2011 Kia Sorento Complaint Log

Vehicle front k frame is severly rusted causing concerns with front suspension stablilty.

2011 Kia Sorento, built 2010 , Kia issued a recall notice concerning misaligned intermediate shafts on the passenger side of trans axle. This recall is for vehicles manufactured from start of production thru may 22 2010. Our vehicle has manufacture date of June 9 2010, and has suffered thru 168000 gimpy miles on this gnarled intermediate shaft. Photo included. So Kia did have this problem longer than theinial 4/25/2011 recall for Power Train campaign #11V258000.

Part failure. Electronic control module for air bag. Air bag warning lamp illuminated and remain lit on dash. Local autopartsO’reilleys on board diagnostic tool reads two codes. B1620 internal fault- replace SRSCM and B1764 body sensor MAT defect. This Kia Sorento has had several repairs done via KIA recall and safety campaigns. 2017 clean and seal and or replace rear wheel speed sensor housing … could AND did illuminate ESC ABS and HILL Climb on dash… vehicle operated in southern Louisiana . Air Bag warning lamp. 10/10/2019, 147716 miles . Code found at Kia performing clock spring assembly warranty extension code for high resistance. Replaced clockspring and cleared code. High resistance is Key at this time. Also the cruise control began to function properly after the lamp turned off. May 28 kia letter concerning newly developed computer software for ECU, engine control unit. Repaired July 28 2021. June 2016, August 2019, Kia Sorento airbag clock spring assembly warranty extension. Air bag illumination. These letters state the warranty extension will be 15 years and subsequent air bag illumination will be diagnosed at no charge for 15 years. Yet I have two codes, return to Kia to validate and am charged for diagnostic as well, the air bag lamp still illuminated. Explained I need NEW SRS module at cost of estimated $1200. Vehicle does not communicate with SRSCM. Recommend replace the airbag control module I ask, is it ossicle with NEW updated ECu as well as prolonged Air bag illuminated due to HIGH resistance from clock spring malfunctioning, could this feedback and prolonged exposure cause the airbag co trip module to malfunction ? Airbags are a safety issue. The electronics should not falter .

The contact owns a 2011 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while her granddaughter was driving at 35 MPH, the a white smoke began to emit from the vehicle the oil and battery warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. A fellow motorist then alerted her that her vehicle was on fire and urged to to pull over and exit the vehicle. Upon exiting the vehicle, the vehicle became engulfed in flames. Her granddaughter called the authorities as the fire department was able to extinguish the fire. A fire report was filed; no injuries were reported. The vehicle was towed to a junk yard and deemed a total loss. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and was a case was filed. The fire department determined that the cause of the fire was electrical. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 11E041000 (Equipment) which she linked to her failure. The failure mileage was a approximately 192,000.

1-The front air bag sensor will nor register if a person is sitting in the sear, no matter the weight. 2-The modem keeps direction the vehicle to steer right. No matter how many alignments and parts are replaced, the ECM will not correct itself 3-KIA dealers will only repair the problem if the customer pays $$$$$$$$

The contact owns a 2011 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed at night, after applying the turn signals, the headlights and instrument panel lights became inoperable. The contact related the failure to the electrical system; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 138,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Kia Sorento. The contact stated when she first started the vehicle in the morning, while seated in the vehicle she started to smell fumes inside the vehicle; however, after the vehicle had warmed up the fume’s odor went away. After transporting her children to school, while driving back to her residence at approximately 25 - 30 MPH, she noticed that there was smoke coming from the front and the rear of the vehicle. A passing motorist then informed her that the rear bumper of the vehicle was on fire. The Fire Department was contacted and arrived on the scene to extinguish the fire. The State Police also arrived on the scene. A fire report and police report were filed. There were no injuries reported. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic but was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.

Door does not open Steering wheel is stiff when turning.

The contact owns a 2011 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the exterior front driver side door handle had malfunctioned and the door could not be opened from outside the vehicle. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were both notified. The contact was informed that the vehicle was previously serviced under a manufacturers TSB for the failure. The failure mileage was 185,000.

