2006 Kia Sportage LX from North America

Summary:

I would not sell this vehicle to an enemy.

Faults:

Upon purchase brand new:

-rubbers needed to be adjusted around the front doors

-jack/spare tire needed adjusting to eliminate bangind sound

-whistling sound from driver's door mirror. Dealer cannot find the problem. We have inserted a piece of cardboard to adjust the angle slightly to reduce the sound.

At 19900km:

-front tires were unfit for the road, replaced by dealer after a 3 month battle.

At 35000km:

-replaced tires again. Dealer did not cover entire cost.

At 50000km:

-we purchased a different brand of tire and the vehicle is scary to drive in the snow.

Something is definitely wrong with our vehicle!

General Comments:

This vehicle has been a nightmare since we purchased it. I did a lot of research before purchasing and did not come across negative reviews.

With only 50000km on our Sportage, we have gone through 10 tires. That is ridiculous!

Dealer informed us he was "sick and tired of our complaints". Very poor customer service.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 6th February, 2007

7th Feb 2007, 11:37

Remember that this is now not really a Kia product it's a rebadged Hyundai-

9th Feb 2007, 00:28

I think I know why your dealer is so frustrated. Basically your complaint is that you have a whistling sound from your drivers door and that you have to replace the tires? Great.

The fact that your new tires does not work in the snow is probably because they are not genuinely M+S tires. I agree the Sportage is a piece of junk, but for other reasons, but this review is simply ridiculous. Really, is this all you have to complain about?

Next time my tires wears out I'll go to my dealer and start yelling at him, that'll do the trick. Not.

15th Jul 2007, 23:00

Generally speaking, car dealers sell cars, and tire dealers sell tires. Most manufacturers have special tires made to meet OEM specs. These tires are often marked as 'special.' In the case of my 2005 Sportage, they were Bridgestone Dueler S, they lasted about 20K miles. I shopped for replacements and the Bridgestone replacement was the Dueler H or T, both are a 60K mile tire. The S version is not available to the consumer. Understably so, who would purposely buy a 20K tire? This practice is not uncommon. You had the dealer replace the old special version with a new special version and got the same approximate mileage out of them. This makes sense, unfortunately for you.

11th Oct 2009, 19:03

How about the rest of the car? You made it to 50,000.

2006 Kia Sportage V6 from Korea

Summary:

Perfect sporty vehicle for a family

Faults:

Nothing has gone wrong.

General Comments:

I just got my Sportage EX with the Luxury package. We have two young children and with the car seats in the back seat, there is still plenty of room. My wife and I love driving it. We live in Colorado and it handles perfectly through the snow. One of the good features with the Sportage is the side curtain airbags. That was a huge seller with having kids. We love the sporty look with having a family. The controls are super easy to adjust and use. Plus with having the leather seats, the messes the kids make are super easy to clean. I'm 5'10 and the seat doesn’t raise high enough for my legs and after long periods, it gets a little uncomfortable. With only 300 miles on it, I'm seeing about 18 miles per gallon, so hopefully it will get better. I also like the split rear door. You can open the whole door or just the window part. Definitely the best value in a SUV.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 16th January, 2007

1st Feb 2007, 13:52

Dear UK, was that a 2006 or 07 Sportage? I haven't had any major issues on my KIA that just turned over 1000 miles. I do have a minor issue with a squeak in the rear when I drive over a bump. I will keep an eye on my KIA to see if I have any of the issues you explained. Thanks.

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