NHTSA Complaint #10715387 — 2003 KIA SORENTO

I PURCHASED THIS CAR BRAND NEW FROM STEVENS KIA IN PATCHOGUE, NY AND HAD THEM REPLACE THE TIMING BELT @ 58K MILES AS PER THEIR GUIDE LINES. WHILE DRIVING THE CAR I LOST MY POWER STEERING AND ELECTRICAL CHARGING SYSTEM, I WAS GOING AROUND 45MPH, I LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR AND WAS ABLE TO GET IT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT ANY DAMAGE TO THE CAR OR ANYTHING ELSE. I CALLED CORPORATE KIA AND EXPLAINED THE PROBLEM AND WAS TOLD THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY.(IT HAS 123K MILES ON IT). THEY TOLD ME IF I WANTED I COULD HAVE IT TOWED TO A KIA DEALER AND THEY WOULD LOOK AT IT FOR A DIAGNOSIS FEE, BUT IT WAS STILL OUT OF WARRANTY AND THEY ALSO TOLD ME MY VIN# DIDN'T FALL INTO THE RECALL THEY HAD CONCERNING THAT ISSUE. I HAD MY MECHANIC LOOK AT IT AND HE TOLD ME THE CRANKSHAFT DOWEL PIN SNAPPED ON THE TIMING GEAR CAUSING THE HARMONIC BALANCER TO FALL OFF THUS TAKING ALL THE BELTS WITH IT. IT COSTED ME OVER $2,000 TO HAVE THE CAR REPAIRED. AFTER DOING A GOGGLE SEARCH IT SEEMS THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS AND IS BEING IGNORED BY CORPORATE KIA. *TR