What 875 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Kia Sorento Plug-in Hybrid

MY CAR HAS BEEN HAVING STRANGE INTERMITTENT ENGINE TROUBLES & SYMPTOMS. (THE FIRST SYMPTOMS APPEARED IN SEPTEMBER 2019) IT STARTED WITH THE ACCELERATER GOING OUT ON THE HIGHWAY OVER ABOUT 50 MPH ONCE OR TWICE RANDOMLY. ABOUT A MONTH LATER IT DID IT AGAIN. AND THEN THIS TIME IT ALSO STALLED AT A STOP SIGN. OTHER TIMES IT FEELS LIKE THE CAR ENGINE HICCUPS. IT WILL LOSE POWER AND COME BACK ON WITHIN A HALF SECOND. AND THEN CONTINUE AS IF NOTHING HAPPENED FOR ANOTHER MONTH. RECENTLY THE SYMPTOMS ARE HAPPENING MORE OFTEN. IT IS TERRIFYING. I CAN'T DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY BECAUSE I AM SO SCARED. AT THIS POINT, THESE SYMPTOMS HAVE NOW TAKEN PLACE NUMEROUS TIMES AND IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT SPEED - WHEN IN MOTION UP TO 60-70 MPH, AROUND 30 MPH, AT A STOP SIGN, WHEN I WAS TRYING TO TURN LEFT, ETC. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO A MECHANIC SEVERAL TIMES SINCE THE FIRST SYMPTOM. AND I HAVE TAKEN IT TO A KIA SERVICE LOCATION. ALL HAVE SAID THE CAR SEEMS TO BE RUNNING GREAT AND THERE ARE NO CODES SHOWING UP OR ENGINE LIGHTS COMING ON. THEY CANNOT SEE ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR UNLESS THE SYMPTOMS APPEAR. I HAVE SEEN SOME ARTICLES ONLINE ABOUT A RECALL FOR KIA'S OF MY YEAR WITH THE SAME SYMPTOMS, BUT THIS RECALL IS NOT ON MY VIN? I AM HONESTLY SO UPSET BECAUSE I LOVED THIS CAR. I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR A NEW CAR, BUT I REALLY JUST WANTED TO GET THIS FIXED. I DO BELIEVE MY CAR IS AFFECTED BY THE OTHER RECALL, BUT WHY ISNT IT SHOWING UP? WHAT DO I DO? THIS CAR IS PUTTING MY LIFE AND OTHER PEOPLES LIVES IN DANGER. I HAVE A LOT OF TRAVEL COMING UP AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. I NEED A SAFE CAR AND I AM TERRIFIED TO DRIVE RIGHT NOW. CAN YOU PLEASE HELP ME?

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2012 KIA SERENTO 2/25/2017& KIA HAD A "ANTI-CORROSION"RECALL AND WE HAD IT SERVICED AT MIKE SMITH KIA IN PADUCAH,KY-4/14/17,WE WILL CALL THIS DOCUMENT1.THEN WE WE RECEIVED MAJOR ENGINE RECALL IN SEPTEMBER 20,2017 ABOUT 2012 KIA SERENTO'S STALLING,DOCUMENT 2.WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO WYATT JOHNSON KIA OF TN. OCTOBER 7,2017 & WE WERE TOLD IF IT DID NOT PASS THEIR TESTS THEY WOULD REPLACE THE ENGINE.OK,WELL THEY SAID IT PASSED,AND CHANGED THE OIL,&SUPPOSEDLY PUT AN "MIL" SENSOR AND"MIL" DASH LIGHT TO DETECT ONCOMING ENGINE FAILURE AND SEND THE CAR INTO WHAT THEY CALL A 'LIMP" MODE. WHICH IS NOT DOCUMENTED ON DOCUMENT #3 WHICH TO OUR SURPRISE IT PASSED BECAUSE IT HAD BEEN MAKING AN KNOCKING SOUND AND EXPERIENCING SOME ATTEMPT'S OF THE VEHICLE STALLING.YES AFTER THE OIL CHANGE RAN SOME WHAT SMOOTHER,BUT STILL EVERY NOW AND THEN WE WOULD GET AN OCCASIONAL THROTTLE SPIKE,OR AN ATTEMPT TO STALL.GOT AN RECALL TO DO A LOGICUPGRADE,& TOOK IT IMMEDIATELY TO WYATT J. KIA DEC.12,2018,DIAGN. DID NOT DETECT CODE FROM KNOK SENSOR BUT CAUTIONED,ON PERFORM FUEL INJECTION/THROTTLE BODY SERVICE FOR $199.95 DOCUMENTS #4&5 THE WE HEAR ABOUT THIS FUEL PUMP AND FUEL LINE RECALL IN MICHIGAN ON 68,000 VEHICLES IN OUR YEAR,MAKE AND MODEL,WHICH RAISED A RED FLAG TO WHY OUR VEHICLE WAS CONTINUING TO THROTTLE SPIKE'S AND MORE APPARENT ATTEMPTS TO STALL.HOWEVER NO RECALL ON OUR'S?HAVE GOTTEN 2 MORE RECALL'S SINCE ON OUR VEHICLE,ONE HEADLAMP LOW BEAM CONNECTOR WARRANTY EXTENSION,&TWO AIR BAG CLOCK SPRING,CALLED KIA TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINT. FOR REPLACEMENT AND ASKED ABOUT THE FUEL PUMP ISSUE AND IT POSSIBLY BEING THE REASON FOR THE THROTTLE SPIKES & STALL ATTEMPTS ALL THIS TIME,BUT NO RECALL FOR OUR VEHICLE,AND WANT TO CHARGE$120+$199.FOR DIAG.AND THROTTLE BODY/FUEL INJECTION,BUT FREE REPLACEMENT OF AIR BAG SPRING ASS.?HAVE TO KEEP OIL CHANGED,BECAUSE START'S TO RUN REALLY ROUGH.THIS IS GETTING OLD!

