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

This vehicle has a oil consumption problem that causes engine damage and Kia will not take responsibility for especially after the car being maintained. On top of it even with substantial evidence that this was a manufacturing defect that Kia is refusing to take accountability for and completely dismisses any claims or complaints and not even bothered to speak with you unless the car has warranty which is absurd because this was a again a manufacturing defect of the vehicle not from not sustaining the vehicle from the driver that owns it. It also did not give off any warning signs or any indication that there was a problem until the problem completely left me without a car. Without a warning or indication this was a hazard and luckily I did not have my children in the car when the oil brought broke and pierced an immense hole causing my engine damage. Kia sorentos are known for this defect it has had a lawsuit for this with other Kia sorento's they need to put this model also as I dug deeper I am not the only one that has this problem I'm currently trying to pursue a lawsuit with Kia corporation for this however as you know this is not an easy process This was definitely a safety issue that could have became extremely severe and risked my life and my children

NHTSA ODI 11662704

Vehicle was parked at a store in accessory mode while I ran inside to grab drinks on the way to a birthday party. My children were inside and noticed smoking from the hood and got out before the vehicle was consumed by flames. Luckily the engine was not running and we were not driving/accelerating at the time of fire. I had several issues with headlight and taillights blowing, the last time the headlight harness was completely melted and had to be changed out. The fire department speculates the fire started near the battery, which would make sense considering the headlight in question was the one closest to the battery, and accessory mode was on. My 5 year old now believes every car we have will eventually catch fire. Please advise.

NHTSA ODI 11506640

My vehicle was having trouble starting so I scanned it and found out it might be part of a recall. I called Kia recall department and they confirmed that there was a safety recall for my engine and to make an appointment with the dealership. I called the Longmont Kia Fowler dealership in November but they refuse to service the recall for mr in a timely manner. They said it would take 2 months to even do the diagnostic that was a safety concern. They said all Kia dealerships are busy with the recalls and I would just have to wait. I called Kia management back and told him my concerns and documented every call because I didn't know what to do and needed help but didn't have another vehicle. Kia just said keep on them and didn't tell me not to drive the vehicle or that my life could be in danger like it was. The engine caught on fire in December and I was put in considerable danger. It was towed to Kia Fowler Longmont and they have refused to service it or give me a rental car. First they never did the diagnostic and filed the wrong request for the incorrect recall and then tried to lie about it. Now they're on their third reason of why I don't qualify for the recall that kia already confirmed I am part of throuhout this ordeal sayin I didn't ask for it to be serviced before the damage was done, which was not true and I've records of them refusing to service it in a timely manner and make me wait 2 months which was dangerous. Now they're saying since I'm not the original owner I don't get the service and get it fixed as it is now $9,000 to fix the engine that caught on fire because they wouldn't do the safety recall in a timely manner when I asked. So now I'm out of a car,no rental car and $9,000 they are saying I owe for the the damage they caused. They put my life was in danger. I've done everything to comply with this recall and more. I kept in touch with Kia the whole time and beg them for help and they're being impossible and breaking the law

NHTSA ODI 11501742

I HAD A POWER TRAIN RECALL ON MY VEHICLE. TOOK TO A KIA REPAIR SHOP AND THEY DID NOTHING TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM STILL EXIST AND I'M VERY DISTRAUGHT ABOUT IT. WHILE DRIVING MY VEHICLE DOESN'T HAVE ANY POWER TO ACCELERATE. THEY SAID IT WAS A REA SAFETY PROBLEM AND THE COMPUTER WILL NOT ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE. IM READY TO TAKE WHOM EVER TO COURT TO RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM.

NHTSA ODI 11268232

DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND CAR COUGHT FIRE. IF IT WASN'T FOR THE CAR NEXT TO US WHO SIGNALED TO PULL OVER WE WOULD HAVE BEEN TOAST.

NHTSA ODI 11128790

SPONTANEOUS VEHICLE FIRE. TRAVELING ON US-27 IN FLORIDA, STOPPED AT RED LIGHT AND SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD, PROCEEDED THROUGH THE LIGHT ONCE IT TURNED GREEN TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROADWAY WHEN SMOKE STARTED THROUGH THE VENTS AND FLAMES CAME OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD AS WELL. CAR BECAME DISABLED AND 3 OF US JUMPED OUT AND RAN DOWN THE ROAD, AWAY FROM THE CAR. THE ENTIRE CAR WENT UP IN FLAMES IN A MATTER OF SECONDS FROM EXITING.

