2011 Kia Sorento Electrical System

CAR BEGAN TO ACT LIKE IT DID NOT WANT TO CRANK. ONCE I GOT TO DESTINATION, RADIO WENT OFF FIRST, THEN EVERYTHING STARTED DIMMING, THEN IT SHUT OFF. TRIED TO JUMP IT OFF, GOT IT DOWN THE ROAD 1/2 A MILE THEN SHUT OFF AGAIN. TOOK BATTERY OUT AND TRIED TO CHARGE IT BUT IT WAS DEAD. BOUGHT ANOTHER FULLY CHARGED BATTERY, DROVE THE CAR HOME. TRIED TO CRANK NEXT MORNING, WOULDN'T CRANK AGAIN. CHARGED IT UP TOOK IT TO 2 DIFFERENT PLACES..IT WAS THE ALTERNATOR. ACCORDING TO A SERVICE BULLETIN #SA061, THERE WAS AN ISSUE WHERE THE BATTERY LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED CAUSING THE ALTERNATORS NOT TO CHARGE. THIS WAS THE SAME ISSUE MINE WAS DOING..THE BATTERY LIGHT WAS SHOWING BUT I DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THE ALTERNATOR. THIS IS THIRD BATTERY IN 3 YEARS FOR THIS CAR! AFTER LOOKING AROUND EVERYWHERE WITH NO ALTERNATORS IN STOCK AND NO ONE KNOWING HOW TO RE-BUILD THEM, THE KIA DEALERSHIP WANTED TO CHARGE ME $443 FOR AN ALTERNATOR AND ANOTHER $300 TO PUT IT IN! NOT TO MENTION I WOULD HAVE TO PROBABLY TOW IT OVER THERE! THAT IS CRAZY! THIS IS NOT THE ONLY ISSUE WITH THIS CAR! MY SUNROOF, BACK-UP CAMERA, RIGHT FRONT LIGHT, RADIO KNOB HAS FELL OFF, PASSENGER HEAD REST HAS FELL OFF, OIL PAN SEAL ISSUES....LIST GOES ON AND ON! IT IS RIDICULOUS! THIS SERVICE BULLETIN COVERED DATES 07/12/10 - 09/18/10. MY ALTERNATOR WAS BUILT IN 10/04/10. WOW,,,,IT MIRACULOUSLY GOT FIXED!! THERE WAS NOOOO WAY!!! THE SAME ISSUE IS HAPPENING TO MINE!!! BUT...KIA WANTS ME TO PAY FOR IT!!! IT IS INSANE!!! I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT TROUBLE OUT OF THIS VEHICLE FROM DAY 1. *JS

I HAVE A 2011 KIA SORENTO, 106,000 MILES ON IT. FIRST I SAW A HEADLIGHT HAD BURNT OUT, I BOUGHT A NEW ONE, BY THE TIME I GOT HOME, IT WAS OUT AGAIN. MY MECHANIC HAD TO REPLACE THE WIRE HARNESS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE, SAID THE WIRES WERE MELTED. SOON AFTER, AS I AM DRIVING IN THE EARLY MORNINGS, I WOULD TURN ON THE RIGHT SIGNAL AND THE LIGHTS WOULD TURN OFF FOR 10 SECOND, ALL THE LIGHTS, INSIDE, OUTSIDE, BUT TURN BACK ON. IT WOULDN'T HAPPEN EVERY DAY, BUT ONCE A WEEK AT LEAST. I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC AND HE WAS UNABLE TO REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. TODAY, I TOUCHED THE BRIGHT LEVER AND THE CAR LIGHTS INSIDE AND OUTSIDE TURNED COMPLETELY OFF, FOR ABOUT 30 SECONDS. I WAS SCARED TO DEATH AS IT WAS PITCH BLACK OUT AND I COULDN'T SEE IN FRONT OR ANYWHERE AND NO ONE COULD SEE ME. I TURNED THE CORNER AND THEY AGAIN WENT OFF, THIS TIME LONGER. THANKFULLY I WAS ABLE TO GET MY HAZARDS ON SO I COULD PULL OFF THE ROAD AND PEOPLE AROUND COULD SEE ME. I HIT THE BRIGHTS AGAIN AND EVERYTHING CAME BACK ON. I DROVE THE REST OF THE WAY TO WORK (45 MINUTES) WITHOUT USING ANY TURN SIGNALS OR BRIGHTS. I AM SCARED TO DEATH TO GET BACK INTO THIS CAR. I TRAVEL ALOT WITH MY 4 GRANDCHILDREN IN THE CAR. THERE NEEDS TO BE AN IMMEDIATE RECALL, AS I HAVE SEEN DOZENS OF PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SAME THING. THE WEBSITE DIRECTED ME TO THIS SITE. PLEASE HELP, I AM AFRAID TO GET IN THE CAR NOW, I TRAVEL IN THE DARK EVERY MORNING 45 MIN TO AN HOUR. HTTP://WWW.ARFC.ORG/COMPLAINTS/2011/KIA/SORENTO/EXTERIOR_LIGHTING/PROBLEM.ASPX

