Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||||
| TSB-083 | 08/01/2011 | 10041635 | Kia: for gdi high pressure fuel system, special service information and specifications are provided. *pe | 10/12/2011 | |
| SC-082 REV 3 | 09/01/2010 | 10034494 | Kia: intermediate shaft noise. provides information related to some vehicles with 2.4l engines and automatic transmissions. although some might not have a direct complaint related to a clunk or squealing noise from the intermediate shaft | 11/19/2010 | |
| PS-138 | 05/01/2010 | 10034237 | Kia: pitstop-no driveability complaints. some vehicles with 3.5l produced prior to 4/8/10 may set a p0300 dtc with no indication of engine roughness or mis-fire. during vehicle investigation and testing the crankshaft position sensor p/n | 10/27/2010 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL | |||||
| PS162 | 01/01/2011 | 10037695 | Ready | 06/03/2011 | |
| PS162 | 01/01/2011 | 10037695 | Kia motors: there may be evaporative system fault codes caused by spider webs around the air filter. *rm | 06/03/2011 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE | |||
| 11/03/2010 | 900 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia sorrento. the contact stated that while driving approximately 40 mph, the engine stalled without warning. upon restarting, the vehicle resumed normal operation. the failure occurred numerous times. in addition, the push start ignition failed to operate on four separate occasions. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer three times for both defects. the dealer was unable to locate the problem. the manufacturer was not notified of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 900. | |||
| 11/03/2010 | 900 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2011 kia sorrento. the contact stated that while driving approximately 40 mph, the engine stalled without warning. upon restarting, the vehicle resumed normal operation. the failure occurred numerous times. in addition, the push start ignition failed to operate on four separate occasions. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer three times for both defects. the dealer was unable to locate the problem. the manufacturer was not notified of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 900. mah | |||
| 11/01/2012 | 34000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2011 kia sorento. the contact stated that while driving approximately 50 mph, all of the instrument panel lights illuminated as the vehicle stalled. the contact also stated that there was a sudden loss of engine power. there was a sudden increase in engine rpms and the vehicle failed to shift gears while the contact was traveling 15 mph. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technician was unable to diagnose the failure. the vehicle was taken to the dealer on five separate occasions. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 34,000 and the current mileage was 38,000. kmj | |||
| 11/01/2012 | 34000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2011 kia sorento. the contact stated that while driving approximately 50 mph, all the instrument panel lights illuminated and the vehicle stalled. the contact also stated that there was a sudden loss of engine power. the contact mentioned that there was a sudden increase in rpm and the vehicle failed to shift gears while traveling 15 mph. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technician was unable to diagnose the failure. the vehicle was taken to the dealer on five separate occasions. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 34,000 and the current mileage was 38,000. dr | |||
| 03/21/2012 | 40000 | ||
| While driving (usually steady state speed on highway - with or without cruise control engaged) car experiences a sudden loss of engine power accompanied by a jolt (as if brakes had been abruptly and briefly engaged, or as if fuel supply suddenly shut off), tachometer dips suddenly, car suddenly decelerates for a second or two, and then things return to normal. sometimes an indicator light - or more than one- flashes momentarily at the time of the incident,these include the engine light, the traction control light, and/or the key immobilizer light - sometimes no indicator light flashes at all. this has also happened while accelerating away from a dead stop - sudden loss of forward momentum w/ a jolt. i am afraid i will get rear-ended as the car suddenly slows but brake lights are not illuminated, and a car following too closely will not be able to react in time. if cruise control is engaged at time of incident it becomes disengaged and has to be reset. this sometimes will not occur in an hour of driving, but sometimes will occur as often as 10 times in a 20 mile drive with no discernible pattern. this has happened many times and grown more frequent over time. the first time it occurred was in a rain storm and i suspected the esc was sensing slippage and firing the brakes, however it happens regardless of weather or road surface and now happens every time i drive for more than a few miles on freeway. the car has been evaulated by kia service more than three times and problem is not resolved - battery and abs module were replaced without success. concern is of safety of vehicle and other vehicles following behind me. | |||
