2009 Kia sportage issues

**jpvm** · April 22nd, 2009 04:19 PM

Has anyone noticed the following with their sportage?

1. torque steering - my sportage has a slight pull to the right when accelerating. is this really torque steering or a misalignment? If this is torque steering (being a front wheel drive), then i will just have to live with this.

2. slight vibration at 120 kph - i had all tires balanced. so is this caused by something else? The vibration happens only when you i am maintaining 120 kph. Below and beyond that speed, it doesn't happen.

I have the I4, 4wd model.

The dealer here is not that helpful. I told them of the issues twice, and they just kept on recommending to have the tire pressures adjusted to 30 psi!

If you have the same issues and were able to resolve them, kindly share the details.

Aside from those two, i have no other major gripes with the car.

Thanks!

**rst619** · April 22nd, 2009 05:35 PM

1. torque steering - my sportage has a slight pull to the right when accelerating. is this really torque steering or a misalignment? If this is torque steering (being a front wheel drive), then i will just have to live with this.

Yours is the gas variant right? I have the diesel 4WD variant and yes I do experience a slight torque steer but only when the road is slippery and I gun the throttle hard

2. slight vibration at 120 kph - i had all tires balanced. so is this caused by something else? The vibration happens only when you i am maintaining 120 kph. Below and beyond that speed, it doesn't happen

That is indeed weird. Driven up to 180 max and no problems whatsoever. I wonder why that is.

**parakitoJDM** · April 22nd, 2009 05:39 PM

Originally Posted by jpvm

Has anyone noticed the following with their sportage?

1. torque steering - my sportage has a slight pull to the right when accelerating. is this really torque steering or a misalignment? If this is torque steering (being a front wheel drive), then i will just have to live with this.

Aside from those two, i have no other major gripes with the car.
. . .
Thanks!

ser JPVM, i'm not a sportage owner so i don't know the problems per se, but let me reply as below...

First things first, let's have a common understanding of Torque Steer. its that TUG of the steering wheel (normally to the opposite side) when u apply power when ur in a turn. now if u are pulling to the right down on a straight path....means somethings wrong. yes it could be alignment issue but not torque steer. and that you should track straight whether you are cruising and or accelerating. vehicles that are known for terrible torque steer are Nissan Altima (FWD version) with big 3.5li V6 engine...
the Mazda 3 MPS is rather mild because of torque limitting algorithm when steering wheel is on a turn...

but before u complain to the dealer again.. are u sure u didn't hit the curb that wacked out your alignment? are you sure all the 4tires are worn evenly as they are now? are u sure they have equal airpressure? make these simple test/verification before coming back to the dealer...

**jpvm** · April 23rd, 2009 01:19 AM

Originally Posted by parakitoJDM

ser JPVM, i'm not a sportage owner so i don't know the problems per se, but let me reply as below...

First things first, let's have a common understanding of Torque Steer. its that TUG of the steering wheel (normally to the opposite side) when u apply power when ur in a turn. now if u are pulling to the right down on a straight path....means somethings wrong. yes it could be alignment issue but not torque steer. and that you should track straight whether you are cruising and or accelerating. vehicles that are known for terrible torque steer are Nissan Altima (FWD version) with big 3.5li V6 engine...
the Mazda 3 MPS is rather mild because of torque limitting algorithm when steering wheel is on a turn...

but before u complain to the dealer again.. are u sure u didn't hit the curb that wacked out your alignment? are you sure all the 4tires are worn evenly as they are now? are u sure they have equal airpressure? make these simple test/verification before coming back to the dealer...

To satisfy my curiosity, i went to a tire shop with a Hunter HawkEye Alignment system. It was really high-tech. Indeed the front wheels toe was a bit off. After the adjustment, i concluded that it is indeed a torque steer issue. The tug to the right has lessened significantly. But it is still there. Even so, i'm very happy with the result.

With regards to the vibration, the mechanic has an explanation which i find logical. He said that any of the 4 wheels might have had some deformity caused by the extreme heat when the car was parked in the depot. I got the car last Sept. 08. So it might have been sitting for more than 2 months under the desert heat here in Dubai where midday temp. could reach 50 deg. C and midnight temp. hovers at 30 deg. C. Here, the summer season starts at the end of April until mid November.

I will just have to wait for the answer then when i replace all 4 tires when they wore out.

Thanks for all your inputs guys!

**Red Dawg** · November 13th, 2009 10:35 PM

Hi guys
I have two customers with the exact same problem with their sportages.
There is a vibration whenever the driver maintains 120km. I have repeatedly balanced and aligned the vehicles to no avail. We also thought that it might a force variation problem caused by the tires (deformation of the tire from parking in one spot too long) but we tried new tires and wheels and the vibration persisted.
I need to solve this, these two sportages are part of a fleet of over 40...

**mikmik316** · November 13th, 2009 11:53 PM

nag test drive ako ng Sportage and eto ang napansin ko when compared with a Tucson:

1) Heavy steering wheel - Nakakapagod mabuti pa ang Tucson feels light.

2) Noisy Engine - mukhang mahina ang insulation ng Sportage kesa sa Tucson

3) Cheap Plastics - the Ashtray / Lighter Combination Tray feels really cheap. Nipis din din ng steering wheel kelan pa ng leather wrap para mas okay hawakan.

Not that really impressed with the Sportage. Nakakapagod i-drive when compared to a Tucson / Sta. Fe.

**albert_b** · November 16th, 2009 05:32 PM

I don't really notice the steering wheel being heavy now ... siguro nasanay na ako. Pero I do remember na I noticed na heavier nga siya compared sa iba pero masasanay ka din.

Regarding the thin girth ng steering wheel ... I had it leather wrapped :-) perfect na hehe... manipis siya lalo na sa mga tao na medyo malaki ang kamay.

Noisy engine ba 'ka mo? Hmmm perhaps you are comparing the "diesel" variants, sa gas tahimik naman sa loob sasakyan yung tunog ng engine.