Kia Sorento Complaints

10,397 consumer complaints on file.

#11571509February 12, 2024
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact owns a 2011 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11571273February 11, 2024
ENGINE
On Sunday 2-4-2024, at ~2-3am, my daughter & her boyfriend were driving her 2015 Kia Sorento on I69 near Fishers IN (67 miles from their home) when the engine rod bearings failed. Driving at interstate speeds, they immediately pulled over to the shoulder. If traffic had been bad, this could have caused a deadly accident. This created an emergency roadside service issue. Fortunately, my daughter's boyfriend was with her to help her through this anxious & traumatic event. It took a couple hours (in freezing cold weather) for them to figure out what to do. They called us (her parents) at 5am for assistance. They eventually got a tow truck to tow the car back to our hometown's Kia dealer for service. On the next business day, the Kia Dealer diagnosed the problem as a blown rod bearing; the engine was locked up. Cost to repair will be ~$5900 plus a $589 towing charge. Quotes are included with this complaint. After some research, I discovered that faulty rod bearings is a HUGE problem on mid-2010's Sorento 2.4L engines. The internet is full of customer complaints on this. In addition, there is even a Theta II Class Action Lawsuit on this. The problem is THAT pervasive. I have contacted Kia Customer Service (Irvine, CA) and the Kia Theta II Customer Service group. They explained that because they obliged by conditions of the Theta II lawsuit, which, for them was two mailings to DMV registered owners in summer 2018 & summer 2019 requesting owners to install an ECU software upgrade (followed by a 3rd mailing by the lawsuit handling firm: Epiq), that their liability on this matter is covered. The previous owner did not open or see these letters. So this upgrade was not done on this car. To me, Kia/Hyundai acted in BAD FAITH not to continue with mailings (once every 6 months) to all DMV registered owners UNTIL all registered cars had dwindled to very low numbers (<10% of initial sales). Therefore, I think they are STILL liable for this safety & traumatic issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11571330February 11, 2024
ENGINE
While accelerating on the turnpike after going through the tollbooth the engine seized with no warning. We were stranded. My family including my two small children were in the vehicle at the time. It has been confirmed by the repair shop. No lights appeared on the dash in relation to the vehicle stalling.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11571204February 10, 2024
ENGINE, AIR BAGS
There is a engine recall for this vehicle u have to be safe where u park it at all time
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11571211February 10, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
2014 Kia Sorento was very very slowly being driven into a residential garage. Suddenly the car accelerated although the car was being driven very slowly. Driver hit brake hard. Car rammed into the garage wall creating a very large hole. Objects in front of the wall prevented worse damage. The car itself had only dust from drywall and a few minor scratches.There were no warnings prior to the failure. The driver's safety was at risk. This is 2/10/2024. The local KIA dealer cannot inspect the vehicle until late this coming week. I am afraid to drive this car. We have had it services regularly by KIA thru out the warranty and beyond.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11571239February 10, 2024
STRUCTURE:BODY
Paint stated flaking significantly at 79k miles. It has gotten out of control and we keep this garaged and hardly drive it. I have read other Kia owners dealing with the same issue. It's not normal wear and tear with the paint. It's large chunks of paint coming off.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11571246February 10, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I was told to submit a claim with you all by others facing the same issue with paint. I have had this car for nearly 3 years and am missing more and more paint every day. It’s missing on the hood as long as driver pillar. Kia told me there’s nothing they can do. I see Kia’s like mine all the time with the same issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11571009February 9, 2024
STRUCTURE:BODY, VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY
While driving, heard a LOUD noise like a large rock hit the top of my 2018 kia sorento SXL, which I just purchased four days ago with 44,441 miles on it~ when I stopped to inspect the panorama sunroof, front panel was shattered could see no impact point of a rock or anything hitting it- researching online seems this happens a lot to Kia vehicles with a panorama sunroof. Also Hyundai and BMW ~seems there is a defect in the material with this occurring for no apparent reason in different weather conditions -garage kept or whatever ~ also read where a repair man stated to a customer plan on it happening again in a year~ lot of sorento issues with this problem- I could have wrecked my car- when exploded it was loud and frightening- just occurred yesterday, so have not reported it to manufacturer -insurance company- anyone With all the complaints from 2011-present it should have already been a recall or the problem fixed
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11571034February 9, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING
About 4 years ago the rear view warning started to get foggy/blurred so it was hard to see what was towards the rear when backing. Contacted dealer about this and of course it was no longer in warranty and I would have to pay a high price to have this replaced. After the view became blank, all your saw were the lines that would show how close you were to another car while backing up I once again ask my dealer about it, if they were having trouble like this on other Kia cars and he would not tell me, just told me the price of replacment. So I started to wonder if this problem showed up on other Kia's
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11571128February 9, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
While driving down the road my headlights will flash off and on randomly. I have auto headlights and when it’s in auto mode it will randomly flash off and on 1-2 times and keep repeating sometimes longer than others. When it’s just my drls that are on it does the same as well as the switch being all the way on it will do the same and when it happens I hear clicking coming from somewhere in the dash. Brought it in for the “recall” but Kia tells. Me it only goes to 150k miles. This is absolutely an issue that needs to be addressed and not at the consumers cost. I’m not the only one this is happening to. Please help
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11570701February 8, 2024
ENGINE
I have had engine misfiring and brought my car in 3 times for this. Had the KSDS update performed in 8/2023 and resolved for about 6000 miles and happened again. I was driving on the highway, and suddenly my speed just slowed down and could not drive more than 45mph. I have had high oil consumption that I have complained about for several years, and was not offered an oil consumption test, that I was not aware of such a test. I did make an appt for the test, but my engine failed before the appt. I have been using 5 quarts of oil about every 1300mi. My low oil lamp has not come on many times, and will only flicker when making turns, only to find my oil level was bone dry. I have had oil changed at regular intervals. Took my vehicle to Kia dealership and there was no compression in one of the piston cylinders, part of spark plug melted off into the engine, and have "engine failure" diagnosis. I Have had the piston rings replaced in the recent past. I had initially brought my vehicle into Kia dealership at 99,600 mi knowing that engine was under warranty. 6000 miles later, engine failed and now Kia dealership is telling me the extended warranty does not cover for it. Estimate cost to replace engine is about $10,000 per Kia dealership estimate.I was under the impression it would be covered. I was not offered a loaner vehicle, since it is not covered under warranty, making me a low priority to get a loaner car to use in the meantime. I am the only and original owner of this vehicle. There has been no oil leaking in my garage, where is it all going?
