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

The Kia one morning were I were at stop just turned off power completely disconnected/dead . I turn the key before I moved the stick to park and turn off the car than waited 3seconds and started the car. It turned on were I pulled to the side to park five foot to the left side and turn off the car to check what happ. It would’nt click or turn on dead car than help arrived and the battery I charged immediately underneath the lot started burning and smoke fire let dead that out.

NHTSA ODI 11576326

While driving at night, the instrument panel gauges and lights behind it faded away and all gauges went to 0, RPM, Gas, speedometer, temp, mileage all stopped working all at once. The headlights dimmed to almost nothing. After stopping, it was discovered that a rear sensor was basically melted off after being on fire from the inside. It put a hole right through the sensor and exposed the wire. It basically turned the sensor to ash and you can see the melted wires inside slightly poking out of the hole it melted. The radio and clock still work, so it didnt affect everything. The lights that come on when opening and closing the door were basically stuck on unless turned off manually when the car is off. (Turned off door light feature) Took me a few to figure that out. After checking fuses, the Module 3 was blown. Tried to replace the fuse but it keeps blowing because I cant currently do anything with the damaged sensor. A Kia repair guy wanted to change all the wiring, sensors, and instrument panel, costing thousands of dollars I don't have. After checking the Kia forums, this same exact issue has happened to multiple people with the 2014 Kia Sorento. If this has happened to multiple of the same vehicle, Kia should be responsible to fix it or replace the vehicle! Its dangerous! It was raining, but my car could have stayed on fire. I almost drove off the road when everything was shutting off and my headlights dimmed to nothing. The car still drives fine, so I got home, but it was hard to see and I had no idea of the speed of the vehicle. And the Kia guy said it could still catch fire again so I will have to fix it before driving it much more. I dont have the money for this or for a new car and my job is literally in my car! Check the Kia forums about the other issues and complaints, as again, this happened to multiple people and its all the same issue. Kia needs to fix this since it costs so much to fix and before someone burns up in a fire!

NHTSA ODI 11569372

Kia smelled of electrical burning/fire after driving. burning smell permeated into dwelling. Notified KIA Customer Care Center at 1 (800) 333 4542. Case [XXX] initiated day of engine burning/fire [XXX]. No response from Kia. Called to inquire on update January 16th, 2024. Spoke with Mary. Mary had no update. Asked to speak with her manager, She transferred me and call dropped. Unprofessional conduct with life-threatening Kia engine bomb sitting in my driveway. Initiated complaint on Kia's website and another case number was generated - [XXX]. Tried calling back to no avail. Call dropped five times. Initiated this NHTSA complaint immediately after last call dropped by Kia. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11565841

Well my boyfriend and I where getting the car straightened up swept out wiped down and cleaned up and drove it from one part of our yard to the other and we had to finish what we where doing before that so and hour or so later when my. Boy friend went to go finish the car he realized there was smoke coming from the driver's side and opened the front door and the whole front driver seat was on fire so we got it put out and then we realized we needed to get the car as far away from the house as we could as soon as we got the fire out so I found a lid to it on I had to push a release button under the shifter to move it outta park and stear it away from any other houses or objects so we did that and then the lights for the heated seats on the driver's side came on again without the key that I know of being in it or nothen and it just being on fire so we u plugged to battery and called kia and a town truck

NHTSA ODI 11536733

On 2/15/22, I accelerated to pass another car while driving home from work. As soon as I accelerated, my car stopped running. I coasted to the next turnoff from a busy street (about 1 block) and stopped at the curb in a residential area. The control panel/dashboard was completely dark, then suddenly lit up again. I tried to start the car but couldn't because I was unable to depress the brake. I waited a few minutes and tried again and a small amount of smoke came out from under the hood. In a minute that went away. At this time, I was very near my house and walked home. When I got there I called the Kia dealership (local) and described what happened. They asked if there had been a 'check engine' or other warning message before this happened and I told them there had not been. I said I guess I would have to have the car towed in to them to see what was wrong. I was told they would call back. While waiting for someone to call back, I walked back to my car. (All of this took less than 10 - 12 minutes.) As I turned the corner I saw police cars and a firetruck where my car was parked. The fire had been put out and there was only a shell of the car left; the entire motor and everything inside was destroyed. Later, my insurance company declared it a total loss. A neighbor saw flames and had called the fire department. There was some damage to the neighbor's yard - grass and shrubbery. The police called a wrecking service to tow the car. It was later picked up by my insurance co. No one was injured, thankfully; but I can only imagine what would have happened if I had made it home and parked in my garage. The local Kia dealership never called back. I called a week or so after this happened and was told they would have someone call me and no one called (again).

NHTSA ODI 11462339

Upon driving home from a family road trip, I was flagged down on the highway by a fellow driver saying my car was on fire from under the passenger backseat. There were no warning lights or alarms from the inside of the car, or on the dash. I pulled over and the fire engulfed the engine and soon the whole car. It burnt down to the frame, with absolutely nothing left inside but twisted metal. It was deemed a total loss. The fire inspector and police on the scene believe there was an issue with the electrical system that caused the fire. There is a report available with the Florida Highway Patrol. There are NO active recalls for the vehicle, but I was told by Kia there have been several fires in their 2014 models, including some when the vehicles weren't even on. The car was deemed a total loss and has been released to the insurance inspector and has over $14000 in damages to repair. It will not be repaired. My mother was in the front passenger seat, and my 6 year old son was in the passenger backseat, above where the fire began. Thankfully, we are all uninjured, but there is lasting mental trauma on all three of us.

NHTSA ODI 11424162

I HAVE A 14 KI SORENTO LX THE ELECTRIC SYSTEM FAULTY AND CAUSED MY VEHICLE TO CATCH FIRE IN ONE CABIN NEAR THE GEAR SHIFT THE COMPUTER HAS SHUT DOWN NO LONGER RECOGNIZING THE CHIP AND THE VEHICLE IS FULLY DISABLED.*DT

NHTSA ODI 11400074

ENGINE SEIZED WITH NO WARNING. COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE. WE HAVE MAINTAINED THE VEHICLE AND HAVE HAD NO PRIOR ISSUES. THE ENGINE SEIZED AT 90,000 MILES DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT NEVER CAME ON. WE HAVE THE 100,000 MILE WARRANTY AND KIA HAS NOT COVERED THE REPAIRS TO THE ENGINE. WE WERE ADVISED WE NEED A NEW ENGINE.

NHTSA ODI 11290234

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE AS I HEARD A LOUD POP SO PULLED OVER ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD THINKING IT WAS MY TIRES, AS I LOOKED AT ALL THE TIRES I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING SO I GOT BACK IN. SOON AS I GOT BACK IN THE VEHICLE I SMELLED SOMETHING SO I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND GOT OUT. THE MINUTE I GOT OUT OF THE CAR IT ENGULFED IN FLAMES.. THE FIRE REPORT SHOWED IT WAS DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE , AND THE ENTIRE CAR BURNT UP

NHTSA ODI 11090119

I WAS DRIVING 70 MPH DOWN HIGHWAY WHEN CAR SHUTDOWN AND STERLING LOCKED, UNABLE TO CONTROL VEHICLE. COME TO FIND OUT NEXT FEW DAYS IT WAS THE ACCELATOR THAT CAUSED IT. I HAD NO CONTROL AND ALMOST GOT KILLED BY A 18 WHEELER DRIVING IN NEXT LANE.

NHTSA ODI 10874211

NOVEMBER 6 2015 AT APPROXIMATELY 5:15 PM MY WIFE HAD AN ACCIDENT IN OUR CAR TOUR OF THE FRONT END TOOK IT TO THE REPAIR SHOP IN THE BODY SHOP AFTER 4 WEEKS WE GOT THE CAR BACK AFTER ONE DAY THE CAR CUT OFF AND WOULD NOT START AGAIN TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER HE SAID IT WAS THE FUEL PUMP THAT WASN'T COVERED BY THE INSURANCE BUT I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE CARD NEVER CUT OFF BEFORE THE ACCIDENT SO WHY DID HE CUT OFF AFTER THE REPAIR

NHTSA ODI 10809591

LEFT 2014 SORENTO SXL AT AIRPORT PARKING AND FLEW TO ANOTHER CITY FOR ONE WEEK. CAME BACK TO FIND VEHICLE WILL NOT START. BATTERY WAS DEAD. I SPRAINED MY BACK TRYING TO OPEN THE SUV TRUNK FROM INSIDE AS THERE WAS NO POWER AVAILABLE TO RELEASE THE TRUNK LOCK. FIVE (5) SIMILAR EVENTS HAVE HAPPENED TO ME, ONE OF THEM AT THE KIA DEALERSHIP AND THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. IN RESEARCHING THE WEB, IT SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM THAT KIA HAS NOT RESOLVED AND MANY PEOPLE ARE AFFECTED WITH BATTERY DRAIN WITHIN 3 TO 5 DAYS OF LEAVING THE CAR IN THE GARAGE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10694347

I BOUGHT A 2014 KIA SORENTO IN NOV. 2013. 2MONTHS I STARTED HAVING ISSUES WITH THE DOOR LOCKS NOT WORKING PROPERLY AND THE BLUE TOOTH. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE AND TOLD THEM ABOUT IT AFTER 3-4 TRIPS AND BEING TOLD EACH TIME THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG THEY FOUND THAT THE RADIO SYSTEM WAS BAD. STILL NOTHING WRONG WITH THE DOOR LOCKS NOT UNLOCKING. THEN A FEW WEEKS LATER I STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS WITH IT STARTING, AGAIN 3-4 TRIPS OF BEING TOLD NOTHING WAS WRONG THEY SAID YOU HAVE A BAD BATTERY! I STARTED GETTING A WARNING FROM THE UVO SYSTEM IN NOVEMBER 2014 THAT I HAD A TRANSMISSION ISSUE TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND EVEN THOUGH A TECHNICIAN SAW THE WARNING ON THE SCREEN AND THAT THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON THEY SAID THE GAS CAP MUST HAVE BEEN ON WRONG CAUSING THE WARNING AND THE TRANSMISSION TO STALL AND BE SLUGGISH, ALONG WITH CAUSING THE BLUETOOTH NOT TO RESPOND, AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS NOT TO RELEASE,BACKUP CAMERA BEEPS WHEN THERE IS NOTHING BEHIND ME, THE AUTOMATIC WINDOW ON THE DRIVERS SIDE TO NOT ROLL UP. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS GOING OUT AND WAS REPAIRED AT THE NICHOLASVILLE STORE, HOWEVER IT HAS NOT TAKEN CARE OF THE ISSUES, THE DOORS WILL NOT UNLOCK AND THE UVO SYSTEM CONTINUES TO SEND EMAILS TO THE DEALER THAT THERE IS AN ISSUE. I HAVE ALSO HAD TO REPLACE A HEAD LIGHT BULB, BRAKES ARE RUBBING. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH THE KIA CORP ANALYSTS SPENCER WITH NO RESULTS AT THIS POINT. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH THE GENERAL MANAGER OF THE NICHOLASVILLE KY DEALER DURING OUR CONVERSATION HE SAID TO ME TO BRING MY CAR TO THE DEALER THEY WOULD BE GLAD TO CHECK IT. I ASK IF THERE WAS ANY WAY WE COULD WORK SOMETHING OUT SO THAT THEY COULD COME TO ME AND GET THE CAR. I EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT I DO NOT FILL SAFE IN THE VEHICLE AND THAT I AM AFRAID FOR MY KIDS SAFETY, ON 1/20/15 I WAS IN AN ACCIDENT WITH IT. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10678653

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 KIA SORENTO. UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE GEAR WAS SHIFTED INTO REVERSE AND THE ENGINE REVVED WHEN THE CONTACT LIGHTLY DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE BACKED INTO A STEEL POST. THE FRONT PASSENGER HAD TO HELP THE CONTACT SHIFT THE GEAR INTO NEUTRAL IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE FROM ACCELERATING. SUDDENLY, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED FORWARD INTO A FIELD AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED WHILE THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT HAD TO PRESS THE IGNITION START BUTTON IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED MINOR ANKLE INJURIES, WHICH DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THERE WAS A MANUFACTURED ELECTRICAL CORD THAT WAS CONNECTED TO THE ACCELERATOR, WHICH MAY HAVE CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE CODES DID NOT ILLUSTRATE THAT THIS WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE SPEED WAS UNKNOWN. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,900. UPDATED 12/01/14*LJ *AS

NHTSA ODI 10643560

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE AT A COMPLETE STOP, A STRONG BURNING ODOR EMITTED INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE THE DRIVER EXITED THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION, SMALL FLAMES IGNITED FROM THE REAR TRAILER HITCH WIRING HARNESS AND DRIVER'S SIDE TAIL LIGHT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE AND DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED TWENTY DAYS AFTER THE NEW TRAILER HITCH WAS INSTALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 32,000.

NHTSA ODI 10566975