Kia Sorento Complaints (2011)
1,520 consumer complaints on file.
- #10978759April 17, 2017POWER TRAIN
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING, AN ABNORMAL TICKING NOISE CAME FROM THE FRONT HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS UNDECIDED IF THE EXACT PART WAS THE PISTON AND THE LOWER RACKET ARM THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,388. UPDATED 06/22/17*LJ
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10972008April 12, 2017ENGINE
THE ENGINE BEGAN TO BE HARD TO START LEAVING WORK FOR HOME. THEN THE NEXT MORNING IT WAS HARD TO START AND WOULD ALMOST STALL AT IDLE. AFTER PARKING AT WORK I ATTEMPTED TO START IT AND DRIVE TO THE KIA DEALERSHIP FOR DIAGNOSIS, IT WOULD NOT KEEP RUNNING MORE THAN A FEW SECONDS. THE ENGINE HAS SUFFERED A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. THE DEALER SAYS THAT IT IS LIKELY THAT THE CRANK SHAFT BEARINGS FAILED, OR POSSIBLY THE CONNECTING ROD BEARINGS. THE ENGINE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10971641April 10, 2017ENGINE
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE AND DISCOVERED THAT IT WAS LOW ON OIL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BEARING WAS FAULTY AND CAUSED AN OIL LEAK. THERE WAS SLUDGE IN THE MOTOR, WHICH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPIAGN NUMBER: 17V224000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) AS A POSSIBLE SOLUTION TO THE FAILURE; HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,000.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- Yes
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10971758April 10, 2017UNKNOWN OR OTHER
DRIVERS SIDE DOOR NO LONGER OPENS FROM OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. SAFETY ISSUE
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10969434March 29, 2017AIR BAGS
THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON IN MY VEHICLE AND DISABLED THE ENTIRE SYSTEM. I TOOK IT TO THE KIA DEALERSHIP AND THEY DIAGNOSED IT, AND FOUND OUT IT WAS DISABLED DUE TO AN ELECTRIC FIELD SENSOR THAT IS SENSITIVE TO ALL KINDS OF ELECTRONICS. THE TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN IS TSB: BOD 072. IT HAS IN THERE THAT "IF CERTAIN ELECTRONIC DEVICES SUCH AS CELLULAR PHONES, LAPTOP COMPUTERS, INVERTERS, DVD PLAYERS, RADIO TRANSMITTERS, GPS NAVIGATION SYSTEMS, SATELLITE RADIO SYSTEMS, VIDEO GAMES, AND MP3 PLAYERS ARE PUT ON/AROUND A PASSENGER SEAT CUSHION (INCLUDING IN THE SEATBACK POCKET) OR IF LIQUID IS SPILLED ON THE SEAT CUSHION, THE AIRBAG WARNING LAMP MAY ILLUMINATE WITH DTC B1447, B1448, B1764, OR B1767" TO ME, THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY RISK, AS SOMEONE MIGHT HAVE A CELL PHONE ON THEM OR TOO CLOSE, AND IT DISABLES THE AIRBAG SYSTEM. THIS IS FOR KIA SORENTO (XM) 2011 TO CURRENT, KIA OPTIMA (MG) 2009, 2010, AND KIA RIO (JB) 2010 TO CURRENT.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10968953March 28, 2017STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT BOTH FRONT AND REAR DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE DOOR HANDLES FAILED TO OPERATE FROM OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT WAS ONLY ABLE TO ENTER THE VEHICLE THROUGH AN OPEN WINDOW WITH THE INSIDE HANDLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE DOOR ACTUATORS AND DOOR HANDLES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 205,000.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10968559March 26, 2017STRUCTURE:BODY
ONE DAY THE DRIVERS DOOR JUST WON'T OPEN FROM THE OUTSIDE. IT BROKE FROM THE INSIDE I HAD NO ACCIDENTS OR DAMAGE THAT COULD AFFECT THE DOOR AT ALL AND I'VE BEEN DOING SOME RESEARCH AND IT SEEMS TO BE A COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS PARTICULAR MODEL.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10967724March 22, 2017AIR BAGS
WHILE DRIVING ONE EVENING, MY AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON, THEN IT TURNED OFF, AND THIS HAPPENED FOR ABOUT A WEEK. NOW IT IS ON 100% OF THE TIME.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10967643March 21, 2017POWER TRAIN
FOR OVER A YEAR NOW AND HAPPENING MORE FREQUENTLY, ALMOST EVERY DAY, WHEN ACCELERATING AT 35-40 MPH THERE IS A HESITATION AND THEN A JERK IN THE TRANSMISSION. ALSO, WHEN FOOT IS TAKEN OFF THE ACCELERATOR IT FEELS LIKE THE CAR IS GOING TO DIE. THIS HAPPENS WHEN DRIVING IN THE CITY AND THE HIGHWAYS. I TOLD THE DEALER EVERY TIME I WENT IN FOR A OIL CHANGE. INFORMED DEALER LAST WEEK AND I WAS TOLD I STILL HAD TIME (WARRANTY).
