general problems of the 2015 Kia Motor Sorento - part 1

Was driving vehicle and it began to run hot, check engine light came on then started to make a knocking sound when getting to 30-35 mph. Was inspected by a service center. There it was confirmed an issue with the motor/head gasket.

I was driving with my son when my 2015 kia Sorento stopped in traffic. I remember warning lights coming on my dash including the engine light, oil light and battery light. However, I was more concerned about getting my hazards on so we would not be hit by another car. Traffic was heavy, it was raining and getting dark. I needed to push my car off the road with the help of another driver. A hyannis ambulance was a few cars behind me and the emt's also assisted with the traffic and moving my vehicle out of the road. I called aaa and had my car towed. I was told in writing by the kia dealership that the engine needed to be replaced. I was told verbally by kia that it was a rod knock issue. When I asked how it was diagnosed with rod knock she said the mechanic put something down in the engine and said its rod knock. I requested through kia corporate that the car be inspected for the wty039 extended warranty and corporate said they would reach out to the dealer and ask that it be checked. I have not received any further communication from the dealership or kia corporate. Yes the vehicle is available for inspection. Safety was an issue because the car stopped so suddenly in heavy traffic. I was not able to slowly decelerate or steer to the side of the road. I felt like a sitting duck. We were extremely lucky that we were not hit from behind at 35 mph resulting in injury to us and to the drivers behind us. Prior to this event there were no warning lights that had come on and no strange noises from the car. They first appeared when it stopped in traffic.

The contact owns a 2015 kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40-45 mph, the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle, but the engine made abnormal knocking sounds. The vehicle was towed to the residence and failed to restart. A mobile technician diagnosed the vehicle with engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not contacted. The failure mileage was 98,954.

The contact owns a 2015 kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated and remained illuminated. There was a knocking sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was towed the local dealer and was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. No further information was available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 128,405.

Dealer driving car 35mph. Check engine light started flashing. Burning plastic smell from under hood. Car cut off. Did not restart. Towed to mechanic, was told engine locked up.

I am filing this complaint regarding a suspected safety defect involving the theta ii engine in my 2015 kia Sorento. The vehicle developed progressive engine failure symptoms including: engine knocking and abnormal mechanical noise loss of power while driving misfire conditions excessive oil consumption progressive deterioration of engine performance these symptoms began at approximately 150,000 miles and worsened over time. Given the documented history of theta ii engine failures involving rod bearing defects, sudden engine seizure, loss of power, and fire risk, I believe my vehicle is experiencing a progression of the same known defect. 2) safety risk to driver and public the engine condition created serious safety risks, including: potential sudden engine failure while driving loss of power in traffic or at highway speeds increased risk of collision potential fire hazard associated with theta ii engine failures despite these risks, kia and its authorized dealership advised me to continue operating the vehicle. I was explicitly told to “drive it until it fails. ” this guidance was given despite kia’s documented knowledge of theta ii engine defects and associated safety hazards. 3) manufacturer response and denial I reported the engine failure to kia and its authorized dealership. Kia denied coverage, stating: the vehicle had “too many miles,” and the failure was allegedly “not rod bearing related. ” however, kia and the dealership refused to provide: complete diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) technician notes or inspection reports compression or leak-down test results oil analysis or evidence proving bearing failure was ruled out without this information, kia’s conclusion that the failure is not related to the theta ii defect is unsupported and unverifiable. 4) concern of misdiagnosis and defect misclassification based on the symptoms and known theta ii failure patterns, I believe kia may be misclassifying a progressive bearing-related engine failure as a non-covered.

I was driving down a very busy road and with no warning my car lost power. It would turn over but not start back up. I was stuck in the middle of a busy road way causing traffic’s to back up. I had to call the police to sit behind me so I wouldn’t get hit from behind.

My vehicle has a slow speed pick up and I’m getting code p0018 and has very rough idling !.