| 12/05/2011 | 14000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia sorento. the contact was driving 70 mph when the vehicle stalled without warning. the contact had to exit and push the vehicle to the shoulder. the contact towed the vehicle to a dealer. the dealer advised the contact that a sensor failed and would need replacing. the dealer replaced the sensor however, the failure persisted after the repairs. in addition, the vehicle failed to start. the contact took the vehicle back to the dealer where the dealer advised the contact that a safety switch was the cause of the failure. the vehicle was repaired a second but to no avail. the failure mileage was 14,000. | |||
| 12/05/2011 | 14000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2011 kia sorento. the contact was driving 70 mph when the vehicle stalled without warning. the contact had to exit and push the vehicle to the shoulder. the contact towed the vehicle to a dealer. the dealer advised the contact that a sensor failed and would need replacing. the dealer replaced the sensor however, the failure persisted after the repairs. in addition, the vehicle failed to start. the contact took the vehicle back to the dealer where the dealer advised the contact that a safety switch was the cause of the failure. the vehicle was repaired a second but to no avail. the failure mileage was 14,000. kmj | |||
| 12/05/2011 | 14000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2011 kia sorento. while driving the vehicle 70 mph the vehicle stalled. the contact had to get out of the vehicle on the interstate and push the vehicle to the side of the road. the contact towed the vehicle to a dealer. the dealer stated a sensor was the cause of the vehicle stalling so the dealer replaced the sensor. after the sensor was repaired the vehicle continued to stall and and not start. the contact took the vehicle back to the dealer and the dealer stated a safety switch was the cause of the stalling and not starting. after the repair the vehicle continued to stall. the failure mileage was 14,000. jo | |||
| 11/12/2012 | 23000 | 1 | |
| Put key in ignition, all lights on dash came on as normal, radio came on as normal, engine did nothing, made no sound whatsoever. after several attempts to crank vehicle eventually started. after the 3rd time this happening i took it to all star kia of baton rouge (the only kia dealership in the baton rouge area, which is approximately 45 minutes on a good day from my home). vehicle was there only 30 minutes when i was told it was my battery, which i knew was incorrect because everyone knows a dead battery would not have allowed my radio and all the electrical components to come on, but i allowed the to give me a new battery without question. one week later the same exact problem. this time i had it towed to the dealership because i could not get it started and quite frankly am tired of wasting my time and gas money on the same issue. this time they said it was the fuse block, said all kinds of other garbage that did not make sense to the average intelligent person. did not have the car back 2 days and the same thing, wont start. i have called the dealership and will have it towed monday again. do not expect it to be fixed, the mechanics at this dealership do not seem to know anything about vehicles or what makes them crank, run, and go. *tr | |||
| 11/12/2012 | 23000 | ||
| Put key in ignition, all lights on dash came on as normal, radio came on as normal, engine did nothing, made no sound whatsoever. after several attempts to crank vehicle eventually started. after the 3rd time this happening i took it to all star kia of baton rouge (the only kia dealership in the baton rouge area, which is approximately 45 minutes on a good day from my home). vehicle was there only 30 minutes when i was told it was my battery, which i knew was incorrect because everyone knows a dead battery would not have allowed my radio and all the electrical components to come on, but i allowed the to give me a new battery without question. one week later the same exact problem. this time i had it towed to the dealership because i could not get it started and quite frankly am tired of wasting my time and gas money on the same issue. this time they said it was the fuse block, said all kinds of other garabage that did not make sense to the average intelligent person. did not have the car back 2 days and the same thing, wont start. i have called the dealership and will have it towed monday again. do not expect it to be fixed, the mechanics at this dealership do not seem to know anything about vehicles or what makes them crank, run, and go. | |||
| 10/31/2010 | 10 | ||
| Tl - the contact owns a 2011 kia sorento. the contact stated that while driving 10 mph the vehicle stalled without warning. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who was unable to diagnose the failure but replaced the alternator as a temporary remedy. the remedy failed to repair the failure. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who advised the contact that they would follow up with the dealer. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 10 and the current mileage was 47,000. kmj | |||