ON 2-7-2022 MY 2011 KIA SERENTO began to boggle out while driving it merging onto the freeway I was having a hard time speeding up to even 20mph then out of no where it was just fine again, well I went to pick my children from school about 1 1/2 hours later and the car started out driving fine until out of no where I was unable to accelerate to a higher speed once more but this time it was smelling like smoke but there was no smoke

When I started out with the car it drove alright then I had to take it back and forth for the wiring smelling like it was burning but have never caught on fire thank goodness had to get a tuneup spark plugs and it still doesn’t work right

I have owned a 2011 Kia Sorento AWD since 2010, and I am reporting an issue with a specific recall and the safety risk the remains with this vehicle. I have been in contact with Kia Motors America since Sept 2020 with no resolution. KMA has not been responsive to my issues and concerns since the Case was opened in Sept 2020 especially with issue associated with the recall. The following details provide the background and current status with the vehicle; Aug2010 - Kia Sorento repaired via recall notice (SC082) to correct an issue with the right front intermediate shaft (grease applied. misaligned shaft. Apr2011 - Kia amends SC082 to SC082A following evidence that Sorentos continued to experience wear and symptoms associated with shaft misalignment (I did not receive a notice of the amended technical service bulletin despite the amended recall SC082A specifically identifying 4WD vehicle repair procedures Aug2019 - Kia Sorento begins to experience intermittent shuttering and vibration from the right front axle (Sorento remaining under Kia's 10 year powertrain warranty) Sept2019 - Kia dealer unable to identify root cause(s). - No repair work performed. Intermittent shuttering, vibration and "whirring" sound continues to present date. Sept 2020 - Kia dealer unable to identify root cause(s) - problem continues. Contacted KMA. Case openned. Jan2021 - Another Kia dealer unable to identify root cause(s) - problem continues Dec2021 to present - In continuous contact with KMA to resolve issue. Issue remains unresolved My specific position is that my 2011 Kia Sorento 4WD is within the scope of Kia recall SC082A (SC082 was amended to correct/revise repair procedures). Kia's position is that the amended SC082A recall does not apply to my vehicle despite the fact that SC082 was initially performed. Additionally, Kia documentation clearly points to revised repair procedures for both 2WD and 4WD Sorentos. KMA is not responding to my calls or emails at this time. In the

When you check oil, the dip stick shows no oil. I have had the oil changed several times and after about a week the dip stick shows no oil. There is no oil leak coming from under car or from looking at engine under hood. Also, when I start the car, a big plume of smoke comes out of the muffler, but then no smoke. I scheduled an appointment for Kia Dealership about 6 months ago and they said they could not find a problem.

Both front and rear passenger side doors do not open from the outside. Both failed within days of each other. There have been no incidents that would have caused this. This appears to be a widespread issue with Sorentos that has been going on for years.

The car will not always go in park and will click into gear a few seconds afterwards. The car rolled out of my driveway in reverse and caused over 5000.00 dollars in damages. Also the seat settings will get stuck moving and not moving. The air bag light is also on and the fuel cap sticks and won't open unless forced opened

1. Air bag light has been on for over a year. Was checked at dealership, and was told there is a recall on sensor. 2. Power Train, unknown of what's going on. Riding down the road all of a sudden it stalls for a minute. It's a hard jerk, like it's not getting gas, or the transmission is out of sinc. This started about two years ago. Took it to my local repairman, and he said it was a warning in the tire wheel letting me know something was wrong in the wheel. They repaired it, and I had no more problems until recently. It is doing it again. A hard jerk when I'm driving. 3. Other, passenger front and rear and drivers side rear doors locked up and I could not open them. This happen about two years ago. Took car to a certified electrical repairman and it cost me a fortune to get repaired. The clips that lock and unlock doors had to be replace. The repair was very costly.

Headlights go on and off while driving at night, especially when using turn signals. We cannot use Kia Sorento at night. All bulbs are OK

The contact owns a 2011 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 50 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, but the mechanic could not duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

This car won’t go into park at times I have to put it with my emergency brake to park it and sometimes it won’t go into reverse. Called Kia dealership said it’s common at 150,000 for the interpreter switch/shift cable to get jammed up and to fix it would cost $550. I am afraid to drive this car but I need to go to work, if this is a common issue there should be a recall to fix it as that is a safety issue and it’s dangerous.

The engine on my 2011 Kia Sorento has failed and the mechanic at the Kia dealership told me it was because of the rod bearings. My car was serviced at the Kia dealership in April 2021 and apparently 2 weeks later an ECU update recall was placed on my vehicle. I did not receive anything notifying me of this update. In November of 2021 my engine started making a loud noise and then failed to turn on. The mechanic at the Kia dealership told me had I had the sensor updated prior to the noise starting it would have alerted us to the rod bearings causing damage but since the update had never happened the rod bearings caused my engine to fail. According to the dealership I should be covered under the recall but Kia headquarters are denying to cover it since I am over my mileage warranty. I have tried for the last month to get a supervisor to return my call at the Kia headquarters and no one will speak to me or call me back. I have been without a vehicle since November 22, 2021 and no resolution since no one will call me back.

