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

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

Passenger low beam kept burning out. I kept replacing. This morning, on my way home from work (I work nights on an ambulance) I could smell burning, and saw that the light was out once again. Got home, and the entire connector/wiring to the bulb was completely melted and sizzling, with a small flame at the base of the plastic connector. This is outrageous. There were recalls for this EXACT issue for other Sorentos, but mine was not included. This could have started a major vehicle fire, and I cannot afford a vehicle electrician. Kia should be replacing this.

NHTSA ODI 11436094

OUR INTERIOR LIGHTS QUIT WORKING SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE SO WE HAD IT REPAIRED. 2 WEEKS LATER WE HAD AN ELECTRICAL FIRE AND DAMAGE TO WIREING THE MECHANIC DIDN'T REPLACE. $5,000 LATER, NOW THE HEADLIGHTS FLICKER WHILE DRIVING IF YOU USE THE TURNING SIGNAL. HUGE SAFETY ISSUE!!!! ALSO WHILE DRIVING THE CAR OUT OF THE BLUE JERKS QUICK AND HARD. WE DON'T FEEL SAFE IN THIS VEHICLE ANYMORE.

NHTSA ODI 11111480

LOW BEAM ASSEMBLY WIRING ON BOTH LOW BEAMS HAS MELTED. THIS HAS BEEN REPORTED IN NUMEROUS CAR BLOGS AS A KNOWN ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI 11089968

WHILE RETURNING FROM MY AUNTS FUNERAL IN KANSAS, MAKING MY WAY TO GEORGIA. THE CAR BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN AND STOP, ON THE HIGHWAY. THEN IT CUT OFF, WOULDN'T START OR MOVE. THERE WAS THIS WHINING AND CLANKING SOUND, WHITE SMOKE AND FIRE SHOT OUT FROM UNDER THE CAR, AS I WAS TOLD BY A PERSON THAT WAS PASSING BY, HE STOPPED TO MAKE SURE THAT I GOT OUT OF THE CAR. IT JUST GOT TO 130,000 MILES. HAD IT TOWED TO A SHOP AND WAS TOLD THAT THE ENGINE WAS GONE.

NHTSA ODI 11073341

ORIGINAL OWNER '11 SORENTO 4CYL, AWD W/TOW PACKAGE & APPROX 88K MILES. PROBLEM 1ST NOTICED ABOUT 2 MOS AGO WHEN SEAT BELT LIGHT BEGAN FLASHING WITH AUDIBLE CLICKING COMING FROM RELAY BEHIND DASH. IT WAS DAYTIME WHEN THIS HAPPENED 1ST FEW TIMES & I COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM. THIS ISSUE SEEMED TO HAPPEN AFTER STARTING CAR & WOULD GO AWAY AFTER A FEW MOMENTS OF DRIVING. RELEASING & RE-CONNECTING SEAT BELT HAD NO EFFECT. THE 1ST TIME IT HAPPENED @ NIGHT I REALIZED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS & DASH LIGHTS WOULD FLASH ON & OFF ALSO. STILL COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM, BUT BEING A MECHANIC I WATCHED FOR IT TO HAPPEN AND TRIED DIFFERENT THINGS TO SEE IF THEY HAD ANY EFFECT ON THE ISSUE. ALWAYS WOULD BEGIN AFTER INITIALLY STARTING CAR, BUT NOT DO IT MOST TIMES. THEN 3 EVENINGS AGO, I FOUND IT HAPPENING EVERY TIME I WOULD START THE CAR & WOULD EVEN DO IT AFTERWARDS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. I WAS 70 MILES FROM HOME & TRIED TO GET BACK. IT DIDN'T MATTER WHETHER THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH WAS ON, OFF OR AUTO, IT WOULD STILL FLASH ALL LIGHTS & SEATBELT LIGHT W/CLICKING FROM RELAY. ON THE WAY HOME, WHILE DRIVING A RURAL ROAD, THE LIGHTS AGAIN STARTED BLINKING ON & OFF CAUSING ME TO HIT A METAL POLE A DRAINAGE DITCH THRU FARMER'S FENCE INTO HIS FIELD. ACCIDENT PUSHED METAL BUMPER (BEHIND BUMPER COVER) BACK ABOUT 12", TORE THE ENTIRE FRONT END &LIGHTS FROM CAR & BENT HOOD BACK 1 1/2 FEET AND BUCKLED IT UPWARD - ALL OF THIS WITHOUT EVER DEPLOYING THE AIRBAG.THESE PROBLEMS ARE PREVALENT IN THIS CAR AS I HAVE READ, BUT I NOW HAVE A VEHICLE WHICH DESPITE IT'S DAMAGE WILL NOW DUPLICATE THE LIGHTS GOING ON & OFF EVERY TIME THE CAR IS TURNED ON. HAVE CONTACTED KIA CORP IN HOPES THAT THEY WILL WANT TO USE MY CAR TO GET TO THE CAUSE OF THIS ISSUE & FINALLY CORRECT IT. AS A MECHANIC I VERY WELL UNDERSTAND THE NEED TO BE ABLE TO DUPLICATE PROBLEM TO FIND CAUSE ..... KIA NOW HAS NO EXCUSE.

NHTSA ODI 10811503

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LOW BEAM HEAD LIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE AND THE WIRES AROUND BOTH HEAD LIGHTS MELTED. THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE HEADLIGHTS WERE REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

NHTSA ODI 10722839