2015 Kia Sorento complaints

The contact owns a 2015 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the brakes locked up, the steering seized, and the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that there were several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact was barely able to pull off the highway. The contact was not able to restart the vehicle. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer, 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 failure mileage was approximately 106,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that his vehicle had burst in flames while parked in his drive way. The contact called the fire department, however he was able to extinguish the flames using hand held extinguishers. The contact stated that the damage was contained to the front end of the vehicle, the engine compartment, the fire wall and the passenger front side. The fire department issued a report. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed and was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The contact had searched online and related the fire to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V331000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) which was associated to his VIN. The failure mileage was approximately 155,000.

The engine started to sound weird and stopped in the middle of the road that couldve created an accident should there have been other vehicle iw as pregnant at that time We contacted kia and they wouldnt change the engine since we didnt replace the knock sensor but we never received the mail and they confirmed thag mail was not sent to us.

I previously reported an engine complained submitted on 9/14/2023, ID 11544548. My engine started knocking while I was driving on a major highway without any warning lights or indications. a claim to Kia was made as I was told by the Kia dealership I would need engine replacement however Kia offered no explanation as to why the engine failed nor any explanation or seemed to care one bit that I was on a major highway and this occurred without any warnings whatsoever. I understand there is current recall for some v4 engines of the sorento model I had and I firmly believe the 3.3L v6 engines should be investigated.

There is oil leaking into my coolant. I had it flushed, hoping it was just a fluke. Then noticed there was more oil getting into my coolant. I had the vehicle inspected again and they stated it was probably a blown head gasket, or a cracked head.

Ongoing issue with coolant mixing in the oil causing overheating in the engine. I believe this a safety risk as driving the vehicle for longer than 30 minutes causes the engine temperature to rise dramatically and risks complete engine failure, potentially when driving at speed. Vehicle has not been examined by a dealer. We've just become aware this is apparently due to Kia's known soft block issue.

The clock spring went bad with no warning

The contact owned a 2015 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while depressing the accelerator pedal to drive inside the garage, the vehicle accelerated to the highest speed unintendedly. The contact depressed the brake pedal continuously, but the vehicle failed to respond. The vehicle pushed a table of home items through the rear wall of the garage, hit several gas pipes, and then landed approximately 6 ft. downhill in the backyard, where it continued to accelerate. The contact then noticed steam coming out from underneath the hood and the vehicle stopped. The air bags did not deploy. The contact was able to drive up the backyard hill and enter the residence. The contact did not sustain any injuries. The vehicle was towed and totaled. A police report was not filed. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 32,042.

Front doors are able to be open while the car is in gear and being driven, even after automatic doors locked when putting in gear. My grandson grabbed the handle and opened it and almost fell out while I was driving.

The paint on my SUV began to peel off. I have pictures documenting the issue, and the car has been temporarily fixed. The safety of myself and others wasn't directly compromised. The problem has been confirmed by other Kia owners experiencing similar issues with the same paint type. A body shop inspected the vehicle, but it hasn't been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. There were no warning signs prior to the paint peeling.

My car has been giving me problems for about three months now and we’ve changed about four or five parts on the engine/transmission and it’s still acting up. We’ve called the Kia dealership several times to alleviate the problem but they are giving us the runaround about the three recalls that pulled up for the 2015 Kia Sorrento and they saying that we have to pay $150 for diagnostic per recall, which I don’t understand that if it’s not our fault then they should cover the diagnostic and the recall. We’ve contacted them on several occasions about the situation with my brake lights being on after I turn my car off and they stay on until my battery is almost dead. They don’t want to fix the HECU I believe the electric short that Kia have been experiencing. This car is the worst car I’ve ever had. I’ve never had to experience anything close to what I’m experiencing with Kia. They are an absolute disgrace it’s almost like they’re trying to pocket diagnostic money for themselves because there’s no way I have to pay almost $500 for three recalls, that’s no fault of our own. If I had the money to get another car, I would. They told us that we can trade it in if we come with a higher down payment, but I’m not able to do that right now so I’m just trying to get my car fixed until I’m able to do so. Please help us get our car fixed and the recalls serviced because Andrew at Kia Country of Savannah sounds like he’s irritated because we’re trying to get down to the bottom of them getting

Large paint chips on hood and passenger door frame near windshield. Smaller paint chips along hood. Looks almost like an eggshell cracking and just started happening in the last couple of months.