ABS LIGHT STAYS ON, HAD BRAKES REPLACED AND LINES CHECKED, ALWAYS HAVE A CONSTANT BURNING SMELL, BUT CAN NOT FIND THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM

2011 KIA SORENTO. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO THEIR VEHICLE STOPPING SUDDENLY WHILE DRIVING. THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING, THERE WAS A LOUD BANG, AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ROLL BACKWARDS. THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT 98,122 MILES.

I have contacted the manufacturer Kia-ConsumerAssistanceCenter@kiausa.com. I notified them first on September 8,2021. I was given a generic response of to contact a dealership about lights being on that won’t cut off, the hatch falling on its own , the windows gets stuck and the door handle not working and more recently November 3, 2021 that the car will just stop accelerating when driving and then resumes by itself. I also followed their instructions and attempted to make and appointment with Kia of Orange Park 6373 Blanding Blvd Jacksonville, Florida 32244 (904) 771-6078 and was told each item to LOOK AT it was $159. I informed them of my warranty that would cover Cost and was denied that option but payment would be needed upfront and then they would bill my warranty and apply the cost. This was for a diagnostic check. Not repair at all. Which means fees needed to paid whether I got the work done or not. My car was there in June for a recall with the engine and that was covered by Kia due to a system update. I tried again in October just for the car acceleration and have not received a response back from [XXX] GENERAL SALES MANAGER [XXX] on the cost to look at the vehicle to see what it’s accelerating on its on. I sent a follow up request again today to Kia the manufacturer and the dealership. I want it documented that I am driving a car that will stall on its own and then accelerates again. I have two kids and if we are killed due to the vehicles stopping in traffic on its own. Or the other mechanical problems it’s now having they should be sued for our deaths. To just look at my vehicle [XXX] states I must pay because his guys need to get paid too. Not for any work just to look at the vehicle and tell me the cost of repairs. Also they will not submit rose cost to my warranty company who states they will cover the repairs unless they are given money upfront. Sounds illegal to me. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

My 2011 Kia Sorento headlights blink on and off when I’m drinking it’s very scary driving at night because I don’t know when it may happen it’s been happening on and off

Passenger low beam kept burning out. I kept replacing. This morning, on my way home from work (I work nights on an ambulance) I could smell burning, and saw that the light was out once again. Got home, and the entire connector/wiring to the bulb was completely melted and sizzling, with a small flame at the base of the plastic connector. This is outrageous. There were recalls for this EXACT issue for other Sorentos, but mine was not included. This could have started a major vehicle fire, and I cannot afford a vehicle electrician. Kia should be replacing this.

BELOW ARE ALL OF THE CASE NUMBERS............BUT, STILL AFTER over FIVE (5) MONTHS............no FOLLOW-UP what so ever!!!!! https://ksupport.kiausa.com/ConsumerAffairs We have received your submission and your case number is 15331861. A representative will be notified and will follow up accordingly. sent feb. 15, 2023 4:57PM Kia Customer Care - Case#15331861 Your case number is ' 15339854 ' new message PLUS above sent 2/20/2023 Fri, May 12 at 4:27 PM your case number is 15519248. Wednesday, February 15, 2023 your case number is 15331861 Your case number is ' 15339854 ' new message PLUS above sent 2/20/2023 Thu, May 18 at 4:42 PM your case number is 15532767 Sat, May 27 at 8:53 PM your case number is 15553905 Fri, June 1, 2023 8:56 PM Your case number is ' 15565066 Thu, Jun 1 at 8:57 PM your case number is 15565066 Tue, Jun 13 at 4:40 PM our case number is 15593923. Sun, Jun 18 at 7:50 PM your case number is 15605783. Fri, Jun 23 at 1:42 PM your case number is 15621230. Wed, Jun 28 at 9:59 PM your case number is 15633181. A representative will be notified and will follow up accordingly.??????????? OH YEAH?? WHEN?? I have taken the 2011 Kia Sorento in for 2 recalls on the door locks. THEY WERE NEVER FIXED. Then I took the Kia in for the connecting rod bearing recall. AND, AT THAT TIME I TOLD "THEM" AGAIN THAT THE DOOR LATCH PROBLEMS was NEVER FIXED, and I would like to have it fixed. When I got the Kia back I was told that yes the door latch problem needed to be fixed. BUT THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY........... When is a RECALL NOT done because the warranty has ended?? DOOR LATCH TWO (2) RECALLS AND NEVER FIXED. WHEN WILL I GET IT FIXED at no charge AS IT IS A DEFECT!!!!!!

The engine seized and needed to be replaced. The cost would be $11000 and there was only ONE available in the entire country. We were given $100 for the car. The KIA Corporation knew that this engine was defective and did not recall it or warn us that the engine could seize while driving or catch fire causing catastrophic injuries.

