Problems with 1999 Kia Sportage ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Keyway on crankshaft where timing gear attaches wears out prematurely and can result in having to replace engine! i have replace throttle position sensor, fuel filter, and knock sensor also the mass airflow sensor and timing belt were replaced as there appeared to be a timing issue could not find problem so took to kia dealer to find the keyway on crankshaft to be so worn you could almost turn gear all the way around! in all the years i have been working on vehicles this is the first time i have ever seen this and is very obviously a manufacturer defect! *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1999 kia sportage. the contact stated that the vehicle is gradually leaking brake fluid and he is constantly having to add more fluid. also, the vehicle stalls intermittently while driving between 30-50 mph and merging into traffic. his vin was not included in nhtsa campaign id numbers 98v222000 (service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:hoses, lines/piping and fittings) and 99v325000 (electrical system:wiring); however, the dealer will repair the vehicle according to nhtsa campaign id number 04v305000 (seat belts:front:buckle assembly). the current mileage was 107,812 and the failure mileage was unavailable.

Tl*the contact owns a 1999 kia sportage. the seat belt retractor on the drivers side has failed. the air conditioner is also leaking into the passenger side of the vehicle. the vehicle has not yet been diagnosed. the purchase date was unknown. the current mileage is 80,000 and failure mileage was 76,000.

This kia was purchased new and is a one owner car. it has had 2 master cylinders, and 4 sets of brake pads. the car currently has 50,000 miles on it. the car slides to the right on wet roads and does not stop until it hits something or slows to a stop. i have slid 2 times, rear ended someone the 3rd, and my son hit a light pole. the other times the brakes may or may not work. the problem is worse during rainy weather. the brakes go to the floor and the car does not stop. at times the brakes vibrate. this car has had a new cloth top, new air conditioning 2x, 5 catalytic converters, new carpet from the air leaking and molding, new seat covers as they ripped, new brakes, rotors, pads several items i have lost count, the check engine light comes on, the car has been re-wired, at times the car won't accelerate if the air conditioner is on. last night the highway patrol office wanted to know why i would endanger my son's life in a car that won't stop or slides. that is a good question. why are any of these models still on the highway when there are so many things wrong with them. in looking at the complaints there were many that dealt with the brakes. at this point is there any recourse with the car? i don't feel that i can sell it outright honestly and put someones life in danger. the highway patrol officer made me feel like a neglectful parent by even letting my son drive the car. we even parked it for 6 months trying to decide what to do with the car. my son's car was in the repair shop, so he took the kia. i feel that the car is a death trap. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle stalls at various speeds and intermittently will not start. after sitting for a while the vehicle will restart. the dealership has been informed. there are no lights illuminated on the dash prior to the vehicle stalling. the temperature gauge was acting erratic. the power steering belt was replaced. updated 09/13/06. *jb

I have a 1999 kia sportage with less than 35,000 miles on it as of july 5, 2006. in november of 2005 i started noticing a really strong fuel smell. shortly thereafter i noticed fluid leaking from the rear of my vehicle. i took it in around thanksgiving to find out that the gas tank had to be replaced. i had to pay almost $1,000 for this repair. also, in may of 2006 power steering fluid leaked all over my garage while the car was in summer storage. upon further investigation it is due to the power steering pressure hose damping pipe rusting out. this car has also already have to get new front brake rotors (rusted/warped) as well as a new exhaust pipe since the previously one rusted off the muffler. within the first couple years one of the bearings went bad and they ended up replacing the whole front axle unit. this car has had many problems and with less than 35,000 miles on it basically makes me sick to my stomach. i am reporting this to you after reading on www.kia.com technical/owners section about a "service campaign" for the leaking fuel tanks in may 2006. nobody has notified me and i just happened to run into myself as i was researching information related to the power steering system since that started leaking in may 2006. *jb

1999 kia sportage has had timing belt replaced three times since i bought car new in 1999. while traveling on nj turnpike, what we believed was the timing belt yet again was the crank shaft at the harmonic balance (which holds the timing belt in place) completely snapped into two pieces inside the engine. i spoke to several different kia service departments who advised me that this was not a normal thing and was in no way due to something we could have done. i was told by my kia dealer that the manufacturers warranty had expired last year and that i was responsible for the defect in the kia. the first three times that the timing belt was replaced the warranty covered. now i am told i must pay for a new engine. be advised that every time this happened the car was going 55 m.p.h. or over. it is my belief that was caused by a manufacturing defect and that kia should be held accountable. there has never been any collision or any other event that has taken place for this to occur. we are just lucky that we have never been hurt or killed in this car!*jb