| 09/19/2012 | 21439 | 1 | |
| The incline control light & the traction control light came on for no reason. i was parking my vehicle on a flat surface and when these lights were on i was unable to put the car in park or reverse. i had to put the vehicle in neutral and shut off the vehicle with my foot on the brake. i then had to restart the vehicle, the control and traction lights were not on and i was able to put the vehicle in park. i went directly to the dealership that i made the purchase from and was told that this is a known defect in the brake line where there is a short in the line that causes the computer to think the break is not pressed down enough, therefore confusing the computer into thinking it should apply the incline and traction control and prevents the vehicle from being put in reverse or park. i was told that by turning the vehicle off while in neutral like i did will sometimes reset the computer. i was told there is also a little box that has a very small slit in it and if i could find something to fit into it that would go down about 6 inches, that would also reset it. however, they were not aware of what one would use to do that with. i was told there was no need to fix this very common problem. i asked if this would eventually mess up the drive shaft, computer system, or transmission and was assured it would not. *tr | |||
| 09/19/2012 | 21439 | ||
| The incline control light & the traction control light came on for no reason. i was parking my vehicle on a flat surface and when these lights were on i was unable to put the car in park or reverse. i had to put the vehicle in nuetral and shut off the vehicle with my foot on the break. i then had to restart the vehicle, the control and traction lights were not on and i was able to put the vehicle in park. i went directly to the dealership that i made the purchase from and was told that this is a known defect in the brake line where there is a short in the line that causes the computer to think the break is not pressed down enough, therefore confusing the computer into thinking it should apply the incline and traction control and prevents the vehicle from being put in reverse or park. i was told that by turning the vechicle off while in neutral like i did will sometimes reset the computer. i was told there is also a little box that has a very small slit in it and if i could find something to fit into it that would go down about 6 inches, that would also reset it. however, they were not aware of what one would use to do that with. i was told there was no need to fix this very common problem. i asked if this would eventually mess up the drive shaft, computer system, or transmission and was assured it would not. | |||
| 08/31/2010 | 75 | 1 | |
| When acceleration from a stop or slow speed the engine will occasionally bog down or hesitate and almost die. very dangerous when attempting to pull out in traffic esp onto a highway from a side street. *tr | |||
| 08/31/2010 | 75 | ||
| When acceleration from a stop or slow speed the engine will occasionally bog down or hesitate and almost die. very dangerous when attempting to pull out in traffic esp onto a highway from a side street. | |||
| 08/19/2012 | 48000 | 1 | |
| On 9/19/2012 at 12:17 pm i took a frantic call from my wife. she had just stopped to fill up with gas, got back on the interstate and set the cruise control at around 75 mph. shortly afterwards the front end started shaking and the vehicle started to lose speed. she shut off the cruise and was looking for a place to pull over when the vehicle started to accelerate on its own. it was already going over 80 mph when she called. i told her to stand on the brakes-no effect. i told her to put her foot on the brake and to push and hold the start button for 10 seconds-nothing (that is the override to get the car started when the brake switch malfunctions-we had just had it replaced at the dealership 2 weeks prior). i told her to shift it into neutral-the shifter is locked in drive. i told her to shift to a lower gear-it won't move. after 4 minutes the car was going over 85 mph-i told her to hang up & call 911 as she could tell them where she was much better than i could. a few minutes later i received a call from the highway patrol-they had 2 cruisers on the interstate with her trying to clear traffic ahead of her. i asked if they could get a cruiser ahead of her and let her nose up behind it and then use the cruiser to stop her. evidently they didn't like that idea or it is against policy because they never did try that. the dispatcher had to hang up to concentrate on the situation at hand. i now had the dispatcher's number so i could call her back. at one point i called back and suggested that she engage the cruise control and try to slow the car with it. my wife does not remember ever trying this. this went on for about 45 minutes at speeds up to 119 mph. at the end one of the officers told her to put her left foot on the brake and pull up on the accelerator with her right foot at the same time. she went from over 100 mph to under 50 mph instantly, let go of the pedals. *tr | |||
