There are 40 owner-reported electrical system complaints for the 2006 Kia Sorentoin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
THE HEAD LIGHT KEEP BURNING OUT THE RADIO AND THE CLOCK LIGHT KEEP FLICKING AND DRAING THE BATTERY WHILE DRIVING
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 KIA SORENTO. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE EMERGING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO NISSAN KIA OF MIDDLETOWN (4961 ROUTE 17M, NEW HAMPTON, NY 10958) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUSE AND ELECTRICAL BOX NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 93,000.
HEAD LIGHTS BLOW OUT EVERY COUPLE MONTHS AND THE BRAKE LIGHTS TO AND IT HAPPENS AT ALL TIME DRIVING DAY AND NIGHT WHEN DRIVING AND PARKED
PARKED THE CAR ONE NIGHT, NEXT MORNING ONLY CLICKS, CLICKING COMING FROM FUSE BOX TOO. NEW BATTERY, BATTERY AND BRAKE LIGHT ARE ON, CAR DIES AFTER SPUTTERING. THIS IS A NEW $5,000 ENGINE WITH ONLY 20,000 MILES DUE TO A CRANKSHAFT PULLEY BREAK RUINING THE ORIGINAL ONE. NOW, IT WON'T CRANK, OBDII RETURNS CODES P0763 AND P0101 WHICH ARE SHIFT SOLENOID AND MASS AIR FLOW ELECTRICAL. THE COOLING FAN RELALY IS BURNED AS WELL AS THE FUSE BOX CIRCUIT BOARD IT GOES INTO. HAVE A MECHANIC COMING TO CHECK IT BUT NOT TOO OPTIMISTIC GIVEN THE CAR'S HISTORY. LUCKILY, I ONLY DROVE 3 MILES TO MY OTHER HOME WHEN THE SECOND TIME FOR QUITTING OCCURRED WHERE IT IS STILL, NOW I'M OUT OF A CAR AND LOTS OF OBLIGATIONS TO FULFILL AND WALKING.
I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE USED FROM A LOCAL DEALERSHIP BACK IN 2013.IT HAD 53000 MILES ON IT I BOUGHT THE EXTENDED WARRANTY AND HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO USE IT DUE TO WHEN THE ISSUES DEVELOPED. WITHIN THREE MONTHS I HAD TO REPLACE THE PASSENGER SIDE THEN DRIVER SIDE LOW BEAM LIGHTS AND THE FRONT AND REAR TAIL LIGHTS. THIS HAS OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING. I HAD TO DO THIS ABOUT ONCE A YEAR. I RECENTLY JUNE 2016 CHANGED THE PASSENGER SIDE BULB LOW BEAM AGAIN. NOW I HAVE NOTICED I HAVE NO TAG LIGHTS. I ORDERED REPLACEMENT BULBS FROM THE DEALERSHIP AND HAD THEM INSTALLED AND THEY STILL DO NOT WORK. YET NO FUSES ARE BLOWN AND THERE IS NO SMELL OF BURNING WIRES OR MELTED WIRES ANYWHERE. *TR
AFTER READING MANY OF THESE COMPLAINTS, THEY ARE THE SAME AS MINE. MY CAR HAS SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING AT LEAST FOUR TIMES, THE LAST TIME I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO MY REGULAR MECHANIC. SINCE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DID NOT STAY ON AT FIRST HE WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHAT WAS WRONG. NOW THAT I SEE MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM I NOW KNOW WHAT I AM UP AGAINST. I GUESS KIA IS WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO BE KILLED WITH THEM DRIVING AND CAN NOT PULL OVER DUE TO NO POWER, THEN GET HIT FROM BEHIND. THEN AND ONLY THEN WILL THEY DO A RECALL AFTER SOMEONE LOOSE THEIR LIFE, JUST BECAUSE THEY WANT TO KEEP QUITE. I NOW KNOW WHAT TO TELL MY MECHANIC THAT IS WRONG. I WILL COPY SEVERAL OF THESE COMPLAINTS AND TAKE IT TO HIM. I WILL ALSO CALL MY LOCAL TV STATIONS TO REPORT THIS AS WELL, I REFUSE TO SIT AROUND ALLOW SOMEONE TO BE KILLED IN ORDER TO SAVE KIA MONEY. THEY CAN DO A RECALL AND FIX THIS MATTER, BUT THEY DON'T WANT TO. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER KIA AGAIN AND WILL TELL OTHERS WHEN THE TV STATIONS INTERVIEW ME I WILL BE SURE TO LET PEOPLE KNOW NOT TO BUY YOUR CARS AT ALL UNTIL YOU FACE UP TO THE FACT THAT THIS IS A DANGEROUS MATTER.
