2012 Kia Sorento complaints

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, several unknown warning lights illuminated, prompting the contact to pull the vehicle into a parking lot. The contact also stated that the vehicle history stated that the engine was replaced by the dealer when the vehicle was purchased. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.

Engine went out while driving. Took vehicle to a mechanic where it was confirmed it needs an engine replacement

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine had seized and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The contact had researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V224000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

The contact owned a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled while driving at approximately 30 MPH as the battery and alternator warning lights illuminated. Another driver then alerted the contact that the vehicle had caught fire under the hood. The contact merged to the side of the road and exited the vehicle. The contact mentioned that a third of the vehicle had been engulfed in flames. The fire department extinguished the fire. The contact sustained injuries to her knee from the door while attempting to exit during the incident. Medical attention was required. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot and deemed totaled by the insurance agency. A fire report was filed but there was no police report filed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. The VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hyraulic) however the recall remedy was not yet available. The approximate failure mileage was 126,000. VIN Tool Confirms Parts Not Available.

Was driving on highway car started making noise, wasn't sure where the noise was coming from by the time I could pull over my car started shaking and it was clearly coming from the engine. My engine went out so fast without warning. Only 120,000 miles.

The engine is constantly loosing oil but it’s no leaking it’s burning somewhere there is always tons of smoke that come from the burning of it upon contacting Kia they stated that it isn’t their problem.

The contact owned a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at 42 MPH, another vehicle failed to stop at a stop sign, and she collided with the other vehicle head-on. As a result, her vehicle careened off the roadway and into a ditch, colliding with an unoccupied parked vehicle before coming to a complete stop. The air bags did not deploy. A police report and injuries were reported. The driver and her passengers were transported to an area hospital by EMS and treated for various injuries. The driver was treated for injuries to her neck, right shoulder, both wrists, lower back, and left knee; her husband was treated for a two-inch laceration to his neck; and her son was treated for an injury to his right knee. The driver of the other vehicle was treated at an area hospital for unknown injuries. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard, where it remained as the contact had yet to hear from her insurance provider. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at approximately 25-30 MPH, the vehicle decelerated and failed to exceed 30 MPH while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that that her daughter veered the vehicle off the road and turned off the vehicle. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

On Saturday September 23,2023 I was driving thru the City of Spring Garden, Alabama at 9:30 am. I was traveling at 45 MPH when I heard a light tapping noise coming from the engine compartment and almost an instant later the engine locked up and the right hand tire locked temporarily causing loss of steering control only lasted a couple of seconds and then the right tire freed up. I coasted to a stop. I tried to restart the engine but it would not turn over. I had the car towed to a local garage and after inspection determined that a main bearing had spun. The vehicle was running perfect up to this instant with no issues.

The contact owned a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in her carport, she was awakened by her son that a fire had ignited and that the vehicle was in flames. The contact then stated that the fire from the vehicle had extended to her home living room. As a result, half of the house was in flames. The contact stated that she and her family were able to exit her home to safety and then notified the fire department. The fire department had extinguished the fire. No injuries were sustained. No medical attention was required. The family's iguana pet passed away due to the fire. The contact then stated that the vehicle was towed to a tow lot and inspected by the insurance company and that the source of the fire was near the carport area and may have been electrical related but was to be determined. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the insurance company. Additionally, the contact stated that she was not notified that the VIN was included in a recall, and upon research she discovered that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine). Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

The abs brake light, traction control, and downhill assist lights all came on at the same time. This is being caused by a faulty speed sensor. This item was recalled on the two wheel drive kias, but not the all wheel drive models... hiwever.. looking for answers in the forums show that there is a systemic problem in the kia system, just Google search it and watch all the other car owners stories pop up.

Transmission / or gear shifting

The paint on the body between the windscreen and sunroof is rapidly delaminating, literally overnight. The vehicle color is Pearl White. I wish to add my case to what I understand is an ongoing effort by other Kia owners with similar delaminating paint issues for the NHTSA to get Kia to act on this and issue a recall.

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while parking the vehicle and shifting into reverse, the back over prevention camera displayed a black screen. The contact discovered that the failure was like NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V703000 (Trailer Hitches). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was unavailable

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle failed to properly accelerate with the check engine warning light and the temperature gauge warning light illuminated. The contact was able to pull over on the side of the road and had the vehicle towed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who stated that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 165,000.

