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.

2013 Kia Sorento engine problems

engine problem

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2013 Kia Sorento Owner Comments (Page 1 of 24)

problem #472

Nov 082024

Sorento

  • 77,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2013 Kia Sorento. While the contact's wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine was knocking before the engine seized. The contact stated that due to the failure, the vehicle side-swiped a concrete mailbox. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. In addition, the contact was informed that the engine rod had fractured the oil pan. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that in June 2018, the engine was replaced; however, in April 2019 the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was informed of an unknown expired recall repair however, the VIN was not included. The contact was informed that the recall repair might have prevented the failure; however, the contact stated that the recall notification was not received. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.

- Irwin, PA, USA

problem #471

Oct 062024

Sorento

  • miles
Engine failed to start and made loud knocking noises. Knocking noises continued and vehicle towed to dealer. Oil level was full and all routine maintenance performed up to this point. Oil level full at time of failure. Dealer confirmed knocking, stated the knocking went away after running for a period of time. Dealer requested 3 hours of labor and we are currently determining our next step. The vehicle is available for inspection at Kings Kia in Northern Cincinnati. 137,000 miles. Also have video of engine knock. Recently had HECU recall and it potentially caused ABS light, independent repair shop recommended new HECU after recall performed due to low voltage from yellow wire, dealer claimed replacing wheel speed sensor, we still suspected other electrical issues may have been caused.

- Springboro, OH, USA

problem #470

Oct 242024

Sorento

  • 231,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, there was smoke coming from the engine compartment. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the roadway. After a visual inspection of the engine compartment, the contact became aware that the engine oil was abnormally low and added engine oil to the vehicle. The contact stated that a month later while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the head gasket. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 231,000.

- Vineland, NJ, USA

problem #469

May 302024

Sorento

  • miles

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

When we bought this car several years ago after a test drive, we left the lot and about 5 or 6 miles down the road it completely shut down. The dealership ( Smail Auto) fixed the engine so we thought. We were told not to mention anything about the engine problem to anyone or we would lose the car. We get it back and again does the same thing. Ever since that day our car has been down more than driven. We attempted to contact the dealership and nobody would reach back out to us. All the lights on the bashboard check tire, engine, gas light, etc are all on everytime this happen. Even now we attempted to get ahold of the dealership or even Kia and nobody has called me or my wife. The break downs happen on different dates. But the latest on happen 5/30/24

- Somerset, PA, USA

problem #468

Jul 012024

Sorento

  • miles
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the vehicle was initially taken to the dealer to have the A/C unit repaired. After the A/C repair was performed on the vehicle, the contact stated that the vehicle stalled while driving at various speeds and while idling. The contact stated that prior to vehicle stalling, several unknown warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. Upon investigation, the contact discovered Kia Voluntary Service Campaign: SC106 - 2011-2013, My Kia Sorento ECM Logic Upgrade, which the contact linked to the failure. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

- Raleigh, NC, USA

problem #467

Apr 202024

Sorento

  • 50,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the engine overheated, and the temperature gauge became elevated. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that the head gasket was blown and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

- Rochester, NY, USA

problem #466

May 082024

Sorento

  • miles

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

The engine has been stalling while driving. The rpm gauge isn't moving it is at 0. Plus the radio and plug ins randomly shut off and on all the time. They don't stay on.

- Phenix City, AL, USA

problem #465

May 022024

Sorento

  • miles
Upon accelerating from 35 to 55 the engine quit but I was able to pull off the highway onto the shoulder. Vehicle was towed to a local KIA dealer. I was notified today 5/4/24 that the engine had seized up, and they were contacting the manufacture in regards to complete engine replacement. Waiting on results. Vehicle has approximate 133,500 miles. Mileage was 130,265 when purchase from a dealer.

- Sun City West, AZ, USA

problem #464

Sep 252023

Sorento

  • miles
Good Morning...... I'm the owner of a 2013 Kia Sorrento that is subject to the above safety recall. This has become known as the 'PARK OUTSIDE RECALL' because of the supposed fire danger. I was first notified about this issue my mail on [XXX]. To date, NO remedy has been provided. My local Kia dealer here in Syracuse says they have no information, while Kia USA in California says "we're working on it." If we can collect rocks from an asteroid and return them to earth, it seems like the development of a corrective part could be accomplished in something less than 7 or 8 months (or longer if you use the Sept 25 date in the original recall). Is there a way to get this issue addressed? Thanks in advance for your help. Have a great day-??-?? INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Constantia, NY, USA

problem #463

Dec 152023

Sorento

  • 130,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled and would not restart. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

- Gold Beach, OR, USA

problem #462

Feb 192019

Sorento

  • miles

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

The oil pressure switch fails, dumping large amounts of oil out while driving and after parked which could cause engine failure. The 2014 models are covered under a recall for this exact problem but there are 2013s with same issue. I contacted kia customer service and they will not help. My oil pressure switch failed on 2/19/2019 at 69,000 miles, on 6/21/2023 with 99,000 miles and again on 3/25/2024 with 110,000 miles. I included repair statements of the first 2 incidents.

