Power Train Problems of Kia Motor Sorento - part 2

Critical issue: gasoline leaks into engine. That causes increasing engine oil level significantly and mixed with engine oil. I dropped off me car (mileage: 11731) at kia pro in glendale, CA on 5/1/2025 as soon as I confirmed that engine oil level exceeds the maximum (twice of max) and smelled gasoline from the dipstick. The service advisor and a tech confirmed that the excessive engine oil level and gasoline smell. However, they refused to repair it under warranty because they don't see any physical leaks and error codes. In addition to that, they told me that the car is not good to drive as is because gasoline is mixed with engine oil. In my opinion, this can cause critical powertrain failures or possible life-threatening damages if that initiates fire from engine. Car maintenance history: at 6312miles, 1 oil change change at kia in alhambra, CA I have attached the service receipt on 5/1 for your reference. That shows that the dealership confirmed the issue but they didn't try to resolve the issue.

See all problems of the 2023 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.

I bought the car at 28k miles certified pre owned at jake sweeney kia in florence ky. I had taken the car to the service station multiple times complaining of a clunky transmission. Things got worse and a whine from the engine bay occurred. At this time kia replaced the transmission at just under 42k miles. After having the new transmission about 500 miles later this issue is occurring again. Within 50 miles of replacement I went back to the dealership complaining of the the same clunking issue. At this time the dealership told me they could not replicate the problem. Now just a few hundred miles later the problem is extremely worse. I once again visit kia were they tell me again they could not replicate the issues. At this time I asked the service advisor donavon to ride with me and I will point out the issue. Within a mile of our trip the problems occurred and the advisor noted the issue. I now am driving the car and waiting for a loaner from the dealership so they can yet again diagnose the issue which may result in another transmission replacement.

See all problems of the 2021 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.

I pulled out of my subdivision and immediately received an error check engine light warning and initially didn't think much of it. As I pressed the accelerator I noticed there was no engine power at all just electric (this is a Sorento hybrid sx prestige) so I immediately pulled over and turned the car off for two minutes. Upon turning it back on the engine did rengage so I decided to proceed. About a mile further the same check engine error occurred with the engine not responsive at all and only electric power available so I made a u-turn and proceed back to my house. Prior to arriving at my house another warning error appeared warning me the electric battery was dangerously low and to stop the vehicle immediately. I believe the error was a hybrid system error with code p112000. Once again I turned the vehicle off and waited 2 minutes with the engine reengaging. I had the car towed to the dealer where it sat for 3 weeks. Their response was they couldn't reproduce the error so had no idea how to proceed to fix the issue. That is unacceptable to me since kia programmed the car in the first place they should be very aware. I have had two cases open with kia where they are refusing a solution and my request to buy back the vehicle. I have had another case with kbb auto and they likewise refer to the WI state lemon law. I have clearly communicted to them that I don't feel safe driving this vehicle any longer and they need to take action for all consumers but that is falling flat. My safety and that of others is being put at major risk here as if this error occurs in situations such as pulling into heavy free flowing traffic or on a busy freeway where the engine doesn't engage many lives are at risk. There was no attempt to fix the vehicle at all. Just reset the error and told me to come get it. Let me make it clear here. . . The vehicle is working but hidden somewhere in the software is a major programming glitch. Please help!.

The stop go feature is not working correctly, when it does cut off at a light after releasing the brake to move forward it takes 3-5 seconds to start. When the cars behind me see that I release the brake they assume im going to move which doesnt happen at first. Some occasions the stop n go just doesnt work at all.

Was driving and car lost all power then violently shifted to the next gear and almost caused an accident.

When pressing the accelerator pedal after a near stop (rolling stop, California stop, stop to u der 3mpg and then resume acceleration) or very brief stop (<1 second) there is a significant delay in acceleration or a very brief acceleration then dead pedal and no acceleration for ~ 1 second. No accelerator pedal input variations changes this, I. E. I can release the accelerator pedal, hold the accelerator pedal pr push the accelerator pedal to the floor and it’s still a “dead pedal” scenario until the car decides it’s time to go. Owned car since new (~20 miles) and now has ~64k miles, been a persistent issue for entire ownership.

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.

See all problems of the 2015 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.

