Kia Sorento Complaints
10,397 consumer complaints on file.
- #11457195March 17, 2022ENGINE
CAR WAS SOUNDING FUNNY. HAD RECENTLY DID OIL CHANGE ABOUT A WEEK AGO. I TOOK CAR TO KIA AND THEY SAID I HAD RECALLS THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE. KIA DID ALL THE RECALLS ON MY CAR AND INSTALLED KNOCK SYSTEM. THEY CALLED ME TO PICK UP CAR AND THE CAR SHUT OFF OF THEM. CALLED KIA AND THEY FIRST APPROVED THE DEALER TO PURCHASE THE NEW ENGINE. THEY THEN SENT AN EMAIL DENYING THE PURCHASE OF A NEW ENGINE. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR SEVERAL WEEKS. THEY ARE SAYING ENGINE HAD FAILED WHEN CAR WENT TO DEALER BUT WHY WOULD THEY PERFORM WORK ON A CAR'S ENGINE THAT ALREADY FAILED. THEY ARE REFUSING TO FIX CAR.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11457205March 17, 2022ENGINE, SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Engine, it is currently available How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Absolutely Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? NO Car began making very loud noises, passenger felt parts dropping, car quit, a piece of a control arm was found on the ground.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11456993March 16, 2022ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
in August of 2021 I received a mailer notifying me of a recall & software update to prevent my engine from blowing up. I immediately scheduled the software update for the begining of September and that was completed. In October of 2021 I was driving the vehicle when it began to make an odd noise. No dashboard lights were triggered -so I tried to get to my next stop to evaluate, on the way the vehicle remained on but the ability to use the gas and actually increase speed ceased. It was sputtering when I was able to pull off into a parking lot and the check engine light finally appeared. We evaluated the oil and it was dry. No oil lights ever appeared. Had this occurred on a highway or busy roadway this could have had a tragic ending. The vehicle was regularly serviced per service schedule. The vehicle had a recent oil change before the software update and a multipoint inspection with the software update. The vehicle had to be towed and evaluated at the dealership which determined it was covered under the new warranty due to class action lawsuit on the faulty engines. Repairs took almost a month and the warranty coverage was denied and argued repeatedly.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11456744March 15, 2022ENGINE
The Head Bolt was stripped, because it was entered backwards causing the Head Gasket to blow, the right-side cylinder head to be replaced, along with the oil filter housing, because it was cracked. The Vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Engine could've locked while driving, killing us, and others. The problem was inspected by the manufacturer, warranty representatives, and Kia mechanics. After a BG Cooling system Service was completed the smell of antifreeze/coolant stayed with the vehicle. A recheck by the Kia mechanic found the flush was blocked, and they re-flushed the cooling system. After that the temperature gage was moving from hot to cold, the fan continued to stay on after the vehicle was shut off.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11456598March 14, 2022ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH the vehicle experienced an unknown electrical failure and was taken to an unknown dealer; however, the mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and stated that no issues were found. On another occasion while driving 35 MPH and depressing the brake pedal while she was approaching a STOP sign, the vehicle jerked abruptly, stalled, and lost electrical power. The contact stuck her arm out of the window to notify the vehicle behind her. The contact depressed the brake pedal to stop the vehicle but it felt rigid and failed to respond. The vehicle continued to roll until coming to a complete stop. The contact stated that the vehicle restarted independently. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact then continued to drive the vehicle; however, the vehicle was jerking while driving. The contact pulled into a local Pep Boys for an oil change and continued to drive. The dealer was notified of the failure and an appointment was scheduled for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11456665March 14, 2022SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, ENGINE
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V519000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, while driving 25 MPH and attempting to make a U-turn, the vehicle stalled inadvertently. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle. The contact pushed the vehicle to the side of the road with the assistance of a bystander. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer who diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer sent a claim to the manufacturer and was awaiting a response. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 93,000.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11456675March 14, 2022ENGINE
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH in a traffic circle the engine seized with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was turned off and restarted however, the vehicle was shaking while driving back to the residence. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The contact stated that the RPM’s would rev without the accelerator pedal being depressed. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 97,000.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11456518March 13, 2022ENGINE
Engine ceased in Dec ..was repaired and today engine ceased again. I believe they repaired it with a bad engine. Im currently stuck on side of road with my children. I pulled over off the highway in enough time. My engine was just replaced by Kia in Dec 21. There is no way this should be happening I purchased through Greenway Kia in Franklin, TN in I took the car back for the bumper/ SC201 recall and since then have had nothing but issues. I have established the below timeline as the basis of my complaint and frustration. Last year I tried to get a manager to call me back for months and no one called. 5/18/21- Returned car for the SC201 Aux Canister Installation recall 6/11/21-Less than a month later my engine light came on and I noticed issue with my oil having to be topped off often. After a week or so in the shop and denied claims. I was told at this point that there was a canister issue unrelated to the recall. This made no sense to me since the engine light did not come on until after the recall work was done 11/16/2021- Car engine ceased and stop as I was heading to work. I had not yet reached 65 busy hwy. If I had I might have been in an accident. The car remained in the shop for almost a month. During this time, I had to catch rides to work and continue to pay a 549.00 per month car payment. I eventually rec’d a 10 day rental through the warranty. I received the car back in Dec 2020. Jan 2021- now- Notice a burning engine smell and call Kia who stated that it was the newest of the engine. I also notice the engine was louder. Was told this was a new engine. I contacted KIA 2 weeks to schedule appt because I’m back topping oil, engine light never came off and burning smell so
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11456399March 12, 2022VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
