NHTSA Complaint #10837581 — 2008 KIA SPORTAGE

KIA IS RIPPING PEOPLE OFF TO THE TUNE OF $1,700 TO $1,800 FOR THEIR FAULTY ABS BRAKE CONTROLLERS PLUS LABOR. IT IS A WIDELY KNOW PROBLEM THAT BRAKE FLUID SEEPS OUT OF THE BACK OF THIS UNIT ONTO THE CIRCUIT BOARD AND CAUSES A VARIETY OF SAFETY AND MECHANICAL ISSUES. A YEAR AND A HALF AGO I EXPERIENCED A PROBLEM WITH THE ESC TRACTION LIGHT COMING ON, FOLLOWED BY A FLASHING 4X4 LIGHT AND THEN FINALLY A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. THE WORST PART ABOUT THIS IS THAT IT THEN SLAMS ITSELF INTO FIRST GEAR GOING DOWN THE ROAD! YES, YOU HEARD THAT CORRECTLY. THIS CAN HAPPEN VERY QUICKLY. KIA, YOU HAVE A SAFETY ISSUE! I REPLACED THE UNIT WITH A USED ONE FOR $350 PLUS INSTALLATION AND NOW IT HAS THE SAME PROBLEM A YEAR AND A HALF LATER. THERE WERE TWO POSSIBLE CONTROLLER UNITS FOR THE 2008 SPORTAGE AND THEY LOOK IDENTICAL BUT ARE NOT INTERCHANGEABLE. THE OTHER ONE I CAN PURCHASE NEW, DIRECT FROM SOUTH KOREA AS AN OEM PART IN A KIA/HYUNDAI BOX FOR AROUND $500. BUT NOT THIS ONE, THEY KNOW THEY HAVE A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM AS THIS CAN UNEXPECTEDLY PULL YOU DOWN TO A CRAWL IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. THEY ALSO HAVE KEPT THE PRICE EXTREMELY HIGH ON THIS UNIT TO MAXIMIZE PROFITS ON A SAFETY ITEM THEY REFUSE TO FIX. I'M LOOKING FOR ANOTHER USED UNIT AND THEN I'LL DUMP THIS LEMON.