Kia has a bad reputation because of their earlier model year vehicles like the original Portage and the first generation Kia Rio. What I'm finding of the way get more more experience in the American market they are building better and better vehicles where is in my opinion the American companies are going the other way. Kia and Hyundai which are joint companies are there only one still offering 10 year 100,000 mile warranty. To me that says that they intend to stand behind their product.
Every vehicle has its own set of issues and the first generation sorento like I have definitely had its fair share. What about the spring $4,000 my intentions was to beat the living crap out of it and then throw it away but I have put it through the paces and it is only one time but I have had any real mechanical issues with it and that is because I took it too deep in a waterhole and allowed water into the fuel system through the fuel tank vent hose.
I am doing more with this thing man KIA ever intended for it to do and it is putting up with me, usually I get a new vehicle every 6 months or so because I destroy them.
Because I had so much luck with this Kia I went out and bought a Hyundai Elantra for my economy car.
It is a real shame that none of the aftermarket companies picked up on these. Rocky road Outfitters make a set of rock sliders and they start making 2 inch spacer lift nobody else make anything that I have found.
That leaves a guy building pretty much everything.
