general problems of the 2011 Kia Motor Sorento - part 1

The engine light comes on and then the wheel lock light will come on and the car will disengage from 4 wheel drive to 2 wheel drive while driving.

I was driving and my kia started over heating and smoking and smelled like plastic burning I got it towed to the hendricks of kia and it sat there for 2weeks and I contacted them about giving me a lender until they fix my engine problem and they told me that my engine is not under warranty but is a recall I didn’t blow my engine I recently bought it about 6 months ago.

There are eight recalls on my car I do not trust dealerships I do not trust mechanics I work on my own car I have very bad experience with mechanics I would rather return my car to the dealership I want to sell my car do the dealership eight different recalls is too much.

The contact owns a 2011 kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving 55–60 mph, the engine overheated and the vehicle stalled while making a turn. The vehicle stalled and failed to restart. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA campaign number: 23v877000 (engine). The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, but no assistance was provided. The vehicle was towed to another independent mechanic, but the cause of the failure was not determined. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was determined that the battery and bracket needed to be replaced. The dealer also informed the contact that the engine and fuel pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted. The failure mileage was unknown.

The abs, down hill light, and swaying light came on. As I was pulling into a parking space slowly with my foot on the brakes, the car sped forward knocking over a post and shrubs.

My car has been in the kia shop for engine. We just stopped on the freeway and for the module recall and my safety bag is just constantly on since I’ve gotten it and now I’m noticing electrical issues that shouldn’t be someone told me. Hey you need to file a complaint because your car can catch on fire and I don’t know what else to do but to do a paper trail just in case but it’s been recalls after recalls.

3 different episodes SUV will start by appear warning lights downhill, slippery road, abs, engine , decrease speed, shuts down, tire pressure finally battery dead and rubber smell. I've had it fixed once mentioned it was altarnator, second time battery, finally third time something electrical or unknown. Total cost now $3000 and my life in danger al 3 times and towec.

This very dangerous issue has happened at least 3 times. It happens in frequently but is terrible when it happens because at night you are put into immediate darkness with no warning. Upon flashing the high beams on or using the turn signal the headlights go dark/off. Then you need to restart the car. This is particularly dangerous when driving on dark or high traffic roads because the driver cannot see anything.

The contact owns a 2011 kia Sorento. The contact stated that the “low oil pressure” warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that there was engine oil leaking underneath the vehicle. The vehicle had been taken to a certified mechanic where it had been diagnosed that the oil pressure switch had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 10v388000 (electrical system). The vehicle had not been repaired. The contact was referred to the manufacturer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall or in the technical service bulletin with the manufacturer id number 026 and NHTSA id number: 10235099 (electrical system). The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline to file a safety complaint. The failure mileage was 170,000.

I called courtesy kia in altoona, PA. I informed them that I have another recall addressing this latest issue "the hydraulic electronic control unit," as I was there last month addressing another recall. That situation was resolved. However, I called today 5/13/24 at about 12:50pm and was told by service dept. Member toby that we already have all the parts we can order for recall. He also told me to call him back in a month??? my concern is I am getting a letter saying the engine could catch fire and I am being told to call back in a month. I just wanted to log this incident for my personal file to show that I am trying to remedy the problem. Regards, michael a. Hudy 6302 jason drive huntingdon, PA 16652 mahudy@comcast. Net (814) 599-4224.

The contact owns a 2011 kia Sorento. The contact stated while attempting to unlock the vehicle with the key fob, the contact heard the doors unlocking, but the rear doors failed to unlock. Additionally, the contact stated that the failure initially started after the vehicle was serviced by the dealer. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by a dealer or an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 92,000.

After my daughter pulled into her school parking lot on Friday morning, 4/19/24 she reported smelling a very bad smelling smoke. She immediately got out of the car because she then saw flames from under the hood. The car lit on fire, and was completely totaled. I have since been made aware of the recall that causes engine fires.

Car dash lights flashed and car shut down.

Knock sensor code came up when having my car checked p1326.

I’ve gotten approved to buy another car and was going to trade my 2011 kia Sorento but still has open recall and kia dealership has no answers when they can fix. What do I do. Thank you for your help!.

The hydraulic electronic control unit (hecu) may experience an electrical short , whioch can result in an engine compartment fire while paked or driving the car.

The engine showed signs of overheating and smoke emissions. The vehicle was taken to a authorized kia dealership where the recall components: ksds software, and one other out of the three recall components was replaced. The ksds software failed to activate and the engine overheated several days later, the vehicle was taken to a dealership where the engine recall replacement order was refused and instead was given a cost estimate of $10,000 usd to replace.