| 08/19/2012 | 48000 | ||
| On 9/19/2012 at 12:17 pm i took a frantic call from my wife. she had just stopped to fill up with gas, got back on the interstate and set the cruise control at around 75 mph. shortly afterwards the front end started shaking and the vehicle started to lose speed. she shut off the cruise and was looking for a place to pull over when the vehicle started to accelerate on its own. it was already going over 80 mph when she called. i told her to stand on the brakes-no effect. i told her to put her foot on the brake and to push and hold the start button for 10 seconds-nothing (that is the override to get the car started when the brake switch malfunctions-we had just had it replaced at the dealership 2 weeks prior). i told her to shift it into neutral-the shifter is locked in drive. i told her to shift to a lower gear-it won't move. after 4 minutes the car was going over 85 mph-i told her to hang up & call 911 as she could tell them where she was much better than i could. a few minutes later i received a call from the highway patrol-they had 2 cruisers on the interstate with her trying to clear traffic ahead of her. i asked if they could get a cruiser ahead of her and let her nose up behind it and then use the cruiser to stop her. evidently they didn't like that idea or it is against policy because they never did try that. the dispatcher had to hang up to concentrate on the situation at hand. i now had the dispatcher's number so i could call her back. at one point i called back and suggested that she engage the cruise control and try to slow the car with it. my wife does not remember ever trying this. this went on for about 45 minutes at speeds up to 119 mph. at the end one of the officers told her to put her left foot on the brake and pull up on the accelerator with her right foot at the same time. she went from over 100 mph to under 50 mph instantly, let go of the pedals and | |||
| 10/06/2011 | 7000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2011 kia sorento. the contact stated that the vehicle will stall without warning. the contact stated that the check engine light and oil light illuminates when the failure occurred. the contact stated the vehicle had been to the dealer three times, but they have not been able to duplicate or correct the problem. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 7,000 and the current mileage was 15,000.rl | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 07/13/2012 | 25000 | 1 | |
| As i back u this weird scratchy sound and also as i drive at normal speed. *tr | |||
| 04/02/2012 | 13225 | ||
| When trying to step on gas veichle seems to strain. example, when needing to get in lane, my car seems not to get much gas which i feel especially on highway, may cause an accident. my vechle tend to ride quite rough as far as wheel suspecian. i have had a wheel aligment and have had the veicle checked. i was told nothing seemed to be wrong with it. i had the 189.00 service did on my car as well. i called the recall center and i was told nothing showed for my veicle. my veicle is not performing as it should. | |||
| 06/15/2011 | 1200 | ||
| My 2011 kia sorento downshifts while at a high rate of speed. it also gets stuck and while the rpms are racing, it will not shift up. the bluetooth does not work properly and am only able to make a call 30% of the time. backup cameras and sensors are intermitent. window will not work. back drivers side door fell off hinges while i was driving with my child in the backseat. my passenger side seat overheated and would not turn off. causing my car to fill with smoke on the expressway. many issues with this lemon! shifter will not go from drive into park leaving me stranded in my car. vehicle has no power....poor engine. paint and chrome of handles are coming off. pulls to the left and esc light comes on all the time. | |||
| 12/27/2011 | 26982 | ||
| While driving the vehicle and while pressing the gas pedal the vehicle starts to come to a stop as if the gas pedal is not being applied. i have to release the gas pedal and press it again for the sorento to respond and continue to accelarate. i took it to the dealer and they have no clue as to what is the problem. they reset the computer and released the vehicle to me but the problem persists. | |||
| 12/23/2011 | 16130 | ||
| While driving through a shopping plaza, going about 15mph,the vehicle suddenly shut off, causing the loss of all power assist functions and electrical operation. the electrical came back on-line right away, but the car had to be restarted. the second time it happened was in rush hour traffic, 4 days later. the car was coasting at about 25 mph when it shut down again. | |||
| 12/27/2011 | 26982 | ||
| While driving the vehicle and while pressing the gas pedal the vehicle starts to come to a stop as if the gas pedal is not being applied. i have to release the gas pedal and press it again for the sorento to respond and continue to accelarate. i took it to the dealer and they have no clue as to what is the problem. they reset the computer and released the vehicle to me but the problem persists. | |||
