1998 Kia Sportage Steering Problems

While driving on the highway in hot weather, boiling antifreeze leaked from the heater core and sprayed out of the dashboard vents onto both you and your passenger, causing first and second-degree burns. You had to keep your foot on the accelerator pedal while driving through the scalding liquid spray to safely exit the highway. The issue appears to be a failure of the heater core to safely contain the hot coolant.

While driving on a hot day, boiling coolant leaked from the heater core and sprayed out of the dashboard vents onto you and your passenger, causing first and second-degree burns. You had to keep your foot on the accelerator pedal to maintain control and reach a safe exit, but the scalding liquid continued to burn your foot. The coolant should have been safely contained to prevent this type of injury.

PROBLEMS WITH HORN, STEERING WHEEL AND AIR CONDITIONER ON 1998 KIA SPORTAGE.*MR THE VEHICLE DASH LIGHTS ALSO FAILED INTERMITTENTLY. *NM

AFTER TURNING A CORNER AND ATTEMPTING TO PARK, THE CONSUMER FELT THAT THE WHEEL WAS SLIPPING. AFTER GOING INTO A STORE AND COMING BACK OUT, THE CONSUMER NOTICED THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT WHEEL BECAME DISCONNECTED. DEALER EXAMINED THE PROBLEM AND FOUND THAT THE TIE RODS NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. *AK THE LEFT FRONT ROD WAS REPLACED. *SC *JB

I AM A KIA TECH IN CT . THE 1998 AND 1999 SPORTAGE WAS RECALLED TO HAVE THE STEERING KNUCLES REPLACED.THE FOUR WHEELDRIVE VACUM HUBS WOULD SUCK WATER AND DIRT INTO THE WHEELBEARINGS CAUSING THEM TO FAIL.IN SOME CASES I HAVE SEEN THE BEARINGS WERE SO LOOSE THE VEHICLES WOULD LOSE THERE BRAKES. THE RECALL KITS WE HAVE INSTALLED ARE NOW FAILING IN GREAT NUMBERS AND ARE NOT JUST 98 AND 99 VEHICLS BUT 2000 AND 2001 VEHICLES.ALL OF THESE MODEL YEAR VEHICLES SHOULD BE RECALLED BEFORE PEOPLE GET HURT.*AK

ALARM SYSTEM EXPERIENCED FAILURE, CAUSING VEHICLE NOT TO START. *SLC

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP, AND CONSUMER COULD NOT TURN OR DRIVE. DEALER/MANUFACTURER CONTACTED. *AK *ML

STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP WHILE MAKING A 60 - 90 DEGREE TURN. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT NOTHING COULD BE FOUND. *AK

I PURCHASED MY KIA SPORTAGE ON 7/14/98. ON 11/20/98, MY BATTERY WAS DEAD. I TOOK MY SPORTAGE TO THE DEALER FOR THE RECALL FOR THE STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT COUPLING AS SOON AS I RECEIVED THE RECALL NOTICE. MY BRAKES MADE A "SQUEALING" SOUND SINCE PURCHASE, BUT I WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT THIS IS NORMAL FOR DISC BRAKES. THE BRAKE LIGHT BEGAN FLICKERING, THEN STAYING LIT SO I MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPT. BUT WAS UNABLE TO KEEP IT DUE TO ILLNESS. THE BRAKES NOW HAVE A "GRINDING" SOUND AND I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR SAFETY FACTOR. IN AUGUST OF 1998 I WAS STUCK IN TRAFFIC FOR OVER 2 HOURS DUE TO A BAD HIGHWAY ACCIDENT AND THE RADIATOR OVERHEATED SO I HAD TO TURN OFF, AND KEEP OFF, THE A/C. RECENTLY, THE ENGINE IS OVERHEATING AND FLUID DRAINS WHEN THE CAR IS PARKED. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A LOT OF PROBLEMS FOR A NEW CAR LESS THAN 9 MONTHS "OLD". COULD THESE PROBLEMS BE DEFECTS? COULD THE BRAKE PROBLEM BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE RECALL PROBLEM? THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO REPORT MY PROBLEMS AND CONCERNS.

I FEEL THAT THE KIA SPORTAGE IS A POORLY MADE VEHCLE AND SHOULD BE BOUGHT BACK FROM ALL OWNERS.

WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THE VEHICLE SHAKES AND TAKES AWHILE TO STOP. DEALER SAYS VEHICLE NEEDS ALL NEW BRAKES AFTER ONLY 7,000 MILES. ALSO, 4 WHEEL DRIVE DOES NOT ALWAYS WORK AND THE CAR IS SHAKY WHEN DRIVEN. *AK *ML

WHILE DRIVING AT 20 MPH AND APPLYING THE BRAKES THE BRAKES WERE SOFT AND THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T STOP. CONSUMER COULD NOT MAKE U-TURN OR A RIGHT TURN. ALSO, THERE MIGHT BE SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE STEERING BECAUSE CONSUMER CAN'T TURN TO THE RIGHT. *AK

POWER STEERING CASING CRACKED AND FLUID LEAKED OUT.