After about 30 minutes of driving the vehicle through the city and letting and sit in the parking lot, oil started leaking heavily. Eventually, the engine became completely seized and the starter began to release smoke nearly starting a fire. I looked inside the engine compartment and saw that the bearing had come loose and made a hole through the block. Before purchasing the vehicle, I used my scan tool to check for codes. No codes came up. No lights were on the dash. Luckily, the engine seized on the parking lot and not in the middle of the highway. The engine and vehicle are available for inspection upon request. I checked to see if the vehicle had any recalls and sure enough, this exact problem showed up as an open recall. The Kia dealership has denied repairing the problem. They said that its not eligible for repair because the "KSDS software" update was not completed. However, the notice was not sent to me as I am not the first owner. Upon speaking with the Kia manufacturer, I was advised that the vehicle is in fact eligible for repair and engine replacement. The dealership obviously will not take my word for it and I'm having trouble getting the manufacturer to contact the dealership and have them replace it.

I was driving on highway when without warning it just died and I was almost rearended. I noticed that the Ecoboost wasn't working anymore so I was just in shock.

The contact owns a 2013 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that coolant was leaking onto the ground of the garage. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that while attempting to replace the head gasket, the thread had pulled out from the block. The contact was informed that the engine short block and additional parts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the engine was not the engine included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine). The failure mileage was 118,871.

The vehicle slows unexpectedly while driving and will not go above 2 RPM causing me to slow to below 40 mph on the highway without any warning. I took the vehicle to Kia for an airbag recall and suddenly I started to have these engine problems. They never informed me there was a recall on my vehicle or that this issue could occur. I am not the original owner and acquired the vehicle from my dad, which he purchased from someone else. I had the vehicle checked out by AAA and the knock sensor was replaced, yet the issue continued to happen. I took the vehicle back to Kia because AAA could not figure out why the car continues to have this engine issue. Kia cannot seem to figure out the issue as well but stated the engine needs to be replaced. We asked them about the recall because I suddenly received notice about the class action lawsuit, but the vehicle has 185,472 miles on it and they refused to correct the issue and said the new engine will cost $7200. The issue has almost placed me in several accidents because the vehicle abruptly slows down and I have to pull to the side of the road use a code reader to clear the code in order to drive again but it continues to happen multiple times while driving and I need to get to work. The problem has been confirmed by Kia, but they won't replace it. We were encouraged to file a complaint and see if Kia will take responsibility for their engine since it has been recalled for this issue and a lawsuit ensued. The engine light appears when

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while at a stop light the vehicle stalled. The contact shifted the vehicle into park(P) and was able to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the ECM needed to be updated and that the vehicle was experiencing the failure listed in TSB: SC106. The contact was advised to contact the manufacturer for assistance. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle could not be repaired under TSB: SC106. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 203,000.

My regular lights on pasenger side keeps going out. The harness keeps melting. And my sunroof rubber pieces keep coming undone hitting the glass of sunroof causing very loud noises while driving sounds like the glass is going to break.

Engine just stopped. will not turn over. call kia. not on list. repair yourself. they are not reparing any cars. said they were but denying everyone. check the records. all talk and no action. pleasing the judge.

Engine locked while driving on the highway. Vehicle was in condition and recently had a vehicle oil change.

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while making a left turn at a slow speed, there was an abnormal grinding sound coming from the vehicle. The oil warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where oil was added; however, the failure returned after several weeks. The contact stated that while driving at a slow rate speed, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled with the oil warning light and check engine warning light illuminated. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle with an internal oil leak. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not under recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 101,541.

Recall I purchased my vehicle in a private sale sometime around 2018, I believe. I can get more specific date if you need me to. I have reached out to the Kia dealership multiple times since regarding the recall on my vehicle due to engine issues which have been known to cause vehicle fires and/or failure. I have been told each time that I was ineligible for the recall due to some failure to act prior to my purchase of the vehicle. I received a letter in the mail today from the US District Court for the Central District of California saying that I should get the KSDS (Knock Sensor Detection System) update done to my vehicle which is covered by recall and that as part of a class action, the vehicle warranty will be extended. Can you please explain to me whether I qualify for the recalls listed for my vehicle and what I can do if the dealership denies my request again? I do not want my family driving in a vehicle that could potentially endanger them, and I also have concerns that my vehicle is beginning to experience the issues the recall was intended to mitigate. Then when I found this website, it said that if we experienced issues with the recall fulfillment to submit a complaint. Please help.

Having ignition problems. Ignition switch will not go to the Lock position and stays on ACC all the time. Always having to undo the negative battery cable from draining my battery. Warranty company refuses to fix it.

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the vehicle had not yet been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was unavailable.

Unknown. Push start engine failed on first and second try. One minute later the engine is one fire.

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that after shifting into reverse(R) and parking the vehicle, the vehicle was then shifted into neutral; however, the vehicle reversed instead. The driver quickly shifted the vehicle into a drive; however, the vehicle stalled. The contact then shifted the vehicle into the park(P) then turned off the vehicle. The contact was able to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed and the contact was informed that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage 75,000.