- Davidsville, PA, USA

problem #461

Mar 012024

Sorento

  • miles
According to my mechanic I needed to contact KIA directly because there was something wrong with my engine. It is engine failure and my mechanic has seen several KIA's with the same thing happen and said there is a recall on them. However, when I am trying to file the claim on the KIA website, it is not allowing me to do so with the VIN and states there is a deadline of April. It states that there is no recall on a 2013 KIA Sorento with VIN [XXX]. However, again, my mechanic is stating that this is the exact same issue with the engine that he has seen with the other KIA's covered under a recall or law suit. Can you please assist? I am a single mother with four children and this is our family vehicle and I still owe $6,000 on it. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Maceo, KY, USA

problem #460

Jan 012022

Sorento

  • 0 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the vehicle was smoking from the engine compartment. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. VIN tool confirms that parts are not available. The failure mileage was unknown.

- Baltimore, MD, USA

problem #459

Feb 262024

Sorento

  • 35,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The failure mileage was 35,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

- Southbridge, MA, USA

problem #458

Feb 122024

Sorento

  • miles
Unknown

- Coeburn, VA, USA

problem #457

Feb 022024

Sorento

  • miles
I drove with my family south bound on i95 and between exit 6-5 the engine light came on out of no where and the gas peddle and brake stopped working. My luck was that I was on the right lane and I pulled over to shoulder of the highway till the car stopped. after 5-10 min I turned the car on and I was able to crawl to exit 5 ramp driving barely 10-15mph. The engine was making knocking sounds and then it just died in the middle of the exit, where I had to push the car in neutral through the ez-pass booth. We waited for an hour and got a tow truck to tow us to the nearest shop, where the mechanic told me that the engine is done and I need a new engine. I told him when it comes to engine, only an authorized kia dealer repair shop would be able to do the job.

- Spring Valley, NY, USA

problem #456

Feb 012024

Sorento

  • miles
On February 1, 2024, I was driving home from work. I had been driving for about 20 minutes and out of nowhere almost every dashboard light indicator that exists came on. Initially, it was the ABS, Tire Pressure, and Stability Control. I stopped at a light and all of these lights went off but as soon as I started driving again they came back on along with the AWD, Brake, and Airbag indicators. I drove approximately 10 more minutes and the check engine light came on and I had a loss of power. I was able to get to a road that had less traffic where the car started sputtering, the oil lamp came on, and then the car shut completely off. Prior to shutting off it would not allow me to place the vehicle into any gear other than neutral. I was able to use a battery pack to restart the vehicle temporarily but it started doing the exact same thing before shutting off. I ended up having to push the vehicle out of the middle of the street. Prior to this I had experienced a loss of power and the battery indicator came on so I had the alternator replaced in November 2023 along with the battery. I ended up having to return to the mechanic after I experienced another loss of power. The mechanic checked the alternator and other electrical components and stated that the rear hatch wasn't closed all the way even though there was no indicator on the dashboard. The vehicle seemed to be fine until this. After a little research it appears that I am not the only person with this same make & model that this has happened too - Kia is going to get someone killed!!!!

- Waldorf, MD, USA

problem #455

Nov 202023

Sorento

  • miles
On 11/20/2023 I was entering the freeway when the engine on my Kia completely quit. No lights, no sputtering, no indication at all of an issue. Obviously I lost power steering. I was able to get to the side of the road and try to restart the engine. Would not restart. I had the car towed to my mechanic and called Kia customer service later. I was advised to have it towed to a Kia dealership (fee would be reimbursed), get it diagnosed (fee would be reimbursed), and that the engine would be replaced. The diagnosis was no compression in cylinder 4 and that this is not covered under warranty. I was offered an engine for $6000. Called customer service back and was told they would research the case. Two months later I am told they will not be replacing the engine. I am out a tow fee, diagnostic fee, and have a lawn ornament that I owe $4000 on. This is absolutely a safety issue and Kia needs to be held accountable. To go immediately from power steering to none, engine turning to stalled is not safe! I feel lucky as I was not traveling fast, not trying to merge or pass. I am disgusted that this is not a safety concern and that Kia continues to deny any fault.

- Olean, NY, USA

problem #454

Jan 222024

Sorento

  • miles
raw gas leaking under the engine and causing carbon monoxide poisoning - my entire family could have died. Dropped off the car at Kia Abilene - 325-267-9380. Informed Kia customer service immediately - case# [XXX]. Not getting proper response from Kia - not offering loaner car or repairs. Please follow up and close this ASAP INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Abilene, TX, USA

problem #453

Jan 092024

Sorento

  • 201,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle suddenly lost automotive power and stalled. The vehicle was later towed to the local service center who diagnosed that the number two engine connecting rod had failed causing a hole in the engine block. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer and manufacturer were not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 201,000.

- Orlando, FL, USA

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