Power Train Problems of Kia Motor Sorento - part 2

The car started sticking when driving then a knocking in the engine. Upon investigation/ diagnostics we found that the engine is blown and needs replacing. I have owned this car for 3 years to date and have keep up on all maintenance which you can find on carfax there is no reason at 136,000 an engine should blow. I would like this fixed ASAP.

See all problems of the 2017 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.

I recently took my 2016 kia Sorento l to the kia dealership for the emissions update recall. The next day when I started it up and put it in drive, it started jerking hard when I was trying to speed up (going from first to second gear). I had to stop and then slowly push the gas so it wouldn't jerk so hard, then it finally switched gears and was smooth. Ever since it's happening only at the first cold start up of the day, and have sluggish acceleration throughtout the day. No lights on or codes. I took back to dealership twice and they said they couldn't replicate it and so they aren't sure, but it definitely still does it (anyone riding with me notices before I even mention it).

See all problems of the 2016 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.

Vehicle has a recurring p0018 fault code (crankshaft position - camshaft position correlation bank 2 sensor a). Dealer diagnosed loose cam pins on bank 2 requiring major engine repair. This fault creates a safety risk as improper camshaft timing can cause unexpected engine stalling while driving, resulting in sudden loss of power, power steering, and brake assist. The manufacturer has denied warranty coverage despite the vehicle being within the 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. This appears to be a known widespread issue on the 3. 3l v6 engine. Vehicle has 96,000 miles and is still within warranty coverage period.

Immediately after a dealership-performed warranty repair, the vehicle experienced a severe safety?critical failure at highway speed. The vehicle began shaking violently, produced loud knocking and impact noises, and metal pieces fell from the underside. The failure occurred without warning and created an immediate loss of safe drivability. The dealership later documented that an engine mount (‘lower dog bone mount’) had not been torqued to specification, which allowed the engine to shift back and forth under load. This improper torque caused the violent shaking, metal impacts, and falling metal. The problem was confirmed by the dealership, but no corrective repair was performed. Only a single bolt was re?torqued, and no inspection was done to determine the extent of damage, the source of the falling metal, or the cause of the knocking. The vehicle was returned in an unsafe condition and has not been driven since. The vehicle had to be towed directly from the highway due to the severity of the failure, and it was delivered straight to the dealership because it was unsafe to operate. The vehicle remains available for inspection.

See all problems of the 2023 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.

On my way home Friday evening from work. After exiting the expressway , I made a right turn on the street going towards my house. My steering wheel locked to the right and almost caused me to run into another car. If I had not be driving slow than the speed limit or still on the expressway, this would have been a very bad accident, if not fatal! this is after the dealership made repairs on my vehicle and deemed it safe to drive.

See all problems of the 2022 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.

At 7,100 miles the transmission failed requiring a new transmission replacement after one year. At 16,636 miles (2years into the lease) the new transmission also failed, and the car is in the garage getting another transmission replacement after.

See all problems of the 2024 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.

I am submitting a formal safety complaint regarding my 2022 kia Sorento, which is experiencing a dangerous and recurring loss of engine power during acceleration. This issue presents a significant safety hazard, particularly during situations requiring immediate acceleration such as highway merging, crossing intersections, and passing traffic.

I am filing a safety complaint regarding a severe, sudden electronic and mechanical failure of the shift interlock system and the body control module (bcm) that compromises vehicle control and leaves the vehicle stranded in active traffic conditions. While attempting to operate the vehicle, the shifter lever suddenly became physically jammed and highly resistant, refusing to shift out of the "park" position or smoothly engage into "drive. " simultaneously, the gear selector indicator (p-r-n-d) on the digital dashboard display went completely blank, indicating a total loss of network communication between the transmission range system and the vehicle's central computer network. Because the vehicle's electronic safety "handshake" failed, the vehicle suffered a no-start condition. To operate the vehicle or move it out of harm's way, I am forced to use the mechanical manual shift-lock override tool. Diagnostic scanning at a professional repair facility confirmed a hard code p0955 (auto shift manual mode circuit malfunction) due to an internal electronic failure inside the body control module (bcm), which handles the safety grounding circuit for the shift interlock solenoid. Safety risk statement: this component failure introduces a severe safety hazard. If a driver is required to quickly shift gears or move the vehicle out of an active roadway, intersection, or railway crossing during an emergency, the physical locking of the shifter and sudden communication dropout prevents immediate vehicle control. Bypassing a safety system via a physical override tool while stranded in traffic is a dangerous distraction. There is an existing safety recall for this model year regarding shifter rollaways (recall sc246), but it does not address this opposite, widespread bcm circuit failure that permanently traps the shifter and disables dashboard monitoring. I request that the NHTSA investigate this systemic kia bcm failure pattern for a retroactive safety recall.