I am the owner of a 99 kia sportage with only 60043 miles. i bought the vehicle brand new. the vehicle stalled at 40 mph, luckily, it did not stalled at 75 mph while i was taking one of my daily trips to ok city because it would have been disastrous. the crankshaft sheared off flush with the engine housing leaving the main and timing belt pulleys disconnected from the engine. as consequent, the engine stalled leaving the vehicle without power in the middle of traffic. no one was hurt or killed because of this. contacted the kia dealer and they will not take any resposibility for this defective part. this is the kind of safe product that makes kia customers not to be repeat customers.

Consumer had the same problems as mentioned in nhtsa recall 99v325000. the wires connected to the c123 and c124 connectors can be put under tension by movement of the engine, thus pulling the wires and connectors, and loosening them . this results in a loss of circuit continuity. dealership indicated to the consumer this vehicle was not covered under the recall due to vin. *ak

While driving at 30 mph vehicle stalled without warning. vehicle was towed to the dealership, and technician determined that wiring and connectors failed. *ak

While driving at any speed vehicle will intermittently stall. after a few minutes sitting vehicle can be restarted. manufacturer and dealer have been notified of the problem.*ak

Smell of exhaust coming from under hood again. has been in shop number of times, check engine came on 50 miles after leaving dealership for repairs.runs very bad, same as before repairs. has been out of warrnety for while, pay for repairs out of pocket. *ak

99 kia sportage surges when starting and idles so rough when stopped that you think the car will die, has died a few times. dealer has not been able to determine the cause to repair. all recall work was done, including the wiring harness fix sc014, but there was no symptom of problem then. extended warranty has expired, and continually finding problem with car. also tail pipe recently broke off had to be replaced. i now have a spreadsheet of the problems and repairs. would like to fix this problem if i knew what it was. had mass air flow sensor, throttle position sensor, numerous other parts replaced as well as a tune up. also the exhaust smells bad. engine doesn't have much pick up on small hills either. *nlm

1999 kia sportage 4dr ecm trouble code 171 - left bank lean. dealership has had vehicle for over a week and is not able to fix. *ak

\t\t\t\t 11/16/02\tgeneral diagnostics after purchase\t no stored codes \t $75.50 \t\ttiming check - disconnect battery\t\t 11/29/02\tengine bucks on acceleration\t no stored codes\t $87.26 \t broken center console replaced\t\t 01/02/03\tengine stalled - died after one week's time, no diagnosis\t $70.88 * towed *\t\t 01/05/03\temail sent to: kia consumer affairs advised of poor running condition and \t inferior kia service received response as to four \t \t\t manufacturer recalls not performed to\t \t\t date on vehicle\t 01/13/03\t*sc014 recall - engine wiring harness\t recall performed\t $102.44 *sc022 recall - manifold catalytic converter\t recall performed\t \t\t*front wheel bearing seals leaking/loose replaced front hub assemblies\t \t\t*coolant leaking at bypass hose\t r&r hose and replaced seals\t \t\t*determined front bumper replaced \t 01/17/03\t*exhaust manifold stud broken\t ...

Consumer stated that the catalytic converter failed causing a distraction to the consumer. dealer notified. ts

While traveling on the highway without prior warning. the vehicle shut down and would not restart. the dealership is aware of the problem. mr

The vehicle would not start at all. engine light appeared on dashboard. dealership was aware of the problem.

I am the owner of a 99 kia sportage with only 19000 miles on it bought new with only 10 miles on it back in 99. this suv has been nothing but problems from day one, with everything from the ac to the 4 wheel drive needing repaired twice in one day, to the most serious problem happening on 8-19-02 when my right rear anti sway bar bracket breaks away from where it was welded on the frame in the factory ( the org. welds just broke ) as my daughter and i are driving this suv home one evening causing this suv to be all over the road and uncontrollable. luckily no one was hurt or killed because of this. kia accepts no responsibilty for this. but it was there welds done in there factory when they made this suv. this is the kind of safe products that kia makes and the public needs to be aware of this fact and how much this co. values a human life.

