NHTSA Complaint #11353816 — 2019 KIA SORENTO

INCONSISTENT POWER TO THE WHEELS ESPECIALLY WHEN COLD BUT ALSO ON FREEWAY. UNEVEN DELIVERY OF POWER TO THE WHEELS IS USUALLY CALLED TRANSMISSION SURGE FROM A LACK OF CONSISTENT FLUID PRESSURE BEING MAINTAINED IN EACH GEAR. HAS BUCKED HARD ENOUGH IN 3RD AND 4TH GEAR TO ROCK MY HEAD FORWARD AND BACK. IN ECO MODE IT'S DOWNRIGHT DANGEROUS. MORE THAN ONCE I THOUGHT I'D BE HT BY ANOTHER CAR TRYING TO TURN ONTO A BUSY CITY STREET. DOES THIS LESS IN COMFORT MODE. THIS HAPPENED ON MANY DATES BUT BELOW YOU ONLY ALLOW TP PICK ONE SO I [PICKED ONE DATE. IT DOESN'T BUCK IN COMFORT MDE BUT THE STUTTER OR SURGE IS STILL THERE. IN THE FIRST 4-5,000 MILES, MAYBE 10 TIMES OR SO, AFTER COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP ON A CITY STREET WHILE WAITING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN WITH MY FOOT STILL ON THE BRAKES, I HAVE FELT IT DROP INTO FIRST GEAR. THREE OR FOUR OF THOSE TIMES IT WAS SUCH A DISTINCT THUD I COULD FEEL IN THE STEERING WHEEL, THE SEAT AND THE FLOORBOARD. EITHER IT HADN'T FULLY DOWNSHIFTED INTO 1ST BY THE TIME I STOPPED, OR IT DOWNSHIFTED ALL THE WAY INTO 1ST THEN INTO TO NEUTRAL, AND WHAT I'M FEELING IS IT FALL BACK INTO 1ST. DEALER SAID MECHANIC COULDN'T DUPLICATE MY SURGE PROBLEM. I DEMANDED A TEST DRIVE WITH THE MECHANIC AND WENT TO A SMOOTH PART OF A NEARBY ROAD WHERE HE SAID HE 'COULD FEEL IT SOME BUT IT'S NOT BAD ENOUGH FOR KIA TO FIX IT. LET US KNOW IF IT GETS WORSE'. THE FLIP SIDE OF THIS STATEMENT IS: GEE, TOO BAD YOUR ANTICIPATED NEW CAR JOY ISN'T GOING TO HAPPEN, BUT KIA IS HAPPY WITH IT'S ANTICIPATED PROFIT, AND WON'T ACT ON THIS UNLESS IT GETS WORSE. MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS TO SAY COSTCO GAS IS THE PROBLEM.