Kia Sorento Complaints

10,397 consumer complaints on file.

#11553130November 2, 2023
ENGINE
I noticed one day when filling up my wiper fluid that the engine was just slightly below the coolant low level. I topped off the coolant and tried to see if there was any leaks under the car. I couldn't see any. I started the vehicle and noticed there was bubbling in the coolant reservoir.I called my local mechanic and scheduled an appointment to bring the car in. The car wasn't driven until the day it was going in to be looked at. When driving the car in it started rough and slugish but then went back to normal. I drove it to my mechanics and on the way the car started running very rough engine shaking and the check engine light started flashing. I was only a few blocks away from the shop so I coasted in. They took the car in said it had a code for a cylinder misfire and started the car saying it was blowing white smoke out of the exhaust. They ran a test on the car and said they didn't want to take anything apart and to tow it to Kia. The car was towed to Kia in Wheat Ridge, CO. Car was inspected and the diagnosis was that the engine had overheated. The block is made of aluminum and so is the head. The headbolts that hold the two pieces together are a different type of metal. This manufacturing defect caused the threads in the aluminum block to strip or pull and loose tension on the head gasket. This allowed coolant to enter into one of the cylinders. Kia is recommending the engine be replaced for $11,910 and change. Car was regularly serviced and drove perfectly fine up until the day it went into the shop. Dealer service dept says this is very common on Kia and Hyundai 3.3L engines. Multiple cases around the same mileage.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11553174November 2, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY
As I was merging off of a ramp onto the expressway my sunroof exploded causing glass to go everywhere almost causing me to crash the vehicle. No cars were present around me to kick up debris to hit the vehicle, and there were no potholes or anything for me to hit.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11553241November 2, 2023
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the engine started shaking uncontrollably and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road and restart the vehicle. After restarting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the vehicle is not able to exceed 65 MPH. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11553282November 2, 2023
ENGINE, SERVICE BRAKES, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
My car lost power & completely shut down at 70 mph on the highway. My dash lights went place & I had no control of vehicle other than to go straight & come to a rolling stop. It has shut off repeatedly while driving
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11553006November 1, 2023
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The headlights randomly turn on and off while driving and with the switch set to “Auto”. This also occurs when the vehicle is shutdown with no key in the ignition and with no one in the vehicle. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Having the headlights turn off when driving at night presents a risk of the driver not being able to see the road and for other drivers to not see the vehicle. These risk may lead to an accident causing great harm to life and property, including death. The vehicle is currently with the dealer for diagnosis. There are no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. This problem began in the spring of 2023 with less than 60,000 miles on the vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11553057November 1, 2023
ENGINE
Was driving on highway car started making noise, wasn't sure where the noise was coming from by the time I could pull over my car started shaking and it was clearly coming from the engine. My engine went out so fast without warning. Only 120,000 miles.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11553067November 1, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Paint for this car has been delaminating and peeling off from regular use of the car. No accidents or scratches caused the paint to begin peeling, it just started on it's own. I am reporting this because I found it was a common issue for Kia owners with a pear white paint.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11552936October 31, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Paint peeling/rapid delamination (bubbling) on 2015 Kia Sorento (Snow White Pearl color) on FRONT PASSENGER PILAR AND CENTER ROOF. Great condition, 109,000 easy miles. Large chunk of paint came off today 10/31. Cost - estimate 10/2023 $5000. Why is this allowed? Obviously Kia has errors in the painting process - too many people with same complaint - seems only for Snow White Pearl. These cars are not worth it.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11552538October 30, 2023
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Sporadically during night driving the headlights will go out. Headlights set to AUTO each time. Most recently while turning right. Had not used right turn signal.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11552699October 30, 2023
POWER TRAIN
The contact owned a 2013 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH and towing a trailer, he heard a loud abnormal sound emanating from the rear of the vehicle. After which, the instrument panel behaved erratically, then the vehicle lost all motive power, and the contact observed smoke entering the interior of the vehicle. The contact stated that he was able to coast to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to shift into park. After some time, the contact observed the vehicle engulfed in flames originating from an unknown location. Local emergency services were called and were able to extinguish the flames. A fire and police report was filed, but no injuries were reported. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and deemed a total loss. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 133,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11552744October 30, 2023
