2011 KIA SORENTO Complaints

STARTED VEHICLE 7AM. SHIFTED FROM P TO R. ENGINE REVVED ON ITS OWN. SHIFTED BACK TO P. OBSERVED CLUNK SOUND FROM TRANSMISSION. SHIFTED BACK TO R AND OBSERVED CLUNK SOUND. REVERSED TO STREET. SHIFTED TO D. VEHICLE ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN WITHOUT DEPRESSION ACCELERATOR TO 20 MPH. PULLED OVER. SHIFTED TO P. TURNED OFF IGNITION. RESTARTED VEHICLE. CLUNK SOUND OR SUDDEN ACCELERATION NOT OBSERVED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE ATTEMPTED TO REVERSE HOWEVER, THE SHIFTER COULD NOT BE MOVED FOR OVER 30 MINUTES. IN ADDITION, THE RADIO WOULD SPORADICALLY POWER ON INDEPENDENTLY AND DRAIN THE BATTERY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER BUT THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000.

FROM POINT OF PURCHASE (NOVEMBER 2010) THE VEHICLE ALWAYS HAD A HARD START, THE SEAT BELT WAS INCORRECTLY INSTALLED AND THE GAS LID FAILS TO OPEN WITHOUT MANUAL PRODDING. IN APRIL 2012 THE ENGINE FAILED TO START, AND THEN THIS CONTINUED TO HAPPEN MULTIPLE TIMES THEREAFTER. THE DEALERSHIP CHANGED THE BATTERY AND SERVICE THE VEHICLE. IN THE FOLLOWING MONTHS A SERIES OF ISSUES CONTINUED, WINDSHIELD WASHER PUMP STOPPED WORKING, FAILURE START, LOUD KNOCKING SOUND IN THE ENGINE WHILE IDLE AND DRIVING, AND THEN THE CAR STARTED TO STALL AND THRUST HARD FORWARD. THE CAR WAS SERVICED AGAIN, OIL CHANGED, THE CHANGED THE PUMP AND FILTERS, ALL REPORTED PROBLEMS PERSISTED THROUGH 2013. FOR THREE MONTHS THE CAR REMAINED IN THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE SHOP WHERE THE ENGINE WAS SERVICED, AND SOME ?TAPPETS? WERE REPLACED. THE DEALERSHIP CRACKED THE ENGINE COVER, REPLACED IT, WITHOUT INFORMING ME. ALL ENGINE, FAIL START, AND WINDSHIELD PUMP ISSUES CONTINUES TO PERSIST TO DATE (SEPTEMBER 2013) DESPITE MULTIPLE SERVICES.

WHILE PULLING INTO PARKING SPACE, CAR BECAME NON-RESPONSIVE TO GAS PEDAL INPUT, BUT BRAKES SILL WORKED. HILL ASST AND ETC LIGHTS LIT UP ON DASH, CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT PAST NEUTRAL. TURNED CAR OFF AND ON AND WAS ABLE TO SHIFT TO PARK. CAR STARTED NORMALLY AFTER BEING SHUT OFF. *JB

WHILE DRIVING OUT OF A PARKING LOT AT ABOUT 10 MPH THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN AND ALL THE DASH LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. I TURNED THE KEY OFF AND ON AND THE CAR RESTARTED, DROVE REST OF DAY WITHOUT INCIDENT. CAR STALLED A SECOND TIME TWO DAYS LATER. *JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER SHIFTING INTO REVERSE, THE GEAR ERRONEOUSLY SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL AND FAILED TO RESPOND TO ACCELERATION ATTEMPTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE REPLICATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000. THE VIN WAS NOT UNAVAILABLE.

VEHICLE HAD TRANSMISSION SENSOR FIXED IN DECEMBER 2012. VEHICLE WAS JERKING AND WOULD NOT GET INTO GEAR. SUPPOSEDLY FIXED. THIS TIME MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING AT NIGHT WITH A FRIEND ON A TWO WAY ROAD, THE VEHICLE STOPPED..COLD...THANK GOD NO ONE WAS HURT. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN UNABLE TO GET INTO GEAR THE LAST FEW MILES. THE VEHICLE WAS LEFT TO COOL AND SHE WAS DRIVING IT TO THE DEALER. NOW BEING TOLD AT 33,000 A NEW TRANSMISSION IS BEING ORDERED. THE CAR APPARENT, STARTS IN THIRD GEAR. STILL UNDER WARRANTY, BUT THE CAR STOPPED DEAD. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A FATAL ACCIDENT HAD SOMEONE BEEN BEHIND HER. PEOPLE MUST BE WARNED. *TR

I CAME TO A STOP, SUDDENLY THE DASH LIGHTS STARTED FLASHING, AND THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. I TURNED THE KEY A COUPLE OF TIMES BUT NOTHING HAPPENED, I TURNED OFF THE RADIO AND THEN TURNED ON MY EMERGENCY FLASHERS. I THEN PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND TURNED THE KEY AGAIN. THIS TIME THE CAR STARTED AND I DROVE IT HOME. TWO DAYS LATER THE SORENTO WAS TAKEN TO THE SHOP. POSSIBLE REASON GIVEN ON THE WORKORDER FOR THE STALLING/SHUTTING DOWN WAS THAT THE GAS TANK HAD BEEN OVERFILLED. THE TECHNICIAN ALSO TOLD MY HUSBAND THAT THIS PROBLEM HAD BEEN REPORTED IN OTHER VEHICLES AND SHOULD BE SOLVED BY THE BRAKE SWITCH RECALL, SERVICE BULLETIN 13V114000. HE EXPLAINED THAT THE ENGINE CONTROL SYSTEM RECEIVES A SIGNAL FROM THE BRAKE SWITCH FOR THE STARTING PROCESS AND, IF THE SIGNAL IS NOT RECEIVED, THE VEHICLE WILL NOT START. BECAUSE OF THE FAULTY BRAKE SWITCH, HE STATED THAT IT COULD INTERRUPT THE OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE BY SENDING AN ERRONEOUS SIGNAL TO THE ENGINE CONTROL SYSTEM, ACTIVATING THE "NO START" PROCESS. EVEN WITH THE VEHICLE RUNNING, THIS WOULD CAUSE THE ENGINE TO CUT OUT. HE FURTHER STATED THIS RECALL REPLACEMENT OF THE BRAKE LIGHT SIGNAL SWITCH SHOULD CURE THAT PROBLEM. AFTER RUNNING A COMPLETE DIAGNOSTIC CHECK ON THE VEHICLE, THE SERVICE REP SAID THERE WERE NO STORED CODES IN THE ENGINE CONTROL MEMORY INDICATING A FAULT. SINCE SHUTTING THE MOTOR OFF DUE TO AN ERRONEOUS SIGNAL THAT THE BRAKE WAS NOT ENGAGED IS NOT A SET FAULT CODE, THIS MAY NOT HAVE BEEN RECORDED. ALSO, THE REP STATED THAT IF A FAULT HAD OCCURRED, IT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN IN PLACE LONG ENOUGH TO RECORD A FAULT CODE. THOUGH HE DID GIVE THESE ANSWERS VERBALLY, THEY WERE NOT SPECIFICALLY INDICATED ON THE SERVICE INVOICE, AND THIS CONNECTION WAS NOT LISTED ON THE RECALL NOTICE FOR THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH. IS THIS KIAS OFFICIAL POSITION THAT THE BRAKE SWITCH RECALL FIXES THE ENGINE SHUTDOWN? *TR

FOUND THIS ON ANOTHER WEB SITE: WWW.TOPCLASSACTIONS.COM (SEE BELOW FOR DESCRIPTION) VERY INTERESTING: APPARENTLY THIS DEFECT HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE 2002!! WELL IT'S STILL HAPPENING I HAVE THE 2011 6 CYL AWD AND FOUND OUT IT'S STILL A DEFECT IN THE 2012 AND 2013. NOTHING MORE TO SAY BUT 'SHAME ON KIA MOTORS' YOUR LACK OF TAKING OWNERSHIP FOR THIS DEFECT IS JUST DISCUSTING. NHTSA PLEASE HELP US.....LIVES NEED TO BE SAVED; I AM BLEARY EYED READING ALL THE POWERTRAIN DEFECTS FOR THE 2011 KIA SORENTO. THE KIA SORENTO IS PRONE TO CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE, ACCORDING TO A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FILED IN NEW JERSEY. PLAINTIFFS ALLEGE IN THE KIA SORENTO CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT THAT KIA MOTORS KNOWINGLY CONCEALED THAT ITS 2002-2009 SORENTO CROSSOVERS WERE MANUFACTURED WITH A DEFECTIVE ENGINE PART CALLED THE CRANK SPROCKET. THIS ALLEGED ENGINE DEFECT LEADS TO A CATASTROPHIC CHAIN OF EVENTS THAT STARTS WITH SEVERE HEAT BUILDUP, THE RELEASE OF DEBRIS, AND THEN LEADS TO LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL, ENGINE FAILURE AND THE POTENTIAL FOR A HAZARDOUS ACCIDENT, ACCORDING TO THE CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT. *TR

CHAPTER 2. NHTSA ID NUMBER: 10519967 THE PROBLEM OCCURRED SATURDAY 6/15, DEALERSHIP CLOSED. CALLED DEALERSHIP THIS MORNING AND WAS ABLE TO BRING THE CAR RIGHT IN. LEFT THE CAR ALL DAY AND THEN RECEIVED THE NEWS, THEY CANNOT REPRODUCE THE INCIDENT. SO OF COURSE NOTHING WAS REPAIRED. SO I DROVE HOME IN THE 'DEATH WISH' CAR AND PRAYED ALL THE WAY HOME. THE CAR IS A 2011 KIA SORENTO 6 CYL AWD MANUFACTURED IN AUGUST 11, 2010. I HAVE SEARCH THE INTERNET NIGHTLY AND I AM FINDING MORE AND MORE PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXACT ISSUE AS I EXPERIENCED. THIS IS MAKING ME SICK KNOWING THAT KIA CORP KNOWS ABOUT THIS DEFECT AND IS NOT TAKING ACTION TO CORRECT THIS POTENTIALLY DEADLY DEFECT. HOW DO WE GET THEIR ATTENTION THAT THIS DEFECT NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED. DO WE HAVE TO CHECK OFF THE FATALITY BOX ON THIS FORM BEFORE KIA PAYS ATTENTION TO US. PLEASE IF SOMEONE HAS HAD A GOOD RESULT WITH THEIR DEALERSHIP AS FAR AS GETTING A REPAIR DONE WITHOUT REPRODUCING THE ERROR CODE, PLEASE CONTACT ME WITH THAT INFORMATION. THE LEMON LAW IN MY STATE IS 5 ATTEMPTS AT REPAIRING THE PROBLEM AND NO RESOLVE...I ONLY HAVE 4 MORE TO GO! KIA HELP US PLEASE...THIS DEFECT IS IN YOUR 2011, 2012 AND 2013 KIA SORENTO....SOMETHING IS EXTREMELY WRONG WITH YOUR POWERTRAIN IN THESE CARS. TAKE OWNERSHIP OF THE DEFECT AND SAVE OUR LIVES. *TR