As I was backing into my driveway on Thursday 1/18/2024 @ 5:25 pm. I was on my way home from work. As I was backing into my driveway I lost power, the abs and the mil light both came on, the abs went off but the mil began to flash and I lost all power in the car. I shut it off immediately and we pushed my car the rest of the way into the driveway. I had received a kia safety recall notice that said if this happens, call kia, immediately to request a tow to the nearest authorized dealership. Was told they cannot perform this task and that I need to wait till tghe figure out the recall before they will help me. I have no vehicle to get back and forth to work now and kia is refusing to help me.

Family and I were driving home from soccer and car violently stuttered felt like we hit a deer. This has happened three times now and has caused solenoid a in transmission to fail which I fixed . My wife smells a burning smell also randomly.

I bought my 2011 kia Sorento used from a dealership. The air bag warning light was on & I insisted that they inspect car before I buy it, which they did. I go to pick the car up & the air bag warning light is still on. When I questioned it, I learned that, for some reason, a car's #1 safety feature, the air bags, is not part of PA's safety inspection!! a couple months go by and 1 by 1 the bluetooth/audio controls on the steering wheel stop working. So, after reading the owner's manual & finding that there is no fuse for the steering wheel controls, I go online to see if I can find the cause &/or how to fix it. That's when I run across hundreds of posts/blogs from other 2011 Sorento owner's saying the exact same thing happened to them and all the replies say that it's caused by the clock spring and upon replacing it, all their bluetooth/audio controls on steering wheel worked again. I then remember the letters regarding the clock spring in with the car's owner's manual. I have 2 letters, 1 from 2017 & 1 from 2019 saying that kia extended the warranty on the clock spring to 15 years. To take the car to a kia dealership and have the air bag warning light diagnosed & if it's determined that the clock spring is reason it's illuminated, kia will pay to fix it. What I don't understand is if kia saw fit to issue two identical letters two years apart from each other, why didn't they just issue a recall? they obviously knew it was a problem that effected most, if not all of the 2011 Sorento's manufactured. And the real reason I'm writing? since my research on the internet two extremely dangerous things have happened. 1)my horn no longer works! at 1st it worked when it wanted to but now it doesn't work at all! I've almost gotten in 3 accidents because of it & my car will no longer passes inspection and 2) now the air bag system cannot detect when someone is in the passenger seat, so their air bags never turn on!! the extended warranty expires in 2024 & no recall!????.

2011 kia Sorento headlights come on during the bright part of the day and also turn off while driving at night in the auto mode. It is dangerous to be driving while at night when headlights just go out at any time and all the other inside dash lights go dim. It also happens that the headlights come on during the afternoon when it is bright outside also and causes the inside dash lights to go dim. Have seen several kia owners complaining about this same issue. Very, very dangerous to drive at night. No warning of this is going to happen. This is putting us and others at risk of a life threatening situation. No dealership or auto repair shop can address the problem unless they are there when it actually happens. It is available for inspection at anytime to fix this problem.

My kia Sorento 2011 in November 2023 started having the instrument cluster warning lights flashing, abs warning light, tire pressure light and sometimes the check engine light. There is also a very strong burning or melting smell when the car is on. I was very scared to drive my car and have had to find ways to get to work when I received the notice from kia that there was a recall sc284. About hecu fuse that many kia Sorento 2011 owners are having issues with the engines catching fire while driving or parked. And the symtoms before a fire occurs are the same as I have experienced with the instrument cluster illuminating and the strong burning smell as well. Its April 2024 and I haven't had a car since November 2023 because the recall has yet to be remedied. This is completely unacceptable I cannot drive I cant take my car to emmissions and might eventually get my car towed due to not being able to it not passing emissions and cant pass for registration. There needs to be compensation for this inconvenience and for this recall not being a priority.

Preventative complaint. I received a recall notice on November 14, 2023 regarding recall of my 2011 kia Sorento. Recall #23v652000. Manufacturer's recall #sc284xm. I have contacted my dealer, danbury CT kia to find out when they can repair the recall. They just keep stating that they don't have the parts. The recall is not done in a timely fashion and I am greatly concerned that my only car could catch fire at any time. This should be repaired immediately if such a great hazard is possible. Lives could be in jeopardy since I seldom have my grandchildren in my car. Please provide danbury connecticut kia the necessary parts to address the recall.

