general problems of the 2014 Kia Motor Sorento - part 1

Formal complaint – repeated engine failures and unacceptable service delays vehicle: kia Sorento 2014 VIN: [xxx] purchased: fall of 2021 current issue: vehicle in service at kia of lincolnwood since January 9, 2026 dear kia consumer affairs and legal department, I am writing to formally document my severe dissatisfaction with the repeated engine failures in my kia vehicle and the complete lack of communication and urgency from both kia of lincolnwood (6750 n Lincoln Ave, lincolnwood, IL 60712) and kia's consumer support channels. This has caused significant financial hardship, disruption to my family and work, and eroded any trust in the brand. I purchased this vehicle approximately 5 years ago through carmax. Within that time, the engine has died or stalled three times: the first failure occurred about one year after purchase, stranding me at 11:00 p. M. In rural wisconsin during winter with my three young children in the vehicle. The second incident happened in downtown chicago (river north), just one hour before I needed to depart for a work event in champaign, IL, requiring a tow and last-minute rental arrangements. The most recent failure occurred at approximately 4:30 a. M. After leaving my music studio, necessitating another tow and a $50 uber ride home. Eleven months ago, kia of lincolnwood replaced the knock sensor under a one-year recall warranty. Despite this, the engine issues persisted. On January 9, 2026, I brought the vehicle to kia of lincolnwood for the third major engine-related failure. It has now been in the shop for nearly six weeks with no meaningful updates on diagnosis, repair timeline, or resolution. I have called the dealership at least ten times seeking callbacks from my assigned service advisor (max) or any team member. In each instance, I was either hung up on, placed on hold for over an hour, or promised a return call that never came. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

My key fob doesn’t register even while in car, my battery drains daily has to recieve jump off every otha day if not daily, door open indicator shows open on all doors even when closed, car locks won’t disengage automatically but your system shows no recalls something’s wrong with it.

The contact owns a 2014 kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost automotive power, and there was smoke coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that there was oil leaking out of the exhaust, accompanied by an abnormal sound and odor. The contact stated that the front driver’s side air bag was intermittently inoperative. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the engine, power train control module, brakes, and several other unknown electrical parts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2014 kia Sorento. The contact stated that the push to start button failed to function as intended, and the vehicle failed to start. The contact called the lien holder and was informed that the key was not connecting. The lien holder replaced the key. The contact stated that the failure persisted, and the key fob failed to function as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The dealer swapped the key fobs with another set of key fobs to diagnose the failure. However, no cause for the failure was found. The contact was informed that two unknown fuse boxes needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, the led lights under the door and dashboard failed to function as intended. In addition, an abnormal sound was coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and remained with the dealer for months. The contact was informed that the fuse box had been replaced. The vehicle failed to restart when the contact picked up the vehicle from the dealer. The vehicle was towed to the residence and had not been driven since. The tow truck driver tried to jumpstart the vehicle, but the vehicle failed to start. There was no power in the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 114,000. The VIN was not available.

Dear NHTSA, I am writing to report a serious safety issue with my kia Sorento 2014. While driving on the interstate with my family, the vehicle suddenly began to slow down without warning. We were able to move to the shoulder, but this incident put our safety at significant risk as we were on a busy highway. We initially suspected brake failure, but after having the car towed home and inspected, we discovered that the motor/engine had completely failed. This failure also impacted the electrical system, leaving the car completely immobile. It has been confirmed by a mechanic that the engine is at fault. However, local dealers and mechanics were unable to inspect it further due to a lack of necessary equipment. As of now, the component has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or any other authority. There were no warning lamps, messages, or symptoms prior to the failure, and the vehicle showed no signs of issues leading up to the incident. We purchased this car in 2023, only to find out later that kia had issued a recall for this issue in 2021. This recall was never disclosed by the dealership, nor was it listed on the carfax report. Due to the recall predating our purchase, kia has refused to provide any assistance or compensation, leaving us with an inoperable vehicle and significant financial strain. As a low-income family on a fixed budget, this situation has been extremely challenging. We kindly request your assistance in investigating this matter and helping us find a resolution. Thank you for your attention and support.

