Kia Sorento Complaints

10,397 consumer complaints on file.

#11463246May 3, 2022
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the contact noticed that the check engine oil light illuminated. The contact heard some knocking sounds coming from the engine. The contact drove to her residence and refilled the engine oil reservoir with approximately three quarts of oil. The contact stated that all of the oil had leaked out and puddled on the driveway the following day. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic. The failure was diagnosed and it was determined that the oil pressure switch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact reported that the vehicle was still leaking oil. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 210,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11463286May 3, 2022
ENGINE
I was driving my 2016 Kia Sorento up a steep hill when all of the sudden my vehicle lost the ability to climb up. This street has many fast drivers on it, even though it was residential. I turned down the hill and when i got to the bottom my car was making a crazy loud sound from the engine.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11463024May 2, 2022
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The headlights do not illuminate down the road. Visibility at night is greatly impaired. Taken to dealers twice. First dealer in NM said it was just the way they were. Second dealer in Texas did realign the lights. Better but still very poor. I have installed the brightest bulbs allowed by law,
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11463090May 2, 2022
ENGINE
When I acquired the 2012 KIA Sorento, in 2018, I noticed that it was burning oil; it also has a mild-to-moderate clicking sound. I received a notification from KIA, instructing me to take the unit to the nearest Dealer for repair. Said Dealer flatly refused to repair it, claiming that it had been imported from the Continental US to PR, a US Territory. I appealed their decision to no avail. My wife is the main driver of the Sorento, and I am extremely concerned for her safety. Can a Dealer "refuse" to obey/fulfill an Official Recall from the Manufacturer? Finally, just to give you an idea of the oil-consumption problem, I have to add a quart of synthetic oil every 200 to 300 miles. Now consider the price of oil nowadays. I would truly & humbly plead for your help on this matter. Thank you.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11462899May 1, 2022
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN, STEERING
On 4/29/22 @ 215 pm whilst deselorating for an off ramp from I-57 in Mattoon IL to enter onto RTE 16. The car made a huge search and a loud knocking near could be heard from the engine compartment. The cabin began to have smoke enter from the air vents. No warning lights where illuminated on the driver's control panel. The noise stopped and the car resumed it regular forward motion. Yet large amounts of smoke could be seen coming from the rear of the car. A min or two later the car smoke got more intense and the cabin and all the drivers warning light illuminated. The car stalled and engine and steering and breaks failed to function. The car coasted to a bit and then had to be pushed off the the busy highway. A security guard from the hospital has seen the smoke coming from the car and when I opened the lock on the hood a huge cloud of smoke rose up he yelled for me to get out of the car as it was going to catch fire. I exited the car and stepped way back from it as he told me to do. He got the smoke to stop. And then looked at the cars engine compartment and said this smells very bad. He pulled the oil dip stick to check it and it smelled of gasoline. He said not to stay in the car but to await the tow truck on a lawn many feet away as he was worried it might catch fire again. The car was towed at my expence ($282.00) to a mechanic who looked at it an said we got very lucky had it not been for that officer the whole car would have caught fire. He stated the engine is seized up and needs a total long block replacement. Total cost to fix it about $5000.00 rough estimate.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11462902May 1, 2022
ENGINE
Although no warning light, we heard a slight knock with the engine over the course of a couple days, intermittently. Called the dealer to schedule appointment. Very next day knocking significantly louder and undriveable, so had towed. Engine now needs to be replaced at 135,000 miles. Not covering because oil changes done outside of dealership.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11462958May 1, 2022
STRUCTURE:BODY
Paint chipping on hood and on roof above windshield in huge flakes. Down to primer and possibly starting to rust.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11462975May 1, 2022
STRUCTURE:BODY
Large amounts of paint falling off of vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11462748April 29, 2022
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Sunroof portion of moonroof exploded while driving on the freeway. We heard a sonic boom inside our car and the sunroof window shattered glass up and outward spraying glass out onto the freeway and into the fabric ceiling liner.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11462799April 29, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
I have a ‘21 Sorento hybrid. The refill inverter coolant warning light keeps coming on. The first time it happened was on a road trip. A local dealer told me to check coolant levels and when it was full, told me it was safe to drive. I had it looked at as soon as I got home. By that time, the light had gone off. They flushed and refill the coolant. It happened again within 3 weeks. I took it in again. The dealer inspected said nothing was wrong with vehicle. Safe to drive. Also said I was the second one of these they’d seen. They were told corporate is working on a fix. I starting a ticket with Kia customer service. It’s been 9 days and no response from them. I am counting on the dealers being correct and that it is safe.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11462617April 28, 2022
STEERING
I reported earlier that my steering became "sticky" at highway speeds. Now, the problem is occurring at lower speeds. Today it began at 35 mph. Was just driving down the country road from my house and the steering started to stick.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11462467April 27, 2022
POWER TRAIN, ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
