What 1,515 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Kia Sorento

I AM NOT ABLE TO DETERMINE IF IT WILL BE COVERED OR NOT. MOST LIKELY IT WILL NOT BE COVERED BECAUSE THE CS1603 CAN ONLY BE COMPLETED ONCE, AND ONLY UNDER THE 5 YEARS/ 60,000 MILE WARRANTY. THE VEHICLE IS CONSIDERED OUT OF WARRANTY BY THE YEAR AS IT GOES BY THE ORIGINAL WARRANTY START DATE OF 06/04/2011. HOWEVER, WE CAN LOOK INTO POSSIBLE GOODWILL ASSISTANCE WITH THE REPAIR THAT IS NEEDED. OF COURSE I AM NOT ABLE TO GUARANTEE ANYTHING UPFRONT. KIA MOTORS AMERICA, INC. 111 PETERS CANYON RD IRVINE CA 9260 ON FRIDAY, APRIL 5, 2019, 8:43:00 AM CDT GOOD MORNING, I WOULD RECOMMEND TAKING THE VEHICLE INTO YOUR LOCAL KIA DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THEM DIAGNOSE THE CONCERN. TYPICALLY, THE REPAIR CAN ONLY BE REPAIRED ONCE, BUT THEY WILL BE ABLE TO DIAGNOSE IT TO SEE WHAT IS CAUSING THAT TO OCCUR. I AM NOT TECHNICALLY TRAINED IN MY OFFICE, SO I AM UNABLE TO DETERMINE IF THE CS1603, OR RECALL, COULD BE CAUSING THIS OR NOT. A KIA DEALERSHIP WOULD BE ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT. IF YOU NEED ASSISTANCE SETTING UP AN APPOINTMENT PLEASE LET ME KNOW, AND I WILL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO HELP. SUBJECT: RE: 13091874 YES, MY CONCERN IS THAT I TOOK MY 2011 KIA SORENTO INTO THE LOCAL KIA DEALERSHIP FOR A DOOR LOCK RECALL WHILE I WASN'T HAVING ANY PROBLEMS. THEY DID A REPAIR. NOW, EVERY SO OFTEN, THE ONLY DOOR LOCK, WHERE YOU CAN PUT A KEY IN, YOU TURN THE KEY, AND NOTHING HAPPENS. THEN YOU TURN THE KEY AGAIN AND THE FRONT AND BACK DOOR LOCKS WILL UNLOCK. IN SOME CASES NOT. SO, I AM NOW HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE DOOR LOCK SYSTEM WHERE BEFORE THE RECALL I HAD NONE. SO, I AM WONDERING IF THERE IS ANOTHER RECALL, OR WHAT IS GOING ON???? Consumer stated vehicle has not been repaired.*JB

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MY VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY. HAD DRIVEN DAY BEFORE. WENT TO START AND HEAR CLICKING NOISE LIKE STARTER PROBLEM. CALL TOW TRUCK TO TAKE TO SHOP $92.32. SHORT IN WIRING DOWN BY STARTER ASSEMBELY. REQUIRED REPAIR AND RETEST OF SYSTEM. $311.39

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I HAVE A HEAD LIGHTS THAT KEEP GOING IN AND OUT . I HAVE HAD IT REPAIRS A LOT OF TIMES BUT IT KEEPS DOING IT . ITHEN GOT A PAPER IN THE MAIL FOR A EXTENSION ON THE LIGHTS FOR MY MODEL VEHICLE CAUSE THE CONNECTORS IN THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED SO I TOOK IT TO KIA. THEY TOLD ME THAT BECAUSE I HAD IT FIXED SO MANY TIME THAT THERES NOT ENOUGH WIRE TO REPLACE IT AGAIN THIS WAS ON MAY 14 2019 AND THEY SAID THAT MY WHOLE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE CHANGED IN ORDER TO FIX IT BUT THEY WOULD HAVE TO ASK KIA FOR COVERAGE . ON MAY 30TH I CALLED AGAIN TO SEE IF THEY WERE GONNA COVER IT AND THEY SAID NO EVEN THO THIS A SAFETY CONCERN. THAT BECAUSE I DIDN'T GO TO THEM TO FIX IT IN THE FIRST PLACE THEY WONT COVER IT .

