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

Just bought this from a private seller last week and was driving to work. The engine suddenly caught fire and the car essentially exploded and melted.

NHTSA ODI 11748972

My 2011 Kia Sorrento caught fire while parked in my garage. Kia is saying it's not due to any recall they have and that it was an electrical fire store behind the steering wheel and they're refusing to take any responsibility financially for it or otherwise due to it being through previous owners and an older vehicle

NHTSA ODI 11716993

I was driving my car, while at a stop light I noticed some smoke coming from under my hood. I thought it might have been the cold I turned off the main road onto my street and noticed the smoke increasing, I pulled over turned off my car opened the hood and a fire started at the back of my engine.

NHTSA ODI 11713565

I was driving and my Kia started over heating and smoking and smelled like plastic burning I got it towed to the Hendricks of Kia and it sat there for 2weeks and I contacted them about giving me a lender until they fix my engine problem and they told me that my engine is not under warranty but is a recall I didn’t blow my engine I recently bought it about 6 months ago

NHTSA ODI 11690083

Was on my way back from picking up my child father from work. My 2 kids were also in the car [XXX] & [XXX] old. My car started smoking and another motorist pulled down his window to let me know that my car was on fire from underneath. I immediately got all of us out of the car and my child father went to go pop the hood and noticed that fire was coming near the engine !! Made an insurance claim and they deemed the car as a total loss. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11684524

The contact owned a 2011 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving on a main road at 40 MPH an abnormal burning smell entered the cabin and no warning lights were illuminated shortly afterword's smoke was being emitted from the front end of the vehicle, the contact immediatley proceeded to pull over and exit the vehicle. The origin of the fire was front engine compartment. The vehicle was occupied during the fire however the contact was successful in exiting the vehicle. The location of the fire was the front engine compartment. The fire was extinguished by the local fire department. A fire department report was filed. A police department report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000.

NHTSA ODI 11673670

My KIA Sorrento spontaneously engulfed in flames approximately 200 yards from my home. This is not a vehicle crash the car had flames coming from the vents and floor boards. I was the driver my daughter was the passenger and my granddaughter was in the rear car seat we barely escaped with our lives before it exploded and we were steps away as car debre was flying past us.

NHTSA ODI 11667411

The contact owned a 2011 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that, upon reaching her destination and turning the vehicle off, she smelled smoke in the interior of the vehicle. She then observed flames jutting up from underneath the driver's side seat, prompting her to evacuate immediately. Within minutes, the vehicle was completely engulfed in flames following what the contact described as an explosion. Local emergency services arrived and were able to extinguish the flames, later determining that faulty vehicle components caused the fire without human intervention. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and deemed a total loss by the contact's insurance provider. A fire report was filed. A police report was not filed, but injuries were reported. The contact suffered various minor burns to her hands but did not seek medical attention, choosing instead to attend to her injuries herself at home. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); the VIN was included, and parts were available. However, the contact stated that previous attempts to schedule the vehicle for repair had failed due to parts availability and a months-long waiting list. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and a third-party engineer was sent to examine the vehicle, but a final report had yet to be provided to the contact. The failure mileage was 223,000.

NHTSA ODI 11644899

I was approaching a stoplight, applying my brakes ahead of time, got down around 45 mph and then the brakes locked up suddenly and took me across the road into a guardrail. Thankfully no other car was involved. The speed limit is 55 mph on that road and I was still a ways away from the stoplight. I was never notified of the recalls on the vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11636857

Engine fire, extinguished by the fire dept. Car was parked at the time. Dealer informed us that the fire recall was completed on 10-29-2021 and now we are over the 150,000 mileage warranty so no repair can be done by Kia. I will submit 2 more claims for transmission and brakes for the same Kia.

NHTSA ODI 11633387

No oil after filling up with 4qts. Engine over built compression and blew hole through bottom of the block which caused a fire underneath

NHTSA ODI 11622694

I have a problem with my Kia Sorento since last year and I expensed a lot money with the eng8ne. The motor is broken down. Also, one shop gave me the receipt, 4 guys for $59 because I refuse any repair again. But, the other shop mechanic where I expensed a lot of money does not give me the receipt, inspire of my request they have not given me the receipt yet. I am so embarrassed, I expensed a lot $5500 for the repair. And, another shop too for $500. Thanks

NHTSA ODI 11589687

After my daughter pulled into her school parking lot on Friday morning, 4/19/24 she reported smelling a very bad smelling smoke. She immediately got out of the car because she then saw flames from under the hood. The car lit on fire, and was completely totaled. I have since been made aware of the recall that causes engine fires.

NHTSA ODI 11584458

12-29-2023, the Kia Sorento started smoking on the way home. When I got home I opened the hood and saw fire. I put the fire out with a fire extinguisher. On 1-9-2024, I made an appointment with Archer Kia and had the car towed there for a diagnosis. After a month with no response, the service manager at Kia advised me to contact Kia Corporation. I spoke to a representative and was assigned a case number. The representative stated that I should have gotten a software update but could not produce any information that I received a recall notice for the software update. All recall notices that I received were addressed and oil changes were regularly done at a major retail store. I was told that an investigation would be done and that I would be contacted. I didn’t receive a response for two months. I called Kia Corporation and was told that they sent information to an address that belonged to my mother which was calling her number instead of calling me. It was never determined why the information was sent to my mother. The car had been registered to my address for over 10 years. Once we established the correct information, I was asked to send service records. I was sent a letter before the representative received the service records stating that the cause of the fire was normal wear and tear. I went to the Archer Kia dealership to talk about the next step. The service manager stated that Kia didn’t send him anything so I waited. This was May 2023. January 2024, I contacted Archia Kia for information. They had received a decline notice to replace the motor. I called Kia Corporation again. I discovered that the original representative no longer worked there. The new representative wanted to call the dealership on a three way call. The service manager was not available and the representative told me he would call me back. In February 2024, I received a recall notice concerning the software issue and a notice stating that the car could catch on fire. In March 2024, I rec

NHTSA ODI 11584614

Exhaust system flex pipe was repaired and the next day the exhaust muffler/ resonator failed at the seam, causing hot gases to escape into the undercarriage and melt the lower bumper cover assembly on the right passenger side. See photos attached.

