Kia Sorento Complaints

10,397 consumer complaints on file.

#11471146June 27, 2022
ENGINE
The oil burns very fast. I check the oil weekly and it's always low. There were no warning lamps or lights or anything to indicate that the oil was low.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11471191June 27, 2022
ENGINE
I was driving my 2016 Sorento when I noticed a knocking coming from the engine. I took it to get serviced the next day and the check engine light came on as I was driving to get the oil changed. Mechanic at the oil change establishment checked the code and told me that it said the cam shaft was out of alignment. Their shop refused to work on it because of the difficulty in working with Kia's and their computers. I called my local Kia dealer and they had no idea what the warning was but that it would be 20-25 days before they could look at it. My daughter was driving the car than night and the car stopped in an intersection and starting making a horrible clanking sound. I had it towed to Kia and when they got to it they told me that the engine was blown and it would be $8,000 to $11,000 to repair it. There is an extended warranty on the oil pressure switch, but they assured me that it was not the cause of the malfunction. They told me that it was most likely lack of maintenance on my part or the wrong oil being used. I have owned the car for about a year and a half and had it maintained regularly by a reputable mechanic. I have talked to multiple people and been told that Kia has a real problem with engines blowing up on them.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11471059June 26, 2022
ENGINE
My vehicle has been consuming massive amounts of oil. My oil is completely OUT at around 2500 miles after a fresh oil change. There are no leaks or puddles on my garage floor and no warning indication on the dashboard. I became aware of the problem only after my mechanic did courtesy inspections after taking my car in to have tires replaced, headlight bulbs replaced, routine maintenance. This is unacceptable and can lead to significant engine problems and/or fire!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11470953June 25, 2022
STRUCTURE:BODY
Paint is chipped and peeling. Snow white pearl.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11470966June 25, 2022
POWER TRAIN, ENGINE, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Car jumps when going into reverse, going into a stop and coming off a stop. Hesitates off of stops. Feels like it goes into neutral when going around bends. When I’m park, it rocks back and forth and rpm’s go down. It’s been happening since I bought the car a year ago.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11470867June 24, 2022
POWER TRAIN, ENGINE
The oil light came on and started blinking. I checked the oil and it was full. I then called the Kia dealer and told them what was going on and the said it was a sensor. I needed to make appointment to get a new sensor but they had none and they were on back order. They would call me when it came in. I started seeing oil in garage under my car. I called The kia dealership back and they said just keep adding oil to it. 4 weeks after initial call the part came in. I took my car in to be fixed but it was more extensive than they were assuming. They had to order more parts and it took 2 more weeks. It turned out to be the Oil pressure switch that was leaking and spewing oil all over the engine. Could have been a disastrous situation. It cost me 1750.00. The car has 84,000 miles on it has been well taken care of and they didn’t cover it under any warranty.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11470606June 23, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Currently my ESC OFF warning light is lit on my dash, and while lit my vehicle has trouble accelerating from 0 to 40 mph. The warning light goes on and off at random. I have had the accelerator pedal assembly replacement in 2015 and 2019 due to the same issue. It is NOW happening again in 2022!!!. Is this a design flaw issue? It's definitely a safety issue! How can consumers be protected from these issues?
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11470721June 23, 2022
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, STRUCTURE:BODY
Have a 2016 Kia sorento 93000 miles it is pearl white the paint is coming off peeling off ,chipping off
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11470358June 22, 2022
ENGINE, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
was driving and no warning lights came on and then the engine seized up after buying it 3 months ago. then took towed to kia vw billings mt and they now have had the car for almost two weeks and none of my rights are being met and no communication back to me wont respond to several of my calls. i will be filing a lawsuit against either auto resource in billings mt for selling me a faulty vehicle or going after kia vw of billings mt for lost wages as i drive for a living and im disabled and have been treated very very poorly.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11470386June 22, 2022
ENGINE
My family and I own a 2016 Kia Sorrento VIN [XXX] that we purchased from a dealer in August 2017. It was reliable transportation; we were very pleased with it; it was serviced with regular oil changes, maintenance, etc., and had no mechanical issues until early September 2021. The vehicle’s temperature gauge began to register hot, i.e., way over to the “H” during operation. Our regular mechanic at an AAA-registered auto care center replaced the thermostat, but the car was still overheating. After an expensive but thorough diagnosis from early November through early December 2021, the mechanics – including a Kia specialist – confirmed that the head bolts were pulling away from the engine block or the source of our problem. After searching the internet, I understand that this is not a frequent occurrence but not uncommon among the same model and year Kia Sorento's with similar mileage. Replacement engines are not available due to supply issues; there was no guarantee of success from our mechanics or the machine shop who could attempt to mill the head/engine block and drill-tap for new bolts; and the entire process was cost prohibitive. Therefore, we elected not to have it repaired. Our Sorrento that is past its engine-drivetrain warranty with 124K miles on the odometer sits in the driveway with a year’s worth of car payments remaining. 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
#11470495June 22, 2022
ENGINE
Oil gets low without the warning light coming on and has contributed to a burnt valve or broke ring. This has caused irreversible engine damage.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11470226June 21, 2022
ENGINE
Vehicle at a red light and complete stop would not respond when i tried to accelerate. I turned car off and tried turning back on and it wasn't until a couple minutes later that car then turned back on. Dealership unable to identify problem and it happened again 2 months later with my 1 year old in the car. This time it happened while on the highway that car would not accelerate putting my 1 year old and myself in danger. Dealership again says it sees nothing wrong with the car and is charging me to test the fuel. Sounds like KIA has a problem on their hands that they should address before a terrible accident happens.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11470208June 21, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, SERVICE BRAKES
