Kia Sorento Complaints

10,397 consumer complaints on file.

#11645748March 1, 2025
ENGINE
Piston ring failure, resulting in loss of power and excessive smoke from the exhaust system.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11645565February 28, 2025
ENGINE
We were driving home Saturday and our 2019 Kia Sorento EX V6, 3.3L engine with 24000 miles, just stopped running. We got the car pulled over and noticed smoke coming out of the hood. The tow truck towed it to the dealership: seized engine. We are the second owners of this vehicle, we purchased it from a Honda dealership 20K miles on it and have not had one moment's trouble with it until this happened. We have had regular maintenance done, etc. So now I have a vehicle that I owe several thousands of dollars on that is completely useless.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11645267February 27, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Vehicle has frequent oil consumption issues. It’s burning oil way too fast and causing a potential issue with the engine. According to the staff at the car shop, there is no way to fix it. You have to just kind of deal with it. It seems to be a defect that has not been addressed and is only for first owners. Bought my vehicle from a dealership and apparently this isn’t covered. This is a Lemon and it’s clearly unknown issue based on the workers at the car shop that have not been addressed and is causing an issue with my engine.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11645333February 27, 2025
ENGINE
Engine died, mechanic said needs to be replaced due to no oil. Low oil light never illuminated. Oil was changed 6 months prior. Only 140,000 miles, driven less than 10,000 miles a year if that. Why didn’t the low pressure gauge illuminate. Now I’m out over $5000.00. Not ok Kia
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11645368February 27, 2025
ENGINE
The contact’s son owns a 2011 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the residence and had not been driven since the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11645403February 27, 2025
ENGINE
Urgent Assistance Needed: Engine Issue and Warranty Dispute Since September last year, the engine warning light has been consistently on. Whenever I took the car to the Kia dealership, they merely mentioned that the system was “too rich” and assured me it was not a concern. Instead of addressing the engine issue, they recommended replacing unrelated parts such as the air filter. When I took the vehicle to a local mechanic, I was informed that the engine was not in good condition, causing the oil to burn quickly, which indicated an engine problem. However, the Kia dealership did not acknowledge this issue. On February 7th, while driving, the vehicle began shaking violently and making unusual noises. I immediately brought it to the local mechanic, who diagnosed that the #4 cylinder valve was burnt. The following day, on February 8th, I brought the car to the dealership. They mentioned that the engine might need to be replaced and promised to contact the warranty company for approval. They initially seemed optimistic, suggesting that the replacement could be covered under the warranty. However, two weeks later, I received a response stating that the warranty would not cover the repair. Despite multiple attempts to contact Kia headquarters via email, I have not received any response. Upon further investigation, I discovered that my vehicle is part of the Theta II engine recall. Kia had publicly announced a lifetime engine warranty for vehicles with this issue. However, now that my engine has failed and requires replacement, they are refusing to honor this promise. The estimated cost for the engine replacement is $8,000, and I have been told that I am responsible for the full amount. I kindly request your immediate assistance in resolving this issue. I believe Kia should honor its commitment to the lifetime engine warranty for the Theta II engine vehicles. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. I look forward to your response.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11644955February 26, 2025
ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I had my mechanic come to my house to diagnose what has been going on and it is a recall on the motor. Along with my car throwing codes as well. I purchased the car from car max told them almost a year ago something was wrong with my car and they told me it was nothing it was a transmission issue. My father raised me to learn how to fix vehicles so o knew something was wrong. Now due to their negligence I am stranded with two small children.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11645012February 26, 2025
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Incident #1 ([XXX]) - while driving on [XXX} at 70 MPH in Sarasota I experienced and complete loss of engine power. The car coasted from 70 MPH down to 35 MPH until the EV kicked in. I was very fortunate as were the other driers not be involved in a serious accident. I reported this situation to Kia NA and was assigned this case number [XXX] Kia had the car from [XXX] until [XXX]. They told me the problem was a defective fuel rail pressure sensor . The assured us the car was fixed Incident #2 ([XXX]) [XXX] days later with four passengers in the car we experienced the exact same problem while driving on [XXX], a complete loss if engine power. Kia has the car now and assigned a case number of [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
#11645164February 26, 2025
STEERING
We Reported in February of 2022 To Kia of Port Charlotte in Florida that our steering wheel was sticking so bad we had to use extraordinary effort to keep the car going straight. They told us they were unable to replicate what we experienced. Starting in February of 2025 we started to experience the same thing. We brought it [XXX] to Kia of Sebring Florida. They diagnosed that there is a sticking of the steering wheel but it is not covered because the car is 7 years old and has 59000 miles under warranty. When I checked on line there are tons of customers complaining of this same problem. Please look into this issue as it could cause accidents eventually. Thank you 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
#11645194February 26, 2025
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Engine stumbled and suddenly lost power, the engine turned off while on roadway in traffic. Car wouldn’t restart. When it did restart, an extreme smell of gasoline and tail pipe emissions was observed. Car was discharging gasoline from the tail pipe, at alarming rate, on to the ground. Car was unsafe to drive.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11644990February 26, 2025
