CarComplaints.com Notes: As long as catastrophic engine failure at under 60,000 miles is the top owner complaint, it'll be pretty hard to recommend the 2012 Sorento.
10.0
really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 47
Injuries / Deaths:
7 / 0
Average Mileage:
71,884 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.
While driving down a very busy interstate the motor started making a lot of noise and then it seized up leaving my family stranded during a very cold winter night. We had to sit on the interstate and wait on a tow truck while hoping we didn't get hit by a truck. Kia has told us that the our motor is not covered by any recal that they have for the other Kia Sorentos, but the recall is for the exact same thing that they have a recall for. I am including pictures of the motor.
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the vehicle exhibited no safety related issues or failures until manufacturer recall campaign: SC147 and an oil consumption test were performed. Jim shorkey uniontown Kia (1050 pittsburgh rd, uniontown, pa 15401, 724-415-3210) serviced the recall campaign an indicated that the rod bearing, O ring, and engine were wearing down. The dealer stated that the manufacturer had no remedy for the failures. Smail Kia (5094 us-30, greensburg, pa 15601, 724-837-7000) was notified of the engine failure and that there was excessive oil affecting the crank case and piston rings. The manufacturer was made aware of the failures. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 118,000.
Prior to the date oof 05/24/2019, I contacted the dealership in which I bought the vehicle to ask to set up an appointment because my car was burning oil. This was in June 2018 and at that time I was informed that nothing was wrong with my vehicle and that there was a recall out on the engine I had in my vehicle. Prior to this appointment I had one of my good friends call down and explain to the mechanic what he experienced with my vehicle, as he was a mechanic himself. I ended up paying a bill that day for some minor things. In the beginning of 2019 I got an oul changed and by March we had to add bout 3 quarts. In April 2019 I noticed over the course of about 6 weeks I put 2 quarts in my car. I made an appointment and informed the secretary on the phone about it burning oil. My father ended up taking it to the dealership that day while I was meeting him there with his vehicle. By the time I arrived my vehicle was already done being serviced. However I still managed to speak with the mechanic in which he informed me my engine was on recall and could only be replaced free of charge if the car made a klinking sound or I drove my car to the point my engine seized. I was told this is the only way the engine would be free of charge. To me and my father this didnt seem save as I travel several miles throughout a couple of month span. There are times in which I reach areas that there is no service. I also often times have my daughter with me in which worries me. Similar situation happened in April 2012, 14 months after I bought the Kia Sorento. I was driving 4 hours to go back home when my vehicle started blowing cold air. Then all of a sudden all my cars lights went on and my vehicle froze up. My car started to smoke. Looking under the hood my oil cap was gone. I ended up getting another one hoping my vehicle would run. It was towed and I ended up buying a new engine.
I had the motor replaced in Jan 2018 for engine failure rod knocking metal shavings on the dip stick, it just shut off going down the interstate and now its the same issue again, going down the interstate started knocking and the car just shut off. No oil on the dip stick again with metal shavings
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. While driving various speeds, the vehicle shuddered and the contact noticed that the oil was low. The contact added a quart of oil every five hundred miles. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to quirk Kia of manchester (1300 S porter St, manchester, nh 03103, (603) 836-7600) where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced and an oil consumption test was completed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and provided case number: 13113751. The contact was referred to the local dealer. The failure mileage was 109,000.
- Rochester, NH, USA
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Engine oil use every 1.000 miles give or take car is using 1 to 1 1/2 quarts of oil. I have taking my car to the selling dealer they have done a oil consumption test and have verified that car is using oil.I had to take it back 3 time for them to check oil level and for them to say yep its using oil.and wenton to tell me that Kia Corp will not replace the engine.so every 1.000 miles I have to put oil in it till it blows up.thie is so sad I paid good money for this car and Kia will not stand by repairs.im a diesel truck service manager at a navastar dealer.and we would not treat are cust this way.we have replaced $300 motors cause of oil use.can you please help thanks for your time joel B [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).'
My 2012 Sorento has been burning/losing oil since it was tested for the premature bearing wear recall at 100K miles. It burns approx. 1 qt of oil every 1000 miles. The current mileage is 114K miles. I have to add 5 qts of oil between every 5K mile oil change. Dropping a microphone into my oil pan did something to my engine. Kia dealership says this is to be expected for an engine with this many miles.
Engine siezed while driving. I have all the maintenance records. It wasn't leaking oil or burning any. I had it towed to a mechanic, he agreed their was no leak but the oil was live sludge and it caused the car to seize. It had been less than 4000 miles since I'll had been changed.
