Kia Sorento Complaints

10,397 consumer complaints on file.

#11679558August 9, 2025
ENGINE
Out of no where engine light starts flashing and had it checked code P1326 Knock Sensor Detection System. Now need a new engine. This is a common issue for this make and model but somehow my vin isn’t on the recall. This isn’t right
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11679293August 8, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING
I bought this car back in January 2024. I had it for about a week and the check engine light came on. When I had it read it was a torque converter clutch solenoid. I took it to Kia they said it needed reprogrammed, it was fine. Then a few months go by and I take it back in and they told me I needed to spend $5,000 for a new Transmission at less than 100,000 miles. When doing research a lot of others have had this issue as well. They said there maybe a recall eventually but until then I had to pay for it. I paid for it there is still no recall. Also the rear cross traffic goes off as a car is behind you, there’s not really a warning before the car is behind you
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11679300August 8, 2025
ENGINE
Car had a blown head gasket. Took it to my mechanic and upon inspection determined that the head bolts had stretched. My mechanic said that it was a common problem and service advisor at dealership also agreed it was a common problem. After a little research found a lot of complaints about this problem. Talked to KIA and was told no warranty or recall for this problem
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11679393August 8, 2025
ENGINE
I am writing to express my concern regarding a serious issue with my 2018 Kia Sorento equipped with the 2.4-liter engine. The vehicle has been experiencing excessive oil consumption—approximately one quart every 400 miles—which I believe may be indicative of a manufacturing defect. Based on similar issues reported with more recent Kia models, including those involving potentially defective piston oil rings, I am concerned that my vehicle may be affected by a similar issue. As you are aware, defective piston rings can lead to long-term engine damage, sudden loss of power, and even an increased risk of engine fire. Given the severity of the symptoms and potential safety implications, I respectfully request that this matter be formally investigated and that Kia consider extending the recall or offering a resolution for affected 2018 Sorento models. I look forward to your prompt response regarding this issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11679208August 7, 2025
POWER TRAIN, ENGINE
The engine light came on and then two hours later the entire system started flashing and the engine started stalling. The car would not accelerate and had to be taken to Kia. This is the SECOND time this has occurred. The first time, the engine froze and I could not accelerate on the highway. I barely got to the side and had to get towed to Kia. Please, please investigate this vehicle and the power train.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11678812August 6, 2025
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
The contact owns a 2019 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal fuel odor inside the cabin of the vehicle. The fuel odor was also outside the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. An appointment with the dealer was scheduled for the vehicle to be inspected. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 71,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11678906August 6, 2025
ENGINE
We purchased a 2017 Kia Sorrento AWD 3.3L V6 153,000 on May 9 2025. We made our 2nd payment on July 11th & on July 17th @5am we went and filled it up and got on the highway to head to work. We didn't even drive ½ a mile when all of a sudden it lost all power at 73mph. No warning lights nothing. Dash said "key fob not in vehicle". We had it towed to Kia which cost almost $350 for them to call & tell us we need a new engine. No codes nothing. Also almost $200 for them to diagnose that. And that it will cost over 10k to fix. We paid under 10k to begin with. They are saying it isn't covered under any warranty. It's our only vehicle that we can drive in winter. We literally had the Kia just over 2 months.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11678647August 6, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, WHEELS
My traction control light is on along with my abs sensor light and another light indication red figure with like a stop sign only when someone in passenger seat as well as a exhaust issue my vehicle sounds loud driving out of no where
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11678919August 6, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Back in June 2025 my car started having an issue with the auto on/off light blinking on the dash and unable to be turned off. While driving and this happens, the car is unable to maintain its sped or accelerate. This has caused safety concerns many times. Dyer Kia first said it was an update, problem still remained. Then they said a deeper update was needed to no avail. The third attempt was a new transmission which caused more problems and still did not address the initial issue. Then they said it was the battery. They installed/ replaced an already new battery yet the problem still existed. Another transmission was put in and the problem still existed. Then they replaced the TCM and the issue still exists. The car is at a new dealership and already they are saying they have not found any codes to explain the problem yet and that they need to repair the battery terminal leads that the previous dealership broke before they are able to go further. Kia corporate is not helping me find a permanent solution to this issue and I still do not have my vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11678644August 5, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Severe paint delamination has occurred on the vehicle, causing the clear coat and base coat (Snow White Pearl color) to come off on the hood, pillars, roof, and rear sides of the vehicle. Not only does the peeling paint create an airborne/debris hazard, it also risks exposing the vehicle to premature rust/corrosion. This issue slowly began in 2019 and has only become much worse. From the information I have gathered online, this is a widespread issue affecting this particular model/year/color of Kia.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11678129August 4, 2025
