1997 Kia Sportage Fuel System Problems

Your engine stalls without warning while driving on the highway at around 55 mph, forcing you to slow down and stop. After restarting, it usually runs fine for a while, but stalls again on bumpy roads. You also can't fill up your gas tank because fuel leaks out from underneath the vehicle, and your car vibrates severely after driving for more than 2 hours. These issues may require inspection of the fuel system for leaks, the fuel pump or filter for clogs, and the engine's ignition or fuel delivery components.

Your Sportage has been leaking gasoline for several years, and you can smell gas and see visible leaks under the vehicle. Kia sent you a repair notification letter in February 2008 about a known tank leak issue, but when you took it to a dealer, they said your vehicle didn't qualify for the recall repair. Kia's customer service then refused to help because your 10-year warranty had expired in 2007—even though the notification letter came after the warranty ended. Any repair to fix the gas leak will be at your own expense.

Your fuel tank is leaking, which means gasoline may be dripping from underneath your vehicle. This is a safety concern that should be addressed promptly, as fuel leaks can be a fire hazard and may cause you to lose fuel while driving. The repair will likely involve inspecting the tank for cracks or holes and either sealing the leak or replacing the fuel tank entirely.

Sand and pebbles accumulated under your fuel tank's protective shield, eventually causing the tank to leak fuel. You've tried temporary putty fixes multiple times over two years, but the leaks keep returning. Your fuel tank likely needs to be professionally repaired or replaced to stop the leaking permanently.

Your fuel tank is leaking, causing gasoline to smell around your vehicle and puddle on your garage floor. You've already had the tank repaired, but you received a recall notice after the repair was completed and are seeking reimbursement for the repair costs. Fixing this typically involves replacing or sealing the fuel tank to stop the leak.

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STALLED. CHECKED BY DEALER, WHO DISCOVERED WATER IN FUEL TANK. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION DETERMINED A BURNED WIRE INSIDE OF FUEL TANK COULD HAVE CAUSED AN EXPLOSION.*AK

ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON, ENGINE DIDN'T HAVE ANY POWER. DEALER FINALLY (AFTER TWO WEEKS IN THE SHOP) DECIDED FUEL TANK WAS RUSTED, CAUSING RUST PARTICLES TO DAMAGE FUEL INJECTORS. DEALER IS REPLACING FUEL TANK, LINES, SENDER UNIT, AND INJECTORS. (I'VE NEVER HAD A FUEL TANK RUST AT 39,000 MILES!)

FUEL LEAK BELOW BATTERY RIGHT SIDE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. *AK

AT 16,000 MILES GAS TANK HAS PREMATURELY RUSTED WHICH COULD BE DANGEROUS IF A COLLISION OCCURRED. DEALER CLAIMS THAT IT WAS DUE TO BAD FUEL. *AK *ML

I TOOK CAR BACK TO DEALER TODAY AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT SINCE THE CAR DOES NOT LEAK EACH TIME CAR IS STARTED THAT IF THEY CANNOT CAUSE IT TO LEAK WHILE AT DEALER, THAT I AM OUT OF LUCK. THE REPRESENTATIVE WAS VERY RUDE AND SUSPICIOUS THAT I WAS NOT TELLING THE TRUTH ABOUT THE LEAK. HE STATED THAT HE WOULD START EVERY TWO HOURS AND IF IT DOES NOT LEAK TOO BAD!! I ALSO NOTED THE BAD PAINT FOR THE 3RD TIME AND HE LAUGHED AT ME AND SAID "I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO TELL YOU"! PLEASE ADVISE!! *AK

RUST INSIDE FUEL TANK, CAUSING ENGINE TO RUN ROUGHLY AND/OR STALL. DEALER WOULD NOT CORRECT UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE VEHICLE MILEAGE WAS 1,200 OVER BASIC WARRANTY COVERAGE OF 36,000. *AK

RUST INSIDE FUEL TANK, CAUSING ENGINE TO RUN ROUGHLY AND/OR STALL. DEALER WOULD NOT CORRECT UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE VEHICLE MILEAGE WAS 1,200 OVER BASIC WARRANTY COVERAGE OF 36,000. *AK

GAS LEAK FROM MID RIGHT SIDE OF CAR. HAPPENS WHEN CAR FIRST STARTS. SEVERAL CONTINUOUS DROPS IN GARAGE AND DOWN DRIVEWAY. 1 DROP PER SECOND. DOES NOT HAPPEN EACH TIME CAR STARTS. DEALER SAID THERE WAS NO LEAK. PRESSURIZED LINES AND INSPECTED 3 TIMES IN 2 DAYS. SAID NO SIGN OF LEAK AND IF HAPPENS AGAIN COME IN. IT IS GOING BACK TOMORROW. LEAK HAS HAPPENED AGAIN. THIS WILL MAKE THE 5TH TIME I HAVE WITNESSED THE LEAK. SCARED TO DRIVE!! WILL NOT DRIVE!! PLEASE ADVISE!!

CONSUMER HAD A HOLE IN HER FUEL TANK.

I HAVE TALKED TO MANY OTHER OWNERS OF THE 1997 KIA SPORTAGE AND THEY HAVE ALL HAD PROBLEMS WITH AIR BAGS AND FUEL SYSTEMS.