Kia Sorento Complaints
654 consumer complaints on file.
- #11445232December 28, 2021STEERING
The car drifts from right to left all the time on any road surface. This was addressed at about 2,000 miles months ago and they could not get it to steer straight. I brought this up on the oil change visit and the tech never addressed this at all ! The dual clutch transmission does not shift properly. The vehicle larches hard into reverse, feels like it will sometimes stall when starting out from a stop sign or traffic light. (This is dangerous) The idle goes up and down from 750 RPM to 1,100 RPM when the car comes to a stop. (This is dangerous) The brakes feel like they are weak. (This is uncomfortable at best) There is a lot of wind noise at 45 MPH and up. Had you do a $65.00 oil change. When I got home, I checked the oil and it's at least 1/8 quart short. I have not had time to come back for your techs to add more oil yet. So, your tech did not address issues (1) (2) (3) (4) at all. Instead, he wrote up the issue (2) as being normal for that type of transmission. After your service advisor Joshua Mills saw I was very dissatisfied with the lazy diagnosis, he took me to J.D. McClure with the list of problems I had outlined to your company. JD explained he was brand new at KIA and did not have KIA experience which was disheartening at best. I asked that he contact KIA corporate to have a certified KIA rep come look at this vehicle. He assured me he would do so and call me back to see if and when a rep can come look at my vehicle. As of today, he has not called me. Yesterday my wife Ann called right after she used the vehicle and experienced a lot of potential stalling issues and spoke with Christina. She explained that all principles were in a morning meeting but she would tell JD about your issue and have him call you. He did not call !!! What are you going to do about these issues ??? These issues are all over the KIA forums and registered complaints are listed on the N.T.S.B. (National transportation safety board) on all of the above.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11444128December 17, 2021UNKNOWN OR OTHER
ISSUE: Vehicle appears to encounter a severe reduction of power output when attempting to accelerate [i.e., either will not exceed 5mph or accelerates extremely slow) while also experiencing random erratic shifting, shifting failure, and abrupt jerking. Issue occurs regardless of circumstances (i.e., speed, weather, road conditions, turning, accelerating from stop, accelerating while in motion). Issue first appeared 12 DEC 2021. Restarting vehicle will not resolve issue. Check Engine light illuminated briefly and then extinguished. Vehicle is available for inspection. Vehicle has not been diagnosed by dealership; Service department visit has been scheduled [30 DEC 2021].
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11444071December 16, 2021POWER TRAIN
Hello, My 2021 Kia Sorento SX was purchased new and it currently has 1917 mileages on the odometer. After purchasing the vehicle I have noticed a very noticeable noise which seems like coming from the transmission. When I slow to a stop a big clicking noise comes from the transmission. This noise is concerning regarding a safety stand-point and to be honest it is really annoying. I have read some other comments online and it seems to be an issue around this certain make and model. I have been to a Kia service center on two separate occasions on this issue. At this time the service department stated they can not assist me moving forward unless I escalate this to Kia Support which I plan on doing. Thank you for your time.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11443302December 9, 2021POWER TRAIN, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Transmission failure at 9108 miles. Car was turned on and error code stating of some form of a transmission failure. Odd electrical sounding issue in engine bay as well. If the transmission had failed while I was driving I could have gotten into a serious accident. Kia is already notorious for failing transmissions in their other vehicles. This car maybe no different.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11442740December 5, 2021POWER TRAIN
2021 Kia Sorento SX Prestige (XLine) did not want to shift on its own. When it was taken to the dealership, SME's reset the check engine light, drove 1 mile (total) and informed us there was nothing wrong with the vehicle. They were able to see a power train code (transmission fluid level pressure) within code history however they did not drive it long enough to replicate the code. Transmission fluid levels were checked ( 89% full) and was topped off prior to releasing the vehicle back to us. After driving about 40 miles, the vehicle was taken to the store however, went limp in the middle of the road. The vehicle would not move (no matter the gear) and after turning off the vehicle and turning it back on the vehicle would not budge. The vehicle was forced to move after revving up the vehicle to 5K RPMs the vehicle started to drift. During this time, the D symbol and R symbol would blink repeatedly. I put it in manual mode and instead of showing the gear it shows an " S ". Thankfully this occurred on a military base however, if this occurred off the base I believe I would have gotten into an accident causing serious bodily injury or worse. Currently, the check engine light is on and I do not feel comfortable or safe in the vehicle.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11442191November 30, 2021UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I brought this truck 1/1/21. 6/13/21, the transmission went out on me. The Kia Dealership had to replace 3 transmissions, in which the truck stayed in the shop for over 4 months with no loaner. When I got it back, I drove it for 2 weeks and in the middle of traffic, the dashboards lit up like a Christmas tree, then the truck cut off on me. This is a safety concern and this truck is a lemon. Currently going through the buy back process since September. It's now going on December.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11441980November 29, 2021POWER TRAIN
THE TRANSMISSION PERIODICALLY DOES NOT ENGAGE WHEN IN DRIVE THE TRANSMISSION ALSO OVER REVS THE ENGINE WHILE GOING A SLOW SPEED I POINTED THIS OUT TO THE DEALER WHEN IN FOR SERVICE THEY STATED THEY WERE AWARE OF OTHER TRANSMISSION COMPLAINTS, AND I SHOULD KEEP AN EYE ON IT. NOTHING WAS DONE TO FIX THE PROBLEM THERE WERE NO WARNING LAMPS OR INDICATORS WHEN THIS HAPPENED
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11441645November 24, 2021VISIBILITY/WIPER
Within a 2 month period after purchasing this vehicle, the windshield has cracked twice. First time was more understandable as a larger sized rock hit the windshield right next to the pillar on the passenger side creating a roughly 4” starburst crack. That one was replaced and 2 weeks later a tiny pebble kicked up and created a small chip on the upper corner driver side. Within about 30 seconds the chip spread halfway across the windshield. These new windshield seems to be extremely weak and falling in line with the issues the Telluride had as well with the Kia acoustic glass.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11441222November 21, 2021POWER TRAIN
Transmission failure with no warning while driving on the highway. No warning lights before or while this occurred. Car would not accelerate. After being diagnosed at the dealership, we were told there have been other reports of the same issue therefore replacing the transmission would not be an option and Kia may have to buy the vehicle back. This is NOT a safe vehicle!!