Unknown.

I was driving on the freeway in traffic with my 3 children returning home from a holiday weekend vacation, it was high 90's so the a/c was running and I had devices charging on the ports. We were 1. 5 hrs into our drive and the vehicle failure came out of nowhere. Car has been in good condition and normal operation previously. Suddenly the entire dash flashed, flickered off then came back on with check engine light illuminated and battery symbol also on (very faintly), felt a minor kickback and car started slowing down until it stopped. I was able to get over and pull off to the shoulder to avoid incident but this could have easily turned into a very bad crash with a less experienced driver behind the wheel or if we had been going faster. Prior to this happening there was no warning of an issue with the vehicle - temperature check was in center between c and h, oil pressure was normal, no warning lights on dash, plenty of fuel and car was not due for an oil change for another 40 miles. Once I pulled over and stopped, turned off the car, it would not restart. Not enough power to turn over the engine. We had to call aaa and have the car towed home 35 miles. I had the vehicle towed to the kia dealership and they are stating that it is not covered under a current recall or warranty extension and are seeking over $12,000 to replace the engine. I feel like my vehicle 2014 kia Sorento sx v6 with 3. 3l engine needs to be looked into for recall and warranty extension on the engine.

Every light is on in the dash compartment. Power steering goes in and out. Brake lights not working even after being replaced. Car stuck in park unable to put into reverse. Abs/ airbag light showing- abs sensor replaced and still not working recall in 2022. Kia repaired vehicle and now that same issues are occurring kia refuses to even look at vehicle without payment of 180. 00 to just look!.

Doors cannot be locked and is very dangerous when driving with my family on the highway.

We have not had an incident but we were notified of this recall in Nov of 2023 and now as of March 2024 there is still no fix. If my car could “combust” at any moment why is it taking so long to come up with a fix? doesn’t seem very safe…. . Again, we have had no accidents but this is the only place I could find to fill out a complaint.

While driving at night, the instrument panel gauges and lights behind it faded away and all gauges went to 0, rpm, gas, speedometer, temp, mileage all stopped working all at once. The headlights dimmed to almost nothing. After stopping, it was discovered that a rear sensor was basically melted off after being on fire from the inside. It put a hole right through the sensor and exposed the wire. It basically turned the sensor to ash and you can see the melted wires inside slightly poking out of the hole it melted. The radio and clock still work, so it didnt affect everything. The lights that come on when opening and closing the door were basically stuck on unless turned off manually when the car is off. (turned off door light feature) took me a few to figure that out. After checking fuses, the module 3 was blown. Tried to replace the fuse but it keeps blowing because I cant currently do anything with the damaged sensor. A kia repair guy wanted to change all the wiring, sensors, and instrument panel, costing thousands of dollars I don't have. After checking the kia forums, this same exact issue has happened to multiple people with the 2014 kia Sorento. If this has happened to multiple of the same vehicle, kia should be responsible to fix it or replace the vehicle! its dangerous! it was raining, but my car could have stayed on fire. I almost drove off the road when everything was shutting off and my headlights dimmed to nothing. The car still drives fine, so I got home, but it was hard to see and I had no idea of the speed of the vehicle. And the kia guy said it could still catch fire again so I will have to fix it before driving it much more. I dont have the money for this or for a new car and my job is literally in my car! check the kia forums about the other issues and complaints, as again, this happened to multiple people and its all the same issue. Kia needs to fix this since it costs so much to fix and before someone burns up in a fire!.

