Kia Sorento Complaints

10,397 consumer complaints on file.

#11699421November 14, 2025
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle was shifting extremely roughly. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission due to the vehicle not receiving a required software update. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 141,128.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11699344November 14, 2025
ENGINE
Car is burning more oil than it should. We fill up oil multiple times between oil changes. When checking oil it has a burnt smell to it.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11699308November 13, 2025
ENGINE
My 2016 KIA SORRENTO consumed all oil resulting in engine (3.3L Lambda II) failure within 72 days (3,442 miles driven) of Kia dealer service department complete inspection and service (including oil).
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11699126November 13, 2025
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2023 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the gear shifter was shifted into drive, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to move forward. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had occurred more than five times within a month. The failure occurred after a previous repair was performed by the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact stated that previously, while the vehicle was parked on a hill, the gear shifter was shifted into reverse, and the vehicle rolled forward and crashed into a curb. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was repaired. The contact was informed that the failures were not failures but instead the normal function of the vehicle. The contact submitted a Lemon Law claim and was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 21,700.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11699008November 12, 2025
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
Engine has a leak, the engine oil sensor was defected ,front axel leak and needs replacement
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11698885November 12, 2025
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
headlights and taillights went out while driving and a few seconds and then came back on and everything on the dash also went out and came back on. i was driving at night time when this happened it put me and my child at risk. i called the dealership and they refused to fix saying that my kia is not impacted by this recall. But that i could schedule an appointment to have my headlights checked, i explained to them there is nothing wrong with my headlights this is clearly a software issue, Tonya at Kia Louisville east is still saying its not related to the recall, and is scheduling appt to have my headlights checked. no warning lamps messages or any other symptoms before this happened and has only happened the one time.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11698884November 12, 2025
SEAT BELTS, AIR BAGS, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I was involved in an automobile collision. It was a T- Bone collision on the driver side. My vehicle flipped on it's side, the moon roof completely shattered, my seatbelt released me and I was ejected through the moon roof. The vehicle landed on top of me. All of my air bags did not deploy even though my vehicle rolled over twice.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11698700November 11, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES
Brakes and rotors needed changed at 23930, not normal
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11698658November 10, 2025
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, STEERING
The car engine started on fire while I was driving after all the recalls were fixed and new engine installed. The car was completely destroyed the whole engine compartment was completely burned. Kia says it was an oil leak but that’s not true the car oil change was done regularly and was serviced within 3 months of the engine fire. I also had this vehicle parked inside my garage for 5 years and not a single drop of oil in the garage floor. Kia is also refusing to send me a full report of their findings from the fire inspection. Kia adjuster is acting in bad faith by not providing the fire report. The car engine was replaced new due to an earlier recall and within 10,000 miles the new engine caught fire. They don’t want to be liable for this engine fire but cars don’t just burn without any reason. The refusal of KIA adjuster to release the findings in the fire inspection is very concerning to other people driving this vehicle in the public. Where engine fire can cause their deaths and their families deaths. This is a safety problem
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11698466November 9, 2025
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
My vehicle has a slow speed pick up and I’m getting code p0018 and has very rough idling !
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11698449November 9, 2025
ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Fourth time we've had the car go into limp mode. Now at the dealer for third time. Driver was driving and the car went into limp mode after activating the cruise control follow function. Husband was behind in our Toyota Tacoma truck and was able to pick her up with California Highway Patrol to get off the highway into a parking lot to tow her. No warnings, no messages on the dash. She was unable to accelerate to highway speeds and was capped, and felt that there was very little to no predictable responsiveness in the car's acceleration. Car now at dealership.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11698383November 8, 2025
ENGINE
When start up there’s a clacking sound then it goes away, while the vehicle is warm you hear the clacking while driving vehicle
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11698115November 7, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
ABS Module. could catch on fire at any time It has been confirmed with the dealership And Another auto Independent service shop. It has been inspected by Kia sunset dealership In an automotive independent service shop. that Found brake fluid in the harness Going to the a b s module shorting out and melting connections creating miscommunication with other modules. That when. found there was a recall on this. Tge Warning lights was ABS module, engine light. Tire pressure light. My speedometer didn't work. My odometer didn't work. And air conditioner didn't work, getting the car out of park. And the airbag light came on. Some lights came in june. I had to pay for the part up front to get it fixed. It going into the shop soon to fix the ABS Module.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11698214November 7, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