Exterior pearl white paint is rapidly delaminating and causing severe rusting of the body in many places. This is NOT due to any scratches, dents or crashes. Kia corporate is aware of the defect and it appears to be a serious manufacturing defect in the primer or paint. I understand there are hundreds, if not tens of thousands, of Kia vehicles affected who have reported this. A recall needs to be issued as this is a major defect and body shops insist that the only fix is a complete paint strip and repainting of the entire car. The paint is bubbling up and/or coming off in sheets. New places pop up all the time and the rust is damaging the body. This started about 2 years ago and is continually getting worse.

Tail light continues to blow. Changed both bulbs twice in a week. The left socket has burn mark, and light blows immediately after replacing bulb. This has been continously over the past 2 years.

One of the 2011 KIA SORENTO door can't open from outside or inside. This is really frustrating, as I couldn't open a door where my chiled seat. I have 5 year old and I have to sneak one of them into the other door. I am really frightened if what will happen if the child door is locked and child is in the car seat and I am not able to go inside my car. This is a potential hazard for my child. I heard from people is very common problem with Kia, Kia has to really step forward and replace this faulty mechanism. The cost my kia dealer estimates is $1200, I urge the Kia company to really fix this asap before someone gets hurt and/or result into fatality.

The contact owns a 2011 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over and had the vehicle towed to her residence. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer and was diagnosed but not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 124,000.

When driving at night my headlights flicker off and on for about 3 seconds, also when I attempt to use my turn signal, the lights will blink out and I have to jiggle the handle to get the lights to come back on. Sometimes when I turn the corner the head lights will blink off and then come back on and this takes about 3 scary seconds. Unable to drive in an unfamiliar or dark area because the lights are subject to go out. There is no warning light, message or other symptom to address the problem. I was told that there might be a recall on this issue. Is there any technical service bulletin addressing this issue. Please advise as this can be a very dangerous situation

Headlights you can't leave them on automatic the lights will stay on and kill your battery. The lights blink off and on sometimes when use turn signal, and sometime goes completely out while driving at night have a fear of running into someone or off hwy. No inspections. No lamp warning messages. I bought the Vehicle used May of 2021 and notice problems about a couple of months later.

There was a recall on the passenger doors (all of them) actuators. All have been replaced by Kia. They are ALL BROKEN AGAIN and will not lock.

I was driving on the freeway, my car just stopped, it wouldn't start I had to have it towed.

The left rear passenger quit working. The door cannot be opened from inside or outside. Now the driver door will not open from the outside, but will open from the inside. I have ready many complaints about this problem. We have small grand children that are taken in this vehicle and the concern is that both rear doors quit working before the afore mentioned repairs are made. This has repeatedly happened to doors that have been fixed as well from all the complaint I've read. This has just recently happened to my vehicle. What are the chances of the other doors quitting after these repairs are made. Looks to be above average. This car has not been taken to a dealer yet as the driver door just broke.

The contact owns a 2011 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH, an abnormally loud banging sound was coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle then started to lose motive power and stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The transmission was replaced, and the contact was informed that the new transmission was also defective. A used transmission was installed, and the failure was remedied. The approximate failure mileage was 98,000.

I have a 2011 KIA SORENTO and the rear back door handle has stopped working on 7/7/2021. This is safety issue as I can open the door from inside but not from outside. I have a small child and another on the way and not being able to open the door to let her out of the car is unacceptable. I am really frightened if what will happen if my child is inside and I am not able to get inside my car. This is a potential hazard for my child and my future infant child. Kia has to really step forward and replace this faulty mechanism. I urge the Kia company to recall and fix this asap before someone gets hurt and/or it results in a fatality.

I have had a oil temperature sensor P0711 go out twice on my vehicle. The first time back in 2018 and had it replaced. And now again just this month. This has got to be something wrong to keep this not working and keeping the transaxle oil temperature normal on long rides. I would greatly appreciate if this could be fixed this time at no cost to me. This needs to be a recall.

AIRBAG LIGHT ... FRONT DRIVER AIRBAG FAULT / CURTAIN AIRBAG FAULT

The car intermittently smells like burning rubber after being driven. This has been an ongoing and unresolved issue for about a year, and is of serious concern to me. The car has approximately 130k miles, and is in excellent condition otherwise. Two mechanics have tried to troubleshoot this issue without being able to find the problem. I have tried to eliminate certain potential causes i.e. turning the air or heat off, etc., but it does not affect it. The car does not read "hot". No warning lights come on. There are no signs of leaking fluids, etc. as my garage floor is clean. With Kia having a history of some engines catching fire, it is of even greater concern, although my particular vehicle does not appear to have a recall for that issue.

