Kia Sorento Complaints

10,397 consumer complaints on file.

#11576561March 11, 2024
ENGINE
While driving home from picking my children up, engine started making a knocking noise. No warning lights or indicators were illuminated. Engine stalled while pulling down my driveway. Took it in for a Diagnosis. Metal flakes have been found in the oil. 3.3L Lambda two engine reliability is already being questioned.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11576639March 11, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The white paint has recently started peeling off in large sections in one area. Another area has a smaller section now missing. This has not been looked at by the dealer but online research shows that this has been a problem with KIA vehicles with white paint. This could be a safety risk if these pieces come off when driving, which has fortunately not happened yet.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11576669March 11, 2024
ENGINE
My 2016 Kia Sorento 3.3 L V6 starting over heating and smoking and loss of power and would no start when it was running hot. In January of 2023. We towed the car to Kia and they could not find the problem told us we need to replace the thermostat for $1000 and that would fix the problem we left and had it towed away. We took the car to a radiator shop two days later and they change the water pump and thermostat. The overheating continued we took it back to the radiator shop and they performed a head gasket pressure test and the car failed and they said the head gasket was leaking and we need to get the heads repaired they quoted $6900. We later took the car to a engine rebuilder and they certified that the heads gasket was blown with the same test and the bolts were wore off on the cylinder heads and the engine needed to be rebuilt or replaced. We went to Kia they did not do anything. We had to get the engine totally rebuilt on our cost total cost $4712.04 and it took 3 months to find all the Kia parts . KIA issued a letter to cover the repairs for these engines and this model on Janurary 2, 2024 and it and has not been paid it has been sixty days which was there time frame in the letter to cover the claim they won't answer us at all with a verdict the most terrible car company around .
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11576628March 11, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The car suddenly shutoff How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? I was doing a U-TURN when the vehicle turned off. It took about a minute for the car to turn on and I was left in the middle of the road. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Not yet. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Not Yet Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? None
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11576326March 9, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The Kia one morning were I were at stop just turned off power completely disconnected/dead . I turn the key before I moved the stick to park and turn off the car than waited 3seconds and started the car. It turned on were I pulled to the side to park five foot to the left side and turn off the car to check what happ. It would’nt click or turn on dead car than help arrived and the battery I charged immediately underneath the lot started burning and smoke fire let dead that out.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11576334March 9, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, SERVICE BRAKES
I was driving down the highway when my vehicle shut off with no warning and the parking break engaged. I was stuck in the travel lane with cars flying by me going 50 plus MPH. My vehicle has 7000 miles on it. According to KIA the hybrid battery failed and they don’t know why. KIA has been no help and as far as I know they are not looking into this issue. Upon further research there has been multiple instances where this hybrid model has just shut down while the vehicle is moving and KIA has been unable to resolve the issue. Myself and my children could have been severely injured or killed. They need to get to the bottom of what is causing these hybrid batteries to fail on brand new vehicles.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11576386March 9, 2024
ENGINE
The kia Sorento has been very well serviced and maintained. On 3/8/24 while driving on the hwy the temperature began to rise. The vehicle was immediately pulled over and shut down. After letting the vehicle sit for approximately an hour to let engine cool my mechanic arrived and inspected it and found metal shavings in the oil and vehicle was started after inspection it is knocking. I've gone online to your website ran the VIN number and it says that this particular vehicle has no recall but this exact year model Sorento has had two different recalls on the same engine that I have in this vehicle for exactly what my vehicle just did. My vehicle only has 78,000 miles on it and I have all service records for it. I'm wanting to know why the other engines of the exact same year make model were recalled for exactly what my engine just did and this one wasn't the vehicle is long at a warranty and a used engine for this vehicle cost almost $4,000 I truly believe that this engine is defective just as the others were for there's no reason for this engine to do what it did with the service and maintenance that I maintain on the vehicle with only 78,000 miles. Any information or help you can give me for this inquiry would be greatly appreciated thank you for all you do.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11576231March 8, 2024
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. An unknown local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11576286March 8, 2024
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11576240March 8, 2024
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while having the front windshield replaced at the glass center, the contact was informed that the sensor did not fit in the bracket. The local dealer was contacted, and an OEM windshield was ordered, but the sensor failed to fit in the bracket. The dealer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was unknown.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11576153March 8, 2024
SERVICE BRAKES
On 3 different occasion when parking in my driveway (on a hill) my car rolled while in park. On the first occasion I almost ran over my wife who was taking our young daughter out of her car seat. Fortunately I was still in the drivers seat and able to press my foot on the brake. On the next two occasions there was nobody around and the car rolled into the street. I have contacted Kia repeatedly to fix this issue and they have done nothing. The dealership says there is nothing wrong and is now refusing to answer calls from myself and Kia. Kia is saying it's up to the dealership to fix. This is incredibly dangerous for people who are not aware there is an issue. The dealer accused me of not activating the parking brake. As I explained to them the car would have rolled me over before I could walk away - so that is impossible. I can't replicate this every time. I have been able to replicate it one other time but did not get it on video. This makes the situation that much more dangerous especially with little kids. I now park every time with my emergency brake engaged.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11575962March 7, 2024