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11570707February 8, 2024
ENGINE, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
The contact owns a 2018 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while accelerating, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the knock sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The mechanic completed a road test and indicated that the vehicle was working as designed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the vehicle was shuddering, shaking, and then lost motive power and stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact used a code reader and retrieved DTC code: P1326 (Permanent go Relay Stuck On). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who cleared the codes but informed the contact that the failure would continue and recommended an engine replacement. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. There was a thumping noise detected from the engine. The contact reduced the speed to 40 MPH. The vehicle began to hesitate, sputtered, and failed to accelerate. The contact used a code reader and retrieved DTC code: P0302 (Cylinder Misfire). The manufacturer was contacted, and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11570767February 8, 2024
ENGINE
The coolant system depressurizes due to steel head bolts into the aluminum block. While driving, the coolant system released all pressurized coolant out of the coolant overflow tank. The engine began to overheat without warning in the middle of traffic while transporting children. Kia has sent out an Extended Warranty to all 2016-2017 Sorento owners to attempt to remedy the issue. Our dealership was able to reproduce the issue. We're being advised a 60-90-day wait on the engine/parts to resolve the claim. This should be filed as a recall and resolved promptly. 2-3 months for a nationwide extended recall is an absurd amount of time without a vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11570826February 8, 2024
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11570827February 8, 2024
POWER TRAIN, SERVICE BRAKES, ENGINE
On [XXX] while driving and in the process of changing lanes, as I accelerated on the brakes, my Vehicle gave a sudden jerk, at first I figured it was due to the road being wet, but on [XXX] while driving to NYC on [XXX] as we all know we all have to keep up the speed, once again during accelerating my vehicle repeated the same sudden jerk and continue for most of my ride, I brought into KIA on [XXX] with the end result being they did not find this issue, as well as my ongoing issue of my engine light that has been coming on and off for about 5 months now. I do believe my vehicle is having some kind of issue with the transmission and gears are not kicking in during the acceleration process may I add this is on the highway. My vehicle is a 2023 which I purchased in Aug of 2023 and have been in the dealership for shaking during braking engine light on and now gear delay with no resolution to all issues, I will be contacting the Manufactured as my next step in the horrible processes. 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
#11570631February 7, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
It has been 3 months since first notification, called KIA and dealer today 2/7/2024. Have smelled burning/melting smell. No warning lights so far. Dealer says it still has no remedy and cannot inspect or repair.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11570510February 7, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2011 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, the horn was inoperable and the front and rear driver's side windows did not go up and down as designed. In addition, the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11570517February 7, 2024
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
I was driving and car lost power, couldn’t drive anymore
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11570562February 7, 2024
ENGINE, SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I was driving down a country road, and suddenly the engine stopped working, all systems shut off, and dash started flashing. Luckily, there was no one around me, and I was able to coast to a stop. However, it would have been terrible if this had happened on a busy road. Nothing worked including brakes. Had the car towed to the dealership, since we were just over 100K miles they would do nothing, and said the only thing we could do was put a new engine in for 20K. We’re going to have to sell the car for a loss of 5K, as we can not justify putting a new engine in an unreliable car.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11570566February 7, 2024
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I drove with my family south bound on i95 and between exit 6-5 the engine light came on out of no where and the gas peddle and brake stopped working. My luck was that I was on the right lane and I pulled over to shoulder of the highway till the car stopped. after 5-10 min I turned the car on and I was able to crawl to exit 5 ramp driving barely 10-15mph. The engine was making knocking sounds and then it just died in the middle of the exit, where I had to push the car in neutral through the ez-pass booth. We waited for an hour and got a tow truck to tow us to the nearest shop, where the mechanic told me that the engine is done and I need a new engine. I told him when it comes to engine, only an authorized kia dealer repair shop would be able to do the job.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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