general problems of the 2019 Kia Motor Sorento - part 1

Vehicle: 2019 kia Sorento issue: engine failure / safety concern complaint: I am filing a complaint regarding a 2019 kia Sorento that experienced sudden engine failure after clear warning signs that created a serious safety concern. The vehicle began making a loud ticking/knocking noise that progressively worsened over time. While driving, the vehicle struggled to accelerate and lost power. The noise became louder when pressing the gas. Shortly after, the vehicle shut off completely and is now unable to start at all. This failure occurred without any warning lights appearing on the dashboard, including no check engine light, which prevented me from knowing the severity of the issue in advance. After contacting kia, I was informed that there were multiple recalls on the vehicle that were not completed. However, I was never notified of these recalls as the current owner. I was told that recall notifications were sent to the previous owner, and no effort was made to notify me directly. Kia has refused to assist with the engine failure, stating that recalls must be completed first. However, the vehicle is now completely inoperable and cannot be driven to complete recall repairs. Requiring a non-running vehicle to complete recall updates is unreasonable and places consumers at risk. This situation raises serious safety concerns because: the vehicle lost power while in operation, creating a dangerous driving condition there were no warning indicators prior to failure the engine failure appears consistent with known issues involving kia engines I am requesting that this matter be investigated, including kia’s handling of recall notifications and their refusal to assist with a known engine failure issue under these circumstances.

The contact owns a 2019 kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was smoke coming from the vents, with the low oil warning light illuminated. The contact stated that several oil changes were needed. While inspecting the vehicle, the contact became aware that the oil levels were constantly low. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and the contact was advised to go back to the dealer for a diagnostic test. The approximate failure mileage was 146,060.

The contact owns a 2019 kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at 40 mph, the vehicle bucked abnormally. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had recurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The mechanic informed the contact that the failure was related to an unknown engine recall, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 91,000.

The vehicle just had an oil change. It was driven after that approximately 25 miles when there was a loud noise and the wheels locked up. The vehicle was shifted into neutral and coasted to the end of a dirt road. Could smell oil burning. Upon inspection of the underside there was oil blown onto the exhaust and down the underside of the vehicle. After looking further, I noticed a semi rectangular hole in the narrow end of the oil pan just above the exhaust pipe. Some oil had drained out but the dip stick was reading full. This incident could have resulted in losing control of the vehicle when the tires locked up or caused a fire when the oil hit the exhaust. It could have cause an accident if another vehicle was following. No lights were on until after the incident when the check engine and oil light came on. It still has not been diagnosed by the dealer because they are all backed up until may. Have to rent a vehicle due now and probably look for an independent garage.

On Saturday February 7th, while driving home, the vehicle suddenly caught fire without any warning. Within moments, the fire intensified, and I was forced to jump out of the vehicle to save my life. Shortly afterward, the vehicle exploded. The car was completely destroyed. Every item inside was charred, and I barely escaped with my life. A police report was filed. Both the manufacturer and insurance company were notified as well as the bank that the vehicle was purchased from. There were no warning lights or messages prior to. When the vehicle caught fire, all warning lights came on at the same time. Following this incident, I began researching similar cases and was alarmed to learn that fires and engine?related failures appear to be a common issue in this model. Despite this, I was never notified of any recall, safety advisory, or service campaign related to fire risks. Had I been informed, I would have taken immediate action to prevent such a catastrophic and dangerous event.

The oil pressure switch on my 2019 kia Sorento comes on when coming to a stop. This has occurred even after an oil change and checking the oil the dip stick showed full. I understand that kia had a recall on these sensors for kia Sorentos up to year models 2018 but evidently the problem with this sensor has not been resolved and presents a major possibility of fire occurring due to oil leakage. I believe kia for safety sake should be required to replace this faulty sensor at no cost to the owner.

The contact owns a 2019 kia Sorento. The contact stated that there was an engine oil leak on the driveway. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a fractured oil pan, causing the engine oil leak. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to the VIN not being under recall. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign: 19v101000 (engine); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 38,500.

I have 2019 kia seranto . In November 2024 started leaking oil the oil filter casing was cracked. January 2026 oil light came on. Oil was changed 2 months before. Took it to the shop and no oil was in the engine. No oil under the car to tell it was leaking. Shop had to run oil leak detector on it. Several gaskets in engine had to be repaired. There was some other issues with engine concerning oil. $1800. After changing gaskets the oil light kept coming on and off. The oil light sensor and switch had to be repaired. $1500. Car had 107,000 miles only. The auto shop in my town fixed it. This auto shop reports everything to car fox. I would not drive it when oil light came on.