The vehicle has failed to accelerate in various situations, i.e., after coming to a complete stop and turning onto a street with opposing and oncoming traffic. The issue has occurred intermittently for ~two months. Sometimes weeks without the issue resurfacing. Today, after running one errand early in the morning, the engine check appeared when we started the car and the vehicle went into limp mode. We barely got the car home, with little control of the acceleration. We could have been involved in an accident if this occurred while on the highway or turning onto a street from a heavily traveled intersection. This is a severe safety issue.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11456457March 12, 2022UNKNOWN OR OTHER
ABS LIGHT STAY ON, AND WHEN DRIVING THE POWER WILL TURN OFF AND TURN BACK ON WILL DRIVING
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11456253March 11, 2022ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, VISIBILITY/WIPER
Headlights automatically turn off while driving.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11456218March 10, 2022ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
in September 2021 between regular oil changes, lost most of oil and check engine light on. After using many quarts of oil, service center replaced the valve cover gaskets needed. Misfiring of engine traced to cylinder damage due to loss of oil. Evaluation and diagnosis by local independent service center, recommended replacing engine.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11456213March 10, 2022POWER TRAIN
2021 Kia Sorento EX had 3,196 miles on it when the transmission failed. The car was driving down a street when it lost speed and alerted driver to pull over. Driver had seconds to pull over before car completely stopped among traffic. Had the car been in heavy traffic, it almost certainly would've resulted in a collision from behind, especially at high speeds. The vehicle is currently at the dealership awaiting shipment of a new transmission. The vehicle has been expected by Kia dealership. There were no warnings of transmission failure before it failed, only once the problem was occurring in real time did driver receive an alert to pull over and a code regarding powertrain issues. Kia dealership mentioned that they had "a whole wall of cars with transmission issues" which conveys that this is a wide spread issue among their brand. If that is the case, it needs to be investigated and a recall needs to be issued.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11455866March 9, 2022ENGINE
The motor is doing a clicking noice. And Kia will not cover the motor since it had another recall that wasnt done in a timely matter. The car stoped in the middle of the freeway and would not move.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11455888March 9, 2022ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN, EXTERIOR LIGHTING
My vehicle was stuck in park. I noted that module 2 fuse was blown. I replaced the fuse and smelled smoke. I took my Sorento in to the local KIA dealership for diagnosis. It was determined by a technician that the headlight level sensor and harness pigtail were both significantly melted. It was suggested by the tech to remove the level sensor and that has created a safety issue with the headlights pointing significantly low. The level sensor or headlight leveling system and harness connection are a potential fire hazard and if the component fails, this creates an additional unsafe driving condition with the headlights aiming low.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11455914March 9, 2022AIR BAGS
Airbag light is on, indicating a malfunction with the SRS. This is a common issue with this make and model from this year, with several thousand complaints online. Repairs are often over $3,000. Since this is such a common issue and complaint, I believe a recall should be issued due to faulty equipment, and the financial burden should not fall on the consumer. The issue began a few months ago, and has been checked by a mechanic. The mechanic has confirmed that there is an issue with the SRS, and the airbag could potentially not deploy when expected, or could deploy without cause, which could cause an accident resulting in injury or death.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11455933March 9, 2022ENGINE, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V331000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the ABS and oil warning lights illuminated. The vehicle then lost motive power. Upon inspection, the contact noticed there was no oil in the oil reservoir. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with camshaft position sensor failure. The mechanic replaced camshaft position sensor; however, the failure recurred with a rattling sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer and diagnosed with engine damage and connecting rod failure. The dealer performed a Product Improvement Campaign: PI1802 (Knock Sensor Detection System - ECU Logic Improvement) software update. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and directed the contact to take the vehicle to a dealer. The manufacturer declined the engine replacement since the contact did not have the product improvement campaign software update prior to the failure. The failure mileage was 99,702.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11455936March 9, 2022STEERING
My kia sorento is 2015 I think that's the problem. I need to know if that is covered by the Kia factory warranty Steering Coupler Replacement for the MDPS. The vehicle does not have 59,000 miles. I have approximately 2 months of having bought in autonation. and when you buy replace tires brakes. why did it make noise I found that noise, I took it to my mechanic and he told me that noise was there, that piece because it is electronic and it is electrical that the Kia suffered from that problem. I want to know if the quia covers that in the recalls. because it is a manufacturing defect. please let me know what to do. it makes noise like cv join . also in engine when running. It is very difficult to know, I would have to check the Kia dealer, but with your authorization, the manufacturer does cover it. if not I will have to deliver and buy another vehicle. my name is [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] spanish. Summary Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2018 Kia Sorento vehicles. The cowl crossbar that connects to the Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS) steering column may be improperly welded, allowing the steering column to separate. Consequence If the steering column separates, it can cause a loss of steering ability, increasing the risk of a crash. Solution Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the cowl crossbar, free of charge. The recall began October 26, 2018. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC167. 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
- #11455844March 9, 2022ENGINE
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The oil warning light was illuminated. The vehicle had been taken monthly to the dealer since August 2021 for an oil consumption test. The contact was informed that the vehicle consumed a quart and a half of oil every 800 miles, and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 81,630.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11455672March 8, 2022LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION
Usually when raining I get a "Blind spot detection CANCELED " notice on the dash and BSD does not work
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0