2011 KIA SORENTO Complaints

I WAS DRIVING 70MPH ON A 4 LANE HIGHWAY. I WAS CHANGING LANES FROM THE 2ND LANE TO THE LEFT MOST LANE. THE CAR INFRONT ON ME DECELERATED AT A QUICK PACE, SO I HAD TO MAKE MY LANE CHANGE A LOT QUICKER. AT THIS POINT, THE DRIVER-SIDE FRONT TIRE POPPED AND I LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR. IT VEERED QUICKLY LEFT AND BOUNCED OFF THE CENTER DIVIDE. IT THEN TRAVELED ALL THE WAY TO THE RIGHT MOST LANE OF THE HIGHWAY AND CAME TO A STOP. I BELIEVE I DID NOT TOUCH THE BRAKES OR THE ACCELERATOR DURING THIS ENTIRE ENDEAVOR. OTHER CARS DID NOT HIT ME. THE CAR IS CURRENTLY BEING FIXED THROUGH MY INSURANCE COMPANY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH THE VEHICLE WOULD PULL TO THE LEFT. THE DEALER READJUSTED THE STEERING WHEEL; HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE BECAME VERY SENSITIVE WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL WAS MOVED. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL WAS MOVED SLIGHTLY IT HAD TOO MUCH MOVEMENT IN IT. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS NOT STABLE AND IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,800.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH THE REAR SUNROOF EXPLODED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO WILL REPAIR THE VEHICLE BUT NOT PER THE WARRANTY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND A CLAIM WAS FILED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000. UPDATED 08/31/11 *BF UPDATED 09/09/11*JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2011 KIA SORENTO. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD JERK VIOLENTLY. WHEN APPLYING PRESSURE TO THE GASOLINE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE;HOWEVER, IT WOULD MAKE A LOUD NOISE. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED IN FEBRUARY 2011 BY THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED OR REPAIRED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 10,000. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 6,000.

I FILED THIS REPORT 6/23/11 ON KIA.COM CONSUMER CARE WEBSITE: 2011 SORENTO LX (4CYL AWD) TRANSMISSION HAS LOCKED UP MULTIPLE TIMES. AT 40 MPH DURING ACCELERATION, LOUD BANG FOLLOWED BY SEVERE JERKING, (HARD DOWN-SHIFT), LOSS OF DRIVE (ENGINE CONTINUES TO RUN BUT DOES NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR), COAST TO STOP,PUT IN PARK. FIRST FEW TIMES IT DROVE OKAY AFTER A COMPLETE STOP AND FROM PARK, THIS LAST TIME IT WOULD NOT SHIFT BEYOND 40 MPH. TOWED TWICE TO DEALER BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO REPLICATE THE ISSUE IN THE MILEAGE THAT THEY DROVE IT. VEHICLE PURCHASED 01/30/10 WITH 24K MILES. MILEAGE AT THE LAST SERVICE WAS 33K. FIRST EVENT 5/17, OCCURS EVERY 4-5 DAYS OR APPROX 200-250 MI. CHK ENGINE LT / TRANSMISSION LIGHT HAVE NEVER COME ON, COMPUTER DIAGNOSTIC DOESNT REGISTER ANY ISSUES. THE DEALER WAS VERY NICE BUT WITHOUT KIA'S APPROVAL WOULD NOT KEEP THE CAR LONG ENOUGH TO FIND THE PROBLEM. I ASKED KIA DIRECTLY TO PROVIDE A TECH TO DRIVE THE CAR LONG ENOUGH TO EXPERIENCE THE ISSUE BUT THEY HAVE REFUSED TO AUTHORIZE IT AND HAVE ALSO STATED THAT WITHOUT VERIFICATION THEY WILL NOT APPROVE ANY REPAIRS. I AM VERY AFRAID THAT NEXT TIME IT HAPPENS IT WILL CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. I HAVE ALREADY HAD TWO CLOSE CALLS ON THE FREEWAY 6/28: THE SAME ISSUE OCCURRED AGAIN 4 DAYS AGO (6/24) ON A NARROW TWO LANE ROAD WHILE ACCELLERATING AFTER A STOP SIGN (AGAIN ABOUT 40-45 MPH). THIS TIME IT LOST ALL DRIVE AND RPM'S DID NOT GO UP WHEN PUSHING THE GAS PEDAL. PUT IT INTO PARK AND TRIED TWO MORE TIMES BEFORE IT FINALLY DROVE. TODAY 6/28, AT A GAS STATION THE CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO REVERSE. AFTER SEVERAL TRIES TO SHIFT INTO ANY GEAR, TURNED IT OFF AND ON AGAIN AND IT DROVE OKAY OUT OF THE STATION BUT 200 YDS LATER AS I WAS ACCELERATING UP THE RAMP TO ENTER I-5 (A 6 LANE FREEWAY DURING EARLY COMMUTE) IT MADE THE SAME LOUD BANG, JERK AND THEN LOST DRIVE, COASTED TO SHOULDER. TURNED ENGINE OFF, WAITED A FEW MINUTES TO RESTART, IT WAS NOT VERY RESPONSIVE BUT I WAS ABLE TO EXIT THE FREEWAY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE STOPPED AT A STOP LIGHT. UPON RESTART, THE VEHICLE OPERATED AS NORMAL. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT WHEN DRIVING IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE FURTHER WHEN PRESSURE WAS APPLIED TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. A KNOCKING NOISE WAS ALSO HEARD COMING FROM THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE, AND THE VEHICLE WOULD INTERMITTENTLY JERK BACKWARDS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100. A NEW TRANSMISSION WAS INSTALLED 6/29/2011. UPDATED 09/07/2011 *LN *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THE TRANSMISSION STARTING SLIPPING WHILE SHIFTING INTO FIRST GEAR. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WAS 7,200. RETURN TO DEALER 8/10/11 TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKING, TOIL LEAKING, TRANSMISSION STILL STICKS. UPDATED 09/14/2011 *LN THE CONSUMER RETURNED TO THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, DUE TO TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKING, AS WELL AS THE GETTING STUCK. UPDATED 12/05/11