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PASSENGER SIDE REAR DOOR LOCKED, UNABLE TO OPEN FROM OUTSIDE OR INSIDE MANUALLY OR WITH REMOTE. PREVIOUSLY DOOR WAS REPAIRED DUE TO RECALL, DOOR HANDLE BROKE OFF ALSO DOOR LOCKS MALFUNCTIONING. VEHICLE STATIONARY OR IN MOTION WONT OPEN. PLEASE ADVISE.

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'TAMARA RECALL' I WAS TRAVELING UP THE INTERSTATE SLIGHTLY UPHILL AT 55 MILES AN HOUR WHEN I BEGIN TO LOSE POWER\SPEED AND BEFORE I COULD GET IT TO THE SHOULDER IT LOST ALL POWER TO GATHER AND SMOKE STARTED COMING IN THE AC VENT WHEN I GOT IT STOPPED AND OPEN THE HOOD IT WAS BURNING AT THE BACK RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE MOTOR ON SOME WIRING HARNESS I WAS ABLE TO PUT THE FIRE OUT I LATER WAS TOLD THAT IT HAD THROWN A ROD AND WAS MOST LIKELY THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE

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I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE SLIGHTLY UPHILL. AT ABOUT 55 MPH WHEN MY SORENTO BEGAN TO LOOSE POWER/SPEED. BEFORE I COULD PULL OFF ONTO THE SHOULDER SMOKE BEGAN COMING IN THROUGH THE A.C VENTS. WHEN I REACHED THE SHOULDER AND OPENED THE HOOD THE BACK RIGHT END OF THE MOTOR WAS ON FIRE FROM THE WIRING HARNESSES. I WAS ABLE TO PUT OUT THE FIRE. UPIN A MECHANIC LOOKING AT IT I WAS TOLD IT HAD THROWN A ROD AND MOST LIKELY THE FIRE.

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FIRST WARNING SIGN WAS THE HEADLIGHT, LOW BEAMS, AND ALL INTERIOR ELECTRONICS WOULD SHUT COMPLETELY OFF FOR ABOUT 2 SECONDS RANDOMLY WHEN THE TURN SIGNAL WAS USED. NEXT THE DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT, LOW BEAM, WENT OUT WHEN REPLACING THE BULB THE REPLACEMENT BULB WORKED UNTIL THE BULB WAS PLACED IN THE SOCKET. AFTER CLEANING THE SOCKETS TO CREATE A BETTER CONNECTION, STILL NOTHING WORKED. I SWITCHED BULBS FROM DRIVER TO PASSENGER TO SEE IF THE BULB WOULD GET A GOOD CONNECTION ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AND NOW NEITHER LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT WORKS. THIS IS A LIGHT SWITCH ISSUE THAT WAS RECALLED FOR 2012-16 KIA SORENTO'S BUT I'M HAVING THE SAME ISSUE IN A 2011.

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MY VEHICLE HAS CONTINUOUSLY MELTED WIRING HARNESS AFTER WIRING HARNESS THAT RUN MY HEADLIGHTS. NOT SURE IF THIS HAPPENS WHILE IN MOTION OR STATIONARY, I JUST NOTICE IT WHEN I AM DOWN TO ONE HEADLIGHT. THIS HAS BECOME VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE I CONSTANTLY HAVE TO DRIVE IN THE DARK WITH ONE HEADLIGHT. ALSO IT REALLY SCARES ME THAT MY VEHICLE IS MELTING WIRES THAT CONNECT TO OTHER WIRES THAT COULD EASILY CAUSE A FIRE!

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HEADLAMPS QUIT WORKING, EVEN THOUGH I HAVE REPEATEDLY REPLACED. HAPPENS ABOUT 1 EVERY THREE WEEKS. USUALLY HAPPENS ON THE HIGHWAY DURING NIGHT DRIVING.