Car seized up while driving. No warning light or anything engine just seized. Leaving my six kids and I stranded. Car ha always been serviced with Kia of Chattanooga and at Firestone. No known issues reported. Have more proof but it happened today and have to get paper work from Kia of Chattanooga and Firestone on Knoxville Tn. More then welcome to speak with manager [XXX]. He is well informed and offered to help in this matter. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The engine seized due to a missing oil plug How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The car shut down on the highway with no indication/dash warning lights that there was an issue prior Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Dealership informed me that the oil plug was missing and could not explain why the oil indicator light never illuminated Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Yes, dealership denies fault Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? NONEE

I was driving my car on the highway and entered a ramp to another highway and as I began to accelerate again it was like my engine shut down and there was no response to the gas pedal for throttle. I pulled my car over to the side, sat for a moment, and then turned the car back on. I was able to accelerate, but if I accelerate too fast the engine would shut back down. I contacted Kia and they said all recalls have been processed for my vehicle, but now out of nowhere it's hardly driveable. I am still forced to use this car for short distances under a couple miles for work, but the vehicle's engine will try to shut off over 2k rpms. I have maintenance records for every year with this vehicle and I don't get how this just happens. My mechanic says a Knock Sensor is telling the engine to turn off and my local kia store said there wouldn't be anything to do without a recall.

As I was driving down the highway my car died and all the lights on my dash came on, I lost my power steering. I noticed a cloud of white smoke from tailpipe. I was able to coast to the side of the highway, thankfully no one was hurt. O tried to start it back up but it wouldn't start. We opened the hood and there was white smoke coming from under the hood. I had to pay to have it towed. Currently waiting to get it evaluated from dealership. I've took it in for every recall and serviced my own car. Called Kia they said the engine will be replaced for free if the problem has to do with the rod bearings.

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the back over prevention camera failed to produce an image while in use. The vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the back over prevention camera needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.

I have owned my 2012 KIA Sorento since 2014 and thoroughly enjoy my car. After 9 years of satisfactory ownership which include dealer servicing, my car scared me and now I question my safety. On Friday 24th, 2023, I pulled into my driveway and the car suddenly accelerated out of control. The brakes did nothing to slow its acceleration. By the time I reached the key and turned the car off it had accelerated thru 130 feet of a very muddy back yard. (The all-wheel drive is very effective) Fortunately, I just missed a huge 100-year-old pecan tree and stopped just short of the tree line in the back. This ripped the tire off one of my rims and I had a mechanic change the spare so we could retrieve the car. I am taking the car to the KIA dealer on Monday morning 27th. to find out what happened!!

Engine shut down

My vehicle engine light went on. Error codes P0014 Exhaust timing and P0661-Intake valve control were scanned according to KIA dealer. The oil control solenoid valve inline4 right and left were replaced at substantial cost. Kia would not repair under warranty. The oil level would go down shortly after oil change and engine was louder and vehicle doesn't operate as before even after repairs. It is my understanding that there is a Class Action Lawsuit Leslie Flaherty et al v Hyundai Motor Company et al Case No 8:18-CV-02223 US District Court for Central District of California. I do not know if my problem is covered under this class action lawsuit

These vehicles were never equipped with an alarm to notify drivers when parked in any other gear other than 'Park'. If the driver parks vehicle in 'Reverse' and do not set the parking brake, he/she can shut off the engine with no alarms notifying the driver to move shifter to park. An incident occurred with this vehicle in which the driver parked it overnight in a parking garage on level 6. The space appeared level, but is on a very slight incline. The vehicle (miraculously) remained in place overnight. However when the same driver proceeded to use the vehicle the following morning, it wouldn't start (obviously because you cannot start these vehicles unless the shifter is in 'Park' or 'Neutral'). He thought the battery was dead, not thinking to check the position of the shifter. After trying to get the vehicle to start with no success, he left the vehicle to use his personal vehicle. After leaving this vehicle, it rolled out of position and proceeded backwards (halfway down the incline between levels 6 and 5), turned slightly and hit the wall inside the parking garage (causing almost $6,000 of damage to the LR corner of the vehicle). The safety issue lies in the fact that this vehicle could have collided with another parked vehicle (with someone inside it) or another vehicle making the turn from level 5 to proceed to level 6. The vehicle could've also struck a pedestrian inside the parking garage. If the speed was greater, the vehicle could've damaged the section of the parki

I purchased this vehicle used in August of 2021. It has not been a pleasant experience, nothing but problems. Yesterday 2/6/2023 my Mechanic changed the oil and said there is iron shavings in the oil and the motor is shot and needs to be replaced. He said I should check on the recalls as this is known to be problems with this vehicle. I have checked on the NHTSA Site and it says 0 unrepaired recalls, however I would like to dispute this as this is what is wrong with my Sorento according to my Mechanic. He verified that this could definitely cause an engine compartment fire. If you need a list of all the things I have already paid to have fixed let me know and I will gather the list together. There have been warning lights coming on constantly, Yes the vehicle is available for inspection however I am driving it as it is my only car I have. Please let me know my next step. Thank you!