| 12/23/2011 | 16130 | ||
| While driving through a shopping plaza, going about 15mph,the vehicle suddenly shut off, causing the loss of all power assist functions and electrical operation. the electrical came back on-line right away, but the car had to be restarted. the second time it happened was in rush hour traffic, 4 days later. the car was coasting at about 25 mph when it shut down again. | |||
| 12/27/2011 | 26982 | ||
| While driving the vehicle and while pressing the gas pedal the vehicle starts to come to a stop as if the gas pedal is not being applied. i have to release the gas pedal and press it again for the sorento to respond and continue to accelarate. i took it to the dealer and they have no clue as to what is the problem. they reset the computer and released the vehicle to me but the problem persists. | |||
| 12/23/2011 | 16130 | ||
| While driving through a shopping plaza, going about 15mph,the vehicle suddenly shut off, causing the loss of all power assist functions and electrical operation. the electrical came back on-line right away, but the car had to be restarted. the second time it happened was in rush hour traffic, 4 days later. the car was coasting at about 25 mph when it shut down again. | |||
| 12/16/2011 | 14888 | ||
| I was driving about 40 mph, when the vehicle appeared to miss/skip gears! it felt as if the vehicle was going to stop altogether, and i definitely lost acceleration ability. next the malfunction indicator light came on and it has not gone off. i am going to take the vehicle in to the dealer on 12/17/2011 to see what may be causing a problem like this. | |||
| 04/23/2011 | 8990 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2011 kia sorento. the contact stated that the vehicle stalled while driving 5 mph. the vehicle was jump started the following day and taken to an authorized dealer. the throttle was replaced. the failure had since recurred on an intermittent basis while driving at various speeds. the contact also stated that the alarm system would inadvertently sound. in addition, the contact stated that the vehicle would experience difficulty starting. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer and they were unable to diagnose a failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 8,990. kmj | |||
| 12/16/2011 | 14888 | ||
| I was driving about 40 mph, when the vehicle appeared to miss/skip gears! it felt as if the vehicle was going to stop altogether, and i definitely lost acceleration ability. next the malfunction indicator light came on and it has not gone off. i am going to take the vehicle in to the dealer on 12/17/2011 to see what may be causing a problem like this. | |||
| 04/23/2011 | 8990 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2011 kia sorento. the contact stated that the vehicle stalled while driving 5 mph. the vehicle was jump started the following day and taken to an authorized dealer. the throttle was replaced. the failure had since recurred on an intermittent basis while driving at various speeds. the contact also stated that the alarm system would inadvertently sound. in addition, the contact stated that the vehicle would experience difficulty starting. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer and they were unable to diagnose a failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 8,990. kmj | |||
| 04/23/2011 | 8990 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2011 kia sorento. the contact stated that the vehicle stalled while driving 5 mph. the vehicle was jump started the following day and taken to an authorized dealer. the throttle was replaced. the failure had since recurred on an intermittent basis while driving at various speeds. the contact also stated that the alarm system would inadvertently sound. in addition, the contact stated that the vehicle would experience difficulty starting. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer and they were unable to diagnose a failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 8,990. sm. | |||
| 09/01/2010 | 5000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia sorento. the contact stated that while driving 30 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. the contact also stated that the vehicle suddenly accelerated upon restarting. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer on several occasions and they were unable to diagnose the failure. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but could not offer any assistance without having a diagnosed failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 5,000 and the current mileage was 22,000. | |||
| 09/01/2010 | 5000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2011 kia sorento. the contact stated that while driving 30 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. the contact also stated that the vehicle suddenly accelerated upon restarting. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer on several occasions and they were unable to diagnose the failure. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but could not offer any assistance without having a diagnosed failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 5,000 and the current mileage was 22,000. sm. | |||
