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:
0 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
42,961 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 lights problems

lights problem

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2014 Kia Sorento Owner Comments (Page 1 of 4)

problem #79

Aug 192024

Sorento

  • miles

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

The headlights and taillights are constantly going out on their own. Took car to dealership and they say it's fixed, but you don't leave the lot & the light is out again. Same issue has been happening since 2022. Driving on dark road and the lights just go out. This is definitely a safety issue that several people have complained about, but nothing is being done to rectify the situation. Car has been taken to dealership at least on 5 separate occasions. However, this last time they said there is no record of bringing the car for the lights. I even did a Google review. Why would the dealership not document service problems?

- Helena, AL, USA

problem #78

Jul 242024

Sorento

  • miles
Coolant, oil compression, runs hot, to over headlights need replaced frequently

- Phoenix , AZ, USA

problem #77

Jan 052024

Sorento

  • miles
The headlights go out without any warning. The fog lights work fine. I have had signal bulbs replaced many times but the worst complaint is the headlights.

- Moselle, MS, USA

problem #76

Jan 252024

Sorento

  • miles

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

The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed at night, she became aware that the headlamps were extremely dim, severely compromising nighttime visibility. The ABS warning and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic), and the VIN was included, but parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. VIN tool confirms parts not available. The failure mileage was unknown.

- Norton, OH, USA

problem #75

Jul 232023

Sorento

  • miles
On 06/23/2023 i went to team Nissan located at 70 Keller st. took it in while purchasing new tires from tire warehouse told me about repairs that needed done that was still under warranty with team Nissan. when i took it to team Nissan they refused my warranty by telling me my car issuer was not any issue that they repaired back in July of 2022 for the amount of over 2thousand dollars. team Nissan lied to me let me leave their shop knowing the dangers just because they did not want to grant my warranty which where brakes outta tie Rodes and rear light INOP charged me 45 for en inspection to deny my warranty. I still can't drive my car because team Nissan wanted me to repay for pairs that was still covered under their own warranty my vehicle only has 120 thousand miles i was still in my year frame and way less than the miles. i prefer to bring in my documents if not i must downmload at another time cant take pic ith desktop

- Concord, NH, USA

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problem #74

Jan 082023

Sorento

  • miles
Headlight Dim setting are so weak the vehicle over runs the lighting at speeds over 40 mph. Unsafe to drive vehicle on major highways, and on secondary roads where street lighting is sparse, or non existent.

- Hanahan, SC, USA

problem #73

Jan 062023

Sorento

  • miles

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

The paint is peeling super bad bad it to several dealerships & Maaco and was told this is a defect and to report the problem

- Charlotte , NC, USA

problem #72

Jan 062023

Sorento

  • miles
Headlights continually need replacing. We must replace headlights every few months. We have tried several brands of lights and regardless they go out. We have had all the lights go out at once while driving at night. Cruise control no longer works. I had the clock spring replaced but this did not fix the cruise. Seat warmer Driver side seat warmer no longer engages. When the button is pressed, the indicator light flashes as if it will come on but never does.

- Monroe, LA, USA

problem #71

Jul 012022

Sorento

  • miles
I started experiencing miscellaneous electrical issues and occasional poor acceleration. Engine/ABS/tire pressure/etc. warning lights would come and go indicating random problems; transmission solenoid was a common code but I did not initially have transmission problems. Radio/backup camera had intermittent problems with not powering on. Normal headlights stopped working and only high beams would function even after replacing bulbs and checking fuses. Problems got worse and the car would sometimes lurch strongly with a clunking sound and be stuck in 3rd gear "limp mode", but would randomly drive normally when restarted. I brought it to the dealership when I was experiencing sudden loss of acceleration and couldn't match the flow of traffic. The dealership said a new transmission was required. On replacing the transmission they found that there was a problem with the wiring harness and it would also need to be replaced, doubling the cost of an already expensive repair.

- Valdosta, GA, USA

problem #70

Jan 012022

Sorento

  • miles
Multiple electrical issues throughout the car that come and go. The door locks will stop operating when using the key FOB and lock/unlock switch on the driver and passenger doors, the only way to unlock them is manually. Window operating switch at all four doors stops working. The control buttons on the steering wheel are malfunctioning (volume up button decreases volume, volume down button activates voice control). The digital fuel range number does not match up analog indicator (digital will read ~150miles range, analog will indicate 1/8 full tank). Low-beam headlight bulbs individually burn out well before expected lifetime, I have replaced each one twice in the last six months. All of these issues are available for inspection. Safety is at risk because multiple fluctuating electrical issues could mean a fire risk. I have not had these problems reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or service center yet. Vehicle and components have not been inspected. There have been no warning indications prior to or during electrical problems.