I own a white 2012 Kia Sorento that the paint is rapidly peeling off of across the piece of roof just above the windshield (body shops have called this Delamination). I have the pearl white paint, which began peeling in a tiny spot at approximately 45,000 miles and I thought this was a chip from a rock or something that fell on it, but since then it rapidly began peeling all over and now is in a few spots in the same area, and down to the metal, causing rust. I filed a claim with my insurance company January 2023, but the claim was denied. They were told by the autobody shop that there has been a paint chipping problem with other vehicles with the same pearl white paint, and that those had been recalled due to a defect.

The paint on my snow white 2012 Sorento is peeling exposing metal

Started smelling a burning smell of my car was driven more then 5 miles from under the hood thought it could maybe be the oil. I got an oil change but that didn’t change the burning smell it comes through the vents if I have the button selected to us the outside air and to recycle the air in the cabin. There was a recall on this make and model for engine fires and I’m unsure if mine was one and if it was fixed as I just got this car a year ago.

With one simple google search you can find hundreds, if not thousands of results from people talking about their same experience with their pearl white Kia’s. The paint is cheap, and it’s starting to peel off on its own, which has lead to severe cases of rust. Either Kia was purposely being cheap, or it was a mistake. Either way it’s their responsibility to fix this.

While passing a vehicle car started missing and shut off with the engine locking up.No prior warning giving. Very dangerous situation.

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the front headlights had begun to flicker and then would turn off while driving at night. The contact stated that the failure had started as an intermittent failure, however, the low beam setting had failed and no longer worked. The contact only had high beams. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had opened the hood during daylight and saw that the headlight wiring harness and connectors had melted on the driver's side. The contact stated that she could touch the passenger side lamp harness and the light would work. However, if she attempted to tighten the harness connection the light would not work. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer where it was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 133,000.

THE DRIVER DOOR WILL NOT STAY CLOSED. THE HITCH THAT HOLD THE DOOR SHUT IS BROKEN AND DOES NOT ALWAYS KEEP DOOR CLOSED. IT WILL OPEN WHILE DRIVING.

Airbag light is on, indicating a malfunction with the SRS. This is a common issue with this make and model from this year, with several thousand complaints online. Repairs are often over a couple of thousand dollars Since this is such a common issue and complaint, I believe a recall should be issued due to faulty equipment, and the financial burden should not fall on the consumer. The issue began a few months ago, and has been checked by a mechanic. The mechanic has confirmed that there is an issue with the SRS, and the airbag could potentially not deploy when expected, or could deploy without cause, which could cause an accident resulting in injury or death.

The steering wheel ignition lock is easy bypassed by using only a small screwdriver or USB cord. This makes the car easily stolen and therefore violates the requirements of 571.114 which requires a "starting system which, whenever the key is removed from the starting system prevents.. the normal activation of the vehicles engine or motor". This affects all Kia / Hyundai vehicles with a normal keyed ignition and without a vehicle immobilizer produced from approximately 2009-2022. Since the technology required to comply with the regulation (i.e. a vehicle immobilizer) is readily available and available on other cars from this maker, the vehicle manufacturer knowingly violated this regulation. I request a NHTSA inquiry into this clear safety defect. We are constantly living in fear of our cars being stolen any day now, this is sad!

The contact owned a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at 65 MPH, an abnormal fuel odor began to emit from the vehicle without warning. His wife was then waved down by a fellow motorist that alerted her that the vehicle had caught fire. The contact stated that his wife had difficulty stopping the vehicle as depressed the brake pedal. Once the vehicle was stopped, an unknown color smoke filled the vehicle's front cabin as she and the other occupants exited the vehicle. No occupants were injured and no medical assistance was rendered at the scene. The vehicle was extinguished by the fire department and a fire report was filed. In the fire report, the investigator linked the cause of the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V907000(Fuel System, Gasoline; Engine); however, his vehicle was not included in the recall. The vehicle was towed to an independent tow yard where it was deemed a total loss. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and an investigator was sent to diagnose the cause of the failure; the contact had yet to hear back from the manufacturer. The dealer was also notified about the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 143,000.

Was driving down the highway and went accelerate and seem my RPMS reach the top, then noticed vehicle was ‘off’ . Seemed to have no brakes or steering. It was dark and wintertime and my car died in the middle of the highway. Feel lucky to be alive with all the vehicles that nearly missed me.