NHTSA Complaint #11186213 — 2016 KIA SORENTO

THE PROBLEM STARTED AROUND 50K MILES AND HAS BECOME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. THE PROBLEM IS A STICKY FEELING IN THE STEERING. WHEN MAKING VERY SMALL CORRECTIONS IT IS LIKE THE POWER STEERING IS TURNED OFF. GENTLE PRESSURE DOES NOT TURN THE WHEEL AT ALL. AS MORE AND MORE PRESSURE IS APPLIED, IT IS LIKE THE POWER STEERING SUDDENLY TURNS ON. THIS CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO SWERVE DUE TO OVER CORRECTION.THE PROCESS REPEATS AS YOU CORRECT BACK THE OTHER DIRECTION. IN FACT, IN A GENTLE TURN ON THE HIGHWAY YOU CAN LET GO OF THE WHEEL AND THE VEHICLE WILL CONTINUE TO TURN, THE WHEEL NEVER RETURNING TO CENTER WITHOUT INTERVENING. ULTIMATELY, THE VEHICLE IS INCREDIBLY HARD TO CONTROL, AND I MUST LOOK LIKE A DRUNK SWERVING BACK AND FOURTH IN THE LANE. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS ESPECIALLY ON MOUNTAIN ROADS OR IN HIGH WINDS, ICE, AND SNOW. IT IS MORE NOTICEABLE ON THE HIGHWAY, BUT IT DOES IT ON CITY STREETS TOO, AND I CAN FEEL THAT IT IS HAPPENING EVEN WHEN THE VEHICLE IS AT A FULL STOP. IT WAS INTERMITTENT AT FIRST, BUT NOW IT IS DANG NEAR CONSTANT STARTING SINCE ABOUT 75K. I OPENED A SAFETY COMPLAINT WITH KIA. BASED ON WHAT I HAVE READ HERE AND ON BLOGS, KIA IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THERE ARE 18 COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME THING FOR THE 2016 SORENTO HERE ON NHTSA AND THE 2017 SORENTA HAS 89! THE FIX IS SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS, SO IF THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY LIKE MINE, MOST PEOPLE WILL HAVE A HARD TIME AFFORDING THE FIX. KIA NEEDS TO ISSUE A RECALL BEFORE SOMEONE IS INJURED OR KILLED. I AM DOCUMENTING THIS HERE SO THAT WHEN IT IS ME OR MY WIFE WHO DIES, THERE IS EVIDENCE OF KIA'S NEGLIGENCE. I COULD MAKE A VIDEO OF THE WHEEL NOT RETURNING TO CENTER ON THE HIGHWAY AS EVIDENCE, BUT THE FILE SIZE AND FORMAT WOULD NOT WORK HERE.