CarComplaints.com Notes: There are just too many engine stalls or shuts down while driving reports to feel good about the Sorento. Especially when those things happen, on average, at just over 32,000 miles. Hopefully things will change.
10.0
really awful
Crashes / Fires:
6 / 31
Injuries / Deaths:
4 / 0
Average Mileage:
71,630 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.
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and the vehicle decelerated. During the failure, the check engine warning light was flashing continuously. The vehicle was driven to the local dealer who diagnosed the drive belt was faulty and a tune-up was needed. The drive belt was replaced and a tune-up was performed however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure however, no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 144,000.
The engine malfunctioned. A ticking noise in engine while driving, engine stopped. Placed my life and grandsons life in danger. Died right on the road.
I was driving down the highway and without warning my car began to stall and would not take the gas. I was able to drift off the highway to a mechanic shop. He put the vehicle on 2 separate computers and nothing registered but the engine light was on. After 2 hours of sitting the car drove normally. The Kia dealership in Danville, VA reported no recalls (I've only had the car for 2 years). While driving to the dealership the car did the same thing. I had it towed to a certified mechanic. The mechanic said that it was the engine but he did not do engine work. My car is now sitting in my driveway, after being towed 4 times. I am making payments on a vehicle that I cannot drive. The safety issue is that there was no warning that the car is about to break down! I am driving on the highway with vehicles going 70 mph and the vehicle stops working properly. There are too many engine recalls for this year, make, and model and I find it disturbing that my VIN is not on the recall list. I just bought the vehicle 2 years ago but they are saying that this vehicle was not on the list. I am disturbed, disgusted, and disappointed. My children were in the car with me when this happened! We could have been hurt or killed!!!!!
My engine started knocking and suddenly locked up.Had to get it towed to the repair shop. The mechanic said it was clogged oil passages from metal shavings that caused the restriction and I had to pay $4970.35 dollars for a engine replacement
- Chicago, IL, USA
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My 2013 Kia sorento got recalled for an engine filling/Engine knocking. Back in 2019 so i toke it to the dealer and there's was not issues at the moment until 2021, i was driving on the highway and the car turned off. I lost power to the brakes and the steering was very hard to turn. The engine light started flashing so i pulled over and called the tow truck to take it to the kia dealership. Next day they called me and the engine was valid for the recall but they told me since it's a rebuilt car the car is not valid for a recall.
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving the vehicle was running rough. The contact thought she had bad fuel. The contact stated after restarting the vehicle, it seized. The engine warning light was illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 20V750000 (Engine) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who confirmed that parts were not available. The dealer diagnosed there was a loss of compression in cylinders #1 and #2. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and determined that the failure was due to the recall. The approximate failure mileage was 113,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owned a 2013 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at 74 MPH, an abnormal knocking noise began to emit from the engine as the check engine and ABS warning lights appeared on the instrument panel. The vehicle suddenly lost power as the contact began to smell smoke in his cabin. The contact immediately pulled over and once the engine was turned off, the engine became engulfed in flames. The contact exited the vehicle and called the authorities to his location. The fire was extinguished by the fire department; a police report was not filed. The contact did not sustain any injuries as a result of the failure. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and was destroyed. The dealer nor the manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle was a total loss. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Sorento. The contacts husband stated while driving approximately 45mph when smoke came from the engine compartment. The contact pulled over and the vehicle was towed to a local mechanic where it was diagnosed with needing an engine replaced. The contact stated no warning lights were illuminated. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with, NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (ENGINE) however was refused recall repair. The manufacturer was informed of failure and told the contact that they were unable to assist. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.
While exiting the interstate highway the electrical system and engine stopped working as I approached the intersection. After getting the engine started again we learned that the piston rods were shot and the engine was no good. The vehicle had 120,000 miles.
Vehicle caught on fire, beginning in the engine compartment. No warning indications showed on the instrument panel. Driver and two children were able to exit the vehicle and notify the fire department. The fire investigator believes the fire started in proximity of the alternator. The engine has been replaced under warranty by Kia twice.
The vehicle was driving smoothly than all of a sudden the engine steamed and died on the side of the high way. It make a knocking sound before it died out. Brought it to a dealership and they told me the engine, started and spark plugs are toast. Being 2nd owner it no longer covered under powertrain warranty.