ENGINE, STRUCTURE:BODY
I purchased my Kia sorento in August of 2024 in April 2025 my Kia went into limp mode p1326. It was determined to be part of the ksds recall but all they did is replace the sensor. Something caused that sensor to go off and I feel they just masked the problem. At the same time in April I was told that there is a severe case of oil consumption that the Kia dealership requested information i do a $700 engine cleaning but actually made the oil consumption worse. Also just in the last 11 months ive had excessive paint issues where overall there's random chips, then peeling on the hood, side of the windshield and top of vehicle. I messaged Kia USA where I was informed neither situation is covered under warranty. My thoughts on oil consumption is i myself and the previous owners via carfax show consistent maintenance which in turn make it seem to be a manufacturer issue. I'm in imperial MO 63052 USA Not sure if your company can help or refer me to someone who can.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11678145August 4, 2025
ENGINE
Unknown Engine stopped in the middle of driving. The engine has a bad bearing. Caused the starter wire to be burned so can’t start vehicle what so ever. Chunks of metal in the oil.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11678353August 4, 2025
POWER TRAIN, ENGINE
While driving my 2025 Kia Sorento SX Hybrid on a normal hot day, I experienced a sudden and dangerous loss of power. I had briefly exited the freeway to pick up my children and left the vehicle running. After re-entering the freeway, the car failed to accelerate despite pressing the gas pedal to the floor. It felt stuck in first gear, with the engine revving but no response. The hybrid battery showed nearly empty, and the car would not switch properly between electric and gas modes. A warning appeared instructing me to “park the car and leave the engine on to charge the battery,” which I did. After idling for several minutes, I slowly drove—with hazards on and speed under 25 mph—to the nearest Kia dealer 1.5 miles away. This incident could have been catastrophic if it occurred while merging into traffic. The dealer has been unable to replicate the issue and is offering no fix. This was a sudden hybrid system failure with no warning lights or prior symptoms. It severely affected drivability and put my family at risk. After researching, I found that multiple other owners of 2025 Kia Sorento Hybrids have reported similar power loss incidents since May 2025, especially during warm weather. This is a serious safety issue. A car that unexpectedly loses propulsion—especially while merging or accelerating—can cause a major crash. I urge NHTSA to investigate this defect in the hybrid system and issue guidance or a recall before someone is injured or killed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11678045August 3, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN, SERVICE BRAKES
My Sorento PHEV popped a P0c4e code and now the car is gutless on electric power. Kia cleared the code in an attempt to fix it but now the code is gone and it’s still weak. When I let off the brake it rolls when it used to have the power to hold it. I used to be able to get on the freeway and now I can’t get up to speed in town (35mph). It’s running in some sort of limp mode and Kia can’t see any codes. It’s loud, too. Each gear whines. It whines when I hit the brake and it regenerates electricity. It regens so little now that it doesn’t hardly slow me down anymore until I stand on them and use the brake pads. Kia said that it might be a sensor in the electric motor but it’s not replaceable and you have to replace the whole motor. Even though it’s under warranty, it’s 15 hours labor to replace it. I have family with the same car and theirs has done the same thing in the past and had to be replaced. My dealer said that they have seen a bunch of these throw that same code and have to have the motor replaced. She said she is expecting Kia to start replacing them for free or possibly recall them because of how many she has seen all doing the same thing.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11678060August 3, 2025
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The headlights will randomly turn off while driving, mostly when turning on the right blinker. This has been happening a few times a month since I got the vehicle in 2017. More recently, the bottom brake lights and running lights have been shorting out.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11678077August 3, 2025
ENGINE
Oil consumption
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11678103August 3, 2025
ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
Cut off in middle of the interstate start smoking
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11677985August 2, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
My car will sometimes completely stall at a light when stopped and not restart with the Automatic stop system it has happened about 5 times almost causing a wreck.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11677743August 1, 2025
ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Oil consumption
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11677807August 1, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My 2016 Kia Sorento has a paint peeling on the hood and roof. I have reached out to Corporate but they will not help due to expired warranty. Learned on FB group chat that the paint is defective also the same color paint white pearl. Have you had any other complaints?Any idea on what I need to do? Thanks.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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