What 1,516 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Kia Sorento Plug-in Hybrid

There was a recall to add a engine knocking warning device. When I got the recall in June of 2021, my engine was already knocking. I took the car into Rapid City Kia Dealership for repair on June 24th. I still do not know if it has been approved for repair. The recall stated there was a warranty extension to provide lifetime coverage due to bearing damage. A knock sensor detection system was to be installed caused by worn connecting rod bearings. They ran the diagnostic test for trouble code P1326 and said the noise only got worse. The service department in Rapid City told me the engine needed to be replaced. I still have not heard the decision of Kia and was told it could be the end of July. I need help getting the service my car requires and I need a rental vehicle to drive until my vehicle can be repaired.

NHTSA ODI 11424630

Engine has a loud knocking noise also had flames coming from under the hood. No check engine light came on. I was so terrified for my life. Kia has a recall on 2012 - 2019 engine and not 2011 Kia Sorento engines and it’s causing the same issue.. this is not Safe for anyone.. so can you’ll look into this matter and make Kia accountable for the repairs.. total of 187 complaints on the 2011 Kia Sorento engine and nothing is being done… Please help us

NHTSA ODI 11424208

A few days before we were to go on vacation we received a campaign letter from Kia about reprogramming the ecm because of the knock sensors. In this letter it stated that after the repairs were done the would warrant the engine for 10 years or 150000 miles from first in service date. My Kia has 144417 miles on it. Because it was so close to our vacation time I didn't have time to take it to the dealer and get the campaign done on it, I was going to do it when I returned from vacation. When we were returning on I-75 outside Chattanooga Tn I heard a loud noise, check eng light started flashing, it jerked me into the right lane which I barely avoided a crash with a vehicle in that lane, smoke was coming up behind me after getting the vehicle to the shoulder of the road some lady pulled up in front of us and said the car was on fire i raised the hood and it was burning at the firewall and underneath it. I instructed my son to get my wife and 3 yr old grandson out of the car, they were in the back seat. I happened to have a case of water in the ack so I started getting out bottles of water out and pouring them on the flames when a dot truck pulled up with a fire extinguisher and finished putting out the flames. There were no warning lights or noises on before this happened. I have been a mechanic all my life and upon inspection I saw that it had slung a rod out the side of the block and that the oil hitting the hot exhaust had set fire to the vehicle. I had to pay 350.00 to get it towed back to my house. I called Kia on Monday and he took all this information down and then he told me they wouldn't do anything about it because I didn't have the campaign done before it happened. I think that Kia ought to put me an engine in this vehicle

NHTSA ODI 11422246

The contact owns a 2011 KIA Sorento. The contact stated that at first, the vehicle would seem as though it would hesitate or choke before acceleration after being idle. Now, while sitting idle the vehicle would suddenly stall. The contact stated that at first, they had to wait approximately 5 minutes however, now about 10 minutes before they are able to restart the vehicle and function as expected. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact had not taken the vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 250,200.

NHTSA ODI 11422198

Engine knocking when accelerating, leaking oil, sparks of fire almost caught fire,... no engine light came on. There’s a recall for Kia Sorento engine but only the 2.5 engine and not a 3.5 engine in which I have a 3.5 and it’s doing the same as the 3.5 engine... that’s terrifying

NHTSA ODI 11420351

IVE HAD TWO ENGINES FAIL ON THIS CAR BOTH THE SAME CONNECTING ROD ISSUE YET MY CAR IS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL SO MY FIRST ENGING COST ME 6,000 DOLLERS THE SECOND I HAVE REPACED YET IT SITTING IN THE DRIVEWAY DROVE IT ONLY 3800 MILES SAME ISSUE BEARING ARE GONE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO EXCEPT MAYBE GET A LAWYER CAR IS A LEMON

NHTSA ODI 11416106

ENGINE MAKING A KNOCKING NOISE AND LEAKING OIL WITH NO OIL LIGHT ON TO INDICATE THAT IT'S A OIL PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WAS SMOKING POSSIBLE BOUT TO CATCH FIRE SPARKS WAS COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING AT THE MOMENT

