275 complaints reported

2017 Kia Sorento Engine

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
275
Crashes
0
Fires
13
Injuries
0

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Apr 2023 Fire

A broken connecting rod punctured the engine block which resulted in engine oil escaping. The leaking oil caught fire while it was being driven down a highway. My son was driving at the time. He could have been killed had he not noticed the fire and stopped the vehicle. There were no warning lamps\lights on until after the fire occurred. Because Kia stated that the engine in my car was not part of the previous recall, and my insurance company did not consider it a total loss, I chose to put ~$10,000 into the car to have a used engine installed. (A used engine that most likely has the same safety issue) See this article about other Kia owners being told that this issue not covered under the previous recall since it didn't cover their year\make. I fall into this category as well. Kia has refused to acknowledge there being a problem and provided NO assistance with getting me car repaired. My vehicle is still not drivable, due to other electrical issues most likely caused by the fire: https://www.wsmv.com/2023/04/12/despite-not-being-subject-recall-second-kia-catches-fire-while-driver-is-behind-wheel/ Kia Case Number:[XXX] Kia has stated that they feel there is no issue with the engine in my vehicle and that it is safe to drive. This is most likely not true and I feel they are engaged in gross negligence by not taking this issue more seriously. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SORENTO, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Dec 2022
Apr 2023

This 2017 Kia Sorento burns oil so excessively that it has stalled at times creating unsafe driving conditions. More so, it seems that Kia is aware of this issue but not moving to fix it. The date is for the most recent stalling.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SORENTO, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Apr 2023
Apr 2023

My car is excessively burning oil. I have Had oil consumption tests done and it has come back excessive. I got the recommended engine cleaning done. They said this fixed the problem. Here I am Less than 3000 miles later and my oil is dry again. I only drive to and from work (5ish miles a day) and longer spouts on the weekends. Kia does not want to honor this and fix it. They know it’s a problem and everyone at the service will tell me they know but corporate won’t make it right.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SORENTO, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Nov 2022
Apr 2023

The car stalled and when restarted had a hard knocking. Bad engines in kias are a known issues. Why are they not replacing engines in all the vehicles!

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SORENTO, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Feb 2023
Apr 2023

High oil consumption between oil changes. Usually add 3 quarts of oil between 5K mile oil changes.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SORENTO, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Jun 2023
Mar 2023

Driving on interstate when vehicle began to lose power, going slower and slower. Exited highway and suddenly the entire dashboard lit up and the car shut off. There had been NO INDICATION of a problem prior to this point. I was 500 miles away from needing an oil change. Had car towed to dealership where they told me there was no oil in the car. How is that even possible, when there had been no oil leakage. (I park in the same two places every day.) 1) How does a car burn through all the oil like that with no indication of a problem? 2) Why wouldn't the low oil sensor come on in the car if this were the case? I had to replace the engine at at cost of over $6000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SORENTO, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Dec 2022
Mar 2023

The contact's daughter owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at approximately 55 MPH, there was a knocking noise coming from the engine compartment and the vehicle was stalling. The contact's daughter was able to pull over to the side of the road, and the vehicle then lost motive power. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the residence. The vehicle had not yet been taken to an independent mechanic or a local dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the warranty had expired. The failure mileage was 79,210.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SORENTO, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Mar 2023
Mar 2023

After owning this car for four years and performing regular oil changes, it suddenly started knocking and stalling. I immediately checked the oil, which was not even registering on the dipstick (despite an oil change not due for another 2,800 miles). I added almost 4 Qt of oil. We were able to make it home and have a mechanic confirm that it needs a new engine. It has only 82,000 miles. I'm glad that we stalled just BEFORE getting on the snowy highway, otherwise, who knows what would have happened to my entire family.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SORENTO, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Mar 2023
Mar 2023

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle lost forward momentum. The contact stated his daughter had not noticed any warning lights. The vehicle was pulled safely off the road however, the vehicle stalled and had to be towed to a dealer. The vehicle had been diagnosed and it was determined that there was a hole in the engine block and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V224000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was 114,800.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SORENTO, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Apr 2023
Mar 2023

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while stopped in an intersection at a traffic signal, the vehicle was making an abnormal rattling sound, coming from the engine compartment, and the vehicle then stalled. The contact stated that the battery and oil warning lights were illuminated. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to restart. The contact had the vehicle towed to a residence. The vehicle had not been diagnosed by a dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 91,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SORENTO, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Feb 2023
Feb 2023

My husband was driving and said he heard a knocking noise. We pulled over and had no oil. We put 5 quarts in and drove to the Kia dealership in Huntsville AL. We kept losing power and stalling while we drove. They said we needed a new engine. It was a known issue but not under warranty or recall. They quoted us over 14k to fix it. We trailered it home and have been praying for a recall since it is a known issue. I saw people on a facebook group say to report the problem to you. They have had luck getting help from your department. I originally leased the vehicle and the bought it after lease was up. I still owe on the vehicle and have kept up on maintenance. Thank you for your time, [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SORENTO, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Dec 2022
Feb 2023

