CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2nd generation Sorento (2011-2014) has just too many engine problems at early mileage, year after year.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
42,508 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.

2014 Kia Sorento drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2014 Kia Sorento Owner Comments (Page 3 of 4)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #21

Nov 232018

Sorento

  • miles

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

My 2014 Kia Sorento is having terrible engine issues. I have had it rebuilt and there are still problems and no one is wanting to help me. I believe the vehicle was sold to me with the knowledge of these problems from the dealership. They just passed on the problem. I purchased this vehicle in July 2017. The vehicle has always run hot and the engine has never sounded good. The car burns oil very fast and the gas mileage is horrible. Now I have no power when I press the gas it has no get up. The car seems like it is going to die. The car also shakes very bad. I have new baby and I am scared to drive my car. My check engine light is flashing. The timing seems off totally. I also think the transmission is slipping. There is oil running down places on and around the engine that should not have oil on them and it is sludge like oil. I cant hardly make it through a turn I have to make sure absolutely no one is around if not I will get hit because the power is gone most of the time. It comes and goes.

- Hazelwood, MO, USA

problem #20

Nov 302018

Sorento

  • 113,000 miles
Rear all wheel drive coupler will start a knocking sound when accelerating slowly and turning either left or right from a stop.

- Reading, PA, USA

problem #19

Nov 172018

Sorento

  • 118,118 miles
Driving at approx 70 mph on the highway the engine began making a faint knocking sound which very quickly turned into a more rapid hectic knocking sound. As I was exiting the freeway the sound continued to intensify and the engine knocking then became extremely loud almost completely disabling the vehicle on the highway. This happened very quickly leaving me very little time to react to the problem. This was due to a connecting rod bearing failure.

- Simi Valley, CA, USA

problem #18

Jun 132018

Sorento

  • 70,000 miles

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

Controls on steering wheel for radio, and speed control and hands free phone features stopped working correctly you press the phone button and volume goes up or down hit mute and voice command goes on dials numbers at random startling you gives strange burning smell from steering wheel. The power seat button on drivers side work on and off has been bought to dealer for problems and the say the fixes wires for seat controls twice but still have problems. When turning wheel left or right has weird sound like tires are rubbing or skidding on loose rocks thought it was tires bought new ones but still happening dealer don't know what it is.

- Nanuet, NY, USA

problem #17

Sep 202018

Sorento

  • 116,145 miles
Mileage 116,145. I was traveling on the highway coming down a steep grade going straight. In the fast lane I was going 75mph and then rapidily excelerated to 82mph ( the rpms jumped to the 6/7 range). The engine complete stopped. The check engine light, oil light, power steering and battery light all came on. I lost all power steering and rapidly began to slow down. Went from 80 to 50 in a matter of 10 seconds. I was almost crushed by a semi truck as I desperately tried to move the car to the shoulder lane. The car was barley able to coast and it was a struggle to maneuver the vehicle off the highway. I put the car in park and sat waiting for a tow truck for 30 minutes - I took a photo of the warning lights that remained on. Towing company checked all fluids, gas, alternator, battery, belts and all were in working condition. There was no indication why this happened. The vehicle started back up and all warning lights went off.

- Simi Valley, CA, USA

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problem #16

Sep 252018

Sorento

  • 1 miles
At 68,000 miles - no accidents on record. Our Sorento's drive train "came apart" inside the rear housing causing the drivetrain and axles to separate and the gears to be propelled up into the housing. We were taking the vehicle to the repair shop when it happened as we noticed a lead coming from the rear - we hadn't noticed it previously. Mechanics are estimating multiple thousands of dollars in repairs for the drive train, rear axles, etc. I was fortunately able to pull the vehicle over to the shoulder as soon as I felt the drivetrain "give out."

- Saratoga Springs, UT, USA

problem #15

Sep 212018

Sorento

  • 106,000 miles

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

Vehicle only starts in neutral. Refuses to go into park. ABS seems like it's always on but the light isn't. had the car checked for engine recall and they said it was fine. Never any major issues with car until the past year. Have replaced brakes and wheel sensor and does noir fix problem. The vehicle is hard to switch between park, neutral, drive and reverse. Afraid of a malfunction that could cause an accident. Nothing shows on computer when ran. Have to press hard in park to keep car from moving on its own. Randomly just shuts down and won't start unless you move the steering wheel. Vehicle doesn't want to stop on a dry road with brand new brakes installed.

