2017 Kia Sorento UNKNOWN OR OTHER
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
I am writing to formally express my concern regarding the paint on my 2017 Kia, which has begun peeling and coming off prematurely. I have raised this issue multiple times with my local Kia dealership and inquired about possible warranty coverage or repair options, as paint deterioration of this nature should not be occurring. I have also become aware of numerous similar complaints from other Kia owners experiencing the same issue with white paint, which suggests this may be a broader quality concern. Unfortunately, despite repeated discussions, the dealership has consistently dismissed my concerns and advised that the paint warranty has expired, without offering any alternative solutions or escalation options. I specifically asked the dealership whether they could contact Kia directly to request an exception or goodwill repair due to the nature of the issue, but I was told this would not be done. I am reaching out to you directly in hopes that this matter can be reviewed at a higher level. I would appreciate the opportunity to evaluate this concern and advise whether assistance, repair, or an exception can be made. My intention is to resolve this matter amicably, and I wanted to bring it to your attention before pursuing a formal complaint. Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to your response. Sincerely, [XXX] Sent from my iPhone INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
ABS Module. could catch on fire at any time It has been confirmed with the dealership And Another auto Independent service shop. It has been inspected by Kia sunset dealership In an automotive independent service shop. that Found brake fluid in the harness Going to the a b s module shorting out and melting connections creating miscommunication with other modules. That when. found there was a recall on this. Tge Warning lights was ABS module, engine light. Tire pressure light. My speedometer didn't work. My odometer didn't work. And air conditioner didn't work, getting the car out of park. And the airbag light came on. Some lights came in june. I had to pay for the part up front to get it fixed. It going into the shop soon to fix the ABS Module.
Paint peeling on hood and roof
None of the above. The paint is continuously chipping on the hood and top of the car. When I’m driving, sometimes I see others with the same car as me and their paint is also chipping really bad. It’s only on the Kia Sorento from what I can tell. It makes the car look horrible and it’s very expensive to repaint a car. There has to be some kind of warranty they need to issue. I have a 2017 Kia Sorento. It started maybe a year or so ago, and it’s getting continuously worse at a very fast pace. It looks horrible. You can already see where the next chunks want to come off. Even when washing the car the paint comes off. When you pay $30,000 for a car, the last thing you want is for all the paint to come off and there is nothing you can do about it. THIS IS NOT NORMAL!
The inhibitor switch won’t let me take my car out of park
I am writing to formally lodge a complaint regarding a significant issue with the paint on my 2017 Kia Sorento. The vehicle, which is painted in Snow White Pearl, has been experiencing rapid and extensive paint peeling, a condition referred to by body shops as “delamination.” The paint began peeling in small areas however, the peeling has rapidly progressed, affecting larger sections of the vehicle. This issue is not only unsightly but also raises concerns about the potential for rust and other damage to the vehicle’s body. I have taken the following steps to address this issue: 1. Documented the progression of the paint peeling with photographs, including dates and mileage. 2. Consulted with multiple body shops, all of which have confirmed that the issue is delamination and have provided estimates for repair. 3. Contacted my local Kia dealership, which informed me that the vehicle’s paint warranty had expired and offered no assistance. Given the widespread nature of this issue among Kia Sorento owners, particularly those with the Snow White Pearl paint, I believe this is a manufacturing defect that warrants investigation. I urge the NHTSA to look into this matter and consider initiating a recall to address the paint delamination problem.
I have a 2017 Kia Sorento and I have been having problems with the turbo, in the 7 years I have had it they have replaced the turbo twice and now this would be the third time. Every job done has been at the Kia agency I bought it which means this is definitely a manufactured problem. At the dealership the three times I have taken it they have told me the turbo fell off and it damaged other things, including the engine. My safety was at risk because my car broke down in the middle of driving it started to slow down and would not go up hills which could have caused an accident. The problem has been confirmed with the dealership service center all 3 times and they offered to replace it at no cost the first two times and now they are requesting I pay for it. The vehicle has not been inspected by the police or insurance, all 3 times I have taken it for service has been at the Kia dealership where I bought it from. There was no warnings no lights nothing, it just started doing a weird sound like it was being forced too much and it started slowing down.