The vehicle is using excessive engine oil. I change the oil every 3,000 miles. I am currently adding about 5 quarts of oil between oil and filter changes. That's 10 quarts of oil every 3,000 miles. The vehicle has about 99,000 miles on it. It has been getting progressively worse the more miles it goes.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SORENTO, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Feb 2023
Feb 2023

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and decelerated to 25-30 MPH. The check engine warning light was illuminated, and the vehicle shuddered significantly. The contact veered to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the cylinders #1 and #4 were misfiring. Additionally, the dealer stated that oil residue was found on the spark plugs, indicating that the engine was consuming an excessive amount of oil. The dealer diagnosed that the engine long block needed to be replaced. The dealer replaced the long block, the engine, and the cylinders. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 75,114.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SORENTO, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Sep 2022
Feb 2023

It is an engine failure thru excessive oil usage. My oil light has never came on and Dealer nor KIA can tell what point does it suppose to come on. My vehicle has 90,000 miles and I put 6 quarts of oil between 4500 miles oil change. I just completed a oil consumption test in which it was down 2.5 quarts within 1000 miles. Then I had to pay $654 for a compression test. They say the test failed and the pistons are worn. Because they are worn, they say repair is not covered. I purchased a KIA Certified vehicle with an extended warranty and they say engine is not covered because the pistons are worn not broken. I say the pistons are worn because it may have been the lack of oil causing the extensive friction on the pistons. Is it mandatory for the car manufacturer to have an oil level warning or minimum standard that all of them should follow? They told me that my engine will die soon and a new engine is $12,000.00. I believe the public should be aware of their intentional engine failure caused by excessive oil usage by not giving a low oil notification. I have had my oil changed at the same dealership since I purchased it. I paid $2500 for an extended warranty in which they do not honor. I paid $2500 plus interest for a service that is not being honored. A warning light for low oil should be mandatory, manufacturer should be liable for not having a warning light in place. Service manager and service all played dumb stated nobody never asked about an oil warning light. Please Help!!! I still owe $15,000 on the vehicle.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SORENTO, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Feb 2023
Feb 2023

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the engine started shaking uncontrollably and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road and restart the vehicle. After restarting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the vehicle is not able to exceed 65 MPH. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SORENTO, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Feb 2023
Jan 2023

I'm the (third and current) owner of 2017 Kia Sorento LX which was working absolutely fine, with no issues or any warning lights on. On 1/14/23 (Saturday) while travelling with family on highway I-95 (in florida), the engine suddenly failed with smoke and oil spurting out from underneath. The engine service lights and audio warning kicked in. Despite the confusion and nervousness, I was able to safely maneuver the vehicle to the shoulder within seconds and escaped crash or fire. Immediately called my insurance and got the vehicle towed to the nearest Kia dealership. I had to drop the vehicle at the dealership (and drove home 700 miles to Virginia using one way rental). Few days later the dealership confirmed that the engine is not good anymore and it needs a replacement. They told me that since the recall (PI1802 ECU UPGRADE (KSDS)) was not performed on the vehicle, Kia will NOT pay for any expenses and I have to pay out of pocket more than $8500.00 for the replacement. It came as a big surprise and shock to me as I never heard or got any communication from either the dealer (3rd party) from whom I bought the vehicle or KIA regarding such recall or the fix needed, to prevent such a failure. I would appreciate it if your legal team can help me to have Kia replace the engine at no cost to me. As I'm searching, I'm hearing a lot of news about KIa's and Hyundai's having the same engine issue and many have resulted in fires and even death. Youtube and other online forums, have many of these horror stories, also few highlighted by the media. Now looking back, I feel lucky that we narrowly escaped!

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SORENTO, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2023
Jan 2023

Once I reached 70000 miles my car start to burn oil and I went to Kia north Brunswick because I used my service oil there they told me that was normal and we will do the test then I should change the oil once it was burning a lot before got empty and after I went kia bridge water New Jersey and we did same and this time after I change the oil and used 700 miles I found my oil is almost empty and my car still under warranty but they told me if I want to fix it I should change the engine from my pocket and as a note, I'm always doing my service in Kia dealer and I have been almost 10000 miles I change the oil like 8 times because this problem and no one knows what's the problem and no one help me, please I need help with my car Thanks in advance

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SORENTO, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Mar 2022
Jan 2023

