NHTSA Complaint #10545514 — 2008 KIA SORENTO

TWO DAYS AGO THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED (AND STAYED ON) WITH INTERMITTENT ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL OFF LIGHT ILLUMINATED; VEHICLE ACCELERATION BECAME SLUGGISH AND SOMETIMES UNRESPONSIVE. VEHICLE CODES USING OBDII POCKETSCAN SHOWED ACTIVE AND STORED CODES OF P2138 (ACCELERATOR), P2127 (ACCELERATOR) AND P2106 (LIMP MODE). I MADE AN APPOINTMENT TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP ON 09/25/13. ON THE DAY OF APPOINTMENT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS NOT ILLUMINATED, BUT THE DEALERSHIP FOUND STORED CODES IN THE COMPUTER OF P2138, P2127 AND P2106. THE DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO FIX THE VEHICLE EVEN THOUGH IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE THERE WAS NOT AN ACTIVE CODE (CHECK ENGINE LIGHT) ON AT THE TIME OF THE APPOINTMENT AND THE PART WAS FUNCTIONING PROPERLY FOR THE TIME BEING. WHEN ASKED IF IT WAS THEIR POLICY OR KIA MOTORS POLICY NOT TO REPLACE COMPONENTS THAT WERE FAILING, THEY STATED IT WAS KIA MOTORS POLICY. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THE ACCELERATOR ASSEMBLY HAS FAILED IN THIS VEHICLE. THE LAST FAILURE WAS 08/23/12 AT 27,545 MILES. A VAST MAJORITY OF THE COMPLAINTS WITH NHTSA FOR THIS MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR VEHICLE INVOLVE THESE CODES AND THIS COMPONENT. A SERIOUS ACCIDENT, OR LOSS OF LIFE SHOULD NEVER BE THE DETERMINING FACTOR WHEN MAKING A DECISION THAT A MANUFACTURER SHOULD TAKE ACTION TO CORRECT A FAULTY COMPONENT; BY THEN IT IS MUCH TOO LATE. *JS