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2017 Kia Sorento complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2017 record →

Interior Lighting
Filed Aug 26, 2024104,082 milesPA

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the interior lights and headlights turned off and turned back on without driver's input. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 104,082.

Steering
Filed Aug 24, 2024RI

The power steering system has randomly gone out. This occurs at random times when I’m driving. Once I was backing out of somewhere and the power steering light came in, while I was in the middle of the street blocking both sides. I had to turn my car off and restart it. I am put at risk because of my inability to turn at random times. This puts others at risk too when I can’t turn/ move my steering wheel properly. I’ve been desperately trying to get my car looked at but I keep getting the run around that they can’t check what the codes are on the car because the lights on the dash turn on and off. There were no warning signs. The car is managed well and kept up with. This started randomly when driving and turning into a parking lot, causing me to almost hit cars and large rocks. The car has been fine until now.

Fuel System, Gasoline
Filed Aug 23, 202485,000 milesCA

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal gasoline odor permeating through the interior of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who observed a crack in the low-pressure fuel pump. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: 064. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 85,000.

Steering
Filed Aug 21, 2024CO

Steering motor and controller failed at 53000 km . The steering light and traction control came on and no power assist to the steering in any way . It requires considerable force to turn the steering wheel. Took it to a certified KIA dealer and was told the steering motor and controller needs to be replaced. KIA CANADA refused to fix this issue insisting that the warranty is for 5years or 100,000 km.(bought brand new ,single owner) I do understand the business part and I will take my business elsewhere in the future. Consumers should be aware that such a critical part of their vehicle can fail with no warnings whatsoever. Imagine driving on the highway and your steering fails....

Exterior Lighting
Filed Aug 17, 2024MO

I was driving down the highway at night and out of nowhere my head lights turn off. Leaving me and my daughter driving blind going 60 mph. Prior to that on the same night, I picked her up from work I was turning out of the parking lot where she works and the same thing happened but very quickly corrected itself. The area was lit up so it wasn't as noticeable. This is a very dangerous problem.

Engine
Filed Aug 13, 2024111,000 milesIN

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact heard a loud knocking sound coming from the engine. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 111,000.

Exterior Lighting
Filed Aug 13, 2024WA

My 2017 Sorento has been having issues with the headlights for the past 6 months. I keep them on auto mode and half of the time they don't turn on until I click them to "on" and switch them back to auto. There have also been a handful of times where my headlights turn off while driving. This is absolutely unacceptable and extremely unsafe. This needs to become a recall before someone is seriously injured, or dies.

Engine
Filed Aug 9, 2024CA

Car turned off when making a full and complete stop. Would burn oil faster than usual. Car does not stay on.

Unknown or Other
Filed Aug 6, 2024TX

The component failure appears to be a latent defect in the painting process. The color is Snow White Pearl. It is bubbling up and delaminating in two places. It was first noticed at about 6 months and about 6000 miles after purchase. The dealer was contacted, and they said they had never heard of any paint problems on my type of vehicle. This was unbelievable because of the numerous complaints i have read about. They offered no other information other than to contact KIA customer-care, which I did. KIA customer care said there is nothing they can do because it is out of warranty, but they will report the issue to KIA corporate. Lots of Complaints on the internet, and a class action suit in CA. The case is US District Court for the Central District of California Case number 8:16-CV-00593-BRO-PJW. Hopeful that you will hold KIA accountable.

Engine
Filed Aug 5, 2024KS

Cylinder #1 exhaust valve burnt

Exterior Lighting › Headlights
Filed Aug 5, 202496,000 milesIA

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH at night, the headlights briefly became inoperable. After several attempts at turning the switch off and on, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 96,000.

Engine
Filed Aug 4, 2024MA

We were driving on the highway and the engine started to shudder and the check engine light came on. We pulled off and had the car towed to a Kia dealership. Their report indicated that cylinder #3 had a burnt valve caused by excessive heat and there was scoring on the cylinder wall. They deemed it a total engine failure and quoted us a new engine for $9800!!!

Exterior Lighting
Filed Aug 4, 2024CA

Driving 70mph, driving lights completely shut off. I was going straight with a car in the distance nobody behind. If my wife and kids were driving that would have been scary.

Exterior Lighting
Filed Aug 4, 2024TN

The headlight setting randomly changes from “Auto” to “Off” without any operator input. This happens roughly every fourth drive.

Engine and Engine Cooling
Filed Aug 2, 202497,150 milesIL

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while pulling out of a parking lot, at an unknown speed, the oil warning light illuminated. The contact was informed by her brother that there was no oil in the vehicle. The contact stated that oil was added to the vehicle. The oil and engine coolant system had been detected, and a full system check message was displayed on the navigation system. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was determined that an oil consumption test was needed and to drive the vehicle for 1,000 miles, repeat the process, and then perform a leak-down test. The vehicle was not repaired. The mechanic informed the contact that there were too many fault codes, and the vehicle was not drivable. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 97,150.

Exterior Lighting › Headlights
Filed Jul 23, 202468,000 milesVA

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, an audible message indicated that there was engine failure, and the infotainment screen displayed the option to send an engine failure report. The vehicle then shuddered and made an abnormal sound. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle, but the abnormal sound persisted. The vehicle was shaking, and the contact detected an abnormal odor inside the vehicle. The contact parked and turned off the vehicle. Additionally, the headlights failed to illuminate while driving at night. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with multiple cylinders misfire. The dealer determined that the spark plugs and headlights needed to be replaced, as well as an induction cleaning and oil change. The dealer replaced the spark plugs and headlights but discovered that the fuel pump was leaking fuel into the engine. The contact was informed that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The contact declined to have the induction cleaning, the oil changed, or the fuel pump replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V907000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) and Technical Service Bulletin: 073 (Ball Joint Replacement); however, the VIN was not included in the recall and the vehicle was not covered under the TSB. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.

Exterior Lighting
Filed Jul 22, 2024IL

The lights go off on their own while driving. The lights go on on their own while parked and off.

Unknown or Other
Filed Jul 20, 2024PA

I am writing to formally lodge a complaint regarding a significant issue with the paint on my 2017 Kia Sorento. The vehicle, which is painted in Snow White Pearl, has been experiencing rapid and extensive paint peeling, a condition referred to by body shops as “delamination.” The paint began peeling in small areas however, the peeling has rapidly progressed, affecting larger sections of the vehicle. This issue is not only unsightly but also raises concerns about the potential for rust and other damage to the vehicle’s body. I have taken the following steps to address this issue: 1. Documented the progression of the paint peeling with photographs, including dates and mileage. 2. Consulted with multiple body shops, all of which have confirmed that the issue is delamination and have provided estimates for repair. 3. Contacted my local Kia dealership, which informed me that the vehicle’s paint warranty had expired and offered no assistance. Given the widespread nature of this issue among Kia Sorento owners, particularly those with the Snow White Pearl paint, I believe this is a manufacturing defect that warrants investigation. I urge the NHTSA to look into this matter and consider initiating a recall to address the paint delamination problem.

Service Brakes
Filed Jul 20, 2024FL

The speed sensor that works with traction control /stability and abs has malfunctioned twice and has had to be replaced and 2 seperate occasions. The first time was when it only had 22,000 miles on it so that leads me to believe it is a malfunctioning part. Our abs and traction control do not operate properly and is ridiculously expensive to fix. Both lights are on.

Steering
Filed Jul 18, 2024CA

The steering wheel/ column gets stuck like sticky as other call it, other owners have the problem my car is new 2017 Kia sorento just with 69k miles on it and turning the wheel gets hard where the point I put force I over turn and my car turns to much close to hitting other cars I don’t drive it because the wheel/column sticks to much and it gets worse and worse when I drive it Time to time it needs to become a recall because other sorento owners are having the problem

Engine
Filed Jul 10, 2024AL

Bought car from Bill bird kia in panama city Florida with 38k miles and at 41k miles we went for oil change the oil was extremely low and from that day we have kept record of every oil change 1k miles into every oil change the oil is gone and was told kia won't reach engine until the engine blows up so with 115k miles on it kia diagnosed our engine with cylinder #1 low compression due to lack of oil and it was not time for a oil change.. kia has refused to replace the engine. So I have had to spend 4950.00 on a remanufactured engine plus paying 2000.00 for labor

Engine
Filed Jul 8, 2024WA

My Kia has been burning oil for about a year. My local Kia dealership was unable to verify if I had a warranty since I didn’t purchase it from them. I had to start going to Jiffy Lube for my oil changes since they offer free top off service because I was spending $15 every week to add oil to my engine. Currently, my engine light is constantly illuminating even with oil, change, maintenance and top offs.

