2012 KIA SORENTO Complaints

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Kia issued a recall in September of 2023 that affects the HECU. I have received one interim notice but nothing since and it’s been 7 months. I am concerned about mine and others safety and would like an update on the recall.

My 2012 Kia Sorento (138k mi.) has received all suggested maintenance religiously, including a routine oil change on April [XXX]. On April [XXX] while driving the vehicle, a loud sound came from the engine and it stalled in traffic. An initial inspection revealed that there was NO oil. I immediately put 5 qts. of oil in the vehicle, drove home, parked, and called the shop that had JUST changed my oil. They came to look at the vehicle the next morning and again had to put 3 qts. of oil. The vehicle has since been towed to the dealership which confirmed "excessive bearing wear" where the engine attaches to the transmission causing the oil to leak out and a knocking rod. The entire engine must be replaced at a price tag of $12,000. The dealership stated that there were NO dtc codes showing for the ENTIRE HISTORY FOR THE VEHICLE. Essentially, the vehicle is in pristine condition but has now suffered a complete engine seizure less than 20k miles outside of warranty. The technician also stated that since NO dtc codes were indicated, including the 1326 dtc, they could not request an extension of warranty from the manufacturer on my behalf. Upon researching this issue, I have found 800 complaints for this model year Sorento, ten (10) NHTSA Investigations, and five (5) recalls for this MY. Two recalls relate to excessive bearing wear causing engine seizure (NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V224000) and the installation of software related to the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) to detect the rod knocking. Being that Kia is obviously aware of these issues on this MY, I requested that the manufacturer extend my warranty to cover the repairs. KIA responded and said since the recalls weren't for my specific engine model, they would not consider extending the warranty. This is absurd. Furthermore, the current recall which was issued over 8 months ago (NHTSA Recall Number 23V652000) still has not been resolved by KIA. This is not something new. I need help. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the cruise control failed to operate as needed. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that later that day, the fuel door failed to open automatically. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 139,000. The VIN was not available.

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact also stated that an abnormal burning odor was coming from the vehicle while idling. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

This 2012 Kia sorento caught fire and burned. Believed to be part of the recall 23v652

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

This model has been under a recall notice since September 25, 2023. The recall notice advises owners to park their car away from structures in fear of fire. According to the most recent data available, Kia has not even completed the remedy for the issue and has communicated NOTHING to owners about the status of a fix. It is now eight months since this recall was issued -- eight months of not knowing about the status of the repair, which not only affects the potential safety of the vehicle and structures, but the vehicle's potential resale value. Will someone please suggest to Kia that they make safety a priority and fix this? After eight months with no information, it feels like another effort by Kia to make serious problems go away by ignoring them.

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

KIA AMERICA, INC. SUBMITTED A SAFETY RECALL REPORT ON SEPTEMBER 25, 2023, (NHTSA RECALL #23V-652) DETAILING THE RISK OF AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL SHORT CIRCUIT OF THE HYDRAULIC ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT (HECU). I WAS NOTIFIED ON NOVEMBER 14, 2023, THAT MY VEHICLE WAS SUBJECT TO THIS RECALL AND THAT I WOULD BE NOTIFIED AGAIN WHEN THE REMEDY PART (A NEW FUSE) WAS AVAILABLE. KIA IS RECOMMENDING AFFFECTED OWNERS PARK THEIR VEHICLE OUTSIDE AND AWAY FROM STRUCTURES AND OTHER VEHICLES UNTIL THE REMEDY PART HAS BEEN INSTALLED. THIS LONG-TERM EXPOSURE TO THE ELEMENTS IS CAUSING UNDUE WEAR AND TEAR ON VARIOUS PARTS OF MY VEHICLE INCLUDING PAINT, TIRES AND HEADLIGHTS. IT HAS BEEN 5 MONTHS SINCE I WAS MADE AWARE OF THE RECALL AND NEARLY 7 MONTHS SINCE THE NHTSA WAS MADE AWARE AND THE REMEDY PART IS STILL NOT AVAILABLE. I BELIEVE KIA HAS EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REMEDY AND THAT IS WHY I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT.