2005 Kia Sorento Electrical System Problems

Electrical fire under drivers dash. While trying to drive the kia . called fire department and they responded quickly. I know there was recall on 2006 and believe 2005 should have been included Thanks [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

I DROVE MY KIA AND PARKED IN A GROCERY PARKING LOT. I CAME BACK OUTSIDE TO FIND MY CAR'S ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS TOTALLY ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS ACTIVELY PUTTING OUT THE FLAMES AS I APPROACHED. NO WARNING THIS WOULD OCCUR. KIA HAS REFUSED TO RETURN MY CALLS OR EMAILS. VERY RELIABLE VEHICLES (I BOUGHT 2 BRAND NEW IN 2005). VERY DANGEROUS, AND APPARENTLY NOT AN UNHEARD OF EVENT WITH CERTAIN KIAS. SEVERAL REPORTS ONLINE AND IN PERSON. COULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS HAD I BEEN DRIVING, OR PARKED CLOSER TO OTHER VEHICLES (OR ANY STRUCTURE).

DRIVING APPROX 55MPH, MY LIGHTS SEEMED TO DIM THEN MY BATTERY AND BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED MY HEATER, RADIO, DASHBOARD LIGHTS AND LIGHTS TO LOW. I CONTINUED DRIVING FOR NOTHING ELSE SEEMED TO BE WRONG AND WAS GOING TO PULL OVER WHEN I NOTICED MY POWER STEERING ALSO WAS NOT WORKING. I WAS ABLE TO GET MYSELF TO A SAFE PLACE TO STOP AND PUT THE CAR IN PARK, IT BEGAN MAKING AN ODD SOUND (THINKING A POSSIBLE BELT) IT THEN MADE A POPPING SOUND THINKING I BROKE A SERPENTINE BELT, I THEN TURNED THE ENGINE OFF AND HAD MY MECHANIC LOOK AT IT. HE SAID THE CRANKSHAFT BOLT HAD BROKEN OFF AND WAS AN ESTIMATED $3000+ REPAIR. I HAVE ALSO HAD ISSUES WITH CRANKSHAFT SENSOR WHICH CAUSED MY CAR TO NOT TURN OVER WITHOUT A JUMP. AFTER THAT WAS REPAIRED I HAD TO BUY A NEW BATTERY THAT PRIOR TO THE WINTER SEASON TESTED OUT TO BE GOOD. IHAVE ALSO BEEN TOLD I NEED TO REPLACE A SPARK PLUG WHICH COULD COST HUNDREDS TO REPLACE BECAUSE OF THE LOCATION. I HAVE TO REPLACE HEADLIGHTS/TAILLIGHTS MORE THAN NORMAL.I HAVE SEEM TO HAVE ISSUES WITH ALIGNMENT AND HAVE PUT 2 SETS OF TIRES ON AFTER NOTICING ABNORMAL WEAR ON THE INSIDES, I'VE HAD IT ALIGNED TWICE. I STILL OWE $6100 ON A CAR THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PUT $3000 INTO AND NOW HAVE NOTHING TO DRIVE! *TR

THE VEHICLE HAS HAD SEVERAL ELECTRONIC ISSUES. ONE OWNER WITH A GARAGE PARKED LOW MILEAGE SUV. THE DRIVER SEAT WILL NOT MOVE FORWARD. ALL OTHER ADJUSTMENTS WORK FINE. THIS ISSUE HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE YEARS BUT NOW SEEMS TO BE A PERMANENT PROBLEM. THE INTERIOR OVERHEAD LIGHT DOES NOT ILLUMINATE WHEN YOU OPEN THE DOORS, THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR OPEN ALARM DINGS FOR NO APPARENT REASON AND THE BRAKE LIGHTS CONTINUALLY BURN OUT.

ON 7/30/14 I NOTICED MY DASHBOARD LIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING. THE MORNING OF 7/31/14 THE LIGHTS STILL WERE NOT WORKING SO I CHECKED THE FUSE BOXES. I FOUND A BLOWN FUSE IN THE FUSE BOX UNDER THE HOOD AND REPLACED IT. THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS STILL WOULD NOT WORK. THE EVENING OF 7/31/14 I AGAIN CHECKED THE FUSES AND FOUND THE FUSE I HAD JUST REPLACED IN THE MORNING WAS AGAIN BLOWN. I REPLACED THE FUSE AND HAD MY HUSBAND STAND AT THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE WHILE I TURNED THE IGNITION AND HEADLIGHT SWITCH ON. IMMEDIATELY UPON TURNING ON THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH WE HEARD A "POP," CHECKED THE FUSE AND IT HAD ONCE AGAIN BLOWN. WE TRIED A THIRD FUSE AND IT BLEW AS WELL AS SOON AS I TURNED ON THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH. THREE FUSES IN ONE DAY AND STILL NO ANSWER ON HOW TO GET MY DASHBOARD LIGHTS TO WORK. *TR

