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:
2 / 9
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
55,668 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 miscellaneous problems

miscellaneous problem

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2011 Kia Sorento Owner Comments (Page 10 of 11)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #26

Dec 152015

Sorento

  • 95,000 miles

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

Drivers door won't open from the outside. Had issue fixed 2.5 years ago at 55000 miles under warranty. Issue kept reoccurring intermittently until now where it just won't open.

- Andover, MN, USA

problem #25

Jan 112016

Sorento

  • 75,946 miles
When out to my Kia and I hit the unlock button. Attempted to open the front passenger door. Didn't open, so I hit the unlock again, still wouldn't open. So I walked around and opened the drivers side and reached over, the door opened. This is the first time for this door. But I've had this happen to me to the rear drive side door and had to have the door handle replaced. The Kia was sitting in the driveway not running and that door doesn't have near as much use as some of the others. Also the back seat on the passenger side won't go down. I am assuming the cable is broke. Again this was not used much since I got the Kia almost 4 years ago. I think I used this feature 2 times and it wouldn't work after that.

- Strattanville, PA, USA

problem #24

Dec 152015

Sorento

  • miles
I now have 3 out of 4 doors that can not be opened from the outside. The only door that can be opened is the right rear door. Kia says they do not have an issue with them when there obviously is one. The estimated repair cost from dealer is $400 a piece. That is criminal.

- Washington, MI, USA

problem #23

Jun 302015

Sorento

  • 55,000 miles

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

My back door will not open from the inside or outside and is a common problem in the Kia Sorento model. Replacing the handles will not fix the problem as the dealer must pull apart the entire door panel. A third party body shop was not able to fix the problem. Not being able to exit a vehicle, and not knowing if other doors will be affected in the future, is a safety hazard for me and my children.

- Las Vegas, NV, USA

problem #22

Oct 302015

Sorento

  • 60,000 miles
Passenger door will not open from the inside or outside. Dealer said it is not a recall and it is not under warranty. Originally they said it would cost $500 to take the door apart and fix the problem, but ended by saying they would discount the cost down to $150. Don't know if this is true yet because I am waiting on the part, but I am angry because I have never had a car do this before. It is obviously a manufacturers defect and they should take full responsibility for it. I have to get it fixed because it is a safety hazard. And now that I see other people are having the same problem I am furious!

- Southfield, MI, USA

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problem #21

Oct 272015

Sorento

  • 98,000 miles
Driver's side door will not open - opens fine from the inside but not the outside. Door latch is not broken - just stopped opening the door. Apparently this is not an isolated event - many folks having the same safety issue. Some owner's with multiple doors having this issue although it seems the driver side is the most common. I would take a photo but again, the lock looks fine and is not broken. Just stopped working last week. Went to class at irsc and the door worked fine. Came out to go home and it would not open the door. No one tried to break in - again, the latch looks fine, not damaged just quit opening the door. There is only one other door with a key entry so if it stops opening the door I will not be able to get in the vehicle and will be stuck in the parking lot, at night. What if it starts not opening from the inside and I cannot get out of the vehicle without busting a window? seriously, this is a safety issue that is not isolated - pages of complaints. Please help a college gal out.

- Fort Pierce, FL, USA

problem #20

Jul 302015

Sorento

  • 50,622 miles

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

Vibration, knocking and thumbing noise in the rear passenger's side and both front wheels. Dealer verified thumbing noise as left lower ball joint was loose, replaced both ball joint. Vibration, knocking and thumbing noise continues. Returned to dealer. Dealer replaced rear motor mount. Problems still remains. I phoned dealer, stating vibration, knocking and thumbing still remains including additional problems. In addition to the vibration, knocking and thumbing noises... inside the car, underneath dashboard (glove compartment) causing huge amount of water on the passenger's side floor.

- Pittsburgh, PA, USA

problem #19

Aug 082015

Sorento

  • 44,650 miles
The driver's side door will not open from the outside. There is no damage to the handle, and there was no incident to cause it to break and not open. Apparently the door lock actuator (inside the door compartment) is broken. Sounds like a common complaint.

- Bristow, VA, USA

problem #18

Oct 122013

Sorento

  • 43,151 miles
A bang/thud happens when gas is applied. Sound appears to be coming from left front engine area. Customer service rep rode with me back in 2013, heard sound, but later stated it was "normal". invoice states no problem found. The car was recently taken back to the same dealership for the same issue, only its louder now, with no solution. I am getting more frustrated. There is clearly something wrong with this vehicle. I plan to try another dealership.