NHTSA ODI 11416037

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2011 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AS SPARKS AND FLAMES WERE SEEN COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE CONTACT EXITED THE VEHICLE, OPENED THE HOOD AND A FIRE EMERGED FROM THE ENGINE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE SUSTAINED AN EYE INJURY DUE TO THE FLAMES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CONTACTED AND WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THE CONTACT WAS UNAWARE IF A POLICE OR FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A JUNK YARD. THE CONTACT NOTIFIED KIA OF SOUTH AUSTIN (5306 S IH 35 FRONTAGE RD, AUSTIN, TX 78745) AND THEY INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THEY COULD NOT ASSIST DUE TO THE VEHICLE NOT BEING UNDER A RECALL. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN INFORMED OF THE FAILURE AND COMPLAINT WAS FILED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ODI 11414131

AT 100000 MILES ENGINE HAD MAJOR FAILURE NEEDING TO BE REPLACED HAD MECHANIC INSTALL USED ENGINE WITH 75000 MILES AND THIS ENGINE IS HAVING TIMING ISSUES UNABLE TO GET IT INSPECTED BECAUSE IT WON'T PASS EMISSION TEST

NHTSA ODI 11406874

I DROVE MY 2011 KIA SORENTO ABOUT 9:15 AT NIGHT. BY 12:45 AM A PASSERBY HAD CALLED 911 DUE TO MY CAR BEING IN FLAMES. I WAS WOKEN UP TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVING AT MY HOUSE AND MY CAR ENGULFED IN FLAMES. AFTER THE FLAMES WERE EXTINGUISHED, THEY CHECKED IT OVER AND DETERMINED THAT IT HAD STARTED IN THE ENGINE AREA. I BOUGHT THE CAR IN 2017 AND IT CURRENTLY ONLY HAS 120,750 MILES ON IT. THEY INVESTIGATED IT AND DETERMINED IT HAD STARTED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE NEAR THE ENGINE. MY CAR IS A TOTAL LOSS AND IT WAS HEARTBREAKING TO WAKE UP TO THAT AT ALMOST 1:00AM. KIA NEEDS TO GET IT TOGETHER AND TAKE CARE OF MY EXPENSES.*DT

NHTSA ODI 11403794

2011 KIA SORENTO EX 3.5 ENGINE SPORT UTILITY VEHICLE HAS RANDOMLY CHANGED IN THE WAY ITS FEELS SAFE WITH ROUGH INSTABILITY IN MY SUSPENSION COMPONENTS.MY BRAKES FAILED WHILE DRIVING ON A RANDOM BASIS AS WELL AS WHEN CAR IS PARKED WILL RANDOMLY CLICK IN MY GEAR SHIFT MECHANISM AND WILL FAIL TO LOCK WHEN CAR IS PARKED AND SHUT OFF IT WILL CLICK WHEN BRAKES ARE DEPRESSED.MY FRONT LIGHTS HAVE DIMMED AND BOTH BRAKE LIGHTS HAVE BURNED OUT CONSISTENTLY AS WELL AS MY STEERING WHEEL HAS FAILED WITH ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS RANDOMLY.CAR HORN IS INOPERABLE AND MY CRUISE CONTROL STOP FUNCTIONING. MY ALTERNATOR BURNED OUT ON ME AND MY CAR HAS HISTORIAL PROOF OF CONSISTENT MAINTENANCE WITH CAR FAX REPORT IN HAND .MY GAS MILAGE HAS SINCE DECREASED. MY SUSPENSION FEELS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND REALLY BAD ON BUMPS AND AVERAGE ROAD CONDITIONS ARE ALSO VERY UNPLEASANT SO I HAVE PARKED IT UNTIL IT'S FIXED FOR ACTIVE RECALLS AND OTHER POTENTIAL MANUFACTURER DEFECTS

NHTSA ODI 11395866

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START, WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO THE TIMING CHAIN. THE CONTACT CALLED TAYLOR KIA OF TOLEDO (6300 CENTRAL AVE, TOLEDO, OH 43615:419) 842-8811) HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO NHTSA FOR ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 127,000.

NHTSA ODI 11388845

IT STARTED LIKE A LOW SOUND FROM THE ENGINE WHEN I TRIED TO SPEED UP THREE DAYS BEFORE MONDAY. AND THIS NOISE WAS GROWING WHILE DRIVING ON ROAD. THE CAR SLOWED DOWN GRADUALLY AND STOPPED THE ENGINE. THE MECHANIC HELPED ME REACH MY APT AND PARKED AFTER HE CHANGED ONLY THE STARTER, HE SAID ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO DEFEATED BEARING.

