Kia Sorento Complaints

10,397 consumer complaints on file.

#11647222March 9, 2025
POWER TRAIN
When pressing the accelerator pedal after a near stop (rolling stop, California stop, stop to u der 3mpg and then resume acceleration) or very brief stop (<1 second) there is a significant delay in acceleration or a very brief acceleration then dead pedal and no acceleration for ~ 1 second. No accelerator pedal input variations changes this, i.e. I can release the accelerator pedal, hold the accelerator pedal pr push the accelerator pedal to the floor and it’s still a “dead pedal” scenario until the car decides it’s time to go. Owned car since new (~20 miles) and now has ~64k miles, been a persistent issue for entire ownership.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11647176March 8, 2025
ENGINE
Car went into limp mode and check engine light began blinking. We do not have a Kia dealer in our town so we had it towed to local mechanic. He did not save the code but said it indicated one of two options: change the oil or replace engine. He changed the oil and cleared the code. The car had been using oil for some time so we called Kia to report it. We were told to let it run out of oil until it goes into limp mode again and then tow it to the dealer. We can’t do that! We live on a mountain. If the engine locked up, we could die. So, we add a quart to a quart and a half every couple of weeks. The car smells hot so we know the engine is bad. It is one of the GDI engines. There was a class action suit for this problem in CA. We believe Kia should be held responsible for the Over Consumption of Oil issue before more accidents occur. Our case number with Kia is [XXX]. 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
#11646915March 7, 2025
POWER TRAIN
Shifts hard at first crank up.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11646926March 7, 2025
ENGINE
Engine failure, loss of power on multilane highway, engine valves failed. unable to move to safe location Dealer checked valves failed No warning lamps, messages prior to failure
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11647007March 7, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE, STEERING
In January 2024 I started getting power steering issues and multiple warning lights related to the electrical systems. I took my vehicle to Car Pros Kia for inspection and repair on 2/1/2024. They took it for a test drive at which time it caught fire.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11646638March 6, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The downhill break control (DBC) and the traction control system is is engaged and eliminated in the dash. It causes smoke or steam to come from under the hood after it is driven. This is the second time this issue has happened. I spent over $3,000 and six months getting this fixed last time. If there is not a recall on these things it should be recalled and fixed without me having to pay for it again. I believe it should have been covered the first time it happened.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11646704March 6, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I was driving my daughter to school and heard 2 popping noises under the car. The car started smoking as I was driving. I pulled into the parking lot and the car wouldn’t stop. I pressed the break multiple times before it eventually stopped. The car was completely smoking from the hood and then caught fire as I got me and my children out of it. The fire department came and successfully put the fire out after about 30 minutes of continuous flames. It was a total loss
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11646743March 6, 2025
ENGINE
The oil pump quit and Kia had a service bulletin that indicated that the oil pumps were defective and 10 years or 180k they would repair. Not may case.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11646868March 6, 2025
ENGINE
While driving my vehicle on a busy 7 lane highway the day after it was serviced by the Kia dealer, the engine died. There were no lights that flashed or warnings. i drifted into the left shoulder, which was the only place to get out of the traffic. (a picture of the location is included).A state police officer was called due to the danger of my position on this very busy highway. She obtained a tow service within 15 minutes due to the position of my vehicle and sat behind me with her lights on until she was summoned for another call. The tow truck drivers barely fit in the median and I had to walk out into the traffic lane in order to get into the tow truck. The vehicle was towed to the Kia Dealer where they informed me that they would replace the engine for $15,000. The only indicator light that ever came on in the vehicle was a low oil light 1-2 months prior to engine failure, which I immediately took care of. At no time after that did my low oil light or check engine light come on. Since replacing the engine was the only option by the Kia dealer and I did not trust the dealer to replace it and did not want to spend $15,000 on an 8 year old vehicle, I was forced to sell the vehicle for parts, which didn't even cover the $800 I spent the day before at the dealer, as well as the towing fees..
