2003 Kia Sorento EX review from North America
"I love the SUV, but would prefer ownership of a vehicle that can handle up to 200,000 miles"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Driver shaft (U-Joint) - broke and were replaced under warranty at 60,000 miles.
Pulley bolt - was replaced twice around 62,000 miles.
Throttle point sensor - replaced at 78,000 miles.
Other than that - just basic maintenance including tires, brakes and oil changes.
Was just informed the 2 (upper and lower) radiator hoses have cracks and need replacing @ 81,000 miles.
General comments?
I have really enjoyed this SUV. For the price and the features, I felt it was really a great buy. The warranty has come in handy as was required for the driveshaft. Kia covered the towing, rental car and replacement at no cost to me.
The pulley bolt, which hadn't gone bad, but was replaced under a recall, actually went bad after they fixed it under the recall. It actually broke, the belts came off and the SUV died. Kia once again covered the towing, a rental car and replacement. At that time, I was informed by the dealer that even the replacement part for the recall had a problem.
The check engine light came on around 78,000 miles and thru a service center, they determined the code indicated a bad throttle point sensor. This cost just under $200 and not a warranty part.
I had the SUV in for a routine oil change and tire rotation today and they indicated it requires replacement of both radiator hoses plus a radiator flush. This would cost approximately $250.
I am also now getting a burning smell in the engine compartment, which I have the service center trying to find the cause.
The 2 above items are normal wear and tear maintenance items I would say.
Other than that, I have been extremely happy. I have the oil changed and the tires rotated at the same time every 3000 miles. It goes into the dealer for factory service every 15,000.
Recommended reviews
| 2004 - Sorento LX 3.5 six cylinder Very dependable vehicle!!! |
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| Money Pit |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| Model year | 2003 |
| Year of manufacture | 2003 |
| First year of ownership | 2003 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2009 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.5 Liter V6 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 8 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 7 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 9 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 9 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 7 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 5 miles |
| Most recent distance | 81000 miles |
| Previous car | Nissan Stanza |
| Date of Entry | 19th February, 2009 |