| 09/01/2010 | 5000 | ||
| Tl - the contact owns a 2011 kia sorento. the contact stated that while driving 30 mph the vehicle stalled without any warnings. the contact mentioned that once she was able to turn the vehicle back on it suddenly accelerated. the vehicle was taken to a dealer on several occasions who was not able to diagnosed the failure. the manufacturer was made aware of the problem who did not offer any assistance since a concrete diagnosis was not determine. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 5,000 and the current mileage was 22,000. pm | |||
| 10/15/2011 | 12000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia sorento. the contact was driving 50 mph when she heard a clicking sound coming from the engine as the vehicle stalled. the vehicle was towed to the dealer who diagnosed that the filter place in the engine was not up to standards and the engine would need to be rebuilt. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the failure and current mileage was 12,000. | |||
| 10/15/2011 | 12000 | ||
| Tl - the contact owns a 2011 kia sorento. the contact was driving 50 mph when she heard a clicking sound coming from the engine as the vehicle stalled. the vehicle was towed to the dealer who diagnosed that the filter place in the engine was not up to standards and the engine would need to be rebuilt. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the failure and current mileage was 12,000. kmj | |||
| 10/15/2011 | 12000 | ||
| Tl - the contact owns a 2011 kia sorento. the contact stated that while driving 50 mph she heard a clicking sound coming from the engine and stalled. the vehicle was towed to the dealer who diagnosed that the filter place in the engine was not up to standard therefor the engine needed to be rebuild. the vin was not available. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 12,000. pm | |||
| 07/18/2011 | 8700 | ||
| While driving down the expressway, without warning, there was a catostrophic engine failure causing one or two of the connecting rods to blow through the oil pan and start a fire from the front of the vehicle to the back underneith the carriage. the flames came up the sides and back of the car. needless to say it was extremely frightening. looking at the damage of the car i never expected them to attempt to repair this car yet they did. the car was down for almost two months, the second engine and power steering failed before we even drove the repaired car off the lot. kia still did not want to do anything but repair the car again. they said, these things happen thats why you have a warranty. these things have never happened to me or anyone i know in the 30 years i have been driving. you buy a new car to avoid such problems. the car has now been returned to me and it is still not right. i just took it in for them to blow out the vents and filters. there was still remnants of the fire extinguisher coming out when you turned on the air. this car is defective and should have a salvaged title. i was forced to put in a law suit. | |||
| 01/19/2011 | 19000 | ||
| When accellerating from a stop or slow speed the engine will occaissonally bog down and almost die. this is extremely dangerous when pulling into traffic or across oncoming lanes of traffic. it has occurred numerous times. sometimes from a full stop and sometimes from low speed (less than 10 mph). i have taken the car to the dealer three times. the first two times they claimed to have repaired the vehicle and turned it back over to us without any comment. the third time, after i complained about it not being fixed the two times before, they finally admitted there was nothing they could do. they claim to have driven another 2011 sorento which did the same thing and they claim to have contacted kia who told them if there was no code on the computer (there was not) there was nothing they could do. this is very dangerous and needs to be corrected. and by the way, your system will not accept my e-mail, i guess because it has a dash (-) in it so i am using my wife's e-mail. | |||
| 05/02/2011 | 1000 | ||
| Ever since bought new (sorento sx 6cyl.) in april 2011, there has been a intermittant issue with no engine response from stop for 2-3 seconds. rpm's stay at idle speed, then it suddenly takes hold and runs fine. only happens from stop, and only about once or twice every 2-3 days. dealer cannot duplicate problem, no codes. dangerous situation when pulling out into traffic from a stop. i cannot duplicate it under any driving circumstances. also, if i apply brake during this hesitation there is no engine acceleration while i hold the brake. i feel sure it is in the fly by wire system, but dealer has no clue. i have to feather the accelerator from stop whenever i am concerned about oncoming traffic. | |||
| 04/01/2011 | 5000 | ||
