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?
As we were coming home from Oklahoma to Texas, we were on Interstate 35. We had almost got to the Arbuckles and my headlights and dash lights went out. I barely touched the switch to turn on the brights and lights all came back on. It did this many times all the way to Ardmore, Oklahoma. There is no where to stop on this road. This is not the place to loose lights at 10pm at nights. We ended up staying at a hotel that evening because we would have traveled down a long, dark 2 lane road of Hwy 70.
Took my vehicle to our mechanic a few days later when I was able to and he replaced the battery and the alternator thinking that would fix it. I have not drove my vehicle at night since the replacements were done until last night. It did the same thing. So I'm out @ $700 for a fix that did not fix the problem.
Something needs to be done before someone gets hurt or is killed!!
Highlight started to flicker about a month ago this happens I have noticed when it is damp out (I live in wisconsin and winter is coming).Also the engine light comes on for a week or so then goes off when this happens engine will run ruff-like it wants to stall-then after the light goes off everything runs smoothly.Gets to be a pain in the butt had it checked and they could find nothing wrong I do notice that this happens to a lot of people with the Kia Sorento.I am thinking of getting rid of this car and hate to say it but will never buy another Kia.
i have a 2011 kKa Sorento manual transmission. When I have my headlights on and go to put on my turn signal, the lights on my dash flicker and my headlights blink off and on. Sometimes my headlights go out while I'm driving. I feel Kia need to do a recall on this and fix the problem. This very dangerous and people lives are at risk. I do not recommend anyone to purchase a Kia Sorento.
The low beam headlights continue to burn out on the driver and passenger sides. The wiring harnesses to the headlights are now melted and the ABS, downhill assist, and electronic stability control lights stay illuminated on the dash. I replaced a headlamp assembly, but it again melted the harnesses. I am afraid the car may catch fire, or have a braking issue. Why is there no recall on this? Every single Kia Sorento owner that I have talked to has some sort of serious electrical/lighting issue.
- mbrannan,
Stonewall, MS, US
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Original owner '11 Sorento 4cyl, AWD w/tow package & approx 88K miles. Problem 1st noticed about 2 mos ago when seat belt light began flashing with audible clicking coming from relay behind dash. It was daytime when this happened 1st few times & I could not duplicate problem. This issue seemed to happen after starting car & would go away after a few moments of driving. Releasing & re-connecting seat belt had no effect.
The 1st time it happened @ night I realized that the headlights & dash lights would flash on & off also. Still could not duplicate problem, but being a mechanic I watched for it to happen and tried different things to see if they had any effect on the issue. Always would begin after initially starting car, but not do it most times.
Then 3 evenings ago, I found it happening every time I would start the car & would even do it afterwards driving down the road. I was 70 miles from home & tried to get back. It didn't matter whether the headlight switch was on, off or auto, it would still flash all lights & seatbelt light w/clicking from relay. On the way home, while driving a rural road, the lights again started blinking on & off causing me to hit a metal pole a drainage ditch thru farmer's fence into his field.
Accident pushed metal bumper (behind bumper cover) back about 12", tore the entire front end &lights from car & bent hood back 1 1/2 feet and buckled it upward - all of this without ever deploying the airbag.These problems are prevalent in this car as I have read, but I now have a vehicle which despite it's damage will now duplicate the lights going on & off every time the car is turned on.
Have contacted KIA corp in hopes that they will want to use my car to get to the cause of this issue & finally correct it. As a mechanic I very well understand the need to be able to duplicate problem to find cause ..... KIA now has no excuse.
headlights, dash lights, seatbelt light all flashing
Original owner '11 Sorento 4cyl, AWD w/tow package & approx 88K miles. Problem 1st noticed about 2 mos ago when seat belt light began flashing with audible clicking coming from relay behind dash. It was daytime when this happened 1st few times & I could not duplicate problem. This issue seemed to happen after starting car & would go away after a few moments of driving. Releasing & re-connecting seat belt had no effect. The 1st time it happened @ night I realized that the headlights & dash lights would flash on & off also. Still could not duplicate problem, but being a mechanic I watched for it to happen and tried different things to see if they had any effect on the issue. Always would begin after initially starting car, but not do it most times. Then 3 evenings ago, I found it happening every time I would start the car & would even do it afterwards driving down the road. I was 70 miles from home & tried to get back. It didn't matter whether the headlight switch was on, off or auto, it would still flash all lights & seatbelt light w/clicking from relay. On the way home, while driving a rural road, the lights again started blinking on & off causing me to hit a metal pole a drainage ditch thru farmer's fence into his field. Accident pushed metal bumper (behind bumper cover) back about 12", tore the entire front end & lights from car & bent hood back 1 1/2 feet and buckled it upward - all of this without ever deploying the airbag.These problems are prevalent in this car as I have read, but I now have a vehicle which despite it's damage will now duplicate the lights going on & off every time the car is turned on. Have contacted KIA corp in hopes that they will want to use my car to get to the cause of this issue & finally correct it. As a mechanic I very well understand the need to be able to duplicate problem to find cause ..... KIA now has no excuse. I will update as I find out more.
Loud clicking on dash and seat belt light flashes along with headlights that will go on and off and then stops. It can happen several times in a row or just intermittently. When it's dark, I can't see for a second or two and people think I'm flashing my lights at them. Taken to dealership several times and even left car there for more than a week and they say they can't duplicate it. No idea what's causing it and can't seem to get it fixed.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
Driving in the dark sucks, due to my headlights randomly turning on and off, and even my dashboard lights turning on and off.
- Katie K., Ferdinand, IN, US