Door locks/hatch lock won’t unlock 95% off the time, using fob or interior switch. Also won’t unlock automatically when vehicle is put into park. Mechanic looked it and after research, determined there’s a probable faulty/stuck relay on the bcm. Not replaceable without removing the bcm and desoldering components or replacing the whole bcm. It’s unsafe as I’m unable to unlock the doors should I need to remove/evacuate someone or my pet, from the vehicle, in an emergency. Also unable to access back hatch area to retrieve anything for roadside concern (flares/cones, spare, tire iron, etc), leaving me potentially stranded on the dangerous roadside. I first noticed this concern about 2 months ago and there were no warning lights.

The kia one morning were I were at stop just turned off power completely disconnected/dead . I turn the key before I moved the stick to park and turn off the car than waited 3seconds and started the car. It turned on were I pulled to the side to park five foot to the left side and turn off the car to check what happ. It would’nt click or turn on dead car than help arrived and the battery I charged immediately underneath the lot started burning and smoke fire let dead that out.

The component that malfunctioned was the dashboard. The dashboard began flashing and caused the wheels on the kia Sorento to lock while on the highway. The car also had a burn smell. The car was turned off and then I was able to drive normally. A couple of weeks later the malfunction indicator light has turned of intermittently. The electrical issues are causing the cars blind spot warning system to not work properly and as well as seats to stop moving in the car. I have reached out to kia customer care line so that they could tow the vehicle once the mil came on and they said they I would have to pay out of pocket since the recall is in the "interim" phase. I called southern kia in chesapeake, va and they stated the car would have to be evaluated but that they do not have appointments any time soon.

Kia smelled of electrical burning/fire after driving. Burning smell permeated into dwelling. Notified kia customer care center at 1 (800) 333 4542. Case 16105758 initiated day of engine burning/fire January 11th, 2024. No response from kia. Called to inquire on update January 16th, 2024. Spoke with mary. Mary had no update. Asked to speak with her manager, she transferred me and call dropped. Unprofessional conduct with life-threatening kia engine bomb sitting in my driveway. Initiated complaint on kia's website and another case number was generated - 16114020. Tried calling back to no avail. Call dropped five times. Initiated this NHTSA complaint immediately after last call dropped by kia.

The engine light keeps coming on and off. I had a recall notice but an took the kia to kia dealership but they said they don't have the repair parts. Since recall was issued no repairs yet an it's posing a threat to me an my family using it. If I park the car without using it as kia instructed how I my going to go to job since that's the only car I have? please can issue recall be fix immediately to avoid further harm to users? when should I take the kia to dealership for the recall to be fixed?.

Concerned about interim notice. Would like to get issue fixed immediately to keep passengers and others safe. Hecu replaced.

The contact owns a 2014 kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v652000 (electrical system) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

I received a recall notice from kia dated 11/14/2023. The notice said that the hecu hydraulic electronic control unit could short circuit and catch the car on fire whether driving or parked. They suggest parking away from anything that could catch fire. There is currently no remedy for this serious safety issue. It has been 3 months already and there is no time line for a remedy. They offer no options such as a loaner car to help mitigate the risk to personal safety while driving this car. I would like to have some interim solution until there can be a remedy of this serious safety risk. This is an unacceptable safety risk. Thank you for your time and attention. Sherry.

This recall poses a risk either driving or when vehicle is parked. I have contacted kia several times to ask about the remedy part. As recent as today (12/14/23), they have no estimated time when the part will be available. I have not driven my vehicle since receiving the interim notice from kia. I feel the manufacturer does not care about its the safety of its customers. I do not feel that I should put my family or me in a potentially unsafe vehicle and hope that nothing happens. We should not have to wait for who knows how long for a remedy. Something needs to be done to speed up this process and keep customers safe.