While driving at any speed and with no warning vehicle will stall, and it will be hard for consumer to control vehicle. dealer notified. *ak

I have to warm my car up at least 35 minutes so that it will not stop at railcrossings, stop signs and red lights. i f i do not continue to run my heater in the car on warm the problem will start again when i make a stop or slow down. when i leave work in the afternoon, i have to go through the same process. i have taken my car to the dealership on several occasions. they say they can not find out what is wrong with the car. they claim they cannot get the car to do the things i reported. frankly i don't think they even drive the car out of the service area to see if there is actually a problem. i really hate having to pay money and get no results. i do not feel safe trying a car i've only had 29 months. i live in a town where 5-6 people have been killed by the train. i have to cross the tracks to go to work and i'm afraid one day that this will happen to me if i can' t get this problem remedied. *ak

Consumer was informed by the manufacturer that vehicle is affected by recall 99v325000/ engine stalling. however, when she contacted dealership to have defect corrected, she was informed no service would be performed until mechanic could verify that vehicle was experiencing the problem. consumer indicated that vehicle does stall intermittently, but cannot leave vehicle at dealership for an extended period of time. please provide any additional information / documentation. *ak

Catalytic converter was recalled and replaced by the dealer in 2001, rattling and not working correctly since (engine light on - diagnostic says converter), return to dealer approximately. 2 months later, they verified everything was ok, would not pass smog the next year, returned to dealer they say it is the converter again, will not pay to replace again. car runs with no power and is a danger on the road. *la

Upon starting vehicle a smell came from exhaust. while driving smell intensified. took to dealer. mechanic stated smell was coming from tail pipe. *ak the consumer believes the exhaust fume was due to defective muffler and should be replaced. another center stated that the vehicle had bad odor from o2 sensor, catalytic converter or emission problems. *yh

Consumer states that muffler is noisy, gas tank and fuel pump are being replaced. *tt

there is a very strong smell that comes from back seat that can disrupt the driving. contacted dealer, and the dealer was not willing to do anything. *ak

No lights on dashboard came on .this is one time engine check light did not come on. oil all over motor. around area of dip stick.pressure from motor blew out dip stick has anyone else had to replace motor on these cars? also have had brakes replaced 5 times. wiper assembly replaced. fourwheel drive hose replaced. windsheild replaced. emissons replaced. rotors 5 times. seats front and back 1 time each. soft top replaced 3 times need replaced again.smells like sulfur all the time. will never buy one again . first i have to pay 3000.00 for a new motor and pay this one off.asked for help from kia they said no.they will not replace motor. i bought extended warrenty . don't buy it doesn't cover brakes or rotors or hubs.had headlight switch by motor replaced no headlights they would go off when i put them from high beam to low beam or low to high. then they stopped working alltogether had to hold switch to see to get home.

4-wheel drive does not always engage, both front hubs were replaced and pass operation cable adjusted, dealer claims the problems is fixed, however consumer states there is no difference once vehicle is repaired. check engine light illuminated. power window inoperable, dealer replaced window motor. *slc

I have sent the following e-mail both to kia and hyundai several times and have not received a response.i have a 1999 sportage convertible vin # [xxx], after. no safety complaint. *ak information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

The heat shield on my catalytic converter rusted off,the manifold cracked,the muffler rusted through within a year,the widshield wiper transmission broke and was replaced,while the kia sportage is engaged in 4wd it pops out into two wheel drive and causes the driver to lose control of the vehicle.this has happened to me numerous times this winter and the recalled parts have now failed again causing kia to put in manual hubs from 1997 into my 1999 suv.i feel this is a danger to all who own a kia sportage and i have contacted a lawyer to look into possible litigation against kia.i have found a recall on a previouse modle from 1998 but the components seals are failing in the replacment parts hubs .thank in advance for your time and letting me inform you of this dangerouse situation...ed geisler. *ak

Engine stalls randomly without warning, from a stop to normal freeway speeds. took it in 5 times still have the problem. shocks rattle with every bump just like a 15 year old car. battery goes dead without warning. this is a dangerous car.

Dealership replaced front/right and front/left brake rotors and brake pads twice, july 2000 at 15,000 miles and august 2001 at 28,000 miles. front brake rotors continue to warp, resulting in excessive wear. *ak vehicle was leaking oil, dealer tightened drain plug. vehicle would not start due to an internal starter failure. evaporator drain hose was damaged and was causing water to leak on the floor. *jb

Recall 99v325 000/engine stalling: vehicle experiencing ongoing problem with stalling while driving, and will not restart. vehicle been in dealer shop on two occasions, and problem still reoccurring. vehicle remained in dealer's shop at this time. feel free to provide further details. *ak

Automobile has been stalling ever since consumer has had the automobile. mechanic keeps saying that they are fixing the problem, but it does not stop vehicle from stalling. vehicle has been to dealer repeatedly for this problem as well as others (air flow wiring, air conditioning, oil leak, dome light, turn signal, thermostat) *ak *ml

Need bigger engine. *ak (dot number: 0 tiresize: ??)

