Kia Sorento Complaints

10,397 consumer complaints on file.

#11667814June 18, 2025
ENGINE
Driving the 2015 Kia Sorento coming back from work The car overheated and complete engine failure check engine light with flashing
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11667815June 18, 2025
ENGINE
What's driving home from work doing 65 mph postal speed limit car begin to overheat and then went in the complete engine failure engine light flashing
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11667820June 18, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
Upon starting my vehicle after going to the grocery store, the ABS, ESC, Check Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist System, and Auto Hold warning lights illuminated. The cruise control was then inadvertently deactivated. When vehicle is started the Check Forward Collision error comes on. After a few months when entering the freeway and accelerating I received an error regarding unknown engine issue. Took vehicle to Kia dealership and was who diagnosed that the hydraulic electronic control unit (HECU) needed to be replaced. Manufacturer being notified, vehicle not repaired at dealer due to cost.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11667829June 18, 2025
ENGINE
My wife was taking my granddaughter to her dance recital on 06/14/2025 she went to pass a car and the Sorento started missing out then died. She had to get to the side of the road and call for help. Once I arrived, I noticed oil on the ground under the vehicle. After I had my mechanic look at the car it was determined that it threw a rod out bottom of motor and the car was towed home. This is a 2016 kia sorento LX with the 3.3 motor. We have had no issues with this car and it has had regular maintenance perforemd since we purchased it at 27000 mikes. It now has 11000 miles warranty ran out at 100000
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11667838June 18, 2025
ENGINE
My 2022 Kia Sorrento’s engine seized while stopped at a stop light. It is my understanding that this is a common issue with Kia vehicles. Kia is denying this being an issue with their engines despite the documented history of this problem. Since my engine has seized the problem can’t be reproduced on my specific vehicle. It is currently at a local dealership.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11667364June 17, 2025
ENGINE
2014-2015 Kia Sorento 3.3L V6 Engines Coolant Leak Extension of Warranty and or Financial reimbursement of a repair done prior to receive this notice. engine develop coolant leak from cylinder head gasket area I have tried since 6-24-2024 to get a reimbursement from Kia for Case#[XXX] I have sent info through their website portal, last Dec 2024, they emailed, sent a requested paper, and still nothing. No reimbursement check, no notice that it isn't going to be paid, NOTHING. In a few days 24th it will have been 1 year since I contacted them. I would like my reimbursement check, I feel I have given them plenty of time. 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
#11667387June 17, 2025
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle experienced a loss of automotive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the road. However, upon further inspection, the engine oil dipstick had an abnormal fuel odor. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to a lack of maintenance records and the costs. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 56,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11667409June 17, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
The contact owns a 2011 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while attempting to unlock the vehicle with the key, the front driver side door opened; however, the other doors failed to open as intended. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The contact stated that on another occasion, the interior lights failed to work as intended and several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The check engine and ABS warning lights remained illuminated. The contact stated that the buttons on the steering wheel failed to operate as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the vehicle could not be connected to the diagnostic machine. The contact stated that the dealer refused to update the antitheft system or perform the recall repairs linked to the VIN. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11667411June 17, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
My KIA Sorrento spontaneously engulfed in flames approximately 200 yards from my home. This is not a vehicle crash the car had flames coming from the vents and floor boards. I was the driver my daughter was the passenger and my granddaughter was in the rear car seat we barely escaped with our lives before it exploded and we were steps away as car debre was flying past us.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11667513June 17, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Paint peeling on hood and roof
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11667388June 17, 2025
POWER TRAIN
Transmission problems match those outlined in SC250. The dealership says our car wasn't included but our manufacturing date/model are a match. I've reported a problem with the dealership previously but they dismissed it.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11667186June 16, 2025
ENGINE
Possible Head Gasket Failure, present problems Coolant leak, scent of coolant, oil leaks, overheating, hydrocarbons where found in cooling system, Engine failed Coolant pressure test. Complete engine may need to be replaced.Car presently has 74,000 miles break down reported at AllStar Kia, San Bernardino, Ca 92408 on May 29, 2025. 909-763-4740 Victor Morales & Joe West. Car running fine, took in for simple oil change, and the problems above were reported.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11667259June 16, 2025
ENGINE
While driving down the road the car just went dead. No warning. It was the oil pump that had gone out and froze the engine causing complete loss of control of the vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11667226June 16, 2025
ENGINE, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, POWER TRAIN
While traveling to VA from TX, [XXX] and on [XXX] the vehicle hesitated to accelerate multiple times. Some were from a complete stop, and other times it occurred when accelerating to merge on the highway. On [XXX], I pulled out of a driveway onto a very busy road and upon increasing pressure on the gas, the vehicle shook (similar to the behavior of a manual when letting up off the clutch and not applying even pressure to the gas. Due to the vehicle's hesitation, I as almost hit by a large truck traveling on my exact path. This was the sole instance that warranted a call to Kia Corporate, as I feel the issue is a significant safety concern. I placed the vehicle in service 11-12 JUN and the attached receipt highlights that the dealer was unable to replicate the issue. As of 16 JUN, the vehicle is still exhibiting the same issue intermittently, along with the break pedal popping when ascending or descending on a hill/ramp. 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
#11667093June 16, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The car overheated while driving and my wife and daughter had to pull over to side of road. Engine Coolant was spilling everywhere. Car was towed to Raceway Kia in Freehold NJ. The dealer advised my wife that the radiator needs to be replaced and it was NOT covered under warranty. They claim that debris from the road must have damaged the radiator and therefore it was "third party damage". I searched the web for incidents and found that this ios a design problem in the Kia Sorrento. Their design causes the vulnerability to get damage to readaitor due to leaks. This should be recalled and redesigned before someone gets seriously injured as a result.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11667023June 15, 2025
POWER TRAIN
Put vehicle in park while waiting at a gas station. It won't come out of park. Managed to get it to the pump, and used a screwdriver to bypass the shift lock control, and was able to drive home. With the bypass enabled, it puts my family at risk while driving. The car can shift without the brake being applied. I looked this problem up and it is extremely common with Kia Sorento (the BCM fails, and it's not an affordable fix).
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11667035June 15, 2025
ENGINE
On [XXX] while driving at approximately 45 mph the check engine light came on and the car would not accelerate. It was towed to the Kia Dealership in Charleston South Carolina. A Code P1326 was diagnosed. They performed bearing clearance test and it passed. Also Performed software update. The car drove as normal until [XXX]. On [XXX] while on the interstate, going about 65 mph, the check engine light began flashing and car would not accelerate. The car was taken to the Kia dealership in Florence, South Carolina where we were told the knocking sensor needed to up updated. We told them it already had been updated in January by the Kia dealership in Charleston South Carolina. We were then told we had to take it back to Charleston and have that dealership work on the car. We called Kia Customer Care Center because the Florence Kia was refusing to work on the car. Kia Customer care also told us to have the car towed back to Charleston because the Florence Kia was backed up months before they could even look at it. We were told towing would be reimbursed. We had the car taken back to Charleston and have provided all the service records we had to the dealership. It has been over six weeks and still waiting for an answer about the engine. Kia Support says they haven't received any of our services records from the dealership and the dealership says they sent the records. We are not allowed to send the records straight to Kia support. We have asked the Kia Dealership what needs to be done to fix the car but they said they can't tell us until Kia support tells them. We do not know if any inspections have been done of the car yet. We are given very little information by the dealership. 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
#11666832June 13, 2025
ENGINE
Engine failure. Hyundai and Kia Theta Engine Class Action Settlement 2017 Kia sorento 2.0 vin [XXX] . vehicle has the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) Update which extends engine coverage to 10 years/150k miles for rod bearing failure. the vehicle has 118k miles and is at a kia dealership. They denied coverage due to no present codes related to the knock sensor and being that it has low compression on one cylinder. My 2017 Kia Sorento experienced a serious engine failure related to rod bearing wear, a known issue in the Theta II 2.4L GDI engine. The engine began making a loud knocking noise, which is a classic sign of rod bearing failure. They just so happened to left that out of their diagnosis that it has rod bearing noise and are using only the fact that low compression and no code related to the bearings to deny the coverage. When rod bearings wear out, they allow excessive play in the connecting rods, leading to unstable piston movement. In interference engines like this one, that instability can cause the piston to travel too far upward and strike open valves during operation. This can result in bent valves, valve seat damage, low cylinder compression, and repeated misfires. In my case, the engine was diagnosed with low compression and misfires consistent with this kind of internal damage. This isn’t just a wear-and-tear issue. it’s a known design flaw that leads to catastrophic engine failure and a serious safety risk. Kia denied coverage, despite this exact failure being covered under a class action settlement and extended warranty program, and despite my vehicle showing textbook symptoms of the defect. I am requesting a full investigation into Kia's handling of these claims and the lack of proper recall enforcement. My name is [XXX] with 1A auto mart inc. I am handling this case for my customer who is the registered owner of the vehicle [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
#11666860June 13, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES
while traveling about 30 miles per hour a car in front stopped. When I applied the brakes the abs locked up and caused my car to skid in to car in front. I had plenty of room to stop but as the policy report shows there was kid marks and car did not stop .
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11666770June 13, 2025
STRUCTURE:BODY
Driving on interstate during a partly cloudy day at 53 degrees going 65 mph. There were vehicles approximately half a mile away in the front of us and approximately 2 car lengths behind us with no noticeable debris on the road. Moon roof was fully extended and the moon roof exploded without warning (not due to rocks). It sounded like a gun shot went off and we were covered in glass.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

← Back to Kia Sorento