We are wondering if anyone can help us at all ... we were away last week towing with our 2006 (July) Kia Sorento XS. We turned into a car park Weds lunchtime to be met with a thumping vibrating noise similar to a flat tyre. Happened when wheel turned fully in both directions, but no flat tyre. Called Green Flag out ... Mechanic jacked up car and thought, as he couldn't turn front wheel, that it was the CV joint and arranged for us to be towed to a garage for it to be confirmed.
It was far worse - they told us that the Transfer Box had failed and that if further damage had been done then we were looking at a real mess. Good news was no damage done, bad news was that a new Transfer Box from Kia would be £4k money we just don't have as all our money has gone into our caravan and this car. To say I was gutted was an understatement. They removed a prop shaft so car was in permanent 2 wheel drive and said we could use car for next 3 days but not to tow our caravan home to be on safe side. We arranged recovery of both car and van with Green Flag and were towed home Saturday.
On arriving at home, the front jockey wheel for whatever reason had become loose and then jammed in the down position, shredding the solid wheel and the only way the Mechanic could get the jockey wheel out was to hammer it loose by smashing into our A frame! At this point I wanted to scream, so walked away to be met with an almighty 'awning pole' dent on nearside of van by bedroom window! "Oh yes," said OH, "the wind took the pole this morning but I didn't see that the damage was that bad". It was at this moment I walked away to a large glass of wine with our lovely neighbours, who could see how upset I was!
Anyway, next day we went to our local dealer who inspected the dent and said that it had not compromised the paintwork and gave us two lovely reflectors which now have pride of place on either side of the van and you wouldn't know a dent was underneath! The jockey wheel has been replaced in entirety with a brand new pneumatic one (better for moving on our gravel drive) and our lovely dealer knocked a fiver off and also said to dremel out the offending smashed A frame piece and do the same the other side (in a semi circular shape) and save ourselves £70 in the process for a new A frame.
My quesitons to you lovely fellow forumites are as follows:
Has this happened to anyone else - i.e. having to replace their Transfer Box
Is an 06 XS Sorento in permanent 4 wheel drive or not? (We have been told conflicting information)
Does anyone know of a cheaper recon Transfer Box than £1150 which is our current quote - guaranteed for one year
Is it necessary then to replace the Transfer Box if we don't intend to use 4WD and drive around in permanent 2WD and tow like this?
Sorry to ask so many questions but this represents a huge amount of money to us (when you don't have it in the first place) and we want to be sure we are spending our money wisely and correctly.
Any information re. the above would be gratefully appreciated and I hope I haven't been too untechnical with my wording on this post.
P.S. can't fault Green Flag's service, nor the attitude and helpfulness of the garage we were taken too in Poole - fabulous.
Thanks - Lisa and John
It was far worse - they told us that the Transfer Box had failed and that if further damage had been done then we were looking at a real mess. Good news was no damage done, bad news was that a new Transfer Box from Kia would be £4k money we just don't have as all our money has gone into our caravan and this car. To say I was gutted was an understatement. They removed a prop shaft so car was in permanent 2 wheel drive and said we could use car for next 3 days but not to tow our caravan home to be on safe side. We arranged recovery of both car and van with Green Flag and were towed home Saturday.
On arriving at home, the front jockey wheel for whatever reason had become loose and then jammed in the down position, shredding the solid wheel and the only way the Mechanic could get the jockey wheel out was to hammer it loose by smashing into our A frame! At this point I wanted to scream, so walked away to be met with an almighty 'awning pole' dent on nearside of van by bedroom window! "Oh yes," said OH, "the wind took the pole this morning but I didn't see that the damage was that bad". It was at this moment I walked away to a large glass of wine with our lovely neighbours, who could see how upset I was!
Anyway, next day we went to our local dealer who inspected the dent and said that it had not compromised the paintwork and gave us two lovely reflectors which now have pride of place on either side of the van and you wouldn't know a dent was underneath! The jockey wheel has been replaced in entirety with a brand new pneumatic one (better for moving on our gravel drive) and our lovely dealer knocked a fiver off and also said to dremel out the offending smashed A frame piece and do the same the other side (in a semi circular shape) and save ourselves £70 in the process for a new A frame.
My quesitons to you lovely fellow forumites are as follows:
Has this happened to anyone else - i.e. having to replace their Transfer Box
Is an 06 XS Sorento in permanent 4 wheel drive or not? (We have been told conflicting information)
Does anyone know of a cheaper recon Transfer Box than £1150 which is our current quote - guaranteed for one year
Is it necessary then to replace the Transfer Box if we don't intend to use 4WD and drive around in permanent 2WD and tow like this?
Sorry to ask so many questions but this represents a huge amount of money to us (when you don't have it in the first place) and we want to be sure we are spending our money wisely and correctly.
Any information re. the above would be gratefully appreciated and I hope I haven't been too untechnical with my wording on this post.
P.S. can't fault Green Flag's service, nor the attitude and helpfulness of the garage we were taken too in Poole - fabulous.
Thanks - Lisa and John