NHTSA Complaint #10785518 — 2012 KIA SORENTO

AFTER SITTING FOR TWO DAYS, THE UNIT WOULDN'T RESPOND TO SMART KEY. INITIALLY THOUGHT SMART KEY BATTERY WAS DEAD. I REPLACED BATTERY IN SMART KEY, BUT THE VEHICLE STILL WOULDN'T RESPOND. I HAD TO USE MECHANICAL KEY TO UNLOCK AND ENTER UNIT WHEN I NOTICED THAT NEITHER THE INTERIOR LIGHTS WERE WORKING NOR WOULD THE 'START' BUTTON ACTIVATE ENGINE OR ANY AUXILIARY FUNCTIONS. BOOSTED UNIT AND TOOK TO A NEARBY SHOP. SHUT OFF ENGINE AND WAITED A FEW SECONDS, AND IT DID RESTART; BUT LEFT WITH SHOP TO SEE IF BATTERY HAD A BAD CELL (THE REASON IT WOULDN'T START). THE SHOP INDICATED THAT BOTH THE ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY NEEDING REPLACING. THE SHOP SUPERVISOR STATED THAT THE ALTERNATOR WASN'T PROPERLY CHARGING THE BATTERY. I MENTIONED THAT THE ALTERNATOR/CHARGE LIGHT NEVER CAME ON WITH ME; BUT HE STATED THAT IT WILL NOT ALWAYS COME ON UNLESS THE ALTERNATOR HAS REALLY GOTTEN BAD. REPLACEMENT ALTERNATOR COST $500 (EXCLUDING LABOR) FOR A UNIT THAT IS ONLY JUST OVER 4.25 YEARS OLD, AND WITH ONLY 83,700 MILES.