What 978 owners told NHTSA about the 2014 Kia Sorento Plug-in Hybrid

WE BOUGHT OUR CAR IN OCTOBER 2016. DURING OUR TRANSITION FROM NEW YORK TO GEORGIA OUR ENGINE FAILED ON US. MY HUSBAND AND I TOOK IT TO A KIA AUTOBODY SHOP IN GREENVILLE SOUTH CAROLINA. THEY FIXED IT FREE OF CHARGE DUE TO A RECALL ON OUR SPECIFIC YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL OF OUR CAR. WE THEN PROCEEDED AS USUAL TAKING CARE OF IT GETTING THE STANDARD OIL CHANGE AND CHECK UPS. THERE WERE NO SIGNS OR WARNINGS FOR WHAT WOULD HAPPEN FOUR MONTHS AFTER. ON JULY 10, 2018 AT 2:45 PM MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING HOME. THE CAR STARTED SHAKING MY HUSBAND PULLED OVER. THERE WAS BLACK SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE CAR. HE TURNED THE CAR OFF AND STEPPED OUT A FEW SECONDS AFTER OUR CAR EXPLODED ON HIM. COUNTING OUR BLESSINGS THAT HE, NOR I AND OUR THREE KIDS WERE NOT IN THE CAR. WE REPORTED TO KIA THAT SAME DAY. WE ARE CURRENTLY WAITING TO HEAR BACK FROM SOME ONE.

NHTSA ODI 11119685

I WAS DRIVING MY CAR HOME AND JUST AS I PULLED UP ON MY STREET I AND BEGAN TO SMELL SMOKE AND THE SMELL OF BURNING PLASTIC, JUST AS I WAS PULLING UP TO MY HOUSE AND ABOUT TO PULL INTO MY DRIVEWAY, A TOW TRUCK DRIVER DRIVING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION STOPPED HIS TRUCK, JUMPED OUT AND STARTED YELLING FOR ME TO GET OUT OF THE CAR BECAUSE MY ENGINE WAS ON FIRE. AT THIS TIME I TURNED THE CAR OFF, GRABBED MY THINGS AND JUMPED OUT OF THE CAR. FLAMES WERE COMING OUT THE BOTTOM OF THE ENGINE AND SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE CREASE IN THE HOOD COVERING THE ENGINE. AFTER A FEW MINUTES THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER OPENED THE HOOD AND THE ENGINE WAS STILL ON FIRE. HE GRABBED A FIRE EXTINGUISHER THAT HE HAD IN HIS TRUCK AND PUT OUT THE FIRE.

NHTSA ODI 11112455

WE BOUGHT OUR CAR IN OCTOBER 2016. DURING OUR TRANSITION FROM NEW YORK TO GEORGIA OUR ENGINE FAILED ON US. MY HUSBAND AND I TOOK IT TO A KIA AUTOBODY SHOP IN GREENVILLE SOUTH CAROLINA. THEY FIXED IT FREE OF CHARGE DUE TO A RECALL ON OUR SPECIFIC YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL OF OUR CAR. WE THEN PROCEEDED AS USUAL TAKING CARE OF IT GETTING THE STANDARD OIL CHANGE AND CHECK UPS. THERE WERE NO SIGNS OR WARNINGS FOR WHAT WOULD HAPPEN FOUR MONTHS AFTER. ON JULY 10, 2018 AT 2:45 PM MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING ON THE EXPRESSWAY I20 E HEADING HOME. THE CAR STARTED SHAKING MY HUSBAND PULLED OVER. THERE WAS BLACK SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE CAR. HE TURNED THE CAR OFF AND STEPPED OUT A FEW SECONDS AFTER OUR CAR EXPLODED ON HIM. COUNTING OUR BLESSINGS THAT HE, NOR I AND OUR THREE KIDS WERE NOT IN THE CAR. WE REPORTED TO KIA THAT SAME DAY. WE ARE CURRENTLY WAITING TO HEAR BACK FROM SOME ONE.

NHTSA ODI 11110889

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 KIA SORENTO. WHILE THE CONTACT'S SON WAS DRIVING, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO MAKE A KNOCKING NOISE. THE CONTACT'S SON NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, THE HEADLIGHTS AND TAIL LIGHTS FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE PREVIOUSLY REPLACED THE LIGHTS SEVERAL TIMES, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A KIA AND HYUNDAI DEALER AT 601-914-4200 WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE HAD BURNED OIL AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE HEADLIGHT AND TAIL LIGHT FAILURES COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED AND WOULD BE REPAIRED AT THE OWNER'S EXPENSE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: 12391217. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V224000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

NHTSA ODI 11004359

I PICKED UP THE CAR ON APRIL 28TH FROM MONROEVILLE KIA FOR SOME WARRANTY WORK ON THE OIL PAN AND TIMING BELT COVER. ABOUT AN HOUR LATER, THE CAR STARTED SMOKING AND I COULD SMELL OIL BURNING. I WAS ADVISED BY THE DEALERSHIP TO BRING THE VEHICLE BACK TO THEM. I TURNED AROUND AND STARTED HEADING BACK THERE. I MADE IT ABOUT A MILE WHEN THE GAS PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND COMPLETELY LOST POWER AND THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I PUT MY FLASHERS ON AND COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. WHEN THE CAR CAME TO A STOP, I NOTICED FLAMES CREEPING UP BETWEEN THE HOOD AND THE WINDSHIELD. I PUT THE CAR IN PARK, SHUT THE CAR OFF AND REMOVED THE KEYS, AND GOT OUT OF THE CAR. WITHIN 30 SECONDS OR SO THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY ENGULFED IN FLAMES. I HAD ALREADY STARTED CALLING 911 TO REPORT THE FIRE. THE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT SHOWED UP WITHIN 6 MINUTES, BUT THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE CAR WAS ON THE SIDE OF A MAIN ROAD. THE CAR WAS TOWED AS PER MY CAR INSURANCE COMPANY AND THEY WERE SENDING AND INVESTIGATOR TO LOOK TO DETERMINE A CAUSE. THE CAR WAS A COMPLETE LOSS, INCLUDING EVERYTHING INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THIS INCLUDED KIDS SPORTS EQUIPMENT, TOYS, CAR SEATS, CLOTHES, BOWLING EQUIPMENT, ETC. THE ONLY THING THEY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DETERMINE IN 3.5 WEEKS IS THAT THE FIRE STARTED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I'M UNSURE IF THIS HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE CURRENT RECALL OF 17V224000 DEALING WITH THE MOTOR AT THIS TIME. I'M AWAITING WORD FROM KIA MOTORS INC. ABOUT ANY INVESTIGATION THEY MAY WANT TO DO.

NHTSA ODI 10991353

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 KIA SORENTO. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THERE WAS A LOUD ABNORMAL NOISE AND THE PRESENCE OF SMOKE EMITTED OUTSIDE AND INSIDE THE VEHICLE. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, THE CONTACT LIFTED THE HOOD AND NOTICED FLAMES NEAR THE MOTOR. THE VEHICLE WAS COASTED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AT THE DEALER'S FOR WEEKS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE, BUT IT WAS UNCERTAIN AS TO WHEN THEY WOULD INVESTIGATE THE FAILURE AND PROVIDE A PERMANENT REMEDY. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 31,000.

NHTSA ODI 10846035