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.
I was driving and the vehicle shut off. All electric still on lights, radio, dash, etc. No issues or noises indicating that the engine was having faliure. Did not overheat, had oil and gas. Just bought car used 6 months ago with 140k miles. Had it towed to Mechanic and was told the engine was locked. Engine repair is my only option that is going to cost 5-8k. Vehicle has been maintained regularly with only one previous owner and no major repairs ever needed to be done.
I am writing to express my concern regarding a serious issue with my 2018 Kia Sorento equipped with the 2.4-liter engine. The vehicle has been experiencing excessive oil consumption-?"approximately one quart every 400 miles-?"which I believe may be indicative of a manufacturing defect. Based on similar issues reported with more recent Kia models, including those involving potentially defective piston oil rings, I am concerned that my vehicle may be affected by a similar issue. As you are aware, defective piston rings can lead to long-term engine damage, sudden loss of power, and even an increased risk of engine fire. Given the severity of the symptoms and potential safety implications, I respectfully request that this matter be formally investigated and that Kia consider extending the recall or offering a resolution for affected 2018 Sorento models. I look forward to your prompt response regarding this issue.
GDI engine carbon buildup causing very high gas consumption and damage. Should carbon buildup break free it will cause engine falure resulting in engine seizure while at speed. Loss if property and life imment. Only soulition is disassembly to remove buildup. Another failure is corrosion on shift cable causing gear falure.
- Eastport, ME, USA
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The contact owns a 2018 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to an unknown dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000.
In January 2024 I started getting power steering issues and multiple warning lights related to the electrical systems. I took my vehicle to Car Pros Kia for inspection and repair on 2/1/2024. They took it for a test drive at which time it caught fire.
The contact owns a 2018 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle remained at the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Was driving car it lost power, pulled over and had tow truck bring car to dealership. Dealership states a new engine is needed due to a malfunction in the engine block, however warranty is out on car just by 9,000 miles and car is still financed! Maintenance has been kept up on car. Kia wants $10,000 to replace engine.
The contact owns a 2018 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact heard an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine before the vehicle lost motive power, with the check engine and oil warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000.
I bought a used Kia sorento from a Kia Dealership. This engine makes oil evaporate completely. This engine must be a bad engine. I heard there was some recalls on Kia engines not sure if this one fits it. The dealership did a five hundred dollar job on it and it did not fix. I put oil in this car every month. No way to upgrade because of these issues.
I had an engine failure in my Kia. On [XXX], I was driving on [XXX] in Maine, and the "malfunction" light lit up, and I lost power in the vehicle. I was able to make it to the side of the highway and call a tow truck. Losing power on a busy interstate put myself and my partner at risk, as well as having to wait on the side of the interstate for a tow truck. I had the vehicle towed to a mechanic who said the engine needed to be replaced because a cylinder lost compression. Kia had me tow it to a Kia dealership, and they verified that the engine needed to be replaced. The matter is still open. My case with Kia is [XXX]. Kia has been completely unresponsive in the matter. They have told me repeatedly that the matter is being looked into by their tech team, but they have never reached out to the Kia dealership they told me to send it to. It could be related to a rod bearing issue, but they are not willing to follow up enough to even determine whether or not that is the issue. Prior to the engine failure, I had issues with oil loss. I replaced the PCV valve, but that did not turn out to be the problem. I had it inspected a few weeks before the engine failure, and they noted that the oil levels were low. I was not seeing warning lights for low oil, but I was maintaining oil levels while I waited for an appointment to look into that issue. I believe Kia knows this is an ongoing issue with their vehicles, and they are actively obstructing any inquiries as to why this engine problem persists. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2018 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power and jerked and decelerated to 25 MPH. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was driven to a nearby parking lot and parked because the contact was concerned about driving the vehicle. The following day the contact-??s husband took the vehicle to a local dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine might be faulty however, a diagnostic test was needed, and the engine needed to be taken apart to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Around 90,000 miles, the engine started leaking oil regularly, took it in for warranty. After repairs for gasket, then started burning oil and running of oil every week or two weeks, and I have to constantly refill oil. Took it again and Dealer told me I am out of warranty, then I called KIA USA and reported problems. They told me that they will get back to me and I am still waiting.
While driving on the highway, the engine suddenly stopped working without warning. I was unable to accelerate using the gas pedal. Fortunately, the highway was empty at the time, and I managed to safely pull over to the right side of the road. After waiting for approximately 30 minutes for the engine to cool down, I attempted to drive again. However, the car began shaking severely whenever I pressed the gas pedal or attempted to increase the speed beyond 2 RPM. The vehicle was subsequently inspected by a certified Kia service center, where the issue was diagnosed as a failure of the piston ring and cylinder 1, resulting in insufficient compression. The service center confirmed that the vehicle was well-maintained, with no external damage or user-related issues contributing to the failure. No warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms appeared prior to the failure. The engine issue was sudden and unexpected, posing a significant safety risk, especially as it occurred while driving at highway speeds. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.
The contact owns a 2018 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact's husband discovered that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact's husband was consistently adding oil for the vehicle to return to normal operation. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 82,940.
Previous Complaint# 11618337. Additional Information: Engine is full of oil yet Oil Light comes on due excessive crankshaft & connecting rod bearing wear and knocking loud. Yet the recalibrated knock sensor will not pick up the issue and put the vehicle into derate with a code P1326 as it did before the Kia Dealership performed this recalibration. This is consumer fraud by purposely hiding a known defect and preventing the warranty from replacing the engine with a redesigned new engine that corrects the issue with larger oil ports. It is also a safety issue!! Now that the oil light is coming on and the engine has a bad knock, it can fail at anytime while driving causing lose of power steering, brakes and the ability to safely pull the car over to a safe location. The original P1326 code automatically determined the engine developed wear from lack of oil volume based on the known defect of too small oil ports. This recalibration doesn't address the wear the engine already has and based on what the dealer stated, they will not replace the engine until that code comes back. Which now can't happen due to this parameter change and elimination of the knock sensors ability to perform it's job correctly. Please investigate and resolve, Thank you!!
My kia Sorento is involved in an engine recall. When driving on the highway three times now my engine has stalled and car has gone from 65 to 30 mph, almost causing multiple accidents while driving with my [XXX] and [XXX]. The Kia customer service agency said this must occur three times before they will replace my engine. They are not replacing the engine. I fear for my life, my husband life and my children-??s lives. I also fear for fellow drivers on the road. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Grand Prairie, TX, USA