AIR BAGS
The airbag light stays on and the Tunersville NJ dealership charged me $169 for a diagnostic of the problem. The error code was a B1448 OC sensor MAT defect and they need to replace the cushion because the Occupant Detection System (ODS) Sensor Pad is located inside the seat and quoted me around $2000 to replace it. I was told by the dealership that if the passenger mat detection is not working then the airbag will not work if an accident happens. I found that Kia Sorento from 2011- 2015 has the same issue and the company replaced it without a charge and extended the warranty for this airbag sensor to 15 yr with unlimited miles. This is a known defect for Kia corporation and they don't address this issue until somebody gets hurt in an accident and the airbag malfunctions.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11575981March 7, 2024
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000(Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirm parts not available.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11576039March 7, 2024
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2011 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle made a loud noise while the contact was accelerating, and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact made it to a safe location. The contact attempted to drive the vehicle to the residence, but the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The oil light and check engine warning light was illuminated. The check engine warning light was blinking continuously. The contact stated that the engine made a loud noise and the contact smelled smoke. The contact drove the vehicle in LIMP Mode to the residence. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V877000 (Engine) however, the engine was not replaced. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 197,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11575715March 6, 2024
ENGINE
January 14, 2024. I was driving on the highway, up a mountain, when the engine abruptly failed. All dashboard lights came on, including the check engine light. My safety, and the safety of those driving near me, was put at risk because of the sudden decrease in speed. When the car was inspected by a Kia dealership, they confirmed it needed a new engine, but that the engine was not covered, even though there is a long history of these engines failing and needing replacement.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11575880March 6, 2024
ENGINE
This is regarding recall #23V652.The manufacturer has failed or is unable to remedy this safety recall since 09/25/2023 in a timely manner. This put myself and family member at risks everytime we operate the vehicle. KIA advised us to park it afar to avoid fire hazard. However, my car has already been broken in once so I am too traumatized to park it far away from my house. This is a serious safety concern that should be promptly addressed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11575905March 6, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
On September 18, 2023, Kia formally decided to recall various vehicles that represented a fire risk due to a faulty HECU (recall campaign 23V652000). Owners of the affected vehicles were advised not to park their cars in a garage or near other structures due to risk of fire. All well and good, but now over five months later, no repair has been proposed. This is an unreasonable amout of time to expect owners to leave their vehicles in unprotected areas, especially since the area I live in has been experiencing an elevated number of catalytic converter thefts. Kia's lack of a prompt remedy to replace an inexpensive fuse puts me at risk of paying several thousands if my catalytic converter is stolen. Kia needs to resolve this recall immediately.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11575907March 6, 2024
STEERING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
While driving this evening my power steering light came on and shortly after I lost all power steering. Had I not been strong enough while pulling out of the flow of traffic I would have lost control and hit a vehicle or run off the roadway. After turning the vehicle off it would not restart without a jump start. This same vehicle had its engine replaced not long ago for a separate safety issue mentioned in ODI 11565586. Kia of America needs to be forced to fix the issues with this vehicle. Other numerous reports of these same issues exist. These issues need to be investigated and Kia held accountable. This vehicle is a lemon and still under warranty but I feel I have no recourse and I'm being forced to be without the vehicle I paid for for long spans of time. This vehicle is a huge safety issue for myself and others.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11575458March 5, 2024
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH the check engine and ABS warning light illuminated. There was an abnormal burning odor detected from the engine compartment. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 156,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11575564March 5, 2024
SUSPENSION
I purchased my 2019 Kia Sorento with 7,000 miles on it. A few moths after purchase, I began having suspension issue with it. My rear tires were being worn out very quickly and a tire repair shop suggested that I have Kia dealership check out the shocks, which I did. Kia Service Center diagnosed the vehicle and replaced the shock absorbers due to leakage. Almost 2 months later, I took my Sorento back to the same Service Center due to loud squeaking noises and the up and down of the vehicle anytime I drove over the smallest hump or bump in the road. Kia found that the strut mount and bearings were coming apart and Kia supposedly replaced the sway bar along with the bearings and struts. After one month, I had to take the vehicle back for the same issue. It was supposedly fixed again but a few moths later, the loud squeaking came back and has gotten worse over time. I took my truck to Kia again for the same issue and they are now saying that the sway bar bushings have went bad. Well they supposedly just replaced the old sway bar last year and it is already needing new bushings. I have searched online and found the front sway bar of KIA's to be a major defect problem and consumer's having to continuously replace the front sway bar on their KIA. A bad sway bar can not only impede your ability to control and handle your vehicle, but it can also be the cause of an accident. With so many consumer complaints on this issue, I am unsure why there has been no recall on the sway bar and bushings of KIA vehicles. Whether the vehicle is new with new parts or the part has been replaced, this is definitely an issue that needs to be investigated immediately.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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