10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
8 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
6 / 0
Average Mileage:
54,811 miles

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« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #96

Aug 012014

Sorento 4-cyl

  • 90,000 miles
Vehicle started by losing power on take-off. Later violent jerking/shifting over 30 mph. I have taken the vehicle to both dealer and personal mechanic. Crank and cam sensors were replaced. Issue is not resolved. The vehicle sometimes shuts off upon take-off. Sometimes it immediately starts again, other times I have to put into neutral and restart. This issue is also not resolved. Positive battery cable was removed to reset the computer. This temporarily fixed the problems for a day. When placed into "sports mode", the vehicle shifts without driver input (second gear and above). Note: Unscrupulous dealer mechanic voided engine warranty for "sludge" in engine and incorrectly removed a sensor, resulting in breakage of said sensor. Personal mechanic saw normal traces of "sludge" in engine. Vehicle is acting similar to previous recalls of the same year, make/model, but does not fall into VIN/date ranges for recall repair..

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #95

Aug 282014

Sorento

  • miles
The vehicle would not start finally it started in the drive position, have been complaining to the dealer that the vehicle shifts on its own from drive to another position. In addition all the lights remain on in the dash board. Vehicle was taken out the repair shop on 8/25/14 and this problem was rectified. The airbag light is on now since 8/25/14.

- St. Thomas, VI, USA

problem #94

Aug 172014

Sorento 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 34,000 miles
The contact owns a 2011 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start intermittently. The dealer replaced the transmission, but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 34,000. Updated 10/02/14 updated 3/2/2015

- Tucson, AZ, USA

problem #93

Jun 262013

Sorento

  • 73,000 miles
I was parked in a parking spot, put the car in reverse to back out, when I tried to put it in drive it wouldn't shift past neutral. It has done this six times in the last year since the first incident but has become more frequent. This last time, the same thing occurred every time I parked (four times in one day). Also the ESC and dbc lights come on when this happens. I finally decided to call the dealership and schedule an appointment because on this same day, as I was driving on the highway the ESC and dbc lights came on and stayed on until I pulled over and turned the car off.

- Pleasant Hill, MO, USA

problem #92

Feb 202014

Sorento 6-cyl

  • 56,243 miles
1) the vehicle has stalled out six (6) times during my ownership. This has occurred after stopping. I was able to restart the vehicle four of the six times by stopping, putting the vehicle in park, and pressing the "start" ignition button. Two of the six times the gear was locked into drive and neutral only. The vehicle would also not shut off. Both times 911 was called for California highway patrol assistance was contacted as I was stranded on the freeway. This occurred on 2/20/14 and 6/03/14. On 5/17/14 the vehicle was brought into the Kia car pros carson facility for the 60,000 mile maintenance and passed with no issues. 2) the backup camera flutters intermittently (about 10-15 times a month) mostly in the morning on start up and sometimes at night. Kia of cerritos had replaced the navigation/radio module 3 times, but official records show it was replaced only twice. This has not rectified the issue as it still persists. 3) the radio inconsistently (about 2-5 times a month) does not start for about 20 seconds after starting the vehicle up. I am not confident that the issues are resolved and I fear for the safety of myself and all who ride in the vehicle. The Kia car pros carson facility replaced the drive assist part and cleaned the electrical contacts for the first incident in Feb 2014. I was told this would rectify the issue. On 6/03/14, I was told a software update to the ECU (electrical control unit) was performed, but they do not guarantee that the problem has been resolved. I want the facility to retain my vehicle and perform a full diagnostic on the vehicle until they can guarantee that it will not stall and lock up on me again. Corporate Kia said the vehicle can be released and the facility will not investigate any further. I do not believe Kia is taking this matter seriously.

- Torrance, CA, USA

problem #91

Jun 032014

Sorento

  • 100,000 miles
The contact owns a 2011 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift to park and rolled forward. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 100,000.

- Gatesville, TX, USA

problem #90

Mar 032014

Sorento 4-cyl

  • 49,000 miles
The vehicle abruptly jerks or changes gears when reducing speed. When taking the foot slowly off the gas pedal the vehicle jumps causing the vehicle to almost stop. The transmission also makes a very loud noise. Sometimes it just turns off by itself. Car is only 2 years and a half old and it's already having signs of breaking down and having problems that could cause accidents. Kia says they don't know what the problem is. I have taken the car to the dealer twice. The first time they cleaned the throttle body, but it didn't fix the problem. I have taken the car to the dealer again, still waiting for solution. Researching the internet, I found there are many similar complaints where Kia just won't do anything. Actually I found this web page as a recommendation from one of the forums. Hope you can help.

- Jacksonville, FL, USA

problem #89

Mar 302014

Sorento

  • 84,000 miles
When the Sorento reaches a speed above 60 it hesitates before abruptly jumping into the next gear, causing the entire vehicle and all passengers to jerk forward. The jumping of the gear is so forceful that it sounds as if the engine is about to fall out of the vehicle each time it's placed in gear.

- Hendersonville, TN, USA

problem #88

Jan 302014

Sorento

  • 36,000 miles
When switching from park to drive a loud pop will be heard from the vehicle usually occurring (loudest) during cold moist days. In the same conditions when the vehicle is in motion the car begins to stutter and vibrate when switching gears (this is usually felt initially driving off or during hard brakes at lights). Car at one point stalled in middle of traffic. When going to dealer they said software updates should have fixed it, however the problem simply persists (though the car did not stall thus far).

