It turns out the Sorento engine block was incorrectly machined and the right side intermediate driveshaft is being damaged.
Two safety related defects from poor design or manufacturing have resulted in the recalls of Kia Spectra cars and Sorento SUVs in the U.S.
In the first recall, almost 60,000 Spectra cars from model years 2004-2007 are being recalled because of corrosion, which can lead to the fuel tank falling down and contacting the road.
The second recall was promoted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) investigation into the sudden loss of power on 2011 Sorento 2wd vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions and 2.4-liter engines, when the intermediate driveshaft failed.
It turns out the engine block was incorrectly machined and the right side output gear in the transmission and the intermediate driveshaft are being damaged in use, leading first to noise and ultimately to failure.
Owners may contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542. Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov.
