1998 Kia Sportage acceleration problems

Filed Sep 16, 2004 · Acceleration · 5,500 miles · OR

Consumer has a concern that the speedometer needle would not register the proper speed. The needle would move back and forth while driving. Please provide any further information.

Filed May 24, 2002 · Acceleration, Brakes · NJ · crash

After putting vehicle into park and then putting up hand brake vehicle started to accelerate, and ran through garage into the basement.

Filed Feb 28, 2002 · Acceleration, Transmission · PA

Transmission jumps out of gear. The shifter jumps from drive to neutral when vehicle accelerates. Dealer has been notified.

Filed Oct 31, 2001 · Acceleration · TX

I am so dissatisified with kia. I have 30226 miles on my car, and I'm already having engine problems. I just got done paying $200.86 for airplugs and airfilter to be removed. Well, that didn't help the problem that I have now. When I put my car in park my RPM revs up to 5 and when I'm driving the car shifts really bad and the RPM goes to 4. Kia says they have no idea what is wrong with it, they thought it was the spark plugs causing the problems. Which I told the owner of kia that it wasn't. But no they disagreed! I have tried on 3 occasion to get rid of my car, but everytime I try I get told that I still owe to much on my kia. I have had times when I'm stopped at a light and my car dies. What the hell, 30,226 it shouldn't be having any problems. I am coming so close to give the keys right back to the dealership and let them deal with it. I'm tired of driving around in a unsafe car. Kia should take every single on of those cars back and give us our money back. Even a guy that worked at the kia dealership told me, that I made a bad decision on buying a kia. That is pretty sad!

Filed Sep 23, 2001 · Acceleration · CA

Final continuation 5...the fender. They kept the vehicle for another 3 days while they knocked out the dent and repainted the fender. I have only had the vehicle back for a month now and everything is happening all over again. I am now at 35,150 miles and fear that I will have to incur all of these charges for the problems that are now back and do not feel that this is right. All of these problems started happening 2 months after I bought the vehicle and have not been corrected in the 19 months I have had the vehicle. I know that you receive several of these types of complaints from the automotive world as well as other fields but I think that if enough people came out and spoke about what problems they are having with there vehicles, maybe something will be done about it. Thank you for your time.

Filed Sep 23, 2001 · Acceleration, Electrical · CA

Continuation of complaint.... I then checked the federal safety agency website for recalls or service campaigns and found 3 recalls that fit in my VIN range. I immediately called kia's 800 number and asked if my vehicle was included and was promptly told no. I believed this response since it was coming directly from the manufacturer and not the dealer. About 2 months later, I received a disturbing call from a representative from kia consumer affairs telling me to immediately stop driving the vehicle because the same 3 recalls I saw on the federal safety agency website and called to inquire about included my vehicle. The recalls were: brake line recall-the steering intermediate shaft coupling can contact a hydraulic brake pipe causing fluid leakage. This condition can cause a loss of rear brake increasing the risk of a crash. Electrical wiring- the wires connected to the c123 and c124 connectors can be put under tension by movement of the engine, thus pulling the wires and connectors, loosening them and resulting in a loss of circuit continuity. This condition can cause engine stalling, increasing the risk of a crash. The third recall was an obd label. I could not believe that kia put my family and me in so much danger by telling me that my vehicle was not involved. The kia representative told me that kia would provide me with a loaner vehicle. Since I knew that I could possible die by continuing to drive this vehicle, I took a day off of work and took the vehicle back to the dlr. By this time, I had kept a timetable and log of everything that had gone wrong with the vehicle and presented it to the dealer. The list included, of course, the check engine light on, hesitation on acceleration, vehicle shakes severely when the wheel is turned, the idle surges when the vehicle is stopped, the rear window defogger had come off of the vehicle, the radio had started to static and turn on loud even when it was turned off, the volume knobs on the radio worked intermittently, the windows rolled up and down

Filed Jun 27, 2001 · Acceleration · NJ

Vehicle hesitates in acceleration once consumer lifts off the gas. Engine vibrates hard and will shut off if not accelerating. Vehicle has been repaired several times to replace master air flow. Problem occurs when the A/C is on and off.

Filed Sep 1, 2000 · Acceleration, Brakes · MD

No summary

Filed Aug 31, 2000 · Acceleration · VA

While driving on the freeway, my car accelerated itself to 85 MPH and then became stuck. When shifted into nuetral, the RPM's continued to increase to the top of the scale. The only way we were able to stop the car was by using both feet on the brake to slow it enough in 5th gear to cause a stall. Kia and my dealership are being no help, saying that "they cannot duplicate the problem." on this website, I have noticed several other complaints of this nature.

Filed Apr 14, 2000 · Acceleration, Engine · IN · crash

While driving vehicle would slow down, like there was no gas and motor shut down. Then all of a sudden it will take off. Also, engine light constantly came on. Once while coming across railroad tracks, vehicle attempted to slow down and stop, when all of a sudden it took off, and consumer lost control and went into a ditch.