I NOW FIND MYSELF DEALING WITH AN ISSUE THAT I NOW KNOW IS A WELL-KNOWN AND DOCUMENTED PROBLEM WITH THE ZF 6-SPEED TRANSMISSION USED IN THIS PARTICULAR V8 MODEL. THIS PAST WEEK, THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTING BECAME ERRATIC, IN PARTICULAR, AND AMONG OTHER ISSUES, HOLDING ON TO 3RD GEAR AND REFUSING TO UP SHIFT OR DOWN SHIFT PROPERLY. THERE WERE A FEW TIMES IN WHICH WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STAND-STILL ' A STOP LIGHT AND/OR 4-WAY-STOP INTERSECTION, FOR EXAMPLE ' THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT UP FROM 1ST GEAR OR WOULD START ON 3RD GEAR AND WOULD NOT DOWN SHIFT DOWN TO 2ND NOR UP SHIFT TO 4TH. BIZARRE AND DANGEROUS TO SAY THE LEAST, AS IT WAS A STOP-AND-GO TRAFFIC SITUATION. ON TWO OTHER OCCASIONS, WHILE DRIVING AT OVER 35 MPH OR SO, THE ENGINE WOULD SHIFT VERY ABRUPTLY FROM 3RD TO 4TH GEAR, AND THEN WOULD DOWN SHIFT BACK TO 3RD GEAR. THE SECOND TIME THIS HAPPENED I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO SHUT DOWN THE CAR. I DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO SO AFTER FIVE MINUTES OR SO I RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND HEADED HOME. UPON EXTENSIVE RESEARCH, I HAVE FOUND THAT THIS IS A WELL-KNOWN ISSUE, DOCUMENTED BY MANY KIA MOHAVE V8 OWNERS, AND ONE THAT HAS NOT BEEN CLASSIFIED AS A RECALL, EVEN THOUGH IT SEEMS TO BE A DEFECTIVE COMPONENT ISSUE AND IT HAS LED TO MANY UNSAFE AND DANGEROUS DRIVING SITUATIONS. I HAVE FOUND MANY COMPLAINTS ON THIS PARTICULAR KIA MOHAVE V8 MODEL THROUGHOUT KIA OWNERS' FORUMS AND EVEN ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE. I ALSO FOUND ONLINE THE KIA TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN 035 [REV1, 3/7/11], WHICH DOCUMENTS THE ISSUE TO A T. AT THIS POINT. THERE IS NO OFFICIAL CALLBACK ISSUED BY KIA MOTORS YET. THIS ISSUE IS A DISASTOR WAITING FOR HAPPEN WHICH CAN CAUSE GREAT HARM TO ITS UNSUSPECTING CUSTOMERS.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11045276 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov