2020 Kia Sorento Engine

The engine is burning oil despite all maintenance being up to date and having fewer than 80k miles. Kia of Duluth Service Center checked the oil and said levels were good on 12/31/25. Fewer than 30 miles were driven and it was brought back to the dealership service center on 1/2/26 and diagnosed with total engine loss due to oil starvation. The extended warranty company (JM&A) are denying coverage because the engine failure is due to lack of oil. They have inspected the vehicle. No warning lights ever came on and this is the second time that this issue has been addressed by Kia of Duluth. The engine could have easily overheated and caught on fire or lost power on the road.

The engine check light is on and the car is using more oil than it should. I had the oil changed and had to add quarts before 2000 miles. I called Kia and was told my VIN is not part of the recall. I got an inspection and Cylinder 2 is misfiring and has low pressure so the entire engine needs a replacement.

My engine light is on. Codes show cylinder 4 misfire. Code P0304. My vehicle slows down while driving. It takes time to excelerate to a reasonable speed. My vehicle is becoming harder to start each time. I purchased a new battery and replaced spark plugs to no avail. I’ve been told from several mechanics that my engine is bad and needs to be replaced. Kia has refused to replace my engine or help in any way and I feel this is something caused by the manufacture. Others have had the same issue. The vehicle is burning oil and I have practically had to stop driving the vehicle. It is my only means of transportation. I have 113,000+ miles.

The engine began leaking and burning oil, and general engine issues.

Around 100,000 miles I noticed that my engine was going through a lot of oil. Every time I would get an oil change, I would ask why and they stated that these Kia engines after hitting 100,000 start to burn oil fast and about every 1,000 miles you have to add a quart of oil and go from your normal every 5,000 mile oil change to every 3,000 mile oil change. Some times the oil light would blink but some times it wouldn't. I had a mechanic double check this and he confirmed and said nothing you can do they are just like and he sees it all the time. I kept up with my oil changes every 3,000 miles and every week and a half checking the oil. Around 134,000 miles or so on 11/28/25 at 4:30am I was driving and all of a sudden my car was driving weird and shaking. Soon the engine light came on. The oil light this entire time never came on. I pulled into a Target parking lot an noticed there was no oil in the car and it went through 5qts in a week and a half. I added 4 qts oil to the car and waited for the mechanic shop 1/2 a mile to open up at 7am. The inspected the car and said a cylinder was blown and to drive slow and get it home and just park it and a new engine is needed. I called my mechanic and he came by the house and he looked and it to see if he could fix it and no luck but said that Kia did have recalls on their engines and to fight it. I called Kia and they didn't deny recalls on some cars but not mine. They advised me to do a claim to get help to get the engine on a recall. The car has not been driven since then and remains in the garage and is in perfect well kept condition otherwise.

The oil pan got a large crack in it right by the plug

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed a small oil leak on the ground underneath the vehicle. The contact checked the oil level and added a quart of oil to the engine. The vehicle was driven approximately 50 miles. The contact parked the vehicle and checked the oil level again. They noticed that the oil level was low and added another quart of oil. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was driven another 15 miles, and the contact stopped at the grocery store. The contact stated that while attempting to restart the vehicle, the contact noticed a clicking sound, as if the engine was attempting to start. The contact continued, stating that the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with complete engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was informed that there was no warranty on the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 151,025.

As I was driving down the street it sound like I ran over something but it was actually my engine failing, then caught on fire. I was able to pull over and used water bottles to let out the fire. My vehicle had to be towed to the repair shop because the engine wasn't able to restart.

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact heard a loud knocking sound before the engine seized. The vehicle was started; however, the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000.

My car is burning excessive amounts of oil with no leak

Burning oil at dangerous rates. No leak yet having to refill oil weekly. Burning at a rate of 2q per 1k miles. Car currently has 95k miles and has had regular oil maintenance until this issue began a few months ago. This is a frequent issue with the 2020 Sorrento.

My engine has started to burn excessive amounts of oil causing the oil light to flash. I took the car to the dealership and was told that it is a known defect in the engine and that if the car has over 100,000 miles they would recommend getting rid of the car because it could not be fixed and did not qualify for a new engine like they were putting in older models. The dealership said that they had told 9 other families the same thing as me in the last 2 weeks. Apparently the oil flows back into the combustion chamber and ruins the engine and there is no way for the dealership to know until a warning light comes on. Hard to believe since they know there is a major defect in the engine.

My 2020 Sorento has ALWAYS had regular maintenance , very well taken care of. Started using oil around 80,000 miles, around 98,500 it misfired while driving to work and we were told it was the coil pack and spark plugs needing changed. Ran good for 3 1/2 weeks and we had to change another spark plug. Was told this was “ normal” 1 month later and I’m stuck on the side of the road broken down with no power cause the engine quit. By that time we were over 100,000 so Kia said they wouldn’t cover it. Paid to have a new engine put in. Seems like this is a going thing for this make and model. It needs a recall ASAP. It put us in a terrible financial crisis as it was our only vehicle.

My sorento was making a propellor type sound when driving up an incline. There were no lights on my dashboard. I took it to a Kia dealership as it is under warranty. They said my oil pan had gone bad and needed a new engine. Warranty company denied due to low oil, and ignored the metal shavings in the oil pan and maintenance records showing I’m up to date on oil changes. No check engine light on. What would have happened if I continued to drive? It appears this is a recurring problem with Kia. I have the lambda engine V6

I wasn't in a car accident or anything but my engine is burning oil more then it should like I have to add oil (1 1/2 quarts of oil) every week to my engine and most times when i am driving my car I smell burning oil like its burning inside of the car somewhere and I think that my car is about to caught on fire or just go out. I went up to the kia store to let them know what has been going on and they are telling me that there is nothing that they can do about it, I haven't had this car for a year yet I got this car last year in September they told me that there was nothing wrong with my car, I have 128,000 miles on my car and I just don't know what to do at this point I owe 13,900 on the car. I see that there has been recalls on the kia Sorento's engine before and I even told the dealership about it too and they still told me that there is nothing that they can do, this all start January of this year and I have been fighting with kia over this since then. My car is just a ticking bomb before my engine jsut gives out and I don't know when that will be but I just want to get this fixed and i dont have 5,000 to replace the engine and Kia also told me that they can't replace it either so I'm hoping that this might help me in some kind of way.

Oil consumption issues started around 60k miles took to dealer for consumption test failed it, they decarbonized my piston rings. I returned around 85k miles with the same complaint for oil consumption the dealer did the test I returned they said I passed. I am constantly having to put oil in my vehicle about 2 quarts every full take about (379 miles) the piston rings are causing my spark plugs to be oil fouled Kia knew this and pushed me out the door. Now my car is constantly misfiring and the engine is slowly dying with only 117k miles on it and 5 years old.

The engine oil level drops from "Full" to "Low" after driving approximately 2,000 miles. I have visited three different auto repair shops, including an official Kia service center, but none of them could explain the reason for the oil loss. They all acknowledged the issue but said they don't know what is causing it.

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving at approximately 55 MPH, there was white smoke coming from under the hood. The contact stopped the vehicle on the side of the highway. The contact had recently had an oil change completed at an independent oil replacement shop. The contact called the shop, and a technician was sent to the location. The technician checked the engine oil level and stated that there was no oil on the dipstick and added four quarts of engine oil. The vehicle was repaired; however, the contact stated that the vehicle had started to emit white smoke from the engine compartment and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the vehicle needed an engine oil flush. The vehicle was repaired but the contact stated that the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was not taken back to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the vehicle consumed an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact stated that on several occasions, there was no oil or low oil in the oil pan. The contact stated that oil needed to be added to the vehicle daily. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

The engine is consuming oil at a rapid rate that could be potentially dangerous. This is happening to other people with the same make and model as well.

Engine was in limp mode after having the KBS software earlier this year installed. Engine is currently at 115,000 miles, oil has been changed consistently. The engine has been consuming the oil and burning it fast, where I need to add oil constantly.

[XXX] while driving down the highway the vehicle started to stall and shake significantly, while exiting the highway then and only then did a check engine light and oil pressure light. The safety of myself as well as my husband and 4 kids was put at risk b y the fact that it was during the solar eclipse, and our area highways were bumper to bumper traffic. With multiple accidents already happenening in the area. Had we not safely been able to exit the highway ourselves as well as any other individual around us could have been in imminent danger of a serious accident. The problem has absolutely been confirmed by Larry stovesand kia as well as sales automotive. The vehicle has not further been inspected. As kia stated it is a cylinder 4 misfire requiring a total engine replacement. That they state is not covered under warranty (exceeded miles) or class action that includes kia sorentos up to year 2019. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request?-- Engine, yes it is How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk?-- the car will begin to sputter and will even randomly turn off Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center?-- Yes Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others?-- It was inspected by a mechanic at multiple repair shops Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear?-- not before I started having issues, the check engine light is on now and it came on at around 130,000 miles

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request?- MY CAR IS BURNING OIL AT A RATE OF AT LEAST 1 QT PER 1K MILES How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk?- DRIVING A CAR WITH INSUFFICIENT OIL COULD LEAD TO ENGINE FAILURE OR FIRE. I DRIVE MY [XXX] DAUGHTER AS WELL AS MYSELF AND FAMILY IN THAT CAR ON A DAILY BASIS. THE CAR COULD LEAVE ME STRANDED OR CAUSE A FIRE. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE IT AND THEREFORE HAVE NOT DRIVEN IT. I AM CURRENTLY WITHOUT TRANSPORTATION DUE TO THIS ISSUE. I WILL NOT RISK MY FAMILYS SAFTEY. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center?- YES THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE BY KIA AND MANY VECHILES WITH THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL HAVE BEEN RECALLED. 2 INDEPENDANT SERVICE CENTERS HAVE CONFIRMED MY CAR IS BURNING OIL AND IT IS UNSAFE. KIA HAS ALSO CONFIRMED IT IS BURNING OIL. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? -YES KIA PERFORMED AN INITAL OIL CONSUMPTUPN TEST WHICH IT FAILED, BUT REFUSE TO DO ADDITIONAL TESTS/REPAIRS DO TO SERVICE RECORD DOCUMENTATION. I AM STILL WITHIN MY 10Y/100K WARRANTY BUT THEY WILL NOT COVER IT. IT IS A DEFECTIVE ENGINE AND IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT NOT USER ERROR Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear- THE OIL LIGHT WENT OFF THE FIRST TIME IN DEC 2024 AND I IMMEDIATELY TOOK IT TO SHELL STATION. THIS WAS BEFORE I WAS DUE FOR AN OIL CHANGE. THEY TOLD ME I HAD NO OIL. IN FEB 2025 I GOT ANOTHER OIL CHANGE AT VALVOLINE AND WAS TOLD THE SAME THING. KIA CONFIRMED THE OIL CONSUMPTION IN APRIL 2025 INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

According to the dealership diagnostic assessment, the engine has two holes in the block as a result of connecting rod bearing failure. My Kia Sorento engine is a V6. This is a known issue in the Kia Sorento 2.4L for which a recall/extended warranty was granted. The Kia tech service line is denying any assistance with repair/replacement of my engine exhibiting the same engine failure results as the 2.4L engine. The day the engine blew, the oil level was full prior to drive, on the interstate it began sputtering and rattling, the engine then made the sound of a pop or muffled explosion and the car ceased to run causing us to have to quickly divert across lanes of traffic to get safely to the shoulder. Once stopped, the car was noted to have a pool of oil underneath and would ceased to drive.