NHTSA ODI 11119545

KIA REPLACED MY ENGINE TWICE, DUE TO OIL CONSUMPTION. A MONTH AFTER THE FIRST ENGINE REPLACEMENT, I HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS.. SMOKE COMING OUT OF EXHAUST, LOSS OF POWER, STALLING AND OIL CONSUMPTION. I WAS IN AND OUT OF KIA'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT. THEY TOLD ME NOTHING WAS WRONG! I MOVED FROM CO TO NE, MY HUSBAND AND I HAD TO ADD OIL EVERY 100 MILES, WITH SMOKE COMING OUT OF EXHAUST AND STALLING. LINCOLN NE KIA FOUND AN OIL LEAK AT THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD RIGHT AWAY! KIA INSTRUCTS THEN TO REPLACE MY ENGINE AGAIN! ONCE THEY REPLACED ENGINE, THEY STILL SAW THE LEAK AT THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD WITH RESULTED IN MORE GUESSING AND PARTS. THE DAY AFTER I PICKED IT UP, MY HUSBAND AND I WENT OUT TO DINNER AND MY SORENTO DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. RIGHT AWAY CALLED AND GOT IT BACK IN. AT FIRST THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE, HOWEVER AFTER TAKING IT 50 MILES, IT DIED 3 TIMES. THEY STILL CAN'T FIND ANYTHING, BUT FEEL IT MAY BE THE THROTTLE BODY. THEY PUT A USED ONE ON AND HAVE ME DRIVE IT A FEW WEEKS, IT DIDN'T DIE DURING THAT TIME, SO THEY ORDERED A NEW ONE AND INSTALLED. A MONTH LATER I DRIVE TO CO, I BREAK DOWN, IT'S TOWED BACK AND KIA CAN'T FIND ANYTHING. I DRIVE IT AND IT DIES 1/2 DOZEN MORE TIMES, EACH TIME I TAKE IT RIGHT IN, BUT THE CODE HAS CLEARED AND THEY CAN'T FIND ANYTHING! FINALLY, IT DOES AND THE LIGHT STAYS ON, IT SHOWS IT'S THE MAP SENSOR. KIA HAS A SPECIALIST COME OUT TO INSTALL THAT AND INSPECT MY CAR. THEY SAY IT'S FIXED AND SAFE. I DRIVE TO CO ON 9/22/17, 2 MONTHS LATER AND MY ENGINE CATCHES ON FIRE. I LOSS MY BRAKES, CAN'T PUT IT IN PARK AND EMERGENCY BRAKE WON'T WORK. FLAMES ARE EVERYWHERE, SMOKE FILLING MY CAR. I JUMP OUT OF MY BURNING, MOVING CAR AND SECONDS LATER THE WHOLE THING ENGULFS IN FLAMES! MOST HORRIFIC, AWFUL THING EVER! I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE MINOR INJURIES. MY MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL STATE ARE A MESS! KIA WON'T DO ANYTHING!

NHTSA ODI 11031971

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2013 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE CONTACT MERGED THE VEHICLE TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD AND THE VEHICLES OCCUPANTS WERE EVACUATED. A FIRE REPORT WAS FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES REPORTED. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DEEMED TOTALED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,307.

NHTSA ODI 10808477

I TOOK T\HE VEHICLE TO A NON DEALER LOCATION TO BE INSPECTED AFTER HAVING MULTIPLE ISSUES WITH THE HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY BEING FAULTY. UPON INSPECTION I WAS NOTIFIED BY THE MECHANIC ON DUTY THAT THE WIRING ASSEMBLY WAS ACTUALLY MELTING , A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT. BECAUSE THIS BEING A FIRE HAZARD HE WAS UNABLE TO REPLACE THE BULBS FOR ME AND SAID HE FELT THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE BECAUSE IT WOULD PLACE MYSELF, MY FAMILY AND OTHERS ON THE HIGHWAY AT RISK. HE PROCEEDED TO SHOW ME THE PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM HAS RESULTED IN MY HAVING TO REPLACE THE BULBS FIVE TIMES IN THE PAST ON THE DRIVERS SIDE AND AT LEAST TWICE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE DEALER HAD TO REPLACE THE WIRING ASSEMBLY ON THE PASSENGER SIDE DUE TO THE SAME PROBLEM. HAVE ALSO PROVIDED A PICTURE OF THE REPAIR NOTE OF THE PROBLEM ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. ALSO PROVIDING A CLIP SHOWING THAT ACCORDING TO THEIR INSPECTION MY LIGHTS WERE IN WORKING ORDER WHEN IN ACTUALITY THEY WERE NOT. LASTLY NOTING SEVERAL ELECTRICAL ISSUES REMAIN IN ADDITION TO HAVING TO REPLACE THE BATTERY AS IT IS BEING CONTINUALLY DRAWN FROM DUE TO THESE ISSUES.

NHTSA ODI 10787877

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

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2013 KIA SORENTO. WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTING ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED, CRASHED INTO A CONCRETE WALL, AND FLIPPED OVER. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT SUSTAINED LACERATIONS AND CONTUSIONS THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000.

NHTSA ODI 10722697