THE CAR WAS RUNNING FINE. I HAD A REGULAR MAINTENANCE CHECK AT 5,477 MILES, OIL AND FILTER CHANGE, ETC., ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2012. ON MONDAY, MARCH 4 2013, I AGAIN BEGAN TO HEAR THE THUMPING NOISE, NOT LOUD, BUT IT BECAME LOUDER AS THE WEEK PROGRESSED. I TOOK MY CAR BACK TO THE DEALER ON SATURDAY, MARCH 9, 2013, INFORMED MY SERVICE ADVISOR THAT THE THUMPING NOISE WAS BACK, AND THAT THE LUMBAR WAS NOT WORKING ON THE DRIVER'S SEAT. I WAS INFORMED THAT I HAD TO LEAVE MY CAR, SO THAT THE TECHNICIAN CAN LOOK AT IT ON THE FOLLOWING MONDAY. I RECEIVED A CALL ON TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2013 AND WAS TOLD THAT MY CAR WOULD NEED A TRANSFER CASE, WHICH HAD TO BE ORDERED AND THAT MY CAR WOULD BE READY IN ONE WEEK. I RECEIVED A FROM THE DEALER ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2013 INFORMING ME THAT MY CAR WAS READY TO BE PICKED UP, AND THAT THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE LUMBAR SUPPORT, AS THE TECHNICIAN TESTED IT AND COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG, AND THAT THE ROUTINE MAINTENANCE DUE AT THE TIME WAS ALSO PERFORMED HOWEVER, THERE IS STILL AN ISSUE WITH THE LUMBAR IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT, THE MOTOR WORKS, BUT THE LUMBAR BAR DOES NOT EXPAND OR CONTRACT FOR SUPPORT. *TR