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UNDER THE RECALL, A FUEL LEAK WAS REPAIRED. THE SAME LEAK IN THE SAME PLACE AGAIN WITHIN 7 MONTHS. DEALER SLOW TO CALL BACK AND ARRANGE AN INSPECTION. CANNOT DRIVE CAR AS IT IS UNSAFE.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2012 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V907000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE, ENGINE). WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, SMOKE APPEARED FROM THE CENTER CONSOLE. THE CONTACT DROVE TO HER JOB AND EXTINGUISHED THE SMOKE WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED TO KIA OF DULUTH (LOCATED AT 1701 W MICHIGAN ST, DULUTH, MN 55806, (866) 722-4542). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 135,000. * (RECALL RELATED INCIDENT) TS

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ENGINE RECALL. LATELY I BEEN HEARD A KNOCKING NOISE UNDER THE HOOD OF MY VEHICLE ALSO I HEARD KNOCKING NOICE FROM THE EXHAUST PIPE WHEN I START THE CAR AS WELL. IT COMES N GOES I HEAR IT ONCE IN A WHILE MAINLY IN THE MORNING WHEN I FIRST START THE CAR. I HEAR IT ANY OTHER TIME ONCE IN A WHILE. N I SEE LATELY THERE LEAKAGE COMING THREW THE EXHAUST PIPE AS WELL. I TOOK IT TO MY MACHANIC N HE ADVISED ME TO REPORT TO THE DEALER SINCE IT CAN B A POSSIBLE RECALL

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TAMARA RECALL: WHILE DRIVING ON BRIARCLIFF WAY IN ATLANTA, GA 30345 ON 8/5/18 GOING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH MY ENGINE MADE A LOUD POP SOUND AND BEGAN SMOKING AND SHUT OFF IMMEDIATELY. I WAS UNABLE TO RESTART CAR; CALLED TOW TRUCK TO TOW CAR TO ED VOYLES KIA DEALERSHIP IN CHAMBLEE GA. THEY DETERMINED IT WAS DUE TO 'BROKEN TONE WHEEL INSIDE ENGINE CAME APART' ; ALLEGEDLY FIXED IT BY REPLACING ENGINE; SINCE SERVICE I HAVE BROUGHT 2012 SORENTO BACK TO ED VOYLES DUE MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REPEATEDLY COMING BACK ON IN WHICH ED VOYLES JUST TURNS IT OFF STATING; 'WE REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON.

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UPON EXITING THE FREEWAY ON AN OUT OF TOWN TRIP, MY ELDERLY FATHER, 9 YEAR OLD SON AND I BEGAN TO SMELL A STRONG GASOLINE SMELL. THERE WERE NO PREVIOUS SYMPTOMS OR SIGNS OF AN ISSUE AND WE JUST TRAVELLED ABOUT 250 MILES. I TYPICALLY DRIVE ALOT IN THE CITY AS WELL. IN THIS CASE, I PULLED INTO THE HOTEL PARKING LOT (RIGHT OFF THE FREEWAY) AND THERE WAS A LARGE AMOUNT OF SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD OF THE CAR. BECAUSE THIS OCCURRED ON SATURDAY EVENING AND WE WERE COMING INTO TOWN FOR AN EVENT, WE WERE NOT ABLE TO CONTACT WARRANTY FOREVER UNTIL MONDAY. FEARFUL, BECAUSE I HAVE HEARD OF THE MANY SPONTANEOUS FIRES THAT HAVE OCCURRED ON MY VEHICLE TYPE, WE HAVE TO WAIT TO HAVE IT TOWED AND INSPECTED. THE ENGINE WAS REPLACE IN MY VEHICLE, UNDER RECALL, JUST LAST YEAR. THANKFULLY, NO ONE WAS INJURED. IT COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE, VERY SCARY. I WILL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO UPLOAD ANY NEEDED DOCUMENTATION AFTER AN INSPECTION HAS BEEN COMPLETED.

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MY VEHICLE IS CONSUMING OIL. EVERY 1000 MILES I AM HAVING TO TOP IT OFF TO KEEP IT FROM RUNNING DANGEROUSLY LOW AND SEIZING UP. THERE IS NO INDICATION OF A LEAK SO IT IS AN INTERNAL PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE IS ALSO SLUGGISH UPON ACCELERATION. SOMETIMES THE RPM GAUGE IS A ZERO WHEN I AM DRIVING AT 40 PLUS SPEEDS.. PRESENTLY I AM THE KIA DEALER IS CONDUCTING AN OIL COMSUMPTION TEST. I WILL UPLOAD RESULTS.