MY KIA HAS AN ENGINE ISSUE THAT INVOLVES OIL CONSUPMTION. I GET THE OIL CHANGED EVERY 5,OOO MILES AND IN THE LAST 4 OIL CHANGES IT HAS BEEN BOTED THAT THERE WAS NO OIL OR ABOUT 1/2 A QUART IN THE OIL PAN WHEN DRAINING. THIS MEANS THAT MY KIA IN ESSENTIALY BURNING 5 QUARTS OF OIL EVERY 5,000 MILES, WHICH IN MY OPINION IS FAR MORE THAN JUST A WORN ENGINE. HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE IS NOT LEAKING ANY OIL, I CONFIRMED THIS BY PARKING IN BOTH MY GARAGE AND DRIVEWAY TO TEST FOR OIL LEAKS AND I HAVE LOOKED UNDER THE VEHICLE AND HAD THE PEOPLE DOING MY OIL CHANGE CHECK AND NONE OF US CAN FIND ANY EVIDENCE OF A LEAK. WHEN THE ENGINE IS RUNNING THERE IN NO BLACK OR WHITE SMOKE SO I AM JUST NOT SURE WHERE THE OIL IS GOING. I HAVE CONTACTED THE KIA DEALERSHIP I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE FROM AND THEY BASICALLY TOLD ME THAT IS NOT THEIR PROBLEM AND THAT I CAN PAY ALL THIS MONEY TO HAVE IT DIAGNOSED. I KNOW THAT MY KIA SORENTO IS NOT HE ONLY ONE WITH THIS ISSUE, HOWEVER, KIA HAS STATED THAT EVEN THOUGH IT IS THE SAME ISSUE, SINCE IT HASN'T BECOME A RECALL INVOLVING MY PARTICULAR VIN IT IS NOT THIER PROBLEM. AND IT NEEDS TO BE FIXED BECASUE ONE OF THESE DAYS THE ENGINE IS GOING TO SIEZE WHILE I AM ON THE FREEWAY, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, AND POTENTALY CAUSE A MAJOR ACCIDENT THAT COULD RESULT IN DEATH. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS FOR ME THANK YOU.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SORENTO, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2023
Jan 2023

Engine failure SUV hasn’t even reach 100,000 miles.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SORENTO, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Jun 2023
Jan 2023

Engine burns an astronomically ludicrous amount of oil. Yes available for inspection. There have been no personal or other safety risks as I’ve kept up on maintenance by monitoring the oil level on a weekly basis. In time, however the oil consumption may exceed typical volume consumed and the engine may seize up. The problem has been addressed, confirmed with the dealer, to which I was told this is common and the top half of the motor would need speciality disassembly and cleaning for the unreasonable amount of close to $4,000. No other inspections have happened. No, no oil light notice. On 5/1/23 I had to add 2.5 quarts of oil, no oil appeared on the dipstick. This car burns more oil than my 1995 Saturn sl2 used to burn at 180,000 miles. I’m terribly disappointed with the manufacturing of this engine. How can something be efficient and better if it consumes oil? I’m only contributing to the environmental concerns that are already out of hand.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SORENTO, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2023
Dec 2022

I bought my Sorento new in 2017 and had been taking it in to the dealership for regular maintenance. It started drinking oil a few months ago and an in-warranty oil consumption test was done. It's still using a lot of oil AND now it has a bad cylinder and needs a new $5,000 engine. It's out of warranty now and I'm disappointed that regular service appointments over the last five years didn't prevent this. It makes them seem pointless in retrospect.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SORENTO, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Nov 2022
Dec 2022

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not yet diagnosed. The vehicle was then towed to Kia at Williamsburg (3012 Richmond Rd B, Williamsburg, VA 23185) where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced; however, the replacement part was on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 77,571.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SORENTO, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2022
Dec 2022

2017 KIA SORENTO. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO ENGINE FAILURE.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SORENTO, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Dec 2022
Dec 2022 Fire

The engine threw a rod through the block, it is available upon request. I had driven it to my destination earlier that day, it stayed parked until later in the evening as we were getting ready to go we checked the oil and headed on our way. After 10 min of driving on the highway there was a loud ugly clunk noise, lots of smoke coming from the car and the oil and check engine light turned on and shut off, the engine had no power. We started to pull over we began seeing flames coming from under the hood, the engine had caught on fire before we had completely pulled over and come to a stop. It can't be driven anywhere, we found pieces of piston/connecting rod that were broken and mangled in the engine and later found the hole underneath the car at the bottom of the block. Since the fire was out by the time the officer arrived, he gave us an incident report and drove us home. The car wasn't making a weird noise, wasn't driving funny, it had less than 90k miles on it, no warning lights of any kind on the dash were on until mid accident but they turned off as fast as they came on. It was the LAST thing we expected to happen considering the mileage and no warnings or any kind before that night. Opened a case with Kia Customer Care Center and was told my case was escalated to nationals and they would reach out to me, I called back several times as they didn't have a number to give to me and each time I called i was told there was no update, there is still currently no update or anything, I had to call to reopen my case because an employee had closed my case-reason unknown.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SORENTO, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Sep 2022
Nov 2022

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and restarted the vehicle. The contact stated that while driving back to the residence, the vehicle stalled several times and had to be restarted several times. The contact had rebuilt the engine himself. The failure recurred a second time and the vehicle had to be towed. The contact stated that the vehicle was sputtering and jerking while driving. The contact stated the engine failed and the vehicle was no longer drivable. The contact called the dealer and was informed that the vehicle was not included in a recall for the engine. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and filed a case. The approximate failure mileage was 105,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 KIA SORENTO, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Nov 2021

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 2017 Kia Sorento has 275 Engine complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.