Kia’s Sorento SUV has officially found its way into the recall watch list after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration discovered that certain models of the 2011 Kia SUV carried improperly machined rear brake calipers. As a result, 8,000 models of the Sorento that were manufactured from September 14, 2010 to October 4, 2010 are being subjected to the recall to avoid the risk of accidents happening on the road.
According to the NHTSA, the defective brake calipers will result in the brake fluid leaking, followed by illumination of the malfunction indicator light. That’s going to be followed by a soft or spongy brake pedal feel, which, if not taken care of quickly, will lead to a reduced braking power that will eventually lead to an increased risk of a crash occurring.
Owners of affected Sorento models are encouraged to head over to their Kia dealerships and have the brake calipers fixed. Repair and replacement of the rear brake calipers will come at no cost to the vehicle owner.
NHTSA statement after the jump.
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Despite our lack of love for these machines, they are cars that people love to buy, so we felt we had to rank our favorites, despite not really having a favorite. It’s more like a list from the vehicles we can’t stand to the machines we could tolerate.
In order to rank these crossovers we had to look at them in a few ways. The reason for buying one of these is practicality, safety, style, and comfort. That’s what the public is looking at. We, on other hand, will incorporate those with our own interests, such as speed, driving dynamics, and coolness level. All of these machines will cost under $30,000.
There are plenty to choose from, with options from Ford, General Motors, Honda, and Toyota. Not to mention the smaller companies like Hyundai and Kia who are creating better machines on a monthly basis. So, do these new boys have what it takes to take down the old veterans?
Hit the jump to find out.
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The recall bug has hit Kia anew, with the Korean manufacturer announcing that there will be a recall of 24,000 2010 models of the Soul and around 11,200 2011 models of the Sorento because of a problematic electrical system discovered in both vehicles.
The models that are included in the recall are those built between September 7, 2009 and July 30, 2010. Yep, a little over a month ago.
The quick recall is a response Kia is doing after finding out that a number of the wiring harnesses that are being used in the Soul’s lighting speaker system and the Sorento’s interior accent illumination shouldn’t have passed the automaker’s quality control because they may not have been soldered properly.
Kia is making a pre-emptive strike on the matter because of the potential of a short-circuit that could eventually lead to the vehicles catching fire. And while no accidents have been reported, Kia is making sure that they nip the problem in the bud before it takes a turn for the worse.
According to Kia, dealerships will begin replacing the defective harnesses at no cost to the customer with the recall expected to commence no later than October.
When Kia threw out the covers of the new Sorento at the Los Angeles Auto Show, it came with an announcement that the CUV will only be offered in two trim levels: the LX and the EX. But seeing as the market for the Sorento may be bigger than they thought, Kia retracted their earlier announcement and said that they would be adding a third version: the SX.
The new SX version comes with some additional features including a smart key with push button start, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, telescopic steering wheel, heated side mirrors, automatic up/down driver-side windows and privacy glass, leather-trimmed seats, heated front seats, electrochromatic mirror with Homelink and a voice-activated navigation system with back-up camera.
For 2011, the Sorento CUV will be offered with a choice of two power plants - a 2.4 Liter four cylinder that delivers 175 HP and 169 lb-ft of torque and a more powerful 3.5 Liter V6 making 276 HP and 248 lb-ft of torque. Both CUVs are coupled to Kia’s new six speed automatic transmission that provides the driver with effortless shifts.
Press release after the jump.
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The 2011 Kia Sorento made its North American debut at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show. The new Sorento will be the first vehicle to roll off the new assembly line at Kia Motors’ state of the art manufacturing facility in West Point, Georgia and will start to arrive in dealer’s showrooms starting in January of 2010.
For 2011, the Sorento CUV will be offered with a choice of two power plants, the first is a 2.4 Liter four cylinder that delivers 175 HP and 169 lb-ft of torque while a more powerful 3.5 Liter V6 making 276 HP and 248 lb-ft of torque, both coupled to Kia’s new six speed automatic transmission that provide the driver with effortless shifts.
The new car will be both longer and roomier than the previous generation Sorento, with an overall length of 184.4 inches and overall width of 74.2 inches.
A first for Kia, the 2011 Sorento comes with a panoramic sunroof. While standard equipment includes an AM/FM/CD/MP3/SIRIUS Satellite Radio capabilities complete with three months of complimentary service. Your iPod can be hooked up via auxiliary and USB inputs and Bluetooth connectivity with steering wheel mounted voice activation controls that allow you to safely communicate with loved ones while driving down the road.
At the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show Kia revealed the 2011 Sorento SUV. Now the Korean maker announced sales will begin in early next year, with prices starting from $19,995 for the entry level version which is powered by a 175-hp 2.4L 4-cylinder engine. Prices will go up to $27,195 for the top of the line V6 version.
Customers will be able to chose between three additional packages: Limited Package, priced at $2000 (navigation system with real-time traffic, Infinity sound system, 18-inch chrome wheels, interior accent lighting and high-style interior color theme), Premium Package priced at $1500 (roof-rails, leather-seats, heated front seats and a rear-view backup camera) and Third Row Package priced at $700.
Press release after the jump.
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