Kia Sorento Complaints (2017)

808 consumer complaints on file.

#11697787November 5, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, VISIBILITY/WIPER
Panoramic sunroof sunshade has detached on one side and is hanging down, affecting visibility.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11697128November 3, 2025
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
My headlights come on even when the car is completely off for now reason
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11696203October 28, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
On October 26, 2025, Sunday, I was cleaning my windows. I discovered both rear windows would not roll up or down. I took it to Valley KIA on October 27, and it was diagnosed that I needed to replace both rear windows with new window regulator. It will be installed on October 29. I told my tech advisor about the window regulator recall on the 2017 KIA Optima and Sportage. He told me there was no recalls on the 2017 Sorento. I had to pay out of pocket to have my vehicle repaired. How could my rear window regulator fail within 4 years? It seems really perplexing for both rear windows to fail at the same time. How can I recover the cost of repairs - because 2017 KIA Optima and Sportage had the same problems. On October 22, 2025, Wednesday, I took my car to KIA Riverside regarding a voluntary recall for a multi-function switch. The rear window regulator behind the front passenger side failed on May 24, 2021. I took my 2017 KIA Sorento to Valley KIA, Fontana. The mechanic made the diagnose and replaced with new window regulator and it was installed on May 25, 2021. It poses a safety hazard if baby, children or adults are in the back seat, and windows does not roll up or down unexpectedly. It is a safety hazard when I cannot secure my vehicle. It is a safety hazard if I had things in the back seat, and it would fly out the window. It is a safety hazard when unable to open or close the window when it is hot, cold, or raining. There was no warning prior to failure. I just heard a grinding like sound, or like sound of plastic breaking when I pushed the button on driver seat to lower or try to roll the window back up.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11694930October 22, 2025
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
When turning left, after the turn is complete and the multi function switch returns to home position, the right turn signal activates. This could lead to confusion by surrounding drivers resulting in safety concerns. At night, the headlights will randomly turn off while in auto mode while driving. Numerous times this happens and seems to be increasing in frequency. This is a serious safety concern as the visibility is limited to the driver and others on the road. Potential for a serious accident. After the vehicle is parked at the night, the exterior lights remain on all night if the headlight setting is in “auto”.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11694961October 22, 2025
ENGINE
Car started shaking, white smoke out of tail pipe, ABS/TCS lights went on. Oil on spark plugs My wife was stuck on side of interstate.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11693185October 13, 2025
AIR BAGS
My airbag sensor light is on; Kia dealer says it is an OCS sensor has an internal fault for the passenger side, but the sensor comes on when only the driver seat is occupied. I am told NOT to drive the car until it is fixed because the airbag will not deploy. Dealer has confirmed the issue and is quoting $1100 to fix if there is no recall posted on the vehicle. The system first appeared about 3 days prior to taking it into the dealer for inspection. Car is still at the dealer while review of recalls are undeway. We've found recalls for Kias for 2018 but not 2017
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11692125October 8, 2025
ENGINE
Often, Service Managers like [XXX] from Kia University Dealerships will unlawfully charge you for diagnostic tests or other unrelated issues that should be free or try to persuade you to purchase repairs as a condition for completing the free recall work; however the repair is a standalone obligation, and the we should have the right to decline any additional, non-recall-related maintenance that the service department might recommend. Seven (7) months ago, I spoke with a Kia customer service agent that informed me that there may be another recall or another Product Improvement Campaign coming regarding my 2017 Kia Sorrento; therefore, please be on the lookout for issues with your vehicle and the engine. Therefore, when I took my vehicle to the Kia Dealership on University Drive “Which I had been going to since I purchased my vehicle” and informed them my engine light was just on, the gentlemen informed me that they needed to see the engine light on before they could input the Product Improvement Campaign/Recall. I ask the gentlemen why is this situation different, usually they just install the part and I just move out. Once again, I was informed they had to see the engine light on before they could install whatever they needed to install. Between the seven (7) months, I drove the vehicle to Kia and just before I got there, the engine light would go off, they still would not install whatever I was informed needed to be installed. I offered for them to take the vehicle and take it as long as you need to in order to get the engine light on, I was informed they did not have enough space in there shop. I started taken pictures that showed I was right around the corner from the shop; often three (3) minutes from the shop, they indicated they would have to emulate the engine light on before they could install whatever needed to be installed. Finally, after never pass seven (7) months, I was able to get the 2017 Kia Sorrento to the dealership and the first thing [XXX] info INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11691747October 6, 2025