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The low beam headlights are very dim even after replacing bulbs. Have replaced 2 sets in less than a year. Not sure if issues are related but I have seen multiple people have posted about dim headlights on this model
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11552503October 29, 2023
VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY
I was driving my 2023 Kia Sorento on the I-5 freeway going about 70 MPH when the front-half of the panoramic sunroof spontaneously shattered and dropped glass into the cabin of the car. There was no debris, falling objects, or any other event to cause the glass the break. We were at a wide open area of the freeway with no overpasses and not much traffic around us. It had been almost freezing in the morning, but a very sunny day. We were traveling at about 4:30 PM pacific time on Oct. 28.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11552514October 29, 2023
ENGINE
The engine threw a rod while driving on a flat stretch of US HWY 285. The vehicle is available for further inspection if needed. The engine has 61,300 miles on it. We were forced to stop on a small 2-lane highway and wait for hours for a tow. This was inspected by the dealership and needs to be replaced for the vehicle to be safe to drive again. This is not covered under warranty as I am the second owner with a warranty up to 60,000 miles. No warning lights or messages occurred prior to the rod being thrown.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11552520October 29, 2023
STEERING, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Steering jerks to left at highway speeds. Feels like motor driven power steering is causing this and leads to over Correctional at highway speeds. Also rear end noise when turning at slow speeds.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11552265October 27, 2023
ENGINE
Vehicle is burning excessive amounts of oil. The check engine light nor low oil light has came on and vehicle was (4) quarts low (according to independent mechanic). Was told by KIA dealership that they would not repair unless the engine was completely blown up. I was told to add oil, get more frequent oil changes, trade vehicle, or come up with $8,500. The engine only has 61,000 miles on it and is a 2016 model. This is a widely known issue and KIA needs to admit the failures and fix the problem.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11551747October 25, 2023
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
2022-09-22 I took my 2013 Kia Sorento for both low beam lights out to Ed Voyles Kia Service - 2145 Cobb Parkway SE, Smyrna, GA 30080. Initially, the Service shop only replaced the bulbs and wanted to send me on my way. I explained that I already replaced both bulbs 2 times and the low beams keep going out and changing the bulbs is not going to solve the problem. I demoed how pushing on the hood alone makes the lights flicker. Then, the Service shop replaced the passenger low beam connector per Kia warranty extension. They did not replace the driver low beam connector. 2023-10-20 I took my 2013 Kia Sorento for driver low beam light out and airbag light on to Ed Voyles Kia Service - 2145 Cobb Parkway SE, Smyrna, GA 30080. They fixed the airbag clock assembly per Kia warranty extension but although they admitted that the fix to the driver low beam connector should had been done a year prior, now the warranty expired, and they did not honor it.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11551510October 24, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS, BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Infotainment center and back up camera failure as well as multiple other system failures that have been ongoing since 2020 after water damage when ac drain hose backed up. Kia has been contacted multiple times since April 2021 regarding this issue after it caused an accident while backing up in April 2021. Kia did not inspect the vehicle until March 2022 due to failure to arrange appropriate appointments and transportation. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The ongoing failures are a safety issue because they make it impossible to safely drive and not be distracted. The screen failures when backing up make it unsafe regarding backover protection and the sensors also fail for back up and blind spot. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Unknown. The manufacturer has been provided with multiple videos of the issue and has had the vehicle for over 100 days total. Kia states they have the right to manufacture vehicles with features and that they should not be relied upon for safety, under oath and recorded. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Manufacturer has had access to the vehicle. They are not sharing what occured when they had it. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Failure is not consistent or anticipated. It does occur more often when it has rained.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11551599October 24, 2023
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Cars burns a qt of oil every 200 miles oil smells just like gas
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11551646October 24, 2023
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to coast to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was able to be restarted. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality. However, the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact investigated the failure and related the failure to a Manufacturer’s Security software update that the vehicle had received prior to the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 70,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11551295October 23, 2023
EXTERIOR LIGHTING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Lights go off unexpectedly while driving at night. The rear break light has been changed 3 times and continues to work intermittently. Lights come on after the car has parked and turned off.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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