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10967659March 21, 2017ENGINE
ON FEBRUARY 27, 2017, MY 2011 KIA SORENTO'S ENGINE DIED. I HAD ONLY ONE WARNING THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM AND THAT WAS A LACK OF POWER. I WAS GOING UP A SLIGHT HILL AND I HAD TO FLOOR THE GAS PEDAL TO MAINTAIN 20MPH UP IT. I WENT OUT AT 830PM THAT NIGHT TO TAKE IT TO MY MECHANIC AND MY SORENTO WOULD NOT START. I HAD IT TOWED TO GORRING AUTOMOTIVE AT 1030PM. ON MARCH 1, 2017, MR. GORRING CALLED AND TOLD ME I WOULD NEED A NEW ENGINE. I CONTACTED CENTURY 3 KIA AND SPOKE TO THE SERVICE MANAGER DAN. HE STATED THAT I NEEDED TO BRING IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT. I ALSO CONTACTED KIA CONSUMER NUMBER AND SPOKE TO ERIC. ERIC TOLD ME THE SAME INFORMATION AND I STATED I DID NOT WANT TO PAY FOR THE DIAGNOSIS AGAIN. I HAD MY SORENTO TOWED TO CENTURY 3 KIA ON MARCH 1, 2017. DAN STATED THAT HE WAS SURPRISED THAT MY VIN WAS NOT ON THE EXTENDED WARRANTY LIST. ON MARCH 3, 2017, DAN FROM CENTURY 3 KIA CALLED ME AND SAID THAT I DID NEED A NEW ENGINE. CHARLES FROM KIA'S CONSUMER NUMBER AND DAN FROM CENTURY 3 KIA BOTH STATED THAT IF I WAS THE ORIGINAL OWNER THEY WOULD REPLACE THE ENGINE AT NO COST TO ME BUT SINCE I AM THE SECOND OWNER OF THE SORENTO, IT WOULD BE MY RESPONSIBILITY. I INQUIRED AT THE COST OF LABOR AND WAS TOLD 15 HOURS AT $108 AN HOUR. I HAVE LOOKED AROUND AND FOUND THAT MOST ENGINES WITH ROUGHLY THE SAME MILEAGE AS MINE ARE AROUND $2,500. THE TOTAL COST WILL ROUGHLY BE BETWEEN $4,500 AND $6,500 TOTAL WITH ALL THE FLUIDS AND OTHER PARTS NEEDED TO RETURN MY SORENTO TO A FUNCTIONAL STATE. I PURCHASED THE SORENTO WITH 53,857 MILES ON IT AND HAD IT FOR ONE YEAR. I PUT 12,000 MILE ON IT ROUGHLY. MY SORENTO HAD ROUGHLY 65,500 MILES ON IT WHEN THIS HAPPENED. I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THIS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 2.4L ENGINES. IF THIS IS TRUE, WHY HAS KIA NOT DONE ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10967059March 19, 2017STRUCTURE:BODY, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
DRIVER SIDE FRONT DOOR HANDLE WONT OPEN DOOR.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10959653March 8, 2017SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
KIA SORENTO 2011 ESC DBS LIGHTS ON DASHBOARD AND EITHER CANNOT GET OUT OF PARK OR WHEN TRYING TO SHUT VEHICLE DOWN WILL GET STUCK IN BETWEEN NEUTRAL AND DRIVE, I SHUT DOWN CAR BUT OBVIOUSLY CANNOT TAKE KEYS OUT, WAIT A FEW MINUTES RESTART IN NEUTRAL AND SOMETIMES I CAN GET IT IN OR OUT OF PARK. SOMETIMES THIS IS DONE SEVERAL TIMES.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10959037March 7, 2017STRUCTURE:BODY, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
OVER THE COURSE OF THE PAST 6 MONTHS, I HAVE HAD SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH THE DOOR HANDLES ON THIS 2011 KIA SORENTO. AFTER SEARCHING ONLINE, IVE FOUND ITS A MAJOR PROBLEM THAT KIA REFUSES TO RECALL. THIS IS ABSURD. THE FRONT TWO DOORS ON THE KIA WILL NOT OPEN FROM THE OUTSIDE, BUT WILL FROM THE INSIDE. ONE OF THE BACK DOORS HAS A HANDLE THAT HAS BROKEN OFF AFTER LITTLE USE. IVE READ HUNDREDS OF STORIES OF THIS HAPPENING AND KIA NEEDS TO MAKE THIS RIGHT. THE EXTENSIVE LABOR IT TAKES INTO REMOVING THE DOOR HANDLE IS THE PROBLEM FOR THE PRICE. MOST SERVICE DEALERS WANT HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS TO FIX A PLASTIC DOOR LATCH/ACTUATOR AND THAT IS A RIP OFF. THESE NEED TO BE RECALLED IMMEDIATELY FOR SAFETY REASONS. IF A CRASH WERE TO HAPPEN, AND THE INSIDE ALSO QUITS WORKING, HOW WOULD YOU EXIT THE VEHICLE?
