Kia Sorento Complaints

10,397 consumer complaints on file.

#11526037June 8, 2023
ENGINE
Engine failure , car stopped running , me and my family could’ve gotten a very bad accident , I had to pay 8,400$ out of my own pocket to replace the engine failure
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11526038June 8, 2023
STRUCTURE
The Paint above the front windshield is chipping and continues to get worst with rust and paint. I've seen multiple Kia Sorento just like my model with the same issue. My paint began peeling in a tiny spot I thought was a chip from a rock but rapidly began peeling all over. KIA SORENTO SNOW WHITE PAINT PEELING CHIPPING AND DELAMINATION. I believe the ENTIRE kia needs to repainted and fixing one spot is not the solution!! This includes the top of the car and racks on top, Mine are silver and peeling .
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11526135June 8, 2023
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Headlights in auto mode will randomly go off while driving without any change in ambient light. Dangerous on unlit roads.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11526046June 8, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
On 6/6/2023, the sunroof shattered while driving. No rock/debris collided at this time with the sunroof and I believe this is a security malfunction due to the glass overheating. This incident isn't the result of mishandling on our (the consumer's) behalf. The car dealership (VANGUARD KIA of Arlington) has denied responsibility in the defect of this car part. As such, I'm filing on for our situation and warning of others who are at risk. Additionally, no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem were present prior to the failure.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11525759June 7, 2023
ENGINE
Motor siezed while driving in the freeway
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11525590June 6, 2023
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate, the contact heard an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine compartment, and the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power and was only able to accelerate to 30 MPH. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who retrieved DTC code: P1326. After investigation, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V224000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,800.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11525627June 6, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN, ENGINE
Engine control module when it fails vehicle will lose power and drops engine compression causing a danger to other traffic. I was on I-10 on Sunday morning at 60 mi. when all of a sudden it slowed down to 20mi causing other drivers too maneuver around me to avoid from colliding into my SUV. Had engine control module checked out and was advised me to take in to dealer to have it reprogramed or replaced. Either will be an expense I just cant afford replacing it would cost me over 2000.00 and reprograming any where from 200 to 500. If Im not wrong a recall for software added to engine control module was done around 2020 didnt that up.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11525636June 6, 2023
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:OIL/LUBRICATION
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento LX. The contact stated that after the dealer completed remedies for Kia recalls SC234, SC249B, and CS2304, he was notified by the dealer that the vehicle's engine oil was 2 quartz low. The contact informed the dealer that he had just completed a scheduled oil change two weeks prior. No warning lights were illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, who advised the contact that the vehicle may be burning engine oil abnormally fast and began a 1,000-mile performance test to determine the oil burn rate of the engine; the test is still underway. The vehicle has not been repaired. The manufacturer was notified, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 91,023. The dealer contacted the warranty company but was denied coverage for the vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11525639June 6, 2023
ENGINE
Vehicle was purchased used on 02-23-2023 from a dealership. One and a half months later, the temp gauge goes into the red. This was the only indication that there was an issue. The dealer found that the head gasket was blown, however upon further inspection it was discovered that the bolts were stripped inside and this was what started the problem. With no other warning other than the temp gauge, the vehicle could have seized up while driving down the highway causing a catastrophic failure and a safety hazard.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11525456June 5, 2023
ENGINE
Vehicle had a slow engine oil leak which began just after 100,000 miles and mirrored symptoms of the "oil pressure switch" defect, which was replaced under warranty pursuant to a warranty extension campaign from Kia. Following the replacement of the oil pressure switch, the vehicle continued to slowly leak oil. Kia service manager took the engine apart and stated that the threads for the head bolts were stripped from the engine block, causing an oil leak from the head gasket. During a later in-person conversation, which was lawfully recorded, the service manager stated that it was a well known and established defect which Kia is refusing to officially acknowledge, and said that he has personally replaced over fifty (50) 2016 model year 3.3L V6 engines with stripped head bolts. The only solution was to replace the engine, and Kia refused to cover any repair or replacement costs. The vehicle is available for inspection (at the dealership), and although my vehicle did not have any symptoms other than the oil leak, in other instances it commonly causes engine overheating.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11525516June 5, 2023
ENGINE
Burning a lot of oil
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11525523June 5, 2023
ENGINE
On my way home from work I heard a knocking sound coming from the engine while on the highway the vehicle slowed down at 40 miles per hour then the from end dipped then return in an upright position. The vehicle suddenly lost power the engine would not turn over. There were no warning engine lights or anything before hand to indicate there was a problem before the engine power loss. I had to pay All County Auto Body $135.78 to two vehicle off the highway and then my insurance tow transported my vehicle to Queens. Galaxy Auto completed diagnostic test and informed me the engine is no good, basically the engine seized. I reached out to KIA headquarters via email no response to the situation at hand. On 05/12/2023 received notice from KIA recall for tow hinge on vehicle. KIA did not address the engine failure on the 2016 KIA Sorentia GDI which I just finish paying off. My vehicle is parked up no monetary funds to purchase an engine or to pay for labor cost. On 5/26/2023 vehicle towed KIA dealership service area for diagnostic test and I was informed by a representative that the vehicle has life time warranty on the engine. After the diagnostic test I was informed on June 1,2023 "that I can eliminate the $2000 core charge on there however there is a $2500 installation cost on top of the parts. The power-train warranty had expired May 8th of 2020." Also, there was an engine recall on this model no one can give me a date or year of the recall. Basically, KIA is not going to honor their mistake and failed to make necessary repairs on the engine. The entire situation is terrible and KIA is not being held responsible for their negligence . Upon close review of the engine failure posted on NHTSA. gov website there are over 300 plus vehicles reported on this site with the same engine failure. what is being done to help us the consumer from being duped by manufactures who preyed on hardworking consumers who purchased vehicles that are defective?