- Annapolis, MD, USA

problem #69

Mar 012022

Sorento

  • miles

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

No matter what bulbs you put in the headlights they do not shine bright enough or far enough for you to drive safely at night. We have stopped driving the suv at night because the only way to have enough light to see the road is if they are on bright then they bright light oncoming traffic.

- Owensboro, KY, USA

problem #68

Jul 112018

Sorento

  • miles
I have to replace the low beam and high beam bulbs several times a year. The low beams are SO dim, I can-??t even tell if they are on- forcing me to drive with my bright lights on all the time. The bulbs blow all the time- I have driven without low beams and not none they were blown. The lights are now constantly flickering while driving. Very dangerous.

- Byron, GA, USA

problem #67

Jan 252022

Sorento

  • miles
1. My headlights tends to keep going out, I-??ve replaced them 3 times since getting the vehicle. The most recent change was a month ago. Also my car keeps making this weird humming/ purring sound which started 3months ago and is very unsettling. I had to get a new engine last February after my car cut off on me and the kids heading to my family out of town.

- Savannah, GA, USA

problem #66

Jan 112022

Sorento

  • miles
The headlights keep blowing. This is not safe nor normal.

- Pensacola, FL, USA

problem #65

Dec 112021

Sorento

  • miles
Head lamps stopped working on low beams when driving at night, high beams still work, no warnings were indicated and lights still will not work.

- Hayward, WI, USA

problem #64

Jan 012019

Sorento

  • miles
The lighting (headlights) on low beam are very poor. We live in a rural area and the lighting supplied by the headlights is very poor, making it hard to see items in the road and curves. Turning a corner and staying on the road can be problematic. The lighting forces driver to drive with high beams on to attain minimally sufficient lighting. The bulbs have been replaced with no increase in forward visibility. I should have reported this earlier, but now I feel unsafe in this vehicle at night and we drive it less. These are projector style and they do not go very far in front of the car. A quick check on the web, of Kia Forums show that this is a common complaint, some have the bulbs going out regularly. The Kia forums also mention changing the bulbs to non DOT approved items and other modifications.

- Dadeville, AL, USA

problem #63

Sep 192019

Sorento

  • miles
the low beam headlights are so dim it is a safety concern. new bulbs do not help!

- San Antonio, TX, USA

problem #62

Jan 082021

Sorento

  • miles
I own a 2014 Kia Sorento LX and a short time ago, on a drive from NC to FL, the headlights started to fail. One day it was the low beam on the driver side and then it was the high beam on the passenger side. It varied and was random. I would have the bulbs replaced or replace them myself. After time, the "eyelash" went out on one side as well. One evening, driving home, all of the headlights went out and I drove the remaining distance with my hazards on. When I pulled into the driveway, some of the lights came back on. After this, I took it to the dealer and they it was a short and it would cost +/- $2,500 to replace the assembly on both sides. Since then, I have had 3rd parties look over the vehicle and it was always the same answer, "we have no idea of what causes this." The lights have only totally went off 2 or 3 times after the initial time. I have been replacing bulbs on a regular basis and the road does not "light up" without the high beams on, even immediately after changing the bulbs. I have even changed a bulb twice in one day.

- Tampa, FL, USA

problem #61

Jul 272021

Sorento

  • 73,918 miles
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated she received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V519000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the dealer inspected the vehicle and informed the contact that the vehicle did not need a recall repair. The contact received a second recall notification from the manufacturer and the vehicle was taken back to the same dealer and the recall repair was completed. The contact stated that the headlights failed to work after the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact that the headlights would work in low light conditions. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 73,918.

- Prestonburg, KY, USA

problem #60

Jul 142021

Sorento

  • miles
Approximately 8 months ago noticed while driving that the headlights didn-??t appear to be on while driving with normal low beam lights. High beams worked fine. Replaced both low beam light bulbs with Sylvania standard Kia recommended replacement. 1-2 months later after driving at night, lights still dim. Replaced with $90 Halogen set, still not illuminating road. Took to Kia dealership (where purchased) to have them check lights, said that entire headlight assembly for both lights need replacement for $2,489. Aftermarket priced at $335/ea!!! Service manager confirmed apparent problems with burned out headlight assemblies.

- Tampa, FL, USA

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