RECENTLY, OUR 2005 KIA SORENTO BEGAN HAVING ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WHEN THE HEADLIGHTS ARE ON AT NIGHT. THE INTERIOR DASH LIGHTS INCLUDING THE RADIO, ETC. WILL RANDOMLY GO OFF AND ON. LAST NIGHT, THE DOME LIGHTS CAME ON AND BEGAN FLASHING INVOLUNTARILY. I AM CONCERNED WITH AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE THAT WILL LEAD TO FURTHER DAMAGE. I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING RECALLS ON THIS VEHICLE, BUT CANNOT SEE THAT THERE IS ONE FOR THIS ISSUE. I DID HOWEVER SEE OTHER CONSUMERS WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT. WE PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE BRAND NEW IN 2005 AND OTHER THAN REGULAR MAINTENANCE WE HAVE NOT HAD ANY MAJOR ISSUES. I THOUGHT THAT I WOULD PURCHASE ANOTHER KIA IN THE FUTURE, BUT NOW THAT I SEE KIA IS DOING NOTHING TO FIX THIS ELECTRICAL PROBLEM I AM RECONSIDERING THAT DECISION. *TR

INTERIOR ELECTRICAL LIGHTING TURNS ITSELF OFF AND ON. HEADLIGHTS WILL OCCASIONALLY SHUT THEMSELVES OFF. LIGHTS REGULARLY BURN OUT/NEED REPLACING EVERY 45-90 DAYS. DASH LIGHTS HAVEN'T WORKED IN OVER A YEAR - FUSE REGULARLY BLOWS, GAVE UP ON REPLACING IT. *TR

MY 2005 SORENTO STARTED STALLING & SHUTTING DOWN WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HWY AT 65 MPH (HAPPENS AT ANY SPEED). CODE COMES UP FOR BAD CRANK SHAFT SENSOR, THIS WILL BE THE 3RD TIME IN 4 YEARS I WILL HAVE REPLACED IT. THIS HAS CAUSED SOME "CLOSE CALLS" WHILE ON THE HWY, AVOIDING OTHER VEHICLES & NEARLY BEING REAR ENDED SEVERAL TIMES. *TR

TODAY I TOOK OUR 05 SORENTO IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE. IT CAME AS NO SURPRISE TO ME THAT DURING THE 20 POINT INSPECTION I WAS TOLD THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT DIDN'T WORK. THIS IS BEYOND RIDICULOUS AT THIS POINT. I HAVE ALREADY CHANGED BURNT OUT HEADLIGHTS A MINIMUM OF 5-7 TIMES NOW. I CAN'T EVEN KEEP UP WITH THE COUNT. LIKE MANY OTHER OWNERS I HAVE TRIED EVERY MAKE AND TYPE OF HEADLIGHT AND NONE OF THEM WILL LAST MORE THAN A FEW MONTHS. THIS RECENT SET WAS THE TOP OF THE LINE AND I HAD TO PAY $80 FOR THE TWO LIGHTS. STILL DON'T LAST. IT SEEMS THAT KIA KNOWS ABOUT THIS ISSUE BUT IS UNWILLING OR TOO CHEAP TO PAY HAVE THEIR ISSUE FIXED. I'M NOT THE ONLY OWNER WITH THIS PROBLEM. LOOK IT UP! THE CAR HAS OPERATED FINE OTHER THAN THIS BUT IT HAS BECOME A HASSLE AND IS VERY COSTLY REPLACING HEADLIGHTS EVERY FEW MONTHS! THIS WILL BE THE LAST KIA THAT I BUY UNLESS KIA STEPS UP AND FIXES THIS ISSUE. THEY HAVE A NEW WIRING HARNESS THAT CAN HELP/FIX THIS PROBLEM BUT OF COURSE OWNERS HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS OUT OF POCKET. STEP UP KIA OR ENJOY LOSING A CLIENT FROM HERE ON OUT! *TR