The contact owns a 2017 kia Sorento. The contact stated that the gear shifter was stuck in park(p). The contact stated that once the vehicle was parked, the gear shifter remained stuck in park(p). The contact manually depressed the button under the gear shifter to move the gear shifter. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that after the first failure, the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that an unknown part in the gear shifter had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The failure mileage was approximately 94,000.

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Vehicle suddenly loses power while driving. Engine does not turn on, vehicle will run on battery until battery is dead, then putting the vehicle in park once stopped. Vehicle will not accelerate normally since the engine does not turn on. Only goes 10-20 mph. Lights on the dash come on, prompting to keep car on to charge the battery. No code is found when the vehicle is scanned. Dealerships can't seem to diagnose the issue. This is a safety concern when driving on busy roads or state highways at higher speeds.

The contact owns a 2011 kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost automotive power while the accelerator pedal was being depressed. No warning light was illuminated. The contact research and was became aware of NHTSA campaign number: 15v626000 (power train); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was taken back to the residence; the contact stated that an independent mechanic arrived at the residence and diagnosed the vehicle and determined that an undisclosed part needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 165,000.

See all problems of the 2011 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.

The check engine light has come on. The vehicle has stalled or loss power while driving 3 times with the last week. Once at 70 mph and the other 2 at 35 mph. Still very concerning on how to control when this occurs!!.

We experienced a large oil leak from the vehicle. Towing it to the dealer, we are told the oil feed pipe to the turbo charger part number 282402gta1 has failed spewing oil out of the turbo area. There are many recalls for similar parts on other kia / Hyundai models with 2. 0t and 3. 3 engine models. The dealer is telling me this is not covered by kia. This is a safety concern of oil spewing from the engine which can get on hot exhaust components as well as burning from the engine compartment. My vehicle is currently at the dealership waiting to escalate the concern.

See all problems of the 2016 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.

Vehicle jerks and goes into a neutral mode while driving. Vehicle shifter still shows it's in "drive", but vehicle stops moving. Once I drift over to the shoulder of the road, I can shut the engine off and restart. Then it moves. Twice this has happened now. Once on December 13, 2024 and again on January 24, 2025. I reported this to my dealership, gurley leep kia with the first incident and they said it was just a fluke. They did not pursue inspecting anything on the vehicle, knowing some 2022 Sorento's were involved in a transmission recall. In both incidents I was driving on an incline. My VIN currently doesn't have a recall on it, but should. This could result in a crash.

See all problems of the 2022 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.

The contact owns a 2016 kia Sorento. The contact stated that after shifting the vehicle into park(p), the gear shifter would fail to shift out of the park(p) position. The contact would be forced to use a screwdriver to open the shift lock release button in an effort to shift gears. The contact also mentioned that the check engine had appeared on the instrument panel. The contact used a code reader that determined that the transmission range sensor circuit was defective and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 162,747.

I am financing a 2016 kia sorrento from the burns Ford of york by here pay here of south carolina I had the car for less than two weeks and the car would not go in park and sometimes it would not come out of park . I am trying to find all recalls that have been fixed on the car before VIN# [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

I had purchased my vehicle in January of 2024. At the time the car drove great. Fast forward a few months later and that’s when the issues started happening. I would go to accelerate the vehicle and it’s like the car didn’t want to go anywhere. I would have the pedal down to the floor and it wasn’t moving. At first when it happened it was sporadicly, and I thought ok it’s a new car maybe that’s just how it drives. But then when I was pressing the gas pedal the engine would revv up but then continue to rev even when the car was moving, like it wasn’t catching the gear. So I had enough of just thinking it’s the car and I had my own mechanic look at it and he mentioned cvt transmission slipping. So being still under warranty I took it into kia this past December and explained the loss of acceleration, it eating gas, and how I truly do not feel safe. Well of course I was told there is nothing wrong with it, and that it learned my driving habits and that I possible keep hitting the shifter in manual. I had videos of the rpms revving up and the car not moving, and they didn’t want to see my videos. I was just a few thousands miles from my 60,000 mile second owner warranty and not sure if that’s why I was told there was nothing wrong with is. This vehicle is truly a hazard as it does not move on acceleration on the highway and feel like I will get into an accident because of it one day. Kia really needs to address the issue before something really bad happens to someone. I apologize but it will not allow me to upload videos of the issues before and after going to kia and how there is still an issue.

