CarComplaints.com Notes: Kia really changed the design of the Sorento in the 2011 model year. Instead of a truck-like body-on-frame more capable of offroad adventures, the newest Sorento is a unibody construction and is much more crossover than sport utility. The changes brought a whole slew of problems, including a frustrating problem where the door that won’t open. Is it too late to go back?

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 7
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
66,826 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2011 Kia Sorento body / paint problems

body / paint problem

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2011 Kia Sorento Owner Comments (Page 4 of 12)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #166

Mar 202019

Sorento

  • 24,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Front inside door handles chrome peal off causing cuts on hands.

- Kenosha, WI, USA

problem #165

Nov 082018

Sorento

  • 60,000 miles
My driver's side door will no longer open from the outside. I have to reach across the passenger side and pull the interior drivers side door handle to open it.

- Lake Worth, FL, USA

problem #164

Aug 152017

Sorento

  • 93,000 miles
In 2017 my driver side exterior rear door handle was being opened by my 98 lbs daughter and the door handle broke off. Car was in park then in 1018. The passenger exterior rear door handle broke off by the same 98 lb daughter. To me this is a safety issues. If I was in a car wreck and passed out. You wouldnt be able to get into the back seat.

- New Kensington, PA, USA

problem #163

Dec 172018

Sorento

  • 63,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Went to get in vehicle and driver side door won't open from outside using key fob or using key entry. I had to crawl from passenger side to enter vehicle. This is a safty hazard!

- Benton, AR, USA

problem #162

Aug 052018

Sorento

  • 120,000 miles
(1)transmission got stuck in 2nd gear while driving on the highway. Transmission would "jump" every time the car hit 50mhp. Could not replicate after sitting in driveway overnight. (2)ABS light is constantly on-told it is a clock spring. Kia not worried about it. (3) doors stick-drivers door will lock itself and cannot open from outside. This happened 3X while car is running and I exited to get mail. Front passenger will not close- have to knock handle to close. (4)backup camera intermittent. (5)bluetooth does not pair with phone-intermittent. (6) gas door sticks- must hit release button dozens of times before it opens. (7) tire pressure guages broken.

- Fleming Island, FL, USA

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problem #161

Nov 202018

Sorento

  • miles
Driver side door handle no longer works. There is a plastic piece on the actuator that breaks very easily. This could cause danger to passengers inside the car as the door cannot be opened from the outside.

- Edgewood, WA, USA

problem #160

Oct 242018

Sorento

  • 86,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Door won't open from the outside

- Freemansburg, PA, USA

problem #159

Sep 142018

Sorento

  • miles
Motor mounts are broke. I need to replace 3 of them. This isn't normal at all. The car has never been wrecked. The paint keeps peeling off. I repainted 1 X on an area, Kia is aware. I took to them and they said Kia wasn't responsible (but, I disagree). I paid over 30,000 for this Kia.., body shop couldn't guarantee due to the paint job Kia did on my automobile. Now the paint is peeling on other spots.

- Plaquemine, LA, USA

problem #158

Oct 182018

Sorento

  • 150,000 miles
Rear outside door handle will not open the door. Only can be opened from the inside

- Glendale, AZ, USA

problem #157

Sep 142018

Sorento

  • 181,000 miles
Vehicles caught fire, had pulled in the parking lot at work and smoke began to come from under the hood on the vehicle. Within seconds flames had erupted and front end of car was completely engulfed by the time the fire department had arrived. Vehicle was a total loss.

- Cleveland, GA, USA

problem #156

Sep 102018

Sorento

  • 150,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My wife was driving down the street when the car suddenly locked up(stopped) and the engine shut off. She noticed smoke coming from under the hood and then within minutes the engine was in complete flames. Prior to this there where never any signs of the car running or driving like there where going to be problems. I've never had any mechanical issues at all aside from this incident. This has come completely out of nowhere unexpectedly.

- Atglen, PA, USA

problem #155

Aug 142018

Sorento

  • miles
The rear door on the passenger's side does not open from the inside or outside. After researching the problem I have found that this is a common complaint.

- Oklahoma City, OK, USA

problem #154

Jun 272018

Sorento

  • 105,000 miles
After driving about 6 miles to a local store nearby and back home as I pulled my car into my parking spot black smoke started coming from the hood so I turned the car off waited until the smoke stopped and looked under the hood to see if I could tell what was smoking. Everything appeared fine and I made sure to check all of my fluid levels and oil which were all full. Later that day maybe 4 hours later I drove about 15 miles to my sisters house and again as I was parking my car the black smoke started again from under the hood. I proceeded to turn the car off and look under the hood again after the smoke cleared. Less than 5 minutes later the was a loud popping noise from under the hood and by the time I ran outside to see the entire front part of my car was engulfed in flames however the windows were up so the flames were contained inside the car and under the hood. The fire department came minutes later and put the fire out and I had to have the car towed due to the front tires melting from the fire. I had it towed back to the dealership where I'd purchased it only 5 months before and let them and financing company know. No one could explain why my car spontaneously combusted like a bomb while parked and turned off. I'm reporting this incident because I do not believe it was a freak accident I believe these vehicles should definitely be investigated before someone loses their life.

- Fort Worth, TX, USA

problem #153

Jun 192018

Sorento

  • 69,000 miles
Front passenger side door will not open with outside handle. You can open it from the inside.

- Alvin, TX, USA

problem #152

Jun 132018

Sorento

  • 80,300 miles
My driver-side door will not open from the outside when unlocked.

- Saint Louis, MO, USA

problem #151

May 312018

Sorento

  • 92,000 miles
Door locks are broken and rear passenger door will not unlock

- Staatsburg, NY, USA

problem #150

May 052018

Sorento

  • miles
Front door handle latch assembly constantly breaking and I am unable to ope the doors from the outside

- Syosset, NY, USA

problem #149

May 222018

Sorento

  • 156,000 miles
Front passenger door will not open from outside but will open from the inside

- Ironton, OH, USA

problem #148

Apr 282018

Sorento

  • 106,000 miles
My rear drivers side door will not open from the outside or the inside.

- Edinburg, VA, USA

problem #147

Apr 052018

Sorento

  • 89,989 miles
The hood latch will not open the hood

- Superior, WI, USA

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