VEHICLE HAS HAD CONTINUAL PREMATURE LIGHT BULB BURNOUTS OF ALL EXTERIOR LAMPS, HEADLIGHTS, TAIL LIGHTS AND STOP LIGHTS. THIS HAPPENS EVERY 1-2 MONTHS. *TR

I'VE REPEATEDLY HAD TO REPLACE THE HEADLIGHTS IN THIS CAR EVERY COUPLE OF MONTHS. WHEN ONE LIGHT IS REPLACED, THE OTHER SIDE GOES OUT NEXT. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES FOR THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS. I HAVE 189,000 MILES ON THE CAR NOW. I DON'T REMEMBER EXACTLY WHEN IT STARTED. MY DRIVER SEAT ALSO STOPPED WORKING. THE BACK GOES FORWARD AND BACK, BUT THE BASE SEAT DOESN'T MOVE. *TR

HEADLIGHT AND DOME BULBS BURNS OUT VERY OFTEN, I SPEND MORE MONEY REPLACING BULBS THAN OIL CHANGE, OBVIOUSLY THERE IS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM ON THIS MODEL. PLEASE LET THEM FIX THIS ISSUE. *TR

HEADLIGHT BULBS HAVE GONE OUT AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH SINCE I HAVE PURCHASED VEHICLE USED. HAVE TO KEEP SPARE BULBS IN VEHICLE IN CASE IT HAPPENED AGAIN AT NIGHT WHICH I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DRIVE WITH MY NORMAL HEADLIGHTS IG I HAD NOT CARRIED THE SPARE ONES IN SORENTO. BRAKE LIGHTS HAVE GONE OUT 3 TIMES SINCE I HAVE PURCHASED SORENTO IN MARCH 2012. LIGHTING INTERIOR DOES NOT WORK UNLESS YOU MANUALLY PUSH THE BUTTON FROM THE TOP OF CEILING. DOOR AJAR" LIGHT CAME ON AND STARTED BEEPING ALL DOORS WERE TIGHTLY SHUT. WAS TOLD THAT THE SEAT BELT HARNESS METAL PART MAY HAVE CAUSED THE DRIVERS DOOR TO BEND OR KNOCK OFF THE DIODE BUTTON. *JS

ALL OF A SUDDEN THE KIA IGNITION WONT ENGAGE THE STARTER ,THE HEADLIGHTS WONT WORK AND THE SPEED ODOMETER MOVING AND THE AC APPEARS NOT TO WORK. *JS

MY CAR HAS BROKEN DOWN 3 TIMES IN THE LAST MONTH. I HAVE A 2005 KIA SORENTO WITH 115,000 MILES ON IT. EVER SINCE I BOUGHT MY CAR, IT HAS CONTINUALLY HAD ELECTRICAL ISSUES SUCH AS REPLACEMENT OF THE HEADLIGHTS EVERY FEW MONTHS. I HAVE JUST DEALT WITH IT AND LEARNED HOW TO REPLACE THEM MYSELF. ONE MONTH AGO THOUGH, MY CAR BROKE DOWN AND I HAD IT TOWED TO MY LOCAL MECHANIC. HE SAID IT WAS THE ALTERNATOR AND WENT AHEAD AND REPLACED IT. EVERYTHING WAS RUNNING SMOOTH WHEN I DROVE IT AWAY BUT THEN 2 WEEKS LATER, I BROKE DOWN AGAIN (SAME SYMPTOMS OCCURRED FROM WHEN I BROKE DOWN THE FIRST TIME - BRAKE & BATTERY LIGHT BLINKS AND THEN THE AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON AND BOOM, NO POWER). BROUGHT IT TO THE SAME MECHANIC AND THIS TIME IT WAS THE BATTERY THAT NEEDED REPLACED SO HE WENT AHEAD AND REPLACED IT. JUST YESTERDAY, 2 WEEKS AFTER THE BATTERY ISSUE, MY CAR BROKE DOWN AGAIN WITH THE SAME SYMPTOMS OCCURRING. I'M STILL WAITING ON IT TO BE DIAGNOSED BUT THERE IS NO OTHER EXPLANATION THAN FOR IT TO BE AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE. SUGGESTIONS? *TR