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WE HAVE A KIA SORENTO 2012. PASSENGERS SMELLED GAS 4.5 HOURS INTO A 5 HOUR TRIP TO PHILADELPHIA. STOPPED AT REST STOP AND DID NOT THINK IT WAS COMING FROM CAR. WE DROVE APPROXIMATELY ANOTHER 30 MINS INTO PHILADELPHIA AND GOT OFF THE HIGHWAYS ONTO LOCAL STREETS. JOGGER ON SIDE OF ROAD FLAGGED US DOWN WITH "YOUR CAR IS ON FIRE!" WE PULLED TO SIDE OF ROAD AND GOT OUT OF THE CAR. THE KIA SORENTO'S ENGINE WAS ON FIRE. A LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AND PUT OUT THE ENGINE FIRE WITH WATER. NO INJURIES.

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ENGINE FAILURE ENGINE STOPPED IN MIDDLE OF HIGHWAY TRAVELING AT 55 MPH STRAIGHT HIGHWAYPUT FAMILY IN DANGER 2016 JUNE OIL LEAKING ALL OVER GROUND AND ELECTRICAL FAILURE PUSHED CAR TO SIDE OF HIGHWAY .140000 MILE PAST WARRANTY KIA REFUSE TO FIX.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, GASOLINE BEGAN LEAKING FROM THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION, AN OVERPOWERING GASOLINE ODOR WAS PRESENT. THE FAILURE RECURRED TWICE OVER A PERIOD OF TWO YEARS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, WHO STATED THAT THE SEAL FROM THE FUEL PUMP TO THE FUEL LINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

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WHILE COMING TO A STOP AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE, THE RPM GAUGE DID NOT MOVE, BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD MOVE FORWARD AT ENGINE IDLE SPEED (REACHING ABOUT 20MPH ON A LEVEL SURFACE). THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE THROTTLE BODY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10514899

I PURCHASED A NEW KIA SORENTO ON DECEMBER 14, 2011. AFTER DRIVING IT FOR COUPLE DAYS, I NOTICED MY AIRBAG LIGHT. IT HAD CONTINUED TO STAY ON SO I HAD NOTIFIED THE DEALER I HAD PURCHASED IT FROM. THEY TOLD ME THAT IT'S PROBABLY BECAUSE A PASSENGER WAS NOT SITTING THERE AND ONCE SOMEONE SITS THERE AND BUCKLES THEIR SEAT BELT, THE LIGHT WILL GO OFF. IT WAS NOT TRUE AT ALL BECAUSE I HAVE HAD PASSENGERS SITTING THERE AND THE LIGHT WAS STILL ON. SO AFTER FINDING SOME TIME, I TOOK MY CAR IN TO A DEALERSHIP NEAR MY HOUSE AND FOUND OUT THAT THE AIRBAG CUSHION WAS MISSING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. THE WORKER WAS VERY WORRIED AND DID NOT WANT ME DRIVING THE CAR AROUND UNTIL THEY HAD INSTALLED THE AIRBAG CUSHION. I ALSO STARTED TO HAVE SOME PROBLEMS WITH MY FUEL SYSTEM. THE FIRST TIME IT EVER HAPPENED, THE TANK OVERFILLED AND STARTED LEAKING FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY CAR. I DID NOT KNOW THAT MY TANK WAS FULL BECAUSE THE GAS PUMP NEVER CLICKED OFF AND KEPT ON GOING. THEN THE NEXT FEW TIMES I WENT TO PUT GAS IN, THE PUMP KEPT STOPPING AS IF THE TANK WAS FULL. SEVERAL TIMES I HAD TO MANUALLY STOP THE PUMP, OR HOLD IT SO THE PUMP WOULD KEEP GOING. AFTER FINDING SOME TIME (AGAIN), I TOOK MY CAR IN. THE SERVICE DID NOT KNOW WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE SYSTEM SO I HAD TO TAKE THEM TO A GAS STATION AND SHOW THEM WHAT WAS HAPPENING. AFTER SEEING THE PROBLEM, HE WAS ABLE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS EXACTLY WRONG WITH IT AND WAS ABLE TO FIX IT. UNFORTUNATELY, THE PROBLEM IS BACK AND I HAVE TO HOLD THE PUMP WHEN I AM PUTTING IN GAS. I NEED TO TAKE MY CAR IN FOR THE THIRD TIME; NOT TO MENTION THE FIRST COUPLE OF TIMES I TOOK MY CAR IN, IT WAS NOT FIXED IN ONE DAY, AND I EVEN HAD TO RENT A CAR. I HAD NOTIFIED THE KIA CUSTOMER SERVICE ABOUT MY PROBLEMS, BUT THEY WERE NOT INFORMATIVE AND TOLD ME TO CONTACT THE SERVICE AT MY DEALERSHIP, AND NOT CONTACT THEM. *JS

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