NHTSA Complaint #11385521 — 2016 KIA SORENTO

2016 KIA SORENTO V6 LX FWD AUTOMATIC -- ONE DAY, SUDDENLY, THE WIPER FLUID LEAKED ALMOST THE ENTIRE TANK ON OUR GARAGE FLOOR IMMEDIATELY AFTER FILLING. NO OTHER SMALL LEAKS WERE NOTICED BEFORE THIS MAJOR FAIL. I FOUND KIA BLOGS IN ABUNDANCE AND A LARGE NUMBER OF YOUTUBE VIDEOS REPORTING THE SAME ISSUE. THERE WAS EVEN SPECULATION IN SEVERAL KIA FORUMS THAT THE PROBLEM WAS SO PREVALENT KIA SHOULD, AT A MINIMUM, PUBLISH A SERVICE BULLETIN, AND SOME URGED FOR A BONA FIDE RECALL. I CHECKED THE POINT OF FAILURE AS SUGGESTED IN SEVERAL VIDEOS AND BLOGS, AND INDEED IT WAS A CRACK IN THE WASHER PUMP MECHANISM, APPARENTLY AROUND THE WHITE BULBOUS PIECE THAT BIFURCATES ON OPPOSITE SIDES WHERE RUBBER TUBES ARE ATTACHED TO PLASTIC PROTRUSIONS, AND FROM THERE THE FLUID IS DISPENSED TO EACH OF TWO NOZZLES NEAR THE BASE OF THE WINDSHIELD THAT RELEASE THE FLUID ON DEMAND.