- Cape Coral, FL, USA

problem #17

Jun 022014

Sorento

  • miles
Driver's side door handle just stopped working one day. It can be opened from the inside, but not the outside. This is a safety hazard in relation to if there is an accident and I cannot get myself free, no one from the outside can get me out either. This is not the first report of a door handle not working on this brand of SUV model.

- Metairie, LA, USA

problem #16

Jun 062015

Sorento

  • 94,455 miles

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

The driver's side back door would not open from the outside. Only the inside. Now a few days later, the driver's door is doing the same thing. Not opening from the outside, only the inside.

- Baltimore, MD, USA

problem #15

May 212015

Sorento

  • miles
I was in the process of pulling the handle of the door and the handle snapped clean off the door. It made it very difficult to reach my son because the doors child safety lock was activated.

- Edgewater, FL, USA

problem #14

Sep 172014

Sorento

  • 61,000 miles
The interior dome light quit working took to a mechanic, he looked into the wiring harness and said that all the wires had melted together. This problem could affect all the electrical parts of the truck. Also of note is that the truck indicator light showing that the truck is open, even when its not. So far no fire has started. Cost to fix per the mechanic is over $1000, or more.

- Lochbuie, CO, USA

problem #13

May 012015

Sorento

  • miles
My exterior driver door will not open from the outside! however works fine from the inside. I took it to a Kia dealer and they wanted to charge me over $100 to diagnose the problem but not fix it! I read other post below are having the same problem. I'm going to piggy off what others stated, and say this should not be happening on a 2011. I'm already looking into trading my car in! a few months ago my rear passenger seats will not fold back up. Took it in and the dealer stated it was a recall for the year 2012 but not the 2011. Again another $100 just to diagnosis not fix it! $200 just to fold a seat back up.. crazy! again I'm looking into trading for a better make! not purchasing another Kia!!!

- Independence, MO, USA

problem #12

Mar 152015

Sorento

  • 89,000 miles
Can't open doors using exterior handles on 3 of the four doors, only able to open from inside. Locks work fine. The three doors that don't work are the driver door, front passenger, and rear door on driver side. This SUV is only 4 years old. This should not be happening on a vehicle less than 5 years old.

- Bainbridge, GA, USA

problem #11

Apr 142015

Sorento

  • 24,500 miles
Drivers side exterior door handle does not open the door, interior handle works fine.

- Payson, AZ, USA

problem #10

Oct 102014

Sorento

  • miles
I have experienced several problems with the 2011 Kia Sorento. The left driver"S door had lock malfunctions and now the right door is doing the same thing not allowing passengers to open the door. I have taken the vehicle in several times with concerns of a knocking sound on the right front. I think the right shock absorber on the vehicle is gone, but the service technician indicates that they can"T hear anything when driving it. An alignment was completed last month but the vehicle has a rough ride and I am still hearing the knocking sound. I noticed yesterday that there is a humming sound when the car would accelerate and the acceleration is slow. Needless to say the warranty has expired and when I asked the dealership about purchasing an extended warranty I was given the run around.

- Kankakee, IL, USA

problem #9

Aug 182014

Sorento

  • 62,455 miles
I was driving my 2011 Kia Sorento on the expressway doing 75 mph when I heard a loud explosion. I thought someone's engine exploded, but then I saw glass flying behind my car and heard a loud windy whooshing above me. I realized it was my panoramic sunroof. Thankfully my sunshade was closed and no glass fell on me. I was in the middle of a bad neighborhood and didn't feel safe pulling over so I drove to the first place I did feel safe. By the time I got there, the whole glass top above the drivers section was completely gone. There was no apparent reason for the implosion. There were no other cars in the vicinity, weather was clear, and it is a new freeway and I was not going under a bridge. I feel this is a defect in the glass or engineering of the sunroof.

- Novi, MI, USA

problem #8

Oct 012013

Sorento

  • 48,000 miles
When I press on or let off of the brake there is a popping noise. My ex also has a 2012 Sorento and hers does the same.

- Washington, DC, USA

problem #7

Feb 012012

Sorento 4-cyl

  • 9,500 miles
The intermediate shaft may suffer from noise and excessive wear due to a misalignment of the intermediate shaft with the right side output gear. Continuing to drive the vehicle in this condition leads to the development of a whirring/whining noise and can eventually cause damage to the automatic transmission. I am getting the same but the Kia dealers are telling me that there is not a recall on my vehicle as mine is an AWD. When starting out a hesitation is felt when putting in drive and when going down the highway a whirring noise is heard and it feels like a vibration is coming from the center of the car.

- East Freetown, NY, USA

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