The contact owns a 2015 kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 21v331000 (service brakes, hydraulic). The contact stated that while driving at 50 mph, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal, and the engine seized. The contact was able to coast to the side of the road, and the vehicle failed to restart. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that prior to the failure, the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The vehicle was towed to the residence. A mobile mechanic arrived at the residence to inspect the vehicle and removed the serpentine belt, but was unable to crank the engine. However, no cause for the failure was found. The dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed that, as per the manufacturer, proof of all oil changes performed on the vehicle was needed since the vehicle was purchased, and if the proof was not provided, the vehicle would not be repaired under the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 134,000.

Faulty motor I have changed oil early every time and every mechanic I’ve been to said the Kia Motor is always doing this ! I still owe 9k on this car! it’s burning oil so fast and not going into the engine this is a on going issue with these motors ! I just now hit 100 k miles no reason for my motor to be blowing please put the recall back on for the 2015 kia’s!!!.

Engine started making rattling sounds during startup and when accelerating. Kia dealer said the engine failed and needed replaced. Repair cost were around $9000. 00.

Driving on highway and suddenly heard loud tapping/rattling sound from engine and then engine died resulting in total loss of power steering and acceleration. Was able to coast through an exit and into a parking lot. My entire family was in the vehicle and if we had not been able to coast to a safe spot we could have been involved in a high speed accident. Vehicle was towed to kia dealership and they diagnosed it as connecting rod failure. No other inspections have been done. No warning lamps displayed before the incident occurred.

What's driving home from work doing 65 mph postal speed limit car begin to overheat and then went in the complete engine failure engine light flashing.

On [xxx] while driving at approximately 45 mph the check engine light came on and the car would not accelerate. It was towed to the kia dealership in charleston south carolina. A code p1326 was diagnosed. They performed bearing clearance test and it passed. Also performed software update. The car drove as normal until [xxx]. On [xxx] while on the interstate, going about 65 mph, the check engine light began flashing and car would not accelerate. The car was taken to the kia dealership in florence, south carolina where we were told the knocking sensor needed to up updated. We told them it already had been updated in January by the kia dealership in charleston south carolina. We were then told we had to take it back to charleston and have that dealership work on the car. We called kia customer care center because the florence kia was refusing to work on the car. Kia customer care also told us to have the car towed back to charleston because the florence kia was backed up months before they could even look at it. We were told towing would be reimbursed. We had the car taken back to charleston and have provided all the service records we had to the dealership. It has been over six weeks and still waiting for an answer about the engine. Kia support says they haven't received any of our services records from the dealership and the dealership says they sent the records. We are not allowed to send the records straight to kia support. We have asked the kia dealership what needs to be done to fix the car but they said they can't tell us until kia support tells them. We do not know if any inspections have been done of the car yet. We are given very little information by the dealership. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

On April 26, 2025, while driving, my car just stopped in the middle of the road. There were no warning signs, no engine indicator light on on the dash. It just stopped and would not crank.

With little to no warning my check engine, steering, and oil lights turned on and the engine stalled after a loud noise as I was coming to a stop. This occurred on a major highway and could have been catastrophic and dangerous if it occurred at full speed by leaving my vehicle in the middle of the road open to potential collisions that could harm myself or others. Thank goodness I did not have any passengers. I was barely able to pull off to the median and had the vehicle towed to a mechanic who confirmed the engine had seized due to rapid oil loss and found metal debris in the engine oil. They are recommending a full engine replacement. I called the dealership to see if they would agree to inspect the vehicle or see if there had been any reports or recalls associated. I specifically asked them is there was a knock sensor update needed on my vehicle since the mechanic told me there are open complaints about this upgrade not being done and it causing engine failure. The dealership I spoke with stated there are no upgrades or recalls open for my vehicle and refused to inspect the vehicle stating "there is nothing in their system that would indicate an issue". The vehicle is available for inspection for now. I see there are many similar reports over the past year or so for this model. There apparently was a recall for this issue on the following year's model and the 2. 4 engine, however I strongly believe the 2015 Sorento 3. 3 engine should be thoroughly investigated.

The contact owns a 2015 kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle hesitated to maintain automotive power. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed; however, the diagnostic result was not available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 94,000.

