NHTSA Complaint #10513442 — 2005 KIA SORENTO

3/2/13 HAD TIMING BELT REPLACED @50,031 MILES ON MY 2005 KIA SORENTO TO MANUAL SPECS.DROVE FROM PHX TO NASHVILLE.5/2013 I HEARD A TERRIBLE SQUEAKING SOUND UNDER MY HOOD,FIRST THOUGHT LOOSE BELT. WENT ON TO GET IT CHECK OUT&AS I WAS TRYING TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN A FEW BLOCKS FROM THE HOUSE,MY STEERING WHEEL WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN. THOUGHT MY POWER STEERING PUMP HAD GONE OUT. I ALMOST RAN OVER 2 PEOPLE CROSSING THE STREET&ALMOST HIT ANOTHER CAR. I WAS TURNING MY STEERING WHEEL TO THE RIGHT W/ALL MY MIGHT! EVERYONE WAS HONKING AT ME & THOUGHT I WAS PROBABLY DRUNK! I WAS SO UPSET. HAD IT TOWED TO KIA. MY POWER TRAIN STILL UNDER WARRANTY,AM ORIGINAL OWNER&DENIED COVERAGE 3X.THEY TRIED TO SELL ME A USED ENGINE FOR $5K.STATED THEY KNEW THEY COULD NOT GET THE BROKEN PIECE OF BOLT OUT.I DID SOME RESEARCH ON-LINE&THERE IS MANY COMPLAINTS W/ THIS PROBLEM,SOME HAVE HAD IT HAPPEN 2,3,4 X.MGR. TOLD ME MY MODEL HAD THE NEW RE-DESIGNED BOLT,&IT WAS BRAKES PLUS FAULT WHEN THEY PUT ON THE TIMING BELT. MGR. SAID THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE NEVER USED THE OLD BOLT&THAT THEY PUT ON A NEW BOLT WHEN REPLACING TIMING BELT.I HEARD A TSB WENT OUT REGARDING THE BOLTS TO ALL SERVICE SHOPS TO USE THE NEW RE-DESIGN BOLT ON 03&04 MODELS,BUT NOT 05.IF I HAD GOTTEN A COPY OF THAT NOTICE,I WOULD HAVE MADE SURE THAT WHOEVER REPLACED TIMING BELT,USED NEW BOLT. A KIA TECH WROTE:8/10/12 ITS NOT THE BOLT, IT IS THE CRANK SPROCKET&BALANCER, THE DESIGN OF THE BALANCER STICKS OUT TO FAR&WEIGHS TO MUCH BREAKING OFF THE SPRING GUIDE PIN.WHEN THERE IS A REPAIR,WE REPLACE THEM EVERYTIME WE DO A TIMING BELT ON ONE.YOU TAKE THE CRACK SPROCKET&BALANCER&U ADD 2 MORE SPRING PINS AS WELL AS DRILL&TAP THE CRANK&INSTALL A TIMESERT (HEAVIER HELICOIL) HAVE NOT HAD ONE OF THESE COME BACK,IF ANYONE IS DOING A TIMING BELT I HIGHLY RECOMMEND DOING THIS AT THE SAME TIME,BUT IT WILL NOT BREAK THE BOLT OR SHEER THE GUIDE PIN. *TR