I PURCHASED A 2006 KIA SORENTO FROM AN INDIVIDUAL. WITHOUT ANY WARNING THE TAIL LIGHTS, SIGNAL LIGHTS, CRUISE CONTROL, EMERGENCY BLINKERS, AND WINDOWS QUIT WORKING ALL AT ONCE. I HAVE BEEN DOING RESEARCH AND SEE THAT THIS VEHICLE HAS A LOT OF COMPLAINTS WITH ELECTRICAL ISSUES. ALSO, IN 2009 THERE WAS A RECALL. I NEED TO GET THIS RECALL CHECKED INTO AND ALSO MY VEHICLE NEEDS TO BE FIXED. *TR
SINCE THE DAY I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE HEADLIGHTS OR TAIL LIGHTS ALMOST EVERY OTHER MONTH. I BELIEVE THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. LATELY THE LIGHTS AND THE FAN WILL NOT SHUT OFF ON THE CAR. I HAD TO PULL OUT THE BATTERY JUST TO GET IT TO GO OFF. THE AC AND HEATER SWITCH BACK AND FORTH CONSTANTLY. ONE DAY YOU CAN ONLY USE THE HEATER THEN THE NEXT WEEK YOU CAN ONLY USE THE AC. I HAVE REPLACE SWITCHES OVER AND OVER AND IT ONLY TEMPORARILY FIXES THESE PROBLEMS. GAS MILEAGE IS ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE. *TR
I WAS IN A SLOW HEAD ON CRASH, TO AVOID HITTING OTHER CARS PERSON SWERVED INTO MY LANE. DIDN'T EVEN SET THE AIRBAGS OFF. AS SOON AS THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED MY BRAKE & BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON. WHEN I GOT THE CAR BACK THE LIGHTS WERE STILL LIT, TOOK IT BACK & THEY BLAMED IT ON A BELT. I HAD PUT A RECONDITIONED ALTERNATOR IN 11 DAYS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, DROVE FINE WITH A QUESTIONABLE BATTERY. NOW THE POWER STEERING WORK OCCASIONALLY & THE ALTERNATOR IS NOT CHARGING THE BATTERY. I JUST WANT MY CAR TO WORK LIKE IT DID BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. BUT I MUST SAY THIS IS THE FOURTH ALTERNATOR I HAVE PUT IN THIS VEHICLE, THREE REBUILT, BUT THE THIRD ONE WAS BRAND NEW, I AM AVERAGING AN ALTERNATOR EVERY TWO YEARS. BOUGHT THIS CAR USED IN THE SAME YEAR IT CAME OUT & IT ONLY HAD 16,000 MILES. IT NOW HAS APPROXIMATELY 90,000. I WISH MY PROBLEM WAS ONLY FREQUENTLY BURN OUT LIGHTS. REPLACED TWO SERPENTINE BELTS, ONE LEFT THAT GOES TO THE POWER STEERING. SO GLAD THAT KID WAS TEXTING OR SOMETHING TO CAUSE THIS ACCIDENT, NOW I HAVE A CAR THAT IS WORTHLESS TO ME AS I CAN'T DRIVE IT. THE BODYSHOP PUT A NEW BATTERY IN IT, IT LASTED 3 DAYS. WISH I WOULD'VE JUST STAY HOME THAT DAY. *TR
LOW BEAM HEAD LIGHTS, JUST GO OUT WITH OUT WARNING . REPLACED 100S OF TIME S JUST VERY COSTLY . KIA WANTS 100. EVERY TIME TO REPLACE. *JS
