I was on line looking for a diagram of the front brakes for a 2000 Kia Sportage, but instead I found site after site filled with complaints and warnings. I bought mine used, with 55K miles on it, but the first owner gave me paperwork showing she had to have the entire engine and the oil pump replace at 27K miles. She told me when I bought it not 4 months ago that she'd just had the front brakes done. Almost immediately I began hearing a grinding in the front right wheel, and that grinding is now also in the front left wheel. Could be brakes, could be the wheel bearings need repacking, but a car this new should not require fixing either.
It also has lots of rattles and squeaks that concern me. The locking "lug nut" that holds on the spare tire had to be broken off when I got a flat because the car's only key wouldn't unlock it. Also, the radio just stopped working a few days ago... Not the stereo itself, just the radio! No channel numbers appear in the display, no seeking, no scanning... Nothing... But when I plug a portable CD player into the cassette (via adapter), the stereo plays the CD. Wierd.
Also, the horn works randomly, and (back to brakes) there is very excessive asbestos brake dust blackening the rims that returns in less than a week after I scrub them clean.
Evidently, I've been relatively lucky with my Kia, but heads up to anyone thinking to buy one... Have a trusted, personal mechanic give it a thorough physical before you invest a dime.
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