2005 Kia Sorento Power Train
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 KIA SORENTO. WHILE AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS PUSHED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE DRIVESHAFT FRACTURED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OUT WARRANTY. THE FAILURE WAS NOT REMEDIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 132,000.
WIFE WAS DRIVING AWAY FROM HOUSE, HEARD SCREACHING SOUND, THEN LOST POWER STEERING WHILE DRIVING NEARLY ENDING UP ON SIDEWALK. WHEN I CHECKED UNDER HOOD, I SAW A BOLT SITTING ON LOWER PART OF ENGINE COMPARTMENT, CRANKSHAFT PULLEY NOT MOVING, BUT BOLT THAT HOLDS IT ON SPINNING. NONE OF THE BELTS WERE MOVING. MOST OF THE WARNING LIGHTS WERE ALSO LIT UP. APPARENTLY, THERE IS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT INVOLVING THIS ISSUE.
THE VEHICLE IS SIMPLY NOT WANTING TO ACCELERATE UPON TAKING OFF OR GOING UPHILL. AFTER LITTLE RESEARCH, I FOUND THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM ASSOCIATED WITH THIS MODEL. A METAL PIECE OF A VALVE HAS BEEN SHEARING OFF THEN LODGING IN THE EMISSIONS SYSTEM. CANADA HAS ALREADY ISSUED A RECALL SO I AM UNSURE WHY THE US HASN'T FOLLOWED SUIT. *TR
GEAR SHIFT KNOB CAME OFF AND IS STUCK IN PARK. THE MECHANISM TO ENGAGE THE SHIFTER IS A SMALL CHEAP PLASTIC PIECE THAT BROKE OFF. FORTUNATELY, THE CAR WAS NOT IN MOTION WHEN THIS OCCURRED. *TR
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE IN 2 WHEEL DRIVE, FRONT DIFFERENTIAL LOCKED UP ABOUT 1 MINUTE AFTER NOISES WERE HEARD AND SMOKE STARTED APPEARING CAUSING VEHICLE TO COME TO AUTOMATIC HALT...IN TRAFFIC. NO ONE WANTS TO COVER DAMAGE CREATED. *KB
I SEE THAT YOU HAVE 15 RECALLS FOR THIS SUV, I HAVE ONLY HAD KIA SERVICE THIS TRUCK, UNTIL 09/09/2011 CAN YOU TELL ME WHY, NO NOTICE OR REPAIRS HAVE BEEN FIXED, NOT ONE NOTICE IN THE MAIL JOE MEYERS KIA. HOUSTON TEXAS. *JS
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING UP HILL AND DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL OR CHANGING GEARS, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS MOVED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD FOR A FEW MINUTES AND THEN SHE WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE DRIVING NORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 63,000. UPDATED 04/12/11*LJ UPDATED 12/28/2011 *LN
2005 SORENTO LOVE THE CAR, BUT ON TAKE OFF AROUND 45 TO 50 MPH IF I'LL JERK AND LOSE SPEED BUT IF I KEEP MY FOOT IT DOES HAPPEN AS OF YET, IT JUST HOLDS THERE END MUCH GIVE LOTS OF GAS TO GET IT GOING. THAT'S THE ONLY PROBLEM I HAVE. PLEASE HELP. ALL THE TIME! *TR
THE CRANK SHAFT PULLEY IN MY 2005 KIA SORENTO IS DEFECTIVE. THE PART HAS FAILED MULTIPLE TIME AND THE MANUFACTURER REFUSES TO REPAIR OR REPLACE THE PART OR VEHICLE. THE CAR IS STILL WITHIN THE POWER-TRAIN WARRANTY WITH COVER THE ENGINE. THEY HAVE HOWEVER STATED THAT THIS IS NOT COVERED AS IT IS NOT PART OF THE ENGINE HOWEVER THIS PART IS ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP PART OF THE ENGINE AS IT CONTROLS THE PISTONS AND WITH OUT IT THE ENGINE CAN NOT RUN. THIS SEEM TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM AS CONSUMER COMPLAINT ARE POSTED ALL OVER THE INTERNET AND THE DEALERSHIP HAS INFORMED ME THEY RECEIVE MANY COMPLAINT ABOUT THIS SAME ISSUE AND FIX 3-4 A WEEK AND OFTEN THE PART FAILS AND THEY AGAIN HAVE TO REPLACE IT. *TR
THE GEAR SHIFT LEAVER BROKE WHILE DRIVING 2005 KIA SORRENTO WHEN EXAMINING THE LEAVER IT IS HELD TOGETHER BY A SMALL PLASTIC SCREW THAT SPLIT IN HALF WHEN THE LEVER WAS SHIFTED INTO ANOTHER GEAR. THUS MAKING THE SHIFTER INOPERABLE THE CAR HAD 65000 MILES ON IT I BROUGHT THE CAR TO KIA AND HAD TO REPLACE THE SHIFT LEAVER. I DID NOT ASK TO KEEP THE OLD LEAVER. *TR
WHILE DRIVING UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES, THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IN MY 2005 KIA SORENTO MAKES AN UNUSUAL NOISE (KLUNK) WHILE SHIFTING BETWEEN GEARS, THEN IMMEDIATELY LOSES POWER. I MAYBE ABLE TO DRIVE AT A VERY LOW SPEED FOR A SHORT DISTANCE WITH NO POWER OR IT WILL JUST NOT MOVE (AS WHAT HAPPENED TO ME IN THE SECOND FAILURE). THE KIA DEALERSHIP IN WHICH I HAVE HAD IT TOWED TO HAS DONE THE FOLLOWING. FIRST VISIT = "MISC FOUND CODES P0716/P0893//CLEAR CODES OK AT THIS TIME" COULD NOT DUPLICATE CUSTOMERS CONCERN. SECOND VISIT = REPLACED THROTTLE POS SENSOR". THIRD VISIT = "VEHICLE WAS LOW ON TRANSMISSION FLUID". I AM NOT ACCEPTING THE LAST EXCUSE AS A FIX TO THE PROBLEM, I BELIEVE THERE IS AN UNDERLYING PROBLEM. *TR THE VEHICLE WENT BACK TO THE DEALER FOR THE 4TH TIME FOR THE CLUNKING NOISE THAT CAUSES IT TO STOP AND THE DEALER REPLACED THE WIRING HARNESS KIT.