The car started shaking, it slowed down and stopped and all the lights on the dashboard came on and there was a loud sound and I turned the car off. I called towing, got my car back and took it back to the dealership. At the dealership they checked the car and called the warranty company who sent an inspector... The Ethos group told me that there were some errors in the report and that they still couldn't give me information, after two weeks the dealership called me and told me the warranty denied the claim. The denial claim said it was the coolant hoses that caused the engine problem and overheating, but I bought the car from the dealership when it had 85,063 miles on it and it hadn't even passed the year when the engine blown off and the car had 100,381 miles and has regular maintenance at the dealer. Before any lights came on on the dashboard it started shaking and slowing down and all the lights were on... how can they said the car overheated but no light of warning?

We were driving our car and it all of a sudden just stopped working. We luckily were able to pull over before it stopped completely, no noise, jerk motion or anything the engine just stopped. We had it towed to a mechanic who said our engine blew. It only had 140,000 miles on it but the repair/replacement we were quoted would have cost us more than the vehicle was even worth so we ended up having the car junked.

My car died when I stopped. No warning lights, no warning whatsoever. I had to push my car out of traffic. I was able to start it again after a couple minutes but immediately a knocking sound started. I was encouraged to get an oil analysis by my mechanic friend in which it states my oil is fine and describes the metal found in the oil and where it likely came from.

2015 kia sorento 3.3 GDI engine out of know where the car stalled on a hwy engine now knocks loudly was told it has to be completley replaced no warning or anything kia is saying its going to be 11k to fix

The contact owned a 2015 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the vehicle was driven to a store, and when the vehicle was turned off, the contact saw smoke and fire coming from the hood. The contact went into the store to get a fire extinguisher and bystanders used their fire extinguishers and attempted to extinguish the fire. The Fire department extinguished the fire. There were no occupants in the vehicle. No injuries were sustained. The contact stated that all vehicles were moved away from the fire, however, one vehicle was not moved. The contact stated that the vehicle was not on fire and it was unknown if there was damage to the vehicle. There were no occupants in that vehicle. There was a fire department report filed. There was a police report filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The contact discovered the NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V331000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic), however, the contact was not notified that their VIN was included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 147,000.

See attached document for complaint

The contact owns a 2015 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed a popping sound coming from the steering column. The contact stated that the failure occurred while making a turn. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent at first but had become a persistent failure. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a fractured steering column. The contact was informed that the steering column needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. In addition, the contact stated that the independent mechanic had not provided a full diagnostic report. The contact was informed that the steering column needed to be disassembled to be able to provide a complete diagnostic report. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.

1. The engine seized and lost total power at 74,795 miles due to faulty rod bearings manufactured by KIA and due to metal shavings left within the engine compartments. Yes, I have the vehicle in my possession. It is stored at my apartment garage and it is available for inspection. 2. I was driving my vehicle on the highway prior to sudden engine seizure and loss of power. The check engine light appeared for the first time on [XXX]. I immediately took my vehicle to my mechanic (same day on [XXX]) where it seized and lost complete power on the road. It had to be pushed into the mechanic's garage by hand. Total loss of power of my vehicle could have resulted in a catastrophic accident and injuries to myself and others. I could have lost control of the vehicle and I could have been rear-ended or side-swiped at a high speed on the highway or the street. Additionally, my vehicle was recalled due to a faulty HECU/ABS Module, which could have resulted in engine fire and it was recalled due to increased theft risk because my vehicle was manufactured without an engine immobilizer. KIA did not notify me of any recalls nor did they notify me of their self-proclaimed and self-manufactured KSDS and "Product Improvement Campaign - P11802". KIA Corp (Irvine, CA) only provided a SAMPLE letter on 11.13.23. 3. Yes, the defect was confirmed by my mechanic, KIA Corp, and by the Grand KIA dealership in Thornton, Colorado. 4. Yes, the vehicle was inspected by the Grand KIA dealership in Thornton, C