I bought this used with 113,000 miles on it. Within the first year, I had to fix ac,oil leak and alternator. I also had to replace the transmission which gave out completely. Then about 14 months into owning this vehicle, the engine light came on, and I suddenly could not maintain speed. I was lucky I was not on the main highway where I would have been hit from cars behind me. Kia refuses to fix/replace the engine because it is out of warranty. I believe this is too many things that have gone wrong to not be considered defective. I now have to cut my losses and get a different car.

I am writing to formally file a complaint regarding my 2021 kia Sorento and the repeated lack of resolution from the dealership where the vehicle was purchased and serviced. I have taken my vehicle to the dealership multiple times to address ongoing and serious safety concerns. Despite having active warranties on the transmission and powertrain, I have continually been told that there is nothing they can do, and my concerns have not been properly addressed. The vehicle is experiencing persistent issues, including: the transmission jerking and jarring when shifting gears the dashboard and center display screen intermittently go completely black while driving these issues do not occur constantly, but they happen frequently enough to pose a significant safety risk. I regularly have my grandchildren in the vehicle, and their safety, as well as my own, is my highest priority. Each time I have contacted the dealership to report these problems, I have been met with excuses and resistance to even scheduling an appointment. Due to the lack of cooperation, I felt I had no choice but to drop off my vehicle on April 13, 2026, without an appointment in order to have it addressed. I am extremely disappointed in the level of service and treatment I have received. As a loyal customer—this being my third vehicle purchased from the same dealership—I have never experienced this type of disregard. I also feel that I have not been treated fairly and, at times, have been dismissed in a way that is concerning and unacceptable. I am requesting the following: a full and thorough diagnostic of my vehicle, specifically addressing the transmission and electrical issues proper repair under warranty clear communication regarding findings and next steps immediate attention to these safety concerns I purchased this vehicle with the expectation of reliability and safety. At this time, I do not feel safe driving it, and I am requesting that kia take this matter seriously.

See all problems of the 2021 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.

The system that failed is the high-pressure fuel pump and the intake fuel pump. The fuel system pressure is too low, and the cold start fuel pressure is too high. This is defective because I purchased the car used in November 2023. The car is a safety risk as it stalled immediately yesterday while I was driving with my children and it began smelling like gas fumes from exhaust. The vehicle has been diagnosed by a certified mechanic at mike and nick's tires and services in canyon country, California no warning lights or messages appeared prior to the failure. The engine light came on as soon as the car began to stall and shake/lose power.

Component: 2. 5l t-gdi engine failed completely at 102,971 miles, requiring full replacement (~$8,000). Vehicle available for inspection at [xxx] kia, [xxx] . Safety risk: engine lost power during normal operation. Sudden, uncontrolled loss of engine power creates a direct collision risk at highway speeds for the driver, passengers, and surrounding vehicles. Confirmed by dealer: mark kia performed a borescope inspection on April 10, 2026 confirming cylinder wall scoring, oil-fouled pistons, and worn honing patterns across multiple cylinders. Findings are consistent with kia TSB eng235 (January 2022), which documents a defective pcv check valve on 2021–2022 Sorento 2. 5t engines allowing oil to contaminate combustion chambers. Vehicle was serviced exclusively at mark kia for all 17 visits since 2021. TSB eng235 does not appear in any service record. Prior symptoms: no warning lamps or messages before failure. A certified 36-point inspection one week prior showed zero cautions. Spark plugs replaced at 74,534 miles (Jan 2025) were found fouled at ~102,000 miles, only 28,000 miles later — indicating silent, progressive oil contamination. The defect is undetectable by the driver until catastrophic failure. Kia America has not responded to two formal written dispute requests (case #xxx, April–may 2026). Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