NHTSA ODI 11388180

I HAVE A 2011 KIA SORENTO WHIHC HAS 136K MILEAGE ON IT. AT 2014 WHILE I WAS ON DEALER FOR REGULAR MAINTENANCE THEY BURNNED MY ENGINE AND REPLACED WITH NEW ONE. CAN HAD 25K ON IT. LAST FRIDAY I WAS DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AND MY CAR STARTED TO MAKE SOUND AND SOUND STARTED TO COME FROM ENGINE AND IT STOPPED COMPLETELY. MJAOR ENGINE FALIURE AGAIN AND DELAER NOT WILLING TO CHANGE UNDER WARRANTY. KIA NEED TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE

NHTSA ODI 11387174

ON DECEMBER 2, 2020 MY KIA SORENTO STARTED MAKING A KNOCKING NOISE. NO ENGINE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. I WENT TO GO HEAD HOME FROM WORK ON THE INTERSTATE AND I HEARD A CLANK WHILE I WAS DRIVING MY BRAKES LOCKED IN TRAFFIC THEN ALL THE LIGHTS ON MY DASH CAME ON AND MY ENGINE SHUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. MY CAR WOULD NOT TURN BACK ON AND I HAD TO CALL MY INSURANCE COMPANY GEICO TO HAVE MY CAR TOWED HOME. VERY SCARY AND VERY DANGEROUS. IT STILL DOESN'T NOT TURN ON WHATSO EVER. I HAVE VIDEOS BUT NOT IN THE RIGHT FORMAT TO OPEN.

NHTSA ODI 11386540

I WAS DRIVING TO BAKERSFIELD TO VISIT MY SISTER. ME AND MY GRANDSON WERE ON THE 5 FRWY WHEN MY CAR STARTED LOSING POWER. I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE FRWY AND WAITED FOR THE TOW TRUCK. MY CAR NEVER STARTED AGAIN. SINCE THEN I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT IT'S THE MOTOR. MY CAR NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS NEVER RAN HOT OR ANYTHING

NHTSA ODI 11386062

CHECK ENGINE CODE FOR TRANSMISSION FLUID TEMPERATURE SENSOR A CIRCUIT HIGH INPUT AND TRANSMISSION FLUID TEMPERATURE SENSOR CKT RANGE / PERFORMANCE CODES 0713 AND 0711. HAS THERE BEEN ANY RECALLS? 2012 KIA SORENTO LX. ALWAYS ON CHECK ENGINE LIGHT

NHTSA ODI 11383228

OIL PRESSURE SENSOR WENT OUT THEN OIL WAS THROWN OUT ALL OVER ENGINE AND UNDER CARRIAGE, WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH NO HEADS UP. THIS HAPPENED TWICE ( 2 DIFFERENT TIMES) IN THREE YEARS AND THIS ISN'T CONCEDED A FIRE ISSUE. 7/4/2016 FIRST TIME, THEN 7/22/2019

NHTSA ODI 11378334

A MONTH AGO WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM A DAY OF SHOPPING AND THE DRIVERS SIDE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON. I CHECKED THE WIRES UNDERNEATH THE DRIVERS SEAT TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING WAS STILL CONNECTED THE LIGHT STAYS ON. THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON JUST YESTERDAY 12.5.2020. STAYS ON WILL NOT SHUT OFF. I CHECKED THE GAS CAP TO MAKE SURE IT WAS TIGHT THEN WENT TO AUTO ZONE SO THEY COULD USE THEIR DTC. (THE CLERK PUT AN ESTIMATE OF MILES ON MY PAPERWORK AS HE DID NOT GO OUTSIDE TO GET ACTUAL MILAGE.)THE CODE WAS OBD2. I WAS DUE FOR A OIL CHANGE AND TRANSMISSION FLUSH. I GOT THOSE REPAIRED BUT STILL HAVE ISSUES WITH THE LIGHT. THE PAPERWORK STATES ERROR CODE READ P0014 EXHAUST CAMSHAFT POSITION TIMING OVER ADVANCED BANK 1 INDICATES THAT THE BANK 1 EXHAUST CAMSHAFT POSITION TIMING WAS ADVANCED BEYOND LIMITS FOR A PREDETERMINED. OF TIME. THE ONLY THING I NOTICED WAS THAT I DIDN'T EVEN HAVE THE HEAT ON AND THERE WAS NICE AMOUNT OF HEAT COMING THROUGH THE VENTS BUT THE HEAT DIAL WAS ON THE OFF POSITION. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL.

