HAVE HAD RECURRENT PROBLEMS WITH ENGINE PERFORMANCE IDLE AND RUNNING. ENGINE RACING WITH RPM'S TO 3500 AT STOP SIGN. HAVE HAD TO TURN VEHICLE OFF TO RESOLVE PROBLEM. I WAS AFRAID THAT IF I DID NOT TURN ENGINE OFF, IDLE WOULD HAVE CONTINUED TO RACE AND "BLOW UP." ENGINE ALSO HAS VERY ROUGH IDLE/ALTERNATING WITH INTERMITTENT MISFIRES MOST OF THE TIME... "BOGGING" DOWN TO ALMOST STALL /THEN RACING TO RPM OF 1500-2500. THIS PROBLEM OCCURS WHEN ATTEMPTING ACCELERATION ONTO FREEWAY OR WHEN DRIVING AROUND TOWN AT SIGNALS. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO DEALER 4 TIMES NOW IN ATTEMPTS TO CORRECT MALFUNCTIONS. I AM CONCERNED THAT THE OPERATION OF THIS VEHICLE IS UNSAFE. THE DEALER HAS BEEN HELPFUL BUT UNABLE TO COMPLETELY RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER INSISTS THAT PROBLEM WILL BE RESOLVED, BUT I, THE CONSUMER BELIEVE THAT THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE AND UNRELIABLE. IT IS ALSO TIME CONSUMING TO REPEATEDLY RETURN THE CAR FOR SERVICE. *LA
2013
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
WE EXPERIENCE AN INTERMITTENT RAW GASOLINE SMELL IN THE INTERIOR CABIN OF THE VEHICLE. THIS PROBLEM STARTED A FEW WEEKS AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE AND HAS PERSISTED EVER SINCE DESPITE 3 REPAIR ATTEMPTS AT KIA DEALERSHIPS (22AUG2012, 07JAN2013, 30JAN2013). BECAUSE IT IS INTERMITTENT (OCCURRING ONCE OR TWICE EVERY COUPLE WEEKS) AND WITHOUT AN OBVIOUS PATTERN, THE DEALERSHIPS HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO REPRODUCE THE SMELL ON THE DAYS WE'VE BROUGHT THE VEHICLE IN. ON THE 3RD REPAIR VISIT (30JAN2013), THE TECHNICIAN WAS "UNABLE TO VERIFY SMELL, BUT INSPECTED AND FOUND FUEL AROUND INTAKE AT THE FUEL INJECTOR BASES." THEY REPLACED O-RINGS TO ATTEMPT TO FIX THE ISSUE. FOR A WEEK OR SO WE THOUGHT THE ISSUE WAS FIXED, BUT SINCE THE 3RD VISIT HAVE ON AT LEAST FOUR OCCASIONS NOTICED A PROMINENT RAW GASOLINE SMELL IN THE CABIN. THE CLOSEST TO A PATTERN THAT WE'VE NOTICED IS THAT ON DAYS WHEN THE SMELL OCCURS, IT IS STRONGEST AND MOST OBVIOUS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IDLING WITH THE HEATER/AC FAN ON. WE ALSO THINK, BUT ARE NOT SURE, THAT THERE MAY BE A CORRELATION WITH DAYS INVOLVING PRECIPITATION (SNOW/RAIN). *TR