Unknown or Other
Filed Jun 29, 2024CO

I have a 2017 Kia Sorento and I have been having problems with the turbo, in the 7 years I have had it they have replaced the turbo twice and now this would be the third time. Every job done has been at the Kia agency I bought it which means this is definitely a manufactured problem. At the dealership the three times I have taken it they have told me the turbo fell off and it damaged other things, including the engine. My safety was at risk because my car broke down in the middle of driving it started to slow down and would not go up hills which could have caused an accident. The problem has been confirmed with the dealership service center all 3 times and they offered to replace it at no cost the first two times and now they are requesting I pay for it. The vehicle has not been inspected by the police or insurance, all 3 times I have taken it for service has been at the Kia dealership where I bought it from. There was no warnings no lights nothing, it just started doing a weird sound like it was being forced too much and it started slowing down.

Engine
Filed Jun 27, 2024PA

The component That failed. Was the engine the engine blew at 120ish thousand miles. The problem has been taken to a dealer as well as an independent service station. Both confirmed that the engine blew because one of the Pistons exploded. Both confirmed that there is no reason for this. Other than it seems the oil thing did not ever tell anyone that the oil was running. There was no warning. No systems that came up nothing. We were driving and it lost power. I have spoken to Kia. I have spoken to the dealership I bought it from. Both have confirmed that Kia is known to have these issues with their engine but they are not doing a recall because it would be too expensive. When I spoke to Kia they told me that because my Kia specifically wasn't in the engine recall, I was out of luck. I still have it and they are welcome to inspect it. I have been holding out Hope that there is a recall because I spent my livelihood on this to give my kids a car. I had it for 2 years. It was maintained like a baby but because it's over 120,000 MI they will not do anything. I do have some paperwork I can send later if you'd like? It will take a bit to pull it out

Unknown or OtherFire
Filed Jun 26, 2024MN

12/30/23 our home burned down, and our children were almost killed by a fire. It started from my KIA Sorento, starting on fire at random. Several hours after it was parked in our garage. Looking at security camera it started in rear of vehicle. Upon further investigation finding out that we were was supposed to have been sent a notice warning us of the recall for the trailer hitch. Never received notice. I have been the only owner of that vehicle. In dec of 2023 our local dealership (where I purchased) called and inform me know of the recall. To date no resolution has been made.

Exterior Lighting
Filed Jun 19, 2024SC

While driving after dark with the auto lights engaged, my headlights suddenly turned off. When I turned the knob on the light switch they came back on and I continued to drive. A short while down the road this happened again. At this point I turned the auto lights off and just ran them in manual on mode. No further incident with them in manual. This has now happened on several occasions.

Engine
Filed Jun 19, 2024PA

Engine seized

Unknown or Other
Filed Jun 17, 2024FL

The paint I'd peeling off the hood.

Exterior Lighting
Filed Jun 10, 2024CA

1) The headlights will turn off while driving when the headlight switch is "automatic." 2) The headlights and taillights will illuminate after leaving and locking the vehicle leading to a completely drained battery.

Engine and Engine Cooling
Filed Jun 7, 20247,000 milesNE

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of oil. The contact was adding oil after driving two hundred miles. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who performed two engine flushes and an oil change. The contact called the local dealer and was informed about an engine replacement after the engine had seized; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact called another local dealer Edwards Kia (3134 S 9th St., Council Bluffs, IA 51501), but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 7,000.

Engine
Filed Jun 7, 2024FL

No oil with no idication and no warning light. Extremely rough idling stalling possible complete engine failure.