The entire car failed as it caught fire. I wasn't able to break or put the car into park and it rolled to a stop while smoke was coming through the vents. Because of this, my passenger and I exited the vehicle and crossed the expressway while a highway patroller was directing traffic away from the car. Within 2 minutes the car was engulfed in flames. The car is not available for inspection as it was towed away and disposed of. The safety of myself and the passenger were at risk because the entire car broke out in flames and soon exploded. If we stayed in the car for any longer than we did, we would have died. Unkown. I do not believe that the vehicle has been inspected. The warning lights all turned on at exactly the same time, about 3-5 seconds before the car completely stopped.

I had catastrophic engine failure while driving with no warning lights indicating my engine was losing oil, the engine and power shut off at 55 miles and hour causing me to lose power steering and power assisted breaking.

I was driving normally in the garden state parkway when suddenly the “check engine light”, the “check engine oil”, and battery light lighted up causing me to almost losing control and the car shutting down.

Just purchased Sorento and within a week a p1326 code came up. Kia refused to look at car saying they are booked out for months hung up phone on me. Got the same response from every kia dealer. Had a mechanic replace knock sensor and the problem still exists and car not drivable. I'm a single mom with two infants and spent all my money buying this car. I did a google search on this car about it's dependability and it came back very dependable with engines lasting upwards of 300,000 miles. Mechanic told me kia needs to replace engine as it falls under class action and lifetime warranty. Kia will not schedule an appointment for me to bring car in. Why are they not pulling these cars off road knowing they are damaged and continue stealing people's money ? this is destroying me and my family I may lose my job over this and I'll lose my apartment. Again I'm a single mom and can't afford to be defrauded like this. These vehicles should have their titles branded if kia not going to repair them.

The problem started when our car died while driving it. After a few different replacements, kia decided to replace the entire engine under a recall. After driving the car for a short period of time, the check engine light came on. I went to check the oil and it smelled overwhelmingly like gasoline. I took it to my mechanic who said the check engine light was coming on because of the catalytic converter needing replaced. And the high pressure fuel pump was leaking gas into the oil tank. He said that both of these reasons were because the engine was replaced and they should have all been replaced simultaneously under the recall. I did look it up and there was a second recall for 2015 kia Sorentos who had there engine replaced, that the high pressure fuel pump should be replaced because it was leaking gas into the oil tank. However, kia told us we do not qualify for the recall because it was a different type of engine. But this is the exact same car and exact same issue, therefore I feel this should be included under the recall 17v-224.

Car had a blown head gasket. Took it to my mechanic and upon inspection determined that the head bolts had stretched. My mechanic said that it was a common problem and service advisor at dealership also agreed it was a common problem. After a little research found a lot of complaints about this problem. Talked to kia and was told no warranty or recall for this problem.

Engine died in the middle of the right of way suddenly and would not restart. Knocking sound ensued when restart was attempted. Within the previous 48 hours, the engine had been topped off with 2 quarts of oil. The dealership it was towed to to assess the issue confirmed they added an additional 3 quarts of oil during the assessment. They confirmed the engine would need to be replaced. Mileage at the time of incident was 68k. Kia corporate confirmed they would not replace the engine since there are 4 owners on the vehicle history, and the warranty expired at 60k miles as a result.

My car started shaking and making knocking sounds, pulled over and turned it off, tried to turn it back on and it shut off, had it towed to a family/friend mechanic he says my engine needs to be replaced. I’ve never had issues up until now.

Unknown. My engine light comes on often. When I had my oil changed the professional indicated that my car is burning oil. When reviewing online, it appears that this is a common issue for kia Sorento and specifically the engine that is installed in my 2015.

Driving the 2015 kia Sorento coming back from work the car overheated and complete engine failure check engine light with flashing.

