What 875 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Kia Sorento

On June 6, 2026, while driving home, the vehicle suddenly began smelling strongly of gasoline and burnt rubber. Within seconds, thick black smoke became visible in the side mirrors, followed immediately by white smoke pouring from the front hood and into the passenger cabin through the air vents. ​As I attempted to pull over to safety, the vehicle completely stopped responding. The brakes failed to operate, the engine stalled, and the steering wheel locked completely. We were barely able to bring the vehicle to a stop. Immediately upon exiting, visible flames erupted from underneath the driver's side of the vehicle and out of the front hood. The engine compartment and motor burnt completely.The safety of the driver and front passenger was put at extreme risk of death or severe injury. Because the brakes and steering locked up simultaneously while the cabin filled with smoke, we almost lost the ability to safely exit a moving vehicle that was actively catching fire. Furthermore, at no moment prior to or during the failure did any warning lamps, check engine lights, or diagnostic messages illuminate on the dashboard. There was absolutely zero advance warning from the vehicle's safety systems.The fire originated from a catastrophic fuel system failure, specifically matching the known issues of the high-pressure fuel pump leak.The vehicle is a total loss and is currently located at a tow yard. It is fully available for inspection upon request.Local police responded to the scene and generated an incident log number. A corporate claim has been opened directly with KIA but as of today, no inspector from the manufacturer or insurance has been sent out.

NHTSA ODI 11744052

The contact owned a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact’s spouse stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle suddenly lost motive power with no warning lights illuminated. The contact's spouse noticed smoke coming from the front of the vehicle, prompting the contact’s spouse to pull over to the side of the roadway. Moments later, the front of the vehicle caught fire. The local fire department responded to the scene and extinguished the fire; however, the cause of the fire had not yet been determined. The vehicle was completely consumed by the fire and deemed destroyed. No police report was filed, The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact’s spouse stated that the incident was extremely traumatic and believed the vehicle posed a serious safety hazard. The failure mileage was not available.

NHTSA ODI 11736289

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that after parking and turning off the vehicle, she entered the post office; after 3 to 4 minutes, she was alerted by a consumer that the vehicle had caught fire. The contact noticed fire emerging from the undercarriage. The TPMS warning light had been illuminated prior to the incident. Post office employees attempted to extinguish the fire. The fire department was called and successfully extinguished the fire. There were no reported injuries. Police were also present at the scene. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number 23V-652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted; however, no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

NHTSA ODI 11717233

The check engine light came on 12/29 and was driven approximately 50 miles. On Jan 3, 2026 vehicle was driven app. 5 miles and left parked at a friends. There was a little smoke coming out from under the hood, but this is not unusual as car had small oil leak for at least 3 years that no one could find to fix but burned off on engine and gave constant oily smell. Under 10 minutes later driver was notified that neighbors heard 3 explosions, car was on fire and fire department was coming. When driver went back to where vehicle was parked, fire was out and vehicle was almost totally destroyed. Vehicle was towed to a scrap yard.

NHTSA ODI 11708690

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated the vehicle was serviced at the local dealer for the NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000(SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC) regarding a safety fire hazard. Days later, while the vehicle was idling, smoke was suddenly present coming from under the hood. The contact opened the hood of the vehicle and discovered flames and smoke coming from the fuse box located in the front of the engine bay. The contact, who was a local fire investigator, retrieved a fire extinguisher and extinguished the flames. The fire department was called to the scene, and a fire report was filed. The vehicle was later towed to the home, and the manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the incident. The manufacturer sent an investigator to the home to examine the vehicle. The investigator determined that the fire had originated at the front of the engine compartment, but did not determine the cause of the fire. No injuries were reported. The contact was concerned that the fire was related to the recall service previously performed. The failure mileage was 212,000.

NHTSA ODI 11703240

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that, while driving at 60 MPH, she observed smoke emanating from the engine compartment, prompting her to attempt to pull to the shoulder of the roadway. During the attempt, the contact stated that she then heard an abnormal pop, after which the vehicle lost motive power, and within a moment, the entire front end of the vehicle was engulfed in flames. Upon exiting the vehicle and being assisted by bystanders, the contact was informed that the bystanders had attempted to alert her on the road as they had observed flames emanating from underneath the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a storage facility but had yet to be deemed a total loss by the contact's insurance provider. A fire report was filed. A police report was not filed, and injuries were not reported. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 106,334.

NHTSA ODI 11694509

Hey I’ve Recently Wrecked My Vehicle Due To Malfunctions This Year Just A Few Months Ago & I Reported It To The Dealer Before I Crashed It. That Something Was Wrong With The Engine And Also Sent The Dealership I Purchased It From Videos Before Hand But Nobody Would Listen To Me. Now My Car Is Sitting In A lot Engine Blowed And I Can’t Afford Another One. I Have Proof , Names And Also Couldn’t Get My Car Fixed Because I Only Had Liability Insurance Only. No Report Was Filed Because Me And The Other Vehicle Was Transported To Uab Hospital.

