2013 KIA SORENTO Complaints

MY 2013 KIA SORENTO HAS BEEN FREQUENTLY DECREASING POWER WHILE DRIVING. RPMS WOULD DROP TO 0. IN SOME CASES THE VEHICLE WOULD CONTINUE TO REMAIN AT THE CURRENT SPEED, BUT WITH THE RPM AT 0. IN OTHER CASES, THE VEHICLE WOULD RAPIDLY DECELERATE AND STALL OUT FORCING ME TO PULL OVER AND RESTART THE VEHICLE. THIS HAS OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY 20-30 TIMES OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS AND HAS OCCURRED WHILE IN TRAFFIC, PUTTING MYSELF AND MY DAUGHTER AT GREAT RISK FOR AN ACCIDENT. THERE WERE 2 TIMES IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. IN SOME OF THESE CASES THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS TURNED ON BUT NOT IN ALL INSTANCES. IT IS BEGINNING TO BECOME A MORE FREQUENT OCCURRENCE AND I AM AFRAID IT IS GOING TO HAPPEN AT A TIME THERE IS A VEHICLE TOO CLOSE TO ME OR I AM NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO SAFELY PULL OVER. WHEN I HAD A MECHANIC RUN THE ENGINE CODE HE SAID IT CAME UP A CRANK SENSOR ISSUE. HE INFORMED ME MY MAKE AND MODEL VEHICLE HAS RECEIVED NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS DECREASE IN SPEED ISSUE AND THAT IT COULD ALSO LEAD TO THE VEHICLES CATCHING FIRE. THIS IS A GREAT CONCERN FOR ME AS I HAVE A 5 YEAR OLD CHILD, AM AN EMT AND ALSO A CHILD PASSENGER SAFETY TECHNICIAN. WHEN I CONTACTED A LOCAL KIA DEALER, THEY PRETTY MUCH STATED THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO SINCE THERE IS NOT A RECALL AT THIS TIME. I AM VERY CONCERNED AS KIAS ARE TYPICALLY FAMILY VEHICLES AND COUNTLESS LIVES OF CHILDREN AND THEIR PARENTS ARE BEING PUT AT RISK. HOPEFULLY FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS WILL BE CONDUCTED AND APPROPRIATE RECALLS ISSUED SO THAT THERE DOES NOT NEED TO BE ANY FURTHER DEATHS OR INJURIES. PLEASE KEEP ME POSTED AS TO THE OUTCOME OF THIS AND OTHER RELATED COMPLAINTS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 KIA SORENTO. WHILE EXITING A HIGHWAY, THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD WHEN IT WAS DEPRESSED AND BECAME STUCK. THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AS IT LOST ELECTRICAL POWER. THE VEHICLE FINALLY STOPPED AND THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS APPLIED. THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO RESTART AND WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE SEIZED AND A NEW ENGINE WAS NEEDED. THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V240000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING), BUT THE CONTACT DID NOT RECEIVE A NOTIFICATION. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE KIA STORE (5325 PRESTON HWY, LOUISVILLE, KY 40213, (866) 627-6887) TO HAVE THE GEAR SHIFTER REPLACED PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V626000 (POWER TRAIN). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 79,000.

CAR BEGAN BURNING EXCESS OIL AT APPROXIMATELY 100,000 MILES, BEGAN SPEWING BLUE AND GRAY SMOKE WHEN STARTING COLD, AT 111,000 MILES TOOK FOR DIAGNOSTIC TEST AT ROMEO KIA KINGSTON. TECHNICIAN CONFIRMED ENGINE NEEDS REPLACING. ALTHOUGH THE 2.0 LITER AND 2.4 LITER ENGINES ARE COVERED UNDER A CURRENT RECALL, THIS IS A 3.5 LITER V6 ENGINE. CONTACTED KIA CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND WAS DENIED ANY ASSISTANCE EVEN THOUGH THE ISSUE IS THE EXACT SAME AS IS COVERED UNDER THE CURRENT RECALL. THE CAR WAS WELL MAINTAINED AND A MODERN DAY ENGINE SHOULD NOT FAIL AT SUCH LOW MILEAGE.