12/30/23 our home burned down, and our children were almost killed by a fire. It started from my KIA Sorento, starting on fire at random. Several hours after it was parked in our garage. Looking at security camera it started in rear of vehicle. Upon further investigation finding out that we were was supposed to have been sent a notice warning us of the recall for the trailer hitch. Never received notice. I have been the only owner of that vehicle. In dec of 2023 our local dealership (where I purchased) called and inform me know of the recall. To date no resolution has been made.
The paint I'd peeling off the hood.
The component failure appears to be a latent defect in the painting process. The color is Snow White Pearl. It is bubbling up and delaminating in two places. It was first noticed at about 6 months and about 6000 miles after purchase. The dealer was contacted, and they said they had never heard of any paint problems on my type of vehicle. This was unbelievable because of the numerous complaints i have read about. They offered no other information other than to contact KIA customer-care, which I did. KIA customer care said there is nothing they can do because it is out of warranty, but they will report the issue to KIA corporate. Lots of Complaints on the internet, and a class action suit in CA. The case is US District Court for the Central District of California Case number 8:16-CV-00593-BRO-PJW. Hopeful that you will hold KIA accountable.
This is a 2017 vehicle, and the paint is peeling off of various areas of the vehicle.
On January 26th, 2024, the 2017 Kia Sorento was parked outside in an uncovered parking lot (in the rain) for about 8 hours with the ignition off when suddenly the tow hitch harness caught fire and I saw the smoke coming from the car. The fire department was called and we were able to put the fire out with a fire extinguisher before they arrived. Once they arrived, I notified the fire department of the open recall and they were able to pull the fuse to reduce the risk of future fires. I had been into the dealership since the recall was announced and had numerous services performed, but they did not remove the fuse at that time. I had also called a local Kia dealership in December about having the recall remedied, but they were unable to fit me in until mid February. After the fire was extinguished and the fuse had been pulled, I had the vehicle towed to the nearest Kia dealership and contacted them. Since then, the dealership has indicated they cannot work with me and I must work through corporate Kia, but they have not been forthcoming about fixing the recalled issue, repairing the fire damage, or returning my car for nearly 60 days now. I have been back and forth with both email and phone calls with Kia and still haven't even received a date I can expect my car back or information about a loaner/rental car.
This has happened 3 times, out of no where my car goes into "limp Mode" and this last time I was pulling out and it wouldn't go and my kids were in the car. This is uncalled for and this needs to be addressed.
The motor and chemical smell
I purchased a 2017 Kia Sorento new from Kia of Puyallup. I have taken the vehicle for all changes to Kia of Puyallup. The last two oil changes (9/16/22 and 03/18/23) have shown that within two to three months there wasn’t any oil in the car. During my last oil change 9/16/22, I asked service consultant - Karsten Malin why there was no oil in the car and he stated that it was normal for Kia’s to burn that much oil. Then, a couple of months after the oil change (the dipstick was dry) I reached out to Kia of Puyallup and was told “just put oil in it”. On June 16, 2023 I again reached out to Kia of Puyallup about there being no oil in the car and spoke with the service center manager Tom Evans. This wasn’t normal as I just had an oil change on 03/18/23. At this time I was informed that I would need to bring the car in for an excessive oil consumption test. It would take three attempts and if the last test fails I would need an engine replacement. At that time I asked to make an appointment and was informed they are booked until August and I would need to call during the week to see if I could get the car looked at. In addition, they’re short staffed during certain days during the week/weekend so I would need to check everyday for availability.
Hi. While closing my trunk it appeared that the latch and trunk closed. As I took off to drive I realized my trunk door was opening and at the same time the warning light came on. I was driving maybe 30 mph. While pulling over to stop, I went over a pot hole which caused the car to jump up a little. During that time my trunk flew open and the things in my trunk fell out onto the street. There were cars behind me which had to swerve to stop from hitting/ running over my things. My husband had to put the items on the floor in my second row and sit in the trunk and hold it closed until we got home. A catastrophe and I'm glad no accidents happened because of this but there could have been one. Apparently there's a problem with the trunks latching system that's very common and should be recalled. This just happened 2 days ago and I haven't had my appointment yet. They're not available until July 2023. I may need to get rope and tie the trunk closed until my appointment. Thank you.
My Kia caught fire when it was parked in my driveway not running.