- Brookhaven , PA, USA

problem #87

May 012013

Sorento

  • 70,000 miles
The contact owns a 2011 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while turning left, the vehicle suddenly lost acceleration power. The failure was recurring. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who stated that the transmission fluid was low. The transmission was fluid was filled but the failure recurred. The vehicle was returned to the dealer where it was scheduled for unknown repairs. The manufacturer was contacted about the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 11V258000 (power train). The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

- Norwalk, IA, USA

problem #86

Jan 082013

Sorento

  • 95,035 miles
Kia Sorento infrequent and unpredictable loss of power during moderate acceleration. During certain conditions, which have included moderate uphill climbs, highway driving and city under 50mph and at moderate acceleration, the vehicle will suddenly loose power, fail to upshift when needed, or show no signs of power, followed by erratic shifting and a loud clunk. At other times on highway driving, the car will, for no apparent reason, downshift on flat sections when speeds are between 45-65mph. Multiple trips to the dealer: 1/8/13, 95,035 miles- dealer could not replicate, inhibitor switch bracket installed, did not resolve the issue 7/26/13, 106,574 miles-electronic stability and ABS light come on, similar to stop lamp switch, dealer could not replicate, did see error codes but did not provide them to customer, reset the computer. Not resolved. 10/3/13, 107,842-transmission still jerking, dealer tried replacing automatic transmission fluid, did not resolve the issue. Took to alternative dealer-road test with customer-advised the problem will need to become worse and more frequent to diagnose. This is leading to unsafe conditions due to unexpected loss of power.

- Indianapolis, IN, USA

problem #85

Nov 132013

Sorento 4-cyl

  • 55,000 miles
Will intermittent turn on during driving and stay on. If you stop and turn off car and then restart may or may not return on. Car as a bit of a shake to it some times. Had cruise control not turn on. Electrical seems wacky in the vehicle. Also had it been stuck in park or times could not move the shifter to park or reverse. Seriously needs to be reviewed. All these issues happen intermittent and never when near the Kia dealership. Vehicle 90% of the time has been wonderful, however there are issues that need investigated and corrected for example all the above I have listed.

- Stockton, NY, USA

problem #84

May 022011

Sorento

  • 20,000 miles
I started the car, put it into reverse and as I was backing the car goes out of reverse and into neutral. The R indicator on the dash disappears and the car revs real high then slams into gear and lurches forward and makes a sound as if I have hit something. I bought the car in Oct 2012 and the dealer didn't disclose this. I've had it in 2xs to another dealer and they cant duplicated he issue. As time goes on it happens more and more frequently.

- Aurora, IL, USA

problem #83

Aug 162012

Sorento

  • 45,000 miles
The contact owns a 2011 Kia sorrento. The contact stated that while driving 20 mph, she depressed that brake pedal and the vehicle jerked. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection where they stated that they could not determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 45,000.

- Dougulas, WY, USA

problem #82

Sep 122013

Sorento 6-cyl

  • 44,000 miles
2 days ago while driving heard loud sound, whoa, could not determine what caused it. This morning in my garage started for daily drive, when I put car from park to reverse was loud clunk sound. Put back in park did this 3 or 4 times loud clunking with jolting seem to lunge forward. Violent sound and feel. No warning lights are illuminated.my husband got in car, he experienced the same. I called Kia service, they told me to call roadside for tow. He told me then it would be a 1 day job. He seemed familiar what I described. Towed to dealer, they called me later of course they could not replicate the problem. We explained over the phone it has to be something due to loud sounds, clunking metal sound, could not put in gear. They kept the car over night, to try again in the morning, they are contacting Kia manufacturing for advice. Now I am reading all these complaints, some sound exactly like my experienced. I have no recall letter or notifications. From Kia losing faith in Kia and afraid to drive this vehicle.

- Flower Mound,, TX, USA

problem #81

Sep 092010

Sorento

  • 75,000 miles
The contact owns a 2011 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that she attempted to reverse however, the shifter could not be moved for over 30 minutes. In addition, the radio would sporadically power on independently and drain the battery. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but the technician was unable to diagnose the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The VIN was unavailable. The approximate failure mileage was 75,000.

- Ballground, GA, USA

problem #80

Apr 182011

Sorento

  • miles
From point of purchase (November 2010) the vehicle always had a hard start, the seat belt was incorrectly installed and the gas lid fails to open without manual prodding. In April 2012 the engine failed to start, and then this continued to happen multiple times thereafter. The dealership changed the battery and service the vehicle. In the following months a series of issues continued, windshield washer pump stopped working, failure start, loud knocking sound in the engine while idle and driving, and then the car started to stall and thrust hard forward. The car was serviced again, oil changed, the changed the pump and filters, all reported problems persisted through 2013. For three months the car remained in the dealership service shop where the engine was serviced, and some "tappets" were replaced. The dealership cracked the engine cover, replaced it, without informing me. All engine, fail start, and windshield pump issues continues to persist to date (September 2013) despite multiple services.

- St Thomas, VI, USA

problem #79

Sep 022013

Sorento 4-cyl

  • 37,600 miles
While pulling into parking space, car became non-responsive to gas pedal input, but brakes sill worked. Hill asst and etc lights lit up on dash, car would not shift past neutral. Turned car off and on and was able to shift to park. Car started normally after being shut off.

- Portland, OR, USA

problem #78

Aug 312013

Sorento 4-cyl

  • 37,500 miles
While driving out of a parking lot at about 10 mph the vehicle shut down and all the dash lights illuminated. I turned the key off and on and the car restarted, drove rest of day without incident. Car stalled a second time two days later.

- Portland, OR, USA

problem #77

Jul 062013

Sorento

  • 30,000 miles
The contact owns a 2011 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that after shifting into reverse, the gear erroneously shifted into neutral and failed to respond to acceleration attempts. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the failure could not be replicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted about the failure. The failure mileage was 30,000. The VIN was not unavailable.

- North Richland Hills, TX, USA

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