Kia Sorento Complaints
10,397 consumer complaints on file.
- #11505859February 6, 2023ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Unknown. My vehicle has excessive oil consumption, major vibration an oil is shooting out of the top of my motor that may cause a fire.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11505502February 4, 2023ENGINE
On Thanksgiving day, the vehicle loss POWER while driving on the highway to Anniston Alabama, endangering the lives of myself and my four children. NO WARNING LIGHTS. I was giving it gas and it would not go. I was able to get some good Samaritans to push it off the road into an empty parking lot. It would not restart, it started SMOKING, would not take a jump start. Left it over night, came back the next day, had to jump start it but it was now making a TICKING NOISE. STILL NO WARNING LIGHTS ever came on the day of the incident or after. Had it towed to a Repair Shop and was told the Engine NEEDED REPLACEMENT. Had it towed back to Georgia, had another mechanic look at it and was told it was the engine also. Finally had it towed to Kia Moters in Athens GA, and was unable to get recalls fixed because the engine is bad and was told it's not part of the recall. The car is available to be inspected.Had no warning of failing engine prior to this.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11505572February 4, 2023STRUCTURE:BODY
I own a white 2012 Kia Sorento that the paint is rapidly peeling off of across the piece of roof just above the windshield (body shops have called this Delamination). I have the pearl white paint, which began peeling in a tiny spot at approximately 45,000 miles and I thought this was a chip from a rock or something that fell on it, but since then it rapidly began peeling all over and now is in a few spots in the same area, and down to the metal, causing rust. I filed a claim with my insurance company January 2023, but the claim was denied. They were told by the autobody shop that there has been a paint chipping problem with other vehicles with the same pearl white paint, and that those had been recalled due to a defect.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11505574February 4, 2023ENGINE
On Saturday, January 21st my Sorento started to make a strange noise. On Sunday, January 22 my check engine light came on. I took my vehicle to my normal mechanic first thing Monday, January 23rd morning. He said the check engine light was on because I needed an oil change. My most recent oil change was just over 3,000 miles ago using synthetic oil. When they performed the oil change they found that there was only a half a quart of oil in the vehicle. My mechanic made me aware of issues that Kia has been having with over consumption of oil and told me to contact the Kia dealership. My Kia ran normally the duration of Monday. Tuesday, January 24th when i went to take my kids to school the vehicle went into limp mode and would not go over 20mph. The Kia dealership is taking no ownership of the issue regarding the over consumption of oil due to the GDI engines. Something needs to be done for all of the people suffering financial hardship due to engine failure not To mention being without a vehicle for an undetermined amount of time.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11505582February 4, 2023ENGINE
I have had my car less than a month as I’m driving my car starts to rattle loudly and loses power I go to a nearby auto zone and they run a test which says I have a recall on my engine
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11505505February 4, 2023ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
The Sorento went in for three recalls on 1/24/2023 at 6970 miles. These were tow hitch recall ( no tow hitch on the vehicle) . SC250 8 speed electrical oil pump and SC252 B HECU inspection. One week later , (and after approx. 35 miles) , while driving all warning lights started flashing and the engine lost power. Luckily I was in an area where I could stop and when the car was in neutral with all lights warning still flashing the engine ran irregularly between 1000 and 1500 revs. When I tried to put in back in gear and drive it just limped at a about 5 miles per hour and when you depressed the accelerator nothing happened. I switched car off and waited 10 seconds and restarted it. This time the malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) stayed on. I then switched it off again and waited 30 minutes. This time all lights went out and the engine operated normally. I immediately phone the dealer who did the recalls and who then examined the car. The error codes they found were P065312 (engine) C1161386 Brake) C136081 C174181 C161381 (Front Radar) C161386 C164286 (Front View camera) C169381111111 (Rear corner radar). They redid the SC 250 update and test drove the vehicle to see if the problem reoccurred. It did not and the vehicle was returned to me on 2/3/2023. With the sudden loss in engine power this could have been very serious had it happened on an expressway. My wife is now too scared to drive the vehicle. I did phone KIA Customer service to report the issue and their file number is 15300218
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11505321February 3, 2023VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
While driving the car it failed to accelerate while pressing gas. It has happened 3 times. In each case it happened within approximately 5 min of driving, twice after idling for 10-15 min. The 'Hybrid System Warning-Safely Stop and Do Not Drive' light came on but not immediately. The engine display in the car seemed to show that the engine was not sending any charge to the battery which was rapidly depleting. Stopping and restarting the engine clears the problem. A car that won't accelerate randomly is clearly a safety risk. I have taken it in to be checked, no resolution found, unable to reproduce the problem as it is very random. First time was probably 2-3 months after purchase. My son was driving so I didn't see first hand. Second time was about 3 months after. I did have KIA check for codes after that event. Nothing found. And then about 3 weeks ago. Had KIA check again. Error codes not saved in the system when car is stopped. KIA maintenance can take no action at this time. They requested I try take a picture of system activity next time it happens.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11505322February 3, 2023UNKNOWN OR OTHER, STRUCTURE:BODY
Paint peeling on hood. Does not look like it came from a stone chip.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11505348February 3, 2023STRUCTURE:BODY
Rear passenger door handle came apart. Handle clicked in place, but came apart each time attempted door opening. Auto shop replaced door handle assembly. Door was unusable. No warning other than handle falling off
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11505422February 3, 2023LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LOCK