6700 miles and vehicle began exhibiting Check ESC, Check Engine, Emergency Brake lights. Daily driven, vehicle does not sit for more than a day at a time. 7092 miles now, local dealership inspection lead to concluding that a rodent has chewed through wires and must be repaired. Claims KIA warranty does not cover such damage. Of the SEVERAL (6+) vehicle I have owned/financed/driven over the last 3 years, this is the first and only incident involving a wiring harness chewed. NOT HAPPY! Quick research shows there's a bit of a problem with KIA manufactured vehicle including Soy-Based wire shielding.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11470195June 21, 2022
POWER TRAIN
car suddenly stopped going while driving on interstate, almost like the car went into neutral while driving. It started back again after a few seconds and thankfully I was coming down a slight incline and was able to keep coasting while trying to get off of interstate. I pulled over and it seemed to be fine again so I continued home and when driving up my driveway it did it again and I could not get it to go forward to pull into garage. I was able to put it in reverse and back up and then after that it went into drive and pulled forward but then I tried reverse again just to see what it would do and then it would not reverse and would just rev up like it was in neutral again. I have called 5 Kia dealerships this morning and nobody seems inclined to look at it or to assist me with this matter.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11470029June 20, 2022
ENGINE
My wife started to drive the car to lunch and it began to hesitate, jump and lurch. Inspection by a licensed mechanic revealed that the connecting rod in cylinder four came apart and the piston cracked the engine block. This is the same 3.3L V6 engine that Kia has numerous recalls on, affecting over 600,000 vehicles. Although our particular VIN is not listed, I feel this is related to the problems associated with this engine.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11470037June 20, 2022
ENGINE
High oil consumption. I'm burning 2 quarts of oil every 1000 miles.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11470152June 20, 2022
ENGINE
I left my home in Northern California and drove my 2017 KIA Sorento EX V6 AWD to work. No one was with me in the vehicle. There seemed to be a rattling sound in the engine when I started and drove the vehicle. There was no illuminated light on the dashboard to indicate a specific issue. I was planning to drop off the vehicle at the KIA Service Center-Roseville Automall after work. I just got off the freeway, when the Kia slowed down by itself. I was able to pull over to the right shoulder of the freeway and the KIA just completely stopped with faint sounds coming from the engine. I turned the car off. I stayed in the car and was about to call my auto insurance company when I smelled smoke. I stepped out, checked the Kia from outside, saw something dripping under the front of the car, and started to catch fire. I immediately stepped far from it and called 911. The fire got bigger and just burned the whole front. We had the KIA Sorento serviced in December 2021 for a leaky oil switch despite timely maintenance at the KIA Service Center through the years. The maintenance guy said we did not have to pay to resolve the leaky oil issue because of a recall warranty. We brought the KIA again for a regular maintenance service and brake pad repairs on 4/2/2022. Later on, we got a letter from the KIA Headquarters dated 4/7/2022 regarding 2014-2018 MY KIA Sorento 3.3 L Vehicle Oil Pressure Switch Leaking New Vehicle Limited Warranty Extension. Somewhere in the letter stated, “If oil is NOT leaking from the engine or the Engine Oil Pressure Warning Light DOES NOT remain illuminated after the engine is turned ON, you DO NOT need to bring your vehicle to a Kia dealership for the purpose of this warranty extension.” I thought the vehicle was in the clear already since it got serviced for the leaky oil in 12/2021 and completed its regular maintenance in 4/2022. Proof of service records,vehicle photos, KIA’s extended warranty letter for recall are all available.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11469993June 19, 2022
AIR BAGS, ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
My car first off is a LEMON Kia has dragged me along from the beginning. My engine was replaced due to a smoke fire no flames they have yet to take blame for it and had my car for a month in the shop and wouldn't tell me anything they still don't admit it was a car fire but I know it was I had witnesses trying to pull me out of the vehicle which I had towed to kia. Before that happened I took it in twice letting them know I had shortage problems with my lights turning off and bulbs going out over and over with the headlights it happen one time at night at a speed of 70mph they told me to change the blub that was the problem treated me like I was crazy I've been pulled over for one headlight and officers told me to sue and trade or turn in my vehicle it was a lemon. I knew nothing about lemon laws until it was to late and Kia knew exactly what to say to keep me at bay for almost two years now I'm still having issues and no carlot will take it as a trade due to fire hazard issues and they don't want the risk and I have 4 recalls on this year. It was the worst year for kids. I bought this SUV new planning to take trips I have yet to take one trip with my family because we're afraid . Kia could have taken it back and gave us a year newer to make our troubles go away but instead have avoided the situation and drag it out as my fault my vehicle has lost value and if resold all the things will pull up and I don't feel safe selling this to another family so I am stuck I paid $35,000 for this vehicle they should have taken it back now the airbag light is on doesn't go off it's a recall I found out so another safety hazards I have a newborn baby I'm due in September I can't risk anymore time with what this vehicle has been said to do last week in Oregon just the city next to me the same year kia caught fire I have the pictures thank goodness no one got hurt it was a horrible scene. I have leaking of some sort that has damaged my driveway and I have low oil all the time
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11469995June 19, 2022
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Paint is chipping off in large chunks on various places on my vehicle. I did see another Kia Sorento (white and same year) that had the same issue happening on their vehicle. There is clearly an issue with the white paint from that year. There has not been any incident that has caused this to occur, it seems to have happened randomly.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11469711June 17, 2022
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owned a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 mph the vehicle suddenly lost automotive power and the check engine light had illuminated. After stopping the vehicle smoke and flames were present coming from under the hood. The fire and police departments were called to the scene and the flames were extinguished. During the incident, the vehicle was destroyed. A police report was taken at the scene and the vehicle was towed away. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not yet notified. The failure mileage was 73,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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