2022 kia Sorento. Dec 2024(previous owner incident) to new owner purchase may 2025- April 2026 vehicle keeps displaying all lights and warnings, loses acceleration & loss of throttle power while driving. High voltage code p0653 code displays. Rpm’s will go up and down while vehicle is in park. Have had an active case open with kia America escalated case specialist since Nov 2025. Vehicle has been taken to two different kia dealerships and has had this incident 7 times since may 2025 used purchase. A few different parts have been changed while working with a kia America tech over a computer, yet it doesn’t fix the problem. It was reported in 2024 by the previous owner and the dealership could not find the source. It was never disclosed from the dealership prior to reselling. My problems started 3 weeks after owning the car. Less than 200 miles. I got in contact with previous owner, the vehicle kept going into limp mode while driving & the code would clear before she could get it to the shop & they couldn’t resolve it, so she traded it back in. 1st incident: Dec 2, 2024 (previous owner) 2nd: June 6, 2025 3rd: July 19, 2025 4th: August 14, 205 5th: September 19,2025 contacted kia after and finally assigned a case officer Nov 10, 2025. Taken to shop Nov 11, 2025. 6th: Feb 22, 2026 7th: April 4, 2026 - going 75mph on a highway and having to cross 4 lanes of traffic with no throttle power.

My car will randomly go into limp mode and I am unable to accelerate. The auto stop/start light will flash orange on the dashboard. I need to pull over and restart car and it seems to reset. I see there is a recall for a 2021 kia sorrento but I don't think it affected my vehicle even though the issue is exactly the same. Recall #22v6000. It happened once a few months ago then didn't reoccur until about two weeks ago and it has happened three times since. It is scary because I am afraid to cross traffic in fear that the car won't move fast enough.

The vehicle experienced a sudden loss of drive power and entered a 'fail-safe' mode with check engine light, warning chimes and service vehicle warning message. A diagnostic scan revealed fault codes p1c2d03 (high pressure electric oil pump motor position sensor), p193b79 (high pressure electric oil pump performance), and p086800 (transmission fluid pressure low). These three specific codes are cited in kia recall sc250 (NHTSA 22v760) and associated technical bulletins as evidence of an internal electric oil pump failure requiring full transmission replacement. The safety of occupants was compromised by the sudden loss of motive power on the interstate. I presented these codes to value kia 6915 essington Ave, philadelphia, PA 19153 and dropped my car off on 4/7/2026. The dealer stated the safety recall was 'closed' and that the vehicle was 'out of warranty' due to its 95,000 miles and second-owner status. They would only agree to perform a diagnostic at my personal cost. The vehicle has been at the dealership for two days without an inspection report being provided to me. I have contacted kia corporate consumer assistance (awaiting response) and am filing this report because the vehicle is exhibiting the exact safety defect and 'triple-threat' fault codes of sc250 but is being denied a free safety remedy by the authorized dealer due to mileage and second ownership. As of 4/9/2026, the vehicle has been at the dealership for 2 days. Despite signing an authorization for a $190 diagnostic fee, the dealership has been completely silent and has not provided a status update or the diagnostic report. I am being left without transportation while the dealer fails to address a documented safety defect.

Car began going into limp mode not accelerating. Brought it in to be told it was the transmission which in my car some of them had recalls for the exact same things but mine was not included in this recall.

Transmission went out while driving on highway. Dealership said they need to replace the entire transmission.

My check engine light came on and went to dealer ship jn oct of 2025 they stated the egr needed to be replaced and would cost 1300 to repair but inform me they didn't have the piece to replace at that time to reschedule app. Also reservoir coolant light keeps coming on . I called several times to lumberton kia at one time they stated that they didn't have but 1 mechanic that worked on hybrids and he was behind. I finally have a appointmentthis weekto see what is exactlygoing on with my SUV cause now I have a hesitation when pressing the gas and my transmission jerks.

The vehicle’s transmission failed. While driving on the highway, the transmission began slipping and then would not allow the vehicle to accelerate beyond approximately 10 mph. The vehicle also lost the ability to reverse. My family’s safety was put at significant risk. The incident occurred on a highway with a speed limit of 70 mph and low visibility. Due to the sudden loss of acceleration, our vehicle was unable to keep up with traffic, creating a dangerous situation with a high risk of being struck by other vehicles. The dealer reproduced and confirmed the issue. They documented very hard shifting, lack of reverse, and stated the transmission fluid smelled burnt. No diagnostic codes were present. The dealer advised replacement of the transmission. No warning lights or messages appeared on the dashboard prior to the failure.