THE PAINT IS BUBBLING AND BLISTERING ALONG WITH DELMINATION IN SOME AREA'S. I SEE THIS IS A KNOWN REOCCURRING ISSUE WITH THE SNOW WHITE PEARL PAINT ON MANY OTHER KIA'S AS WELL. MY CAR ONLY HAS 31,000 MILES ON IT AND HAS BEEN WELL TAKEN CARE OF WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THIS MANUFACTURER ISSUE. FIRST NOTICED A SMALL DELAMINATION ON THE A PILLAR IN 2019, NOW BLISTERS ARE NOTICED AND SPEADING OVER MANY PANELS OF THE VEHICLE

Coolant leak, due to stripped head bolts.

You forced kia into an extended warranty for an engine defect. They warranty 2016/17 models under WTY035 but it also happens to 2015 models. I'm hoping this can be extended.

HEAD GASKET BLOWING

The contact owns a 2015 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal knocking sound emanating from the engine compartment. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to the remedy for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V331000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); the VIN was included, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 68,000.

The 4 wheel drive and all wheel. During the first snow I went to use it because I live on the top of a large hill it I had no traction at all I was all over the road and had a terrible time getting out of the way of another car. My Husband had to tow me up the hill into the driveway. It had worked last winter and I had no warning it wasn't working. I took my car to the KIA dealership they confirmed it is the 4 wheel and all wheel drive and I could have it fixed for $2,262.15 and then they would guarantee the parts for the life of the car. Only inspected by the dealership. The warning light did not come on till after I tried to use it during the snow storm. I already know there is a service bulletin on this issue and don't think that it is fair I pay for there issue and they will guarantee it after.

Weak head bolt threads that are easily stripped and causes excessive leaks

Engine has seized. Mechanic at local automotive shop stated that the engine seizure is due to engine burning oil internally. Told me to call KIA because they were aware of this problem due to safety recall. I reported problem to KIA dealership but was told there was no safety recalls relating to my vehicle. Check engine light has been coming on sporadically since 2018 along with my vehicle randomly stalling while idling in traffic. KIA was made aware of these problems and did a diagnostic, stating that the light wasn't on during inspection. And there was no reason for stalling. Also reported smell of chemical and fumes several times but nothing was found. When my vehicle reached 100k miles I was told by KIA dealer that it is normal for the check engine light to stay on due to wear and tear/high mileage. Engine seized while driving.

While driving home from picking my children up, engine started making a knocking noise. No warning lights or indicators were illuminated. Engine stalled while pulling down my driveway. Took it in for a Diagnosis. Metal flakes have been found in the oil. 3.3L Lambda two engine reliability is already being questioned.

I was on the highway with my family, when we started to smell smoke,and the car began to slow down I proceeded to get off the highway to pull over to the side the of the road oil light came on and some more signal came on .so my son told me to open the hood it was dark so I could not find the latch so he bent his head down and that’s when he seen fire he told everyone to get out the car.!,,,and we got away from the car that’s when the whole car blew up.very dramatic night in which I had my grand babies,the fire fighter believes it was electric all,my insurance I missed my payment day..so I had no insurance and I have no car.