Engine
Filed Jun 2, 2024NE

I have owned this KIA for 2 years and put 7000 miles on it. It has excessive oil consumption, currently using 1.5qt of oil every 200 miles. I have had 2 engine flushes and switched to Mobil 1 synthetic oil. KIA dealerships as well as KIA CORP have told me they will do nothing until the engine seizes and then it may or may not be repaired. I am the parent of 5 adopted special needs medically fragile children who should this vehicle seize and catch fire would perish in a burning vehicle. The dealership has told me to "drive it like I stole it and let it blow" I tried to trade out of vehicle and the dealerships call it a "COVID CAR" when the could charge excessive prices for used cars. I owe $21k on the vehicle. Owned 2 years and put 7000 miles on it and they will give me $8k for a trade. NOBODY wants it. I rely on transportation to get my medically fragile children safely to doctors and hospitals. I have all service records since I have had the car but no records from previous owner. Please tell me if there is a way you can help me. [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Engine
Filed May 31, 2024NJ

Engine Knocking, all spark plugs cracked, burning excessive oil. Very dangerous for myself, passengers, and all on the road. In Feb 2023 was on NY interstate when vehicle shacked violently and I started losing control. Luckly, I was able to bring the vehicle safely to the side of the road and wait for it to be towed to Kia dealership. This problem was confirmed and reproduced by the Kia Kingston NY dealership. They just said it was the spark plugs and everything was ok. It was inspected by dealership. They said no major engine issues, but the car keeps getting worse. Now it's having an engine failure code of values misfiring. It's nowhere to be safe to drive now. No warning lights when engine knocking happend and lost control of vehicle in Feb 2023. Oil light turned on due to excessive burn just a few days after an oil change. Check engine light turned on for values misfiring.

Air BagsCrash3 injured
Filed May 28, 202494,000 milesWA

The contact owned a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 20 MPH, another vehicle t-boned into the driver’s side between the front and rear drivers' side doors. The contact mentioned that the other driver failed to stop at the red light which caused the collision. The air bags in the vehicle failed to deploy correctly. The contact sustained knee, back, and shoulder injuries. The contact's wife sustained a concussion and the daughter sustained bruises on the shoulders caused by the seat belt. Medical attention was required. The vehicle was towed and deemed destroyed. A police report was filed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 94,000.

Engine
Filed May 28, 2024ND

Driving down interstate with cruise control at 75 mph. Car suddenly started decelerating, causing a hazard attempting to get to the shoulder.

Steering
Filed May 16, 2024132,000 milesKS

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel momentarily became stuck while turning or attempting to switch lanes. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the steering column was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 132,000.

Unknown or Other
Filed May 14, 2024MO

This is a 2017 vehicle, and the paint is peeling off of various areas of the vehicle.

Steering
Filed May 13, 2024LA

The steering wheel sticks and has to be forced out of the stuck position. Not a safe situation if it gets worse. If it sticks for good I could be driving into the ditch or into the path of an oncoming car. I hear the steering column has to be replaced. It has been doing his for the last year.

Engine
Filed May 2, 2024100,000 milesTX

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while his son was driving 70 MPH, the vehicle stalled, lost motive power, and failed to exceed 40 MPH. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

Engine
Filed Apr 28, 2024VA

Vehicle has excessive oil usage which made a carbon build up and the engine blew. I was told by my Kia dealer when I first started burning oil that this is a known problem and my engine would eventually blow a piston and not work. Unfortunately this happened. Knowing this was a problem Kia is aware of and not fixing is wrong.

Engine
Filed Apr 27, 2024GA

Car has had zero problems. Started hearing a strange noise when accelerating, took to dealership they said engine was burning oil and oil was low (no indicator lights). They determineed the engine was failing and needed to be replaced. They told me this was a common occurrence with the 3.3L v6 associated with my model year. They agreed to replace the engine at their cost after a lengthy back and forth. I serviced the car regularly at Kia. They determined it was no fault of my own. Drove the car home and a few additional times. The engine blew up, smoking with no indicator lights. I had to pull over off the side of the road. It could have been a dangerous situation. It has been over a month and the engine has not been replaced yet due to limited inventory and difficulty obtaining a replacement engine by the dealership. The car was towed to the dealership after the engine blew up and it is still sitting at the dealership.