NHTSA ODI 11378145

I WAS HEADED TO WORK A 10 MIN ROUTE FOR ME ABOUT 3 MILES IN TRAVELING AT APPROX 55 MPH ENGINE STALLED OUT HAD TO PULL OVER AND RESTART THE CAR.THIS HAPPEN TWICE IN A WEEK SPAN.

NHTSA ODI 11364458

AT 103,000 MILES, MY 2011 KIA SORENTO HAD CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE WITH NO WARNING. IT WAS DEEMED TO BE AN INTERNAL ENGINE FAILURE, KNOWN BY KIA, HOWEVER THEY REFUSED TO INCLUDE MY VIN IN THE RECALL. I PAID 2700 FOR A REPLACEMENT THROUGH THE KIA DEALERSHIP. 2 YEARS LATER, AT 1240,000 MILES, THE SECOND ENGINE FAILED. AGAIN, NO WARNING LIGHTS, SIMPLY DRIVING FORWARD AT 60MPH WHEN IT STOPPED. KIA REFUSES TO COVER ANYTHING AGAIN.

NHTSA ODI 11362174

IN 2018, WHILE DRIVING, MY 2011 KIA SORENTO WITH 101,000 MILES, THE ENGINE COMPLETELY STOPPED WITH ZERO WARNING. IT WAS DEEMED AN INTERNAL ENGINE FAILURE AND WHILE KIA HAD A KNOWN ENGINE ISSUE, THEY REFUSED TO INCLUDE MY VIN IN THE RECALL. I PAID OUT OF POCKET TO HAVE THE KIA DEALER INSTALL A KIA SUPPLIED ENGINE. 2 YEARS LATER, WITH 20,000 MILES, THE SAME ISSUE HAPPENED AGAIN. WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH, THE ENGINE FAILED. FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY AND GOOD SAMARITANS STOPPED TO HELP PUSH ME OUT OF HARMS WAY. AGAIN, KIA WILL NOT COVER THE REPAIRS. FORTUNATELY I COULD SMELL THE HOT ENGINE AND IMMEDIATELY CALLED FOR A TOW RATHER THAN TRY TO RESTART THE ENGINE, AFTER LEARNING THE ENGINES BURST INTO FLAMES.

NHTSA ODI 11362187

CAR MAKES A BAD NOISE WHEN STARTING UP. SEEMS TO BE THE TIMING CHOSEN. KIA KNOWS ABOUT IT AND MADE A REPAIR BUT HAS TO BE REPAIRED AT OWNERS COST. THEY SHOULD PAY FOR IT SINCE THEY PUT OUT BAD PRODUCT

NHTSA ODI 11361861

ENGINE STARTED CLICKING AND SMOKING WHILE IN MOTION GOING 70 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE. MY ENGINE BLEW AT 158,000 MILES. I HAD NORMAL REGULAR MAINTENANCE. MY MECHANIC DID REGULAR OIL CHANGES.

NHTSA ODI 11361462

I WAS LEAVING MY MOM HOUSE AROUND TEN O'CLOCK AT NIGHT. AS I WAS FIVE MINUTES AWAY FROM MY APARTMENTS MY CAR MADE A LOUD SOUND AND STARTED TO SLOW DOWN. I STOP MY CAR AND PUT IT UN PARK AND I SEEN SMOKE COMING FROM INSIDE THE HOOD. I GET OUT THE CAR AND GRAB MY SON AND , I KNOCK ON SOMEONE'S DOOR FOR HELP AND AFTER THAT FIRE STARTS. I CALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THEY CAME IN ABOUT 3-5 MINUTES AND THEY FORCED MY HOOD OPEN DUE TO MY HOOD LATCH MISSING . AFTER THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT I FOUND PIECES OF METAL ON THE GROUND FROM MY KIA.

NHTSA ODI 11351493