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THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON RANDOMLY AND HAS NOT SHUT OFF FOR SEVERAL YEARS. I WAS TOLD BY A DEALERSHIP THAT IT COULD COST A FEW THOUSAND DOLLARS TO FIX. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY VERY DANGEROUS AND THAT TERRIFYING THAT IT COULD BE SET OFF AT ANY TIME FOR NO REASON OR EVEN WORSE NOT AT ALL. AFTER SEEING SO MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE WHY HASN'T THIS BEEN ADDRESSED OR RECALLED?

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I WAS DRIVING ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY IN PA, RT. 83 AND MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. LUCKILY I GOT OFF THE HIGHWAY BECAUSE THE NEXT THING THAT HAPPENED WAS NO POWER WHEN I PRESSED ON THE GAS PEDAL. I GOT IT TOWED TO MY GARAGE AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS THE ACCELERATOR POSITION SENSOR. I GOT IT REPLACED. TWO WEEKS LATER IT HAPPENED AGAIN. I WAS SMART ENOUGH TO GET OFF THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. IMAGINE IF I KEEP DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. NO ACCELERATION. I WOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. RT. 83 IS ONE OF THE WORST HIGHWAYS IN SOUTH CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA FOR TRACKER TRAILER ACCIDENTS. THIS SORENTO IS A 2011 AND ONLY 55,900 MILE. WHAT YHE HECK. TWICE IN A MONTH. I WANT THIS ON RECORD BECAUSE IF THIS VEHICLE CAUSES ME TO GET IN AN ACCIDENT THAT KILLS ME, KIA IS LIABLE. I ONLY PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE IN OCTOBER 2018. I CAN'T AFFORD TO BUY ANOTHER VEHICLE. PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT I SHOULD DO?

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I HAVE BEEN A KIA CUSTOMER FOR OVER 7 YEARS AND ARE ON OUR THIRD VEHICLE FROM THEM. TRADED MY KIA FORTE FOR 2011 SORENTO IN 2016. IT HAS HAD A LOT OF ISSUES WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND IT COST $1,200 TO FIX IT. RECENTLY ON JAN 25TH MY TIMING CHAIN BROKE AND ALSO RUINED THE ENGINE. NOW TOLD THAT I NEED NEW ENGINE FOR $5.100. I HAVE LEARNED OF MANY RECALLS ON SORENTO ENGINE MOTOR BUT STARTING FOR THE YEAR 2012.

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STEERING WHEEL CONTROLS FOR RADIO/PHONE QUIT WORKING AND THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON. NO ACCIDENT ETC, JUST QUIT WORKING.

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WHEN DRIVING CAR JERKS AND ENGINE CUTS OUT LOSING ALL POWER AND MOBILITY. USUALLY COMES BACK ON WITHIN SECONDS. THIS HAPPENS WHEN DRIVING AT ANY RATE OF SPEED. A FEW TIMES I HAD TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITH NO POWER AND RESTART THE CAR. WHEN LOSING ALL POWER I HAVE BEEN ON THE HIGHWAY DRIVING 55-60MPH. ALL POWER IS LOST AND WITH NO POWER STEERING I HAVE HAD TO GET THE CAR OFF THE ROAD OUT OF THE WAY OF TRAFFIC. THIS HAS HAPPENED ABOUT 6 TIMES. OFTEN SMELL SOMETHING BURNING OR MELTING. SMOKE FROM DASH A FEW TIMES. NO FIRES YET... ALSO PASSENGER SIDE HEAD LAMP CONTINUES TO GO OUT BECAUSE OF THE WIRES AND HARNESS MELTING.

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PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT BULB WENT OUT. WENT TO REPLACE BULB AND THE CONNECTOR WAS MELTED

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LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT SOCKET KEEPS MELTING AFTER REPLACING. FIRE HAZARD

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SINCE PURCHASE, ON THREE OCCASIONS DO REAR DOORORS LOCKED IN THE CLOSED POSITION. THE FRONT 2 DOORS AND THE REAR DOOR ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. EACH FRONT DOOR WAS FIXED BY KIA WITH NO EXPENSE TO OWNER. THEY REFUSE TO REPAIR THIS REAR DOOR STATING IT WILL COST THE OWNER APX. $ 1,800. THIS IS A REAL DANGER SINCE PASSENGERS IN THE REAR SEATS CANNOT EXIT CAR IN AN EMERGENCY. DOOR CANNOT BE OPENED UNDER ANY CONDITIONS.

