NHTSA Complaint #10552636 — 2011 KIA SORENTO

KIA SORENTO INFREQUENT AND UNPREDICTABLE LOSS OF POWER DURING MODERATE ACCELERATION. DURING CERTAIN CONDITIONS, WHICH HAVE INCLUDED MODERATE UPHILL CLIMBS, HIGHWAY DRIVING AND CITY UNDER 50MPH AND AT MODERATE ACCELERATION, THE VEHICLE WILL SUDDENLY LOOSE POWER, FAIL TO UPSHIFT WHEN NEEDED, OR SHOW NO SIGNS OF POWER, FOLLOWED BY ERRATIC SHIFTING AND A LOUD CLUNK. AT OTHER TIMES ON HIGHWAY DRIVING, THE CAR WILL, FOR NO APPARENT REASON, DOWNSHIFT ON FLAT SECTIONS WHEN SPEEDS ARE BETWEEN 45-65MPH. MULTIPLE TRIPS TO THE DEALER: 1/8/13, 95,035 MILES- DEALER COULD NOT REPLICATE, INHIBITOR SWITCH BRACKET INSTALLED, DID NOT RESOLVE THE ISSUE 7/26/13, 106,574 MILES-ELECTRONIC STABILITY AND ABS LIGHT COME ON, SIMILAR TO STOP LAMP SWITCH, DEALER COULD NOT REPLICATE, DID SEE ERROR CODES BUT DID NOT PROVIDE THEM TO CUSTOMER, RESET THE COMPUTER. NOT RESOLVED. 10/3/13, 107,842-TRANSMISSION STILL JERKING, DEALER TRIED REPLACING AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID, DID NOT RESOLVE THE ISSUE. TOOK TO ALTERNATIVE DEALER-ROAD TEST WITH CUSTOMER-ADVISED THE PROBLEM WILL NEED TO BECOME WORSE AND MORE FREQUENT TO DIAGNOSE. THIS IS LEADING TO UNSAFE CONDITIONS DUE TO UNEXPECTED LOSS OF POWER. *TR