Kia Sorento Complaints

10,397 consumer complaints on file.

#11521175May 9, 2023
STRUCTURE:BODY, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Paint peeliing and car rust has stated as soon as warranty ran out.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11521183May 9, 2023
ENGINE
On 5/8/2023 I was driving on the freeway going about 70 to 75 MPH. All of a sudden the car stopped accelerating and the engine just stopped working. I costed somehow to the side of the freeway until a tow truck could arrive. There was no warning, until this happened. Car was running perfect up to this point. By the grace of God, I wasn't hit and no one was hurt. I honestly thought I was going to die and or take others with me. There was quite a bit of traffic and everyone had to swerve out of the way to avoid hitting me. This is a 2014 Kia Sorento that has been well cared for with 140K miles. Now I have no car. Being told I need a new engine that could cost up to $ 10K. This car is not worth that much.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11521222May 9, 2023
STRUCTURE:BODY
paint coming off. peeling, flaking
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11521274May 9, 2023
ENGINE
I have an engine oil consumption issue. I am running out of oil before 1,000 miles. I have had this issue checked out at my local mechanic and at the Kia dealership in Hurst, Texas. They are recommending that I bring the unit back for a process of three visits paying out of pocket for an issue that is clearly visible. I do not have any lights on my dashboard and the oil is being burned for some reason. I purchased this car used and have not even had it for a year, and here lies a major problem. I feel this issue is placing my safety at risk. The car is starting to stutter when pulling off and when I take it for service, it keeps saying low oil. It's unethical to have to get oil changes every 30 days.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11521051May 8, 2023
ENGINE
The contact’s son owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while his son was driving 65 MPH, the vehicle shuddered, and the engine seized. The check engine and the low oil pressure warning lights were illuminated. The contact’s son was able to veer to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the engine had seized and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 91,089.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11520802May 7, 2023
STRUCTURE:BODY
The paint is chipping significantly in the area on both sides of my windshield and starting to continue down into the rest of the car. I have a snow white car and my research has shown this make, model, year and color has been reported of having the same problems. It really affects the look of the car. This paint chipping has been going on for the last 5 years or so. I purchased this vehicle used but in 2014 and it is a 2014 so I've owned it for 9 years and it continues to get worse and worse.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11520808May 7, 2023
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
My vehicle engine chatters uses oil with out leaking and going up hills the transmission stays in 1st gear
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11520786May 6, 2023
VISIBILITY/WIPER, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
This morning, I had the software upgrade patch applied to my 2020 Kia Sorento that was supposed to fix the potential theft issue. After that service appointment, I started a 2 hour road trip. We stopped for gas and when we went into the store, I noticed that my car was not sounding the horn when I hit the key FOB twice like normal. I went back to the car and saw that the car was in fact not locked. I was able to lock the car manually, but had I not paid attention, someone could have snuck into my unlocked car. Later in the roadtrip, I needed to clean my windshield using wiperfluid and wipers. I sprayed the wiper fluid, but to my surprise the windshield wipers did not activate. I tried all the settings on the stick to activate the wipers, but they did not activate. I was driving 70mph on a highway and could not see. This was a huge safety problem. Luckily this was momentary as the speed cleared the wiper fluid. But had it been raining, I would not have been able to see which is unsafe for me, my passengers and those around me. Third, I noticed that my headlights were not working as expected. The Auto setting did not seem to be activating as normal. After playing with it, it appears that the Auto and Off settings on the lights seem to be switched. This is unsafe because drivers rely on that Auto setting to turn the lights on when it is necessary. They may think the lights are on when they are not and are not able to be seen by other drivers. By the time I realized these things, the service department at the dealership was already closed. I have tried to leave them a voicemail, but their phone is not set up to accept that. I have sent an email and will be calling them as soon as they reopen on Monday. There are no warning messages to tell the drive about these issues.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11520594May 5, 2023
ENGINE
In December of 2020 my vehicle stalled in the middle of turning. I lost all power and was not able to accelerate. After a tow to my mechanic no reason could be found and vehicle started and ran fine. No check engine or codes displayed. Then in July of 2021 same issue happened. I again had it towed to my mechanic who said it could be the timing but referred me over to my local dealership. At the dealership I was told it was the timing and spent over $4,000 to replace. Two days after picking my vehicle up there was oil all over my garage. Another trip to the dealer where they stated it was a faulty crankshaft seal and no big deal. A month later and I was still having issues. Prior to the work done by KIA I never had oil consumption issues. I was then told to do a combustion clean out which I did. Since then I have been dumping oil into the vehicle. fast forward to April of 2023. While on the interstate the vehicle began to shake and lost all power. After a very expensive tow home and to the dealer the diagnosis was engine failure that they are unable to tell from where specifically and again no check engine or codes displayed. I was quoted $10,000 for an engine replacement for a vehicle I still owed 4,500 on and is not worth as much as the engine