SUSPENSION
Strut noise
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11644826February 25, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
I called quirk Kia in Manchester NH to have the recall done on my vehicle..my vehicle has had a hard time starting and staying started sometimes...the vehicle would shut down while driving all dash lights come on and loose s all power to gas pedal and steering..had hard time starting for couple weeks before it stopped starting ..I believe there is electrical problem ..but when I called quirk to get the recall done the service guy told me he can not do the recall unless the vehicle runs ..I told him I believe it's not running because of the part that is being recalled .he said I doubt it .I then asked for a supervisor and he told me he doesn't have one ..then I asked him his name he again told me he doesn't have one .so I said are you really gonna refuse to do this recall ..it has to be done he then hung up on me ..I tried calling back and got to the sales department..spoke to the GM in sales and explained what just happened with the service department and he told me I would get a call back and still haven't heard from them ..this recall has to be done ..and I don't know what else to do
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11644899February 25, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact owned a 2011 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that, upon reaching her destination and turning the vehicle off, she smelled smoke in the interior of the vehicle. She then observed flames jutting up from underneath the driver's side seat, prompting her to evacuate immediately. Within minutes, the vehicle was completely engulfed in flames following what the contact described as an explosion. Local emergency services arrived and were able to extinguish the flames, later determining that faulty vehicle components caused the fire without human intervention. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and deemed a total loss by the contact's insurance provider. A fire report was filed. A police report was not filed, but injuries were reported. The contact suffered various minor burns to her hands but did not seek medical attention, choosing instead to attend to her injuries herself at home. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); the VIN was included, and parts were available. However, the contact stated that previous attempts to schedule the vehicle for repair had failed due to parts availability and a months-long waiting list. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and a third-party engineer was sent to examine the vehicle, but a final report had yet to be provided to the contact. The failure mileage was 223,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11644904February 25, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Oil leak from under vehicle
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11644828February 25, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
While driving my 2025 Kia Sorento on the highway, I noticed a coolant leak and an overheating warning. I immediately pulled over, and the vehicle was towed to a Kia dealership for inspection. After diagnosing the issue, the dealership claimed that small pebbles had damaged the radiator, leading to the coolant leak. They stated that this was considered an accident, not a defect, and therefore was not covered under warranty. Why This is a Concern: After researching online, I discovered that many other Kia owners are experiencing the same issue, suggesting that the radiator may be vulnerable to road debris due to poor design or insufficient protection. A radiator should be durable enough to withstand normal highway driving conditions. A failure like this could cause engine overheating and sudden breakdowns, posing a serious safety risk to drivers and passengers. Request for Investigation: Since this issue is affecting multiple Kia Sorento owners, I believe it should be investigated as a possible design flaw. If the radiator is too fragile to handle everyday road debris, Kia should issue a recall or Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) to address the defect and ensure driver safety.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11644517February 24, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, SEATS
My heated seats stopped working when my new engine was installed and I took it to the dealership and they never fix it and charged me 200.00 and then my air and heat keeps coming on and off then I got my new engine installed
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11644577February 24, 2025
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2018 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle remained at the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11644683February 24, 2025
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Engine problem. I've had to replace spark plugs and have to add oil almost every week. This was done about 3 months ago. Today check engine light came back on and it's the same problem stalling and shaking as if it's going to dye in me .. I bought my car brand new I've been the only owner..it's only got 80,000 miles .. I know that you guys have life time warranty on your engines .what do I need to do to have it repaired under warranty?
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11644320February 22, 2025
ENGINE
Engine burns too much oil
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11643892February 20, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
As I was driving on the highway, my car began to lose speed. I attempted to accelerate but nothing happened when I pushed the gas pedal. There were no weird noises or RPM changes as if revving. I pulled onto the shoulder and slowed to a stop. If there had been more traffic on the highway I would not have been able to get to the shoulder without causing an accident. There were no warning signs or indicator lights before the loss of ability to accelerate. When I restarted the car, an "engine control" system warning appeared on the screen. I continued driving, staying in the right lane with hazard lights. The same thing happened a few more times on my drive home. I would lose the ability to accelerate, pull over, turn off the car, wait a moment, turn it back on and drive until it happened again. The car has not been expected yet but I have noticed small oil puddles when parked, which hadn't happened before this incident.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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