MY FIANCE' AND I HAVE RECENTLY STARTED EXPERIENCING SOME ISSUES WITH OUR 2005 MANUAL TRANSMISSION. FOR SOME REASON, FROM A STOP, THE CAR WILL NOT MOVE FORWARD ONCE IT IS ON GEAR. IT JUST WON'T MOVE. I CAN TAKE IT IN AND OUT OF GEAR AND IT STILL WON'T MOVE. I CAN TRY IT IN FIRST OR SECOND AND STILL NOTHING. THE WORK AROUND WE FIGURED OUT IS TO PUT IT IN REVERSE AND MAYBE MOVE IT BACKWARDS JUST A LITTLE BIT AND WE ARE THEN ABLE TO PUT THE CAR IN FIRST AND MOVE FORWARD LIKE NORMAL. IT HAS ACTUALLY HAPPENED TO HER THREE TIMES IN THE PAST WEEK, ONCE LAST WEEK AND TWICE TODAY. I WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE CAR LAST WEEK THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED AND SAW THE ISSUE FIRST HAND. I AM GOING TO KIA ABOUT THIS, BUT I WAS WONDERING IF ANYONE ELSE HAS HAD THIS ISSUE OR EXPERIENCED THIS ISSUE WITH THE 2005 MANUAL TRANSMISSION, OR ANY YEAR TRANSMISSION FOR THAT MATTER. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED ON BUSY ROADS AND INTERSECTIONS IN THE MIDDLE OF RUSH HOUR. WE ARE WORRIED THAT IT WILL HAPPEN WHILE SHE IS MOVING OR CHANGING GEARS. THIS HAS TO BE SOME SORT OF SAFETY ISSUE. THE CAR IS GOING TO KIA TOMORROW TO HAVE THE ISSUE ADDRESSED. *JB
MANUAL TRANSMISSION INTERMITTENT SHIFTING SAFETY DEFECT CAUSES OUR 2005 KIA SORENTO TO LOCK UP WHILE WE ARE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC AND WILL NOT LET US SHIFT GEARS OR MOVE THE CAR. HAS HAPPENED PULLING INTO TRAFFIC IN FIRST GEAR; HAS HAPPENED ON THE HIGHWAY SHIFTING UP THROUGH GEARS, HAS HAPPENED DOWN SHIFTING IN INTERSECTIONS. THIS DANGEROUS SAFETY DEFECT COULD CAUSE US TO BE IN A POSSIBLY FATAL ACCIDENT. WE HAVE REPORTED THIS PROBLEM TO KIA INC. TWO TIMES AND TAKEN TO DEALERS FOR DIAGNOSIS BUT HAVE BEEN TOLD SINCE THIS IS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM AND THEY CAN'T DUPLICATE IT THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO TO HELP US. THEY TEST DRIVE THE CAR BUT WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ELSE TO LOOK AT THE CAR. IN THE MEANTIME THE PROBLEM CONTINUES TO EXIST AND WE ARE DRIVING A DANGEROUS VEHICLE AND WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM CORRECTED. OUR CONSCIENCE TELLS US WE SHOULD NOT TRADE OR SELL THIS AUTO BECAUSE WE KNOW IT HAS A POTENTIALLY LIFE-THREATENING SAFETY DEFECT (EVEN THOUGH IT HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY) . THIS IS A FRIGHTENING EXPERIENCE. EVERY TIME WE DRIVE THE CAR WE WONDER IF THE SHIFTING PROBLEM WILL OCCUR. WE HAVE YOUNG GRANDCHILDREN AND BOUGHT THE KIA SORENTO BECAUSE OF ITS POSITIVE SAFETY FEATURES. BECAUSE OF THIS SERIOUS PROBLEM WE ARE HIGHLY CONCERNED FOR THEIR AND OUR SAFETY. *NM UPDATED 11/21/06. *JB UPDATED
WHILE DRIVING MY 2005 KIA SORENTO IT SUDDENLY LOOSES POWER AND WILL NOT SURPASS 30 MPH. WHEN I CHANGE FROM AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION TO THIS NEW STANDARD SHIFT THERE IS NO RESPONSE. THIS HAS OCCURRED NOW 4 TIMES THE PAST 2 MONTHS. THE DEALER CHECKED THE CODES AND NOTHING SHOWS. I MUST STOP AND SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF, RESTART AND ALL SYSTEMS RETURN TO NORMAL. MY DEALER SAYS THAT I MUST BRING THIS TO THEM WHEN IT IS IN THIS STATE. THIS REQUEST IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DO.*JB
TRANSMISSION SLIPS IN THE FIRST FOUR GEARS. I A HAVE ALMOST BEEN REAR ENDED MANY TIMES BECAUSE TRANSMISSION GOES INTO NEUTRAL. TRANSMISSION MODULE REPLACED. IT IS STILL SLIPPING OUT OF GEAR. *NM
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Quick Summary
The 2005 Kia Sorento has 15 Power Train complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.