The driver side wiper arm broke off during a rainstorm. (attorney for client) *yh

Consumer smelled exhaust fumes inside of vehicle and became sick. had to open windows for ventilation. dealer and manufacturer contacted, but unable to correct the problem. *ak *ml

The car stalls between 60 and 75 mph. i lose 10 to 15 mph and have almost been rear ended twice! no engine light comes on, warranty part replaced twice, dealership told me they didn't care if i died in the car!

Received an appointment a week ago to repair engine stalling. but, dealer called to cancel appointment because no parts were available. it would be two months waiting before next appointment would be issued. *ak

Manufacturer claimed that before driving consumer had to warm up the vehicle for few minutes to avoid problems with transmission. no osafety issue. *ak

Prior to recall notification, consumer noticed that engine light was on and the vehicle stalled for a few seconds, consumer was advised by dealership that she would have to pay $150.00 for a diagnostic test to find out what the problem was, consumer stated that vehicle was still under warranty and was under 3000 miles and did not understand why there was a fee involved, once consumer received the recall notification he then went back to have the necessary repairs performed, consumer states dealership did not get to vehicle until 4:00pm that evening in which vehicle was dropped off at 9:00am however vehicle was never worked on and subsequently vehicle was taken to another dealership to have recall repairs performed. *jb

Vehicle has continued to stall after having recall 99v325000 repairs work done. vehicle was just repaired again & stalled a few days later. dealer doesn't know why problem can't be resolved. *ak *ml

Not only has the proportional braking valve failed,but also engine temp sensor,causing transmission failure, engine light came on,and hold light for the trasmission come on, and now the power window gets stuck open. we smell a faint smell of wire insulation burning,but service dept. said they couldnt do any thing until the brake light came on and stayed on. he said there was a short in the wiring harness.this makes twice. *ak

Periodically vehicle would shut down while it was in motion, causing consumer into an accident. dealer has not duplicated defect, and was not able to provide remedy.*ak

We bought a 1999 kia in november of 1999. since then we have had nothing but trouble with it. every six months there is something gone wrong with it.

9/30/02- please find the attached email that i just sent to kia re; this car. the first time these problems occured was almost immediately after purchasing the vehicle. everytime we have taken the car into the dealership, they have been completely unable to identify the cause or replicate the problem. the described events have occurred at speeds as low as 15 mph and as high as 70 mph. there has never been any warning. 9/30/02 mr

Please see attached e-mail from manufacturer. mr

Cd player replaced on 05/19/99 because a cd was stuck in it due to an electrical shortage (per kia service center), cd player will not accept cds and will eject them immediately since 08/15/1999, not replaced due to the units being on "back order" since july of 1999, service center investigated a possible fluid leak and found no leak on 11/11/99, service center investigated a horrible exhaust/cabron monoxide smell coming into cabin of vehicle, found no problems but they replaced the catalyst converter anyway. on 11/11/99 less than 10 minutes after picking up the vehicle, the horrible smell came back again 10 times worse than originally, had to wait an entire week to return the vehicle for service because they were "booked up." on 11/17/99 returned vehicle to service department bec of continous exhaust/carbon monoxide smell in cabin causing terrible headaches. they claim to have replaced some kind of a canister but had no real documentation proving so. said they could not find a cause for the odors/fumes and gave me a rental car. after no responce from dealership in 48 hours as to a staus update, was told that a "kia motors field representative" would be coming to the dealership on 11/22/99 to look at the vehicle. on 11/22/99 was told the rep would be there on 11/23/99. on 11/23/99 was told he would be there on 11/24/99. on 11/24/99 was told by dealership owner to come pick up my vehicle in it's current un-repaired condition because the field rep. would not be out for another 2-4 weeks and the dealership could not afford to provide me with the rental car for that length of time. meanwhile, the cd player still has not been replaced or repaired and/or even looked at because 'they're on back order with our distributor" and having to drive a vehicle that is putting exhaust/carbon monoxide odors/fumes into the cabin of the vehicle.

While driving about 40 mph vehicle stalled without prior warning, consumer tried to keep control of vehicle when it started to roll off the road. *ak

#2 cylinder misfired causing the engine to stall while driving. nlm