The issue appears to involve the electric oil pump and related components. My 2021 kia Sorento had a recall for the electric oil pump that was marked “completed” in January 2023; however, the dealership only performed a software update and did not replace any mechanical components because no fault code was present at that time. Beginning around October 2025, the vehicle started experiencing drivability issues including hesitation and bogging down when accelerating from a stop. A dealership representative later stated the electric oil pump and housing likely need replacement and that the transmission may also be affected. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. This issue creates a safety risk because the vehicle frequently hesitates or bogs down when attempting to accelerate, especially when pulling into highway traffic. When pressing the accelerator, the vehicle sometimes struggles to engage and move forward, which increases the risk of a collision. I brought the vehicle to kia of rbc and spoke with service advisor justin hawkins. At the time of inspection, the check engine light had turned off and I was told they could not diagnose or repair the issue unless the warning light was active. I was instructed to continue driving the vehicle until the light returns. During a later conversation, dealership staff indicated the electric oil pump and housing likely need replacement and that the transmission may also require replacement, but they could not confirm this without the warning light being present.

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.

See all problems of the 2019 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.

Car burns oil to the point it requires 1 qt/500 mile. Had oil consumption test when issue first started in 2024 by kia, was told there was no problem. Car has continued to have this issue and has now broke connecting rod due to engine starvation even through the oil is to the full mark. I lost all power while driving with no warning before hand. Kia has admitted these engines have oil consumption issues that can lead to this exact problem and many other consumers have complained of the same situation in which kia will not replace the flawed engine.

See all problems of the 2014 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.

This has been occurring intermittently since my 2021 kia Sorento reached approx. 15k miles and now has 26,600 miles. There are no lights or indicators on the dash letting me know anything is wrong. When the vehicle is stopped at a traffic light or stopped in heavy traffic, the vehicle will start idling high and shaking and the engine will seize up. I am not able to steer, the brakes lock up, I cannot accelerate, all functionality is lost. The only thing I can do is put the vehicle in park (in heavy traffic) and shut the car off and wait a minute and turn it back on and it seems to reset itself. This is extremely dangerous for myself and my passengers (some of which are children) and can cause a serious accident. At no point should I ever need to be concerned with my vehicle seizing up in the middle of the road and having to park and restart my car. This has happened on several occasions already. I have taken my car to 2 separate kia dealerships to address this problem I have been experiencing. The first dealership failed to attempt to duplicate the problem and instead informed me the firmware update the performed from a previous recall should remedy the problem. It did not. Then I recently took it to another kia dealer in another state and explained the situation. I specifically asked them to take the vehicle for a test drive and they argued with me that my battery was low and needed to be replaced and it would not be covered under the warranty. I have been driving this vehicle for a while and it has been having this issue around 15k miles so I know it is not the battery. They totally disregarded the safely of myself and my family and only focused on making money for themselves. This is a serious safety issue with this vehicle and has continuously been swept under the rug by kia. Even the customer service is rude and I have reported this to them and asked for an escalation to their consumer affairs dept and have received no response.

The contact owns a 2021 kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated and occasionally jerked while accelerating with the accelerator pedal depressed. The message to "pull over and shut off vehicle" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 68,846.

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.

See all problems of the 2015 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.

Car would randomly stall and jerk while accelerating. Unsafe to drive. May cause accident. Having to constantly set hazard lights to prevent accident.

Gear shifter gets stuck. Car jerks back when trying to speed up.

The contact owns a 2021 kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving rotating noise coming from and louder when accelerating. The was taken to local mechanic transmission. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the transmission needed to the be replaced. A transmission software update was performed but the failure continued to occur. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the vehicle was previously service under the NHTSA campaign number: 22v760000(power train). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced that same failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 80,000.

The contact owns a 2021 kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving the vehicle on a hill he states the vehicle stutters very hard and moves back and forth with hesitation to accelerate. The vehicle was seen by a dealer 3 months before and was made aware of a transmission failure starting, the contact moved to an area that has much more hills and is now experiencing hard transmission failure symptoms. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage 136,577.

The oil pressure switch is faulty. The oil indicator light comes on when I'm idling, and I'm also losing 1 quart of oil every 1,000 miles. This was reported on previous kia models of this make and model, which extended the warranty to 15 years/150k miles. Kia isn't honoring this anymore, even though my switch was diagnosed as bad. Seems kia never fixed the problem, as my kia has 113,000 miles and would have been covered by a TSB (technical service bulletin) for the same issue a year earlier.