- Rock Creek, OH, USA

problem #14

Jul 292018

Sorento

  • 66,000 miles
I was driving my 2014 Kia Sorento down a city street when my car completely shut off. Luckily I was only going about 30 mph. It lost all power and wont restart. It showed and currently shows a red steering wheel light (I've never seen before) and a dim battery display( which battery isn't even 4 months old and all features worked long as car was in aux mode) and also check engine light is on. It was putting off a bad odor afterwards, didn't smell of oil or any other fluids Sorento doesn't have any blown fuses nor did it have any service type lights on at time it shut off. It seemed to be driving fine until it shut off. No loud noise or shaking or anything have to take to dealer tomorrow had it checked for codes and isn't showing any having it towed to the dealership is my only choice

- Columbus, GA, USA

problem #13

Jul 052018

Sorento

  • 79,670 miles
Last week while on the highway going about 65mph my check engine light came on(stayed on) and my vehicle started knocking. I went home parked it for the night and called the dealership the next morning. The dealership said as long as the check engine light was solid (not flashing) it was safe to drive the 30 min to bring it to them. They called today to state the engine is blown due to metal shavings in the engine and oil. I am lucky the car even made it there, since the engine has "blown" since they have had it!!!! I have kept up having oil changed regularly, and I do have receipts. They are saying my I need a whole new engine and it is not covered and my warranty is expired even though I received a letter in the past stating the warranty was extended to 120,000 miles!! they say they have no record of the letter, so it must be fake!!. I dont know what I'm going to do I used all of my savings to buy this car for $22,000 just three years ago!!!!! it currently only has 79K miles on it!!

- Manchester, NH, USA

problem #12

Apr 262018

Sorento

  • 105,000 miles
While driving 45 miles per hour on a straightaway, I heard a loud bang and then a clunking noise from the rear of the vehicle. I had the vehicle towed to the local Kia dealer and it was determined that both axles sheared off and that the rear differential was split, with all fluid leaking out. This 2014 Sorento only has 105,000 miles on it, mainly from highway driving. This was a major safety issue as I lost control of the vehicle. Had I been going faster, the likeliehood of an accident was high.

- Douglassville, PA, USA

problem #11

Apr 202018

Sorento

  • 69,900 miles

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

My car has 69000 miles on it. When driving a diagnostic comes up while driving on the radio telling me there is an issue with the transmission module system the shifting notifier on dash disappears. The yellow check engine light comes on. Today while driving in traffic the car while driving went like it was in neutral. Rpms on tac went high car seemed to be stuck for a brief moment in neutral. I cost to a red light. Seem to correct itself the shift indicator on dash keeps going out. Took to dealership they wanted to charge me a fee for diagnostic. I feel this is putting my safety at risk. Kia wont stand behind their 100K mile power train warranty because I bought it used in 2014. I took it to autozone it came up a module error code. But was told by the dealership have to pay to have them diagnose it.

- Rochester, PA, USA

problem #10

Dec 262017

Sorento

  • 113,000 miles
In late December of 2017 I began to notice that my car started to vibrate upon acceleration of more than 55 mph. I took the car in for a suspension analysis to pep boys at 3124 sepulveda blvd in torrance, ca and they evaluated my issue. It was discovered in my front wheel drive vehicle with 115,000 miles that the right front axle shaft was broken and was making a clicking noise. And also that on the left front driver's side that the boot had leaked all the grease out and that all the boots and the axles required replacement. The mechanics at pep boys told me that this happens frequently on the Kia's and that they have more issues than most car manufacturers. I also discovered that Kia motors had had a known issue with axle problems in their 2014 Sorentos. Kma has determined that the right front axle drive shaft of affected vehicles may develop a crack in the area of the stub at the wheel-end of the shaft. Should this occur, the vehicle may lose power or, if the driver fails to engage the parking brake when parked on an incline, the vehicle may roll. The vehicles having this condition are the 2014 model year Sorento 2.4-liter front-wheel-drive (fwd) model produced through March 12, 2013. I purchased my vehicle in late may of 2014 it is a 2.4 liter fwd vehicle. I also went online to check for known recalls and nothing came up nor was I ever notified. I have had no accidents or other issues that would have caused this to happen. Kma never notified me that I should have the right front axle driveshaft will be replaced. Consequently, I believe that I should not have to bear the expense of replacing my front wheel drive boot and axle at a cost of $695. This cost should have been paid for by Kia

- Torrance, CA, USA

problem #9

Dec 242017

Sorento

  • 40,000 miles
While reverising into a driveway the vehicle experienced low power, when the gas pedal was pressed for addition power there a clunking noise which resulted from a broken axle and engine mounting point on the engine itself.