| After the first dealer oil change i began getting lifter noise on engine start up that would last for minutes. the problem has gotten worse. dealer refuses to aknowledge the problem and now i have put a non-op on my brand new 2011 sorento because of this problem. tried to get this resolved with a lawyer and the company refused to take the car back. i have been forced to retain a lemon law attorney to get this resolved. kia motors does not stand behind their warranty. my car was in and out of different dealerships with an array of problems. the interior cloth around the rear hatch is coming apart and the car was in the shop 3 times for it and it was never fixed. the last dealer said that they have to get special permission to fix this even though the car is under factory warranty. the brakes are getting very spongy,and they are still not fixed. the car has been in the shop for over 70 days on and off with most of my complaints being ignored. one of my original complaints was a glare off the instrument cluster that blinds the driver on sunny days. i almost hit another car when i was momentarily blinded by the chrome rings around the cluster while flashed in the eyes as i was going around a curve. they said that they could not correct this problem because it was an engineering problem. the bluetooth still does not work correctly,and i am still getting warning lights that go on and off,including low tire pressure (when the tires are fine) as well as an emissions light and a check engine light . there are many problems with this car and it is parked because of them. the car is not safe to drive,and i submit that the company knows a lot more about these problems than they are letting on. | |||
| 04/02/2010 | 1000 | ||
| My 2011 kia sorento ex 4 cylinder has had a safety issue with hesitation upon takeoff from a stop sign or any stop. you never know when it will accelerate and i am very concerned it will cause an accident. i have taken it to the local dealer many times as it should be covered under the bumper to bumper warranty. they act like there is not a problem, but there is. one time they did say it would take a software fix that kia has not provided. i just want it fixed. | |||
| 04/18/2011 | 50 | ||
| We purchased/leased a new 2011 sorento v6 and almost immediately started experiencing the occassional hesitation problem when pulling into traffic from a stop. on a couple occasions it put us in a very dangerous situation as we were crossing 2 lanes of traffic. took the vehicle to courtesy kia in brandon fl. 4 times, they could not duplicate the problem. finally they got us a 2012 near identical sorento v6, and on the 3rd day had the same experience w/50 miles on the vehicle. we now have 500+ on it and have had a total of 7 similar situations. the dealership says i'm the only one experiencing this and that they aren't aware of the problem, although i talked w/a customer of their's w/a 2011 sorento and he said he and his wife have the same issues w/their's. we are very disappointed with this situation, but other than that we like the vehicle & get lots of compliments on it, but i am also letting others know of our experiences. its our first venture from gm, and it will likely be our last. additionally, the 2011 was getting the advertised fuel mileage, the 2012 has not gotten any better than 17.5 on the highway or in town. when we turned in the 2011 they charged me $2,500 (money that we were to get back from kia in the deal) which i thought was really out of line. i admit we put 5,000 miles on it but $.50 per mile is a bit much, plus i had added heat & lumbar in the seats and tinted windows. this is truly a serious safety issue and very disappointing. i can't help but wonder what kia & the dealerships will do when some is seriously hurt or killed as a result of this problem that they can't find or even admit is happening.!? jj (note: the vin provided is for the 2012 kia sorento) | |||
| 04/27/2011 | 800 | ||
| Tl* the contact owned a 2011 kia sorento. while driving approximately 40 mph, the check engine light began illuminating. the contact also began to see sparks coming from the engine. the vehicle was pulled over and a fire began under the engine. the fire department appeared to the scene to extinguish the fire. a police report was also filed but no injuries were reported. the vehicle was destroyed and towed to an authorized dealer where they were in the process of diagnosing the failure. the failure and current mileage was 800. | |||
| 04/27/2011 | 800 | ||
| Tl-the contact owned a 2011 kia sorento. while driving approximately 40 mph a check engine light began illuminating on the dashboard. the contact also began to see sparks coming from the engine. the vehicle was pulled over and a fire began under the engine. the fire department appeared on the scene to extinguish the fire. a police report was also filed but no injuries were reported. the vehicle was destroyed and towed to an authorized dealer where they were in the process of diagnosing the failure. the failure and current mileages were 800. sm. | |||
