Comments: 1-15, 16-24
What isn't wrong with this car?!?!?!?!
Belts went out one week after buying it.
Check engine light came on two weeks after buying it.
Thermostat went out two weeks after buying it.
Thermostat went out again three months later. I had to have it replaced four times to get the check engine light to go off.
Check engine light constantly on.
Three sensors have gone out in just three months of owning this car.
Battery went dead after four months of owning car.
Driver's side window fell down when it was rolled up and shattered. The switch for the driver's side window will not work anymore.
The belts are starting to go out again.
I hate this car!!! Please do not make the mistake I made! I bought this car because a friend of mine had one and loved it. I do not see how anyone could love this car.
My car has been in the shop eight times over the past five months. I am terrified to drive it anywhere. I constantly miss work and graduate school because it is in the shop for repairs. I feel like I am going crazy because the check engine light is always on, and that gets so irritating after a while! I would love to get another car, but I have used all my money buying this piece of crap!
The dealership finally just gave my car back to me last week and told me they do not know why my check engine light is on. How messed up is that? It is their job to fix your car, and they just give it back because they do not know what is wrong with it?
When I got to work this morning, I made sure all of my windows were rolled up. When I left this afternoon, my driver's side window was completely gone! At first I thought someone had vandalized my car, but when I looked, there was no glass on the ground or anywhere inside the car. A nice passerby helped me take off the window molding, and we saw that the window is stuck lop-sided in the door. When I pushed the window button, the motor runs, but then I hear glass crunching! I called Kia, and they said it will be covered under warranty, BUT if they can prove it was vandalism they are not paying for a thing, and it will have to come out of my own pocket! I told them it was not vandalism because there is no shattered glass anywhere in the car or on the ground, but they refused to listen and are insisting they can prove it was. Some warranty!
They had my car the entire month of July because the check engine light was on and they could not make it go off. They finally just gave it back to me and said they did not know what was wrong, and said an unsympathetic, "sorry!"
There are no words to describe how much I hate this car! The sad thing is that I am a college student, and used all of my savings to buy this car. I am stuck with it because I cannot afford a new car. I wish someone had stopped me before I paid all of my money for a piece of plastic that should not be out on the roads. There should be a federal recall of these cars because someone is going to die one of these days. They are so unsafe to drive! Don't make the same mistake I did. Save your money!!!
The dealership is awful! They get mad at me for constantly bringing my car in because it is breaking down. Like I can help that?!?! They never fix my car and are so tacky and rude. Unfortunantly, it is the only Kia dealership in my area. I have called around to repair shops, and no one will work on a Kia. (I wonder why...!!) I am terrified of next year because my warranty will be out, and I will have to start paying for all these repairs myself, which is money I don't have. Please don't do what I did. Don't buy a Kia!!!
I AGREE! I would feel safer driving a car built with LEGO blocks designed by a two year old toddler!
Everything is so true. Kias are a piece of crap. Ours just DIED. They said the timing belt broke and caused $2500 worth of damage to the engine. There are HIGHER QUALITY standards for making TOILET PAPER!!!
Thank you for being so honest. I was thinking of buying a 4x4 kia. but not now!! chris dunn.
I had a car once that was nothing, but problems from the day I bought it and the dealer could not figure out what was wrong. There is a law called the "Lemon Law" for this problem. I'm not sure what all is involved, but it might be worth checking out. Of course, I am in Texas and I'm not sure it applies to every state, but you should check on it. Thanks for your review, it was very eye opening.
Go Lemon Law! If you are in college, if they have a law school, sometimes they offer free 'clinics'. Get moving asap!
Thanks so much for your reviews, I think you all just made my decision for me.