After being driven for 45 miles, with no problems, then parked for 2 hours, then when I started to drive, dashboard lit up "PULL OVER SAFELY IMMEDIATELY". I pulled over, shut car off and restarted. Same notice appeared. Tried again and nothing appeared. I attempted to move the car and it would not engage in drive or reverse. Shut car off, started again and still would not move. Then was towed to a KIA dealership. Upon inspection, I was told it needed a new transmission. Vehicle had 5,606 miles. Car is at dealership since April 4 waiting for new transmission. I was told there are other KIA's also waiting for new transmissions. If I had been driving and car suddenly shut off, it would have been very dangerous (there are many such reports online where people have experienced this). There is documented evidence on line that others with low mileage have had this problem dating back to April 2021. This car needs to be recalled and significant changes made. The car is available for inspection at the dealer's location, Lou Sobh Kia, 1135 Buford Road, Cumming GA 30041 if you need. You can reach me at[XXX] or via email [XXX]. 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
#11462253April 26, 2022
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The contact owns a 2006 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the brake lights failed to illuminate as needed. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 09V130000 (Exterior Lighting) and associated the recall with the failure. The contact contacted an unknown dealer and was awaiting a call back. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 09V130000 (Exterior Lighting) because the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 118,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11462261April 26, 2022
ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
10/2021 Drove to store (about 20 minutes). Shopped for about 1 hour. Started to leave parking area and enter ramp to highway when the engine stopped. Everything went off. No warning. No check engine light, no maintenance light, nothing. I was able to steer back into the parking area. Put car in park and waited about 4-5 minutes. Started the car (it started without a problem) and began driving in the parking lot. when it began hesitating and feeling as if it would stall again. there was a gas station next to the parking area. pulled in & filled tank (tank was 1/2 full) and just barely pulled into a parking spot in front of gas station convenience store. Got towed to our local garage. They changed the oil and checked external systems and thought it was working fine. When my husband picked the car up it was still hesitating and almost stalling on the way home. Next, took it to local Kia dealer. Same situation. Couldn't find anything, said it drove fine for them. Same thing happened to my husband on the way home. Stalling in traffic. Having to restart the car in an intersection. Very dangerous. Brought back to dealer and they said it would cost $600-1000 to diagnose. Then it might cost $5000 - $10,000 to fix (replace or rebuild the engine). I reached out to Kia Customer Service but they did not offer any solutions other than to talk to the dealership in question. We are at a stand-still and have not been able to drive the car since October 2021.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11462337April 26, 2022
ENGINE
Kia can not describe what exactly is wrong with my vehicle. First they said it was the rod bearing then they took it back because if it was the rod bearing system then Kia would have to fix the engine then they said it’s my spark plugs now here we are 4 weeks later they’re saying it’s the compression system in relation to the spark plugs. And this was the same person i spoke to literally 4 weeks Ago. So at this point I’m like make up your mind which one is it? I told them I’m a single parent with a disabled child with no transportation and have been without for 4 weeks. I even had to come up with a rental out of pocket with no reimbursement or loaner from Kia when asked m, i spent $2,000 that Kia won’t reimburse me for. The incident occurred in march 27,2022 while driving on the highway at 70mph as i was accelerating my engine began to shake and engine light came on and vehicle began to shake violently and completely went out. I nearly got into a 3 pile car accident due to this incident. The dealer refuses to acknowledge any ownership and completely rests the blame on me. I have told them and called Kia consumer that i can not afford to pay $7,000 for a recalled engine and im highly upset. No prior warning lights came on prior to this event i submitted all prior maintenance paperwork to my insurance adjuster for proof that the vehicle was regularity was maintained i also did the KSDS update that they recommended that i get done back on 10/2021 and this still issue still happened to me. Now I’ve been sitting at my home with my disabled son and he’s been unable to attend school and i have been unable to provide because we have had no transportation for 4 weeks with no help from Kia. They finally introduced good will to me today finally after 4 weeks but i doubt kia will even cover whole or 50% of the costs of the engine because i can’t afford $7000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11462339April 26, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, SERVICE BRAKES, ENGINE
On 2/15/22, I accelerated to pass another car while driving home from work. As soon as I accelerated, my car stopped running. I coasted to the next turnoff from a busy street (about 1 block) and stopped at the curb in a residential area. The control panel/dashboard was completely dark, then suddenly lit up again. I tried to start the car but couldn't because I was unable to depress the brake. I waited a few minutes and tried again and a small amount of smoke came out from under the hood. In a minute that went away. At this time, I was very near my house and walked home. When I got there I called the Kia dealership (local) and described what happened. They asked if there had been a 'check engine' or other warning message before this happened and I told them there had not been. I said I guess I would have to have the car towed in to them to see what was wrong. I was told they would call back. While waiting for someone to call back, I walked back to my car. (All of this took less than 10 - 12 minutes.) As I turned the corner I saw police cars and a firetruck where my car was parked. The fire had been put out and there was only a shell of the car left; the entire motor and everything inside was destroyed. Later, my insurance company declared it a total loss. A neighbor saw flames and had called the fire department. There was some damage to the neighbor's yard - grass and shrubbery. The police called a wrecking service to tow the car. It was later picked up by my insurance co. No one was injured, thankfully; but I can only imagine what would have happened if I had made it home and parked in my garage. The local Kia dealership never called back. I called a week or so after this happened and was told they would have someone call me and no one called (again).