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ALL CONTROLS ON STEERING WHEEL STOPPED WORKING AROUND 120,000 MILES. BLUETOOTH, RADIO CONTROLS AND CRUISE CONTROL. ALL POWER SOCKETS AND USB SOCKET STOPPED WORKING AROUND 110,000 MILES. WHINING SOUND COMING FROM ENGINE AREA WHEN CAR IS ON STARTED AROUND 128,000 MILES.

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THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR (PART OF THROTTLE BODY) HAZARD! RANDOM. THE VEHICLE RADIO WILL SHUT OFF, ALL DASHBOARD LIGHTS WILL ILLUMINATE (SAME LIGHTS ILLUMINATE WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED), AND THEN THE THROTTLE PEDAL LOSES THE ABILITY TO ACCELERATE EVEN WHEN PRESSED ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. THERE IS NO ACCELERATION/POWER WHAT SO EVER! THE VEHICLE WILL MAINTAIN A SPEED 20 MPH. THIS HAS BEEN CONFIRMED AS THE VEHICLE IS PULLED OFF THE ROAD TO SAFETY. TO CORRECT, EMERGENCY EXIT TO SIDE OF THE ROAD, PLACE THE VEHICLE IN PARK, TURN THE VEHICLE OFF, AND THEN RESTART THE VEHICLE. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS WHILE DRIVING AT ACCELERATED SPEED (40-60 MPH) OF WHICH THE VEHICLE WAS PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC, WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY, AND WHILE ACCELERATING AFTER A STOP LIGHT. THIS IS A VERY HAZARDOUS/DANGEROUS CONDITION THAT HAS NEARLY PLACED ME INTO AN ACCIDENT THAT COULD HAVE ETHER SEVERELY INJURED OR KILLED ME BY ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THERE ARE MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS ISSUE WHEN SEARCHED ON YOUTUBE. HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=NHQAQURNFV0 HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=834XLHQGRNO

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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.

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THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN FROM THE OUTSIDE, AND THEN THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR IS TRYING TO DO THE SAME AT TIMES. I BABYSIT AND THIS COULD BE A SAFETY HAZARD FOR PEOPLE WITH SMALL CHILDREN. ALSO WHAT IF SOMETHING MAJOR WAS WRONG AND I NEEDED TO IMMEDIATELY GET INTO MY CAR, FROM WHAT I HAVE READ THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM A F WILL PROBABLY RESULT IN THE DOOR EVENTUALLY NOT BEING ABLE TO OPEN AT ALL. THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE.

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CAR MAKES LOUD ROARING SOUND UPON COLD START. IT IS TYPICALLY THE LOUDEST WHEN IT HAS BEEN LEFT SITTING ALL NIGHT AND AT FIRST START. IT WILL NOT MAKE THE NOISE AFTER THAT UNLESS IT SITS FOR AT LEAST 8HRS.I TOOK IT TO KIA AND THEY EXPLAINED IT WOULDN'T DAMAGE MY CAR AND IT'S MOSTLY JUST A LOUD NOISE AND ANNOYANCE. THEY ALSO EXPLAINED THEY HAD SEEN THIS BEFORE AND ONE OF THE MECHANICS EVEN SAID HE DROVE HIS KIA AROUND FOR YEARS AND IT MADE THE SAME NOISE. IT IS LOUD.

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ALL OF A SUDDEN ALL MY INTERIOR DASH LIGHTS AND HEADLIGHTS STARTED BLINKING WHILE THE CAR WAS RUNNING. I SHUT THE CAR OFF AND IT CONTINUED, TURNED THE CAR BACK ON AND IT WAS STILL GOING. THEN THE FLICKERING RANDOMLY STOPPED. THE CAR WAS STATIONARY IN MY DRIVEWAY.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR FAILED TO LOCK MANUALLY OR WITH THE KEY FOB. ALSO, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL CLICKING NOISE WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE LOCAL DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000.

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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.

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