Kia had a class action lawsuit for rod bearing failure. The settlement appears to require a ksds (knock sensor) software update. This was a 'product improvement campaign', which would extend the warranty to 15yr 150k miles. Kia mailed the letter to a previous address, failing to notify the owner. This should have been a recall. Engine has seized, warranty claim denied. Estimated repair over $9,000. Kia failed to notify owner of the defect, only sending one letter, to a bad address. Kia is dodging it's responsibility, the warranty claim is denied. This reeks. Looking up on their website for recall information, it says 0 incomplete campaigns for VIN number.

Engine seized up. Apparently it is common with kia engines.

Was driving on the freeway and vehicle shut off doing 70 miles per hour. Had to pull over in the dark on the side of the freeway and car would not start. Has never had any problems with this before. I drive it to work and back everyday and no issues. It was very scary to sit on the side of the freeway for over two hours and 50 miles from home in the dark. I had to car the car towed to our home cost me almost 200. 00. Mechanic looked at it and believes it is an engine failure. There are metal shavings in the oil. I can not drive my car it is in my driveway and will not stay on. Never had anything like this happen before. It is a 2015 with 106,000 miles.

September 2024, the engine cooling fan began staying on after shutting off the vehicle, and October 2024, we began to hear unusual engine noises and a bubbling sound from behind the dashboard. November 2024, we began to see intermittent poor performance with the hvac system, and then on [xxx], the temperature gauge climbed to h. We called matthews kia of greece, 4321 w ridge rd, rochester, NY 14626, and brought the vehicle in on 11/15/2024. Matthews kia had the vehicle from 11/15 to 11/29/2024. They reported performing a coolant pressure test and block test but found no signs of a coolant leak. They opened a tech line case under warranty extension wty039, and they were told to release the vehicle. Matthews kia informed us that the coolant reservoir appeared to have “an odor of alcohol” and some contamination, so we paid for a coolant flush at 140,438 miles (previous coolant flush was completed at 127,057 miles). We drove the vehicle for two more weeks. During that time, the check engine light turned on, and the temperature gauge would rise to h and then slowly descend back to standard operating position. We returned the vehicle to matthews kia on 12/13/2024, with 141,266 miles. They reported not being able to identify the source of overheating, and they indicated that the vehicle did not meet qualifications for the extended warranty under TSB #254. Matthews kia suggested replacing the thermostat. This was replaced, and motor oil and coolant were topped off on 1/3/2025 with 141,280 miles. Within ten miles of leaving matthews kia on 1/3/2025, the check engine light came back on. During the following week, hvac system also stopped blowing hot air and would frequently only blow cold air. The temperature gauge began rising to the h mark repeatedly on short trips (7-10 miles). We spoke with matthews kia on 1/16/2025, and returned the vehicle to them for further evaluation. The service dept at the dealer said they have no explanation and cannot diagnose the problem. Formation redacted pursuant to the freedom of informa.

My engine is using excessive amounts of oil. I am having to fill the engine with oil in between my 3000-mile oil changes. No oil is leaking in my driveway. I just started an oil consumption test with a dealer and after driving it 1000 miles I brought it back to them as they asked, and the engine oil level had dropped by almost 4 qt. But after making some calls with kia regional they said they my car wouldn't have the engine replaced due to it not being in the recall. Kia knows there is a problem with their engines and will not fix the problem.

While driving my 2015 kia sedona, was at a stop sign and began making a left turn. Half way thru the intersecion the vehicle just stopped running. I managed to get half off the 2-lane road, blocking half off the road with traffic coming both ways. I was there approximately 45 before the tow truck came to tow the car to the mechanic's shop where he confirmed the problem was a common problem with the 2015 kia sedona. There was absolutely no warning that the vehicle was going to become incapacitated, no warning lights or messages prior to the failure.

I was driving and it started to make a knocking noise thays when I saw the engine light come on then my car turned off. I took it to autozone and 2 sensors are bad. I went to pep boys and they said that it needs a engine replacement and it falls under the tsd dates. I called my kia dealership and they said that they don't see any recalls on my vehicle.

I don’t know why, but I keep losing oil somewhere. I do my oil changes on time regularly and they said it’s burning oil fast and that that’s an issue with all kia.