WENT TO START CAR WITH PUSH BUTTON START AND IT WILL NOT START. ALL THE LIGHTS COME ON IN THE CAR AND THE BATTERY WHEN TESTED IS STILL FUNCTIONING. THE CAR HAS ALREADY HAD THE BRAKE LIGHT RECALL REPLACEMENT. WE TRIED TO DO THE TURN ON THAT GOES AROUND THAT AND CAR STILL DOES NOT TURN ON. *TR

DASH INDICATORS FOR TRACTION SLIP, DOWNHILL ASSIST AND ABS CAME ON AND HAVE STAYED ON. BRAKING IS FINE AND PUSHING THE ASSIST AND SLIP BUTTONS HAVE NO CHANGE ON BRAKING. TWO WEEKS LATER THE HIGH BEAM AND TURN SIGNAL DASH LIGHTS WILL NOT ILLUMINATE, BUT THE AFOREMENTIONED LIGHTS ARE STILL ON. THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH WAS RECALLED AND REPAIRED BY THE DEALER UNDER WARRANTY. I HAVE CHANGED THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH AND AFOREMENTIONED LIGHTS ARE STILL ON AND OTHERS STILL NOT WORKING. *TR

THE CAR HAD PROBLEMS STARTING AND THE STARTER, ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY WAS FINE. THE DEALER CLAIMS IT WAS A SWITCH AND IT WAS REPLACED. THE PROBLEM KEPT HAPPENING ON OCCASION (2-3 TIMES) IN THE LAST YEAR AND LAST TIME THEY REPLACED THE BATTERY. I BELIEVE THERE IS A BIGGER PROBLEM AND DEFECT. *TR

CPSC: I1470147A. 2011 KIA SORENTO. CONSUMER STATED THE CAR HAS TURNED OFF ON THE HIGHWAY ON THREE OCCASIONS. ALSO STATED ALL OF A SUDDEN THE BATTERY AND ALL ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS SHUT DOWN. *LN THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *JB

I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING MULTIPLE ISSUES WITH MY 2011 SORENTO NOT STARTING AT ALL OR ONLY STARTING WITH THE FOB IN THE CHARGER SINCE DECEMBER 2013. MORE RECENTLY I HAVE HAD ISSUES WHERE THE VEHICLE WON'T LOCK OR IT LOCKS AND THEN WON'T UNLOCK UNTIL I AM ABLE TO OPEN THE REAR HATCH MANUALLY AND THEN THE FOB WILL UNLOCK THE OTHER DOORS. YESTERDAY I WAS AT A GAS STATION AND MY FUEL DOOR WOULDN'T OPEN (NO CLICKING SOUND OR ANYTHING) UNTIL I STARTED THE CAR WITH THE KEY FOB IN THE CHARGER AND THEN I WAS ABLE TO OPEN THE FUEL DOOR WHILE IT WAS RUNNING. WHEN THE VEHICLE WON'T START WITH THE FOB IN THE CHARGER, I HAVE EITHER HAD TO USE THE "UNOFFICIAL" START METHOD WITH MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE AND HOLDING IN THE START BUTTON FOR 15 SECONDS OR IF THAT DOESN'T WORK I HAVE HAD TO JUMP START THE BATTERY. MY LOCAL KIA DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT I NEEDED TO REPLACE THE CAR BATTERY BUT I REALLY DON'T FEEL THAT IS THE ISSUE BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME DAYS THAT THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN AT ALL. I AM SCARED THAT AT SOME POINT I WILL BE LOCKED OUT OF THE VEHICLE WITH MY CHILDREN INSIDE OR THAT I WILL BE STRANDED SOMEWHERE BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE. AT THIS POINT I HAVE ONLY ONE WORKING FOB - I TOOK MY CAR IN TO THE DEALER AND EXPLAINED THAT ONE OF THE FOBS WASN'T WORKING BUT THEY TOLD ME (AFTER WORKING ON ALL OF THE RECALLS FOR 7+ HOURS) THAT THE FOB WAS FINE. SO, I DON'T EVEN HAVE A BACKUP KEY. *TR