| 12/12/2010 | 2000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2011 kia sorento. while driving approximately 65 mph, the contact stated that the air conditioner shut off without warning, causing the vehicle to make a grinding noise, and then the check engine warning light illuminated. the contact also noticed smoke coming from under the hood of the vehicle. the dealer was notified who advised the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. the contact did not inform the manufacture. the vehicle was not repaired. the current and failure mileages was approximately 2000. bw | |||
| 07/21/2010 | 485 | ||
| 7/21/10 purchased kia sorrento ex fwd from moritz 110 ne loop 820 hurst, tx 7/22 noticed engine hesitated several times while driving sufficient that cars pulled around me. contacted jerry simpson and jim cartwright service manager 7/26 took sorrento back and to moritz and rode with jim cartwright through residential neighborhoods. car exhibited no hesitation 8/2 have driven sorrento to oklahoma twice and around residential areas in the metroplex and noticed a slight hesitation. 11/8 while in 8:ooam bumper to bumper traffic east bound on hwy 820 in fort worth,tx at a slow 15mph (est) engine chugged down and then caught and then died completely and car had to be pushed out of way. was able to restart and make it to doctors appointment then took the sorrento back to moritz kia where we bought it and told them i wanted it fixed 11/11 not having heard from moritz kia i called them and asked that they doucument what the found and we were going to pick up the sorrento. which we did | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 04/03/2011 | 275 | ||
| This is not a complaint but a report of defective kia sorento. we purchased an lx v6 sorento on april 3rd. car was sold as new with 250 miles on it (we were told that mileage was result of test driving which turned out to be untrue). within 17 hours and within 25 miles and only the 2nd time behind the wheel of the car, we experienced severe transmission problems. after approximately 30 minutes total of driving (actually five minutes after having parked to pick up kids) and after 1 red light, the car stalled and then lurched forward violently, repeatedly. immediately drove the car home and when i attempted to back up into the garage found that the car would not go into reverse. immediately contacted dealer and salesperson came to home and observed problem, thereafter taking car to service. according to dealership, service claimed that problem was caused by computer and was fixed. we returned the car within 17 hours of purchase and refused to take it back. after much wrangling (and denial by the dealership that it had ever had this type of problem), car was replaced with another new car. we have not observed problem in new car but from complaints, i am gravely concerned. problem is an immediate and serious threat to safety hazard. it is my hope that nhtsa will act immediately. i had two children in car at time and on my way to pick up 4 more. had the incident occurred on a freeway or conditions where there were many on the road, i believe the consequences would have been dire. | |||
| 02/01/2011 | 7 | ||
| 2011 kia sorento. consumer writes regarding problems with vehicle within the first 2 months of purchase *tgw the consumer stated the stalled while driving on the highway. it would down shift unexpectedly and then jerk and jolt. there were times when the consumer applied the accelerator and the vehicle would not respond for a short period before the vehicle revved up and accelerated. the vehicle also pulled to the right and there was a bad grinding/rubbing sound coming from the front drivers side of the vehicle, along with spongy brakes which was a problem from the start. the consumer stated when she started the vehicle, there was a knocking noise coming from the engine. the interior lights went out, the drivers side window switch was faulty and the back-up camera stopped working. *jb | |||
| 09/07/2010 | 5100 | ||
| Took delivery of a 2011, kia sorento lx, with 2.4l engine, on 4/22/10. during the next 3.5 months and 4,800 miles, this vehicle has experienced the following safety issue seven times, two of which a collision was narrowly avoided. when pressing on the accelerator, from it's default position, the engine remains at idle speed for approximately 1.5 seconds before accelerating rapidly, proportionate to the then throttle position. during this lag, the accelerator pedal was held in the position representing the appropriate amount of acceleration under normal driving conditions. this hesitation occurs unexpectedly, severely impacting normal judgment and driving reactions. this has occurred on flat pavement, slight incline or decline, from a stop, pulling out into traffic, or while traveling 35 to 40 mph attempting to merge into traffic. it went in for service at a kia dealership the day after this problem occurred twice in one trip, almost resulting in an accident. the vehicle has currently been in the shop for one week. after one day, the dealer could not duplicate the problem and kia had no resolution, therefore both parties offered to return the vehicle. others have reported this problem on the internet. our incident was reported to kia. the resultant case has been escalated through kia | |||