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.
THE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND THEN IT MAY GO OFF A FEW DAYS LATER. WHEN I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE KIA DEALERSHIP THEY SAY ITS A SENSOR. THEY RESET IT AND THE LIGHT GOES OFF. THEN WHEN THE LIGHT COMES BACK ON, I TAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP NOW. THEY SAY IT'S SOME KIND OF AIR VAC PROBLEM THAT WILL COST NEARLY $600 TO FIX. I BOUGHT EXTENDED CAR WARRANTY AND GUESS WHAT, IT DOESN'T COVER IT.
Loss of power while I was going 60mph ..just had the oil change done 3 weeks ago and ..they did a recall by updating the computer I'm told .
Update from Jan 25, 2019: well..2 days after they fixed my sorento it had to get towed again back to the dealer ..changed the knock sensor and also the cable harness ..now it smells like burnt oil sometimes ..no idea why at all and they havent found the issue
Update from Nov 12, 2019: well..i got a new [factory reconditioned ] motor installed at 147000 miles for free with a life time Guarantee on the motor direct from KIA USA .the motor was burning 5 litres of oil between oil changes and i had told them about it 1 year before and nothing was done
I was going to work one day and it stalled so i pulled over to the side, it started up no prob but had no more power at all ..i had trouble going 35 miles an hour .Had it towed directly to the dealer .The next day we drove to the dealer and they gave me a courtesy vehicle .About one week later we got the call.
Would you like the good news or the bad news first .We said give us the bad...He said the motor was dead ..gone ..nada ..rainbow ridge..we still owed 8000 on it ,then he said..good news is..we are giving you a new motor for free ..so hell ya !
Dealer indicated the car had no oil despite being changed 4,000 miles previously. The changed the oil and indicated everything was fine. This happened a second time at 79,000 causing catastrophic engine failure. It is at the dealer and they are stating I didn't maintain the car. After the first event at 72,000, had the oil changed at 76,000 and the engine failed at 79,000.
Last month my engine light came on and the car ran really rough. Got it to the KIA dealer who said squirrels had chewed my injector wires. They fixed it (not covered by warranty) and advised putting mothballs in the engine. I did that, and today the same problem!
car lost power and will barely creep along engine light on
code says needs throttle body actuator -happen 3 times -
2012 KIA SORENTO V6 LX
1ST TIME THE ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON WAS ABOUT 30,000 MILES AND WE LOST POWER
THE CAR SHUT OFF AND AFTER A FEW MINUTES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD WOULD
CRANK AGAIN. WE WERE ON A TRIP AND NO DEALERS NEAR SO WE KEPT GOING. IT DID
NOT GIVE ANY MORE PROBLEMS ON THAT TRIP
THE NEXT TIME ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND LOST POWER. I HAD TO TRAVEL DOWN THE
ROAD AT ABOUT 10 MPH UNTIL I COULD COME TO A SAFE PLACE TO STOP. HAD IT TOWED
TO DEALER AND WAS TOLD IT WAS THE THROTTLE BODY ACTUATOR AT ABOUT 55,000 MILES.
I WAS TOLD IT WAS FIXED UNDER THE WARRANTY. THIS TIME IT HAS 94,000 MILES AND
I WAS TOLD BY DEALER NOT UNDER WARRANTY SO I TOOK TO LOCAL AUTO SHOP. THEY
COULD CODE THE THROTTLE BODY ACTUATOR AGAIN AND I WAS TOLD IT WOULD BE $600
TO REPLACE. THEN THEY CALLED ME BACK AND SAID KIA HAD SPECIAL EQUIPMENT AND
THEY COULD NOT REPAIR. THEIR EQUIPMENT STILL GAVE A MALFUNCTION EVEN WHEN
NEW PART ON. I THEN TOOK IT TO DEALER 50 MILES AWAY AND THEY TOOK CARE OF A
RECALL ISSUE BUT DID NOT REPLACE THE THROTTLE BODY EVEN THOUGH IT CODED
I WAS TOLD I WOULD HAVE TO BRING IT BACK IF IT DOES IT AGAIN - I EXPLAINED TO THEM
THAT I AM ON THE ROAD FOR 2 HOURS A DAY AND I DON'T WANT TO STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF
THE ROAD BUT THEY STILL SAID HAVE TO BRING BACK IF HAPPENS AGAIN - THIS IS 3RD TIME
WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I'M JUST LUCKY I HAVE NOT BEEN ON BUSY HIGHWAY WHEN THIS
HAPPENED BEFORE - IT MAKES ME AFRAID TO BE IN BUSY TRAFFIC.
- crawfordga,
Americus, GA, US
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My 2012 Sorento pre-owned vehicle stopped without warning, first experiences, check engine light came on. I assume throttle mode came into place, only excel up too 40mph.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
THE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND THEN IT MAY GO OFF A FEW DAYS LATER. WHEN I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE KIA DEALERSHIP THEY SAY ITS A SENSOR. THEY RESET IT AND THE LIGHT GOES OFF. THEN WHEN THE LIGHT COMES BACK ON, I TAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP NOW. THEY SAY IT'S SOME KIND OF AIR VAC PROBLEM THAT WILL COST NEARLY $600 TO FIX. I BOUGHT EXTENDED CAR WARRANTY AND GUESS WHAT, IT DOESN'T COVER IT.
- Annie T., Tallahassee, US