I am experiencing a serious issue with my 2018 kia Sorento awd related to the awd coupling. During normal driving, the vehicle does not perform as expected, and the awd system feels compromised, making the car unsafe and unreliable. While the vehicle doesn’t stall, it struggles to function properly, which is a major concern. I took the vehicle to the dealership, where they diagnosed the problem as a malfunctioning awd coupling. However, they informed me that this issue is not covered under warranty or any recall program. This response is both frustrating and concerning, especially since awd functionality is a critical part of the Sorento’s design and intended use. After researching, I found that many kia Sorento owners have reported similar problems with the awd coupling, indicating that this may be a widespread issue across multiple model years. If this is a known defect, it is troubling that kia has not offered a recall or extended warranty to address the problem. Customers should not be left to bear the financial burden of repairing what seems to be a common and significant defect. I am requesting further clarification and assistance. I need to understand why this issue is not covered, particularly if it affects other Sorento vehicles as well. If this is a systemic problem, kia should take responsibility to resolve it fairly and promptly. The awd system is essential for safe driving, and as a loyal customer, I expect kia to stand behind its product and ensure my safety and satisfaction.

See all problems of the 2018 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.

The vehicle (90k miles) has a check oil light on. When I took it to the dealer, they diagnosed the issue as a faulty oil pressure sensor (see attachment #1). The model year warranty is 10yr/100k for engine/powertrain, I was informed that since I am a second owner that they will only honor a 5yr/60k warranty. I then looked to see if there was an extended warranty on this component and there is on the NHTSA. Gov site. A letter from kia dated 4/6/2022 (wty026) (attachment #2). Attached for you convenience shows an extension of the warranty of this component to 15yr/150k. The letter includes my vehicles make and model, but uses the model year 2014-2018 with a manufacturing date of 12/17/2012 - 3/7/2018. My vehicle was manufactured on 3/2/18 from the VIN plate attached to the vehicle (attachment #3). The dealership also refused to cover the warranty based on this letter because of the model year. My issue is this model year uses the same engine and components and was manufactured before the cut-off of the extended warranty. I would like to see the extended warranty extended to cover further model years as the component is still causing the same safety issue.

See all problems of the 2019 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.

The contact owns a 2021 kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal, with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the contact was informed of NHTSA campaign number: 22v760000 (power train); which the dealer linked to the failure. The vehicle was repaired under the recall; however, the failure returned soon after leaving the dealer. The vehicle was then taken to arapahoe kia (9701 e arapahoe rd, centennial, CO 80112); where the contact was informed that the recall was closed by the previous dealer. The contact believed that the initial dealer never serviced the vehicle under the recall. The contact made several requests to the dealer to provide documentation about the work that was performed for the recall; however, the contact had not yet received the documentation. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided a case number. The contact later received an email from the manufacturer stating that all future repairs would be performed out of pocket. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

While sitting in park the parking shift level assembly was bumped by a hand bag by someone getting in the vehicle car shifted out of park into reverse and began to roll backwards while the person was still getting in the car. At the time the driver did not have any foot on the brake or accelerator. Further discovery show that the car could be shifted out of any gear including park at any time without applying the brake.

I have gotten the notice refill inverter coolant and hybrid system failure and lost acceleration and the all power. The first time this happened was in Dec 2024 with about 60,000 miles on the car. Dealer flushed system and it worked fine until April 2025 at about 71000 miles hybrid system failure alert again, barely able to accelerate from stop light, made to a parking space just as I lost power steering. After about 2 hours to cool off car started and could be driven home. Got refill inverter coolant alert.

My 2016 kia Sorento (VIN: [xxx] ) has suffered a head gasket failure due to a known manufacturing defect identified in a kia technical service bulletin (TSB wty035). The defect causes head gasket failure, which in my case has resulted in external oil leakage. While kia issued a TSB acknowledging this defect, they are denying warranty repair on a technicality — stating that the failure must involve coolant entering the combustion chamber to qualify, despite acknowledging the underlying part defect. The vehicle’s engine is losing oil through the failed gasket, and the issue poses increasing risk of engine damage or sudden performance loss. Kia’s denial is inconsistent with the intent of the warranty and the federal magnuson-moss warranty act. This problem affects vehicle function and reliability. It is also being experienced by other owners of the same model and engine. I am filing this complaint so NHTSA is aware of this known defect and the manufacturer's refusal to take accountability unless the failure meets arbitrarily narrow criteria. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

I have had this happen 4 times now with my Sorento hybrid where the gas engine does engage with the drivetrain, leaving only the electric motor providing power. All incidents have occurred where I was sitting idle with the vehicle on. All incidents occurred when I had the vehicle in eco mode. 2 of the 4 incidents have warnings about pulling over immediately because the hybrid battery was nearly depleted. The only resolution I've had is to pull over or come to a complete stop on the highway and restart my vehicle. Afterwards, the vehicle runs normally. I have not brought this up with a kia dealer due to others I've discussed with saying kia does not know what is happening. The circumstances that replicate this problem are probably difficult to recreate.