Engine has a loud knocking noise also had flames coming from under the hood. No check engine light came on. I was so terrified for my life. Kia has a recall on 2012 - 2019 engine and not 2011 Kia Sorento engines and it’s causing the same issue.. this is not Safe for anyone.. so can you’ll look into this matter and make Kia accountable for the repairs.. total of 187 complaints on the 2011 Kia Sorento engine and nothing is being done… Please help us

There was a recall to add a engine knocking warning device. When I got the recall in June of 2021, my engine was already knocking. I took the car into Rapid City Kia Dealership for repair on June 24th. I still do not know if it has been approved for repair. The recall stated there was a warranty extension to provide lifetime coverage due to bearing damage. A knock sensor detection system was to be installed caused by worn connecting rod bearings. They ran the diagnostic test for trouble code P1326 and said the noise only got worse. The service department in Rapid City told me the engine needed to be replaced. I still have not heard the decision of Kia and was told it could be the end of July. I need help getting the service my car requires and I need a rental vehicle to drive until my vehicle can be repaired.

Kia motors sent a letter about 2011-2015 sorento occupant detection system (ODS) Sensor pads new vehicle limited warranty extension If the airbag warring light is on the airbag system is not functioning properly, it may or may not deploy in an accident(which should be considered a safety issue) I have already had the diagnostic done by my dealer who said the problem is covered by the warranty but because my car is salvaged which makes it not apply for warranties does the fact that my airbags may or may not deploy not seem like a safety issue?

A few days before we were to go on vacation we received a campaign letter from Kia about reprogramming the ecm because of the knock sensors. In this letter it stated that after the repairs were done the would warrant the engine for 10 years or 150000 miles from first in service date. My Kia has 144417 miles on it. Because it was so close to our vacation time I didn't have time to take it to the dealer and get the campaign done on it, I was going to do it when I returned from vacation. When we were returning on I-75 outside Chattanooga Tn I heard a loud noise, check eng light started flashing, it jerked me into the right lane which I barely avoided a crash with a vehicle in that lane, smoke was coming up behind me after getting the vehicle to the shoulder of the road some lady pulled up in front of us and said the car was on fire i raised the hood and it was burning at the firewall and underneath it. I instructed my son to get my wife and 3 yr old grandson out of the car, they were in the back seat. I happened to have a case of water in the ack so I started getting out bottles of water out and pouring them on the flames when a dot truck pulled up with a fire extinguisher and finished putting out the flames. There were no warning lights or noises on before this happened. I have been a mechanic all my life and upon inspection I saw that it had slung a rod out the side of the block and that the oil hitting the hot exhaust had set fire to the vehicle. I had to pay 350.00 to get it towed back to my house. I called Kia on Monday and he took all this information down and then he told me they wouldn't do anything about it because I didn't have the campaign done before it happened. I think that Kia ought to put me an engine in this vehicle

I have replaced the drivers side low beam headlight three times and it is out again. I have replaced the passenger side low beam headlight two times.

The contact owns a 2011 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 58 MPH, the vehicle shut-off with the engine and oil warning lights illuminated. The contact pulled off the road and had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic. The mechanic informed her that the radiator was blown and that the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed her that since the software update was not performed on the vehicle, they could not assist her with the failure. The dealer was also notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 93,407.

The paint is peeling off down to the metal. On the roof (front and back) and on the hood.

Engine knocking when accelerating, leaking oil, sparks of fire almost caught fire,... no engine light came on. There’s a recall for Kia Sorento engine but only the 2.5 engine and not a 3.5 engine in which I have a 3.5 and it’s doing the same as the 3.5 engine... that’s terrifying

The contact owned a 2011 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving at 25 mph, a UPS truck veered off into her lane causing the contact to crash her vehicle into a curb. The contact stated that the next morning, she saw that her vehicle was leaking an immense amount of oil. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was taken to a repair shop where it was diagnosed with nothing needing to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact then stated while driving at 55 mph, the vehicle stalled and the contact saw smoke emerging from the engine compartment. Upon exiting the vehicle, the contact opened the hood to fire behind the engine. There were no injuries. The air bags did not deploy. The fire department was contacted but did not extinguish the fire. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed back to the repair shop. The repair shop informed the contact that they do not specialize in fires and the vehicle was towed to a local dealer. The vehicle was then diagnosed with the engine needing to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist. The failure mileage was 132,685. The consumer stated the dealer was ceased by Federal Agents for selling vehicles with damaged parts and finance companies fraudulent withdrawal money from the consumer and other accounts.