The contact owns a 2019 kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at 25 mph, the vehicle stalled. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not drivable and was towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact researched and was made aware of an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

It need to fill the oil ever two to three weeks - oil consumption? now this morning it has the a lot of oil in the ground - I won’t drive the car.

A failing alternator caused me to take my kia into a mechanic for oem replacement. The mechanic informed me that the engine rattles. I got to talking with the mechanic and told him that my car has been experiencing high oil consumption with no 'low oil' warning light on the dash and ive checked my oil periodically between changes and have found the dip stick bone dry multiple times. A year later, my alternator failed again and was replaced with another oem part. The same mechanic told me that the engine is still rattling (I hadnt gotten it fixed/diagnosed because I am low income) and that he found out there had been a recall for kia sotento engines with my vehicle date range. Upon research, I find thousands of people on different platforms are also experiencing high oil consumption and there was actually a recall. When I checked my VIN, my vehicle was not part of the recall. There seems to be a high number of consumers who have the same issue, but are also not included in the original recall and we are all being told that unless we pay for a new engine out of pocket, there's nothing that can be done. High oil consumption with no warning light is dangerous. How is it possible that only half of the vehicles with the same defect are eligible for a recall/repair and the rest of us are s. O. L? I am the second owner of this vehicle and purchased from a used lot, however kia knew about this defect before I purchased the vehicle from the used lot. The used car dealership no longer exists so I can't even ask them if kia made them aware (which they potentially did not since my VIN isn't considered eligible anyways) this issue needs to be rectified for the thousands of consumers/customers that are experiencing this problem and I strongly suggest a new investigation be conducted for the remaining vehicles that were manufactured in the same time frame as the vehicles that are covered. My vehicle has only 90k miles on it!.

2019 with 56,000 miles and the oil pressure sensor and the fuel pump need replacing. Both items should be considered part of the powertrain but of course they’re not. Called corporate but got the “there is no recall” monologue from their representatives. Needless to say, I won’t make the same mistake with my next purchase.

At 79,000, the engine started running very rough. I took it to the dealer. It’s got a cylinder that won’t fire. I have an extended warranty( big $!) but I’m getting the runaround from kia. It’s been almost 3 weeks. They’re dragging their feet because they know these theta ii engines are junk! I’ve maintained my own vehicles my entire adult life, and I don’t drive crazy either. It also had a knock sensor recall, which most likely kept this issue from being a recall.

The engine is completely burning all of the oil. I can feel a hesitation in the engine while driving.

Oil pressure sensor light came on when I would stop or park after 10-20 minutes of driving. Vehicle was low on oil so I added a quart. About a week later the light came on again so I took it to get oil changed at an independent shop. They said a change wasn’t necessary as I still had 2000 miles left, but said they would top it off if needed. It was half a quart low so they topped it off. On the way home the light came on again. Took it to the dealership where it was diagnosed as an oil pressure sensor failure. Vehicle has 103,000 miles so I was out of warranty. This vehicle is not eligible for the extended warranty for the oil pressure sensor issue provided by kia as the extended warranty was only for models up to 2018, or vehicles manufactured up until March 2018. This is a 2019 that was manufactured in April 2018. Because of how close the model year and manufacture date is to the kia provided extended warranty, it is apparent the issue was not corrected for this model year either and it should be part of the extended warranty.

My vehicle is a Sorento 2019 model, April 2018 production, and is experiencing oil pressure switch failure that requires $1500 of repair, there is a recall/warranty extension wty026 for the same model but only up-to March 2018 production, kia claimed that they modified the sensor to eliminate the problem in 2919 models, but unfortunately many of the 2019 model year owners are still experiencing the same problem as the previous year. Please extend this recall to cover 2919-2020 productions as well.

