What 977 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Kia Sorento Plug-in Hybrid

THE SECOND ROW SEAT WILL NOT RELEASE.

NHTSA ODI 10891942

THE LEVER TO FOLD DOWN THE SECOND ROW SEAT HAS GOTTEN STUCK SINCE I GOT THE CAR. IT WAS SO HARD TO OPERATE SOMETIMES THAT NO MATTER HOW MUCH FORCE YOU USE THE SEAT BACK LEVER WILL NOT RELEASE. THE DEALER IS TELLING ME THE GEAR THAT HOLDS THE SEAT IN PLACE IS NOT WORKING. THEY SAY MANY KIA SORRENTOS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. NOW THE SEAT IS IN THE DOWN POSITION AND I CAN NOT GET IT BACK UP. THE DEALER TELLS ME IT WILL COST $350 TO HAVE THE LEVER REPLACED EVEN THOUGH IT HAS NEVER WORKED. THE MIDDLE SAFTEY BELT HAS NEVER WORKED EITHER. EVERY TIME I TAKE IT TO THE DEALER THEY SAY IT IS FIXED. WHEN I GET HOME IT DOESN'T WORK.

NHTSA ODI 10888186

PASSENGER SIDE 2ND ROW SEAT WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO FOLD DOWN SINCE THE FIRST DAY I BOUGHT IT. NOW IT IS STUCK AND WILL NOT FOLD DOWN AT ALL. THE LATCH SEEMS TO BE BROKEN. MY KIDS WERE STUCK IN THE 3RD ROW SEAT UNTIL I COULD REMOVE MY BABY'S CAR SEAT BASE TO LAY DOWN THE DRIVER SIDE 2ND ROW TO LET THEM CLIMB OUT. HAD I BEEN IN A HURRY TO GET THEM OUT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE TO DO SO.

NHTSA ODI 10885311

SECOND ROW PASSENGER SIDE LATCH TO RELEASE SEAT FROM FOLDED DOWN POSITION TO UPRIGHT POSITION STICKS AND IS IMPOSSIBLE TO REPOSITION SEAT BACK. THE SEAT IS NOW PERMENANTLY IN THE FOLDED DOWN POSITION AND I AM UNABLE TO USE THE SEAT.

NHTSA ODI 10779158

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 KIA SORENTO. APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS AFTER THE CONTACT PURCHASED THE VEHICLE, SHE BEGAN SMELLING TAR. THE VEHICLE WS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE HEADLIGHTS BURNED OUT. THE DEALER REPLACED THE HEADLIGHTS AND STATED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL; HOWEVER, THE CONTACT DID NOT RECEIVE ANY RECALL NOTICE. APPROXIMATELY THREE WEEKS AGO, THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE DRIVER SEAT BEGAN TO BURN, JAMMING THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR. THE CONTACT CALLED 911 AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AWAY BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. THE VIN AND NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 37,000.

NHTSA ODI 10748707

THE SECOND ROW PASSENGER SIDE SEAT IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO FOLD DOWN. I HAVE BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP 5 TIMES ALREADY AND IT IS STILL NOT FIXED. I'M ABOUT TO HAVE TO MAKE A 6TH TRIP. THIS CAN BE A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AS MY SON SITS IN THE THIRD ROW AND IF THERE'S AN EMERGENCY IT'S LIKELY HE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO FOLD THE SEAT DOWN TO ESCAPE THE VEHICLE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10533545

I PURCHASED MY CAR ON MAY 8, 2012. APPROXIMATELY 2 MONTHS LATER, I BEGAN HAVING TROUBLE WITH A LOUD THUMPING NOISE IN THE FRONT END WHEN ACCELERATING. THIS THUMPING WAS MOST NOTICEABLE AT LOWER SPEEDS. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER ON SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012. I CALLED ON TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2012 AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY ARE STILL TESTING MY VEHICLE TO DETERMINE WHAT WAS WRONG. I FINALLY HEARD FROM THE DEALER ON THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2012, AND WAS TOLD THAT MY NEW CAR REQUIRED A NEW TRANSMISSION, THAT IT WAS ON ORDER AND MY CAR WOULD BE READY BY WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 1, 2012. MY VEHICLE WAS READY FOR PICK UP ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 4, 2012. THE CAR WAS RUNNING FINE. I HAD A REGULAR MAINTENANCE CHECK AT 5,477 MILES, OIL AND FILTER CHANGE, ETC., ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2012. ON MONDAY, MARCH 4 2013, I AGAIN BEGAN TO HEAR THE THUMPING NOISE, NOT LOUD, BUT IT BECAME LOUDER AS THE WEEK PROGRESSED. I TOOK MY CAR BACK TO THE DEALER ON SATURDAY, MARCH 9, 2013, INFORMED MY SERVICE ADVISOR THAT THE THUMPING NOISE WAS BACK, AND THAT THE LUMBAR WAS NOT WORKING ON THE DRIVER'S SEAT. I WAS INFORMED THAT I HAD TO LEAVE MY CAR, SO THAT THE TECHNICIAN CAN LOOK AT IT ON THE FOLLOWING MONDAY. I RECEIVED A CALL ON TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2013 AND WAS TOLD THAT MY CAR WOULD NEED A TRANSFER CASE, WHICH HAD TO BE ORDERED AND THAT MY CAR WOULD BE READY IN ONE WEEK. I RECEIVED A FROM THE DEALER ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2013 INFORMING ME THAT MY CAR WAS READY TO BE PICKED UP, AND THAT THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE LUMBAR SUPPORT, AS THE TECHNICIAN TESTED IT AND COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG, AND THAT THE ROUTINE MAINTENANCE DUE AT THE TIME WAS ALSO PERFORMED HOWEVER, THERE IS STILL AN ISSUE WITH THE LUMBAR IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT, THE MOTOR WORKS, BUT THE LUMBAR BAR DOES NOT EXPAND OR CONTRACT FOR SUPPORT. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10512117

THE LEVER TO FOLD DOWN THE SECOND ROW SEAT GETS STUCK. IT IS SO HARD TO OPERATE SOMETIMES THAT NO MATTER HOW MUCH FORCE YOU USE THE SEAT BACK LEVER WILL NOT RELEASE. AFTER SERVICING IT 3 TIMES THE DEALER HAS TOLD ME THEY FIXED IT EACH TIME, BUT THE INTERMITTENT PROBLEM IS STILL PRESENT. THEY SAY THE GEAR THAT HOLDS THE SEAT IN PLACE HAS VERY SHARP TEETH AND WAS NOT MANUFACTURED PROPERLY. THEY SAY MANY KIA SORRENTOS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. THEY SAY YOU HAVE TO WIGGLE THE SEAT BACK AS YOU TRY THE RELEASE LEVER. THE SAFETY CONCERN IS IF YOU HAVE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE IN AN EMERGENCY THE SECOND ROW SEAT IN THE UP POSITION WOULD PROHIBIT THE BACK SEAT PASSENGERS FROM ESCAPE. THE SEAT IN THE DOWN POSITION WOULD IMPEED THE TWO SECOND ROW PASSENGERS FROM EXITING THROUGH THE PASSENGER DOOR. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10485078