KIA SORENTO 2006. CRANK SHAFT BOLT SHEARED OFF. TOTAL CONTROL OF VEHICLE LOST. CAN NOT DRIVE VEHICLE. CONTACTED KIA MOTORS WHO STATED THEY KNOW THIS HAPPENS. EXACT WORDS OF PERSON ON PHONE WERE "YOU SHOULD HAVE REPLACED THE CRANK SHAFT BOLT WITH AN UPGRADED MODEL". AS I AM A PRIVATE OWNER AND NEVER GOT ANY INFORMATION FROM KIA THIS WAS NEVER DONE. THE DEALERSHIP WAS HELPFUL IN THAT THEY SAID THEY WOULD LOOK AT THE VEHICLE FOR A FEE, IN WHICH CASE THEY STATED THAT THEY COULD FIX IT FOR A LARGE AMOUNT AND THAT IT WAS THE CRANK SHAFT BOLT WHICH WAS THE PROBLEM. LOL I ASKED THEM IF THEY WERE GOING TO PUT IN THE UPGRADED VERSION I WAS TOLD ABOUT, AND THEY SAID THEY ONLY HAVE ONE KIND WHICH IS THE ORIGINAL PART. AFTER SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS WITH MECHANICS AT THE DEALERSHIP AND OUTSIDE MECHANICS THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN NON-OPERATIONAL AS IT IS TOO MUCH MONEY TO FIX A PROBLEM THAT IS NOT BEING ADDRESSED AND IS NOT SAFE FOR THE ROAD. AS A KIA OWNER OF MORE THAN 2 OF THEIR VEHICLES I AM HIGHLY UPSET AS THIS COMPANY HAS TOOK NO ACTION IN SUCH A HUGE PROBLEM. STAND BY YOUR PRODUCT KIA. I STOOD BY YOU BUYING MORE THAN 2 CARS OVER THE LAST DECADE. THAT IS UP IN THE AIR NOW AS KIA REFUSES TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE. KIA SHOULD FIX THIS PROBLEM AND THIS VEHICLE SHOULD BE RECALLED.
ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON- BROUGHT TO DEALER- TOLD LEAK IN PRESSURE LINE TO POWER STEERING. THEY FIXED BUT STILL FAULTY SENSOR LIGHT REMAINS ON FOR CHECK ENGINE- TOLD 230$ TO FIX FAULTY SENSOR ON GAS/AIR MIXTURE OR MY CATALYTIC CONVERTER WOULD WEAR OUT. *TR
VEHICLE'S BATTERY, BRAKE, AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS CAME ON WHILE PARKED AT HOME, OPENED HOOD, NOTICED BELT WAS SLIPPING, AND CRANKSHAFT PULLEY WAS SPINNING ALMOST FREE. CONTACTED MECHANIC WHO PERFORMED MOST RECENT MAINTENANCE, HE ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR WORK UNDER ASSUMPTION WAS FAULTY. PROBLEM REOCCURRED 3 MONTHS LATER, MECHANIC NOW CONVINCED HE IS NOT THE CAUSE OF THIS. RESEARCH SHOWS COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS MAKE/MODEL. CRANKSHAFT BOLT APPEARS TO BREAK FREE OF PULLEY. WILL REQUIRE ENGINE BLOCK DISASSEMBLY TO DETERMINE IF CRANKSHAFT HAS BEEN DAMAGED. *TR
MY KIA SORENTO SUDDENLY BEGAN DYING AS I WAS DRIVING. WHEN IT HAPPENED, I DID NOT HAVE CONTROL OF MY STEERING WHEEL OR MY BRAKES. I WAS FORTUNATE THAT EACH TIME IT HAS HAPPENED I HAVE BEEN IN A SITUATION WHERE I COULD PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. ONCE I PULLED OVER, PUT IT IN NEUTRAL OR PARK AND IT STARTED BACK UP WITHOUT DIFFICULTY. THERE WERE NO ENGINE LIGHTS OF ANY TYPE. