Faults:
For starters, the dealer's paint protection plan doesn't cover the trim, which has actually started to melt off of the car. I pay an extra $15 a month for it. Every time I tried to approach them about this, they talked in circles and volleyed me around through representatives to no avail of the problem being corrected.
The car is now on it's third completely new exhaust system. The last two rusted out and in one case, the muffler fell off while driving.
The interior overhead light broke within the first two years of owning the vehicle.
The check engine light is possessed by some kind of evil being that turns it on before I attempt any long distance trips. Every time I take it in to be diagnosed, the mechanic can't find anything wrong with it.
The rear view mirror actually fell off and had to be replaced.
The A/C leaks onto the passenger side floor and can form puddles of coolant on longer trips.
The vehicle is on it's fourth set of brakes in three years.
The spark plug wires had to be replaced at 85000 miles.
The catalytic converter was replaced twice, once at 30000 miles and once at 70000 miles.
The wiper motors barely work and can freeze up in heavier rain.
The timing belt has been replaced numerous times along with the radiator belt.
The external wheel mount located on the back of the SUV has begun to rust and has trouble staying locked.
3 of the 4 hubs on the car have gone out. This means that the four wheel drive vehicle I bought only gets power to two wheels. One of those two will only spin if the other gets traction.
The four wheel drive is useless!!! It never seemed to work right and the SUV would get stuck in as little as 3" of snow.
And the final (and most recent) problem. The fuel tank has rusted out to the point that a hole has developed. I could only smell the gas at first, but it started leaking through the chassis panel, so I had to take it into the shop. I was told by the mechanic that IF they could track down the correct fuel tank, it would cost more than the car is probably worth. I don't think I'm going to get it fixed. I'd be doing the world a favor by getting one of these poorly built things off of the road.
General Comments:
The Kia Sportage looked like a great, reliable SUV at the dealer. It was backed by a warranty that couldn't be beat and was an amazing bargain at only $10,000 for a one year old vehicle.
The warranty, however, proved to be useless. Everything that was covered worked just fine right up until the warranty expired. On top of that, the largest problems aren't covered by and warranties.
As far as performance, don't expect much. The Sportage has problems accelerating when you turn on the A/C and the power/economy button makes no real difference. The steering on it, however, is incredibly good. In fact, that's the only part of the car I really like.
Brake pedal is a little too sensitive and can result in some awkward stops. This also may be due to the lack of anti-lock brakes, which usually come standard with almost any car.
The interior was another part that I liked. The seats were very plush and felt great on longer trips. There isn't much storage space, though. Even with the back seats folded down, there was barely enough room to put a small lawnmower.
The exterior of the car looks like a throwback to the early 90's SUVs. It's like a cross between a Jeep Cherokee and a station wagon. The body design is also very awkward, which leads to problems such as doors not sealing tight enough to keep out the rain.
To sum it up, this car was manufactured from Mazda and Ford parts. Anyone who has ever owned a '93 Ford Probe knows how well a Ford/Mazda built car runs. Or doesn't, in this case.
3rd Aug 2005, 10:28
I agree with your comment regarding doing your own repairs. When I did my own maintenance/ repairs on my old Civic I got 350K miles out of that car. But, now it seems every time I get my car back from a mechanic it's worse than before. Can't anyone fix cars anymore?