1. Vehicle information make: kia model: Sorento model year: 2019 VIN: [xxx] approximate mileage: 87,000 miles 2. Incident details complaint title: critical oil pressure sensor/switch leak leading to oil warning light, rapid oil loss, and safety risk narrative: I am submitting this safety complaint regarding a critical oil leak on my 2019 kia Sorento, currently at 87,000 miles. The leak originates specifically from the oil pressure sensor (switch). Symptoms and diagnosis: 1. I observed a significant amount of engine oil leaking onto the ground where the vehicle was parked, indicating a substantial loss of lubricant. 2. The oil pressure warning light has been illuminating intermittently on the dashboard, confirming that the engine's oil pressure or level has dropped to a critical point. 3. A dealership/mechanic officially diagnosed the issue as a severe leak at the oil pressure sensor. Safety concern and precedent: the rapid and severe loss of engine oil creates an unreasonable risk of sudden engine failure/seizure while driving, which is an extreme safety hazard. Additionally, oil leaking onto hot engine components poses a potential fire hazard. I note that kia has previously issued safety recalls and/or substantial warranty extensions for this exact type of oil pressure sensor/switch leak on other kia models and earlier model years of the Sorento. This defect appears to be recurring in the $\text{2019}$ model year, suggesting the core safety defect has not been resolved for this vehicle group. I request that NHTSA investigate this specific issue in the 2019 Sorento and mandate a proper safety recall to replace the faulty component and eliminate the serious risk of engine failure and fire. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Engine has a leak, the engine oil sensor was defected ,front axel leak and needs replacement.

I am the original owner of this vehicle. The engine is consuming approximately 5 quarts of oil every 7–10 days while I drive about 300 miles per week. The rear of the vehicle is covered in black soot from the exhaust, indicating severe oil burning. I have been topping off oil constantly to prevent engine damage. No knocking, ticking, or check engine light has appeared yet. This level of oil consumption is far beyond normal and poses a serious risk of engine failure.

The contact owns a 2019 kia Sorento. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed. The dealer informed the contact that an oil consumption test needed to be performed and instructed the contact to return after driving 1,000 miles. The contact stated that the vehicle had to be returned to the dealer on multiple occasions due to exceeding the 1,000-mile interval. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 113,000.

I have been having heavy oil leaks with my vehicle and when I check my oil a few days after adding oil it registers bone dry. Excessive oil can be seen in my drive way after pulling in and out. The oil ight has been coming on intermittently and now it stays on. Took it to kia dealership and inquired about problem and possible recall and they said their was none and instead tried to sell me a nother vehicle.

Knocking noise started when pulling off the interstate. No engine light came on. No oil registered on 'dip stick'. Oil change was due at 130,449. The mileage on the car was 132,635. Had towed to kia dealership where they said there was no test that could be done due to the vehicle being a 6 cylinder engine. They said the 'sound' points to needing an engine replacement. I inquired about a oil pressure switch test and oil consumption test due to past recalls and known engine issues. I was told due to the car being out of powertrain warrenty they would not perform such tests. I have video that shows the car is burning oil. Visible out of the exhaust. This is not something I was aware of until after this incident. These are the same issues as noted in previous recalls. Dealership said would need full engine replacement.

The contact owns a 2019 kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at 70 mph, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where an oil change was performed because the engine oil level was extremely low. The contact stated that the vehicle was not due for an oil change at the time of the service. Despite the oil change, the failure worsened as the sound became increasingly louder. The vehicle was then taken to another independent mechanic and was diagnosed it with engine failure, and the contact was provided an estimate for a new engine. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 164,000. The VIN was not available.

The contact owns a 2019 kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating. The contact became aware of puddles of oil on the driveway while the vehicle was parked. Additionally, the transmission warning light was displayed, and the vehicle hesitated to start while pressing the push to start button. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the contact was informed that the oil level was extremely low. The vehicle had been taken to two separate independent mechanics, who both confirmed that the vehicle was losing oil very quickly; however, an oil leak was not found. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer; however, the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

My car is consuming oil. I was two and a half quarts down when I checked it and the oil light never came on! I'm glad I checked it when I did! the car is consuming oil and has to be checked every day to every other day. I called the local kia dealership and of course, no recalls. What do I do now?.

The contact owns a 2019 kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving 65 mph and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The contact pulled over to the right side of the road and waited for several minutes before the vehicle started working as intended. The check engine warning light was illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced, and that the transmission fluid was burnt. The contact had experienced the failure on several occasions. The transmission was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified on the failure and opened a case. The approximate failure mileage was 71,682.

Vehicle: 2019 kia Sorento (VIN: 5xypg4a3xkg575715) mileage at incident: 171,800 description of incident: on Sunday, August 31, 2025, at approximately 12:30 pm, my 2019 kia Sorento experienced a sudden and catastrophic engine failure while in motion. I was driving with my two children at approximately 60 mph on highway 111, a major highway in palm springs, CA. Without any warning whatsoever, no dashboard lights, sounds, or symptoms, the engine failed and the vehicle immediately lost all power. The gas pedal became completely unresponsive, and I was left to coast from highway speeds down to a natural stop. My safety and the safety of my children were severely at risk. Being in a vehicle that is unable to accelerate or even maintain speed on a major highway creates an immediate and extreme hazard for being rear-ended by other traffic moving at 60+ mph. We were a vulnerable, slow-moving obstacle with no ability to power ourselves out of a dangerous situation. The vehicle was towed to the palm springs kia dealership in cathedral city, California, where it was inspected by their service department. A certified kia technician confirmed the cause of failure was a cracked engine valve, requiring a full engine replacement. I am the original owner of this vehicle and have a complete and documented history of performing all scheduled maintenance. This incident represents a severe safety defect, as a sudden loss of motive power in traffic places the vehicle occupants and surrounding drivers at high risk of a serious collision.

