1998 Kia Sportage Electrical System

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 KIA SPORTAGE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING AT 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. THE HOLD BUTTON ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT WHERE AN UNKNOWN REPAIR WAS MADE TO THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE MECHANIC ADVISED THAT THE FAILURE WAS SIMILAR TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 99V325000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: WIRING) BUT THE CONTACT DID NOT CONFIRM IF HIS VIN WAS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 89,835.

I PURCHASED THIS CAR USED,IT STALLED ON ME IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. I HAVE BASICALLY HAD THE ENTIRE MOTOR REPLACED.I WENT TO TEST DRIVE AND IT DONE THE SAME THING. IT STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. I SEARCHED FOR RECALLS AND CAME UP WITH ONE IN THE C123 AND C124 WIRE HARNESS. I BELIEVE THIS WAS THE PROBLEM FROM THE VERY BEGINNING. *TR

I DROVE OUR SUV ABOUT 2 MILES PARKED IT IN THE GARAGE AND NOTICED A BURNING SMELL. I NOTICED THE CLOCK,RADIO, DOOR LOCKS, AND PASSENGER WINDOW WERE NOT WORKING. I DROVE THE CAR THE NEXT DAY FOR A SHORT DISTANCE TO WORK. THAN CALLED KIA TALKED TO A JANSON COOK WHO CHECKED MY VEHICLE FOR RECALL ON THIS WIRING. HE SAID MY SPORTAGE WAS NOT ON FILE FOR THE VIN# AND WOULD NOT BE FIXED UNDER THE RECALL. I CHECKED THE INTERNET AND THE 1998 SPORTAGES HAD A RECALL FOR A C123 AND C124 CABLE WHICH BECAME LOOSE AND COULD CAUSE A CRASH OR US OF MY SUV. I THAN CALLED THE NHTSA AND TALKED TO KIM SHE SAID FILE A COMPLAINT. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE FOR LONG DISTANCES MORE THE 5 MILES WITHOUT SOMETHING HAPPENING TO CAUSE ME OR SOMEONE ELSE INJURY. THE RECALL NOTICE IS 99V325000 THIS TO FIX THE LOOSE WIRING THAT CAN CAUSE SUV TO STOP COMPLETELY CAUSING INJURY OR LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. *NM

OWNER SAYS THAT THE VEHICLE HAD AN ELECTRICAL FIRE WHICH DAMAGED THE WIRE HARNESS. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM

WHILE DRIVING AT NORMAL SPEED INTERMITTENTLY VEHICLE WAS LOSING POWER . DEALER HAS INSPECTED VEHICLE FOUR TIMES, AND STILL PROBLEM RECURRING. *AK

DITTO ON ALL THE OTHER ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS LISTED AT THIS SITE. ENGINE STALLING WHILE IN MOTION, SLUGGISHNESS, EITHER REVVED UP SO HIGH YOU THINK ITS GONNA BLOW TO NOT IDLING AT ALL AND CUTTING OFF. MY LEFT TURN SIGNAL CHASSIS EVEN FLEW OFF WHILE ON THE INTERSTATE PLEASE LETS TAKE ACTION. WE DO NOT NEED A DEATH TO MAKE KIA HEAR US. WE COULD ALL SEND A CERTIFIED LETTER TO MR. PETER BUTTERFIELD, KIA MOTORS AMERICA, 9801 MUIRLANDS BLVD, IRVINE CA 92618. WE COULD REFERENCE IN RESPONSE TO HIS INTERVIEW TO AUTOMOTIVENEWS.COM ABOUT KIA WANTS TO GROW UP. IT IS WRITTEN IN THIS ARTICLE HOW HE WANTS KIA TO BE KNOWN FOR QUALITY AND SAFETY. I WANT HIM TO KNOW THAT WE CAN'T DRIVE OUR KIA'S FOR FEAR OF OUR LIVES AND NO ONE AT KIA IS RESPONDING TO OUR COMPLAINTS. HERE IS A SAMPLING OF REFERENCED ARTICLE: PETER BUTTERFIELD WANTS KIA MOTORS AMERICA INC. TO ACHIEVE TOYOTA-LEVEL QUALITY SCORES IN FIVE YEARS. HE ALSO WANTS TO EVOLVE FROM BEING A USED-VEHICLE ALTERNATIVE TO A PURCHASE LINKED IN THE CONSUMERS' MIND TO VALUE, SAFETY AND QUALITY. (END OF SAMPLE) IF HE REALLY WANTS THIS TO HAPPEN, HE WILL TAKE OUR PROBLEMS SERIOUSLY AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT THEM. LET'S MAKE SOME NOISE! THANK YOU. *AK

CONSUMER STATES STARTER IS INOPERATIVE.*JB

VEHICLE WAS NOT STARTING WHEN IGNITION WAS TURNED. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO A DEALERSHIP THAT DETERMINED THAT BATTERY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. NO REASON WAS GIVEN TO CONSUMER FOR CAUSE OF THIS DEFECT. ALSO, MENTIONED THAT THERE WERE CONNECTION PROBLEMS BETWEEN BATTERY AND CABLES. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK

ONGOING PROBLEM WITH ENGINE STALLING FROM A STOP POSITION AND UNABLE TO RESTART WHEN THIS OCCURS. VEHICLE BEEN IN DEALER SHOP ON THREE OCCASIONS, AND PROBLEM STILL REOCCURRING. KEY WOULD INTERMITTENTLY LOCK UP INTO IGNITION SWITCH, AND UNABLE TO REMOVE IT. ALSO, BEEN IN DEALER SHOP ON THREE OCCASIONS, AND PROBELM STILL REOCCURRING. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS MATTER. *AK

