2011 Kia Sportage Sport Utility - 6 Speed Manual Transmission on 2040-cars

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What do J.D. Power's quality ratings really measure?

Check these recently released J.D. Power Initial Quality Study (IQS) results. Do they raise any questions in your mind? Premium sports-car maker Porsche sits in first place for the third straight year, so are Porsches really the best-built cars in the U.S. market? Korean brands Kia and Hyundai are second and fourth, so are Korean vehicles suddenly better than their US, European, and Japanese competitors? Are workaday Chevrolets (seventh place) better than premium Buicks (11th), and Buicks better than luxury Cadillacs (21st), even though all are assembled in General Motors plants with the same processes and many shared parts? Are Japanese Acuras (26th) worse than German Volkswagens (24th)? And is "quality" really what it used to be (and what most perceive it to be), a measure of build excellence? Or has it evolved into much more a measure of likeability and ease of use? To properly analyze these widely watched results, we must first understand what IQS actually studies, and what the numerical scores really mean. First, as its name indicates, it's all about "initial" quality, measured by problems reported by new-vehicle owners in their first 90 days of ownership. If something breaks or falls off four months in, it doesn't count here. Second, the scores are problems per 100 vehicles, or PP100. So Power's 2015 IQS industry average of 112 PP100 translates to just 1.12 reported problems per vehicle. Third, no attempt is made to differentiate BIG problems from minor ones. Thus a transmission or engine failure counts the same as a squeaky glove box door, tricky phone pairing, inconsistent voice recognition, or anything else that annoys the owner. Traditionally, a high-quality vehicle is one that is well-bolted together. It doesn't leak, squeak, rattle, shed parts, show gaps between panels, or break down and leave you stranded. By this standard, there are very few poor-quality new vehicles in today's U.S. market. But what "quality" should not mean, is subjective likeability: ease of operation of the radio, climate controls, or seat adjusters, phone pairing, music downloading, sizes of touch pads on an infotainment screen, quickness of system response, or accuracy of voice-recognition. These are ergonomic "human factors" issues, not "quality" problems. Yet these kinds of pleasability issues are now dominating today's JDP "quality" ratings.

Here are some of the worst things we saw at CES

The word innovation implies something new and exciting. That's just as true for automobiles as it is for smartphones and computers. After all, who doesn't want to live in a world where the brightest minds are constantly pushing the boundaries of what's possible, seeking to make our lives better through science? To boldly go where no man has gone before? While it's true that innovation is mostly a good thing, history has proven that mankind's brightest ideas can sometimes turn into dim bulbs practically overnight. Ever heard of the Foot-o-scope? That device allowed people to get the best possible fit for a new pair of shoes, which is great. But the machines emitted horrendous amounts of radiation in the process of offering x-ray views of the feet of its victims, which is not great. While we're not going to suggest that anything we've seen at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas is as bad as a shoe-fitting fluoroscope, walking the seemingly endless halls at CES has taught us that an interesting lesson is just as true today as it was 100 years ago: Not all innovations are really all that... well, innovative. In fact, some of them are downright terrible. Check out the video above for a rundown of four terrible innovations from the 2016 CES Show. Feel free to share your thoughts about what we've chosen, or submit your own nominees for terrible tech, in the Comments. Weird Car News CES Kia Technology Videos Original Video CES 2016

Kia recalls 98,000 Sedona minivans for suspension corrosion

The Basics: Kia is recalling 97,884 Sedona minivans built between June 15, 2005, and Aug. 12, 2012 over potential corrosion of front lower control arms. This is the second time Kia has recalled Sedona vans of this era for suspension corrosion issues. It's also worth noting that the Korean automaker is also recalling certain Sedona models over hood latches that could corrode. The Problem: Vehicles registered in any of the 27 states that use salt to de-ice roadways (see the complete list below) could have prematurely worn suspension components that vibrate or even break. That, as you can imagine, could lead to an accident. Injuries/Deaths: None reported. The Fix: Dealers will inspect and, if needed, replace the minivan's front control arms. Additional anti-corrosion coatings will be applied to keep this problem from happening again. Owners should expect a notice around July 25. If you own one: You can contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542 (Kia's number for this recall is SC133), or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 for more information. Related Video: RECALL Subject : Front Lower Control Arm Corrosion Report Receipt Date: JUN 01, 2016 NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V387000 Component(s): SUSPENSION Manufacturer: Kia Motors America SUMMARY: Kia Motors Corporation (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2006-2012 Kia Sedona vehicles manufactured from June 15, 2005, through August 14, 2012 and originally sold in, or currently registered in Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. In the affected vehicles, the front lower control arms may break due to corrosion from salt water exposure such as from road salt use. CONSEQUENCE: A broken control arm can result in the loss of control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash. REMEDY: Kia will notify owners and dealers will replace the front lower control arms on 2006-2007 models. 2008-2012 models will either have their front lower control arms replaced or additional anti-corrosion coating will be applied. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall is expected to began on July 25, 2016. Owners may contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC133.