Excessively burn oil, have to put in a quart or more every 1,000 miles. Recently started sputtering like there was a miss in the engine when idling or barely pushing at acceleration pedal. Bad oil consumption started around 70k miles engine sputtering started around 100k miles.

The contact owns a 2019 kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle abnormally shuddered, with the low oil warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with engine failure due to excessive oil consumption. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the diagnostic result was confirmed. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 74,750.

The oil was changed with no leak, and less than 1000 miles later, it all disappeared. Now, it has gone into limp mode and thrown a knock code due to no oil. Having it sent to a shop four times in a week is not okay. If there's no leak and no gasket problems, where did all the oil go? I have more posts about this daily. I have 96,000 miles on this engine with full synthetic changes every time. It was healthy, and now it's not because it's overeating oil. Make it make sense, please.

Oil consumption: flickering intermittent oil light at various times. Occurred after routine maintenance and oil changes. Various reasons were given when serviced including leak at the cap or via a screw. Multiple trips to the dealer for service. Engine has no oil and light did not remain illuminated, only flickering occasionally. Performed combustions clean out 4 weeks ago with top off of oil. Light came on, notified that the vehicle is very low on oil since that time again with light flickering.

Engine started to knock, had it towed to kia dealership it's been there for 6 weeks. Dealership stated needs new engine, warranty company refuses to honor coverage and replace engine. 2019 kia Sorento known for engine failures. Have provided oil receipts which is not needed. (nothing stated in our contract) if we continued to drive the car the engine would have seized or caught fire. There were no lights on the dash for oil change or engine lights on. There are reports on the internet/social media of many people having the same issue with this engine. There should be a recall on this engine. And it shouldn't be this hard to get kia or the warranty company to step up and fix a known problem. We paid for the warranty and expect it to work for us. Right now the car is still at kia of huntington. We have made a complaint with the bbb and with kia headquarters in CA hopefully this will be resolved soon.

Car suffered catastrophic internal engine failure due to rod bearings. Began having problems with engine stuttering then knocking July 2025. Car was taken to local mechanic stated that the engine failed. Followed up with local kia dealer and they verified that the engine had indeed failed. Car is in my possession and available for inspection. My safety and the safety of other drivers was compromised in that all engine systems failed rendering me incapable of driving vehicle and needing to push the car manually. Dealer has reproduced and confirmed the engine failure. Car inspected by dealership only. No warning lights came on. The only lights that have ever come on in my vehicle are the low tire pressure sensor and the scheduled maintenance light. Neither of these sensors came on during these events.

Purchased this vehicle in June 17 2025 from a used car dealer, as I was driving from time to time, I noticed that the vehecle would hesatate, and at times would stall, I had the spark plugs and coild replaced along with a new high pressure fuel pump, it still hesatates when pulling out into traffic, from a stop, this places the vehicle in a very dangerous position in that it can be broadsided, or another form of collision with on comming traffic, I looked on line on various sites and there are quite a number of kias with this issue, some contacted the mfg and were told that it is withing the 8 speed transmission, something about the servers inside it, this appears to be an issue with several year models, and the mfg does not repair or replace the defective part, so I am quite sure they are awar of it, I am not aware of any loss of life for this priblem, I have also seen that by placing the selective system out of eco, economy or comfort mode into ( sport ) mode that it does not do it as often, but at time does, this mode also has a determental effect on millage. I am sure that many kis Sorento owners have the same issue and shoudl be fixed under a nationwide recall, ASAP before anyone is hurt or killed like stalling out when pulling out into highway traffic.

The contact owned a 2019 kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed in stop-and-go traffic, the driver noticed smoke emerging from under the hood, pulled over, exited the vehicle, opened the hood, and saw flames. The contact removed items from the vehicle and exited safely. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire. There were no reported injuries, airbag deployment, or crash. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The local dealer was contacted, who referred to the manufacturer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the insurance company. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.