NHTSA ODI 11688229

[XXX] brought car in to dealer with engine problem, I was told it needed a new engine and would be replaced under warranty. April 27th 2025 I picked up my car, two weeks later on [XXX], driving home from work the engine caught on fire, I was able to pull over, got out and called 911. In 5 minutes the whole front end was engulfed in flames. Coconut Creek Police arrived first, then the fire department. The fire department extinguished the fire. I didn't notice any warning lamps, car was driving fine, I filed a claim with my insurance, AAA, I also spoke with the KIA service manager about it, He said it could have been an old brittle fuel line, they only replaced the engine. My AAA insurance company has the vehicle and is inspecting it. The Coconut Creek Police in FL has a report # [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11661590

The engine was replace May 1, 2025 and on May 11, 2025 the car caught on fire. It was a total loss.

NHTSA ODI 11660651

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that upon parking the vehicle at his home, an abnormal burning odor began to emit from the vehicle's vents. Upon inspection of the vehicle, the contact discovered that the engine had caught fire and did not engulf beyond the vehicle's firewall. The contact used his home's water hose and sprayed the engine for approximately 25-30 minutes until the fire was fully extinguished. The police and fire departments were not notified of the failure and no injuries were reported. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulics) which was linked to the failure. The dealer nor the manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

NHTSA ODI 11641661

The contact owned a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and unoccupied, she was informed by an individual if she was the owner of the vehicle since it was smoking and caught on fire. Prior to the fire, unknown warning lights would illuminate and un-illuminated intermittently. The Fire Department was on the scene and extinguished the fire. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot and then towed by the insurance company. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the insurance company. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired due to the VIN not being included in a recall at the time the failure occurred. The contact received NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC) after the vehicle caught fire and was destroyed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 142,739.

NHTSA ODI 11635755

On August 23rd 2024, I drove this vehicle all day. But, upon reaching our final destination (ER department entrance) smoke began rolling out from under the hood. Once getting out to inspection the vehicle someone hollered for a extinguisher. I turned to look at the vehicle and I could see underneath of the 2012 kia sorento had flames. My son was still in the car so my mother and I ran to get him out of his rear facing carseat and ran away from the vehicle. At this time the vehicle still had a fire that went out with extinguisher but quickly light back up. After this the whole are and car filled with smoke. Fire department was called and this took them awhile to fully extinguish the fire. This could have hurt myself, my child, and my mother. I lost alot of valuable things including my son's new carseat, my children's double stroller, a tablet, clothing, etc. I have called Kia as I found out there was a recall that kia has none about and started sending notices out November 14th 2023. My vehicle sat at a kia dealership from January to March 6th and if this recall was so drastic such as a car fire why was this not taken car of when my vehicle sat for 2 months. I have a call into Kia as of Monday August 26th 2024. I am still waiting for a rep to be assigned my claim and to speak to them. As of Today August 28th 2024 Noone has reached out to me.

NHTSA ODI 11611298

The contact owned a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while her son was driving approximately 25 MPH, he noticed that the front end of the vehicle caught on fire. No further information was provided. The contact stated that her son immediately pulled to the side of the road and exited the vehicle. The vehicle became engulfed in fire and exploded, causing damage to another parked unoccupied vehicle. The fire was extinguished with the assistance of the fire department. The contact stated that the front end of the vehicle burned to the ground. The contact was unsure whether a fire department report was filed. A police report was filed. There was no injury sustained. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot, where it was totaled. The contact became aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic), which she related to the failure. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11600078

While waiting for notification that the remedy part was available for this car, it caught on fire. It caught on fire on 6/20/2024. The car is a total loss and it was a very dangerous situation.

NHTSA ODI 11596263

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the contact detected a burning rubber odor. The TPMS and check engine warning lights were illuminated. There was smoke coming from underneath the hood and through the air vents, causing the front windshield to fog. The contact was unable to see and crashed into the side of a residential porch, scraping the driver's side mirror and front driver's side quarter panel. The contact did not sustain any injuries, and no medical attention was received. No police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to Firestone, where a leak test was performed, and it was determined that an unknown fluid had leaked onto the starter. The starter was replaced; however, the vehicle hesitated to start. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The dealer was made aware of the failure and scheduled an upcoming appointment for a diagnosis. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 66,000.

NHTSA ODI 11592222

This morning the panoramic sunroof on our 2012 Kia Sorrento spontaneously exploded. Shattered and chunks of safety glass came down on us. My son and I sustained superficial injuries (I sustained laceration over left eye and on left hand) - he has a lump on the right side of his skull. When we pulled over the glass was also on the rear portion of the roof. Nothing struck the vehicle. There was no vehicle/truck in front of us for potential debris. Open sky above. It sounded like a gunshot before the glass exploded over us.