Steering column separated while on cruise control at 70mph

•The engine of my 2015 Kia Sorento experienced a catastrophic failure, leading to a loss of power and abnormal sounds while driving. It is available for inspection upon request. •The sudden failure of the engine posed a significant safety risk to both me and others on the road. Without any warning lamps or messages, this malfunction could have led to a complete loss of control over the vehicle, endangering lives, particularly if I had been driving at high speeds on the highway. •Yes, the issue has been confirmed by the Courtesy Kia service center in Messa, where the vehicle was inspected and diagnosed with a crashed engine requiring replacement. •While the vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, it has undergone evaluation by the authorized dealer service center, Courtesy Kia in Messa. They told me that they have contacted manufacturer and that they declined any support because I am second owner and therefore their engine warranty only covers 60000 miles. •No warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms were present prior to the engine failure. Despite diligently maintaining the vehicle and conducting regular services, there were no indications of any issues until the sudden loss of power and abnormal sounds occurred while driving. Even upon towing my car home and parking the vehicle at garage, no warning lights were illuminated, further highlighting the unexpected nature of the malfunction.

2015 Kia Sorento LX has large pieces of paint chipping off from the driver and passenger side pillars (between front and side windows). It started as a few small areas, but now when it rains large pieces of paint blow off and stick to the drivers side & passenger side window while I'm driving. I've seen many other Kia's with the same Snow White Pearl color which have the same area of paint chipped. Is this an issue which is covered by Kia since it is so common? I have a new spot starting to chip on the passenger side door (added to the attached pics). This started about a year ago with a few small chips, but the pieces that come off now are getting larger. We had a full week of rain last week and I can see many large areas which are ready to come off and will do so next time I drive, esp in the rain. If the hood starts chipping and large paint chips were to blow on my front window during the rain that could be a big issue.

On Sunday 2-4-2024, at ~2-3am, my daughter & her boyfriend were driving her 2015 Kia Sorento on I69 near Fishers IN (67 miles from their home) when the engine rod bearings failed. Driving at interstate speeds, they immediately pulled over to the shoulder. If traffic had been bad, this could have caused a deadly accident. This created an emergency roadside service issue. Fortunately, my daughter's boyfriend was with her to help her through this anxious & traumatic event. It took a couple hours (in freezing cold weather) for them to figure out what to do. They called us (her parents) at 5am for assistance. They eventually got a tow truck to tow the car back to our hometown's Kia dealer for service. On the next business day, the Kia Dealer diagnosed the problem as a blown rod bearing; the engine was locked up. Cost to repair will be ~$5900 plus a $589 towing charge. Quotes are included with this complaint. After some research, I discovered that faulty rod bearings is a HUGE problem on mid-2010's Sorento 2.4L engines. The internet is full of customer complaints on this. In addition, there is even a Theta II Class Action Lawsuit on this. The problem is THAT pervasive. I have contacted Kia Customer Service (Irvine, CA) and the Kia Theta II Customer Service group. They explained that because they obliged by conditions of the Theta II lawsuit, which, for them was two mailings to DMV registered owners in summer 2018 & summer 2019 requesting owners to install an ECU software upgrade (f

Paint stated flaking significantly at 79k miles. It has gotten out of control and we keep this garaged and hardly drive it. I have read other Kia owners dealing with the same issue. It's not normal wear and tear with the paint. It's large chunks of paint coming off.

I was told to submit a claim with you all by others facing the same issue with paint. I have had this car for nearly 3 years and am missing more and more paint every day. It’s missing on the hood as long as driver pillar. Kia told me there’s nothing they can do. I see Kia’s like mine all the time with the same issue.

Paint flaking in large pieces off the car around the windscreen and roof.

Low beams have completely gone out and will not work. High beams and all other lights work fine. Car Burns oil regularly. 2 quarts every 2 weeks is required now ro operate the car. I have only had the car since 2020.

Car shut down driving down the road and spun a bearing.

My suv has paint that is peeling off of the suv that is not due to damage or something external to the paints surface. The color is pearl white and has been documented by many owners of cars Kia's with the pearl white paint color. The location on the passenger side a pillar is also a common starting point for this paint issue.