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10959055March 7, 2017EXTERIOR LIGHTING
MY 2011 KIA SORRENTO PARKING LIGHTS STOPPED WORKING. MECHANIC STATED THAT WIRE HARNESS HAD TO BE REPLACED FROM TURN SIGNAL SWITCH/INSIDE STEERING COLUMN AND DOWN THROUGH TO REAR LIGHTS. HE STATED THAT THE AREA WAS PACKED WITH DIRT AND DEBRIS EVEN INTO THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLE. MECHANIC COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHY THE AREA WAS SO PACKED WITH DIRT AND WATER. TOTAL REPAIR COST $398.00
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10959192March 7, 2017ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
MY DRIVER SIDE DOOR JUST STOPPED WORKING FROM THE OUTSIDE. IT UNLOCKS, BUT THE HANDLE DOES NOT OPEN THE DOOR. THIS IS SUCH AN INCONVENIENCE, NOT TO MENTION A SAFETY ISSUE. I SEARCHED AND SEE TONS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME THING, BUT NO RECALL. I AM SO SURPRISED AT KIA FOR NOT TAKING RESPONSIBILITY
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10957962March 1, 2017POWER TRAIN
A WHIRRING/WHINING NOISE FROM TRANSMISSION/DRIVE SHAFT AREA WHEN DRIVING ABOVE 20 M.P.H., GOING STRAIGHT AHEAD' ON SMOOTH PAVEMENT. I JUST PURCHASED THIS CAR FROM A KIA DEALER AND A SEARCH DOES NOT SHOW THAT NHTSA ACTION # PE11010 WAS EVER DONE. CAMPAIGN ID# IS11V258000. PLEASE ADVISE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10956768February 24, 2017AIR BAGS
DRIVER AIR BAG LIGHT IS ON AND WON'T TURN OFF
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10956197February 21, 2017STRUCTURE:BODY
FRONT PASSENGER DOOR HANDLE WILL NOT OPEN DOOR FROM THE OUTSIDE.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10955668February 20, 2017ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
DRIVERS SIDE,REAR SEAT PASSENGER DOOR LOCK DOES NOT OPEN FROM OUTSIDE OR INSIDE. THE DOOR LOCKS ARE ELECTRICALLY OPENED VIA KEY FOB OPENER. I HAD THIS DIFFICULTY BEFORE BUT HAD BEEN ABLE TO OPEN FROM INSIDE. I AM FEARFUL THAT THE CHILD LOCK ON THE JAMB OF THE DOOR MAY HAVE BEEN FLIPPED TO THE LOCKED POSITION. IN ANY EVENT THE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED USED IN AUG OF 2015 WITH 46K ON ODOMETER. THE UNLOCKING ISSUES WERE NOTED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY AS THE DOOR LOCKS ORIGINALLY ENGAGED WHEN THE TRANSMISSION WAS PLACED IN DRIVE. THE LOCKING PROBLEM WAS LIKELY FIRST NOTED IN EARLY FALL OF 2016. BY NOVEMBER OF 2016 THE DOOR WOULD NEITHER OPEN WITH THE KEY FOB BUTTON, ELECTRICAL SWITCHES ON THE MASTER DOOR CONTROL ON THE DRIVERS AND FRONT SEAT PASSENGER INTERIOR ARM RESTS, OR THE THE INTERIOR PASSENGER DOOR HANDLE FROM THE INSIDE. THE REMAINDER OF THE LOCKS HAVE NOT FAILED TO OPEN WITH THE KEY FOB, ELECTRIC SWITCHES OR WITH THE INTERIOR DOOR HANDLES. THIS SITUATION PRESENTS A SAFETY CONCERN PARTICULARLY TO DRIVER'S SIDE REAR PASSENGER AS EXIT FROM THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE DOOR IS NOT POSSIBLE AT THIS POINT. THE SITUATION HAS NOT YET BEEN REPAIRED.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #10955305February 17, 2017STRUCTURE:BODY
CHROME CRACKING ON DRIVER'S INSIDE DOOR HANDLE CAUSING SEVERE CUT ON HAND WHEN ATTEMPTING TO OPEN VEHICLE DOOR.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0