NHTSA ODI 11572849

While driving on the freeway, the car began to lose power. As I struggled to maneuver to the right lane to pull over, something under the hood caught on fire and black smoke came billowing out. We were able to get out of the car before a young man traveling in he opposite direction saw us and turned around to help. With his help we were able to get my grand kids out and into his car. Thank God that he was not criminally minded. I then called AAA who towed the car back to our home. This happened in July 2023. In October, I received a safety recall notice warning of a possible fire happening. I contacted the local Kia dealership and was told that there was nothing they could except wait and that it could take up to a year or receive the part to remedy the problem. I then contacted Kia Headquarters and was told the same thing. It is now January 2024, and still no remedy and no operable vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11568390

i was driving home from work on 12/22/23 when all of my dashboard lights came on and my engine died. I was in motion when this happened. I put the hazards on and put the car in park and tried to restart it. As I was doing that I was hit from behind by another vehicle. I suffered a concussion that lasted almost 2 weeks. My car being totaled not due to the damage from the accident but the diagnosis that the engine "blew". My insurance company had it towed from a body shop to a salvage yard. I have kept the maintenance completely up to date and put close to $4000 into it last year for normal use items. There was an oil leak that ruined my starter - that was repaired. I am now without a vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11565459

The contact owned a 2011 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated while reversing out of the garage, there was smoke coming from underneath the hood. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was out of the garage. The contact stated that the turned off the vehicle and opened the hood. The contact stated that there was a significant amount of black smoke coming out of the engine compartment. The contact stated that he attempted to disconnect the positive battery thermal but was unable to do so. The contact stated that he applied a fire extinguisher to the engine compartment; however the smoke persisted and the vehicle caught on fire. The contact stated that the fire then extended to the entire vehicle. The fire department extinguished the fire. The contact stated that the vehicle had burned to the ground and remained at the residence. The vehicle was totaled. A fire department report was filed. No police report was filed. There was no injury sustained. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

NHTSA ODI 11563493

The contact owns a 2011 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulics) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact stated he heard noises coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated everyone exited the vehicle and the vehicle was on fire. The fire and police department arrived on the scene. A police and fire report was filed. There were no injuries. The vehicle was taken to a tow yard. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the insurance adjuster. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN Tool Confirms Parts Not Yet Available.

NHTSA ODI 11557071

The contact owns a 2011 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had experienced a failure. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH he saw smoke coming from under the hood. The contact stopped the vehicle and opened the hood. The contact stated that flames were coming from the passenger side front near the starter motor. The contact extinguished the flames with a hand-held fire extinguisher. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic. The mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and replaced the battery, the battery cables, and the hoses. The vehicle had been repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000. VIN tool confirms parts not yet available.

NHTSA ODI 11556633

Mechanical failure in the wiring harness, caused smoke to come out of vents (melted wires). No evidence of rodent damage. Safety was put at risk, immediately dialed 911. As a result several electrical features do not work. Air/AC/heater, power windows nor headlights. Two mechanics & insurance claims representive deemed it "mechanical" failure despite the vehicle being inspected two months prior. Only symptoms that occurred prior were a fused being tripped; interior lights and radio didn't work when this happened.

NHTSA ODI 11522542

The vehicle was parked in a parking log unattended and suddenly caught on fire. The vehicle was driven 15 - 20 minutes before the car was noted of being on fire. The vehicle was known to be leaking oil.

NHTSA ODI 11520474

My 2011 Kia Sorento caught fire while parked outside in parking lot overnight while I slept the police an fire department said my vin had two active recalls on it it started fire on its own without even being driven now I’m out of a car

NHTSA ODI 11500967

The contact owns a 2011 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while her husband was driving at 55 MPH, the vehicle caught on fire without any warning. The contact's husband was able to pull over safely and the fire department was able to extinguish the fire. A report was filed with both the police and the fire department. No one was injured. The vehicle was towed to Doug Auto Motor for diagnosis and they stated the rod broke through the engine and caused the oil to leak into the engine. The vehicle was not repairable. The dealer was contacted, and they stated that they were aware of the failure but there was no recall. The manufacturer was contacted, and they also confirmed that there was no recall for the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

NHTSA ODI 11476208

The contact owns a 2011 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, an abnormal clunking sound had emitted from the vehicle. The contact then heard parts falling out of the engine as white smoke began to release from the vehicle's hood. The check engine warning light was also illuminated on the instrument panel as the contact pulled over. The contact lifted that hood and saw flames coming from undeath the vehicle. The contact immediately shut the hood as smoke continued to discharge from the vehicle. The fire department arrived at the scene; however, the fire had dissolved on its own. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic and was informed that a rod had blown in the engine resulting in engine failure. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer and was initially informed that her vehicle would be repaired under an extended warranty; however, the manufacturer later denied the warranty extension since she failed to have a manufacturer campaign performed on the vehicle. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.

NHTSA ODI 11472402