The contact owns a 2011 kia Sorento. The contact stated that there was a knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. While driving at various speeds, the vehicle jerked with the transmission slipping gear with an engine misfire. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to auto zone and a code for the knock sensor failure was retrieved. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact had replaced the spark plugs on the vehicle. While driving 65 mph, the vehicle went into limp mode. The contact restarted the vehicle and continued driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who confirmed that the knock sensor had failed. The dealer related the failure to the NHTSA campaign number: 23v877000 (engine); however, the VIN was not included. The dealer cleared the code, but the vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to a different certified mechanic who confirmed the diagnostic result and cleared the code. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 135,750.

Unknown component or system failed. My car suddenly stalled while on the highway, not allowing me to increase speed (over 40 mpg) and then stopped. I was scared to death when that happened on the highway as we could have been hit by other vehicles. I was able to restart it but it kept doing it, gradually reducing my speed to 20mpg then a lamp warning sign appeared. The car only has 50,000 miles on it and no warning light or prior failure before this happened on 11/29/2024. I took it to kia for inspection and they told me if the engine will have to be replaced, it will take 3 months. They took my car in for inspection and I am now 10 days without a car and I have not yet heard from kia.

The contact owns a 2016 kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the transmission was slipping, the engine was consuming an excessive amount of oil, the vehicle lost motive power before the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The contact stated that the engine had recently been replaced due to the failure. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 108,000.

I had a catastrophic engine failure on the interstate right before rush hour traffic without any warning. I was driving on 294 w and heard a noise (sounded like something fell). Steering was a little wobbly then seemed ok for about 1min. Went to accelerate and could hear engine trying but could not accelerate. Shortly after the check engine light was flashing, oil light and battery light was on. I lost power. Thankfully I had started to move over to the farthest right lane and was able to get over to side of road before car stopped. This was around 2:50pm on a tues right before chicago rush hour traffic. Had to tow car to my mechanic who said a rod blew through engine and there is a piston in the oil pan. My mechanic recommended I have it towed to dealership for engine warranty. It's currently at castle kia in mchenry IL. They agreed a rod went through engine and there is a piston in the oil pan. Now dealership wants me to pay $1500 for diagnostics and to tear down the engine to see if it qualifies for an engine replacement. (said I wouldn't have to pay if under warranty, but they claim they can't determine unless engine is broken down). It was at my mechanic 1 week prior for an oil change.

The shift interlock system stopped allowing the car to come out of park however the vehicle would still roll when in park, have to do a manual override to take it out of park but it will hesitate on the highway. I have had too many near miss accidents with this vehicle. Especially due to my break lights working intermittently although they've been replaced. I'm not sure if it's electrical (my locks would randomly lock and unlock) or due to the shifting gear.

Transmission warning indicator appears on dashboard cluster and vehicle bucks and stalls and won't shift properly. Dealership found transmission was never filled properly and below specifications according to kia service and was verified the fluid level was extremely low and not filled to specification from factory. The dealership filled transmission to proper level and test drove vehicle. Issue seamed to be fixed. But now a month later same transmission is is happening with transmission warning indicator and vehicle bucking and not shifting properly causing erratic vehicle behavior and safety issues.

When I start driving, there’s a lot of hesitation like it’s going to stall and it also does this going up hills or mountains? I was on the interstate and there was a line of cars behind me and my car started to hesitate and almost stall, causing all cars behind me to break to not cause a domino effect accident I have reported this to the kia dealer and knowing that there’s a lot of dct problems that are posted all over the internet they are saying there is no problem with the car upon doing research again there is a lot of dct reporting of kia’s not just my sorrento please do some research on this and help me. We just bought this car. There is 13,000 miles on it. It should not be doing this and again I’m going to a different kia to see if they say the same thing. Below you ask for a date that this happened there is too many dates to enter, but I will try to enter the very first one that we experienced.

