Suspension damage

[Jeff10236]

So, according to the dealer, my 2016 Kia Sorento will soon need new rear suspension trail arms. They claim it is damage from towing so the warranty won't cover it.

Now, my Sorento, a 2016 FWD V6 Sorento, is rated to 3500LBS. The exact same suspension components are found on the AWD version which is rated to 5K, as well as the Hyundai Santa Fe which is rated to 5K in AWD or FWD. My pop up (which I just sold) is just under 2K dry weight, and since I usually camp alone (and when I haven't, my guests came in their own car) I am always under 2500LBS in total weight for the camper. Oh yeah, and in almost 3 years, I have only towed it around 1000 miles (mostly highway, reasonable speeds, careful over speed bumps).

So, is the dealer right that towing well under my vehicle's published capabilities for around 1000 miles has caused damage to my rear suspension? Or, is it more likely that my suspicion is correct that they saw the trailer hitch and wiring and figured they could weasel out of having to bill the factory for an expensive warranty repair?


Edit:
Somewhat off topic (but not really):
I've sold the camper. Between the suspension issue (which I haven't fixed yet), recurrent AC issues (it dies every 7-8 months and I fix it every spring), several smaller issues, and it being 4500 miles until the warranty expires (about 2-3 months with my driving patterns) I'm going to trade my CUV in soon. I've decided that one vehicle that does it all doesn't work for me. I drive around 20K miles a year. Even a CUV with decent mileage like my Sorento (21-25 most of the time) is a little low for the day to day miles I drive. Meanwhile, I think I'd like a larger trailer next time, at least one with a real bathroom and shower. So, one car to do it all just doesn't cut it. So, my plan is to buy a 30-33 day to day MPG compact car (probably a Mazda 3, Toyota Corolla or Hyundai Elantra) or a 50ish MPG hybrid (probably a Prius, Camry Hybrid or Accord Hybrid, but maybe a Hyundai Ionic or Kia Niro) and pay it off in 2 years (used compact), 3 years (new compact or used midsized hybrid) or 4 years (new hybrids) and go back to tent camping. Then when it is paid off for a year or so get a truck that can tow a 20' (+ or -) camping trailer and new camper.

[dodge_guy]

If everything is tight then have hen put it in an alignment machine. I’ll bet the tearrow is out.

[Camper_G]

If you are still under the bumper to bumper warranty and have not done anything to void that, then there should be no reason they shouldn't replace the control arms under warranty. You said you were towing within limits so there should be no argument there. Wear items such as tires and brakes, yes not warranty items however a suspension or steering Componet should be covered

[Jeff10236]

I'll try another dealer to see if they see suspension issues (I'm sure they will since both the dealer and the tire dealer did) and if so, see if they will do it under warranty. If they don't do it under warranty, I'll call Kia.

I have been having my tires rotated, but probably not often enough. So, that can cause cupping too and it isn't necessarily the suspension? Hmm, are there other symptoms of suspension damage that the dealer can see, or are they likely assuming the trail arms needing replaced from the tires? If another Kia dealer says the repair is on me and not the warranty, maybe I'll get a new set of tires and see if they still diagnose suspension work. Other than the slight noise in the rear from the cupped tires, there are no obvious signs of suspension damage while driving.

[Camper_G]

I agree with the other post Jeff, I think you should take it to a different dealer. See what they have to say. If you want, remove the hitch and wiring from the back for now, take that out of the equation. If Your bumper to bumper warranty is still in effect, it should cover the rear trailing arms no question. As said Prior, unless they can prove you were Towing overweight, then they should replace it under warranty. As also said Prior, go to kia direct if you need to because this is a bunch of baloney. Good luck

[skidooman93]

Get away from that dealer and call Kia, that dealer is flat out trying to steal from you. If you have a suspension problem the factory warranty Wil cover it. Take it for a guy that is the quality control to keep people and warranty companies from shady techs and dealers. Kia factory warranties are very forgiving, if you find a honest dealer they will take care of you. Your cupping however is probably from towing, those little suvs don't like any squat, they do beat up tires if they squat. Just rotate them more frequently, however I bet your bushings are fine. And bushings are not and never will be, "a wear item" that is ludicrous, everything could be considered a wear item, the hood latch won't last forever. Whoever told you they are a wear item is anther hustler.

[dodge_guy]

Ya, rotate tires, new shocks and get it aligned. I can`t imagine the rear suspension is worn out on something that new, even from towing a small PuP!

[BenK]

First thing on tire cupping is new and higher rate shocks

Second is to rotate the tires on a regular basis. I rotate'm around 5K miles and use the spare (unless it is different from the other four...like aluminum and spare is a steel wheel)

[Jeff10236]

Grit dog wrote:
The next question is how do you know it needs new bushings? What behavior is the vehicle exhibiting that makes you think that?
If only because some stealer ship service dork said so, then I'd start by questioning that.
My truck "needed" new ball joints 80000miles ago according to a tire shop that aligned the front end. They're still original and drives fine.