Rear brake lights stay on while car is running. Go off when car shut off

Manufacturer failed to honor repair of seriously damaged engine due to a faulty distribution in oil causing a major engine failure. KIA USA Manufacturer is currently under massive lawsuits due to this issue and which involved the model we purchased. Vehicle has very low mileage of 85085 and should be covered under the manufacturer's warranty of 100,000 miles. Manufacturer claims they declined our claim because we failed to attend to a massive genetic form mailed to all owners in 2018. As a consumer we are simply asking they honor the warranty and replace and/or fully repair the damaged engine in our family SUV.

Check engine light started coming on at about 39,000. miles took to local mechanic who preformed lots of repairs and called Kia for information concerning engine issue. Received notice of recall from Kia on the HECU -instructing me to park truck away from home due to fire. Check engine light back on again at 41,000 miles, took to dealership where they replaced the HECU and fuel pump and fuel lines. Picked up truck and noticed when braking the truck shook all over and seem to almost stall when taking off. Check engine was back on and the alert of the system telling me I had an engine failure. Took truck back next day, again repairs of the PVB valve was done. Someone drove the truck of 180 miles on a check engine light and unplugged the battery. Got truck back and within 10 minutes the check engine light was back on and the system telling me engine failure and truck was unsafe to drive. Truck now at another Kia dealership, after many conversation with Kia the representative instructed me to tell the dealership where the truck was that the truck had a recall (supposedly) fixed. Called the dealership now tells me there is no fix for the HECU issue and they can not tell me the truck is safe to drive. I have not had the truck for now 4 months and Kia doesn't know how to fix it. I have filed 4 cases against Kia, they have not offered me a rental car or loaner and they do not have any expected date for me to get the truck back. I have files but it won't let me upload them for the rec

Paint on ridge above driver side window began delaminating and completely eroded over a day. This happened while the car was parked without any rain or other impact.

After review by local body shops, the paint/primer on the body of our Kia has been flaking off. This is s known issue by Kia for multiple years with multiple examples of various Kia vehicles with various color types. This is a concern as over time the raw metal will deteriorate, rust and cause further structural issues. The problem has been reviewed both by the manufacturer as well as multiple independent body shops as mentioned above. There were no warnings on the vehicle. The paint started to show cracks and then continuously started to chip and flake off the vehicle which is continues to do today.

Rear Coupler parts. Yes it is available for inspection on request. My safety was put at risk, #1 the rear wheels lock when turning, and makes a horrendous noise whilst turning. I live in a snowy state so this is very dangerous to have wheels lock up and have tires shredded. This is my third set of wheels as we just figured out the issue (coupler) this could cause accidents and hurt/injure/cause serious bodily harm to others. I have tried reaching out to the dealership but they said it is out of warranty and the dealership gave an outrageous quote. They have not inspected it but it has been reported to them. The vehicle has been inspected by a mechanic and confirmed it is the coupler, while steering and shredding the tires. There were no lights or warning signals, it just happened while turning.

Turned the steering wheel to the right, and the airbag warning light came on. It’s a safety issue that needs to be addressed. If I’m ever in an accident will it deploy? This is ridiculous. Waiting to get an appointment with the dealership.

Car suddenly had a knocking sound, check engine light came on and as I was driving, the car loss power suddenly died and woudn't start back up. Mechanic diagnosed that head bolts came loose and damaged engine. Has been at mechanic since 11/27 with the engine being rebuilt. Aprox cost at $7,600.

While on the freeway, the engine started making a loud knocking sound and the car was losing power. No check engine light or other warning lights were illuminated. I exited, parked and later towed the car back to the Kia dealership and they said I needed a block (engine) replacement at a cost of over $10,000. I have performed all routine maintenance on this car at the dealership, so this is unacceptable. Luckily I was able to exit the freeway and was not in an accident because of this failure. My car had approximately 109,000 miles on it.

Sudden engine failure. Upon inspecting the vehicle Kia mechanic concluded engine failure is due to rod bearing wear, which isn't part of the engine failure recall. Thus customer is responsible for all expense in full.