5.6

fairly significant
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
15,500 miles

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problem #2

Aug 282007

Sorento 6-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • 31,000 miles
My fiance' and I have recently started experiencing some issues with our 2005 manual transmission. For some reason, from a stop, the car will not move forward once it is on gear. It just won't move. I can take it in and out of gear and it still won't move. I can try it in first or second and still nothing. The work around we figured out is to put it in reverse and maybe move it backwards just a little bit and we are then able to put the car in first and move forward like normal. It has actually happened to her three times in the past week, once last week and twice today. I was able to get to the car last week the first time it happened and saw the issue first hand. I am going to Kia about this, but I was wondering if anyone else has had this issue or experienced this issue with the 2005 manual transmission, or any year transmission for that matter. The problem is that this has happened on busy roads and intersections in the middle of rush hour. We are worried that it will happen while she is moving or changing gears. This has to be some sort of safety issue. The car is going to Kia tomorrow to have the issue addressed.

- Taylors, SC, USA

problem #1

May 022005

Sorento 6-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • miles
Manual transmission intermittent shifting safety defect causes our 2005 Kia Sorento to lock up while we are driving in traffic and will not let us shift gears or move the car. Has happened pulling into traffic in first gear; has happened on the highway shifting up through gears, has happened down shifting in intersections. This dangerous safety defect could cause us to be in a possibly fatal accident. We have reported this problem to Kia Inc. Two times and taken to dealers for diagnosis but have been told since this is an intermittent problem and they can't duplicate it there is nothing they can do to help us. They test drive the car but will not do anything else to look at the car. In the meantime the problem continues to exist and we are driving a dangerous vehicle and we do not know what to do to have this problem corrected. Our conscience tells us we should not trade or sell this auto because we know it has a potentially life-threatening safety defect (even though it happens intermittently). This is a frightening experience. Every time we drive the car we wonder if the shifting problem will occur. We have young grandchildren and bought the Kia Sorento because of its positive safety features. Because of this serious problem we are highly concerned for their and our safety. Updated 11/21/06. Updated

- St. Augustine, FL, USA