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11462366April 26, 2022
STRUCTURE:BODY
I was traveling on the highway with no cars around, under no overpasses, and the panoramic sunroof exploded. It sounded like a gunshot. It was around 50 degrees and there was no previous sunroof damage.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11462192April 26, 2022
ENGINE
I have a had issues with my check engine light flashing and when that occurs. The car begins to drive slow and does a jerking motion when pressing the gas pedal. I called Kia Galenea and informed them of the problem with my vehicle. They took the car and said it that the vehicle needed a updated on the knock sensor. So they did the updated not even a week later the engine check light comes back on again. I called Kia dealership and told them again what had happened. The same code P1326 appeared again and the check engine light is flashing. They took the car back and said it was a oil pressure switch that needed to be fixed. I paid them for that and they said we fixed it. I left the dealership with my vehicle and not even 20 minutes the check engine light came back on. This time my car began to stall like it could hardly go 50 on the interstate. I told the dealership and they said it’s nothing we can do, so I had told them it’s still showing the P1326 popping up and the car is even worse now. So I filed a complaint with Kia Consumer after that incident and I have yet to hear back from anyone yet. During this difficult time I have been struggling to get to work when they basically refuse to put me in a rental. I was put in a rental for less than 24 hours when they called me that morning saying they had fixed the problem when I’m certain they didn’t because the check engine light began to flash as soon as I got on the interstate. I had to pull over because I didn’t want anyone to rear end me. I just want Kia to fix the problem even though it’s not giving me the answers. I have filed a complaint I have been more than patient with Kia. I’m still without answers and a vechicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11461931April 24, 2022
STEERING
At highway speeds, the steering appears to "stick." Think of it as as a flat spot on a wheel. That's what it feels like. The higher the speed, the more it sticks. Using cruise control makes it worse. This sticking causes overcorrection. Had a bit of an issue going through a construction zone over the Nueces River in Corpus Christi, TX. I have researched this issue, and you do have complaints. I am scheduling service for the car next week. I do have a notice from Kia on steering issues. A type of extended warranty for steering. The "sticky steering" issue has no warning lights/lamps.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11461941April 24, 2022
STRUCTURE:BODY, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I was informed to report the incidence of paint chipping on this form, although it is not a safety risk. From the images I upload you can see 2 years ago (4/23/2020)there were a couple of small areas of paint chipping where the windshield meets the roof of the car. These areas to my knowledge had no previous damage to them. There are/were a couple areas where there were minor dents (not pictured) which over the years began to peel as well. However just in the last few months (mainly over the winter) those small areas and new areas of peeling have started and grown at an enormously fast rate. I'm afraid to bring my car to a car wash now as it may chip more paint away. When doing research about this model and year trying to find out how to fix this problem I found a forum called Kia-forums.com as well as a facebook group all about the snow white pearl peeling and chipping delimitation problem. While not a safety risk, this is a risk of rust becoming a problem and something I'm very concerned about not only because I plan to keep this car for a long while but if I decided to sell it or trade it in my car is now going to sell for less. As an 8 year old car I understand wear and tear is natural but this is not a natural occurrence and I hope Kia will find a way to recall these cars and fix the paint delamination problem.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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