CarComplaints.com Notes: Kia really changed the design of the Sorento in the 2011 model year. Instead of a truck-like body-on-frame more capable of offroad adventures, the newest Sorento is a unibody construction and is much more crossover than sport utility. The changes brought a whole slew of problems, including a frustrating problem where the door that won’t open. Is it too late to go back?

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 18
Injuries / Deaths:
7 / 0
Average Mileage:
63,272 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2011 Kia Sorento electrical problems

electrical problem

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2011 Kia Sorento Owner Comments (Page 4 of 12)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #166

Feb 042018

Sorento

  • 130,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Clock spring malfunction causing airbag light to illuminate on dash. Steering wheel controls do not work. This is a constant and daily issue. It happens while driving as well as parked. Low beam socket melted. Since been replaced by me. Both issues are under a recall but my VIN is not listed. My vehicles year make and model are listed in a current recall but my VIN does not fall within it.

- East Boston, MA, USA

problem #165

Nov 052019

Sorento

  • miles
Vehicles interior lights, interior dash lights, headlights and other panel lights click and flicker off and on during various periods of time. The headlights stay off for a few seconds and repetitively at random times. This has occurred both early in the morning, in the evenings, it also happens just in the middle of the day to the dash lights and with the clicking. This has occurred in winter as well as summer. Originally it only occurred when it was raining, now it occurs daily. This has occurred when the vehicle has been in park and while driving on highways, on back roads, also at stop lights or a stop sign. The clicking has also occurred when the vehicle has been off, it will start making clicking noises coming from the dash area, the same noise as it makes when the headlights and interior and dash lights flicker when it is on. Also after having a recall repaired I am still having problems with the engine start stop not starting, as well as the doors not unlocking with the Kia remote or by pushing the button on the exterior handle. The vehicle has also lost steering control during excessive rain. This occurred on a side street while I was attempting to turn off of a main road onto a side road the vehicle would not turn. It proceeded to go at a diagonal, only partially turning into a front lawn during the turn. It was raining when this occurred. I know there have been other issues with the phantom headlights in other Kia models. And they are not fixing the issue, they are saying it is not occurring. Also they are saying they need to replace a part that cost $400 but it may not fix the issue. I have left the manager a message at the Kia in myrtle beach and have asked for a good faith repair and I have not heard back.

- Little River, SC, USA

problem #164

Dec 012012

Sorento

  • 60,000 miles
Just when the warranty ran out the driver side rear door lock actuator quit working. The door cannot be opened from the outside. If child lock is put on, then the door cannot be opened from either the inside or the outside blocking egress for that rear passenger.

- Raeford, NC, USA

problem #163

Oct 262019

Sorento

  • 116,369 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Vehicle was parked in the garage and stationary. When trying to start the vehicle using the key-less ignition, dash and interior lights started to flicker in the vehicle and relays start to click. Locks would not operate nor could I shift into neutral, started to smelt burning, pushed ignition button to shut down. Would not shut off, electrical kept cycling like it was trying to start on its own, had to disconnect the battery to shut down the car. Starter solenoid never engaged at any time nor did the engine try to turn over.

- Rockford, IL, USA

problem #162

Oct 182019

Sorento

  • 13,825 miles
Car ran fine. Drove to store. Got out of store. Car wouldn't start. Had so.eone check battery.battery was good.12.5. had them check that wires where tight on battery and they where. Still no power to car. Left car at store. Came back next day and car started up like nothing wrong. This has happen twice since

- Midland, TX, USA

problem #161

Aug 082019

Sorento

  • miles
Everytime I hit a little bump in the road my eco saver goes off causing me to burn more gas until I hit another bump to knock the saver back

- Hinesville, GA, USA

problem #160

Oct 122019

Sorento

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The driver door doesn't open from the outside anymore I have to go through the back and I have small children

- Hinesville, GA, USA

problem #159

Sep 302019

Sorento

  • miles
I went to the store and tried to open the back passenger driver's side door from the outside and it would not open. I thought that the child safety locks were on so I went inside from the opposite side and opened the door. Still haven't figured out why I can't open my door then today the other side will not open now. Both back doors will not open from the outside, this is a huge safety issue. What if there was an accident god forbid or a fire and I had my children or grandchild in my vehicle and could not get them out! Kia needs to recall this immediately. Looking back I can see a number of complaints and this is just unacceptable. Please help with this issue. Thank you

- Brick, NJ, USA

problem #158

Oct 092018

Sorento

  • 130,000 miles
Air bag light has come on and will not go off. All of the controls on the steering wheel have stopped working, and the fuel door button has also stopped working.

