Kia Sorento Complaints

10,397 consumer complaints on file.

#11589692May 20, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Q: What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? A: The electrical problem started with battery power drainage. After two battery replacements, other electrical problems started to occur. Turn signal lights would not work, windows would not open or close, the left headlamp failed, was replaced, but did not work, all warning lights stayed on. Q: How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? A: The various electrical failures first occurred while driving the vehicle. I was inable to signal to change lanes. Q: Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? A: No. Q:Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? A: Yes. Before the battery drainage issue ocurred, the check engine light and ABS indicator lights began staying on all the time.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11589807May 20, 2024
ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Unknown and the engine light is on
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11589466May 18, 2024
ENGINE
My Grand daughter' car. May 9th 2024 discovered engine oil is in the engine coolant system. KIA tech says it a blown head gasket or the threads that were machined into bolt holes in the engine block for the head bolts are pulling out. Safety hazard, engine could have failed on interstate or in traffic and posed a threat to driver and others traveling on roadway. No warning of any type.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11589333May 17, 2024
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact's ex-husband owned a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) and would like to be removed from the recall distribution list. The local dealer and manufacturer were not contacted.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11589392May 17, 2024
ENGINE
The car started shaking, it slowed down and stopped and all the lights on the dashboard came on and there was a loud sound and I turned the car off. I called towing, got my car back and took it back to the dealership. At the dealership they checked the car and called the warranty company who sent an inspector... The Ethos group told me that there were some errors in the report and that they still couldn't give me information, after two weeks the dealership called me and told me the warranty denied the claim. The denial claim said it was the coolant hoses that caused the engine problem and overheating, but I bought the car from the dealership when it had 85,063 miles on it and it hadn't even passed the year when the engine blown off and the car had 100,381 miles and has regular maintenance at the dealer. Before any lights came on on the dashboard it started shaking and slowing down and all the lights were on... how can they said the car overheated but no light of warning?
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11589142May 16, 2024
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact owns a 2011 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 local dealer was contacted and confirmed parts were not yet available. 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
#11589057May 16, 2024
STEERING
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel momentarily became stuck while turning or attempting to switch lanes. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the steering column was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 132,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11589069May 16, 2024
POWER TRAIN
Engine bearings failed at 69000 miles only .excessive metal shavings in oil filter. Oil warning light flashing on and off even though the oil is full. Burning oil and gas. Mechanic checks it up and said crank shaft bearings failure. Common issue with this car model and year. He informed me that there are open recalls engine on this model. I called kia manufacturer customer support and said no there is no recall for this vehicle even though. Recall number: 17V224000 “ Kia Motor Company (Kia) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Optima, 2012-2014 Sorento and 2011-2013 Sportage vehicles. Machining errors during the engine manufacturing process may cause premature bearing wear within the engine. Recall consequence Bearing wear may result in the engine seizing, increasing the risk of a crash. Recall action Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine assembly, and replace the engine if necessary, free of charge. The recall began June 20, 2017. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC147.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11589072May 16, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY
This morning the panoramic sunroof on our 2012 Kia Sorrento spontaneously exploded. Shattered and chunks of safety glass came down on us. My son and I sustained superficial injuries (I sustained laceration over left eye and on left hand) - he has a lump on the right side of his skull. When we pulled over the glass was also on the rear portion of the roof. Nothing struck the vehicle. There was no vehicle/truck in front of us for potential debris. Open sky above. It sounded like a gunshot before the glass exploded over us.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
2
Deaths:
0
#11588855May 15, 2024
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER CLOCKSPRING/SPIRAL CASSETTE
The contact owns a 2011 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the front tires independently braked on and off quickly. The contact stated that the "Down Hill" symbol, traction control, and ABS warning lights were illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the clock spring and the angular velocity sensor needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the dealer retrieved DTC codes: C1260 and 934490RU0. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 117,757.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11588872May 15, 2024
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2011 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, there was smoke coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to the local service center which determined that the cam shaft sensor was faulty and needed to be replaced. The cam shaft sensor was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 169,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11589005May 15, 2024
ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My 2016 Kia seronto was fine wasn’t throwing any codes not even the code that tells me my oil is low. But always kept it changed and maintained never had a problem with it only the code that says 02 sensor then I started having an exhaust leak near my engine it was getting so hot to the point it was catching my carpet inside my car on fire so I had to pull up the carpet that never bother me or made an issue for the car I was driving and it started knocking like a rod knock I check the oil and there’s oil in it with no metal shavings or a creamy color to it. Car still starts gets louder when the rpms go up so I’m just a bit confused to what happened when I kept my oil changed and my car never warned me of any problems and only thru a code for the o2 sensor I seen the recall for different Kia for the rod knock sensor detection so could that have happened to my Kia since it just messed up without any time of warning please let me know at [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
#11588629May 14, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
This is a 2017 vehicle, and the paint is peeling off of various areas of the vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11588699May 14, 2024
ENGINE
On May 1, 2024, I noticed my 2018 Kia Sorento making a knocking sound and smoking heavily from the back exhaust. I turned it off, thinking it might be overheating, and planned to check it the next day. On May 2, 2024, while taking my daughter to school, the vehicle was knocking but no indicator lights were displayed, the main display screen suddenly showed an engine control system issue, and the car spoke and said to take the vehicle to the closest service center I immediately headed to the Kia service center. About 2-3 miles into the drive, the car shut down completely on the interstate. I managed to coast to a stop on the access road but was still partially on the road, so I called for a tow. The police later helped me move the car further off the road because I was a hazard for Morning rush hour traffic. After waiting for three hours, the tow truck took me to the Kia dealership, where the mechanic found that the engine had seized. Kia refused to repair the damage, citing that I hadn't done a KSDS recall. The repairs are estimated to cost over $7000 needing long block replacement from hole in block (KSDS requirements not met). I was not aware of any issues with my car, as I had not been informed about a KSDS recall or any suggestions regarding it. I feel this situation put me in danger, first with the potential fire hazard and then being stranded on the highway and nearly struck in multiple occasions. . I currently have no working vehicle, and Kia is not taking responsibility for these engine issues but my make and model has no listed recall. I am not considered a part of the KSDS recall therefore I also get no claims to the millions awarded to others due to this recall.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11588711May 14, 2024
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact owns a 2011 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 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. Parts distribution disconnect.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11588753May 14, 2024
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact owned a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed he smelled a burning fuel odor, and smoke began coming into the vehicle from the vents. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact pulled over and unlatched the hood of the vehicle only to find a sizeable amount of fire coming from the engine, which left him with burned hairs on his left arm, no medical treatment was needed. The contact stated there was a cop parked nearby who came to extinguish the fire with a fire extinguisher. The fire department was called to make sure the fire was extinguished. The contact did not recall filling out a fire department report. A police report was filed, however the contact did not have the information available. The insurance company towed the vehicle and deemed it totaled. The contact was relating the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23v652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The dealer confirmed that the vehicle was not included in that recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and also confirmed there was nothing they could do because the vehicle was not included in that recall. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000. The VIN was not available.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11588788May 14, 2024
ENGINE
Cylinder head gasket of my 2016 Kia Sorento is going bad due to a manufacturing issue. One of Kia representatives informed me of this issue and created a case. She stated that the company would make sure that the head gasket sealants were my issue by a mechanic at the dealer, and my car would be covered by KIA. Now they are saying they don’t have any knowledge of a cylinder head gasket issue. I would like this to be investigated by someone that can help me
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11588404May 13, 2024
STEERING
The steering wheel sticks and has to be forced out of the stuck position. Not a safe situation if it gets worse. If it sticks for good I could be driving into the ditch or into the path of an oncoming car. I hear the steering column has to be replaced. It has been doing his for the last year.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11588447May 13, 2024
ENGINE
Going 70 on the interstate luckily I was in the right hand lane when my motor just died!now my motor is fried knocking had it at the shop two weeks prior for oil problems said it was the valve head gasket took it to get fixed now a few weeks later I now longer have a warranty I'm 5 thousand Over it I still owe money for something I have to put more money into!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11588479May 13, 2024
ENGINE
The contact owned a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the malfunction indicator lamp warning light illuminated and the contact heard a loud sound. The contact stated that the sound was like something had fallen from underneath the vehicle. In addition, the contact noticed white smoke that exited the rear exhaust and white smoke that exited from under the front hood of the vehicle. The contact stopped the vehicle and exited the vehicle. The vehicle was engulfed in flames. The local Fire department and Police department arrived on the scene. A police and fire reports were filed however limited information for the reports was available. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard. The manufacturer inspected and determined that the failure was no fault of the manufacturer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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