Faults:
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.
15th Apr 2009, 16:36
I agree.. I bought mine with only 30,000 miles and it breaks down about every 5-10,000 miles. My coolant tank had a crack in it too, one of the many things that have went wrong. They couldn't find the problem and replaced a lot of parts to eliminate the problem to find later I needed a new coolant tank. The latest problem is the timing belt broke and they are saying I need to replace the entire engine. Servicing this car has cost me more than the cost of materials to redo our bathroom, living room, dining room, and a new fire place.
I've never felt so trapped.
Theresa tessmp@yahoo.com