The rear driver side door will not open from outside or inside and I have children who ride in the back seat in children's car seats. This is a definitive safety hazard. KIA issued a recall but just extended the warranty to 10 years for that part. It is obviously a known defect that is the fault of KIA. Since my car is now outside that 10 year extended warranty I have to pay $800 dollrs at teh dealership to have it fixed, This is unnacceptable.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11505469February 3, 2023VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
On 02/03/2023 and once before, I stepped on brake to come to a stop and car accelerated to the point that braking took more distance to come to a stop. I called the Kia dealer today and got an appointment which is scheduled for 02/09/2023 to have them inspect vehicle for problem. I read an article published 11/23/2021 by [XXX] on the MotorBiscuit website that states the problem is with an issue with the throttle contol system. This problem nearly caused my to crash into car in front of me and could have been catastrophic if I had been going at a higher rate of speed and had to stop quickly. resulting in loss of life or injuries to myself and others. My vehicle is available for inspection upon request. There were no warnings. The floor rug was not jammed under accelerator. The first time it happened was also when coming to a stop. At that time I wasn't sure why it happened. This time myself and my passenger both heard the engine revving while I was trying to brake. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11505098February 2, 2023UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The paint (Snow White Pearl) on my Kia Sorento (2014) is peeling off of the drivers side door above window. Mileage of vehicle is 116000. Started on 2/1/23
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11504884February 1, 2023TRAILER HITCHES
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V703000 (Trailer Hitches) 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. Additionally, the contact mentioned that a recall notice was received confirming the remedy was available and to contact a local dealer however, the dealer informed the contact that the part was not yet available. The manufacturer was notified of the issue and confirmed that parts were unavailable. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11504966February 1, 2023ENGINE
With just a few payments left on my 2016 Kia Sorento I was traveling home from work when without any warning at all, my car, in the middle lane of a highway, dropped from about 65 miles an hour down to 30 mph. This almost caused a major accident involving many cars. I managed to get the car off the road and to the mechanic. I was told that there was very little oil left in the motor, which was hard to believe because I was only a month beyond my scheduled oil change. I was told by the mechanic that this engine is known to start burning oil at an excessive rate without warning. I was also told that the motor was no longer any good due to the damage that was caused. I was disappointed to find out there was no recall and I was left with a car that had very little value. Please recall these cars before someone gets hurt or worse.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11504996February 1, 2023ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:ANTI-THEFT:IMMOBILIZER/PROXIMITY:KEY/SENDER
As you are aware this of the "Kia" Challenge running rampant in the US. I am one of these owners of these vehicles. I recently was made aware that my neighbor had a car identical to mine and his was stolen out of his driveway last Sunday morning. I contacted Kia of North America and they stated "We do not have a workaround for this at this time" They will not supply us with Steering Wheel Locks or Immobilizers. The NHTSA needs to seriously investigate this to the high extent as this is causing anguish for people like myself who are fearful of our automobiles that we paid an exuberant amount of money for to be stolen from us. Its also very fearful that the car insurance companies are threatening to non-renew owners of these motor vehicles is VERY VERY concerning. Please address this please give the people like myself some guidance on how to proceed. If my insurance company decides to non renew my automobile insurance I am in deep trouble as I use this car to commute everyday to and from work. Please assist
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11504669January 31, 2023ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2022 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH up an incline in inclement weather, the vehicle rolled backward. The contact stated that the AWD failed to lock the wheels. The contact then stated that all four tires started to spin while in AWD. Additionally, the contact stated that while attempting to turn on the heat, she smelled a burning odor through the vents. The contact also stated that there was an alert indicating to activate the heat in hybrid mode; however, the vent was blowing cold air. Additionally, the contact stated that previously the sensor malfunction warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 17,000.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11504675January 31, 2023TRAILER HITCHES
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V703000 (Trailer Hitches) 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 not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11504758January 31, 2023POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would hesitate or jerk while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired and remained in the possession of the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11504772January 31, 2023UNKNOWN OR OTHER, STRUCTURE
The Snow white pearl paint on my 2014 Kia Sorento has started de-laminating and peeling. It became noticeable on the driver's side door post, which has peeled and grown to a substantial area since I first noticed it. Smaller areas can also be identified on the back bumper, the hood, and several other panels of the vehicle. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The problem has been confirmed by a certified body shop (Caliber Collision in Happy Valley Arizona). Please contact for additional details if needed. Attached photos are of the damage as of 1/30/2023. Paint condition continues to deteriorate and more photos will be available tracking the progression of the de-lamination.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11504393January 30, 2023ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY, TRAILER HITCHES
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V703000 (Trailer Hitches) 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 contact stated that the battery drained quickly after not driving the vehicle for several days. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0