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11525340June 5, 2023
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle overheated. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 143,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11525350June 5, 2023
ENGINE
I became the proud owner of a 2016 Kia Sorento, which I got from Jerry Smith KIA in Burlington, Washington, in February 2020. This car has received prompt service for every maintenance item at the dealership where I bought it. Other than the expected wear and tear, I have never experienced any unneeded problems with the car. It's driven 143,928 miles. I had no warning what so ever that there was an issue with the motor. I had the car inspected and had the regular oil changed on April 20th, 2023, and everything was fine. On April 22, 2023, I drove the Kia while out to dinner with my daughter and her friends. On the way home, however, after dropping the girls off, the car cut out and died, but I was still able to make it to the side of the road. The engine knocked like a rod and wouldn't stay turned over for more than ten seconds when I tried to start the car again. All the dash lights lit up and engine sounded like a rattle can. I had the car towed the following morning to the dealership where I have it serviced. After a week, they were able to identify the problem. It appears that the engine's bearings failed. They estimated that a replacement engine would cost $18,000. The vehicle has a negative equity of $13,000, which is too high for me to trade in. Spending that much money on it is not worthwhile. It is currently yard art in my driveway. Despite my attempts to rectify the situation, I am still left with a sense of dissatisfaction and regret over this purchase. It's a lesson learned, but one that comes at a steep cost. After doing some extensive research I have found numerous owners of the same type of vehicle have similar issues.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11525354June 5, 2023
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
We had two issues develop. The first issue developed about 30k miles after purchasing it new. The car would accelerate unevenly and after long drives the car would lurch during acceleration after starting from a stop. The lurching would continue for a few days before disappearing. No tech could reproduce it. They tried multiple times to reset the software and found no other issues. After a normal fuel injection cleaning at 100k miles, the lurching eased, but still remained. The issue was never resolved. The second issue came up at 108k. We heard a strange noise from the front right of the car when accelerating, but no indicators. The next day the engine light starts flashing and the car is vibrating, so we take it to the dealer the next morning. The engine oil is extremely low and the engine needs to be replaced because 3 valves are miss firing!!!! We had an oil change at 100.8k. We were well within the time for another oil change...a change, not a complete refill!!! There was never an oil indicator light. The engine was clearly burning oil too quickly and the indicator was not warning correctly.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11525144June 3, 2023
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
My car went into Sudden Unintended Acceleration when I shifted from neutral to drive. I was in a gas station that was perpendicular to highway traffic. When I attempted to come out of the car wash tunnel to get my car dried off, the car accelerated out of control, the gas pedal was stuck and the brakes would not engage. The car flew out of the tunnel and into traffic. The car hit a curb before entering into traffic and went airborne. I in the third lane of southbound traffic. The vehicle then continued on through a grass median and across three lanes of northbound traffic, hitting another curb. At sone point during this accident, three of the tires popped and drivers side airbags did deploy. The popped tires appears to be the reason why the car finally came to a stop. It is only by the grace of God that I made it out alive. The airbag burned my torso. This accident occurred on 5/19/2023 at approximately 4:15 pm. X-rays and cat scans revealed no additional injuries. Currently, I am waiting to be seen by an orthopedic doctor for pain in ankles, lower back and stiffness at base of neck. My insurance company concluded the car as a total loss.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11525224June 3, 2023
ENGINE
This is 2nd time that my Kia Sorento shuts off while we’re stopped at a red light. When we release the brake the engine didn’t start.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11524930June 1, 2023
VISIBILITY/WIPER
The low beam headlights are very dim at night time. The inside reflective coating of the projector headlights has deteriorated over time.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11524578May 31, 2023
STRUCTURE:BODY, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, SEATS
Both rear doors do not open from the outside and only the passenger rear door will open from the inside, leaving the driver side rear, not accessible from the inside or the outside. The middle row of seats do not adjust backwards or forwards. The controls on the steering wheel do not work at all.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11524599May 31, 2023
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
This is the second very similar incident with the engine of this vehicle. On Monday, May 29, 2023, the engine failed at a stop light in Fort Wayne Indiana. A few miles before it failed, it suddenly got very noisy and wouldn’t go over about 15 mph. It wouldn’t really react to the accelerator pedal. At the stop light it just quit at a major intersection leaving me stranded in the middle of the road. It has been towed to the Kia dealer in Fort Wayne. They have not diagnosed the problem yet but I have read many reports on line and my experience was similar: vehicular just quit, engine lost oil, accelerator pedal not responsive, and loud ticking sound. I’m afraid the repair will be thousands of dollars and I’m a senior citizen on Social Security. This is a second incident. On October 20, 2022, my daughter in law drove my car to IU Health Hospital in Indianapolis to visit me in the hospital (major surgery). In an hour and a half she used a full tank of gas and 3 quarts of oil — the car slowed to 40 mph, accelerator pedal didn’t work and she was on Route 69 a 4 lane major highway and was very scared. She pulled off at the next exit. The car had to be towed from Indianapolis to Fort Wayne. My mechanic worked on it, got it running ok but it had a major oil leak. I was recovering from my surgery so drove it little. I now find out that the engine in my car has major problems just like what I have experienced and that Kia is refusing to fix them unless people pay in excess of $6000. This is a safety issue!!!! Having the car fail and just quit while on local or interstate roads leads to accidents and injuries. This engine needs to be recalled. Kia knows it and has settled claims out of court so they don’t have to admit responsibility. This is a serious safety hazard. The recent date of May 29, 2023 is provided but the previous date this happened is October 20, 2022. So there were two incidents.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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