Excessive oil consumption. Kia stated this is a known issue but is not "quite to the status of a recall." They said there is no fix to the issue and they cannot diagnose what is causing the excessive oil consumption but can confirm it is not leaking. Both the Kia dealership and general Kia phone support informed me there is nothing they can do and the best suggestion they can provide is to wait until the engine seizes up. They said at that point, I can have it towed to a local Kia dealership or "limp" it to a dealership and it would then be qualified for an engine replacement under a different recall. I asked if I should top it off with oil to prevent the engine from failing while we are driving, and they informed me not to do this "as that will only prolong the issue." I then confirmed with them that the only solution being provided was to continue driving the car and wait until the engine fails while I am driving down the road, potentially with my family in the car which is an extremely dangerous situation. Multiple different Kia reps confirmed that is the only and "best" solution they can provide. The dealership said they see this issue with this engine "all the time and it sucks" but they cannot help me until I bring them a seized-up engine. They also said there is nothing they can do to fix the issue before the engine goes bad. They tried to provide a glimmer of hope by saying, "the good news is there is a 99% chance you will get a new engine because we see major engine issues so often Kia just replaces the engine instead of having us tear it apart to diagnosis the issue because that takes less time and is cheaper." However, they confirmed again they will not and "cannot" fix the car until I bring them a seized engine and continue driving it until it fails. Kia is directly telling consumers to put themselves and their families in harm's way by not fixing a known issue and telling drivers to wait until their engine fails while in the act of driving.
I was driving home from work on the I79 going to Pittsburgh, when I had to switch lanes because of construction my car struggled to increase in speed. As I pressed down on the gas petal all the warning lights on my dashboard came on and my car slowed down, so grateful I was able to pull my car off the highway barely. I turned my car off and waiting, then when I tried to turn it on, it wouldn-??t turn over. I called my insurance and requested a jump, but when the roadside assistance arrived, he jumped my car but that didn-??t help, he checked my oil and asked about my recent inspection. After all the information and attempts, he researched my VIN and found out it had all the systems of the Kia recall. I am just lucky I was driving the speed limit and made it off the highway lanes even thought I was stuck on the highway off ramp. I think what if I was speeding and had cars following me, then this happened? I would be severely injured, dead, and put others in risk of that danger too.
I took my vehicle in to have the oil changed and have a inspection. During the inspection they found that the timing belt cover was just starting to leak. They would need to replace the gasket costing over $1700, then inspect the rest of the components. Thats not even what it is gonna cost if there is more to be done. Under 130000 miles.
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 20V750000 (Engine). The vehicle was then taken to the local dealer for the recall repair however, due to severe rust to the subframe, the dealer declined to provide the service. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The contact was informed that the vehicle would be repurchased at wholesale value. The failure mileage was approximately 235,000.
While on the highway, the engine blew causing a sudden loss of speed and power steeting. The car/engine is currently available for inspection. This is a known issue with the 2013 Kia Sorentos as well as other models. From reviews online, it appears that there is an issue with the crankshaft and oil. For some reason other 2013 Sorentos (and other models) were recalled - this VIN was not. The car was inspected by two independent mechanics (two different companies) and both advised that this is the same problem that was recalled for the crankshaft/oil issue and that I should contact Kia. I contacted Kia and they said this VIN was not re-called. There were no warnings in regards to this issue. The car suddenly lost speed on the highway and I was fortunate enough to be able to glide to a safe area off the highway.
for the past year my car has been losing a lot of oil and i've been replacing the oil not thinking much of it until a couple months ago 3 times right after an oil change I lost all all my oil where there was no oil left on the dipstick and no check engine or oil light has come on telling me that my oil is running out. Twice I had to stop on the side of the road and await for friends to bring me oil because i was afraid to ruin my engine. If I wasn't a person that checks oil a lot I'd have no car. Also on this car when I first got the car I had to replace the transmission and I want to check the transmission but this vehicle don;t have a dipstick. I've been checking all the recalls for this vehicle and called the dealership and all they want me to do is bring the vehicle in and charge me money I don't have. I've been reading that oil consumption is a major problem with this vehicle. I'm afraid I may have damaged my engine and Kia is at fault for not fixing this problem years ago and have warning lights for this problem. Monday I'm going to go to the dealership and speak to someone that may be able to help me. Today I replaced the PVC valve as I understand that may be the cause. No oil leaks from the engine and I don't know where the oil is going and I'm afraid the car will lock up and harm my passengers. It first started around 6/2020 but got worse 1/2021.
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving the vehicle at various speeds, the vehicle loss motive power without warning. The contact coasted the vehicle to the side of the roadway and would be able to restart the vehicle a few minutes after failure. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the Vin was not under recall. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and the contact was referred to a local dealer for further assistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 107,000.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Ocala, FL, USA