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11520663May 5, 2023
ENGINE
The engine seized up. The issue may be due to a design problem with all Kia engines. Here's what the service technician at the Kia dealership told me: 1) There is a pin on the cam shaft that keeps it in place; 2) Over time it moves, and gets sheared off; 3) When the pin is sheared off, the cam shaft spins out of time; 4) That causes the valves to slam into the pistons and bends the valves; 5) After the valves are bent, the engine has no compression; 6) The engine needs to be replaced or the car needs to be junked. The service tech says he had seen it happen quite a bit with all Kia models. In other words, it's a design flaw. There are other ways to keep the cam shaft in place, which are used by other manufacturers.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11520457May 4, 2023
TRAILER HITCHES
2018 KIA SORENTO. CONSTITUENT WRITES IN REGARD TO A DEFECTIVE HITCH HARNESS.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11520463May 4, 2023
ENGINE
While driving on Souther State Parkway on 04/23/2023 I heard a knocking sound coming from the engine. The Vehicle suddenly slowed down while in motion front end dipped then returned to original position. The knocking sound got louder I signaled exit the highway vehicle loss power on the ramp. Tow truck called to tow vehicle. Mechanic shop informed me vehicle engine is no good the engine seized up and malfunctioned. This vehicle almost killed me on the highway. It's very sad that KIA is not being held responsible for these defective vehicles. I need KIA to pay for engine replacement and labor cost. As a healthcare worker I cannot afford to purchase another vehicle. I just finish paying off the car note on this vehicle. 2016 Kia Sorento.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11520474May 4, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The vehicle was parked in a parking log unattended and suddenly caught on fire. The vehicle was driven 15 - 20 minutes before the car was noted of being on fire. The vehicle was known to be leaking oil.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11520498May 4, 2023
STRUCTURE:BODY
Literally overnight large pieces of paint began peeling off of my hood and roof. Within days I took it to a body shop and they immediately identified it as a factory defect. The pearl white paint is separating in sheets. If not repaired it will rust the metal underneath.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11520502May 4, 2023
ENGINE
Engine locks up (blown) with no check engine light warning lights of any kid while driving down the highway I have read this over 1,000 time on the internet from different sorento owners this needs to be recalled I could have been hit by a semi this is a manufacturer defect
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11520515May 4, 2023
ENGINE
Engine light and oil light came on. Car was running strange. We checked the oil and there was no oil on the dipstick. We put 2 quarts of oil in and drove to Kia of Bradley Illinois. On the way the car stalled without warning.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11520528May 4, 2023
STRUCTURE:BODY
Unknown Paint started chipping little by little and a big chunk just came off.. I'm concerned became new chips are appearing.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11520287May 3, 2023
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle lost forward momentum. The contact stated his daughter had not noticed any warning lights. The vehicle was pulled safely off the road however, the vehicle stalled and had to be towed to a dealer. The vehicle had been diagnosed and it was determined that there was a hole in the engine block and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V224000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was 114,800.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11520290May 3, 2023
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while stopped in an intersection at a traffic signal, the vehicle was making an abnormal rattling sound, coming from the engine compartment, and the vehicle then stalled. The contact stated that the battery and oil warning lights were illuminated. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to restart. The contact had the vehicle towed to a residence. The vehicle had not been diagnosed by a dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 91,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11520311May 3, 2023
ENGINE
While driving with my family of 4 on the interstate the cars engine stopped running without warning. All the dashboard lights illuminated and the car quit running. This almost caused me to lose control of the car and cause a major accident with injury and possible loss of life. This was a traumatic event for me and my family. The car was towed to the shop and we were told that the motor blew and it’s $15K to replace it. I also just found out that KIA issued a service bulletin to modify the computer so that the engine goes to limp mode and does not just blow up. Had there been something on a carfax or a notification to other shops this traumatic event would not have happened. There should be a safety recall and not just a bulletin only known to KIA dealers on all of these motors. This car was serviced regularly outside of KIA dealership and oil was just changed about 1 weak ago. KIA has refused to cover the repairs. We never got notification of the bulletin.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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