The hecu fuse in my kia has the risk of starting an engine fire. It is currently part of a recall. I have checked this with your organization using my VIN number. I am unable to drive my vehicle due to the potential risk for me and passengers. This has made life extremely inconvenient. Even going to work has been difficult because I've had to rely on other modes of transportation. Kia has been unable to provide a replacement part, even though the recall was first announced over 6 months ago. I am unable to sell my vehicle because of this recall as well. We are expected to not use our vehicles but kia is not providing a replacement part in any sort of a timely manner. They need to move their focus from the new vehicles to fixing these before someone is seriously injured.

Had the engine replaced before and it blew up again and the kia dealer said the ignition wasn’t recalled after they said it was a fire hazzard.

A recalled was made on September 25th about kia Sorento for potential fire hazard in driving or parking but up till date the recalled parts are not available at kia dealership to fix the recall issues. Given it's fire risk, am pleading if you can follow up to make sure this problem is rectify before people's lives are affected for "a stitch in time serves nine".

In may of 2021 my 2014 kia sorrento had major engine problems. I brought it to myrtle beach kia immediately and after 5 months of back and forth and paying for rental vehicles, I was told that they would not cover any repairs due to the recall! I then paid $8, 663. 63 for a repair that was never fully completed. Immediatley after receiving vehicale back, check engine light was on. Numerous call to the delearship and I was told dont worry it just needs to cyclwe through. My vehicle has never been properly services by them. I have kept up will all oil changes and maintenance in the meantime. I was told the check engine light codes were po335 & po 0018. I have had the camshaft bank sensor and crankshaft sensor replaced on 7/14 and this vehicle still has same check engine light on and is not receiving proper power while driving. I looked up recalls and found that currently recall 21 v331000 is in effect, this recall is a major safety issue especially being that I have 3 children that I drive around in and there may be a fire! I called myrtle beach kia and the earliest they can get me in to service is a month from now, on 8/11!! I feel that especially after everything I have been put through with this vehicle and the amount of money I have put out, that a loaner car would be offered to me to drive while waiting for them to fix the safety recall. Please contact me at 631 942-6753 or nicolemarielehmbeck@gmail. Com and please contact kia to allow a loaner vehicle to be used while waiting almost 1 month for the service. Thank you in advance for hopefully your concern and remedy to this.

Well my boyfriend and I where getting the car straightened up swept out wiped down and cleaned up and drove it from one part of our yard to the other and we had to finish what we where doing before that so and hour or so later when my. Boy friend went to go finish the car he realized there was smoke coming from the driver's side and opened the front door and the whole front driver seat was on fire so we got it put out and then we realized we needed to get the car as far away from the house as we could as soon as we got the fire out so I found a lid to it on I had to push a release button under the shifter to move it outta park and stear it away from any other houses or objects so we did that and then the lights for the heated seats on the driver's side came on again without the key that I know of being in it or nothen and it just being on fire so we u plugged to battery and called kia and a town truck.

The contact owns a 2014 kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 50 mph, the vehicle lost motive power, stalled, and shut off. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to safely pull over on the side of roadway. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle restarted rough, but then started operating normally. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis, but no cause for the failure was found. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 41,000.

Engine control module when it fails vehicle will lose power and drops engine compression causing a danger to other traffic. I was on I-10 on Sunday morning at 60 mi. When all of a sudden it slowed down to 20mi causing other drivers too maneuver around me to avoid from colliding into my SUV. Had engine control module checked out and was advised me to take in to dealer to have it reprogramed or replaced. Either will be an expense I just cant afford replacing it would cost me over 2000. 00 and reprograming any where from 200 to 500. If im not wrong a recall for software added to engine control module was done around 2020 didnt that up.

I never received any letter from kia about this recall. I recently found out about this recall when I entered my vehicle VIN on the NHTSA website because the abs and stability control lights have been on since last week. I called kia about this (north east kia at white plains, NY) on April 24, 2023, and reported this. They said that their system was down or something like that and that they couldn't check for any recalls for my vehicle. I told them about the report from NHTSA, they said it didn't matter because they still need to see it on their system. I pushed for an appointment with service, they gave me one for Friday, April 28, 2023, at 8:30 am. I went there on that date. Oscar (the person in charge of service) told me when I arrived that their system still was with some kind of issue and that they couldn't check my car until they see the recall on their system. So they didn't check my car. I showed him a picture with the abs and stability control light on in my car. He said they couldn't do anything about it. He just told me that they will call me or email me when their system is back to normal. I am worried that something bad can happen to my car and kia is not doing anything to fix this recall. Please, help with this. Thank you.