WHILE DRIVING DOWN INTERSTATE AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY DIES AND THE VEHICLE COASTS DOWN THE ROAD W/ SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT ILLUMINATED. VEHICLE HAS ONLY 11K MILES ON IT; HAS DONE IT 3 TIMES IN 2 DAYS. ALL KIA SERVICE WOULD DO IS CLEAR THE HISTORY (RESET). *TR

PURCHASED A NEW SORENTO LX ON 5-2011, 4CYL, FWD, AUTOMATIC. ON THREE OCCASIONS DURING THE FIRST MONTH I OWNED THE VEHICLE, I HAVE EXPERIENCED UNCOMMANDED DOWNSHIFT FROM 6TH GEAR TO 4TH GEAR AT SPEED. TRANSMISSION THEN LOCKS IN 4TH GEAR UNTIL SHUT DOWN AND RESTARTED. VERY VIOLENT EVENT WHEN IT OCCURS, WITH AN INSTANTANEOUS BANG AND CORRESPONDING IMMEDIATE LOSS OF SPEED. *TR

WE PURCHASED/LEASED A NEW 2011 SORENTO V6 AND ALMOST IMMEDIATELY STARTED EXPERIENCING THE OCCASIONAL HESITATION PROBLEM WHEN PULLING INTO TRAFFIC FROM A STOP. ON A COUPLE OCCASIONS IT PUT US IN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AS WE WERE CROSSING 2 LANES OF TRAFFIC. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO COURTESY KIA IN BRANDON FL. 4 TIMES, THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. FINALLY THEY GOT US A 2012 NEAR IDENTICAL SORENTO V6, AND ON THE 3RD DAY HAD THE SAME EXPERIENCE W/50 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. WE NOW HAVE 500+ ON IT AND HAVE HAD A TOTAL OF 7 SIMILAR SITUATIONS. THE DEALERSHIP SAYS I'M THE ONLY ONE EXPERIENCING THIS AND THAT THEY AREN'T AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, ALTHOUGH I TALKED W/A CUSTOMER OF THEIRS W/A 2011 SORENTO AND HE SAID HE AND HIS WIFE HAVE THE SAME ISSUES W/THEIRS. WE ARE VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH THIS SITUATION, BUT OTHER THAN THAT WE LIKE THE VEHICLE & GET LOTS OF COMPLIMENTS ON IT, BUT I AM ALSO LETTING OTHERS KNOW OF OUR EXPERIENCES. ITS OUR FIRST VENTURE FROM GM, AND IT WILL LIKELY BE OUR LAST. ADDITIONALLY, THE 2011 WAS GETTING THE ADVERTISED FUEL MILEAGE, THE 2012 HAS NOT GOTTEN ANY BETTER THAN 17.5 ON THE HIGHWAY OR IN TOWN. WHEN WE TURNED IN THE 2011 THEY CHARGED ME $2,500 (MONEY THAT WE WERE TO GET BACK FROM KIA IN THE DEAL) WHICH I THOUGHT WAS REALLY OUT OF LINE. I ADMIT WE PUT 5,000 MILES ON IT BUT $.50 PER MILE IS A BIT MUCH, PLUS I HAD ADDED HEAT & LUMBAR IN THE SEATS AND TINTED WINDOWS. THIS IS TRULY A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND VERY DISAPPOINTING. I CAN'T HELP BUT WONDER WHAT KIA & THE DEALERSHIPS WILL DO WHEN SOME IS SERIOUSLY HURT OR KILLED AS A RESULT OF THIS PROBLEM THAT THEY CAN'T FIND OR EVEN ADMIT IS HAPPENING.!? JJ (NOTE: THE VIN PROVIDED IS FOR THE 2012 KIA SORENTO). *TR