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KIA Sorento - 4x4 missing prop shaft... do i have a case? - sophsters

Hi, back in March we bought a Kia Sorento xt 4x4 2006 model from a dealer down in wales and have not had any problems with it until now. It was looked over today by a mechanic who noticed that the front prop shaft is missing which basically renders it a 2 wheel drive. Theres nothing in the full service history (all but the last 2 services were done by KIA) about it, and all the listings selling the car advertiseed it as a 4x4, do i have any claim here? thanks

KIA Sorento - 4x4 missing prop shaft... do i have a case? - Palcouk

A car of that year is a 4x4, but you have owned it for nearly 7 months.

Contact the supplying dealer and see what they say/plan to do

KIA Sorento - 4x4 missing prop shaft... do i have a case? - skidpan

If you google the problem you will find it quite common. Sellers remove the prop because there is a problem with the diff, its a cheap sale fix since very few owners ever use or need a 4 X 4

KIA Sorento - 4x4 missing prop shaft... do i have a case? - sophsters

But surely this is mis-selling under the sale of goods act to advertise as a 4x4 but it cannot perform as a 4x4. Im worried that it may have been removed to mask a bigger problem i.e. trasmission faults.

KIA Sorento - 4x4 missing prop shaft... do i have a case? - RT

The dealer may not have known it had been removed if they had no reason to put the car on a ramp during preparation for sale.

It may have been removed to mask a transmission but it might equally have been removed to gain economy as that Sorento wasn't that frugal.

KIA Sorento - 4x4 missing prop shaft... do i have a case? - sophsters

the dealer service stated that the filters had been changed etc, so it had been looked at wether this would show the prop missing i dont know as im not clued up

KIA Sorento - 4x4 missing prop shaft... do i have a case? - gordonbennet

It may have been removed to mask a transmission but it might equally have been removed to gain economy as that Sorento wasn't that frugal.

Was this model of Sorento full or part time 4WD, i have a feeling it was a traditional part time jobbie so the front prop would turn but not be connected to drive as such unless the centre diff was engaged...which makes me wonder if the centre or front diff has been damaged by someone driving it in 4WD on dry roads and winding the transmission up until summat has given way.

Its entirely possible its only been removed because the universal joints have seized, sons best mate/man had one as a company car, Kia dealer never once greased the props during servicing.