- Wyandotte, OK, USA

problem #157

Sep 252019

Sorento

  • 130,704 miles
Doors will not open from the outside

- Denver, CO, USA

problem #156

Sep 232019

Sorento

  • 18,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I was driving on a busy hwy my car stalled out almost was hit by a dump truck. The dump truck ran off the road to avoid me thank god no one was hurt after doing some research found out this is a common problem think it's time for a recall

- Navarre, FL, USA

problem #155

Nov 152018

Sorento

  • 98,000 miles
My driver side door will not open from the outside. I have two small children and I'm afraid to put child lock on because this is a common problem according to my research. I haven't gotten a recall for this problem and it makes for a very dangerous maybe deathly situation. Horn doesn't work.

- Columbus, GA, USA

problem #154

Sep 102019

Sorento

  • 128,000 miles
Kia was purchased less than a year ago. This is the third time it was taken to a dealership to get checked. Car engine light comes on and loses power and keeps going into limp mode. It is a safety hazard and must be dealt with. Today while in the passing lane car lost all power and would not move. I was driving about 45mph and it wouldn't go. A tractor trailer was speeding behind me and nearly rear ended me as I was in the passing lane and couldn't make it go again to pull over. When I eventually got it to pull over it was idling high and did not sound right. Mechanic came and placed vehicle on computer and again three codes came up including engine power failure and limp mode. I could have been seriously injured due to Kia lack to repair this defect and this could be a lawsuit waiting to happen. I want to be reimbursed for repairs or an allowance toward a new vehicle purchase.

- Frackville, PA, USA

problem #153

Aug 022019

Sorento

  • 90,000 miles
I brought my vehicle into Kia for several recalls. One was the door locks being faulty. I said I had no problems but they decided to replace them anyway. Now my rear door lock is broken. The other issue is when accelerating the engine revs. It only happened a couple of times at first, but now it happens every time I drive. It seems like the pedal is getting stuck. My last issue is the air bag. I was rear ended on the highway and pushed into the car in front of me. The whole front end was banged up and the airbag never opened.

- Hicksville, NY, USA

problem #152

Aug 272019

Sorento

  • 130,000 miles
Drove truck to bank and now they are telling me that my BCM body control module is bad. I had a tow truck driver tell me that I was the 10th vehicle he has picked up with the same problem. My vehicle was stationary in a parking lot.

- Dover, DE, USA

problem #151

Jul 292019

Sorento

  • 98,000 miles
My room lp fuse keeps blowing. It had a recall for the same problem. I went out and started my car and seen that the clock and interior lights were not working. I pulled fuse put a new one in and when I started it again it blew again. Then the airbag light came on and it is staying on. I have replaced the room lp fuse about 12 times. It was a recall got fixed and having the same problem again.

- East Berlin, PA, USA

problem #150

Aug 202019

Sorento

  • 130,000 miles
The alternator in this vehicle had died now 3 times in the past 4 years, causing the car to shut off while driving. The alternator goes from working to completely dead. The first time this happened the car had around 65,000 miles. The second time it had around 128,000 and this last time around 131,000 there was a recall listed for the original alternator but Kia claimed it did not apply to our car even though the manufactured date fit within the listed months.

- Alexandria, PA, USA

problem #149

May 062019

Sorento

  • 144,000 miles
Airbag did not deploy during accident. Before accident airbag light was on and steering wheel functions were working (cruise, horn, volume ect.) driver side window would not roll up.

- Fayetteville, AR, USA

problem #148

Jan 032019

Sorento

  • 156,000 miles
The driver air bag light came on and will not go off when I turned on the vehicle one morning.. at the same time, all of my electronics on the steering wheel quit working ( cruise control, blue tooth, radio). I was told this is a clock spring issue and has happened to many 2011 Kia Sorento owners. Is this not a recall?

- Salisbury, MD, USA

problem #147

Jul 032019

Sorento

  • 100,000 miles
The vehicle's airbag light turned on when stationary (as I started the car) and remained on at about 100,000 miles. Mechanic inspection yielded issue with steering wheel clock spring. Mechanic ordered part from Kia dealership but there is a manufacturing issue and the vehicle has to be retrofitted to fit the part. As of 8/5/2019, there are no unrepaired recalls on this car or for this specific safety issue, but years of documentation of complaints for it, and it is a manufacturing defect. Why hasn't this been added as a formal recall? have not checked cruise control or horn, but volume controls on steering wheel still working. Passenger airbag light sometimes off when passenger is on seat, sometimes on when no one is in seat.

- Alexandria, VA, USA

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