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11646540March 5, 2025
ENGINE
[XXX] while driving down the highway the vehicle started to stall and shake significantly, while exiting the highway then and only then did a check engine light and oil pressure light. The safety of myself as well as my husband and 4 kids was put at risk b y the fact that it was during the solar eclipse, and our area highways were bumper to bumper traffic. With multiple accidents already happenening in the area. Had we not safely been able to exit the highway ourselves as well as any other individual around us could have been in imminent danger of a serious accident. The problem has absolutely been confirmed by Larry stovesand kia as well as sales automotive. The vehicle has not further been inspected. As kia stated it is a cylinder 4 misfire requiring a total engine replacement. That they state is not covered under warranty (exceeded miles) or class action that includes kia sorentos up to year 2019. 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
#11646407March 5, 2025
ENGINE
I purchased my 2014 kia sorrento 3.3 SX in February of 2016. I was not informed at all about any issues with the engine or that there were any recalls concerning my vehicle. I have email correspondence from the dealership where years following my purchase of any safety recall notices. I had regular oil changes and normal maintenance. In March of 2024 my engine was stalling out and it smelled like burning plastic and wasn't turning over appropriately. I took it to the kia dealership and was told that the recalls had expired and that my vehicle had no oil, the engine was going to seize and I needed a new engine. Again I wasn't told at that time of any safety recall information that could lead to engine failure and or fire. I then took it to another local mechanic and had it diagnosed. I was told that I needed a nee engine that my hand gasket had blown due to premature bearing wear and severe leaks. I brought it home and I was too afraid to drive it. Then in 2025 I received another recall notice. I contacted Kia customer care and was advised that I might ne eligible for a engine rebuild, that I should have it towed to the local dealership for diagnostics to be ran yet again. The kia adviser in the service department said she was filing a claim with kia engineers and that she needed my registration and drivers license. After a week she contacted me saying my claim was denied and that my choices were to pay $13, 000 for an engine replacement or accept a trade in of $500. Again information was withheld from me concerning this vehicles recalls. At this point I am completely dumbfounded as to what to do next. My sorrento was paid off and only had 118,000 miles on it and they refused to cover anything under the 10temr or 150,000 miles extended warranty.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11646597March 5, 2025
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Outside temp was 33 degrees F with a slightly lower windchill. I started the car and, when I accelerated to 30 mph, my car began to beep and the dashboard indicated the speed was limited to 30 mph. It went into limp mode and resisted when I tried to go above 30. We were towed to Kia but they could not replicate the issue and said it may have been due to the cold. A Google search showed others with 2025 model Kias also had the issue and they also happened during colder temps. I was glad I was on a 40 mph road and not a highway or it could have been a dangerous issue. There was no indication of any issue until I tried to accelerate to 30 mph. It drove fine the night before when it was also below freezing.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11646196March 4, 2025
ENGINE
My car started shaking and making knocking sounds, pulled over and turned it off, tried to turn it back on and it shut off, had it towed to a family/friend mechanic he says my engine needs to be replaced. I’ve never had issues up until now.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11646281March 4, 2025
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 55 MPH the check engine light suddenly illuminated and the vehicle experienced a loss of automotive power and reduced speeds. Smoke and flames were also present coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was driven to the side of the road before it stalled. The fire department was called to the scene and extinguished the flames. No injuries were reported. The vehicle was later towed to the home. Fire report information was unavailable. The cause of the failures was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 147,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11646071March 3, 2025
ENGINE
I have a 2019 Kia Sorento which I bought new and changed the oil every 5-8k miles. I was told this was fine with newer vehicles that use synthetic oil. I started having issues with my car burning oil really fast around 60-70k miles. The oil would be dark and low without any warning light, well before my window sticker indicated I should need service. The shop where I take my car warned me this was happening with Kia engines. They also shared with my that my dashboard light was not coming on because it had not been "re set." I have always had a problem with the oil light coming on when I don't need oil and it not coming on when I do. I had my oil changed and was back after 3k miles because my engine was dry. A week later I stopped for gas on my way home from work at 1am, and its a good thing I checked my oil because it was dry. I have young children I drive around town daily. This is terrifying for me- not knowing if my engine could blow up any time, without warning. So I took my car to Kia where they started an oil consumption test. Which was time consuming and stressful to deal with. I have a maintenance gap that took place during Covid. Likely because my father in law changed my oil. I am hoping we can get receipts for this or apparently I am screwed, but this was 3 years ago! :( On top of it, the back of my white car is now grey because of all of the oil I am burning. Which explains the awful smell that fills my home when I open the garage door with my car running. That really can't be good. This has been a nightmare and its only the beginning for me. Kia needs to step up and take responsibility for their faulty engines. Stop making it so complicated for customers to get the quality service they deserve. I should not be fighting for them to fix an issue that has come highly complained about.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11646089March 3, 2025
STRUCTURE:BODY
The paint on our Kia Sorrento is chipping and flaking off.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11646037March 3, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Was driving up a hill when the 'Auto-Off' light started flashing on the driver display. Car would not accelerate above 20mph. At the top of the hill, I switched gears to neutral and the car began operating as expected; however, the same behavior occurred again at the next hill. Pulled over and restarted the car. Car worked as expected after restart. This is dangerous. I was taking my daughter to school in morning rush hour traffic. We live in a very hilly area and I'm terrified to drive the car. I dropped it off at the dealership almost 2 weeks ago and they have yet to identify the issue. I do see similar complaints on this site so I'm hoping that you are investigating.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11645871March 2, 2025
STRUCTURE:BODY
The paint on my vehicle has started to peel and is increasing getting worse. Will Kia repaint my car. It's looking very bad
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11645681March 1, 2025
STRUCTURE:BODY, SEATS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The paint all over the car had begun to delaminate and its only a 2013. The entire front of the hood, the side bar of the windshield on both the passenger and driver sides, and the roof along the windshield are flaking off manufacturers paint in large sheets. The back side has begun to develop small chips that will eventually match the front. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Because the loss of the protective paint on my car can and has been leading to rust issues on the metal underneath the paint. This is known to weaken the vehicle's body structure. This is especially problematic in potential areas of the car that are prone to collision, thereby compromising the vehicles safety over time, if allowed to continue to delaminate. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? All across the internet people are posting their pictures of their white Kia Sorento having the exact issue mine has. Also in the small town I live in there are at least 10 people who drive a white Kia Sorento like mine and each one is losing their paint to peeling and delamination. Just driving across California you can see that this is a manufacturing issue that has effected most all their customers who bought a white Kia from 2013 - 2018. After reading this question I am making an appointment to go into an Official Kia dealership to address this issue and get their feedback and hopefully a resolution on their end. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? I have not had anyone inspect it to date, but intend on getting an appointment with Kia at their next available opening. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? There were no precursors. Car was perfect when I purchased.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11645719March 1, 2025
ENGINE
Engine stopped working at a red light. I was told the timing chain shattered inside the engine. This vehicle only has 150k miles on it and has been well maintained.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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