WHILE DRIVING ON THE EXPRESSWAY (APPROX. 70MPH) THE CAR BEGAN TO KNOCK FROM ENGINE LOUD. ALSO THERE WAS A LOT NOISE I CAN'T BEGIN TO EXPLAIN. IMMEDIATELY IT SMELLED LIKE THERE WAS A BURNING SMELL. THERE WAS BLACK SMOKE COMING FROM THE EXHAUST. THERE WAS NO ISSUES OR INDICATIONS OF ANY PROBLEMS BEFORE THIS HAPPENED. LUCKILY I WAS COMING UP ON A REST STOP AND I GOT IT INTO THE LOT AND CALLED A TOW TRUCK. OF COURSE I START MAKING CALLS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. PULL UP COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE CAR. BUT I HAVE ONE OF THE SOOL VIN #S NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL FOR THE SAME EXACT THING THAT THOUSANDS ARE GETTING HELP WITH. STILL HAVE TO PAY FOR THE CAR. CAN'T DRIVE THE CAR. 2 MONTHS NOW OF BEING TOLD THERE'S NOTHING I CAN DO.

VEHICLE OVERHEATED ONE TIME AND NUMEROUS ITEMS DAMAGED. I GET ROUTINE OIL CHANGES AND MAINTENANCE. BOLTS BACKED OUT OF ENGINE AND MISTHREADED. NO FIRE, ALTHOUGH I STOPPED DRIVING IT INSTANTLY. HAD TO REPAIR SEVERAL ITEMS. I BELIEVE THIS VEHICLE IS TOO NEW TO BE HAVING THESE DAMAGES. WHEN I RAN THE VIN# THERE IS NO RECALLS. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).' *PM

I PREVIOUSLY HAD NO ISSUES WITH MY VEHICLE, BESIDES AN AIRBAG LIGHT THAT REPEATEDLY TURNED ON FOR NO REASON. I FOLLOWED RECOMMENDED SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE AND HAD RECENTLY HAD AN OIL CHANGE AND FULL DIAGNOSTIC. A WEEK AGO, WHILE DRIVING, MY ENGINE SUDDENLY BEGAN SPUTTERING THEN DIED. I PULLED OVER, LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD, AND FOUND NOTHING VISIBLY AMISS. THEN I GOT BACK INTO THE CAR AND IT STARTED BACK UP. THEN AFTER DRIVING A SHORT DISTANCE THERE WAS A CLICKING SOUND IN THE ENGINE AND MY ENGINE LIGHT HAD COME ON. I DROVE ANOTHER 20 MINUTES, PARKED THE VEHICLE OVER NIGHT AND STARTED IT UP THE NEXT MORNING. ALTHOUGH IT CONTINUED TO CLICK THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS NO LONGER ON. AFTER DRIVING ABOUT 30 MINUTES THE CLICKING GREW MORE INSISTENT THAN THERE WAS A LOUD "SNAP" NOISE AND MY ENGINE DIED. I TOWED THE CAR TO MY REPAIR SHOP, THE KIA DEALERSHIP IN WAIPAHU, AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE ENGINE HAD SEIZED AND WAS IRREPARABLE. THEY COULD NOT DIAGNOSE EXACTLY WHAT WAS WRONG BUT THEY ASSURED ME THAT REGARDLESS OF MY DILIGENT MAINTENANCE THE VEHICLE WAS BEYOND REASONABLE REPAIR.

WHILE DRIVING, THE ENGINE STARTED TO KNOCK AND SEIZED BEFORE I COULD EXIT THE HIGHWAY. THE TOTAL TIME FROM KNOCK TO SEIZURE WAS ABOUT 30 SECONDS.

MY DAUGHTER CAME HOME FROM SCHOOL AND INFORMED ME ABOUT A NOISE HER CAR WAS MAKING. WE NOTICED KNOCKING COMING FROM HER ENGINE. A MECHANIC TOLD US IT WAS A BEARING.

LOW BEAM HEAD LIGHTS MELT TO THE WIRING, CAUSING TO TAKE TO THE SHOP FOR REPAIR. CAR NOT STARTING, THEIR IS A SHORT SOMEWHERE. I KNOW 2 OWNERS OF THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL AND THE SAME ISSUE/

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 KIA SORENTO. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE CHECK ENGINE, AIR BAG, AND BATTERY WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT POWERED OFF THE ENGINE AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE WHILE IN TRAFFIC AND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE NORMALLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED TWICE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BENSON KIA OF SPARTANBURG (LOCATED AT 1100 N PINE ST, SPARTANBURG, SC 29303, (864) 585-3611), BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.