NHTSA Complaint #10630884 — 2007 KIA SORENTO

BEGINNING IN EARLY AUGUST 2014, THE ESC AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE ACCELERATOR STOPS WORKING AND THE VEHICLE GOES INTO LIMP MODE. WE ARE UNABLE TO GET MORE THAN 40 MPH OUT OF IT AND ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, NEARLY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT WHEN OTHER VEHICLES WOULD COME UP FROM BEHIND VERY SUDDENLY. WE WERE FORTUNATE THAT WE WERE IN AN AREA WHERE WE COULD GET OFF THE ROAD QUICKLY. ONCE WE HAVE COME TO A STOP, IF WE TURN THE ENGINE OFF AND RESTART, THE LIGHTS RESET THEMSELVES AND THE VEHICLE FUNCTIONS NORMALLY UNTIL THE NEXT TIME IT HAPPENS. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED WAS SHORTLY AFTER WE BOUGHT THE CAR NEW AND THE KIA DEALERSHIP REPLACED A BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH UNDER RECALL #09V130000. THIS HELPED UNTIL RECENTLY. WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY REPLACED A THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR AT THE COST OF $395.00. IT HELPED FOR TWO WEEKS AND THE PROBLEM RETURNED EXACTLY THE SAME. THIS TIME THE DEALER INFORMED US THAT IT WAS THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL ASSY - ENGINE CONTROL SYSTEM AT THE TUNE OF $250.00 ALL THESE ITEMS ARE PART OF THE ESC SYSTEM AND CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO GO TO LIMP MODE. I'M CONCERNED THAT THERE MAY BE OTHER SUB-ASSEMBLIES ASSOCIATED WITH IT AND EVERY TIME ONE GOES BAD, WE'LL END UP IN LIMP MODE AND/OR A HOOD ORNAMENT ON A KENWORTH. THIS IS RIDICULOUS AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY KIA AT NO COST TO CONSUMERS. *TR