THE SEAT BELT LIGHTS WILL FLASH AND THERE IS A CLICKING SOUND IN THE LEFT SIDE B-PILLAR GOING DOWN THE ROAD WITH ALL THE PASSENGERS BUCKLED IN. THE HEADLAMPS WILL FLASH ON AND OFF AFTER DARK AND NOW THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG LIGHT WILL NOT LIGHT EVEN IF THERE IS A PASSENGER IN THE CAR. I RETURNED THE CAR TO THE KIA DEALER IN CHATTANOOGA TN. AND THEY SAID IF THEY CAN'T DUPLICATE THE ACTION THEY CAN'T FIX IT. I CALLED KIA CORP. AND THEY ALSO STATE THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THE OWNERS MANUAL STATES IF THE SEAT BELT LIGHT IS FLASHING THEN THE SEAT BELTS ARE NOT WORKING PROPERLY. *TR

I WAS AT CAR WASH TO WASH CAR TURNED OFF CAR. COULD NOT GET IT TO RESTART AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS WITH PUSH BUTTON START. HAD TO BE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. REPLACED BRAKELIGHT SWITCH.. STILL HAVING ISSUES TO THIS DAY WITH INTERMITTENT NO START.. JULY 3 BRAKELIGHT SWITCH REPLACED AGAIN SECOND TIME NOW ALONG WITH 11 CAMPAIGN ISSUES WITH CAR. STILL HAVING NO START ISSUES REPLACED SAME PART AGAIN! ON AUGUST 8TH 2013. STILL HAPPENING OFF AND ON . WAS TRYING TO DEAL WITH KIA CONSUMER AFFAIRS THEY ARE NO HELP. GOT TOLD IT HAD TO NOT START AGAIN AND NEED TO BE TOWED IN TO DEALER BEFORE THEY WOULD DO ANYTHING. THIS IS VERY UNFAIR. ENOUGH ATTEMPTS HAVE BEEN MADE TO FIX AND SEEING OTHER OWNERS HAVING SAME PROBLEMS. PLEASE HELP. *TR

KEYLESS ENTRY NOT WORKING,ROUGH STARTING-BATTERY REPLACED BY DEALER. *TR

KEYLESS START WOULD NOT WORK. NOW THIS HAS BECOME A REGULAR PROBLEM. *TR

CAR WOULDN'T START WHEN I PUSHED IT TO START, THE NEXT DAY IT STARTED. ON 1/4/2012 DRIVING THE CAR AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH AND THE CAR SHUT OFF. THE CAR DID RESTART BUT SHUT OFF AGAIN WHILE DRIVING. RESTARTED AND HAD IT TOWED TO KIA. THEY HAD THE CAR UNTIL 1/9/12. I WAS TOLD THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE FUSE BLOCK. THEY REPLACED EMS BLOCK CONTROL HARNESS. ON JANUARY 30,2012, THE CAR WOULDN'T START AGAIN. HAD IT TOWED TO KIA. THEY KEPT THE CAR AND ON 2/1/12 AND 2/2/12 THE CAR DIDN'T START FOR THEM. I WAS TOLD THEY MOVED AROUND THE COMPUTER AND THEN THE CAR STARTED. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO FUEL PRESSURE THAT TIME. THEY REPLACED PCM. I TOOK IT TO THE KIA GARAGE ON 4/26/13 FOR A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE. THAT DAY GOT THE CAR BACK AND HAD OIL LEAKING ALL OVER MY DRIVEWAY. I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS EVER SINCE. TOOK THE CAR BACK 2 TIMES FOR OIL LEAK. DURING THE TIME IT WAS IN THE GARAGE I WAS TOLD THE OXYGEN SENSOR NEEDED REPLACED, AFTER BEING REPLACED I WAS TOLD THERE WAS TO MUCH VOLTAGE GOING TO THE SENSOR AND THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHY. CURRENTLY I AM TOLD THE CARS COMPUTER NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. WE STILL HAVEN'T GOTTEN THE CAR BACK. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE STARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 24,000.

KEYLESS IGNITION SWITCH WHICH IS ATTACHED TO BREAK HAS DEFECT. UNABLE TO START CAR, CALLED AAA WHO COULD NOT START. CALLED HOT LINE AND THEY SAID HAVE BEEN HAVING A NUMBER OF PROBLEMS WITH THIS. CALLED LOCAL DEALER WHO VERIFIED HAVIN A NUMBER OF FAILURES ON THIS AND NEED TO REPLACE. AGREED PROBABLY NEED TO SEND A BULLETIN TO OWNERS AND RECALL. THE SWITCH STICKS AND WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO START THE CAR. *TR

THIS CAR SOMETIMES AFTER THE KEY IS INSERT IN THE IGNITION AND TURN WITH THE INTENTION OF OF STARTING THE CAR IT DOES NOT START. THE LIGHTS ON THE DASH BOARD COME ON BUT IT DOES NOT START. AFTER SEVERAL TRAYS BY STEPING IN THE BRAKE PEDAL TURN THE WHEEL AND MOVE THE SPEED SHIFT IT STARTS. *TR