NHTSA ODI 11589072

The contact owned a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed he smelled a burning fuel odor, and smoke began coming into the vehicle from the vents. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact pulled over and unlatched the hood of the vehicle only to find a sizeable amount of fire coming from the engine, which left him with burned hairs on his left arm, no medical treatment was needed. The contact stated there was a cop parked nearby who came to extinguish the fire with a fire extinguisher. The fire department was called to make sure the fire was extinguished. The contact did not recall filling out a fire department report. A police report was filed, however the contact did not have the information available. The insurance company towed the vehicle and deemed it totaled. The contact was relating the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23v652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The dealer confirmed that the vehicle was not included in that recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and also confirmed there was nothing they could do because the vehicle was not included in that recall. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ODI 11588753

The contact owned a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the malfunction indicator lamp warning light illuminated and the contact heard a loud sound. The contact stated that the sound was like something had fallen from underneath the vehicle. In addition, the contact noticed white smoke that exited the rear exhaust and white smoke that exited from under the front hood of the vehicle. The contact stopped the vehicle and exited the vehicle. The vehicle was engulfed in flames. The local Fire department and Police department arrived on the scene. A police and fire reports were filed however limited information for the reports was available. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard. The manufacturer inspected and determined that the failure was no fault of the manufacturer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

NHTSA ODI 11588479

This 2012 Kia sorento caught fire and burned. Believed to be part of the recall 23v652

NHTSA ODI 11585161

i was out door dashing on monday january 15 2024. i went into panera to pick up order. came outside to my car and it looked like it was smoking. i popped the hood and was about to put my hand in there to lift the hood when i realized it was hot. i looked under and it was on fire.. everything is melted.. there wasnt any warnings at all. now i have know car..

NHTSA ODI 11566324

(January 11,2024) my wife had an accident while driving a 2012 Kia Sorento vehicle. She was waiting to enter a parking space at the Laurel Mall that someone was backing out of, when the space was clear to enter, she took her foot off the brake and proceeded to enter the space. It seems that the Sorento went full throttle on it's own and proceeded to smash into 3 other parked cars. I read that Kia has a problem with faulty acceleration on 2009 thru 2015 with the Sorentos. I reported this incindent to my insurance and they recommended that I contact Kia Motors Direct. I have reported this to Kia Motors Customer Care, (January 12, 2024) I am waiting for their reply to this situation. There were no warning lights nor any warning of a failure with the vehicle. To date, the Sorento has not been repaired nor checked by a mechanic.

NHTSA ODI 11565965

The contact owned a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH he observed that the check engine light had illuminated and he was losing forward momentum. The contact pulled off of the road and noticed that smoke was being emitted from under the hood. The contact exited the vehicle and saw that flames were issuing from under the engine compartment. The contact stated that the fire department and police arrived. The fire was extinguished with water, and no reports were filed. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The contact's insurance provider declared the vehicle a total loss. The contact had recently received a recall letter from the manufacturer, NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic), and related the engine compartment fire to the recall. The vehicle manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

NHTSA ODI 11557655

The contact owned a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled while driving at approximately 30 MPH as the battery and alternator warning lights illuminated. Another driver then alerted the contact that the vehicle had caught fire under the hood. The contact merged to the side of the road and exited the vehicle. The contact mentioned that a third of the vehicle had been engulfed in flames. The fire department extinguished the fire. The contact sustained injuries to her knee from the door while attempting to exit during the incident. Medical attention was required. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot and deemed totaled by the insurance agency. A fire report was filed but there was no police report filed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. The VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hyraulic) however the recall remedy was not yet available. The approximate failure mileage was 126,000. VIN Tool Confirms Parts Not Available.

NHTSA ODI 11554406

The contact owned a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at 42 MPH, another vehicle failed to stop at a stop sign, and she collided with the other vehicle head-on. As a result, her vehicle careened off the roadway and into a ditch, colliding with an unoccupied parked vehicle before coming to a complete stop. The air bags did not deploy. A police report and injuries were reported. The driver and her passengers were transported to an area hospital by EMS and treated for various injuries. The driver was treated for injuries to her neck, right shoulder, both wrists, lower back, and left knee; her husband was treated for a two-inch laceration to his neck; and her son was treated for an injury to his right knee. The driver of the other vehicle was treated at an area hospital for unknown injuries. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard, where it remained as the contact had yet to hear from her insurance provider. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11549871

The contact owned a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in her carport, she was awakened by her son that a fire had ignited and that the vehicle was in flames. The contact then stated that the fire from the vehicle had extended to her home living room. As a result, half of the house was in flames. The contact stated that she and her family were able to exit her home to safety and then notified the fire department. The fire department had extinguished the fire. No injuries were sustained. No medical attention was required. The family's iguana pet passed away due to the fire. The contact then stated that the vehicle was towed to a tow lot and inspected by the insurance company and that the source of the fire was near the carport area and may have been electrical related but was to be determined. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the insurance company. Additionally, the contact stated that she was not notified that the VIN was included in a recall, and upon research she discovered that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine). Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

NHTSA ODI 11546854