Table 1 shows one common structure related problems of the 2023 Kia Motor Sorento.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Body problems |
Front panel of panoramic sunroof shattered while driving on interstate 90 at approx 65mpg. Sunroof was fully closed. Exploded on its own with no outside influence. Conditions were clear and dry. Sounded like a gun shot and glass was flying everywhere. Fortunately shade was closed with no glass entering passenger compartment. Could have resulted in injuries or accident if glass entered the driving inside area.
Sunroof randomly exploded driving down the road.
Issue occurred and came to like during the past winter snow storm. The hood of the SUV does not allow and blocks the wiper blade arm from being lifted in order to clean ice off the wiper blade nor can the wiper arm be lifted to clear ice and snow under the wiper arm to allow proper operation. This design flaw does not allow safe and clear sight function of the windshield wipers.
I purchased my 2023 kia Sorento hybrid on 11/20/22. On 1/12/23 is when the incident occurred, I had the vehicle for 53 days. 1/12/23 I was driving on the freeway going the speed limit with no one around me and my sunroof exploded. Initially I thought that it was a gunshot and someone was shooting at me. I sped up and then thought I had a flat tire. After pulling over, I realized it was in fact my sunroof which randomly exploded. Luckily I had the shade up, so the glass didn't fall into the vehicle. This could've caused a horrible accident if any cars were around me, or if I wasn't able to stay calm. It sounded like a shotgun went off in my ear. I have a 2 year old and a 4 month old and I'm just thankful that they weren't in the car when this happened. There were no warning signs of the glass cracking, nothing hit the vehicle prior, this was a brand new vehicle off the lot 53 days prior. I contacted the dealership immediately and said this needed to be fixed. They took the vehicle back and made a claim with kia which is currently active from 1/13/23 and is active as of 4/5/23. I picked up the vehicle on 3/30/23 and gave kia and the dealership a chance to make it right. The car had glass shards still in the top from the original breakage. When I pushed the sunroof back the first two times I could hear glass shards pushing in the tracks and forcing it back into position. I returned the vehicle to the dealership on 4/3/23 and they're "working on fixing it". I do not feel safe myself driving in the vehicle nor having my children travel in the vehicle. I've let it be known I do not want the car back and I want out of the loan. I had the car for a total of 53 days and it's been in the shop 75+days now. Reporting this as I feel like this was a total safety issue and I hope no other individuals have to go through this same process with the dealership and kia. First 3 photos are after the incident. Next 2 photos are proof of glass still in sunroof after repair.