I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE "PUSH TO START" FAILING IN OCT. '10, THAT WAS FIXED. DEC. 12, 2011 AM I COULD NOT START MY CAR. THE PUSH TO START DID NOTHING. AFTER TRYING VARIOUS OPTIONS FOR 15 MIN I TRIED AGAIN AND THE CAR STARTED WITH THE PUSH BUTTON AND BRAKE APPLIED. I CALLED KIA TO REPORT IT AND HAD THE DEALERSHIP CHECK IT OUT THAT MORNING, THEY FOUND NO ERROR CODES. I STARTED MANY MORE TIME WITH NO INCIDENT UNTIL THE NEXT PROBLEM. DEC. 14, 2011AM, AGAIN I TRIED TO START THE CAR AND NOTHING HAPPENED. I COULD HERE A SMALL "TIC" AS I PRESSED THE START BUTTON. I REMOVED MY PHONE AND EZ PASS FROM THE AREA AS SUGGESTED BY THE DEALER, NOTHING. I GOT A DIFFERENT FOB FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE, NOTHING. I STEPPED OUT OF THE CAR, STANDING NEXT TO IT AND THE CAR STARTED BY ITSELF, NO ONE PRESSING THE BUTTON. THIS IS SUPPOSE TO BE IMPOSSIBLE AS YOU MUST PRESS THE BRAKE AND BUTTON FOR THE CAR TO START. NO ONE WAS IN THE SEAT AND THE KEY WAS IN MY POCKET BY THE OPEN CAR DOOR. *TR

I HAVE A 2011 KIA SORENTO. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THE "PUSH BUTTON START" WOULD NOT START. ONCE, IT STARTED I TOOK THE CAR INTO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT. BUT, THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEMS. THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE HAPPENING MORE OFTEN. TODAY AFTER SEVERAL HOURS IT STILL WILL NOT START. I WILL HAVE TO HAVE IT TOWED IN THE MORNING AND DEAL WITH THE SAME ISSUE AGAIN. ALSO ON SEVERAL OCCASIONSI WAS UNABLE TO TAKE MY CAR OUT OF DRIVE AND PUT IT IN PARK. I HAD TO PUT MY EMERGENCY BRAKE ON AND SHUT OFF THE CAR AND RESTART IT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA SORRENTO. THE CONTACT STATED WHEN DRIVING IN VERY SUNNY WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE SUN WOULD REFLECT OFF OF THE CHROME AROUND THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AND BLIND THE DRIVERS VIEW OF THE ROADWAY. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT A REPAIR DID NOT EXIST FOR THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF A CRASH DUE TO HIS VISION BEING OBSTRUCTED BY THE BLINDING CHROME. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 0. UPDATED 11/03/10. *LJ

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA SORRENTO. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED IN SUNNY WEATHER, THE CONTACT STATED HE AS UNABLE TO READ THE SPEEDOMETER DUE TO THE GLARE FROM THE SUN REFLECTING OFF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT STATED THE FAILURE WOULD OCCUR WHENEVER THERE WAS SUNNY WEATHER. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THAT THE FAILURE WAS A FACTORY DEFECT BUT DID NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 1,500.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STARTED THE VEHICLE AND THERE WAS A LOUD, UNUSUAL CLUNKING SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE COMPUTER WAS NOT COMPLETING THE DIAGNOSTIC TEST BEFORE THE STARTER WOULD ENGAGE. AS A RESULT, THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO PROPERLY DIAGNOSE THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED SHE HAD NOTICED THE FAILURE SINCE THE DATE OF PURCHASE. THE CURRENT IS 6,983 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 725. THE CONSUMER STATED THE NOISE SEEMS TO COME FROM THE COMPUTER AND THE DRIVE TRAIN. UPDATED 091/16/10 UPDATED 09/15/10. *LJ

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA SORENTO. THE VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED WITH A PUSH BUTTON START/SMART KEY. UPON EXITING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO DRIFT FORWARD. THE VEHICLE WAS NEVER SHIFTED INTO PARK BUT DUE TO THE PUSH BUTTON/SMART KEYS, THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO GET BACK INTO THE VEHICLE TO USE THE SMART KEY AND SHIFT INTO PARK IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE FROM MOVING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DESIGNED TO BEHAVE THAT WAY AND THAT THERE WAS NO OTHER TYPE OF KEY AVAILABLE AS AN ALTERNATIVE. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE WHEN THE COMPLAINT WAS FILED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 1,500. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 3,000.