While my vehicle was in motion on the highway going over 70mph my engine shut off, my speedometer dropped from 70 to 40 causing the vehicle behind me to have to pull into on coming traffic (two lane road going down mountain) to avoid slamming into my vehicle. Prior to this oil, check engine, and four wheel drive lights all began to flash. Pulled over, shut off vehicle and vehicle started after some struggle. Drove with hazards all the way home. Before this my vehicle would lose power while driving. My rpms would drop and hitting the gas did nothing. Every time vehicle starts making knocking sound before rattling and stalling out. Vehicle has been in motion every single time it loses power, or the engine stalls out. Immediately purchased car fax to see all open recalls on my vehicle. This is one of the major ones. Entire replacement of engine. Kia refuses to replace my engine and only kept my vehicle in the shop for 56 minutes before telling me it was ready for pick up. When engine is acting up, removing my foot from the gas does not slow the vehicle. This vehicle is incredibly dangerous and unpredictable.
Motor just all of locked up with no warning I was driving and all of sudden I hear the fans start blowing loudly I pulled over and turned the car off and it hasn't started since, now I'm without vehicle
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. While driving the vehicle, the check engine indicator flashed on and off. The engine oil was checked and it was discovered that there was no oil inside the engine. Four quarts of oil were added to the engine. Approximately four months later, while at sons Kia (100 sons dr, mcdonough, ga) for service, the mechanic reported that there was no oil in the engine. In addition, after driving the vehicle, a burning odor was present outside the vehicle coming from the engine compartment. The cause of the failures was not determined. The manufacturer was not notified of the failures. The failure mileage was 100,000.
The contact owned a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 18V907000 (fuel system, gasoline, engine). While driving 50 mph, smoke appeared from the center console. The contact drove to her job and extinguished the smoke with a fire extinguisher. A police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to Kia of duluth (located at 1701 w Michigan St, duluth, mn 55806, (866) 722-4542). The manufacturer was notified. The cause of the failure was not determined. The failure mileage was 135,000. * (recall related incident)
Took 2012 Sorento in for engine/bearings recall at 92K miles (which included an oil change by dealership). Next oil change at 98K there was apprx 1 quart of oil left. Never burned oil prior to this recall check. Thought dealership made mistake. I usually change the oil every 5K miles. Oil was changed and checked again at 2,500 miles, it was 4 quarts low. No warning lights were ever displayed. Took to dealership, performed oil consumption tests (4), consuming about 1 quart every 500 miles. Kia dealership told me unless it displays the P1326 fault code, there is nothing that Kia will do - I can file a claim with Kia affairs, if I want. It is burning so much oil, that if oil was change every 7,500 miles as recommended maintenance -- there would be no oil left in engine. It is burning oil -- there is no oil leaking. Engine will fail, it's a matter of when - huge safety issue. A ticking time bomb. Hope it doesn't fail while driving on the interstate....or catch fire.
Car was running fine, no warnings. Started engine and it would not start. Had car towed. Was told the engine was 'locked up'. it is 2012 Sorento however it is not part of the recall. The vehicle was parked.
Engine is consuming a large amount of oil this has occurred around the engine going over 90,000 miles. In speaking with the Kia dealership, they state it is common for an engine of this age to burn oil. The engine burns about a quart every 500-600 miles. This seems excessive.
Engine is consuming a large amount of oil. We had taken the car into the dealer to correct a recall affecting the engine oil. The dealer serviced the vehicle, then the vehicle started burning oil. We took it to a different dealer who referred us to the Consumer Affairs department. Consumer Affairs sent it to the escalation department. The escalation department recommended that we go to a junk yard and get a used engine. They took no responsibility. We have kept this car serviced but we were told by the dealer that the car needs a new engine to the tune of $9,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. While driving approximately 60 mph, the vehicle shut down and all the instrument panel indicators, including the check engine indicator, illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the engine blew up and needed to be replaced. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.
Our 2012 Kia Sorento started having the exact same problems as all the other motors that were on recall for bad bearings. I never got a check engine light. It would die randomly on me. Once died on me on the freeway with me and my 5yr old. Luckily I was not around anyone or it could have been very tragic. I loved that car, and now it's just sitting at Kia dealership collecting dust and not being used with less than 100K miles on it. This is not a owner issue. This is a manufacturing defect. Even the dealership said it was bad bearing and it should be covered. Yet we can't get this issue fixed because they don't want to help us, and yet have all these bad reviews on not wanting to help out their customers. So it's just sitting at the dealership rotting away because we refuse to pay for a manufacturing defect.
The engine seized up. We have made regular oil changes on the car. There was found to be metal shavings in the oil, which is a manufacturer defect. It is 2012 with 88,861 miles on it. It would not start so we had to towed to libertyville Kia dealer. The service center said that there should not be any metal shavings in the oil pan with the regular scheduled maintenance
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Belle Rive, IL, USA