2007 Kia Sorento Electrical System
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
WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS SITTING, NOT RUNNING, THE CAR BEGAN TO SMOKE FROM THE DRIVERS SIDE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND UNDER THE DASH. THE SMOKE GOT MUCH WORSE AND THE HEAT FROM THE SOURCE WAS GROWING. AFTER OPENING THE HOOD AND DISCONNECTING THE POSITIVE TERMINAL ON THE BATTERY THE SMOKE SLOWED AND EVENTUALLY STOPPED ALL TOGETHER. NOTE - THE CAR WAS PARKED AND THE ENGINE WAS NOT RUNNING. ALSO THE CAR WAS, AND HAD BEEN SITTING SINCE THE NIGHT BEFORE AND THE ENGINE WAS COLD TO THE TOUCH WHEN THE ELECTRICAL FIRE TRANSPIRED. NOTE: THE LOCATIONS THAT WERE BELLOWING SMOKE WERE HOT TO THE TOUCH AND THE SMOKE WAS BLACK AND GRAY. THE INSIDE OF THE CAB HAD FILLED UP WITH SMOKE AS WELL AND HAD A STRANGE NEW ODOR THAT IS UNPLEASANT TO SAY THE LEAST. OVER ALL THE CAR DID NOT CATCH FULL FIRE AND THE DAMAGE IS NOT VISIBLE TO THE EYE. THE ENTERAL UNSEEN DAMAGE MAY BE SIGNIFICANT. NOTE: CURRENT MILEAGE UNAVAILABLE BEING THE BATTERY MUST STAY UNPLUGGED TO AVOID THE ENTIRE CAR CATCHING ON FIRE. THE ONLY REASON THAT THE CAR STOPPED BURNING WAS BECAUSE OF QUICK AND DANGEROUS ACTIONS TAKEN TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE AT IDLE AT FAST FOOD DRIVE THRU, WHEN HE SAW SMOKE EXITING FROM THE HOOD. THE CONTACT STATED NO WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO PARK AT THE PARKING LOT AND WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE WITH A WET TOWEL. A FIRE REPORT WAS FIELD WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THE CONTACT STATED NO ONE WAS INJURED OR SOUGHT MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO LOCAL DEALER KIA ATLANTA SOUTH (7310 JONESBORO RD, MORROW, GA 30260. (770) 968-3400) WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS STILL BEING DIAGNOSED. THE VIN WAS ASSOCIATED TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V088000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). THE MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN INFORMED OF FAILURE AND STATED THE FAILURE WAS NOT ASSOCIATED TO RECALL ASSOCIATED TO THE VIN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 102,000.
WHEN CAR IS IN MOTION EVEN WHEN CRUISE CONTROL IS ON GOING OVER 30 MILES AN HOUR, THERE WILL BE A HESITATION IN FORWARD MOTION. ITS NOT A TRANSMISSION JERK. ITS A PAUSE WHILE IN MOTION. THE HEADLIGHTS ALSO DO THE SAME WHEN ON. THEY WILL BE ON NORMAL THEN GO DIM WHILE IN MOTION. WE HAVE TROUBLE SHOOTED AND NO CODES COME UP. WE BELIEVE IT IS AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE. WE HAVE ONLY HAD VEHICHLE FOR 2 YRS AND ITS DONE THIS EVERY SINCE WE HAD IT BUT ITS GOTTEN WORSE. WASNT AS NOTICABLE WHEN WE PURCHASED BUT IT WASNT BEING DRIVEN FOR LONG DISTANCES. NOW IT HAS BEEN DROVE ON LONG TRIPS AND IS VERY NOTICEABLE. FEELS LIKE THE CAR WILL JUST STOP/SHUT DOWN IN MOTION.
DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE WHEN THE TURN SIGNALS STARTED FLASHING. AS SHE PULLED TO A STOP, SOMEONE CAME UP TO HER WINDOW AND TOLD HER THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE. SHE PULLED IN TO A PARKING LOT TO CALL ME. WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE VEHICLE THERE WAS A SMALL FIRE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE RIGHT REAR OF THE VEHICLE. FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND FIRE WAS OUT BY THE TIME THEY ARRIVED. FIRE DEPARTMENT LOOKED UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT THE TRAILER HITCH WIRING HARNESS SHORTED OUT AND STARTED ON FIRE. MY DAUGHTER WAS NOT TOWING ANYTHING AT THE TIME. WIRING HARNESS IS OEM
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 KIA SORENTO. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND SEVERAL WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ALTERNATOR FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE ALTERNATOR FAILED AGAIN AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS ONCE AGAIN REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTED APPROXIMATELY A MONTH LATER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ALTERNATOR WAS REPLACED A TOTAL OF EIGHT TIMES SINCE APRIL OF 2016. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000. . ..UPDATED 12/12/16 *BF
SPEEDOMETER READ SLOWER THEN THE CAR IS MOVING. I HAVE BROUGHT THIS TO THE DEALERS ATTENTION, AND GOT NO GOOD RESULTS. *TR
Trend Over Time
Complaints by year
Other Issues
Common problems reported
Quick Summary
The 2007 Kia Sorento has 6 Electrical System complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.