Engine
Filed Apr 17, 2024MD

Vehicle drastic stalling problem. It would often stall and dramatically reduce speed. Experienced 3 times driving on highway reduced fro 60mph to 20mph without breaking and engine light come on while vehicle has heavy shaking and consistent stalling. First time I was told it was knock sensor and got it replaced. Second time I was told it was coil and spark plug and had it replaced. Third time same thing as second time I was told coil/oil consumption burning issue and to get it checked at dealer. Dealer said cylinder failed compression test and need new engine. Vehicle only 94550 miles. I have always felt the vehicle stalling and I thought it was normal since I have mentioned to dealer service on occasion if it is normal to require oil change before the recommended oil change date/millage on the dash. The answer I got was it's just an estimate and it's normal. Recently I have been searching online and there are forums with complaint from other 2017 kia Sorento owners of similar issues. There seem to have been class action settlement on 3.5 Lt engine Sorento about consumption issue. My concern is if this is a difect, I dont want to risk driving on a highway and I have sudden reduction in speed without breaking indication for other drivers to react. Fortunately I work at night and it was not much vehicles on the road. Vehicle is currently at the dealer debating warranty coverage and testing for cause. I will upload the repairs and findings when complete. God forbids I get new en

Engine
Filed Apr 12, 2024PA

While driving my 2017 Kia Sorento, my car suddenly started making very loud clanging noises out of nowhere. The car then completely shut down in the middle of the highway. Thankfully, I was able to coast off to the side of the road. I tried to restart the car, but it would not start. After having the car towed to my mechanic, he informed me that there was absolutely NO OIL in the car. It was completely empty. No warning lights ever came on to tell me there was an issue. I maintain my car with oil changes regularly. I have all documentation to prove it. There is absolutely no reason for there to have been no oil in the car. As a result, my engine is now destroyed. My mechanic told me it needed a new engine, and after having it towed again at my own expense to a KIA dealer, they told me the same thing. They informed me that my car doesn't fall under any warranties and I would need to pay for a new engine. My car only has 119,000 miles on it, and it isn't even paid off yet! I am the only owner of this car and take good care of it. When I contacted KIA customer service, they were of absolutely no help and they also told me I was financially responsible for a new engine. After doing research, I have found that 2017 Kia Sorento owners have reported the same exact issue of no oil being in the car, with no warning lights coming on, to the NHTSA. And their engines were also destroyed as a result. There is an extended warranty on the Oil safety switch for my vehicle. I brought that up

Steering
Filed Apr 11, 2024DC

Steering wheel has a sticky feeling, especially on the highway traveling at faster speeds. The wheel gets stuck in certain positions and then over exerts when you turn the wheel back. Overall, the steering wheel feels unstable.

Engine
Filed Apr 10, 202468,000 milesCA

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed with his family inside the vehicle, the battery light and check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated the vehicle stalled and failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed as engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000. The VIN was not available.

Seat Belts
Filed Apr 10, 2024FL

Werner KIA sold pre-owned vehicle with driver side seatbelt defect, very loose. It was acknowledged by dealer, on paperwork, stated they repaired/replaced it, only to see it was NOT repaired/replaced due to cost. To date, seatbelt still loose, may not work in crash situation. Werner KIA 2755 W. Tennessee St. Tall, FL.

Engine
Filed Apr 9, 2024NC

Smell of oil burning on exhaust manifold. Inspected by dealer service and found oil leaks at head gasket at rear cylinder bank. Dealer service instructed me not to drive vehicle any further and provided a loaner vehicle. Continued driving with oil leak could have resulted in engine fire. Vehicle is not drivable at present and is at dealer awaiting repairs. I am in possession of a letter from Kia to owners of these vehicles that the head gaskets are a known issue and Kia has extended the warranty on this engine.

Engine
Filed Apr 4, 2024AL

I purchased 2017 Kia Sorento in 2020. I have to put 2 quarts of oil in it once a week. I noticed it around 2022. I get the oil changed on the regular. The engine is starting to rattle, and my oil light does not indicate when the oil is low. So, I have to check it constantly. The under-carriage rattles excessively. I've taken the suv to dealership and they are telling me that they cannot find anything wrong with it. I am at a loss. Plus, I am still paying a note on the suv.

Engine
Filed Apr 1, 2024CA

The knock sensor/glow circuit relay failed The car stopped accelerating on the freeway with me and my family in the car. The car was serviced at a Kia dealership and they confirmed that it was the knock sensor which is on recall just not for my cars year. There was no symptoms or warning signs or problems prior to the failure. It happened on the spot.

Engine
Filed Mar 29, 2024LA

I purchased a 2017 kia sorento in 2017. Moved to mississippi in 2018. Never received a recall notice on the engine of my car. Engine blew last month for the exact reason of the recall. Mechanic had to inform me of the recall. Kia is not honoring the recall or the warranty. They are wanting to charge me for any work.

Reading these

NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

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