I have a 2017 Kia Sorento . I bought this vehicle with less than 5000 miles on it. I had the oil changed when it was recommended. Loved the vehicle. Fast forward to about 48,000-50,000 miles. {currently at 62,000 Miles} Had the required oil change done and they noticed the vehicle was low 2 quarts of oil. Oil consumption continued. Had an OIL CONSUMPTION test done {at approximately 53,000 miles] and determined it as a legit complaint. As i am not the original owner and the vehicle warranty expired at 50,000 a free new engine is NOT an option. They offered to complete a free combustion flush. I am now waiting for 1000 miles to recheck the oil to see if the flush took care of the problem, but I did check the oil at 100 miles, and it is down 1/2 a quart already. I will be reporting back to the garage if the consumption gets worse or when I hit the 1000 mile recheck mark. I am seriously concerned about this. I paid a lot of money for this vehicle, and it was to be my last car in my retirement years! If the engine fails, seizes or continues to burn excessive oil and I have to pay for a new engine or more repairs I will be devastated as I am on a Social Security and have a limited incoming. The engine could seize if it burns all the oil when I'm driving and could cause injuries to myself or the public. I know hate this vehicle and wish i never bought it !! I really feel Kia should be required to replace this engine with a SAFE no problems engine!
Window regulator cables are failing. Talked to Auto glass repair shop he has had numerous KIA Sorento's in for failed regulator, he had one just in with only 1 window that worked. There is no stock available & as of right now they cannot even give an estimated delivery date on the ones due-in.
My husband and I were driving through a busy section of town and all of a sudden our suv completely lost power, dying on the side of the road. We never had a check engine light or anything come on. When we had it towed to the dealership we were informed our engine had locked up. Apparently there was a product upgrade that should have alerted us that our engine was going out, but we were not notified by Kia of the knock system upgrade. Nor were we informed that, as the second owners of the vehicle, in order to receive such notifications from Kia we needed to contact them and let them know we were the new owners and share our contact information. However, if Kia had classified it as a recall on the warning system, we would have been notified through our registration with the BMV. The dealership did share that this particular engine in a lot of Kia’s models have locked up suddenly similarly to ours. Luckily we were able to get our vehicle stopped right before the intersection, but did end up blocking a lane of traffic until the tow truck came. Kia also refuses to replace our engine because we did not get the knock system upgrade even though we were never notified.
Sunroof portion of moonroof exploded while driving on the freeway. We heard a sonic boom inside our car and the sunroof window shattered glass up and outward spraying glass out onto the freeway and into the fabric ceiling liner.
Rear left passenger window drum defective. Window has been used maybe 20 times in 5 years. Window will not raise or lower and fails to stay closed. Appears to be window Drum Pulley. From internet chatter, this is happening often. This vehicle has low mileage we purchased it new and we are in our 70’s. Took it to my dealer for repair. My dealer service rep. say’s they get about two vehicles a week with this issue.
While driving the car slows down without me slowing down on the breaks. Car wants to shut down & is vibrating. Car doesn't want to drive past 2000 rpm. I take it to mechanic, he can't find the code. I take to mechanic a 2nd time. I get codes p1326 & p2600. No recalls are found for Sorento but other models there is plenty.
Driving on the highway at 65mph uphill, engine started making horrible noise and started to fail. Pulled over on shoulder and had to have it towed. Kia is denying warranty because I cannot provide service records. Whether or not they will right this wrong it is a major safety issue when you have complete engine failure with no warning. The engine in my vehicle (3.3 v6 Lambda)completely failed without tripping any warning devices that are equipped on the vehicle. There is a Defect that causes the engine to burn too much oil and there is a defect where the vehicle fails to warn of potential safety issues. There was total engine failure with no warnings. No Service Message No Check Engine Light No Low Oil Pressure Light No Knock Sensor Code No Limp Mode activation. In the service technician's report it even says "no codes set in the ecm" This could have caused a fatal accident and I don't see how this is acceptable.
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 mph when the vehicle began to lag in acceleration when attempting to go uphill. The driver noticed a spark within the instrument panel directly behind the steering wheel. The driver then immediately pulled over and both the driver and the passenger (the contact) exited the vehicle. The vehicle then caught fire. The fire department showed and distinguished the fire. A report was made. There were no injuries. The vehicle was towed and deemed totaled. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was contacted and made aware of the failure. A case was opened regarding the matter. The approximate failure mileage was unknown
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The 2017 Kia Sorento has 56 UNKNOWN OR OTHER complaints on file. 1 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.