- Texas City, TX, USA

problem #8

Jun 042017

Sorento

  • 48,500 miles
While driving at 25 - 30 mph a loud noise sounded from under the car. A repetitive banging sound then occurred. I pulled over to inspect the car but found no damage or anything unusual. When pulling away all was quiet but I then heard the sound of metal grinding noises and a short while later the wheels suddenly locked up. A similar event happened at 24,000 miles and this time at 48,500 miles. Both times the service department stated it was rear differential failure. The first time occurred driving straight on a rural road and the second while going around a slight bend on a rural road. The wheels locking up suddenly on the second differential failure occurred while going down hill on a straight road traveling at less than ten miles per hour while trying to get to a safe location to pull over. I traveled less than 1 mile from when the initial noise was heard. It was raining and the vehicle slid slightly sideways when the wheels locked up. Had I been driving faster an accident likely would have occurred.

- Tarentum, PA, USA

problem #7

May 262017

Sorento

  • 49,120 miles
I was driving on the highway and when I came to a point where I slowed all the way down my engine froze. Luckily it restarted but as soon as it did there was this terrible sound like a big rock was flying around in my engine. Also no check engine lights came on so there was no warning. Also the A/C stopped working about 1 yr ago. I had freon put in and it stop working about 6 months ago.

- North Richland Hills, TX, USA

problem #6

Apr 032017

Sorento

  • 50,000 miles
Car is using to much oil, had oil change done a week ago, checked oil again. Car has dropped a quart of oil. Do not see any leaks, and when stopped, and press on excelarator to go car acts like it wants to shut off, and alot of smoke come out of the tail pipe.

- Katy, TX, USA

problem #5

May 232016

Sorento

  • 69,600 miles
Driving on highway going about 65mph when I heard a load bang from the rear and felt hard jerk from car, I stopped the car looked underand saw fluid leaking from AWD coupling, took it in to Kia fresno rear differential broken metal in differential fluid, differential replace but AWD coupling not replace. AWD still not working

- Fresno, CA, USA

problem #4

Oct 152015

Sorento

  • 41,000 miles
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. When the contact attempted to accelerate, the vehicle jolted three times before accelerating. The failure recurred three times without warning. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer who inspected the vehicle and found no failures. The failure recurred on a different day. On another occasion, while driving approximately 15 mph, the vehicle lost steering and braking ability. As a result, the vehicle drove into a ditch. The brake and steering ability returned and the contact drove to another local dealer who was also unable to find the cause of the failures. The manufacturer was made aware of the failures and followed up with the dealers, but the cause of the failures was not determined. The contact was told to drive the vehicle until the failure recurred. The failure mileage was approximately 41,000.

- Senoia, GA, USA

problem #3

Jan 082014

Sorento 4WD 6-cyl

  • 4,873 miles
I bought a 2014 Kia Sorento in Nov. 2013. 2months I started having issues with the door locks not working properly and the blue tooth. I took it to the dealer for service and told them about it after 3-4 trips and being told each time that there was nothing wrong they found that the radio system was bad. Still nothing wrong with the door locks not unlocking. Then a few weeks later I started having problems with it starting, again 3-4 trips of being told nothing was wrong they said you have a bad battery! I started getting a warning from the uvo system in November 2014 that I had a transmission issue took it to the dealer and even though a technician saw the warning on the screen and that the engine light was on they said the gas cap must have been on wrong causing the warning and the transmission to stall and be sluggish, along with causing the bluetooth not to respond, automatic door locks not to release, backup camera beeps when there is nothing behind me, the automatic window on the drivers side to not roll up. It was found that the transmission was going out and was repaired at the nicholasville store, however it has not taken care of the issues, the doors will not unlock and the uvo system continues to send emails to the dealer that there is an issue. I have also had to replace a head light bulb, brakes are rubbing. I have spoken with the Kia Corp analysts spencer with no results at this point. I have spoken with the general manager of the nicholasville ky dealer during our conversation he said to me to bring my car to the dealer they would be glad to check it. I ask if there was any way we could work something out so that they could come to me and get the car. I explained to him that I do not fill safe in the vehicle and that I am afraid for my kids safety, on 1/20/15 I was in an accident with it.

- Whiltey City, KY, USA

problem #2

Feb 142008

Sorento 4-cyl

  • 1,500 miles
There has been a very hard jerk forward after a stop (or stop and turn I. E. at stop sign) when I start to accelerate gently. This jerk has always happened after a stop within 75 - 150 feet. The speed of the vehicle has always been around 10- 15 mph. Jerk forward seems to be a slam forward of drive shaft after just starting to accelerate. This has occurred about three times a month and usually after car has run about five minutes. I am not a mechanic but this seems to be power train issue with drive shaft, brakes and/ or transmission involved. I will research further with dealer as time permits - they have been made aware of this issue but did not say for sure what was happening as of yet (want longer evaluation to drive vehicle themselves).

- Montgomery, AL, USA

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