I don't know if it needs bushings or not. Someone on this thread speculated that that may be the issue.

I have not noticed any change in the ride or handling, so my suspicion is that the issue came on gradually.

The car dealer told me it needed rear trail arms. The tire dealer I got front tires from said that there was a rear suspension issue. Both cited cupping in my rear tires as the proof, and a quick Google search does say that suspension issues are the cause of tire cupping. I guess I believe them on the tire cupping since I didn't tell the tire dealer that my car dealer said I had that problem and they listed it as something that needs fixed when they finished with my front tires and brakes. Also, I do think there is a bit more road noise from the back of the car than there used to be which could be explained by tire cupping (and possibly by suspension issues I suppose).

[Grit_dog]

The next question is how do you know it needs new bushings? What behavior is the vehicle exhibiting that makes you think that?
If only because some stealer ship service dork said so, then I'd start by questioning that.
My truck "needed" new ball joints 80000miles ago according to a tire shop that aligned the front end. They're still original and drives fine.

[Jeff10236]

jerem0621 wrote:
I had a 2012 Sorento with a 4 cyl and towed weekly with it. It was a great TV if used in the ratings. I installed the Receiver myself and it was very simple to install. Had over 50,000 miles when it got crunched

I suspect that there is an underlying issue not related to towing...just based on experience. Did you run over anything, back up hard into a backing space and hit the tire stops?...

Very unusual for this vehicle IMHO. (I really miss mine)

I was considering buying a newer one with the higher rating of 5,000 lbs as my 4 cyl version towed like a champ!

Maybe you could go to a different Kia dealer for a second opinion?

Thanks!

Jeremiah

Sorry your Kia got crunched.

I can't think of anything that might have happened to damage the suspension (nothing happened that was out of the ordinary enough to catch my attention). Unless, it was from a parking lot accident where someone hit the right side of my car (pretty much the entire right side) while my car was parked and I wasn't in it. Though, the body shop thought it was only cosmetic damage and didn't put any damage to the suspension on the estimate/claim.

I see that Consumer Reports and most people who own them love the current Sorento. I'm willing to believe/accept that I just got unlucky and got a bad one with the early suspension issue, recurring AC issues, and several other smaller issues. The AC/heat/ventilation fan on it just died (for the second time) so it is going back for warranty work, and I will have another dealer take a look at the suspension and see what they have to say.

As for how it tows on the road, it does handle it well. I can't say how it does with something closer to its limits (or with the heavier limit on the AWD), but the Starcraft 2406 was almost like it wasn't back there, and I typically got 20-22mpg when towing.

[Jeff10236]

RE the two suggestions that I was over the tongue weight rating...


Kia rates the 2016 Sorrento with a 350LB tongue weight limit.

The 2003 Starcraft 2406 has a dry tongue weight rating of 180LB. I don't see how I could have added 170LBS to the tongue if I tried. Meanwhile, since I used electric sites (used an electric space heater instead of the furnace), didn't use the shower (didn't bother with the water heater), and used a Coleman camp stove (didn't use the camper's stove), I never filled the one 20# LP tank.

So, I'm glad you are trying to figure out why there may have been a problem, but that is not the answer. The only one I can think of, considering I never abused it on the road in any way (no off roading, heck it is FWD, I try my best to avoid pot holes, and I'm going on 48 so I'm a pretty conservative driver these days), is a manufacturer's defect. If it is from towing, then Kia over-rates their vehicles. It might be a sign that the trucks and not CUVs for towing folks may be correct, and I will be going with a truck (with its more substantial suspension) next time.

[jerem0621]

I had a 2012 Sorento with a 4 cyl and towed weekly with it. It was a great TV if used in the ratings. I installed the Receiver myself and it was very simple to install. Had over 50,000 miles when it got crunched

I suspect that there is an underlying issue not related to towing...just based on experience. Did you run over anything, back up hard into a backing space and hit the tire stops?...

Very unusual for this vehicle IMHO. (I really miss mine)

I was considering buying a newer one with the higher rating of 5,000 lbs as my 4 cyl version towed like a champ!

Maybe you could go to a different Kia dealer for a second opinion?

Thanks!

Jeremiah

[DRTDEVL]

It was a "U-Haul" branded hitch, so it was likely mfgd by Curt Industries and meets OEM specs by attaching to the same place with the same leverage as the OEM unit.

[BurbMan]

mike-s wrote:
As long as you stayed within the rated capacities....

Even though the OP says he was under the 3500 lb tow limit, I'll bet a Costco Dog that he was over the 350 lb tongue weight limit as stated in the owners's manual. We don't know for sure if the trailing arms are damaged or just the bushings are shot, but since the OP was noting irregular tire wear issues on the rear, I would say the TAs are bent somehow, probably from overloading.

Also the hitch was not OEM, it was installed aftermarket, so perhaps whoever installed the hitch did not attach it correctly and placed too much stress at the wrong points.