The contact owns a 2014 kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled without warning. Additionally, while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle would hesitate while accelerating with the lights on the instrument panel flickering. The contact also stated that the side mirrors would erroneously move before the vehicle was turned off. The contact stated that while turning the steering wheel in either direction, the steering wheel would forcefully turn in the opposite direction. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and was serviced, but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 180,000.

Multiple electrical issues throughout the car that come and go. The door locks will stop operating when using the key fob and lock/unlock switch on the driver and passenger doors, the only way to unlock them is manually. Window operating switch at all four doors stops working. The control buttons on the steering wheel are malfunctioning (volume up button decreases volume, volume down button activates voice control). Car stereo will call phone contacts via bluetooth without prompting. Had front and rear brakes replaced in April. There was shaking from the passenger side when brakes were depressed. Had brakes rechecked and it was determined the rotors need to be turned. Had the mechanic complete the repair. Now, in July, the brakes sound as though they need to be replaced (again) and the shaking has gotten worse. Will be taking to another mechanic. I have not had the electrical problems reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or service center yet. Vehicle and components have not been inspected. There have been no warning indications prior to or during electrical problems.

I started experiencing miscellaneous electrical issues and occasional poor acceleration. Engine/abs/tire pressure/etc. Warning lights would come and go indicating random problems; transmission solenoid was a common code but I did not initially have transmission problems. Radio/backup camera had intermittent problems with not powering on. Normal headlights stopped working and only high beams would function even after replacing bulbs and checking fuses. Problems got worse and the car would sometimes lurch strongly with a clunking sound and be stuck in 3rd gear "limp mode", but would randomly drive normally when restarted. I brought it to the dealership when I was experiencing sudden loss of acceleration and couldn't match the flow of traffic. The dealership said a new transmission was required. On replacing the transmission they found that there was a problem with the wiring harness and it would also need to be replaced, doubling the cost of an already expensive repair.

1. Engine top end knock worn components , oil consumption , loss of power , dies at idle , it is available for inspection the issue is being inspected by an independent service center. No warning icons were present at failure or prior to failure, all fluids were at operating levels. Unit had to be retrieved and towed 90 miles to repair facility. 2. Brake lights intermittent bulbs have been replaced multiple times sockets are scorched unit has been to dealer multiple times for this issue without lasting resolution.

I own a 2014 kia Sorento 2. 4l lx fwd. I have been experiencing a problem with my car for about two years. This usually occurs when driving up a hill and the transmission downshifts and I experience a jerk, either from the transmission or engine and the rpm drops to zero. The transmission will not shift from the last shift point. Most times it will be in the drive for final gear. You can increase the vehicle speed by pushing the accelerator all the way down. We were coming back on vacation two years ago and was driving in the left lane on an interstate. I experienced the symptoms and the rpm dropped to zero. No downshift or up shift. I managed ti find an opening in traffic to get over in the right hand lane and exit. Once I came to a stop, I tried to accelerate but engine struggled. I turned off the engine and was able to restart the engine and it operated properly. Had rom, transmission shifted properly. This was an unnerving situation. I felt very fortunate that I did not have to evade a dangerous situation on the interstate since the transmission would not shift and I could press the accelerator to the floor to gain a little extra speed. Any help will be appreciated. Thank you.

The contact owns a 2014 kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 60 mph, the anti-lock braking system (abs), traction control and tpms warning lights illuminated. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.

Headlights automatically turn off while driving.