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11440999November 19, 2021POWER TRAIN
At first from 1st to 2nd took RPM to 5,000 before shifting to 3rd. Almost like it was stuck in neutral over that time but clearly in Automatic. Once in third girl no power until RPM drops and then shifted.At high speed all seemed fine. Happened ever time I start/stopped until When turned off car and it on went away. Now this morning on the way to dealship no Forward or Revese so having it towed to dealership.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11440599November 16, 2021POWER TRAIN
The vehicle has a dual clutch transmission which causes the vehicle to lunge forward at idle. The transmission also "slips" at times during hard acceleration and results in very slow acceleration when entering a highway on a ramp or making way across an intersection. The transmission also shifts extremely hard when coming to a stop and then lunges requiring additional braking. This presents a safety issue when crossing an intersection or coming to a sudden stop in stop and go traffic. The vehicle has 10,000 miles was inspected (and reproduced) at the Kia dealership where I purchased it, and the service department states that the transmission is working as designed, which I believe since there are numerous complaints about the same issue on line and Kia forums. The newest issue (about 2 months old) is that there is a whining noise that appears to be coming from the transmission during acceleration until the transmission shifts into another gear. There are no warning lamps - the issue has been occurring since purchased in May 2021. It appears that this issue is with the dual clutch 2.5 turbo models across the Kia line.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11440285November 12, 2021POWER TRAIN
When coming to a parking lot stop the vehicle skips or jumps and it can be felt on the floor board. I took it to get inspected at a Kia dealer who was able to identify the problem being my transmission and not the brakes. He informed me that Kia considers this a “normal condition” and that there was nothing they could do about it. This is extremely alarming and concerning that Kia is not concerned about transmission issues in their brands. There are no warning lights that come on. I feel unsafe driving this vehicle in fear of the transmission tearing up completely or running into the back of another vehicle or object. I drive on a busy interstate everyday for work and driving this vehicle in this condition is not safe in my opinion.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11439568November 6, 2021POWER TRAIN
I was driving to work on I-95 when a message appeared on the dash to “Stop Safely Immediately”. Less than a minute later, I lost the ability to accelerate and the vehicle was losing speed. I pulled over to the shoulder. Vehicle was towed to the dealer. They were unable to pinpoint the issue and stated the entire transmission needs to be replaced.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11437521October 20, 2021POWER TRAIN, ENGINE
My 9 month old (9000+ miles) car went completely into neutral while driving without any warning. The speed dropped quickly, and I was very closed to get hit by the car behind. I carefully stopped and turned off the car at a curbside, and it went back to normal when restarted. However, the next day I started the car like normal and found it wouldn't move either forward or reverse with the Check Engine Light on. The car was then towed to the dealership for inspection, and they were able to reproduce the problem. I was told the entire transmission needs to be replaced. The same terrifying experience is seen from multiple internet forums for the same new Kia Sorrento 2021.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11437182October 18, 2021UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Car has 2500 miles and engine is revving funny, Cruise control was working fine but all of a sudden started noises like downshift problems and lost power for cruise control; mph light flashed it has the 8 speed transmission it says. Please look into this as I paid a lot of money for this car to have it acting up already. I do not trust Dealership to tell me the truth. Thank you.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11435968October 7, 2021POWER TRAIN
The SUV had a whistling noise then started leaking transmission fluid. I brought it in and the master tech said the whole transmission needed to be replaced. This is a NEW vehicle which only 5000 miles on it .
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11435707October 6, 2021ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
Power train operation is erratic and unpredictable. I have have experienced the same problems of other reports (loss of power when turning, jerking/rough shifts, cruise control issues) with the addition of this: when stopping the vehicle in a smooth controlled fashion, it suddenly has a boost of acceleration at 1-2 mph which requires extra brake pedal pressure to keep from impacting the car ahead.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11435704October 6, 2021ENGINE
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the engine was vibrating abnormally. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer. The dealer set an appointment however, the vehicle had not yet been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 500. Consumer would like to withdrawal the complaint.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11435660October 6, 2021POWER TRAIN
Transmission failed at 3200 miles leaving my family stranded. Car was completely disabled abruptly. Luckily I was able to find people to push my car to a safe location until my tow arrived. This was very scary given the fact I had my three children inside.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11435306October 3, 2021POWER TRAIN
The transmission is failing after only 6000 miles. The vehicle suddenly and without warning will stop functioning, this happens while driving. The vehicle comes out of drive gear while still running and leaves driver with no ability to move out of traffic. This has happened numerous times over the last few weeks. After researching online it became evident that this is a common problem with the 2021 Kia Sorento. Many consumers complaining of the same thing. My wife was almost rear ended Saturday when the vehicle jumped out of gear and she was unable to get it out of traffic. These vehicles pose a very high risk and probability of causing accidents.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0