My vehicle started to shift irregularly. From a stop, I would accelerate and before shifting to the next gear the vehicle would lose power, pause, and then shift to the next gear. Doing this until the vehicle reached the desired speed. At first, I could turn the vehicle off then on again and it would be fixed. Eventually, the check engine light came on and stopping and restarting no longer fixed the problem. If this would have occurred while I was pulling into busy traffic, expecting my vehicle to accelerate normally, an accident would have happened. The vehicle is now experiencing a loss of power even at highway speeds. Upon taking the vehicle to the dealership, I had to climb a hill and the vehicle speed dropped down to 30mph from the 75mph I was doing before making it to the top of the hill. There is currently a recall for this issue, NHTSA 22v760000, and it matches everything in relation to my vehicle, however my VIN doesn't show as part of the recall. And the dealership is refusing to fix it under this recall. Please advise on what can be done. Thanks.

The engine pump went in my vehicle (21 kia sorrento) and is giving a code of p193b79. There was a recall that the dealership said they completed in 2023 to fix this. When I asked the dealership what they did to fix this in 2023, they said they checked for the code and it didn't have the code. Since they closed the recall, because it didn't currently have the code, they marked it complete and won't fix the issue with the transmission now. This was the information I got from the dealership. Then they proceded to tell me that sc250 is for code p1c2d03 and my car is giving code p193b79. I explained when I search online the two issues are very closely related and the kmsister company of Hyundai includes both coves in their recall. I have loss of power, as stated in the recall. I explained to the dealership that when I pulled out of my road, I tried to cross and I pressed the gas. The car would not got above 15 mph and the rpms went very high. The dealership called it a "limp motor" when I described it to them. After calling kia customer service they told me that the dealership makes the call if it is under warranty. I called the dealership back and they told me again that because it was marked completed in 2023, it can't be under that recall. I easked because I didn't have the code in 2023, what was done to prevent this issue from happening on my car. They explained again they closed the ticket in 2023, so it can't be under that recall. I am having the loss of power, explained in sc250 and the dealership told me it is the engine pump fail. They explained it is the same part but a different code. I explained again how those 2 codes are very similar issues and their sister company agrees. I also explained an article I found online for kia, where those 2 codes are very related. The article explained if the dealership did not cover it, call kia. If still not resolved, file a complaint with NHTSA. That brings me here. Thank you!.

I bought a kia 2020 from long lewis 3 days after I got it the check engine light come on, I called and told them, then around the 5th day black smut started covering the back of the SUV, and I was smelling a burnt oi; and antifreeze smell, took it to a shop and they pulled the codes and one code was p045600 and another was p074100 then airbag codes, not even a month it started jerking they told me to bring it in so I did, he said they cleared the codes and was gonna fixed the evap, I asked about the torch converter and he said that must've been a code from the history but it wasn't, it did have a history of the code though, and I asked about the black smut on back of the vehicle he said nothing they can do about that and said fixing the evap may fix it, but sometimes it smells like it's on fire, and jerks.

See all problems of the 2020 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.

While driving, have had the engine of my 25 Sorento hybrid stop working. An emergency notice comes on the screen (see photo) stating to pull over safely. The hybrid system error message has come on 4-5 times in the last month. The vehicle will not drive more than 15-20 miles per hour and has virtually no acceleration making it very dangerous to drive in or around high speed/traffic areas. Took it to a local kia dealership where I was told nothing was wrong and their only guess was that it was related to the battery and cold weather. The same messaged/incident has happened 2x since bringing it into the dealership. With the most recent being 1/22/26. Problem first arose on 1/9/26. There are dozens of reports of this in online threads over the past few months with kia hybrid engines.

See all problems of the 2025 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.

I am reporting a serious safety defect regarding my 2022 kia Sorento hybrid (mileage: 91,661). The vehicle was diagnosed with an internal short in the egr (exhaust gas recirculation) control unit (error codes p0404, p049d). Upon inspection, significant engine oil intrusion was found inside the egr unit. The egr system is designed to handle exhaust gases only; the presence of liquid engine oil indicates a critical failure in the powertrain system (likely the pcv system or turbocharger seals) which is forcing oil into the intake/exhaust tract. Safety risk: this defect causes the egr system to short-circuit, which can lead to unpredictable engine performance, reduced power, or sudden engine stalling while driving. Any sudden loss of power on a highway poses a severe risk of a rear-end collision. Furthermore, oil intrusion into electrical components increases the risk of thermal incidents or localized fires within the engine bay. Despite the vehicle being within the 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, the dealership (suntrup kia south) is refusing coverage, claiming the egr is not a powertrain component, while ignoring the fact that a powertrain failure (oil bypass) is the root cause of the damage. I request NHTSA to investigate this "oil intrusion into egr" issue as it appears to be a systemic defect in kia’s hybrid powertrain that compromises vehicle safety.