Kia Sorento Complaints (2012)

880 consumer complaints on file.

#11707873December 30, 2025
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that her son had reported that the vehicle was losing motive power and had failed to exceed 15 MPH while driving. The check engine warning illuminated. The contact advised the driver to pull over and to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle and advised that the engine had failed the engine bearing test and several other engine tests. The contact was advised that the vehicle could not be driven. The contact advised the dealer that in 2024, the same dealer had performed the recall of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000(Engine) on the vehicle. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle qualified for a manufacturer program for engine replacement. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and advised the contact that the dealer would be contacted, but no further action was taken. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11703240December 5, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated the vehicle was serviced at the local dealer for the NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000(SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC) regarding a safety fire hazard. Days later, while the vehicle was idling, smoke was suddenly present coming from under the hood. The contact opened the hood of the vehicle and discovered flames and smoke coming from the fuse box located in the front of the engine bay. The contact, who was a local fire investigator, retrieved a fire extinguisher and extinguished the flames. The fire department was called to the scene, and a fire report was filed. The vehicle was later towed to the home, and the manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the incident. The manufacturer sent an investigator to the home to examine the vehicle. The investigator determined that the fire had originated at the front of the engine compartment, but did not determine the cause of the fire. No injuries were reported. The contact was concerned that the fire was related to the recall service previously performed. The failure mileage was 212,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11701341November 24, 2025
ENGINE
Engine Intake gasket oil leak.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11694509October 20, 2025
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that, while driving at 60 MPH, she observed smoke emanating from the engine compartment, prompting her to attempt to pull to the shoulder of the roadway. During the attempt, the contact stated that she then heard an abnormal pop, after which the vehicle lost motive power, and within a moment, the entire front end of the vehicle was engulfed in flames. Upon exiting the vehicle and being assisted by bystanders, the contact was informed that the bystanders had attempted to alert her on the road as they had observed flames emanating from underneath the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a storage facility but had yet to be deemed a total loss by the contact's insurance provider. A fire report was filed. A police report was not filed, and injuries were not reported. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 106,334.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11689440September 24, 2025
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. While the contact's son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the traction control and ABS warning lights were illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle stalled and went into LIMP Mode. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The contact used a portable diagnostic machine and retrieved DTC: C1613,C1205, C1206, C1207, C1208, C1210 and C1211. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 204,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11688229September 18, 2025
AIR BAGS, STRUCTURE:BODY, ENGINE
Hey I’ve Recently Wrecked My Vehicle Due To Malfunctions This Year Just A Few Months Ago & I Reported It To The Dealer Before I Crashed It. That Something Was Wrong With The Engine And Also Sent The Dealership I Purchased It From Videos Before Hand But Nobody Would Listen To Me. Now My Car Is Sitting In A lot Engine Blowed And I Can’t Afford Another One. I Have Proof , Names And Also Couldn’t Get My Car Fixed Because I Only Had Liability Insurance Only. No Report Was Filed Because Me And The Other Vehicle Was Transported To Uab Hospital.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
2
Deaths:
0
#11684273September 1, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My pearl white paint is chipping and peeling off my car
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11681568August 19, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, ENGINE
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the vehicle jerked with an abnormal rattling coming from the engine. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road, and the vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that there were metal shavings found inside the engine. The dealer requested that the contact provide the history of maintenance on the vehicle. The contact provided documents; however, the dealer refused to perform the recall repair due to a lack of maintenance on the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was towed back to the residence. The failure persisted, and the vehicle remained at the residence unrepaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 11,877.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11679948August 11, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Parking lights stay on, change brake light switch but the hole that the switch goes in is not aligned with the brake stopper to turn off the stop brakes, therefore it remains on. Battery needs to be unplugged to keep from draining. The mechanism to stop the lights from remaining on is somehow shifted to no longer turn off the brake lights.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11666032June 10, 2025
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
I smelled fuel in & around vehicle. Did some checking discovered cracked fuel rail , causing significant fuel leak when engine is on. Did some more research online discovered 2012 KIA Sedona recall SC188 “fuel rail leak” Identical issue my 2012 Sorento has but my VIN does not come up with fuel leak recall. There is however recall 23V652 HECU replacement- engine fire possible
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11663956May 30, 2025
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 23V652000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC) and 18V907000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE, ENGINE). The contact stated that while driving 10 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal before the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. In addition, the contact stated there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The contact stated that the vehicle was pushed to a nearby parking lot. The vehicle was then towed to a Collison enter. However, no cause for the failure was found. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer where it was determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the recall repair of NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V907000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE, ENGINE) could not be performed if the engine was not replaced first. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact had received a recall letter regarding a defect in the engine and the vehicle had been repaired in 2017. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 274,479.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11661590May 17, 2025
ENGINE
[XXX] brought car in to dealer with engine problem, I was told it needed a new engine and would be replaced under warranty. April 27th 2025 I picked up my car, two weeks later on [XXX], driving home from work the engine caught on fire, I was able to pull over, got out and called 911. In 5 minutes the whole front end was engulfed in flames. Coconut Creek Police arrived first, then the fire department. The fire department extinguished the fire. I didn't notice any warning lamps, car was driving fine, I filed a claim with my insurance, AAA, I also spoke with the KIA service manager about it, He said it could have been an old brittle fuel line, they only replaced the engine. My AAA insurance company has the vehicle and is inspecting it. The Coconut Creek Police in FL has a report # [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11660651May 13, 2025
ENGINE
The engine was replace May 1, 2025 and on May 11, 2025 the car caught on fire. It was a total loss.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11658437May 2, 2025
SUSPENSION
Left rear sub frame cracked in half while driving car . 2017 they did work to the under belly in reference to corrosion of the car . Has therr been any other complaints about this vehicle type ?
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11657564April 29, 2025
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle experienced a loss of automotive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with a bearing failure and the failure was linked to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
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
#11644955February 26, 2025
ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I had my mechanic come to my house to diagnose what has been going on and it is a recall on the motor. Along with my car throwing codes as well. I purchased the car from car max told them almost a year ago something was wrong with my car and they told me it was nothing it was a transmission issue. My father raised me to learn how to fix vehicles so o knew something was wrong. Now due to their negligence I am stranded with two small children.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11641661February 10, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that upon parking the vehicle at his home, an abnormal burning odor began to emit from the vehicle's vents. Upon inspection of the vehicle, the contact discovered that the engine had caught fire and did not engulf beyond the vehicle's firewall. The contact used his home's water hose and sprayed the engine for approximately 25-30 minutes until the fire was fully extinguished. The police and fire departments were not notified of the failure and no injuries were reported. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulics) which was linked to the failure. The dealer nor the manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11635755January 13, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact owned a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and unoccupied, she was informed by an individual if she was the owner of the vehicle since it was smoking and caught on fire. Prior to the fire, unknown warning lights would illuminate and un-illuminated intermittently. The Fire Department was on the scene and extinguished the fire. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot and then towed by the insurance company. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the insurance company. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired due to the VIN not being included in a recall at the time the failure occurred. The contact received NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC) after the vehicle caught fire and was destroyed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 142,739.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11634693January 7, 2025
ENGINE
Not sure if you can help me, we bought a 2012 Kia Sorrento in 2011. The motor blew up at 92,000 miles. There was a recall on it and the motor was replaced. They gave us lifetime warranty on the motor. The second motor blew up as we were driving it at on 100,000 miles on the that motor. Luckily we were not on the freeway at the time. We took it to Findlay motors in Las Vegas for a new motor under the warranty. They contacted the KIA corporate office in Irvine Ca and denied our warranty. We have put in over $8,000.00 in the last two years on new struts, serpentine belt, motor mounts, brakes and 60-90,000 mile check ups. All done by Jim Marsh KIA in Las Vegas. We have all the reciepts. They will not even talk to us. They have a service rep. Tony Thomas in Ca who did not even look at the Sorrento or check our service records deny the warranty. This vehicle has had several recalls, not just the motor. I took it in for all the other recalls. It was unsafe for us to drive it when it blew up and unsafe to drive now. I am a [XXX] Veteran and think they are just hoping I will go away. I am hoping since their was a recall on this that maybe your agency can help me. Or maybe put me in touch with an agency that can help me by making them fulfill their obligation. 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

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