Safety Concern – 2025 Kia Sorento Prestige Hybrid (VIN [XXX] ) Around October 13, 2025, my leased 2025 Kia Sorento Prestige Hybrid experienced a sudden and severe loss of power while I was driving on the highway. The vehicle was towed to the dealership, where the High Power Control Unit (HPCU), part number 36601-3DPG3, was replaced. No clear explanation of the root cause was provided. Less than a month later, on November 6, the same failure occurred again—this time in heavy highway traffic—creating a serious safety risk and increasing the chance of a collision. The vehicle is primarily driven by my wife, who regularly uses highways to transport our son. The recurring and unpredictable nature of this issue has made us feel unsafe and anxious. We are deeply concerned that another failure could lead to a serious accident or fatality. We respectfully request that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) investigate this matter as a potential safety defect. Without a clear understanding of the cause, we are documenting these incidents to encourage action. It is critical that Kia resolves this issue to protect families and maintain trust in its brand. Thank you 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
#11698228November 7, 2025
POWER TRAIN
Our 2025 Kia Sorento has exhibited several issues with shifting into gears especially from 1-2 gear there is hesitation, hard shifting, where it has delayed engagement, rough or jerky shifts, and a feeling of power loss while driving. It has a hard time getting into 3rd gear and just stalls, dragging at 1st/2nd when attempting to accelerate and coming down from 4th gear back into 2nd and 3rd. A "check transmission' warning light has appeared on the dashboard. This is teh second time we have had this issue. The car only has 16K miles on it, we have had it for 12 months exactly now and only drive it locally.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11698072November 7, 2025
STEERING
My vehicle has issues with the power steering. At random times, day or night, the wheel steers to the right and I have to force my grip on the wheel to avoid crashing. It last between 3-5 seconds. No lights or alerts light up on the dashboard. Dealerships have been unable to assist me, I have gone to three different ones. They cannot identify the issue. Loss of power steering assist increases crash risk, since it’s harder to control the vehicle in tight maneuvers or emergencies. Car is available for inspection.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11697940November 6, 2025
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. No warning lights were illuminated. In addition, the contact stated there was condensation coming out of the exhaust pipes. The contact was stopped by another driver and was informed that the condensation coming out of the exhaust smelled like a bakery. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not inspected. The contact was informed that a diagnostic test was needed and was provided with the cost of the diagnostic test. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V224000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) and NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V331000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was informed that a diagnostic test needed to be performed and that there was a cost for the diagnostic test. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11697949November 6, 2025
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2011 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V877000 (Engine). The contact stated that the engine had seized while driving approximately 40-45 MPH. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact had owned the vehicle for a year. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, who declined to service the vehicle due to the contact not having the oil change records. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 230,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11697964November 6, 2025
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2018 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the engine was making an abnormal knocking sound. The contact stated that while slowing for a traffic sign or stop lights, the vehicle was shaking and vibrating abnormally. The contact stated that while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle started making the knocking sound again. The check engine warning light illuminated and was now constantly illuminated. The contact stated that prior to the sounds and check engine warning light being illuminated, the contact was constantly adding engine oil, even after an oil change. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle and informed the contact that the engine was failing and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the engine was replaced in 2019 by the same dealer. The dealer requested that the engine be replaced; however, the manufacturer later informed the contact that the request was denied. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact requested an escalation to review the engine replacement and was informed that the escalation had been denied. The failure mileage was approximately 178,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11697751November 5, 2025
ENGINE
We financed this 2014 Kia Sorento LX AWD from a used car dealer, and there has been nothing but problems with this vehicle. From the water pump, to insanely high oil consumption. I have verified that it is not leaking. Gaskets have been replaced, filters have been replaced, O2 sensors have been replaced, the water pump housing unit, impeller and pulley have been replaced, Spark plugs have been replaced and their boots, fuses have been replaced and renewed, even the brake light switch has been replaced. The coolant thermostat has been checked and it is functional, the MAP sensor is functional, the catalytic/exhaust manifold has been replaced, the in tank fuel pump/fuel sending unit has been replaced and the HPFP has been replaced and this vehicle still wants to consume oil like crazy and is flirting with deaths door step. It goes through fits of loss of power during acceleration in times when it really matters most, like trying to pass a vehicle. So most of the time I dont, because its not safe to try to pass vehicles and suddenly lose power and end up in a collision. I have checked all 6 recalls that have been opened and closed on my vehicle and part of me wonders if they were falsely closed. One of them indicates I should have had a partial, if not whole engine replacement at some point and I still have a VIN original engine in my vehicle. I have had this vehicle in my possession since August of 2025, and have done nothing but pour money into repairs on it, and i STILL feel like its going to leave me stranded on the side of the road. KIA needs to make good on their own warranty with as many issues as this year and model of vehicle that it has, and reinvestigate this vehicle. I believe the recalls on this vehicle were closed by a shady mechanic. Mind you, before it bought this vehicle, I had a mechanic look over it with an OBDII and no codes popped, none were stored and to this day, there still are none, but this engine is not behaving the way it should.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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