2023 KIA SORENTO Complaints

Transmission Warning Indicator appears on Dashboard Cluster and vehicle bucks and stalls and won't shift properly. Dealership found Transmission was never filled properly and below specifications according to Kia Service and was verified the fluid level was extremely low and not filled to specification from factory. The dealership filled transmission to proper level and test drove vehicle. Issue seamed to be fixed. But now a month later same transmission is is happening with Transmission warning Indicator and vehicle bucking and not shifting properly causing erratic vehicle behavior and safety issues.

While driving vehicle looses throttle power, goes into limb mode. Does not throw any codes. Turn the car off then back on and drives fine for a little bit. Has happened numerous times. Multiple trips to the dealership but since no codes pop up nothing can be fixed. Major safety issue!!!!

Mounting bracket for the backup camera failed and caused the camera to dangle from the car. This caused me to not be able to use the camera to view objects and surroundings directly behind the vehicle. A dealer said they fixed the part back when it was originally recalled, but the new bracket broke and the dealer is refusing to fix the issue. They said the initial recall was completed and the part is now out of warranty and therefore they will not fix it, even though the exact part that was recalled originally has now failed again.

Car is a huge safety issue. Seems to be DCT transmission issue. Car gets stuck in first or second gear and revs all the way up. Happened multiple times getting on highway or at intersections. This has almost caused multiple accidents for me. You can push the pedal to the floor and it won’t do anything. The only temp fix is turning car off and back on.

I had just entered the highway and reached highway speed of 70 mph. Without any warning, the engine died, all of the dashboard lights came on, and I was unable to accelerate. Thankfully I was in the right-hand lane and there was an exit ramp a short distance ahead. The car decelerated as it had no power, and cars behind me were honking. I was able to exit the highway and coast into a parking lot just off the frontage road. Had I not been able to get off the highway, the vehicle would have been stalled in fast-moving traffic, and a pile-up could have easily occurred. I turned the car off using the push button start/stop, waited several minutes, and restarted the car. The check engine light was on and the car diagnostics system reported an issue with the "engine management system." Upon clicking the details link, the diagnostics system further stated "A possible condition with your Engine Control System has been detected. A full system check is recommended to be done soon. Please contact your local dealership to schedule an appointment." I took the car to a local Kia dealership, and they stated they could not recreate the problem. They reported they "inspected the vehicle for DTC's and found code PO65312 in history." They cleared the code and reported, in writing, that "no issues found during test drive, vehicle currently operating properly, no further action taken" and gave the car back to me without fixing anything. They stated it may need to be diagnosed for longer ext diag time. The vehicle is available for inspection, and I would appreciate any help I can get as I got no help at the dealership.

When attempting to start the car, the engine will not start and every alert system and dashboard light turns on. The car is undriveable when it does this. It takes 5-10 minutes of turning the car on and off before it stops and is drivable again. It does not happen every time and seems to be random. This has happened 5 times. An additional 6th time this same issue happened while I was driving - all of the dashboard lights went on, and every alert / warning turned on (forward collision, lane warning, etc). The steering wheel also became stiff and extremely difficult to turn. I have been attempting to work with 2 different Kia service departments and their corporate escalations department without luck. They are unable to replicate the issue and are planning to give the car back to us. After seeing so many similar or same issues reported on various forums I am filing a NHTSA claim. (One forum example here: [XXX] ) INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The vehicle was purchased new. From day one, there were issues. When it was delivered from the factory, it was discovered to be partly unpainted. This raised quality concerns. So far, the most serious has been that the motor blower failed at approximately 29,700 miles. This resulted in the vehicle filling with noxious fumes. It then had to be abandoned on the side of the highway. This led to a fire dispatch and later urgent care visits. Prior to towing, it was discovered that the AC was not working and the engine coolant reservoir was at ~ 1/4 of the minimum line. Ultimately, the vehicle was towed to King KIA. They held the vehicle for 2 weeks. They drove the vehicle 16 miles. However, they did not diagnose the problem. The only action that they took was to refill the engine coolant reservoir. Prior to pick-up, we notified the KIA Customer Service Escalation Case Manager in writing that the vehicle had not been fixed and continued to represent a safety risk to our family. They took no further action. After pick-up, the vehicle was driven approximately 35 miles before the smoke started to fill the engine cabin. It was taken to two independent mechanics along the side of the highway. One was Vienna Auto Care and the other was Jiffy Lube Auto Care. Both identified that the motor blower resistor had likely failed. The JLAC manager also identified white material on the engine manifold believed to be engine coolant. All was documented in writing. The vehicle was towed back to King KIA. Prior to towing, the JLAC manager told us that melted motor blower casing was highly toxic. (Later, the KIA Case Manager informed us that he would admit that our family was put at risk by being told to pick-up the unfixed vehicle.) He also told us that if the motor blower failed then it likely was not an isolated case. This time, the motor blower failure was reproduced. However, the engine coolant issue has yet to be resolved. We are now being instructed to pick-up the car again.

This was an alarming situation. I was taking my wife for a cancer treatment in our 2023 KIA Sorrento with 2600 miles on it. The instrument panel showed a A with a circle around it, blinking continuously. I was going up a grade in a town and the car would not accelerate. All of a sudden the engine SURGED the brakes would not stop the car, I put it into neutral and went into a parking lot. If there would have ben a car in front of me or no place to pull over there would have been a serious accident. I called the KIA dealership and took it in for a diagnostic test. Nothing wrong with car was their answer. In the mean time I am afraid to drive the car. I am [XXX] and reflexes are not as good as they were [XXX] . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Twice while driving on the highway the engine power went off and all the safety lights flash and I could not accelerate. I was able to pull Over in neutral and restart the engine. When taken in for inspection, no problems were found. It happened again in June after the 7500 mile inspection on May 9th. This issue is life threatening as it could easily cause a fatal crash if I was not in the right lane, on flat ground, with a shoulder. There was no warning light.

The blind spot assist warning came on, with no other cars around, and then the engine seized. This Sorento is a 2023 and only had 29000 miles. The engine is now destroyed and kia is not upholding the warranty.