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.
We were traveling down the highway and without warning engine cut off. We were able to put in neutral and start back up and continue our drive. I took it to my personal mechanic and he replaced the charcoal cartridge (it was clogged), the cost was $750. 2 weeks later i was driving and while sitting at a red light, the engine cut off again. I put car in N and it started right back up. My mechanic then took the car to KIA to be evaluated and they found nothing. I drove car and 2 weeks later it did it again! slowing down for a red light ahead and engine cuts off. There is NEVER any warning to this, and it doesnt prmpt the check engine light to come on, so it is not showing any codes from the ECM. This is becoming a safety risk and needs to be solved. As this has occured 3 times in the last month.
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the contact noticed that the check engine oil light illuminated. The contact heard some knocking sounds coming from the engine. The contact drove to her residence and refilled the engine oil reservoir with approximately three quarts of oil. The contact stated that all of the oil had leaked out and puddled on the driveway the following day. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic. The failure was diagnosed and it was determined that the oil pressure switch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact reported that the vehicle was still leaking oil. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 210,000.
When I acquired the 2012 KIA Sorento, in 2018, I noticed that it was burning oil; it also has a mild-to-moderate clicking sound. I received a notification from KIA, instructing me to take the unit to the nearest Dealer for repair. Said Dealer flatly refused to repair it, claiming that it had been imported from the Continental US to PR, a US Territory. I appealed their decision to no avail. My wife is the main driver of the Sorento, and I am extremely concerned for her safety. Can a Dealer "refuse" to obey/fulfill an Official Recall from the Manufacturer? Finally, just to give you an idea of the oil-consumption problem, I have to add a quart of synthetic oil every 200 to 300 miles. Now consider the price of oil nowadays. I would truly & humbly plead for your help on this matter. Thank you.
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the engine started knocking and then the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to restart the vehicle to get the vehicle home. The contact had not taken the vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 149,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH in a traffic circle the engine seized with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was turned off and restarted however, the vehicle was shaking while driving back to the residence. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The contact stated that the RPM-??s would rev without the accelerator pedal being depressed. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 97,000.
- Princeville, HI, USA
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There was the smell of gasoline inside the cabin. Then the check engine light came on. Smoke began coming from the engine compartment. The fire completely engulfed the vehicle.
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer for the recall repair in January 2020. The dealer inspected the vehicle and diagnosed that no issues were found. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35-40 MPH, the vehicle decelerated to 20 MPH inadvertently. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal however, the vehicle would not exceed 40 MPH. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to continue to drive the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a second dealer (Ed Voyles Kia of Smyrna - Atlanta 2145 Cobb Pkwy SE, Smyrna, GA 30080) where it was diagnosed that the knock sensors malfunctioned and caused the vehicle to go on limp mode; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred while driving. The vehicle was taken back to the first dealer who updated the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) software; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer sent a diagnostic report to the manufacturer; however, the manufacturer declined to cover the engine replacement under NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine) because the vehicle was out of warranty. A case was opened. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 112,705.
We were on our way home from the grocery when the oil light started coming on and off. We noticed a line of oil down the driveway, the car made a low kind of buzzing sound. Husband climbed under and looked. Massive oil leak, appeared to be coming from bottom of engine block around oil pressure sensor switch. Vehicle is a 2012 Sorento 3.5 liter with 90,000 miles. Kia said it is not on the recall list but this is the same problem with the vehicles that are on the recall list. Dealer wants nearly $1000 to fix the issue. My vehicle is parked and undriveable. We had no issues before this.
The engine shuts of going down the road. Can not be driven. Talked to mechanic, and they said to send in information as that is a common recap issue for Kia.
The car was running hot and I took it in and the mechanic said liquid was coming out of the head gasket. Kia gave me a quote to replace the engine. We were fearful the car would just shut off while driving with our infant son and hot engine air blowing through the vents. The vehicle was inspected by Greenway Kia in Franklin, Tennessee. The check engine light came on and I took it to the Kia Dealer.
As I was driving on the freeway, the vehicle started decelerating on its own. At that time All warning lights on the dashboard flashed including the engine light. As the vehicle decelerated, I put my foot on the brakes to slow down but the clutch jammed up as well as the steering wheel. At that point, I placed my foot on the emergency brake and maneuvered the wheel as best as I could to get into the emergency lane. There was absolutely no warning of the vehicle stalling or any known issues before this happened. Fortunately I avoided an accident that could have been fatal or injuries that could have occurred. The suv had no warning of any sort before this happened. The vehicle was towed to a Kia dealership. I spoke with a service rep there who previously worked on my recall and he stated it could have possibly been a rod-bearing failure. I feel that Kia should provide a loaner so that I could get to and from work.
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 40 mph and passing another vehicle and abnormal noise. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to side of the road. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to independent mechanic and was informed the piston was needing to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact towed the vehicle to another independent and was also informed the piston was needing to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V224000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING), however the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 165,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while stationary, the vehicle stalled inadvertently and was unable to be restarted. The contact stated that the check engine and oil warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local mechanic where it was not diagnosed. The vehicle was next towed to a local dealer and was diagnosed with needing the engine replaced. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 79,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, there was a knocking sound coming from the vehicle when the brake pedal was depressed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and diagnosed with complete engine failure from the engine block. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.
This vehicle has an oil consumption problem. It has shown on separate oil consumption tests from the dealer, that the vehicle is consuming oil at an abnormal rate. The vehicle does not have any visible oil leaks. I feel unsafe driving this car because in the past, I've experienced shakiness on the freeway and loss of acceleration, which forced me to quickly exit the freeway.
While driving the vehicle it felt smooth and after a while a clicking sound started very faintly. I stopped at a red light and when I tried to accelerate at the green light the engine stalled and wouldn't power the vehicle. Everything worked well except the engine, it was locked. My safety and my passengers safety were put at risk because I was driving the vehicle on the street and it could've gave out while driving causing a major accident by an intersection. The issue has been address by an independent mechanic who stated a full engine is needed. The vehicle is currently on its way to a Kia dealership. There were no other lights or signed of engine failure.
We bought this 2012 Kia Sorento on November 2018, never miss a oil change. But The engine light was flashing and lost power immediately when I was driving on 09/10/21, my husband and me bought it to auto shop they told us the oil was leaking caused the engine problem, and we-??ve to replace the engine. They also mentioned kia is recalling 2012 Kia Sorento because engine problem. We called Kia customer service but they said we haven-??t upgraded a software which we just received a software update notification on 09/06/21, so they couldn-??t fix this problem for free. Shall NHTSA help me figure out is it my problem or their? Thank you very much!
I doing oil change every 3 month. The engine light was on and lost power immediately when I was driving on the road. Brought to auto shop, they told me the engine oil was leaking pretty bad, and it will cost me $7k to put a new engine in. I-??m at a tough situation.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Snellville, GA, USA