THE CAR HAS ON GOING PROBLEMS. I HAVE BEEN TELLING KIA'S MECHANICS THAT I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEMS OVER AND OVER. 1) ELECTRICAL-POWER SURGES, LOSS OF POWER WHILE DRIVING,FUSES BLOWING! KIA REPLACED THE BATTERY AND SAID IT SHOULD BE FINE NOW BUT IT STARTED DOING IT AGAIN! WENT IN FOR A RECALL ON MCC AND ENDED UP DOING OTHER RECALLS THAT I NEVER RECEIVED! NOW, THE PROBLEM IS WORSE! FUSES ARE BLOWING! I HAVE BEEN TOLD THEY CANT FIND THE PROBLEM TO THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR! BASICALLY, I AM UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THEY CANT FIND IT UNTIL SOMETHING REALLY GOES WRONG. WELL, IT HAS! THE LOSS OF POWER IS TEN TIMES WORSE! I FEAR FOR ANY LIFE WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN OPERATION! THIS IS MY FIRST CAR AND I AM A YOUNG FEMALE! SO, I FEEL LIKE I AM BEING BLOWN OFF AND SUCH WHEN DEALING WITH THE MECHANICS. 2) BRAKING HAS BEEN WIERD ALSO! FEELS LIKE IT TAKES ALONG TIME TO COME TO COMPLETE STOP! I AM AFRAID THAT WHEN KIA FIXES THE PROBLEM IT ISN'T REALLY FIXED BECAUSE I KEEP HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR AND THEY SEEM TO BE THE SAME ONES. I FEEL LIKE I HAVE NO RECOURSE! I NEED THE ASSISTANCE OF SOMEONE TO HELP ME! I HAVE TALK ED TO MANY KIA OWNERS AND THEY EXPERIENCE THE SAME PROBLEMS! THEY ALSO HAVE GOTTEN NO SATISFACTION! ALL THAT WE CAN SAY AS CONSUMERS IS THAT WE WILL NEVER BUY A KIA AGAIN! HELP US!

WIRING HARNESS CAUGHT ON FIRE WHEN CAR STALLED AND NOSE DIVED UNDER THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. *AK

VEHICLE HAS HAD CONTINUAL ELECTRICAL FAILURES CAUSING ENGINE SHUT DOWN WHILE DRIVING. *MJS

SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT BECAUSE IT WASNT TORQUED ENOUGH AT THE FACTORY. KIA HAS NOT RESPONDED TO MY COMPLIANTS. VEHICLE WAS IN SERVICE FOR 28 DAYS IN A SIX MONTH PERIOD. *AK

I DRIVE A 1998 KIA SPORTAGE WITH 37500 MILES. I RECENTLY TOOK THE VEHICLE INTO THE DEALERSHIP REPORTING A LOSS OF POWER, ENGINE STALLING, AND CAR NOT RESPONSIVE TO THROTTLE. WHEN THIS PROBLEM OCCURED THE CHECK EMISSIONS LIGHT ILLUMINATED. UPON INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME THAT THE PROBLEM WAS A "WIRING GROUND" THAT BECAME EITHER CORRODED OR THE CONNECTION METHOD USED FAILED. MY CAR HAS OVER THE 36,000 MILE LIMIT FOR THE WARRANTY, I WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL AND THAT IT WOULD COST 240 DOLLARS TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM FIXED. I WAS TOLD BY DEAN BAILEY KIA, TULSA, OK. THAT THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A PROBLEM WITH THE TYPE OF CONNECTION USED DURING MANUFACTURER OF THIS AUTOMOBILE. I BELIEVE THAT THIS SHOULD BE CORRECTED AT THE EXPENSE OF THE MANUFACTURER SINCE IT SEEMS TO BE A ELECTRICAL COMPONENT THAT FAILED DUE TO THE METHOD OF INSTALLATION. ANY INFO. THAT YOU COULD GIVE ME WOULD BE APPRECIATED. THANKS

BATTERY WOULD NOT HOLD A CHARGE CAUSING CONSUMER TO BE STRANDED IN A PARKING LOT. NLM

VEHICLE WON'T START. NLM

TURNED OFF VEHICLE TO PUMP GAS, ON ATTEMPT TO START THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. BATTERY WAS JUMP STARTED, CAR FUNCTIONED PROPERLY FOR 4 DAYS. AT THAT TIME THE VEHICLE FAILED AGAIN WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START, JUMPED STARTED THE VEHICLE & DROVE TO SERVICE CENTER. DEALER SERVICE CENTER FOUND A CELL IN THE BATTERY HAD FAILED & REPLACED THE BATTERY. VEHICLE FAILED AGAIN, 4 WEEKS LATER, WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START VEHICLE. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHEN THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE, THE VEHICLE FUNCTIONED PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WAS THOROUGHLY CHECKED BY SERVICE MANAGER & FOUND NO PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START, AGAIN, 3 DAY LATER & DID NOT RESPOND TO A JUMP START. THE DEALERSHIP IS CURRENTLY INSPECTING VEHICLE, I HAVE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, I AM NOT RECEIVING ANY COOPERATION. A NUMBER OF PEOPLE HAVE MENTIONED TO ME A CONSUMER REPORT THAT WAS REPORTED BY A LOCAL NEWS STATION, THEY DO NOT RECALL THE COMPLETE DETAILS BUT DO HAVE A RECOGNITION OF THE REPORT. THIS SEEMS TO BE A REPETIVE PROBLEM FOR SPORTAGE OWNERS.

LOOSE WIRE CONNECTION TO THE WIRING HARNESS CAUSED VEHICLE STALLING ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS.