What 746 owners told NHTSA about the 2015 Kia Sorento Plug-in Hybrid

KIA DEALERSHIP ROTATED TIRES. REAR DRIVER SIDE TIRE FLEW OFF VEHICLE WITHIN 2 BLOCKS OF DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT. ALL LUGS MISSING. EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO REAR END DEALERSHIP CLAIMS ALL LUG NUTS WERE PROPERLY ATTACHED AND THE ATTACHMENT WAS WITNESSED BY 2 TECHNICIANS. IF THIS IS TRUE THE WHEELS CAN FLY OFF OF THIS VEHICLE AT ANY TIME. I WANT THEM TO VIDEO ALL FUTURE WHEEL SERVICE AND RECALL ALL PREVIOUS WORK. THEY COULD KILL SOMEONE.

NHTSA ODI 11014195

(AMENDMENTS TO ODI#S: 10668775 & 10663356 - UPDATE) ON 12/01/2014, I WAS IN A 2015 KIA SORENTO LX (ENTERPRISE INSURANCE RENTAL) TRAVELING ON CRABB RIVER ROAD, (A CITY STREET) SUGARLAND, TEXAS. I FULLY STOPPED AT THE TRAFFIC LIGHTS BECAUSE IT WAS RED. ONCE LIGHTS TURNED GREEN, I PUT THE VEHICLE IN MOTION BY STEPPING ON THE GAS PEDAL TO ACCELERATE BUT THE CAR FELT REALLY SLUGGISH SO I GAVE IT MORE GAS IN ORDER TO GAIN ENOUGH SPEED AS I WAS ABOUT TO GO OVER SOME RAILROAD TRACKS (APPROX. 55+ MPH) WHICH WERE ON A ROAD THAT WAS ON AN INCLINE. RIGHT AS THE CAR REACHED THE TRACKS, THE ENGINE STALLED, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AND I LOST ALL CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND IT DOVE INTO A DITCH; PLOWED DIRECTLY INTO A STEEL BILLBOARD POLE WHICH WAS CEMENTED INTO THE GROUND BECAUSE THE BRAKES BECAME UNRESPONSIVE. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASH PRIOR TO THE CRASH. EVEN THOUGH I WAS FULLY BUCKLED, THE SEATBELT DID NOT PREVENT MY HEAD FROM VIOLENTLY HITTING THE WINDSHIELD AND BOUNCING OFF THE STEERING WHEEL SINCE NONE OF THE 8 AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. I SUFFERED NEAR FATAL INJURIES INCLUDING A BROKEN BACK (L2 FRACTURE), SPINAL CORD, HEAD, EYE, CHIN, JAWS, NECK AND HIP; BROKEN TEETH, PERMANENT DISFIGURATION (18 STITCHES), SOME VISION & HEARING LOSS FROM NERVE DAMAGE AND PTSD, MENTAL ANGUISH, CHRONIC MIGRAINES, EXTREME STRESS, TERRIBLE RECURRING NIGHTMARES, ETC. I'M A 5'2" WOMAN AND MY CHEST WAS PINNED TO THE STEERING WHEEL UPON THE IMPACT WITH THE POLE AND THE FIRE DEPT. HAD TO FREE ME AND LIFT ME UP TO THE EMTS. I WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE ER OF A HOSPITAL BY AMBULANCE AND LATER TRANSFERRED TO THE TRAUMA UNIT OF MEMORIAL HERMANN HOSPITAL DUE TO THE SEVERITY OF MY INJURIES.

NHTSA ODI 11000887

WE WERE TRAVELING 64 MPH ON INTERSTATE 75 SOUTH (IT WAS RAINING HARD), WHEN WE WERE HIT FROM BEHIND AT 75-78 MILES PER HOUR BY AN F150 TRUCK. OUR AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY WHICH CAUSED US TO HIT THE STEERING WHEEL AND DASHBOARD. AT THE RATE OF SPEED WE WERE HIT, THE BAGS SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED. OUR SORENTO HAD OVER $9,000 IN DAMAGE TO THE REAR. THE BAGS ARE A MALFUNCTION, AS FAR AS WE ARE CONCERNED.

NHTSA ODI 10995466

RETURNING FROM A TRIP TO CALIFORNIA, THE KIA HAD JUST TURNED OVER 30000 MILES ON THE KS TURNPIKE WHEN THE ENGINE OIL LIGHT CAME ON. WE STOPPED AND CHECKED THE OIL, IT WAS FINE. WE HAD HAD THE OIL CHANGED BEFORE THE TRIP SO IT HAD LESS THAN 3000 MILES. AFTER CHECKING THE OIL, WE RESUMED THE TRIP. WITHIN A MILE WE HEARD A KNOCKING SOUND, THE CAR DIED, WE PULLED OVER AND THE CAR ENGINE WAS ON FIRE. CALLED 911, WITHIN 15 MINUTES THE FIREMEN ARRIVED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. ONE OF THE FIREMEN SAID IT LOOKED ELECTRICAL AND SEEMED TO BE CENTERED IN THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE, THE FAN BLADES WERE MELTED AND ALL WIRES AND ALL RUBBER HOSING MELTED. KIA REFUSED TO COVER THE WARRANTY AND THE INSURANCE COMPANY SAID THE CAR WAS TOTALED. I'VE ENCLOSED PICTURE OF THE FIRE AND THE DAMAGE.

NHTSA ODI 10897802

HOW CAN NHTSA GIVE A 5-STAR SAFETY RATING TO A 2015 KIA SORRENTO BASED ON A 2013 CRASH TEST DONE ON THIS MODEL VEHICLE WHEN THERE IS OBVIOUS A PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE IN THE 2014/2015 KIA SORRENTO MODELS. SINCE 2014, THERE HAS BEEN AT LEAST 2 SERIOUS INJURIES AND OTHER COMPLAINTS DUE TO THIS DEFECT AND ITS NON-DEPLOYENT OF AIRBAGS, ETC. (PLEASE LOOK AT THE PHOTOS, VIDEO & SMALL OVERLAY CRASH REPORT AT HTTP://WWW.IIHS.ORG/IIHS/RATINGS/VEHICLE/V/KIA/SORENTO-4-DOOR-SUV/2015)..THE MANUFACTIURER WAS WELL AWARE OF THIS SINCE THEY REDESIGNED THE 2016 MODEL. THIS DEFECT SHOULD BE MADE PUBLIC FOR ALL VEHICLES AFFECTED WITH THESE ISSUES WHICH SHOULD REPAIRED OR RECALLED TO AVOID FURTHER RISK OF SERIOUS INJURIES AND/OR LOSS OF LIFE. IT IS COMPLETELY WRONGFUL, HARMFUL AND NEGLIGENT OF NHTSA TO GIVE AN "5-STAR SAFETY RATING" ON A LATER MODEL VEHICLE BASED ON AN OUTDATED TEST & WITHOUT FULLY AND APPROPRIATEL TESTING; RENDERING FALSE MISREPRESENTATION TO THE VEHICLE SHOPPER.....UPDATED 06/21/17 *BF *JS

NHTSA ODI 10881567

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 KIA SORENTO. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE FRONT END OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS PUSHED INTO A TELEPHONE POLE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS FILLED WITH A VERY STRONG SMELL COMING FROM THE AIR BAGS. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES THAT REQUIRED A MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTO BODY YARD THAT WAS ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOCAL DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000.

NHTSA ODI 10846023

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 KIA SORENTO. WHILE ENTERING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT'S FOOT INADVERTENTLY STRUCK THE FRONT DRIVER SEAT RAIL WHICH WAS MOVED BACKWARDS. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A LACERATION ON ONE OF THE TOES AND REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ODI 10724569

I WAS TURNING INTO A PARKING SPACE IN A PARKING GARAGE WITH MY FOOT JUST BARLEY ON THE BRAKE WHENTHE CAR ACCELERATED VERY FAST AND CAUSE ME TO HIT A CONCRET WALL. I TRIED TO STOP IT BUT IT DIDN'T STOP UNTIL IT HIT THE WALL KNOCKING ME ALMOST OUT OF THE PARKING SPACE. THIS HAS NEVER HAPPEN BEFORE SINCE I HAVE HAD THE CAR.

NHTSA ODI 10716930

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 KIA SORENTO. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE STRUCK THE PRECEDING VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FRONT BUMPER WAS BEING HELD IN PLACE BY WIRE AND HOT GLUE. THE FRONT BUMPER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE ISSUE WAS BETWEEN THE CONTACT AND THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 7,000.

NHTSA ODI 10703074

TL* THE CONTACT RENTED A 2015 KIA SORENTO. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH OVER RAILROAD TRACKS, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED AND EXCESSIVE FORCE WAS REQUIRED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO CRASH INTO THE POST OF A BILLBOARD. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A VERTEBRAE, NECK, AND BACK INJURIES AND HEAD TRAUMAS THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 17,000.....UPDATED 06/21/17 *BF UPDATED 9/11/2017*CN

NHTSA ODI 10668775