1. First incident occurred on 10/29/24. My wife pulled into driveway and placed car into park. When she shifted to reverse, the transmission didn't respond and the car revved to a very high rpm when she took foot off of brake, no foot on gas. Unable to shift it to go forward or backward. She then turned car off, back on, and was able to reverse it. This situation occurred numerous times. 2. Sometimes, after this happened, she'd place it into drive, and the vehicle would only crawl (<5 mph) forward and not accelerate, though gas pedal was touching the floor of car. She'd place it back into park (in traffic!), shut it off, then restart it. 3. Sometimes she would place it into reverse, the dashboard would show it in r, and the vehicle would be silent and non-reactive (no back-up beep). 4. She would place it into drive, the engine would do nothing for a few seconds, and suddenly drop into gear with a loud thud. 11/11/24 took car to kia, they said nothing was wrong. 5. On 11/29/24, she placed the car into park, loaded passengers, and tried to place the car into reverse and nothing happened. The vehicle would not move forward or backward. The dashboard indicated that it was in d, the gear shift dial indicated it was in d, but nothing happened. Car was then turned off in drive. Drive indicator ("d") was lit up on dash, gear shift dial had "d" still illuminated too. Tried to restart, dash said to put car into park to start. Car would not go into park. When flatbed tow truck arrived (6 hours later) the battery was fully discharged the tow truck driver was able to charge the battery with a portable charger sufficiently to start the car (if it would have been in park), but was still unable to get the transmission to respond. The dealership claims that they can find nothing wrong and kia won't acknowledge any issue. We have multiple videos of the issues and witnesses. There are numerous reports on reddit of similar issues with kia 2023 Sorento phevs.

I experienced a loss of drive power while on a busy street. Often while shifting into gear, the transmission will not engage. Luckily, this hasn't happened on a freeway. I have brought the vehicle into my dealership, however they can't replicate the issue, therefore, I feel unsafe continuing to drive. There was a recall on this issue, but I've been told my VIN is not effected by this recall. I understand that, however I am experiencing the issue of losing drive power, which can cause a serious incident.

I was pulled over by the state police. He said I had a few lights out including a brake light out. I got out to check. This was correct. I had just had my vehicle inspected so I was surprised. I went to leave I couldn't put it in gear at all. I had to over ride the shifter and use a pen to push in the tow button everytime I want to use my vehicle. I have to check my lights and make sure no bulbs are blown out again. This is a $1200 fix. It's recalled on certain 2016 kia Sorentos but not on all of them when it is happening to all of us. Also I went to open my rear hatch and that to is now not opening at all. So that is also not a recall. I have a back hatch that won't open and I have to climb through my back seats and open it from the lever in the door frame and the shifter doesn't work. Please help us!! we need these recalls! if there is an accident it would be nice to open the back up from the key to grab things and run. Or to shift fast and hurry to get away from a robber. Or to just have my vehicle back again and stop doing this when there are recalls for vehicles south different VIN numbers but not mine so I have to pay so some one else can get it for free that's not fair kia corporate.

The engine failed while driving. The dealer noted in case details they observed excessive scoring on the cylinder wall and damage to the piston ring, as well as a significant reduction in compression. Despite these findings the dealer and manufacturer said the repair "would not be covered under the pi campaign for engine failure" and "was not related to an engine rod bearing failure. " note that the dealer did not inspect the rod bearings. Worn or damaged connecting rod bearings can significantly reduce compression by allowing excessive piston movement and causing a leak in the combustion chamber. Moreover, excessive scoring on the cylinder wall indicates that the metal from failing connecting rod bearings has been scraping against the cylinder wall, leaving deep scratches and grooves, likely due to excessive wear on the bearings, causing significant damage to the piston and cylinder assembly. This model vehicle should have been included in the recall concerning connecting rod bearings that affected other kia model vehicles.

The vehicle will sometimes, after shifting from park to drive, roll backwards if on an incline, even while gassing. If not an incline when this occurs, the vehicle will not move forwards. This typically lasts for a few seconds before the transmission engages. This happens intermittently; the first time it happened to my family member, it almost caused an accident. Kia has attempted to repair this defect three times but has been unsuccessful. During the last repair attempt, the kia tech told me that they’ve seen multiple vehicles with this issue, and that it is “normal” for kia.