ENGINE
Engine oil consumption test,did 3 at Kia dealership and was confirmed engine was bad,we don’t have all the maintenance records so we are denied.Kia should stand by their product and change this engine under warranty and recall.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11691285October 3, 2025
ENGINE
1) My vehicle incurred catastrophic engine failure. The engine stopped running suddenly. It does not crank over. It is available for inspection. It does not run. 2) I am thankful that no one was injured and that the vehicle did not catch fire. 3) There is a safety-related defect in certain 2017 Kia Sorento vehicles. 4) My vehicle was towed to the house and has not been inspected. 5) There were no signs of leaking oil or oil burning. No dashboard lights came on to signal overheating or low oil level. No check engine light ever appeared.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11691144October 3, 2025
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
My engine was replaced under the Kia PI1802Y/Z Engine Replacement Program in July of 2024 in August of 2025 after the replacement I began to smell gas in my vehicle and took my vehicle to the Kia dealership to find out what the issue was. They informed me that it was a fuel pump leak due to bad gaskets. I believe the engine replacement was done improperly and should be under the SC172 High Pressure Fuel Outlet Recall Campaign. I have reached out to Kia and the dealership. The dealership is being less than cooperative and Kia is not addressing the issue specifically. The gas leak was significant and was potentially dangerous. It would fill up my entire garage with fumes.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11691079October 2, 2025
VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY, SEATS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while the vehicle was started and running, the air conditioner failed to operate as needed. The contact stated that the front passenger’s seat was moldy, and the sunroof had seized. Additionally, the sunroof headliner fell while changing lanes. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed; however, the result was not provided. The windshield washer, the sunroof assembly, the reservoir pump, and the front axle seal assembly were replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and informed the contact that the issue would be escalated to the corporate level and the dealer. The approximate failure mileage was 61,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11690696October 1, 2025
ENGINE
Engine burns oil excessively and Kia has this marked as a known issue. The oil is leaking inside the engine around the pistons and into the combustion chamber. Because the engine is direct injection, it now has to go through a combustion cleaning every time this happens at $700 a pop plus diagnostics which makes it over $900 every time this happens. Happens so often that it won't even get to the milage for an actual oil change to be due. Kia refuses to do anything until the connecting rod or connecting rod bearing fails and I have a complete engine failure. I feel like that is very dangerous and could cause serious harm to myself or others if I have an engine failure and cause an accident.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11690882October 1, 2025
ENGINE
Prior to the below incident, my vehicle was driving normally. Oil levels were normal, and there were no warning lights. In June 2025, I was driving on [XXX] during morning rush hour. As I approached a traffic light at the end of this 3-lane expressway, the engine suddenly stalled. I rolled up to the red light. When safe to do so, I left the vehicle to stand on the side of the road so as not to get hit. I had the car towed to a local repair facility. Repair shop looked at the vehicle and determined that the engine was seized. They then checked for TSB's and discovered that Kia had, in some instances, extended the warranty to 180,000 miles and 15 years. My vehicle had 142,000 miles. I then had my car towed to the closest Kia dealer in Hickory, NC. The dealer initially indicated it was possible my car would be covered by the extended warranty, but they needed to run pressure tests to determine the cause of the engine seizure. Over the next 2 weeks, I called the dealer repeatedly, but they had no update for me. After about 2 weeks, they told me that my vehicle would not be covered by the extended warranty, and a new engine would cost me $15,000. I then called Kia Customer Care, and the representative told me there was nothing they could do. I asked about an appeals process and was told there is none. After I returned from vacation in early August, the Kia dealer contacted me and requested that I pick up my vehicle. I drove to the dealer and called a tow truck to bring it to my home. I rented cars at my own expense from the time of the engine failure until I bought a new car in mid-August. Shortly thereafter, I arranged to sell the Kia to a used car dealer for $1,500, far less than I would have received with a healthy engine. At that point, I needed to get the car out of my garage. While cleaning out the car the night before it was to be picked up, I opened the hood and found that the engine had been left disassembled with parts lying all over the place. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11689589September 24, 2025
ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I came to this website because it was suggested to me to look for a recall. While there is an active recall with my car, the interesting part to me is the fact that the issues I'm having with my car match a recall for the same model as mine, just a different spec. To me that seems odd, I'd have the same type issues... I was wondering how to get this examined.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11689181September 23, 2025
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that three days after purchasing the vehicle, the contact checked the oil level and noticed that the oil level was two quarts low. The contact checked the oil constantly after one thousand miles and noticed that the oil level was low. The vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. Most recently, while the contact was driving at slow speeds, the vehicle jerked, and the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact was attempting to overtake a US Postal Service truck when the vehicle failed to accelerate and stalled. The contact was able to coast to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with knock sensor failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11688916September 22, 2025
ENGINE
On July 25th when I started my car , 2017 Kia Sorento, to leave work, it made a horrible knocking noise when it was starting, but once it started the noise stopped, no alert lights came on, so I drove it home 7 miles and parked it for the weekend. When my husband and I took it out again on Monday, July 28th, we had driven under 10 miles and gotten up to 70 miles an hour on the toll/express road, the check engine light started flashing as the power produced by the engine drastically declined and acceleration seemed capped or limited. We were able to safely exit the toll road without causing or being involved in an accident. We drove it 6 more miles home and parked it. A week later we had it toed to a Kia mechanic who confirmed that the engine had been using oil, had metal shavings in the oil and the rod bearing had failed. The engine would have to be replaced. Once the engine was replaced, it was determined that the turbo had also failed on the impeller side and would have to be replaced. We did not take it to a dealer. We had both components replaced by a Kia mechanic at our own cost.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11688779September 21, 2025
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, ENGINE
It’s been a month since I did an oil change. However, while I was driving the car, I heard a noise like the engine had no oil in it. I stopped and after 15 minutes I checked the engine for oil when I discovered that the engine was empty. I then checked for a leak and there is no leak detected. I took it to a Valvoline to get an oil change. This is when I discovered that the engine is burning the oil. This is most likely to happen due to a manufacturing problem. I am submitting this complaint and would like to have an investigation done on that matter because it is a safety concern when a car keeps burning oil without any leak detection.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11686042September 9, 2025
STEERING
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while turning the steering wheel in either direction, the steering wheel was sticking and notchy while attempting to return the steering wheel to center. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the power steering motor was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 21,083.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11684968September 4, 2025
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving 25-29 MPH uphill and approaching a stop sign, the vehicle began sputtering and struggling to accelerate. While at the stop sign, the vehicle started idling roughly with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and was diagnosed and determined that the cylinders were filling with oil due to a gasket failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The failure caused the catalytic converter to be corrupted and needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that there was a Class Action Lawsuit for the issue, and there was an Extended Warranty coverage for the failure; however, because a specific fault code was not retrieved, the vehicle would not qualify for the repair, unless the engine seized. The contact was advised not to add oil to the engine to prevent the engine from seizing and to get the repair covered. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 95,500.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11684849September 3, 2025
ENGINE
Engine seized with zero warning lights, cautions, check engine lights, or low/high indicators. It started knocking and was driven 3 miles to our mechanic who said it was a failed engine. I called the Kia dealer who recommended I tow or drive it to the dealer. ~3 miles from our house, less than a mile from the dealer the car lost all power. We had it towed. The service manager chastised me for not towing but also told me irregardless of how it arrived that the engine was no longer functional. It is out of warranty w/ 143,000 miles but without any indication of a problem how was I supposed to mitigate any risk. From the start of the knocking until the engine failed it was less than 6 miles. The mechanic had to put 3 quarts of oil in the car and it still failed on the way to the dealer. I get regular oil changes and have never been told it’s running low on oil. I’m asking that somebody please look into this issue. Thank you. R/ Aaron
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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