The contact owns a 2011 kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v652000 (service brakes, hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 mph, the "theft prevention" warning light illuminated, and several other warning lights were blinking on and off. The contact stated that the vehicle lost power steering and braking functionality. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle, but the vehicle failed to restart. The contact stated that after several attempts a relative jumpstarted the vehicle. The contact drove the vehicle back to the residence and parked the vehicle. The contact stated that the battery was replaced; however, the battery became drained. The contact stated that when the vehicle was jumpstarted, the abs warning light illuminated. The contact no longer drove the vehicle. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a dealer or to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 23v652000 (service brakes, hydraulic). The failure mileage was approximately 225,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

While driving, the front end of the car made a thud sound and vibrated, the lights on the panel came on, the engine light, battery light, key light, and the steering wheel locked up. This happened 3 times in a week. If we had been going faster it could have caused an accident because of car suddenly slowing down and loss of steering. After turning off and then back on it worked again but never know when it could happen again. Yes my car is available upon request. No codes come up when our mechanic diagnosed it, hasn't been to a kia dealership yet, can't get in until Nov. 6. Refer to article "2011 kia sorrento's problems with sudden surging and engine stalls led to 7 investigations, 6 recalls. " my mechanic referred us to this article as he thinks our car has a related problem. This problem happened without any warning.

This defect was repaired as a recall, repaired again by a shop, and is doing the same thing again. The dash lights for abs, downhill accent, and the anti-skid light up when first start up. The second time of this defect the car would not start, the anti-thief system was activated (lights and horn were activated). Repair was done in my driveway because the vehicle would not start. I contacted a dealer about the second time and was told this problem had already been repaired by a recall. The second time the switch/commutateur interruptor, napa part # sl1031 was replaced. Now those same dash lights are back on.

I'm supposed to park my 2011 Sorento outside and away from structures, and not drive it until kia comes up with a part/solution to fix the engine compartment fire issue relating to NHTSA recall # 23v652000 (manufacturer recall # sc284xm). This warning was issued sept 25th, 2023. It's now been over 3 months. Am I supposed to walk everywhere, use a ride share service, or take public transportation??? if kia won't fix it, they should give me another vehicle to drive. . . . Or purchase the vehicle back from me for what I paid for it in 2022, less 1 year's depreciation.

Rear passenger door will not open from outside. Have been told other kias have had recalls due to this. Also radio will not work and stays on a static screen. And makes driving at night worse by being blinded by the radio screen( gets bright white).

The contact owns a 2011 kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v652000 (service brakes, hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated there was an abnormal burning odor coming entering the cabin of the vehicle. The battery warning light was blinking intermittently. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 230,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2011 kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v652000 (service brakes, hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and while the vehicle was idling, the voltage reader indicated that the voltage was fluctuating between 11. 2 and 19. 20 volts. The lights within the vehicle were illuminated, the radio would turn on, and other electrical systems would suddenly activate. The contact had to unplug the negative cable for several minutes for the charging system to work correctly. The failure persisted after the repairs and had since become more consistent. An independent mechanic inspected the vehicle and determined that the alternator had failed and needed to be replaced. The alternator was replaced. The vehicle had not been taken to be diagnosed after the failure. The contact replaced the battery however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

While driving on the freeway, the car began to lose power. As I struggled to maneuver to the right lane to pull over, something under the hood caught on fire and black smoke came billowing out. We were able to get out of the car before a young man traveling in he opposite direction saw us and turned around to help. With his help we were able to get my grand kids out and into his car. Thank god that he was not criminally minded. I then called aaa who towed the car back to our home. This happened in July 2023. In October, I received a safety recall notice warning of a possible fire happening. I contacted the local kia dealership and was told that there was nothing they could except wait and that it could take up to a year or receive the part to remedy the problem. I then contacted kia headquarters and was told the same thing. It is now January 2024, and still no remedy and no operable vehicle.

The contact owns a 2011 kia Sorento. The contact stated that while attempting to unlock the vehicle with the key, the front driver side door opened; however, the other doors failed to open as intended. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The contact stated that on another occasion, the interior lights failed to work as intended and several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The check engine and abs warning lights remained illuminated. The contact stated that the buttons on the steering wheel failed to operate as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the vehicle could not be connected to the diagnostic machine. The contact stated that the dealer refused to update the antitheft system or perform the recall repairs linked to the VIN. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

Both rear doors do not open from the outside and only the passenger rear door will open from the inside, leaving the driver side rear, not accessible from the inside or the outside. The middle row of seats do not adjust backwards or forwards. The controls on the steering wheel do not work at all.

Mechanical failure in the wiring harness, caused smoke to come out of vents (melted wires). No evidence of rodent damage. Safety was put at risk, immediately dialed 911. As a result several electrical features do not work. Air/ac/heater, power windows nor headlights. Two mechanics & insurance claims representive deemed it "mechanical" failure despite the vehicle being inspected two months prior. Only symptoms that occurred prior were a fused being tripped; interior lights and radio didn't work when this happened.

My headlights are not working properly. This is an ongoing issue with kia model vehicles- check online forums.