I sincerely appreciate these postings as I nearly made the mistake of bidding on a 2001 KIA Sportage EX 4x4 on eBay... the auction ends tonight. I've already been approved for funding, but when discovering that KIA is made in South Korea (and I once owned a Korean piece of doo-doo), I decided to investigate the internet for comments about this particular vehicle. I sure am glad I did. The one on which I was planning to bid is four years old, but only has 19,800 original miles, however, that doesn't mean it's reliable. Cruddy, poorly/cheaply made cars can croak within fewer miles. Just because it has such low mileage doesn't guarantee a great vehicle. Thanks for the forewarnings.
To the graduate student with the KIA, I was once in a similar situation insofar as I was a graduate student who felt it was a hardship to come up with 50 bucks for car repair. Luckily, I had very good luck with the car I was driving. My advice would be that if you own the car outright, you should sell it for whatever you can get, even if it's only 8 or 10 grand (or perhaps I am being too optimistic?). Then at least you would recover some of your savings and have a good emergency fund. This might be a come down, but at this point in your life as a graduate student with little money, I would buy a "beater" strictly for transportation, no frills. Something for well under $1,000 that will just get you the 10 miles to school and work each day. And then with your recovered savings, if something goes wrong that needs a $150 repair, you'll be able to afford it without racking up credit card debt, which is probably where you're headed next with that KIA.
I also made the mistake of wasting my hard earned money on a KIA I have had nothing, but problems with windows door locks, alarm, coil, and engine light. Just this week I had to change my fuel filter for the second time in 6 months, ran out of power, and was also told by the kia people, sorry we don't know whats wrong. So 500 dollars later I still have the same problem. SAVE YOURSELF!!! DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY!!!
I have a 2001 Kia Sportage EX 2WD and with minor exceptions, it has been performing wonderfully.
Last year, while still under warranty, the alternator died. My local Kia dealership was able to quickly replace the alternator (at no cost to me). The engine, despite my lack of diligence in maintaining it properly, has performed extremely well. I have over 70,000 miles on it now, and just recently changed the plugs. The old plugs had typical expected wear and could likely have gone several thousand miles more (albeit with slightly decreased performance, as expected).
The 2.0 DOHC engine is built very well, provides peppy power to the vehicle and is very durable. Being mostly aluminum it is highly resistant to the elements. With the exception of the Alternator I have had no drive-train problems.
The only other problem encountered recently was a transmission fluid leak on the interchange cooler, which is a loop of aluminum tubing that sits below the radiator behind a steel plate. Salt corrosion had put a small nick in the tubing, and the heat and pressure of the automatic transmission fluid system created a bad leak. However, despite having virtually no fluid in the system the car still managed to get me nearly 20 miles to my home. After a quick and simple replacement of this part (under $70 at my Kia dealership, warranty was expired) and a flush and refill of the fluid, it was good to go. Not many automatic transmissions can handle that kind of problem so well.
The body is completely rust free, even after five New England winters, and just the typical occasional car wash. The under carriage is also in remarkably pristine condition. The doors and rear hatch are all still solid, open and close smoothly and latch securely.
I am thoroughly impressed with the engine design and quality construction of this vehicle. I wish mine were a 4WD model, but it isn't. As such, being 2WD rear wheel, it is not an exceptionally stable vehicle, but then again, no rear wheel drive vehicle is, especially when sitting high and having little to no weight on the rear axle.
I am aware that many people have had problems with Kia vehicles of various models and years, but this particular car has met or exceeded my expectations. I would also add that Kia, specifically my local dealerships, have been very helpful in providing parts, service and assistance whenever needed. That in itself is somewhat rare.
I have owned a 97 Kia Sportage for over three years now. With proper maintenance and care, it has run beautifully almost the entire time. Currently there are over 130,000 miles on it, and as such, several original parts are beginning to wear out. This is expected on ANY vehicle over 80,000 miles. It was amazing that the timing belt lasted nearly 100,000 miles before breaking. Though time consuming, the repair was not that difficult, and I was able to do it myself on one Saturday. I am no mechanic, I am a single mom, and the only mechanic know-how I have is the ability to read a manual. Too many people automatically blame the makers of cars for any problems they have. Have you maintained your vehicle correctly? Stopped driving it when something happened? Taken the time to solve the problem yourself instead of griping about mechanics costs? If not, your arguments are unfounded, and illogical. Take the time to learn how to treat your vehicle before presuming that car manufacturers must be responsible for owners' ignorance.