I CONSTANTLY HAVE TO CHANGE TAIL LIGHTS AND HEAD LIGHTS ON MY VEHICLE. EVERY 4/5 MONTHS THEY ARE GOING OUT. ALSO THE INTERIOR LIGHT ABOVE IN THE BACK SEATING AREA DOES NOT COME ON WHEN THE DOORS ARE OPEN, ONLY IF MANUALLY PRESSED ON AND OFF. THE LIGHT BEHIND THE PANEL CONTROLLING THE HEAT/AIR TEMPERATURES IS NO LONGER FUNCTIONAL. NO ONE ELSE SEEMS TO CHANGE THEIR LIGHTS AS FREQUENTLY AS I DO, IF AT ALL SINCE THEY'VE HAD THEIR CARS. IT SEEMS TO BE AN ISSUE WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. *KB

ON 6-14-2011 I WAS DRIVING MY 2005 KIA SORENTO JUST TURNING ONTO MY STREET WHEN IT SUDDENLY LOST ITS POWER STEERING AND THE POWER BRAKE LIGHT WAS ON. I MANAGED TO DRIVE IT A FEW FEET TO MY DRIVEWAY TO INSPECT MY CAR AND NOTICED A BIG SILVER BOLT-LIKE PIECE OF METAL APPROXIMATELY 4" LONG DANGLING BENEATH THE RADIATOR AND TOOK IT INSIDE AND CALLED MY HUSBAND. WHEN HE CAME HOME HE LOOKED AT THE CAR AND CHECKED ONLINE TO TRY AND SEE WHAT MAY BE WRONG WITH IT AND DISCOVERED IT MAY BE THE CRANK SHAFT PULLEY BOLT AND CALLED THE DEALERSHIP'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT. THE MAN AT THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT FELT THIS WAS NOT THE CASE BUT MY HUSBAND SAID THAT HE HAD WAS HOLDING THE BOLT IN HIS HAND. NONETHELESS I SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT. THE SOONEST THEY COULD GET ME IN WAS 6-29-2011, 15 DAYS LATER. I AM EMPLOYED AS A PHYSICIAN EXTENDER AM HAD TO WORK THE WEEKEND (JUNE 18TH AND 19TH), THEREFORE, I HAD TO RENT A CAR FOR THAT WEEKEND AS WE HAVE NO WEEKEND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SERVICE IN OUR LOCATION WHICH COST ME $177.00. MY CAR THEN HAD TO BE TOWED ON THE MORNING OF 6-28-2011 TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE ON 6-29-2011 AT A COST OF $65.00. THEN THEY WERE HAVING DIFFICULTY HONORING MY WARRANTY BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT FIND MY NAME BUT I HAD SINCE MARRIED BUT SINCE IT WAS NOT CHANGED ON THE WARRANTY THEY DID NOT REPAIR THE CAR. I HAD TO CONTACT KIA CORPORATE AND THE PERSON THERE TOLD ME IT COULD TAKE UP TO 2 WEEKS TO MAKE THE CHANGE AND THE CAR WOULD NOT AND COULD NOT BE REPAIRED UNTIL THEN AND THEY COULD ONLY GIVE ME A DISCOUNT ON A RENTAL CAR IN THE MEANTIME. I HAD TO IMMEDIATELY FAX (NOT EMAIL) DOCUMENTATION OF SALE. I HAD PAID CASH FOR THE BRAND NEW VEHICLE AT THE TIME. THE KIA DEALERSHIP IN WHICH I BOUGHT THE CAR ONLY KEEPS SALES RECORDS FOR THE PAST 3 YEARS. THE CORPORATE PERSON THAT I WAS SPEAKING WITH WAS NOT ABLE TO CORRECT THE INFORMATION ON HIS END DUE TO A "GLITCH". THEY FIXED THE CAR AND CHARGED ME $170.00 ADDITIONAL FOR REPAIRS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY. *TR

WE WERE TRAVELING ON THE FREEWAY AT 65 MPH WHEN CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WITHIN 2 SECONDS VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER INCLUDING POWER BRAKES AND STEERING. *TR

I HAVE TO EVERY 3 -4 MONTHS REPLACE THE HEADLIGHTS ON MY 2005 KIA SORENTO. KIA HAS TOLD ME BECAUSE YOUR ORGANIZATION HAS NOT ISSUES ANY TYPE OF RECALL ON THIS I WILL KEEP ON REPLACING THEM. THIS IS INSANE!!!!! I KNOW THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY OWNER COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS. *TR

2005 KIA SORENTO. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO DEFROSTER SWITCH MALFUNCTION *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE MECHANIC STATED THE DASH WIRING HAD MELTED AND THE RELAY FOR THE FRONT WINDSHIELD DEFROSTER WAS STUCK IN THE OPEN POSITION.*JB