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE KIA DEALERSHIP IN LUBBOCK, TX (GENE MESSER KIA). THEY WERE UNABLE TO DISCOVER ANY PROBLEMS WITH MY CAR. THEY DROVE IT AND COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, THEY SCANNED FOR CODES, NOTHING SHOWED UP. I WAS WITHOUT MY CAR FOR TWO FULL DAYS. I LEFT THE DEALERSHIP WITH AN INVOICE FOR $143.00 FOR CLEANING OF THE THROTTLE AND A LIST OF THINGS THAT NEED TO BE REPAIRED SOON. THE INCIDENT HAPPENS ONCE OR TWICE A WEEK. MY FEAR IS THAT THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN AND I AM GOING TO EITHER KILL ANOTHER DRIVER OR MYSELF OR HAVE A CRASH INTO ANOTHER OBJECT. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. NOW, THE FOLLOWING HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE KIA, ITSELF, HOWEVER, I JUST LOST MY HUSBAND, MOVED TO LUBBOCK A FEW MONTHS AGO, I DO NOT KNOW PEOPLE HERE. I AM IN THE MIDDLE OF JOB HUNTING SO I NEVER KNOW WHEN I AM GOING TO BE CALLED FOR AN INTERVIEW. IF I LEAVE MY CAR WITH GENE MESSER KIA, I AM TOTALLY WITHOUT ANY TRANSPORTATION. I AM ALONE, AND NEED TO GET THIS PROBLEM TAKEN CARE OF AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THE DEALERSHIP TELLS ME THEY DO NOT LET CUSTOMERS HAVE LONER CARS SO MY LIFE IS JUST "ON HOLD". I AM NOT IN A FINANCIAL SITUATION TO PAY OUT A LOT OF MONEY. I'M BARELY MAKING IT NOW UNTIL I FIND A JOB. I AM ASKING SOMEONE TO PLEASE HELP ME WITH THIS SITUATION. *TR
2006 KIA SORENTO COMPLAINT: ENGINE , STEERING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM , EXTERIOR LIGHTING ,THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR I AM CHANGING THE HEAD LIGHTS EVERY 4-5 MONTH AND I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT. WAS DRIVING 35 MPH WHEN THE ENGINE LIGHT AND BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON WITH NO WARNING. AND JUST LAST WEEK 2/2/2014 THE ENGINE STOPPED AND I HAD NO POWER STEERING AND ALSO NO BRAKES. I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO A SIDE ROAD AND BARELY GOT THE VEHICLE TO STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN MECHANIC, WHO DIAGNOSED AND HAD TO REPLACE A THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR AND A MASS AIR FLOW METER AND AIR FILTER AND THE HARMONIC BALANCER. THIS IS CRAZY THESE PROBLEMS AND REQUIRES EXTENSIVE AND EXPENSIVE REPAIR TO THE ENGINE. THIS INDICATES TO US A MANUFACTURER'S DESIGN FLAW AND PROBABLE SAFETY ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY KIA WORLDWIDE. IT'S DISTURBING WITH HOW MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS I'M READING ON THIS SITE ABOUT THE SAME EXACT THING! IS THERE ANY HELP OUT THERE THIS IS TOO EXPENSIVE FOR ALL THESE REPAIR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 73,100. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE DISPLAYED A DANGEROUS INCREASE IN TEMPERATURE. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES. THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.