I purchased a 2001 KIA Sport-age 4X4 2.0L with 62k in April 2006 for $6800. After almost 4 months, what I can tell you is that the gas mileage is not what you'd expect. It's pretty bad. In fact it is horrible. My 8 cylinder Mercury Marauder gets better mileage!!! That was not a joke.
Mechanically, it's operated flawlessly. In that regard, I am extremely satisfied.
I like this little truck a lot. With the exception of its gas mileage, it is almost the perfect little 'runabout'. I don't know how good the mileage is on the 2WD version. I was told by a mechanic that the 4X4 had terrible mileage because the 2nd set of universal axles were always engaged with the drive system even when the 4X4 option was not employed, and only the rear wheels were powered. I don't know if that is true, I am not a mechanic.
I drive it everyday as a commuting vehicle, traveling a distance for a fixed location of 60 miles a day to and from work, then add on daily driving chores, shopping, etc..., seems very strong and reliable to me.
It's a 4 cylinder, 4X4. How perfect is that for getting around in any weather (with the right tires). It does lack a power and has a very slow acceleration. It feels like forever just to get up to highway speeds, but once she gets there, she maintains very well in the 75 to 80 mph range well, and I've even gotten her up to 95 mph. By the feel of it, honestly, I don't think it would be safe for this vehicle to be operated above 85 mph.
I do like this little truck however, and look forward to years of service. It is well maintained, and is already on her 2nd oil change and checkup.
Although the battery and the belts that were sold with the truck appeared to be good, it made me comfortable to change them, shortly after my purchase (it is a 'used vehicle' after all). I expect the prompt maintenance to keep her in good running condition, and I believe that this is the key to a vehicles life.
Well my time with the KIA is short, so we'll see what the future holds.
OK then, I bought my sportage back In 2002 and have no problems with it, I love it. So far the only problem I have had was needing to change an Fuel Filter. I am very happy with it.
Older KIA's are more reliable in my experience, like 1999-2002. The newer ones seem prone to problems.
I've had a 2001 Sportage for over three years now and I've been very happy with it so far. I did have a problem with the check engine light coming on and I ignored it because I didn't want to be without my car for any period of time. Bad choice, because it finally died somewhere between Denver and Lymon, Colorado. Thanks to Kia's Roadside Assistance, I got a tow back to the dealer in Denver and they had my car fixed by the next day without any of that costing me a cent. Since then I haven't had a single problem and I treat my car pretty badly. I go 6-7,000 miles between oil changes, drive it too hard, don't do any kind of preventative maintenance, and my Sportage keeps on going. I bought it with just under 17,000 and now I'm almost at 61,000. The only bad thing that I have to say is that it's interior isn't finished as nicely as other cars that I've owned... but it's also much cheaper than those cars, so that should be expected. I've recommended Kia's to people in the past and will continue to do so because of my good experiences with this quality automobile.
I purchase my KIA sportage model 2000 just this year. I bought it as a second-hand. I did not really know what is really the common problem of this car until I read some comment on this site. If only I read this in advance, I won't really buy this kind of car. there were no problem after I brought the car, but suddenly Just a month after I bought it, there were many problem I encounter. once it over heat, you can no longer use the car. you really have to change the top engine and it cost me a lot. the sensor won't tell the exact measurement of heat so with the gas sensor. even I fill my gas tank, the meter still indicates half full. hard starting so it shortens the life of your battery, strong grasping sound in the transmission. I let it check with my KIA mechanics, but they said there is no something wrong with my car and it just as usual sound of KIA cars.