2007 Kia Sportage Electrical Problems

Your car's engine and stability control warning lights came on shortly after purchase. After replacing sensors, the lights remained on. While pulling into your driveway, your car caught fire and was destroyed, with damage concentrated on the front passenger side near the headlight and power distribution box. The fire department identified the cause as electrical.

Your Sportage has refused to start on three separate occasions in the two weeks since purchase. The dealer checked the battery and alternator (both tested good) and replaced the starter, but the vehicle still won't start even with a jump. This recurring starting failure makes the vehicle unreliable and unsafe to drive. Diagnosis may involve testing the electrical system more thoroughly, including the starter motor, battery terminals, and alternator output.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2007 KIA SPORTAGE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE PARKED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE FIRE CHIEF INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE FIRE STARTED FROM AN ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

MY SUV WAS IN MOTION AND THE ABS, ESC AND THE DIAGRAM OF THE WHOLE DRIVE TRAIN LIT UP. I WAS BACKING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY WHEN ALL OF THESE LIGHTS CAME ON AT THE SAME TIME.

AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AND PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT WAS BLINKING ON AND OFF. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS A MATERIAL DEFECT IN THE SEAT BELT TENSIONER CONNECTED TO THE WIRING HARNESS. THEY SAID THAT IF I WERE TO GET INTO AN ACCIDENT THAT MY AIRBAGS MAY NOT DEPLOY. I HAVE THE BEST EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT YOU CAN BUY AND THEY WILL NOT COVER THE REPLACEMENT OF THE WIRING HARNESS BECAUSE IT HAS TO DO WITH THE SAFETY RESTRAINT SYSTEM. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS AND UNSAFE!!! HOW IS THIS NOT A RECALL WHEN IT IS A MATERIAL DEFECT AND IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE? I HAVE RESEARCHED ONLINE AND FOUND THAT MANY OTHER PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE ISSUE OF THEIR AIR BAG LIGHT BEING ON AND LITTLE DO THEY KNOW THAT IT'S LINKED TO THIS WHOLE PROBLEM. THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED ISSUE AND FROM WHAT I FOUND THERE ARE MANY CASES OF THE AIRBAGS NOT DEPLOYING IN THE CASE OF AN ACCIDENT WHICH IS PROBABLY DUE TO THE SAME MATERIAL DEFECT. UPDATE 9/15/15*CW THE CONSUMER NO LONGER OWNS THE VEHICLE. UPDATED 10/15/15*JB

STARTED EXPERIENCING TIMES WHEN I COULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF PARK AFTER STARTING THE CAR. NOTIFIED OF A RECALL FOR THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH AND TOLD IT EFFECTS BRAKE LIGHTS BUT MAY ALSO EFFECT SHIFTING. PART WAS REPLACED FOR THE 2009 RECALL. IN DECEMBER OF 2014 EXPERIENCED THE SAME SHIFTING PROBLEM, MECHANIC SAID THAT BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH WAS THE PROBLEM AGAIN. I CHECKED KIA'S WEBSITE AND NOTICED A SECOND RECALL FOR THIS PART FROM 2013, BUT KIA SAID THEY ONLY HONOR THE ONE RECALL FROM 2009 SO I HAD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET TO HAVE THIS PART REPLACED AGAIN EVEN THOUGH THE MANUFACTURER HAD PUT OUT A SECOND RECALL. IF SECOND RECALL ISSUED AND PROBLEM CAME BACK WHY WOULDN'T THE MANUFACTURER REPLACE THE PART?

WHEN DRIVING THROUGH A PUDDLE OF STANDING WATER, THE 'SPLASH' OF WATER THAT ENTERED THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT CAUSED THE 'CHARGING' WARNING LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE, THE ENGINE TO STALL, RESULTING IN THE LOSS OF POWER ASSIST TO BOTH STEERING AND BRAKES. THIS HAD NEVER OCCURRED IN ALL MY PREVIOUS YEARS OF OWNERSHIP, BUT HAS RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES SINCE. I HAD VEHICLE SERVICED THIS WEEK AND WAS TOLD THIS WAS 'NORMAL' AND RELATED TO THE ALTERNATOR ON THE VEHICLE BEING MOUNTED 'LOW TO THE GROUND'. WELL, THE ALTERNATOR POSITION HAS NOT CHANGED, AND I HAD DRIVEN THROUGH PUDDLES MANY TIMES OVER THE PREVIOUS SIX YEARS WITHOUT INCIDENT. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW OR A DEALERSHIP THAT SIMPLY WAS NOT ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE ISSUE, BUT LOSS OF BRAKING AND STEERING ASSIST COMPROMISES SAFE OPERATION. *TR