I PURCHASED THIS CAR IN NEW IN 2006 I HAVE REPLACE FOUR TAIL LIGHTS AND AS OF TODAY WHEN THE HEAD LIGHT WENT OUT THIS WILL BE THE FIFTH HEADLIGHT, I AM AFRAID FOR MY DAUGHTER TO PARK IN THE GARAGE IN CASE IT SHOULD SET THE HOUSE ON FIRE,THERE IS OBVIOUSLY A SHORT IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. *TR
2006 SORENTO EX WAS BOUGHT IN 2009, WITH 56,000 MILES. CURRENTLY HAS 103,000 MILES AND IS A CONSTANT ELECTRICAL BATTLE. HAVE REPLACED NUMEROUS HEADLIGHTS AND TAIL LIGHTS. THE INTERIOR DOME LIGHT ONLY WORKS WHEN MANUALLY SWITCHED "ON," AND THE "A/C" SETTING CONTROL DIAL ONLY LIGHTS UP AFTER YOU FIDDLE WITH IT. THE DRIVER'S SEAT MOTOR HAS PARTIALLY DIED SO THAT THE SEAT RECLINES BACK BUT WILL NOT GO STRAIGHT UP AGAIN. THE FRONT TWO WINDOW MOTORS SEEM TO BE ON THEIR LAST LEGS. THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR MECHANISM DIED LAST YEAR AND WOULD MAKE AN AWFUL, LOUD BUZZING SOUND WHENEVER THE DOOR LOCK BUTTON WOULD BE PRESSED. THE INTERIOR DASH LIGHTS ARE STARTING TO INTERMITTENTLY GO OUT. IT'S QUITE SCARY TO BE DRIVING ALONG AT NIGHT AND EVERYTHING ON THE PANEL GOES BLACK. HAVE REPLACED BATTERY ONCE SINCE BUYING IT WHEN IT DIED WITH ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING. *TR
MY 2006 KIA SORENTO HAS 96000 MILES ON IT AND IT SEEMS THAT THE HEAD LIGHT OR ELECTRICAL SYSTEM HAS A SHORT IN IT. THE HEAD LIGHT WILL GO OFF BUT YOU IF YOU TAP THE HEAD LIGHT ASSEMBLY IT WILL COME BACK ON AS IF THERE IS A SHORT IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. ALSO, THE DOME LIGHT WILL COME ON IF YOU TURN IT TO THE ON POSITION BUT IF YOU PUT IT ON THE DOOR POSITION IT DOES NOT COME ON WHEN THE DOOR IS OPEN. AGAIN THAT WOULD BE A FAILURE IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. THE KIA WILL NOT START AFTER REPLACING A HEADLIGHT BULB. I KNOW THAT SOUNDS LIKE THEY ARE NOT RELATED BUT THE HEAD LIGHT WENT OUT SO I REPLACED IT AND THEN I WOULDN'T START RIGHT AFTER CHANGING THE LIGHT. *TR
THERE HAS BEEN MULTIPLE TIMES OF ME CHANGING BOTH HEADLIGHTS AND TAILLIGHTS. NOW MY BRAKE LIGHTS ARE OUT AT THE SAME TIME ALONG WITH ONE HEADLIGHT. THE LIGHTS ARE NOT EVEN 2 WEEKS OLD. IT REALLY IS SCARY TO KNOW THAT MY LIGHTS CAN GO OUT AT ANY TIME. (WHICH HAS HAPPENED, THANKFULLY NOT WHEN IT WAS COMPLETELY DARK) AND TODAY, I ALMOST GOT INTO A WRECK BECAUSE I WASN'T AWARE THAT MY 2 WEEK OLD TAIL LIGHTS ARE OUT. MY DASH BOARD LIGHTS AND MY DOME LIGHT FLICKERS AND I HAVE TO HIT THE TOP OF THE DASHBOARD FOR THEM TO COME BACK ON. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR ABOUT 2 YEARS AND I HAVE SEEN A LOT OF THE SAME COMPLAINTS WITH THIS MAKE AND YEAR. KIA REALLY NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. *JB
Showing 1–20 of 40 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026